Does anyone have a service dog?

[honey987]

I have severe anxiety when it comes to flying or being in certain situations and have been on and off meds for it. The ones that seem to work put me to sleep and that is not practical for an airplane ride that is only 1 hour. My doctor suggesting looking into getting our dog certified to be a service dog to be able to help me in these situations, but from doing a little research there doesnt seem to be any clear cut regulations to do this? This makes me nervous just thinking about it, but my dog does help me stay calmer just by being around and I'm desperate to try anything at this point. Any tips would be great.

[redheadbaker]

There was a regular on the old Pets board who has a service dog but I don't think she has an account here.

From what I understand (if I'm remembering correctly) is that there is no certification for service dogs. You can either train your own or take it to a trainer. But there's no certificate or official identification that you must carry and present.

I think she said that service dogs must be trained to do two different tasks to mitigate the disability. But it sounds like what you need is a Psychiatric Service Dog (as opposed to a service dog that helps someone with a physical disability) so I'm not sure if the same rule would apply.

[marynjoe]

I have no advice on the dog, but have you worked with a therapist to work through your anxiety? It could really change your life.

[Blackbird]

I'm here! I haven't posted much thanks to life :-)

I'm assuming you're in the US, right? The big federal law for service dogs is part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). First, I would discuss with your therapist if you qualify as disabled under the ADA (have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (http://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm#12102). Unfortunately, not every doctor and therapist is sure of the definition of disability and service dogs so I would take that in and discuss it.
The ADA has a section specific to service dogs. One of the major points is that emotional support (the dog calming you by just being there) is not a task or work and does not make a service animal.
A service animal (now limited to dogs and in some cases, miniature horses) is defined as a dog who is individually trained to do tasks or work that mitigate the handler's disability. The dog also can't be a disturbance in public (barking, growling, etc), threaten, be dirty or not potty trained. There is no federal certification and businesses can't require it. Some states have registries but again, those can't be requested.

Now that we have the definitions out of the way, let's talk about training. First, how much experience do you have training dogs in advanced levels? Training your own service dog isn't easy and isn't something I'd recommend for most people. You need to get your dog evaluated by someone who has trained service dogs (more than one and has good references) to see if s/he has the right temperament for servie work. Most dogs don't. It takes a confident dog that can handle the stress of public work and, in your case, not become stressed or anxious by your anxiety. These dogs are hard to find. I'm on my second service dog because my first, who I trained myself, had to be retired after just a couple years of work due to a knee problem.
Next, you need to determine what tasks your dog can do that would mitigate your disability (this is a key phrase). For me, my service dog assists me when getting in and out of my chair because I need the assistance dur to my disability. For you, this wouldn't be a task since your disability doesn't stop you from doing this.
Once you start training, it takes 18 months-2 years to fully train a service dog. Rushing this (especially public access training) will hurt your dog in the long run. Most people who try and rush wind up having to wash their dog out because they burn out.
I've lived the service dog lifestyle for quite a while now and it isn't that easy. I add at least 20 minutes to any outing because people are constantly asking me about my dog. Coleman is an excellent service dog but he is still a dog in non-dog friendly places and gets noticed all the time. People want to talk about him, their dogs, that show they saw on service dogs, talk to him, try to pet him, bark at him, etc. Before I go anywhere, I make sure it is safe for my dog. That means no concerts or bars, if we go to movies he wears ear protection and I carry a mat so he doesn't lay on spills, always carrying poop bags, an extra leash, water, a water bowl, etc. I have to learn the laws and their codes like the back of my hand and before I travel, I have to find every state law that I will go through. Access denials happen and you have to be prepared for them. I recently settled a dispute with my emergency room after they attempted to deny me access with my service dog and illegally asked for identification. That incident happened in December, it wasn't resolved until April.

Now, there is a classification called Emotional Support Animals (they are NOT service dogs and do not have public access rights with their handler). The Air Carrier Access Act allows ESAs (with proper documentation and forewarning to the airline) on flights. That only covers airplanes.

Now that I've written a novel, what else do you want to know or what did I miss that you are concerned about?

[honey987]

Thank you for the great advice. I tried to do some research online and wow that was overwhelming. After reading your definition, I think what I would be comfortable with is the option just for airplane. My anxiety spikes in situations with crowds, anytime I am the center of speaking engagements, but I have learned how to cope with that with breathing techniques and other exercises. What I cannot control is flying and it just seems to be getting worse and worse. I worry so much before the flights that I throw up multiple times, sweat profusely, cry and panic to the point of scaring people around me.

I do not need a service dog to take into public places like restaurants and such, I just need something to keep me calm for flights. I try to avoid flights at all cost, but with my family living so far away and travel required for work, I have to fly at least 6 times a year. Can you tell me more about the ESA? I do not have advanced training for dogs, especially not service animals, but have been working with a training with my dog now. He is very smart and is very calm in social situations with lots of people. He is 15 weeks right now and can sit, stay, do several tricks, rings the bell to go out, is potty trained and catches on to everything very quickly. I have confidence that he has the ability to help me with what I need.
I had an episode the other day where I was crying and hyperventilating and he stayed right by my side, brought me a toy, put his paw on my hand and kept licking to me, helping me calm down. I'm so desperate to find a solution so that flying isn't such a nightmare anymore. Dh is an aerospace engineer and doesn't understand my fear so he is trying to help me find a solution that doesnt involve knocking me out to fly.

Thanks for all the help

[Blackbird]

Essentially, an emotional support animal is a pet that provides emotional support simply by being there. They don't require any training but also don't have public access rights with their handler. For flying, the law you need to familiarize yourself with is the Air Carrier Access Act. While it requires no task training, your dog has to be safe and not cause a disturbance (barking, bothering other people, having accidents). You also still have to qualify as disabled using the ADA definition and you need a note from a licensed mental health professional that is under a year old and on their professional letterhead. It has to state that you have a mental health disability, that the ESA is necessary to your treatment and that they are a licensed mental health professional and that you are under their care.
This site has a great summary of what is required to fly with an ESA: www.servicedogcentral.org/content/ESA-flying
Remember when making arrangements that you will need pet friendly accommodations and your dog can only go to pet friendly places at your destination.