# Questions regarding psychiatric service dog



## GoldieMaxi (Aug 27, 2016)

Hi everyone, I am wondering if anyone here has a psychiatric service dog or a service dog in general? 
My daughter was just diagnosed with major depressive disorder and panic disorder with incidences of self harm behaviors. Our therapist mentioned a psychiatric service animal as an additional coping method. We are considering training our three months old puppy to be a service dog for her, but don't know where to begin, or what kind of certification and evaluation he will need to become a "service dog in training". Please share your experience! Thank you


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I'm sorry about your daughter's diagnosis. 

Did the therapist give you any information about places to contact for training?

I did a search here on the forum, no threads came up where it's been discussed before. 

I did some searches online, I found this site that lists trainers and facilities by state-

Listing of Service Dog Training Organizations | DogCapes.com


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## TexasTom (Aug 6, 2016)

With a service dog, typically they are at least two years old. Quite a bit of training in involved, but they have to do a task for the person. So my sweet Golden will watch out for curbs and things that may be in my path and cause me to trip and fall. 

One of the biggest issues is realizing not every dog will become a service dog. Often about half of the dogs raised may just not like the life of a service dog, but rather climb onto your lap! 

There are organizations that raise and train service dogs, so then you spend a month with the dog/trainer for the dog to learn specific details. I've seen cost of $25,000 depending on the dog. Often some groups are much less as they have some great donors.

There is no national certification, but with a Service Dog the teams (Partner and dog) are held to a high standard and can also attack attention. I'm 6'3" 250# and working out three times a week in boxing gym, yet I have Parkinson's and my symptoms vary quite a bit. Sadly my face will "mask" (loss of muscle control) so people aren't sure if I am upset, mad, don't want to be bothered. Irony is most people do not approach me, or ask my four legged partner is she is a service dog. Then again people will spot "what a cute doggy and reach out and starting petting her". I hate being gruff, but just a terse "She is Service Dog, don't distract her" is more than enough that people back off. 

With most Service Dog organizations I qualified, but almost all require that you have no other dogs in the house. We have an 10 year old and 11 year old Golden & Golden/Husky in the house. No way would I ever give up my dogs, so thankfully through a wonderful Rescue group we found a dog who was owner surrendered and had already gone through much training. So I'm working with a trainer on specific task to help me. For all trainers, training the dog is the easy part. 

Send me a PM with your city/state (please no details, just approximate area) , and I can find some additional details on whom to contact. I went through major depression at one point, so can fully understand having a four legged friend is some of the best medicine. I had a crazy Rottweiler than demanded we go walking ever night, still miss that dog.


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

I do not know where you are located. In MN there is an organization which provides service dogs at no charge to individuals who need them. Can Do Canines of MN provides service dogs for mobility assistance, diabetes, seizure and autism. Whether they provide psychiatric assistance dogs I do not know but you can contact them to find out. Their program is an 18 month training done by them and then the dogs are placed with their person and additional training is done. Dogs are donated or come from shelters. Those dogs which do not "make the cut"so to speak are career changed and become therapy dogs or are adopted out. Perhaps that would be an option for you. You can contact Can Do Canines of MN at 763-331-3000 or at: can-do-canines.org


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## GoldieMaxi (Aug 27, 2016)

Thanks everyone for the information. We live in Los Angeles, CA. I'll call up a few training organizations after the long weekend and see what they say. My daughter is trilled over the idea of training the dog with a professional trainer. I think even if it might take a while to get him to become a working service dog, the training process is going to help her emotionally also teach her to be more aware of her conditions. Not to say that most organizations with trained dogs have very long waiting lists. She has already taught him basic commanded including sit, down, shake, high five, roll over, dance, leave it and let go, and they seem to be more and more inseparable by the day. 

The only concern is cost. $25000 seems to be a staggering amount. Hopefully I can find some affordable options.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Do you already have specific tasks for the dog to learn that will assist your daughter? I'm not sure what tasks a psychiatric service dog could perform but I assume they're different for each handler's needs. Be careful not to skimp on a dog's health and temperament because of purchase price. I can't imagine going through all that training and work trying to produce a service animal, only to be ruined by a poor temperament or health issue. Los Angeles is a very expensive area and you may be able to find a pup from a reputable breeder for less just by traveling to another area. Don't expect to save thousands though.


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## GoldieMaxi (Aug 27, 2016)

ArchersMom said:


> Do you already have specific tasks for the dog to learn that will assist your daughter? I'm not sure what tasks a psychiatric service dog could perform but I assume they're different for each handler's needs. Be careful not to skimp on a dog's health and temperament because of purchase price. I can't imagine going through all that training and work trying to produce a service animal, only to be ruined by a poor temperament or health issue. Los Angeles is a very expensive area and you may be able to find a pup from a reputable breeder for less just by traveling to another area. Don't expect to save thousands though.


Hi yes he will be responsible to alert her of a panic attack and use body heat to help her cope(she gets them daily as of right now), also waking her up at a specific hour in the morning and brining the medication and water bottle, and alerting self harm behaviors or to get help if anything bad were to happen. 

We already have a puppy from a reputable breeder whom have produced many working service dogs, and we chose a very obedient relaxed, even tempered puppy. From my understanding the law in CA doesn't require service dogs to be trained by a professional or have any certification? That seems to be a little strange.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I misread your previous post. $25,000 is quite steep. You can definitely train your own service dog, without any help from professional trainers. Although I'm sure having an experienced trainer would make the training faster and/or easier.


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## mm2k14 (Feb 16, 2016)

GoldieMaxi said:


> From my understanding the law in CA doesn't require service dogs to be trained by a professional or have any certification? That seems to be a little strange.


Service dogs are a fun world! ADA only covers fully trained, working service dogs. For dogs that are still considered to be "in training," each individual state has its own regulations. California's laws are a-okay. (In some states, dogs in training do not have any public access rights!) There is no official certification (per ADA), nor is anyone required to consult a professional trainer. Some people do it entirely by themselves; this is called owner training. I would check out this site for more information! 

A few words of advice: if you have no dog training background, it is highly advisable to consult a professional dog trainer. Even if you have dog training experience, a service animal is entirely different cup of tea. Be sure to find someone who has experience with service dogs specifically. 

--

When it comes to obtaining a SD, there are two methods: a) already trained from an organization, or b) owner training. The first step is to decide which you want to follow. To find accredited organizations in your area, visit ADI. ADI is the body that accredits assistance animal organizations (service/guide/hearing/etc.) -- I would not recommend getting a dog from an organization that isn't accredited. Not all organizations charge an exorbitant amount of money. You want a non-profit. Do your research, and check around. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options. 

I will warn you in advanced, it can be hard to find an organization that will work with psychiatric conditions. Most of them are catered towards veterans to begin with, and PTSD is the most common reason I've seen an organization place psychiatric service dogs. (If your daughter is under 18, that also creates more problems. Many organizations will not place dogs with children.) I know of a couple of people who have PSDs through Paws4People. Assistance Dogs of the West also does PSDs, I think. 

There is one thing I have to say in regards to self-injurious behaviors. If you do end up training your own dog, be very careful. Depending on the type of self-harm, it can be dangerous for the dog to intervene. If it involves sharp objects or hot objects, for example, it would be ill advised at best to train the dog to interrupt the behavior.

And on a final note, service dogs for psychiatric conditions are typically a last resort. I do not know how long your daughter has been in treatment, but it sounds recent based upon your wording. If it were me, I would utilize more traditional therapies to begin with (therapy, medication) before moving on. You may find that she does well with those alone. 

Best wishes!


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## gabila66 (Jul 12, 2016)

I'm in the same boat. Fitz will be training as a service dog. He is currently in Puppy classes to learn the basics. We are going to take as many classes as possible to cover all the basics. We are starting with all the classes that the SPCA offers that fulfills our needs. 

I have very similar diagnoses as your daughter. I am located in the LA/Long Beach area, and have been through the researching process. I decided to train my own service dog because the prices were so steep I could not afford 15K-25K, right off the bat. So we will do it ourselves and spread the cost out over time (how much that is, seems to be roughly 10K, I believe). My Fitz is 4 months old. 

I have found a few websites that have been very helpful, which recommend some great books. Here is the following list:

Assistance Dogs International : Assistance Dogs International : Setting standards for the assistance dog industry since 1987

Welcome to Service Dog Central | Service Dog Central

https://www.ada.gov/

Psychiatric Service Dog Partners: Guidance, Info, & Support

Anything Pawsable - News + More for Service and Working DogsAnything Pawsable

These sites are extremely helpful to help get you started and answer many, many questions. Message me if you like, I can try to answer any questions as best as possible. It is a process to begin training a puppy and dealing with lots of puppy issues. But I will say this; Fitz has probably been one of the best things that has happened to me since I was diagnosed 6 years ago. It's not easy but this forum has helped me greatly over the past few months. I am very grateful that I found it.


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## gabila66 (Jul 12, 2016)

I second all of mmk214's advice. It was extremely difficult to find an organization to work with. We made this decision after 6 years of therapy and meds. So I would definitely try to find a therapist that works well with your daughter, that she would not mind speaking with.


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## CharlesMoore (Feb 8, 2017)

Thank You.:smile2:


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## CharlesMoore (Feb 8, 2017)

If you need the emotional support of animal to overcome the depression of your daughter, you must go for any reputable agency that provides the best service for emotional support animal treatment. The services of this organization are quite admirable regarding this aspect. If you decide to take their services, you will surely acquire fruitful result to overcome the depression of your daughter.


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## PSD17 (Sep 14, 2017)

Hi there,

I am looking for a PSD and saw your post and thought I would check in with you to see if you have any thoughts or help regarding breeders that may be good to contact for a potential Service Dog. I live in Northern California, but am willing to travel for the right dog. I am in contact with a breeder at the moment whose focus on breeding is agility dogs. They have been very upfront with me about the fact that they are active dogs. I generally walk abut 4-5 miles a day, so the dog will get quite a bit of activity, but I'm not sure if I should try to find a breeder that focuses more on show dogs. They also said though that the new puppies parents are love bugs in the house and one likes to sit in your lap. I am also trying to contact a trainer to assist me with a PSD. I plan to work with a trainer on GCC and PAT. One of the trainers I have identified is a field rep for one of the major Service Dog training facilities, so I think she will be able to assist me. Any advice, thoughts, recommendations you have are welcome. Thank you! As you can see, I am not going with one of the major agencies, because the wait lists are so long and I would prefer to begin with the pup when he or she is younger rather than when they are 18 months old.


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## rackley (Feb 18, 2018)

there is no such thing as "certification" or service dog ID, though some facilities will give you one just to say "Hey, you passed the class, congrats." People who try to show SD certification and ID's are either fakes or a SD team who was scammed on the internet. I suggest basic skills to start training and once the dog has those down, begin task training. With PSD's, businesses are allowed to ask for doctors notes, so just make sure that you have a letter from your therapist saying that it is in fact an SD for your specific disability wherever you go!


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## rackley (Feb 18, 2018)

emotional support animals are very different from service dogs and she is talking about a service dog. Please keep this in mind and I implore you to do more research to become better informed in the service dog/emotional support/ therapy dog world. Thank you!
1. ESA's do not have public access rights, as service dog's do.
2. ESA's come in many animal species, service animals can only be dogs
3. ESA's are not tasked trained, they are just there for emotional support (hence the name).
Please don't encourage people to fake service dogs and make them think they are the same thing, even if you aren't meaning to. I'm not trying to sound mean, but pleeeaaase do some research of your own and know the differences


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

PSD17 said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I am looking for a PSD and saw your post and thought I would check in with you to see if you have any thoughts or help regarding breeders that may be good to contact for a potential Service Dog. I live in Northern California, but am willing to travel for the right dog. I am in contact with a breeder at the moment whose focus on breeding is agility dogs. They have been very upfront with me about the fact that they are active dogs. I generally walk abut 4-5 miles a day, so the dog will get quite a bit of activity, but I'm not sure if I should try to find a breeder that focuses more on show dogs. They also said though that the new puppies parents are love bugs in the house and one likes to sit in your lap. I am also trying to contact a trainer to assist me with a PSD. I plan to work with a trainer on GCC and PAT. One of the trainers I have identified is a field rep for one of the major Service Dog training facilities, so I think she will be able to assist me. Any advice, thoughts, recommendations you have are welcome. Thank you! As you can see, I am not going with one of the major agencies, because the wait lists are so long and I would prefer to begin with the pup when he or she is younger rather than when they are 18 months old.



The bonus w a major agency is you get a dog who has already NOT washed out. The W/O rate for self trained (which is what you are doing) dogs is something like just under 90%. Without lots of prior dog training experience, you need to think about how you plan to get into that top 10%. This is one of those times that you probably shouldn't start w a puppy.


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## jstkathy5 (Jan 31, 2018)

I think the most important piece of advice I can give you is to THOROUGHLY research (in the following order) these things:

1) What qualifies as a Service Dog under the ADA? It is important that you understand that the dog must be trained to "do a task that the person CANNOT DO FOR THEMSELVES" and that the dog "DOES NOT DO NATURALLY". 

2) What disabling conditions qualify as Disabled under the ADA and under what conditions is that condition "certified" and by whom.

If you feel you meet the criteria for the above, then.....(that was the easy part)

3) Decide if you want to Owner Train you own dog or Program Train? Research all the pro's and con's of each. Make a Spread sheet if you must. This is a HUGE commitment.

4) If you decide to go with a Program or Trainer, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH. Look up complaints, reviews, court filings for law suits, look for articles on "what to look for" etc. Go to message boards like this and see if you can find out anything about them. BE INFORMED!

5) Carefully review ANY contract before you sign it and if possible have an attorney review it before you sign it.

6) Have a plan for "wash out" if your current dog does not work out. Plan it with your program or trainer IN ADVANCE. 

Just sayin....

Best of luck...oh....and RESEARCH! LOL Take your time. Do what's best for you AND THE DOG! 

Kathy


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## JLC44 (Jun 18, 2013)

rackley said:


> With PSD's, businesses are allowed to ask for doctors notes, so just make sure that you have a letter from your therapist saying that it is in fact an SD for your specific disability wherever you go!


No, they can't. Under the ADA businesses are not allowed to ask for any paperwork, at all. They may ask the same 2 questions that they are allowed to ask for all service animals. People with psychiatric service dogs can be required to provide a doctor's note in housing under the Fair Housing Act and in air travel under the Air Carriers Access Act.


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## Rocky_g (11 mo ago)

TexasTom said:


> With a service dog, typically they are at least two years old. Quite a bit of training in involved, but they have to do a task for the person. So my sweet Golden will watch out for curbs and things that may be in my path and cause me to trip and fall.
> 
> One of the biggest issues is realizing not every dog will become a service dog. Often about half of the dogs raised may just not like the life of a service dog, but rather climb onto your lap!
> 
> ...


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