Finding An Anxiety Service Dog

If you experience anxiety, you may have considered a service dog, support dog, or another kind of support animal to help quell your symptoms. While service animals can be advantageous for people with physical disabilities, they can also be helpful for people experiencing anxiety and other mental health conditions. Service dogs can be a productive alternative to isolation and may help provide relief from challenging mental health symptoms. You may have many questions about service dogs, which can lead to an information overload. If you’re interested in getting a service dog to assist with your anxiety and have questions, consider reading through the following article for a quick introduction to these types of service animals.

What kind of animals can be service animals?

By far, most service animals are dogs, but in no way are they limited to only canines. Federal orders in the United States define “service animals” under the Americans with Disabilities Act as domestic dogs and miniature horses. Other laws covering housing and airline travel are more flexible and include far more than service dogs. Animals trained to be support animals include capuchin monkeys, cats, parrots, ferrets, and more, but service animals are more complex. The species that qualify as service animals depend on the applicable laws. Still, they cannot be stricter than the ADA.

Are support and service animals the same?

Service animals and support animals can serve the same purpose for the people they belong to, but they are very different both legally and in training. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA service animals are working animals. The service dog or emotional support animal, usually a dog, has been trained to perform and aid in tasks for a person with a disability or disabling anxiety. This is why domesticated dogs are often considered the best service animals; service dogs can be trained more easily to perform specific tasks on demand. If the owner has a service dog for anxiety, the dog must be able to assist during an anxiety attack or with other symptoms of anxiety to qualify as a psychiatric service dog. A service dog for dog owners with epilepsy or diabetes is trained for a different service specific to the owner’s needs and health conditions.

On the other hand, support animals are more likely to be from various species. This animal can provide comfort for people with anxiety but is not necessarily trained for specific tasks. For example, an autistic child may have an emotional support animal because they experience anxiety. This could be a support dog who lays in their lap, a rabbit whose soft fur comforts them, or even a goldfish whose back-and-forth swimming calms them. A support animal may help with depression or anxiety because of the bond it has with its owner. However, it has not been trained to qualify for a service certification and doesn’t have the training to prevent anxiety, only to calm its symptoms after an episode.

ADA service animals typically require more training and are usually harder to find because they’re for people with more debilitating conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder. Emotional support animals often start as pets with whom a family member who is disabled has a close bond. In contrast, the psychiatric service animal is not considered a pet but a worker. Emotional support animals typically have a greater bond, though psychiatric service dogs and other types of service animals can still have deep bonds with their owners.

Is a service dog certified, or does it need to be registered?

Some agencies provide certifications for both service dogs and other service animals and their handlers. Still, a certification is not required, nor is the registry for these working animals. Registered service programs are voluntary and serve a purpose, for example, for search and rescue purposes in the rare event of an evacuation need. The benefit of certification is that the service dog has been trained and has guaranteed skills and health. If any organization requires certification or evidence that your companion is a registered service dog or inquires about its documentation, it is an ADA violation. According to the ADA, service dogs cannot be banned from entry, and only two questions can be asked. These questions are:

1. Is the service dog required because of a disability?

2. What work has the service animal or dog been trained to do? 

They cannot ask about the disability the owner has, request to see the tasks that the dog performs, or command the dog to demonstrate its skills.

People with service animals frequently report violations of these orders, usually due to ignorance and not malintent. It can help to carry a copy of the Americans with Disabilities Act and put the dog in a service vest, though neither is required. You can only be asked, “Is the dog a service animal?”, “Is the dog a service dog for a disability?” and “What tasks does the dog do?” This way, you can quickly point out that service dogs must be allowed entry according to the Act ADA, even if the disability is invisible, as is the case with anxiety.

The only service animals under the ADA are dogs or miniature horses, but this is more flexible for support animals. Depending on your needs, a support dog may be as useful as a service dog for anxiety if you experience it regularly. The only documentation required is the medical letter stating the need for a psychiatric service dog and its vaccinations. An emotional support dog or support animal does not require paperwork except in certain situations such as flying.

Differences between service dogs, support dogs, therapy dogs, and guide dogs

While the difference between service animals and emotional support animals has been addressed, subtle differences exist between the other types of service dogs. Therapy dogs are trained to interact with people who are not their primary handlers and often provide comfort to residents in nursing homes and hospices where they may not be able to care for their own animals. Therapy dogs can be particularly effective for people with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression and may help with social anxiety in particular. 

Recall that service animals are working animals. Guide dogs are types of service animals trained to work with people who are visually impaired; these dogs act as their eyes, guiding them around obstacles. The guide dog is the oldest type of service dog, and these dogs are specifically trained. Service animals are working animals, not pets. They provide a service to people. However, service dogs and emotional support dogs can support the same person. An emotional support animal provides comfort while service dogs are trained for medical intervention. For example, in a social anxiety situation, the support animal may provide a distraction to de-escalate while the service animal retrieves medication or guides their handler to a safe resting place.

Another kind of service dog similar to guide dogs is the alert dog. These dogs can be trained as service animals who can alert blood sugar problems to people with diabetes. They can also alert people who are about to have a seizure. These service dogs are specifically trained to stay alter to sudden life-threatening situations related to the owner’s disability. These are dogs whose sole function is the alert they provide.

Types of service dogs and support animals are varied, and if a disability limits you, the assistance dog can be trained to help you. If the task you cannot complete is a task a dog can be trained to do, you can have a service dog or an animal simply for support in performing that task.

Are service dogs available for mental health disabilities?

Service animals are available for psychiatric services as well as physical service needs. Individuals who experience anxiety disorders, like post traumatic stress disorder, know that it can be just as disabling as a visible need. Psychiatric service dogs provide a type of service that may even be more important when you consider that people who experience anxiety and other mental health disorders may not be able to communicate their needs and observers cannot simply look at them and see that something could be wrong. These dogs are trained to provide vital psychiatric service and to recognize stressors and the signs that their owners are entering a crisis. They know how to alert others and seek help and can take action to attempt to bring their owners out of the state they are entering. The type of service depends on the individual, but these service animals can be helpful, nonetheless.

Can I afford a service dog?

The easy answer is that if you can afford a pet in general, you may be able to find a way to afford a service dog. However, the cost may be high if you want a registered, certified purebred service dog who comes to you fully trained specifically for your unique healthcare needs.

Many service dogs begin as rescue pets, then become support animals when you notice their unique bond and intuition with a family member. You may need to find a master trainer, or you might find that your future service dog is highly intelligent, and a family member is an effective trainer. In this case, you might choose to train your dog at home. In most cases, though, this is not recommended. Recall that once animals are working, they are service animals, not pets.

A service dog cost can range from almost free to tens of thousands of dollars for the best dogs, but some investment is recommended to ensure your service dog can meet your needs. Part of this is because the dog’s training takes a lot of time and attention from highly skilled trainers, and while certification isn’t required, it is available and costs more. For dogs whose sole purpose is to assist you or your loved one, you want the best you can afford, and dogs that are individually found instead of through an organization or trainer have a greater risk of not being able to offer support in the way that’s needed.

How do I qualify for a service dog?

To have a service animal, there is no registration or certification required. Legally, however, you need a letter from a mental health professional who provides a psychiatric service stating that your mental health condition, such as depression, anxiety, or related condition, prevents you from completing at least one major life task without assistance to qualify for a service animal. This professional might be a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a therapist, a counselor, or a social worker. Major life tasks are a daily requirement, such as cooking, cleaning, self-care, bathing, etc., and a service dog can assist in completing them.

You must command the dog independently, participate when the dog is trained, care for the dog, and financially provide for it. If you are unsure whether you need a service dog, you can meet with a therapist to get more information and their professional recommendation. 

What can a service animal do for me?

Service dogs provide psychiatric services in a variety of ways. You might consider a service dog if you experience anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or another physical or mental health condition. These dogs are trained for types of service tasks that include but aren’t limited to:

1. Reminding you to take regular medications at scheduled times

2. Bringing your medication during an anxiety attack

3. Fulfill the simpler tasks of assistance dogs when not in crisis

4. Preventing an anxiety attack or performing intervention to stop an anxiety attack

5. Predict and prevent anxiety attacks

6. Bring you a phone during an anxiety attack

7. Dial a phone for emergency services or a preprogrammed contact

8. Tactile support during overstimulation

9. Prevent overload

10. Guide you toward safety while experiencing social anxiety

11. Create an excuse to leave a room if you provide a secret signal for reasons not limited to social anxiety

12. Identify medical needs such as an anxiety attack

13. Recognize symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or your particular condition

14. You can take your service animals in public so that you don’t have to worry about having a health problem when you’re away from the safety of your home.

15. Recognize your triggers in the event you experience a bout of PTSD during an anxiety attack

If the training your dog receives has it doing things unrelated to your diagnosis, it is not considered a service dog. However, a psychiatric service dog provides services for a hidden illness, and a service dog for anxiety has more specific skills in comparison to others.

All you need is the required paperwork for a service animal, which is a letter from a medical professional stating your need for the dog’s services. A service dog or emotional support dog has guidelines under different rules and orders. Service animals are defined differently in different contexts.

Recall that dogs and miniature horses qualify as service animals under the ADA, not just emotional support animals. Service dogs and emotional support animals provide different functions, and a guide dog is what most people are familiar with, but emotional support animals and psychiatric service dogs for those who experience anxiety are both greatly needed; psychiatric service animals can be more challenging to train than those dogs for owners with physical or visible disabilities. According to ADA service dog orders, service dogs for anxiety and other psychiatric service dogs are specifically trained for their person’s needs. At the same time, a support animal has less training and less oversight.

Online counseling for anxiety

Are you feeling unsure whether an anxiety service dog could be helpful for your situation? Consider speaking to a licensed therapist to gain more clarity. Regain is an online platform that provides counseling from anywhere you have an internet connection. Instead of worrying about long commutes to an office, meeting face-to-face with a stranger, or seeing someone you know at a therapist’s office, you can meet with your therapist from the comfort of home. This can lessen the amount of anxiety you feel as you begin therapy. A therapist can help you assess if a service dog might be beneficial for your anxiety or whether there may be other options that could be more helpful. Getting support and treatment is what matters most, as anxiety is highly treatable. Therefore, don’t hesitate to reach out for help whenever you need it.

The effectiveness of online counseling for anxiety

Research shows that guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy can be an effective treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In an 8-week study, participants moved through a program based on cognitive behavioral therapy principles (CBT) and worked with a therapist who taught them applied relaxation techniques. The treatment group showed significant improvements in measures of anxiety, depression, and quality of life, speaking to the efficacy of ICBT for problems related to GAD. CBT is an approach that teaches people how to reframe their unhelpful thoughts to be more positive, thereby altering their unwanted behaviors.

Takeaway

A service dog’s necessity can be immeasurable to a person with social anxiety disorder or other mental or physical health needs. Service dogs are trained specifically to your needs and can make a noticeable difference in the way you live your daily life. It typically isn’t hard to find a service dog if you know where to start and what to expect. If you need help with this process, connecting with a professional could be a beneficial step. A therapist or counselor can help you decide if a service dog could be appropriate and advantageous for your situation. They can also equip you with other tools to help you manage your anxiety, which may allow you to gain greater control over your symptoms and live a healthier, more productive life.