Need an emotional support dog

dishes, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2015

Every dog is capable of providing emotional support, if the dog is not a working dog who will be going to work and school with you, I don't understand why you would need a specially trained dog.

Katlove10 · Jun 20, 2015

Every dog is capable of providing emotional support, if the dog is not a working dog who will be going to work and school with you, I don't understand why you would need a specially trained dog.

Thank you for responding. The dog would go with me to study and everywhere else I need to go . I need a dog but I do not want to leave the dog at home when I go to the grocery store or if I go study at a coffee shop. We do not have a large yard to let the dog roam around in. So he would be indoors . I don't think that's fair to the dog. Making it an emotional support dog would give me the ease of making the dogs life a good life, while also allowing me to be able to have a dog.

The questions to my problems were posted at the bottom of my topic. ...It would be helpful if you had insight to those. :)

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 20, 2015

Do you have a documented mental illness that is debilitating?

If so getting an emotional support dog is possible...

I don't know of anyone who had an emotional support dog.

My only question is, do you plan on taking the emotional support dog to work? If so, there may be issues involved where employers will go for a candidate that doesn't have an emotional support dog because it's an employers' market, especially if they didn't let them know beforehand.

scottaprn · Jun 20, 2015

Thank you for responding. The dog would go with me to study and everywhere else I need to go . I need a dog but I do not want to leave the dog at home when I go to the grocery store or if I go study at a coffee shop. We do not have a large yard to let the dog roam around in. So he would be indoors . I don't think that's fair to the dog. Making it an emotional support dog would give me the ease of making the dogs life a good life, while also allowing me to be able to have a dog.
The questions to my problems were posted at the bottom of my topic. ...It would be helpful if you had insight to those. :)

If the reason you want an emotional support dog is to make the dogs life better I don't think you understand what an emotional support dog is.

Emotional support dogs are not therapy dogs. They are not covered by the ADA as an accommodation so unless you have specific laws in your state the coffee shop and the library can legally tell you to take your dog out.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Jun 20, 2015

Have you tried therapy/therapist/medication? Are you diagnosed with anything?

My husband works in the oil field & is gone two weeks at a time, it's hard I know. But if you haven't tried going to therapy or medications just getting a emotional support dog to take everywhere might not help. On top of that like a PP you might not be able to.

Just get a dog, it doesn't have to be an "emotional support dog", there are great lap dogs that do the same. Go to your local pound or Humane Society & rescue a dog. It will be the best thing you ever did & trust me that dog will love you.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jun 20, 2015

Emotional support dogs do not meet the legal standards of service animals so no coffee shop or other facility would have a legal obligation to permit entry.

If you want a dog, get a small dog. Check out Animal Planet's Dogs 101 to find a suitable breed

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jun 20, 2015

Also you may not qualify for an emotional support dog simply for self diagnosed separation anxiety. You would need a licensed professional to diagnose and may need to try other therapeutic methods such as therapy first before a group would consider you a candidate.

Rescue dogs are a more economical alternative though you can't take the dog in public places. I had a chihuahua that preferred his kennel to roaming outside

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 20, 2015

I have a dog who is primarily indoors. Can't have a fence (stupid HOA rules!) and she just never mastered the concept of off-leash. However, she is happy and well adjusted. When I am not home, she has the whole basement and first floor to roam in. Being smaller, she easily litter trained for those days I'm at work and have to stay late (and rainy days- neither of us like being out on those days).

I really think you are looking more for the companionship of a pet, not an emotional support dog which is specially trained (not by an owner but by professionals). Part of this may be due to the fact that some people are claiming their pets are emotional support animals in order to get them into places where they normally would not be allowed. This article may help you understand the ADA and emotional support animals, especially this quote:

Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not considered service animals either. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual's disability. It does not matter if a person has a note from a doctor that states that the person has a disability and needs to have the animal for emotional support. A doctor's letter does not turn an animal into a service animal.

If you are truly having difficulty with sleeping and separation anxiety, discussion with a medical professional should be the first step. They may make a referral for counseling, prescribe medication, or make other recommendations. Self-diagnosis and treatment (in your case, seeking an emotional support dog) may not address the underlying issue.

dishes, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2015

Having a small yard does not mean you cannot have a dog, there are dog owners who live in apartments/condos and they manage by taking the dog for walks and playing with them in parks.

enuf_already · Jun 20, 2015

You can't call the dog an emotional support dog just so you don't have to leave the dog at home when you are running errands.

Having a dog--even a small dog, is a lot of responsibility when you work or go to school and are not going to be home to walk the dog or have time to let it out.

If you want a dog for a companion because you want a dog, then make sure you understand all of the responsibilities that go with being a pet owner. You could also consider a cat.

As others have recommended, if you have a mental health issue, seek professional help.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 20, 2015

Some employers and some states, notably Texas, will ask you about your mental health history, and you better tell them the truth.

There can be a question in your work application sounding like "do you have any health limitations that can directly or indirectly affect your performance for this job?" If you answer "no" and then state that you have anxiety so severe as you need a therapy animal, then it will be your lie in job application and authomatic termination. If you honestly say"yes", then, well, I personally cannot imagine an employer hiring you instead of quite similarly qualified candidate without any special requirements. In fact, I cannot imagine a nursing job except from some purely office-based which will allow service animal.

I agree with other posters. Before doing something so drastic as practically writing "I'm disabled" across yourself, try some real therapy as well as yoga, exercise and relaxation.