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Riley Barney

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Service, Therapy, And Emotional Support Dogs: The Difference

Dogs have been companions to humans for thousands of years. They have been aiding humans in their activities such as hunting, shepherding while also providing them with security, love, and affection. There are also various jobs that the dogs perform with the proper training. These jobs are of assisting the humans in their daily lives, either those suffering from physical disorders or difficulties to those suffering from mental and emotional problems. 

Emotional Support Dogs

An emotional support dog letter can help you make your pet dog as your emotional support animal. This letter is provided by a licensed mental specialist after assessing the condition of the person who has applied for the ESA letter. The letter will have a mention of the person requiring the company of the pet dog at all times; the letter is signed and stamped by the same authorized mental specialist. 

Emotional support animals are pet animals that with only their presence aid their human companions keep their emotional and mental problems and difficulties at bay. These conditions can vary from depression to mental crisis, anxiety to PTSD, social aloofness to autism. 

The emotional support comes in the form of attention, affection, and the company provided by the pet dog to the human companion. It is best for the emotional support animal to be easily trainable as it helps the dog be trained according to the lifestyle of the pet owner. It is also beneficial for an ESA dog to be trained to be at ease around social gatherings, trained to be at ease in different environments, and also trained to be obedient and follow commands. This will help the pet owner travel with their pet with ease and without any difficulties. 

Service Dogs

Service dogs are recognized by the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) as animals that are given individual training to assist and aid people with disabilities. The disability can range from a physical disability, a sensory one, or a mental disability. A service dog will be specifically trained to assist a certain person with a certain disability. The training will vary from one dog to another depending on the needs of the human companions that the dogs are set to serve. 

A service dog can be trained to do the following things:

  • Helping the blind navigate the way. 

  • Hearing aid for the deaf, informing them of any sound that has been produced, such as a pot whistle, doorbell, etc.

  • Assisting people with low mobility, such as those in wheelchairs, by helping them open doors, fetch things out of reach, etc. 

  • Aiding autistic people to distinguish various sensory signals and informing them about repetitive behavior.

Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs, unlike emotional support animals, aren’t kept by the person in need of emotional support, nor is the dog trained to be a companion for people with emotional difficulties. The therapy dog is trained to go into various spaces such as hospitals, senior homes, mental health institutions, etc. and provide the residents and people with their love, affection, and attention. This alleviates the problems and troubles that they might have and helps them lift up their mood and mental health. If you have not picked your canine yet and in the event that your landowner is denying your canine, by then there is basically something single that can assist you with keeping your canine home is an ESA letter.

It is important for the therapy dogs to be trained and licensed by the service provider, non-profit or otherwise. These dogs are not considered service dogs and thus don’t enjoy the same privileges that the service dog enjoys, such as access to areas and spaces that are not accessible for ordinary animals. The therapy dog is to be used and engaged in a controlled therapeutic environment with a controller and/or the owner.

Related Resources :

Top Trainable Emotional Support Dog Candidates

Types Of Dog Breeds As Pet Animals

Important Advice For ESA Owners

Independent Emotional Support Animals