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A service animal for PTSD can be a tremendously helpful aid for individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. With the proper training, any dog can be a service dog and assist with a wide range of mental or physical disabilities.
What is a Psychiatric Service Dog? – a psychiatric service dog is a dog specifically trained to assist an individual with their mental health disorder. Psychiatric service dogs are granted access to all public places.
Do I Qualify for a Service Dog? – only individuals with mental health disorders can qualify for a psychiatric service dog. An individual can only be declared eligible for a psychiatric service dog by a licensed mental health professional.
What Can Service Dogs Do for PTSD? – service dogs can help interrupt harmful behavior, perform room searches, act as barriers in crowded places, alert their owners to take medication, and provide companionship
How Do I Get a Psychiatric Service Dog? – individuals can purchase a trained service dog from organizations that train these assistance animals or attempt to train a dog that they have already adopted or purchased. If you are looking to train your own PTSD service dog, consider Pettable's online psychiatric service dog training program.
The US Department of Veteran Affairs defines post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, whether it's a car accident, combat, natural disaster, or sexual assault.
Some common symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, nightmares, and frequent and intense bouts of anxiety. These strong symptoms of anxiety often lead people with PTSD to rely on unhealthy coping methods, such as drug and alcohol use.
Grappling with PTSD can be challenging, particularly if you are trying to do so without the help of a therapist or self-help resources. Working with a psychiatric service dog (PSD) is another way to help people suffering from PTSD.
Service Animal For PTSD
A service animal for PTSD is a specially trained dog that provides support to individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These highly trained animals offer emotional and physical assistance, such as alerting to triggers, providing comfort during episodes, and performing tasks to mitigate the effects of PTSD.
What is a Psychiatric Service Dog?
Psychiatric service animals are dogs that are specifically trained to help people with mental health disabilities such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Service dogs tend to work with people with physical disabilities. A PTSD service dog is one type of psychiatric service dog trained to do work and perform tasks to help alleviate the symptoms of PTSD.
Psychiatric service dogs have the same rights as service dogs, meaning that they are granted access to all public places. This allows a PSD to remain by its owner's side at all times, whether at the grocery store, at the movies, or on the plane. Unlike emotional support animals, service animals must be dogs. However, a service dog can be any breed of dog or any size.
As previously mentioned, to qualify for a psychiatric service dog, you must first be deemed eligible for this type of assistance animal by a healthcare professional. Once you have been approved by a counselor, therapist, or psychiatrist you can begin searching the search for your psychiatric service animal.
For those with diagnosed PTSD, there are two main pathways to securing a psychiatric service dog. The first option is purchasing an already-trained service animal from an organization. While this is undoubtedly the more convenient option, service dogs tend to cost between $15,000 and $50,000 depending on breed and the training it has received.
For those who already have a dog, training your pet to become a psychiatric service dog is often the best course of action. Pettable’s PSD training course consists of video lessons created and led by a qualified psychiatric service dog trainer dedicated to teaching your dog the skills and obedience necessary to support your mental health efficiently. You will be able to follow along and fully self-train your PSD while moving at the pace that is right for you and your pet, creating a more holistic experience and bond between the two of you. If you are interested Our brief online assessment can help determine if the program is a fit for you.
How Do I Make My Dog a Service Dog?
PTSD service dogs must receive specific training to support their handler’s condition. This can be accomplished through online psychiatric service dog training, in-person psychiatric service dog training, or by purchasing a psychiatric service dog.
Online psychiatric service dog training will allow you to train your dog at a comfortable pace while assuring it will respond to your commands by course completion. In-person PSD training allows you to outsource your dog’s training to a professional but it may be costly and overwhelming for some animals. Purchasing a PSD ensures your dog will have the skills it needs to support your mental health while remaining well-behaved in public but is a major expense to most.
Unfortunately, some dogs do not possess the natural disposition to be effective psychiatric service animals. Some telltale signs that your dog is fit to be a service dog include its ability to keep calm in unfamiliar spaces, learn and retain new tasks, repeat specific tasks, and focus on you, and only you. If your dog is suitable for PSD training, self-training through Pettable’s online PSD training course may be your best option. The course walks you through the steps of how to train your dog to perform tasks that assist you with your mental health disorder. The program is entirely self-guided, led by a certified psychiatric service dog trainer and you are free to complete it at your own pace.
What Can Service Dogs Do for PTSD?
There are many ways that a service dog can help alleviate the symptoms of an individual suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Interrupting Tasks
Service dogs very frequently perform "interruption tasks," which is a way of distracting their handler from a certain circumstance. Service dogs can be trained to interrupt a panic attack, self-harm, dissociation, or a flashback.
For example, PTSD patients very frequently experience nightmares or night terrors. A service dog can be trained to recognize the signs of a night terror and interrupt their handler during this episode by lying on them, licking their face, or gently pawing at their body. Some service dogs can even be trained to turn on the lights as a means to wake up their owner.
Perform Room Searches
Active military members or veterans exposed to violence have a high risk of developing PTSD. Today it is estimated that 23% of veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are impacted by PTSD.
Former military members can significantly benefit from a service dog who can perform room checks. The service dog will enter the area first, investigate each room, and then alert the handler that the space is safe.
This can also benefit people who have experienced any sort of trauma in their home, experienced a recent divorce, or even struggled with visual hallucinations.
The peace of mind of knowing that danger is not lurking around the corner can go a long way in easing a PTSD victim's anxiety. People living with PTSD from sexual assault, domestic violence, or breaking-and-entering can also benefit from this service.
Act as a Barrier
Entering a crowded space can be difficult for someone with PTSD for more reasons than one. People with PTSD often fear entering a space without knowing what to expect and may be triggered if they are approached from behind. A service dog can be trained to act as a barrier between its handler and other people. To achieve this, a service dog will circle its handler's body and prevent them from being approached. If their handler is stationary, then a service dog may stand behind its handler to prevent them from being approached from behind.
Alert Tasks
It is very common for service dogs to perform what is called an "alert task." An alert task is essentially a service dog reminding its handler to do something. For instance, a service dog will often remind its handler when it's time to take medication by retrieving the medicines for them.
Other everyday alert tasks include alerting the handler of an approaching person or car, alerting to a panic attack, and routine reminder alerts, such as when it's time to eat and sleep. The ability of service dogs to perform alert tasks makes it possible for individuals living with PTSD to live an independent lifestyle.
Provide Companionship
While service dogs may be trained to perform tasks directly related to their owner's disability, they also provide their owners with an additional benefit: companionship. Service dogs give their owners a reason to get out of bed in the morning, go outside, exercise, and tackle the day ahead. Having someone to take care of can also grant people living with PTSD a higher purpose, which can reduce anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.
Do I Qualify for a Service Dog?
If you have PTSD, there's a great chance that you qualify for a psychiatric service dog. Most PTSD victims have experienced severe trauma, whether that trauma was caused by Military Combat, witnessing a terrible accident, or experiencing a natural disaster. While some people who see or experience these terrifying events overcome their anxious thoughts after a few weeks or months, it doesn't go away for others. This anxiety can manifest in different ways. Some individuals may experience severe anxiety or panic attacks triggered by reminders of the event.
Individuals with PTSD must consult a licensed mental health professional to be deemed eligible for a PSD. A healthcare professional will be able to provide you with documentation stating that you are being treated for an emotional or psychiatric disorder and require the assistance of an animal because of it. Below are several other examples of individuals who would also qualify for a PSD.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Like PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder is a debilitating mental health disorder. One of the significant symptoms of OCD is disruptive thoughts derailing an individual from completing day-to-day tasks. For instance, a person with OCD may not be able to focus during a meeting because they are so consumed by the stack of unorganized papers sitting in front of them.
A service dog can be trained to identify the difference between negative and positive behaviors. In moments when people with OCD are consumed with a disruptive thought or behavior, a PSD can paw, lick, or nudge the individual until you stop this behavior. While this sounds like a minor task, people with OCD frequently experience these disruptive thoughts daily. A service dog's ability to disrupt its owner from these episodes can allow them to live a fairly normal lifestyle.
Agoraphobia
This type of anxiety disorder is characterized by fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment. This type of anxiety disorder usually results after one or more panic attacks. A service dog can perform several tasks to help support someone with agoraphobia, from retrieving medication to alerting them of an imminent panic attack.
A PSD can also perform room checks to ensure that a room is safe before entering, which can help an individual with agoraphobia feel more at ease upon entering an unfamiliar space. People with agoraphobia often fear entering crowded areas, and PSDs can also act as barriers between their owners and other people.
Anxiety
An anxiety disorder impacts nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. Any individual suffering from an anxiety disorder can benefit from the support of a service animal.
Service animals can perform retrieving tasks, such as retrieving medications or an individual's cell phone when they are suffering from an anxiety attack or panic attack. If you live with another person, this assistance animal can even bring another person to you during an anxiety attack, so you are not alone.
Service animals can also perform tasks that help alleviate the physical symptoms that you experience during an anxiety attack, including heavy breathing, chest pain, and heart palpitations. By lying on your chest or abdomen, a service dog can help provide pressure and create a calming effect during moments of stress. Licking your face can also help alleviate tension and distract you from an emotional overload.
Training a psychiatric service dog for PTSD can be challenging, but the benefits of being thorough are well worth the effort. The time you’ll spend working together will build trust and a strong bond between you and your dog, setting you both up for success in your working relationship.
Make Sure Your Dog is Fit for the Job
Your dog’s age, size, breed, and personality are all factors that have to be considered when you’re ready to start training.
Young puppies are of course trainable, but their attentiveness can sometimes be a challenge. This is especially true if they haven’t had much experience with basic obedience training before beginning service dog training. Older dogs, on the other hand, may be a little more set in their ways and take longer to train since they’re learning on top of habits they’ve already formed.
Some of the best service dog breeds for PTSD include golden retrievers, German shepherds, Great Danes, and border collies among others.
Train Your Dog to Be Obedient
Making sure you train your dog to be obedient before you start training them as a service dog will make the task much easier to accomplish. Having already been through the process of training for basic dog commands like “sit,” “stay,” “down,” or “watch me” will give them the groundwork for learning more complex training tasks. It will also make it easier for you to teach new skills and regain focus when you have the basic commands at your disposal.
Teach Tasks that Can Help with Your PTSD
Individuals with PTSD can experience a range of symptoms. These might be intrusive thoughts, avoidant behavior, mood changes, or reactive responses to stressful or unexpected stimuli. Teaching your service dog tasks that can help with your specific PTSD symptoms is the best way to get the biggest benefit out of having a psychiatric service dog.
Make Sure Your Dog Can Behave in Public
This is another scenario where basic obedience training is important. In addition to being specifically trained to perform service tasks, service dogs also have to maintain a certain standard of behavior in public. Completing basic dog training and mastering obedience commands before you start training for service tasks is essential.
Get Help from a Professional Trainer
Getting help from a professional trainer takes the guesswork out of training your psychiatric service dog. Pettable’s expert certified psychiatric service dog trainer, Lisa Gallegos, is an amazing resource for all things dog training. Through Pettable’s online service dog training programs, Lisa has helped hundreds of dogs and their owners achieve service dog training success and live a more fulfilling life.
Self Training vs. Professional Training
When it comes to training a psychiatric service dog, there are generally two main options: self-training or professional training. Taking on the task of training your psychiatric service dog yourself isn’t just any old walk in the park. While it certainly can be done, tapping into professional training resources like Pettable’s online service dog training classes gives you the guidance to succeed.
Online Psychiatric Service Dog Training with Pettable
Online psychiatric service dog training with Pettable is one of the best ways to properly train your dog to perform service tasks. Expertly crafted lessons designed by certified PSD trainers will guide you through the steps for service dog training at your own pace. Train your dog from the comfort of your home with access to our online resources, all backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
While some dog breeds may make great service dogs, they might not be catered toward providing support for PTSD patients. For instance, species with natural protective instincts might make excellent guard dogs, but they cause even more anxiety for individuals with PTSD. For example, their spontaneous bouts of barking may cause even further anxiety for people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Here are a few dog breeds that would make excellent service dog picks for individuals with PTSD.
Golden Retriever – One of the reasons that golden retrievers make popular service dog picks is because these creatures strike the perfect balance between intelligent and eager to please and emotionally intelligent and affectionate. Golden retrievers are susceptible to retrieving medication, minimizing flashbacks, and providing overall support and companionship. This breed is the go-to pick for veterans who have PTSD.
Labrador Retriever – Labrador retrievers are a go-to service dog breed for guide dog programs, but they also make excellent PSDs for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder. Labs are intelligent, quiet, and can be easily trained to perform various tasks. This breed is also very attuned to everything going on around them, which allows them to warn their owners of imminent danger when necessary.
Lhasa Apso – These small and cuddly creatures are adept at recognizing human moods. This makes it easier to train Lhasa Apsos to respond appropriately to various human behaviors and attitudes.
German Shepherds – This breed is extremely trainable and tends to be very loyal to their owner. German Shepherds can also help you feel a greater sense of safety as they are often viewed as a more intimidating breed.
Some individuals grappling with mental health disorders obtain an emotional support dog instead of a PSD. Emotional support animals differ from PSDs because they are not usually trained to perform specific tasks; they provide support through companionship. While ESAs are granted housing rights, they are not granted access to all public places like PSDs.
Do people with PTSD qualify for a service dog?
Yes. While only a licensed mental health professional can determine whether someone qualifies for a service dog, individuals who have PTSD will commonly qualify for a service animal.
What kind of dog helps with PTSD?
Dog breeds that are intelligent, quiet, and calm typically work best with people suffering from PTSD. Some typical PTSD service animal breeds include golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, Doberman pinschers, standard poodles, boxers, and Lhasa Apsos.
How do I train my dog to be a service dog for PTSD?
If you want to train your current dog to become a service dog, you can enroll in Pettable’s PSD training program and train your pet independently. The program was created in collaboration with a certified dog trainer and is designed for users with no PSD training experience to be able to complete, equipping them with the tools needed to self-train a PSD. To get started, take our brief online assessment.
04/25/2024 Update: The article was updated to provide information on psychiatric service dog training.
Susana is an avid animal lover and has been around animals her entire life, and has volunteered at several different animal shelters in Southern California. She has a loving family at home that consists of her husband, son, two dogs, and one cat. She enjoys trying new Italian recipes, playing piano, making pottery, and outdoor hiking with her family and dogs in her spare time.
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