In the modern competitive world, emotional well-being is very critical. People experiencing disorders related to anxiety, depression, and others find it hard to stay healthy from a mental perspective. One such rising solution to dealing with these challenges is emotional support dogs.
But what exactly are these emotional support dogs and how are they different from other types of support animals? In this in-depth look, we will dig deeper into the role of an emotional support dog, the best breeds for this kind of support, and how they improve the life of a person who suffers from anxiety and depression.
Understanding Emotional Support Dogs
An emotional support dog is an assisted animal that is specially designed to provide companionship and emotional stability for those with mental or emotional disabilities.
While service puppies go through a specific training process that permits them to assist physically disabled individuals in many functions, the emotional support dog was created to simply offer companionship or decrease symptoms in psychologically disabled persons.
Legal Recognition
In the United States, emotional support dogs are protected under the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act. Exposing them to potential housing without pets and allowing them to fly with their owners inside an aircraft cabin without an extra charge. But they don't get the same access that service dogs do, which is going wherever their handler might go.
How They Help
In so many ways, emotional support dogs can be real helpers and beneficial to someone's favor. Among other things, they can be there to alleviate one's anxiety or depression, give their owner a sense of purpose, or sometimes just get out to be social.
They form that bond between the emotional support dog and its owner, producing oxytocin, which is frequently tagged as the "love hormone", so it is very helpful in soothing stress but at the same time increasing happiness and well-being.
Best Breed For Emotional Support Dog
Some breeds work better as emotional support dogs than others do. The usual characteristics that make one good at the job include being calm, affectionate, and easy to bond with. Here are some of the best breeds for anxiety and depression:
1. Labrador Retriever
They are much more outgoing and extroverted compared to Labradors. Their playful nature and inclination to physical activity lead their owners to involvement and movement.
They are easier to train and very easy-going, so they will be a perfect companion for people with anxiety and depression. They are considered best for visually impaired people.
2. Golden Retriever
Supporting this is the fact that among the most popular breeds for emotional support dogs are the Golden Retrievers. There are tender, amiable, and faithful dogs.
They provide comfort simply by their presence: they make a person get rid of feelings of loneliness and restore security to an owner. They also get along well with children and other pets and are good for use in a friend's home.
3. Poodle
They are hypoallergenic and intelligent and some exist in breeds that vary from one another in size. These qualities work both in giving the poodle an all-rounded ESA that may do well in the perception of human emotions, to respond positively, and in giving it the asset of a very smart dog.
For people who live in smaller spaces, miniature poodles and toy poodles are the ideal choices to go for. With proper activities and with regular grooming they are great for ESDs.
4. Cavaliers King Charles Spaniel
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a friendly small breed that does require company and interaction with humans for most of the day. They are said to be gentle and calm, with nature that can be truly comforting to those who suffer from anxiety or depression.
This smaller size will make the breed suitable for living in apartments as well. But you need to take care of their grooming, and physical activities to calm down their energy level.
5. Yorkshire Terrier
Small in size, the Yorkshire Terrier, also known as Yorkie, is indomitable in offering emotional support. Loyal and loving, it would seem that they know when their owners need a little bit of comfort. Being too small, it is easy to bring them just about anywhere, thereby ensuring that an owner will be supported wherever they go.
Although their long and silky coat does not shed, they require regular trimming. Curious, affectionate, and brave Yorkshire Terriers need proper physical activity and stimulation to calm down.
6. Pug
Playful and affectionate with a charming personality, pugs are a favorite to many. Small in size but big in heart, pugs bring joy and comfort to their owner's life.
With human-like expressions, including surprise and happiness, they are companions with children and seniors. They are suitable for the person who is looking for a breed with a strong sense of companionship and a joyful companion.
7. Corgi
They have a sunny nature and an insatiable urge to please their owners. They are very intelligent and easily trainable, hence the best emotional support dogs, their playful nature can uplift the mood of depressed patients.
If you groom them properly with regular brushing and regular exercise make them good for your companionship. Regular exercise satisfies their herding instinct.
8. Chihuahua
Chihuahuas are tiny in stature but enormous in heart. It is an ever-fatherly loyal dog that is too clingy to its owner. Be tight with them–great ways to have big emotional support. Their small size is a great piece for anyone needing a support animal that can quickly go wherever they go with them.
They are kid-friendly, have enough physical stimulation, are calm, have a long life span of about 12 to 20 years, and are confident loyal, and outgoing which traits make them suitable for emotional support dogs.
9. Shiu Tzu
They are friendly, affectionate, indoor-friendly, long, flowing coats and they maintain a deep bond with the owner. They like to be in human companionship and being attentive and loving, they are excellent emotional support animals.
Like most small dog breeds, if you like small loving companions for your small space with one-bedroom apartments, then they are suitable for you.
Benefits Of Emotional Support Dogs
Dogs can lend emotional support in many ways, and enhance the quality of life for a person undergoing an anxiety or depression attack. Some of the major benefits associated with such dogs are outlined below:
1. Alleviate the Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression
This is because the emotional support dog helps to reduce the level of anxiety and depression. The dog provides the company with the owner, making them feel at ease and comfort most of the time, especially in anxious and troubling times. The petting of a dog will only serve to stimulate endorphins, whereby the level of stress and sense of well-being is reduced.
2. Encourages Physical Activity
Many emotional support dogs, especially active breeds like Labs and Golden Retrievers, can nudge their owners toward greater physical activity. Activity level is a natural way to lift one's mood, so having a dog that needs a walk every day can be a boon in keeping its owner active and healthy.
3. Routine and Structure
Giving an individual some level of routine and structure by setting up one's routine and other vital aspects for the dog to be there as an emotional support dog is of great benefit to an individual living with a mental illness. It provides a caretaking responsibility concerning food, walking, and grooming that can provide actions with purpose that can help add structure to everyday life.
4. Social Improvements
It can also facilitate socialization by providing their owners with emotional support dogs. Bringing one's dog to the park or for the usual walk and they can have lots of time to talk and chat it up with other dog walkers/owners and with animal lovers in general, thus opening up possibilities for a feel of community and after that isolation is removed.
5. Provide Unconditional Love and Support
The deepest benefit of emotional support dogs is to provide their owners with unconditional love and acceptance. Since dogs do not judge and always reciprocate love and affection, a lifetime source of comfort is guaranteed for the owner.
How To Qualify for an Emotional Support Dog
1. Consultation with a Mental Health Professional
If someone is suffering from a diagnosed mental illness or disability, such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder, they may get ESA letters. For proper diagnosis,, a person needs to visit a Mental Health Professional.
The process of diagnosis must be performed by a licensed health professional such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist. They examine the persons and provide them with ESA if they need to.
2. How to Obtain an ESA Letter
If he/she believes that an emotional support dog would be beneficial, the mental health professional will then draft an ESA, or Emotional Support Animal, letter. It is official proof that a person indeed has a necessity for an emotional support dog.
It should include the license number, the type of license of the professional, and the date of the issuance, plus a statement that certifies that the person needs the animal.
3. Selecting the Right Dog
After getting an ESA letter, the next process is selecting the right dog. This involves the kind of dog, its size, energy level, and other considerations that will satisfy the owner's lifestyle and living conditions. One will want to choose a dog that will best meet their emotional support needs.
In the process of selecting the dog, owners need to consider that they are also selecting the pet for their life. This may help the selector to select the perfect dogs for them.
Training And Caring For An Emotional Support Dog
1. Basic Training
While emotional support dogs do not need to be trained for specific tasks like service dogs, they should in any case still be trained in the basic behaviors. These are, among other things, the sit, stay, come, and heel commands.
By this basic training, this service dog can behave appropriately in such a condition and reward its owner with comfort in turn.
2. Socialization
Socialization is probably one of the most important things about an emotional support animal. It needs to know how to act with the general public, different environments, and other animals so that it can be well-adapted and learn to be calm.
Although it helps to prevent any behavioral problems in any given situation, their support is more reliable.
3. Routine Veterinary Care
Basically, like any other pet, these emotional support dogs need regular medical attention to remain in good health. This would comprise routine examinations, vaccinations, protection from fleas and ticks, and dental care.
Good health for the dog will be maintained, hence ensuring the dog remains at par with good service provision to its owner effectively.
4. Emotional and Physical Well-being
Because emotional support dogs require a great deal of emotional and physical care, such needs have to be met with a balanced diet, plenty of exercise, mental stimulation, and tons of love.
An emotional support dog in a healthier and happier state of being will be able to adequately support their owner emotionally.
Emotional Support Dogs vs. Service Dogs
1. Training and Purpose Differences
The key differences between emotional support dogs and service dogs arise at the level of their functions and training. Although service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks, with a benefit to injured/disabled persons in mind, like leading the blind, alerting the deaf, and assisting individuals who have a problem with their walking, emotional support dogs give their owners companionship and comfort.
2. Legal Protection and Public Access
The ADA provides a much broader set of legal protections for service dogs beyond that. They are allowed in public places, which include restaurants, stores, riding public transportation, and any place that anybody else can. Emotional support animals are not protected by as many access rights and are mainly protected under the Fair Housing Act, which allows them to live with their owners, and the Air Carrier Access Act, which allows them to travel on planes with their owners.
3. Certification and Registration
While in the case of service dogs, they are trained and certified before use, there is no such certification available in the case of an emotional support dog. However, there has to be a well and duly written signed ESA letter by a licensed mental health professional stating that it is required for the ESA classification of the animals.
