How to Train a Dog to Be an Emotional Support Animal

If you’ve been asking yourself why you decided to become a dog owner, the answer is to experience unconditional love and the joy of companionship that our furry friends provide. Indeed, canines are experts at providing much-needed relief in times of stress. For some owners, their companion animals even become their emotional support dogs.

What is an emotional support dog? And how can you train your pet to become one? Read on to find out more about training a dog for emotional support.

Introduction to ESA Dog Training: What Is an Emotional Support Dog?

Emotional support animals (or ESAs) are therapeutic to their owners. In a way, their calming presence as comfort dogs alone ensures improved psychological comfort and mental health for humans. To be recognized as an emotional support pet, a licensed mental health professional must confirm your need for a support animal and give your pet ESA status.

You shouldn’t mistake an emotional support animal for a service dog. ESAs get a different type of training, perform different functions for their owners, and have other legal rights. For example, in contrast to service animals, emotional support dogs can’t go into public spaces like restaurants or shopping malls.

Regarding their daily tasks, service dogs receive proper training to assist owners with disabilities with jobs related to their condition. Thus, a service dog can help a visually impaired person cross the street or assist someone with a mental health disorder. ESAs, on the other hand, are just tasked with providing emotional support, and even if they perform specific actions, like cuddling, to achieve this goal, this is a natural behavior they would do regardless.

What Is the Difference Between an Emotional Support Dog and a Therapy Dog?

Many people have trouble understanding the difference between emotional support animals and therapy animals. Though their functions may overlap in some respects, these terms don’t refer to the same thing and shouldn’t be used interchangeably. Let’s define the key differences.

ESA dogs

Under federal law, emotional support dogs aren’t required to undergo specific training. However, they’re expected to be well-behaved and not disrupt the housing rules where they live. They also help their owner with emotional difficulties, such as anxiety or depression, but these are limited to comforting one person and improving their well-being. ESAs do not have public access like service animals do.

Therapy dogs

Therapy animals undergo specific training, enabling them to function in various settings and cooperate with many people to provide emotional support in stressful environments. For example, they can visit hospitals, nursing homes, schools, or foster care facilities to cheer up their residents. They also work closely with their handlers and can access certain facilities (schools, hospitals, mental health institutions, etc.), but not all public places.

What Training Is Required for an Emotional Support Dog?

Obtaining ESA status doesn’t require your pet to undergo any training. Legally, you’re not obliged to enroll your companion in training classes, but teaching them basic obedience commands is still a good idea. Well-behaved canines who understand basic commands have improved communication with their owners, increasing their efficiency and improving your co-living experience.

Another benefit of training an emotional support dog is that it allows you to control their disruptive and unwanted behavior. Under the FHA (Fair Housing Act), property owners must allow tenants to keep their ESAs even if having pets is forbidden otherwise. However, destroying property or causing significant inconvenience to neighbors, such as frequent howling or barking, can give the landlord a reason to ask you to remove your pet from the rental.

Training an ESA dog should include the following:

• Basic obedience training: Basic obedience commands, such as “Sit,” “Stay,” "Leave It,” and “Come,” are necessary to control a pet’s behavior in different environments and keep them and the people around them safe.

• Walking on a leash: Leash training is vital for controlling your dog in public places and keeping them next to you in busy areas.

• Potty training: Teaching your puppy to have potty breaks outside keeps the place you rent or own clean and minimizes property damage. 

• Crate training: If you plan to travel with your pooch, introducing them to a crate is critical; it helps control your pet’s behavior in a new environment and provides them with a safe space to hide if the surroundings are overwhelming to them.

• Proper socializing: Canines going to pet-friendly public places must master the skills of safe interactions with other pets, people, and young children.

5 Tips on How to Train a Dog to Be an Emotional Support Animal

Despite the lack of formal requirements, an ESA dog should undergo proper training and behavioral management to ensure their peaceful coexistence with other members of society. You should also work on their emotional state and modify their responses to stimuli. We’ve collected a few tips on training for an emotional support dog.

1. Teach basic obedience commands

Training dogs in basic obedience is the foundation for future cooperation with any furry companion. Training commands relies on the positive reinforcement method, so punishment shouldn’t be used in this process. Instead, rely on praise and rewards (e.g., dog treats) to reinforce good behavior.

You can arrange the training process at home and become your pet’s trainer or enroll in obedience classes in your area to work with a certified trainer.

2. Focus on proper socialization

Though canines are social creatures by nature, living in a modern-day environment requires them to master specific skills to interact appropriately with people and other dogs. That’s why responsible owners must dedicate time and effort to teaching their companions how to behave in new places and when they meet others. It’s a good idea to gradually introduce your puppy to new environments and encourage positive interactions with pets and people.

3. Work on fear and anxiety

Just like us, canines can experience anxiety attacks and fear. An anxious or fearful dog is prone to unwanted behaviors, and some of them can become a serious problem. For example, howling or barking can affect others around you. Working on fear triggers can include desensitizing your dog to a stimulus by gradually exposing them to it. Another efficient technique is counterconditioning. It involves pairing a negative stimulus with a positive association, such as a treat or their favorite toy, and progressively changing your pet’s response.

4. Stick to the training routine

Training an ESA dog is a continuous process. You must be ready to dedicate time to regular training sessions. It’s best to opt for short training sessions (no more than 10 minutes) but repeat them at regular intervals. Ideally, three times a day is best, but you can adjust this depending on how your dog is feeling. If any other family members participate in the training routine, ensure they are on the same page as you and follow your guidelines.

5. Keep your finger on the pulse

Monitor your dog’s progress in training and adjust the training plan to achieve the best results. Consider seeking professional assistance if you feel stuck or your furry friend doesn’t follow your instructions. One option is help in the form of an app you can install on your phone and have a progress tracker and dog trainers at hand 24/7.

5 Dog Breeds That Make the Best ESAs

Breed is not a defining factor in the success of dog training for emotional support. Any dog can receive ESA status as long as they help their owners cope with stress, anxiety, and/or other types of emotional crises. However, certain dog breeds are considered good ESA candidates due to their calm character and trainable nature.

Golden Retriever

Calm, gentle, and people-pleasing, golden retrievers naturally love interacting with and comforting humans.

Labrador Retriever

Though they’re similar to golden retrievers in their loyalty and affection, labradors have characteristics that make them a better ESA option for certain lifestyles.

Poodle

Another good fit for emotional support animal training is a poodle. Intelligent and easy to train, they’re a common choice for an ESA.

Pug

Pugs are popular for good reason.

Yorkshire Terrier

Though Yorkies are small, they have larger-than-life personalities. They’re very human-oriented and eager to please their owners, making them an excellent emotional support dog candidate. They’re also intelligent and quick to learn new commands.

Wrap Up

ESAs are pets that comfort their owners and help alleviate the symptoms of particular mental health conditions. ESAs shouldn’t be confused with service or therapy dogs, as they carry out different tasks and operate under different legal regulations. Although no specialized training for emotional support dogs is required by law, owners should obtain confirmation from a mental health professional about the need for ESA support, teach their companions basic obedience commands, and work on other aspects of their behavior, as this can impact the comfort of other people and pets around them.

Frequently Asked Questions