Post Training
In the category of good service (good service dog potential), 5 dogs of the 73 were given the highest rating and 15 the lowest. Dogs also were rated on the degree of reinforcement needed to produce a consistent response when learning a new command.
What did the study prove? That dogs that respond well to human contact are likely to be more pleasant to train.
When the dog first comes to live with you and you begin to teach him how to walk calmly and correctly on a leash, you can begin to learn what kinds of rewards YOUR DOG finds the most rewarding and reinforcing.
Different Dogs respond to different KINDS OF REWARDS
In the study, here is how it worked out for the types of reinforcement needed:
verbal praise (13 dogs, 17%)
food (12 dogs, 16%)
food and praise together (21 dogs, 28%)
high-energy verbal encouragement praise (14 dogs, 18.6%)
(this is where you show your excitement over the dog's responses by high-energy body language along with generous effusive praise)
high level of physical patting (7 dogs, 9.33%)
(lots of physical love, for dogs who crave that body love)
collar corrections (8 dogs, 10.5%)
As you can see, you will have to learn what YOUR DOG responds to best.
Some people may be insecure and want to work with a trainer so they can learn the right way to train a dog. There are many Books and DVDs out on the market by various styles of trainers and you might ask your vet or some local trainers which ones they would suggest. If you feel you need more guidance, then you might attend some classes as a silent observer (leave your dog at home).
Do not think you can simply hire a trainer to train your dog, for the relationship is not to be the trainer and your dog, but you and your dog. The dog needs to have that strong training bond with the person who will be living and working with the dog. It IS okay to hire a trainer to come to your home to observe the two of you as a team, to demonstrate correct training to you, and to coach you. Notice - the trainer is for you, not your dog. 
I would definitely not recommend enrolling your dog to "training classes" because of the crowds and dogs of all ages and conditions -- non-stop barkers, jumpers, hyperactive, nervous, aggressive. It can be a real zoo. You can end up going home, both of you nervous wrecks and with little confidence in yourself. Best to train at and around your home in peace and calm.
Checking Your Dog Out After Training
Within 3 weeks of training, the dogs were taken to PetSmart, a large local pet store for testing in a real world situation. The trainers tested dogs on their basic obedience (heel, sit, down, and stay) while inside the busy store.
Dogs were rated on their confidence (defined as lack of fear and willingness to move about the store) and their ability to respond to commands.
Thirty of the dogs were judged confident and responded easily to commands; 14 dogs were fearful, but still responded well to commands; 23 dogs were distracted and needed many corrections for correct responses; 5 dogs were very distracted and did not respond to commands even with corrections;
1 dog acted aggressive toward a male customer on the way into the store. It was decided that taking this dog into the store would not be safe.
Final retrieve tasks
As reported earlier, 40 dogs completed the retrieval portion of the training. These dogs’ ability to retrieve was tested in three situations. The number of corrections, if any, needed for completion of the retrieve was recorded.
1. Retrieve in home Base situation: A dog should be expected to retrieve in the home base situation with few to no corrections.
2. Retrieve with a male stranger present: A stranger can be threatening or distracting to some dogs, and it should be expected that more corrections would be needed in this situation, but that an ideal dog would not be affected.
Further Training should consist of taking your Vested dog to shopping centers and other busy noisy environments.
Vests, collars and leashes identifying your dog as a trained (or "in training") are available online for very modest cost. They help in the acceptance level of people you encounter, and you can have many opportunities to teach, whether you chat or whether (when they want pet your dog) to simply, "He's busy working now and can't stop to talk" or something to that effect, then carry on.
So realize that a properly thoroughly trained Emotional Support Dog can be available to anyone who can afford the adoption fee of an adult animal at any number of shelters in your area. You get the chance to spend more and better time, and get the testing done at a shelter than you do in buying a dog privately or going thru most breed-speciality rescue organizations.
The idea of a puppy can be very appealing, but if what you want and truly need is an emotional support dog, then a puppy is a very risky bet. Even if he is professionally screened for you, the odds still against the puppy growing up into the dog your need.
On the other hand, with an adult dog, you know EXACTLY who and what you are getting. Plus you are gaining a valuable assistant to make your life better for you and go places with you within two months.
I am already planning to secure my own Emotional Support Animal. Living in an apartment, I will have to get print-outs of all the needed federal law details to provide the manager along with the prescription from my doctor (the prescription can ALSO come from your therapist).
I was looking at getting a tiny toy dog, but decided to get a medium sized dog who can jump on the bed and off without risking a broken leg. Also, I need the exercise and a toy dog can get all the exercise they need in a very short distance -- and I need a couple of miles a day.
Teri
my resource for information about that study - found in an earlier given study...
Selecting Shelter Dogs for Service Dog Training
Emily Weiss
Department of Psychology
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas
published in the
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE, 5(1), 43–62
Copyright © 2002, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.