Psychiatric Service Dog - Information

[cavalierkisses]

I have received several PM's on the subject of my "Coming Clean" post, so I'd like to share information with the rest.

If you feel like your psychiatric illnesses that you feel are debilitating you and your regular treatment isn't working, or even if you don't have any then... a PSD (Psychiatric Service Dog) may help you. Do not be afraid to look into it and consider whether it is right for you. You will be amazed what dogs can do for even these "invisible disabilities".

Many of them will be best answered by going to psychdog.org, which is the website I went to find out information. You can apply to be added to their listserv, but be warned they don't add automatically. They require to an email with your name and phone number. Someone will call you and ask a few questions. Veronica was very nice and just asking a few questions and I was added. Even before you get your dog or find a better suited dog then you will still be helped and supported.

Your dog is working for you, but for a Service Dog this is their play, this isn't work to them. So, any comments of "your dog is working for you, so you have to work for you" is a clear indication of ignorance on the relationship of a Service Dog Team. These dogs are being taken care of by taking care of you, that is how they are trained. It has been shown that even after a service dog has been retired, they still try to help in the house or... OR they themselves go into depression.

So, if anyone replies to this post please be respectful of these teams and the community. Service Dog Teams are a very serious subject and remember they are NEVER pets until they are off duty, and all service dogs get lots of time to just be dogs. But they are also being dogs when they are working. Have you ever seen an unhappy Service Dog on the streets, in the coffee shops? No, they are focused, they are working, but they are being rewarded by helping their owner.

This is why dogs are so amazing.

And now for Service Dog information. I only know the US laws, and the law that protects SDT (Service Dog Teams) falls under the American Disabilities Act. Read the law, and find out the law in your state/county/city. But the Federal law OVERRIDES all of the others, particularly in rewards to Public Access
I
n the US service dogs are NOT required to get a permit, or a certificate. They are only required to behave in public, which I would recommend trying to get your dog to go to a professional trainer that can do Canine Good Citizen. Again, all professional trainers should use positive reinforcement ONLY. This is the best for a pet dog, but far more crucial for a Service Dog. When dogs began to be trained to help the disabled they were already using positive reinforcement, so anyone going into this will be entering a 'culture' that knows that positive training is the only way to get things done.

And yes, your dog can go practically everywhere. This is called public access, and this is protected under the American Disabilities Act. The law states in a simple summary: Any person with a disability that is aided by a Service Dog cannot be denied access to something of public access. There are some limitations, but you'll learn that. I got my dog's service vest from http://ldsleather.com/, but vests are actually optional for SD. We've just learned that it causes less of a hassle with Gatekeepers and the Public. The general public is, I hate to say it, ignorance when it comes to Service Dogs. I purchased cards that clearly state the law to Gatekeepers. You WILL come against people who try to deny you access, and that isn't legal.

Service Dogs come in all shapes, sizes, breeds, and they can do amazing.... AMAZING tasks. I thought dogs were amazing in the competitions, but I personally nothing else shows the capability of this amazing animal than a SD. SD Handles are proud of their dogs.

I look forward to more discussions, here on the thread of in PM. I'm mid-way through the process. My dog can already go to almost anyway because she behaves in nearly perfect SD etiquette, and her first set of training hasn't started.

I hope I made sense and I hope I can help others. I may have made a mistake or do in my information, but this is what I've learned so far.

If you train your current dog or obtain a dog to be trained to be a SD than always remember these things: reinforce everything, praise them, and stand up for the rights of both you and the dog. You are a Team and it is your civil right to have that dog.

[Fundog]

Bravo! That was a WONDERFUL article; thank you so much for posting. Emmabeth, I think this article should be moved to the "Training Articles" section, what do you think? CK, that was fantastic; it really was!

[cavalierkisses]

Bravo! That was a WONDERFUL article; thank you so much for posting. Emmabeth, I think this article should be moved to the "Training Articles" section, what do you think? CK, that was fantastic; it really was!

I'm blushing here! Thanks for such the big compliment.

[emmabeth]

Moving it right away Great article!

[jellybean]

OK, so what do you do when you walk into a store and a clerk demands to see your service dog tag? If the dog doesn't need to be registered, it won't have a tag. What do you say to the clerk?

[Fundog]

The author stated she got some cards that state the law regarding service dogs, and gives them to clerks to read-- she said that resolves most problems.

[Fundog]

Bumping this up too.

[CharlieBrownMommy]

I have Autism. I am not sure if it is classified as a psychiatric disability, but it is certainly one of those "invisible disabilities". I am training my own service dog to assist me, and it is amazing how he helps me. It is, however, a very delicate process, training him. People can not see I am disabled, thus they tend to think I am training the dog for someone else. People don't believe he is for me. With Autism service dogs for adults a fairly new thing in the US, it is making it easier for any random person who is not disabled to just buy their dog a vest and say its a service dog. It makes it very tough for those of us who really need a service dog. Legally no certification is required of a service dog, at least in the US. That is good for those of us who train our own dogs, but it makes it too easy to get away with cheating the system. I'm sorry, I am ranting. But I do love my dog and I am so glad I am able to train him to help me.

[jellybean]

You must be very careful with what you call a psychiatric service dog. A service dog must be trained to perform a specific function and it is legitimate to ask what service this dog has been trained to perform.Many people confuse psychiatric service dogs with Emotional Support Dogs. Emotional support dogs are NOT service dogs and are NOT allowed public access. The designation does allow them to live in pet free housing and to accompany their owners on an airplane. Those are the only privileges they have. Emotional support dogs help people cope with loneliness and depression and the like; but they do not need to be trained to perform any specific function. They are merely companion dogs. I have had occasion to research this matter in depth. It is a felony to claim that an animal is a service animal when it is not.

Here are excerpts from Wikipedia:
Like all assistance dogs, a psychiatric service dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks that mitigate their handler's disability.[5] Training to mitigate a psychiatric disability may include providing environmental assessment (in such cases as paranoia or hallucinations), signalling behaviors (such as interrupting repetitive or injurious behaviors), reminding the handler to take medication, retrieving objects, guiding the handler from stressful situations, or acting as a brace if the handler becomes dizzy.

An emotional support animal (ESA) is a US legal term for a pet which provides therapeutic benefit to its owner through companionship and affection. Emotional support animals are not specially trained to ameliorate disability as psychiatric service dogs are. They require only as much training as an ordinary pet requires in order to live peacefully among humans without being a nuisance or a danger to others.

In the U.S., two federal laws grant special rights to some owners of emotional support animals.

The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (42 USC 3601, et seq.) establishes a procedure for modifying "no pets" policies in most types of housing to permit a person with a disability to keep a pet for emotional support. The qualified applicant may either make a verbal request, or send a written request of reasonable accommodation to the landlord, in either case with a letter from a physician or prescription.[1][2] If the landlord refuses the request for accommodation, a complaint can be filed with the department of Housing and Urban Development or with the U.S. Department of Justice.

In housing that allows pets but charges supplemental rent or deposits for them, these fees must be waived. The ESA's owner can be charged for actual damage done by the animal, but they may not require the applicant to pay a fee or a security deposit in order to keep the animal.[3]

The Air Carrier Access Act establishes a procedure for modifying pet policies on aircraft to permit a person with a disability to travel with a prescribed emotional support animal so long as they have appropriate documentation and the animal is not a danger to others and does not interfere with others (through unwanted attention, barking, inappropriate toileting, etc.).[1][4]

[Nettle]

Thank you very much jellybean for clarifying that it was something I did not know about as we don't have ESD in UK. It goes a long way to explaining some posts in the past that have puzzled me.

ES is extremely hard on a dog, where Service is not anything like as demanding. Therefore IMO there ought to be more help/control over dogs chosen for this job.

[huynhje]

Hi
My name is Jennifer, I was just donated a pure-bred German Shepherd by a breeder so that I can start to train as my own PSD. I was wondering if there is a training booklet out there that I can purchase to start my training for my puppy.