I have depression and panic attacks, and I know it's not a big deal to most people, but it is to me. Anyway, I have depression and panic attacks, and I'm going to Job Corps in about a month, I would like to have my dog trained to be my therapy dog, since I am going far from my therapist. I would like to train my dog to be my service dog and take her with me, since both my mother (who gets me through my panic attacks) and my therapist (who gets me through my depression) will be in Portland when I'm five hours away in Yachats. I would like to have my dog trained to get me through the things my mother and therapist get me through, and am in need of suggestions.
Finding Careers in Dog Training
Recommended Answer:I really don't think there is a way to train your dog to respond to that. Instead of having it come to you, how about you go to your dog? When I go to stores I hold held my service dog. Be sure if you are to go into public places with it, to have the certification that the dog is a working animal, and have a red vest on it with words clearly seen "Service Dog" to prevent idiots from calling you a retard <3 {Past experience, made me want to cry >_>}
You should also have your service dog socialized, so when out and about with it {if you plan to be}, it won't want to go and say hi to everyone it meets. Unless of course you want it to, then there's no need to correct the behavior. Get it used to sliding doors and other things that may frighten the dog.
I recommend having a small dog that you can carry around, catches less attention therefore less panic attacks, and I find it easier to control the dog. I'm not saying having a big dog would be a huge mistake though =) If you have a panic attack and pass out it would be good for balance.
Remember to have a backup plan, such as comfort food, or anything comforting, like calling your mother/therapist. Because you can't always rely on the dog, just as you can't always rely on your mother/therapist.
Hope I helped~
Dog Training Has Many Benefits
- First, there is a big difference between a Therapy dog and an assistance dog. Furthermore, depending on your state laws, dogs for depression and panic attacks are not considered assistance dogs. I have trained assistance dogs in North Dakota and Michigan. However, I have trained dogs for individuals in wheelchairs and mobility problems. I do know that some states are starting to allow the types of dogs you are talking about, while others are slow to allow it. I am currently training in England, and I do not have my normal references to the webpages for assistance dogs. However, I found one of my state reference pages by doing a search. I would suggest having a trainer that is familiar with assistance dog training evaluate your dog to see if it is a good candidate for assistance work. If you do not plan on taking it out in public, then nothing that I said applies. If you have any further questions please email me.
P.S. Oh and just so you know on page 144 of the link below it states what a service dog for emotional support must do to be catergorized as a service dog.
- First, you must have a disability that limits one or more of lifes major functions such as seeing, hearing, walking and mobility. Second, the dog must be specifically trained to alleviate the effects of the disability. Training can take up to three years for service dogs, depending on what tasks the dog needs to learn.
From what you describe, you are talking about a companion dog, not a service dog.
- wht type of dog do u have? if its hyper it might be hard 2 train. but, yeah consult a dog trainer.
btw, i train service dogs! (when there puppies) w/ guide dogs 4 the blind:)
good luck!
- your dog cannot be trained to aid you with a panic attackyou need medical attention to say the leastdoesn't your dog just being present calm you down?
- Consult with a professional dog trainer to guide you and inform you.
Good Luck to you.
- 1. There is a difference between a psychiatric service dog, an emotional support dog and a therapy dog.
2. You will need a medical diagnosis of a disability combined with a prescription for what a service dog will assist you with if, indeed, it is a service dog you are looking for.
Here are a couple of websites you should look through.
http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content…
http://www.psychdog.org/
http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html
- It takes a lot more than a month to train a service dog. It typically takes 18-24 months to fully train a service dog, with about six months of that working on public access skills. And of course you have to be disabled (about 3/4 of people with a diagnosed mental illness are not considered disabled by that illness). Your medical caregivers can help you determine whether you qualify as disabled.
Honestly, I'm not sure this kind of drastic change is the best choice for you if you are unable to function without assistance.
Contact Job Corp and ask if you'd be permitted to bring along a pet just to stay in your living quarters with you (not to take on the job, which as I mentioned would require a LOT of training). If you're disabled, tell them so and if your doctor agrees, offer a letter from your doctor stating the presence of your dog is necessary for your mental health.
In all honesty,
1. You can't get a service dog trained in a month. It just plain cannot be done.
2. Because it's a job, not a public accommodation, you'd have to provide a lot of medical documentation proving disability and need for a dog, as well as proof of training if you claim her as a service dog.
3. The stress of arguing this point if they don't agree to it off the bat is going to be very dangerous to the health of a person who is disabled by mental illness.
If I were you, I'd look for a therapist in the new location if you are determined to go. Perhaps your current therapist can recommend one.
- A therapy dog is a person's pet that is trained to visit other people in nursing homes, hospitals, schools, etc. to cheer them up. It is not a legal designation and no legal status or access comes with a dog being declared/certified a therapy dog.
A service dog is a person's dog, not a pet, that is trained to do tasks that mitigate the person's disability and is trained to behave impeccably in public places to the point nobody realizes the dog is even there. What tasks one needs depends on their individual symptoms; for somebody with disabling panic/anxiety attacks where their attacks leave them not able to move through their environment or not knowing where they are, a task would be for the dog to guide the person out of the offending environment (such as out of a store and to the person's car) or to a safe place (such as a place the person can safely sit down). Things like the dog's presence for emotional support, cuddling, kissing, etc. are not legally tasks and do not make a pet a service dog, as legally a service dog must be trained to do something that mitigates the person's actual disability. (Carrying medications in a pack is not a task when a person can carry medications in their pocket, purse, or other bag - plus it is not something that is trained. Retrieving items when a person can get their own items without issues is not a task, as it does not mitigate the person's disability.)
Like others have said, there is no way to train a dog to be a service dog in one month. It takes one and a half to two years to train a dog to be a service dog - and that is a dog that has the right temperament to be one. Not too many dogs have the right temperament to become service dogs; likely your pet cannot be a service dog.
The bigger issue is if you even qualify for a service dog. Just having depression and panic attacks does not qualify you for a service dog. You must be actually disabled by them - have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as seeing, hearing, walking, caring for self, etc. If you are not disabled, you cannot have a service dog, as by law they are only for disabled individuals.
Even if you did have a legal service dog, you still might not be able to use your dog at your job, depending on what the job is and other factors. Some people who are without a doubt disabled and have a legal service dog have problems getting their work to approve their service dog working for them there, problems which can last many months and take a huge physical and emotional toll on both the disabled person and the service dog.
No matter what, I highly recommend that you find yourself a therapist in your new location - your current therapist may be able to recommend somebody who is there and you can give them permission to discuss your health issues with each other so everybody is on the same page and it won't feel like you are completely starting over again. It would also be good for you to make a few good friends who you can rely on when you need it like you have relied on your mother in the past (that is something you need to do no matter if you live near your mother or not).
If your emotional illness is disabling, your doctor might prescribe you an emotional support animal. This is not a service dog - it is not trained to do tasks or to be in public beyond what a good pet is trained in - and you have no right to bring the dog in public places, but you would have the right to have the dog in no-pets-allowed housing with your doctor's letter. Your dog's presence at home (and pet-friendly places like pet stores, on walks, etc.) will help you emotionally.
Good luck in your new endeavor! I hope you are able to adjust well, find a good therapist, and make some helpful friends.
- Try Caesar Milan Inc. He helped someone in your exact situation, and is still regularly in touch with them
