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Junior Member
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Northern California
Posts: 11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Northern California
Posts: 11
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Psychiatric Service Dogs or Emtional Support Dogs
Hi,
I'm new to NeuroTalk. One of the reasons I joined was for this very community for service dogs.
There is some confusion with how the ADA is interpreted in regard to Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSDs).
The most liberal interpretation is supported at Psychiatric Service Dog Society at psychdog.org. This is a grassroots organization which focuses on the work PSDs do as opposed to the tasks. The PSDS recognizes tasks are necessary, but also confirms the most important impact of a PSD is being a partner in public.
A more conservative organization is International Association of Assistance Dog Partners at iaadp.org. This organization was originally developed for service dogs before PSDs were utilized. They focus on the tasks required for a legal PSD. Unfortunately, many of the tasks suggested by IAADP are things we with psychiatric disabilities can do for ourselves, such as getting a drink from the fridge for dry mouth.
With major depression, anxiety and agoraphobia, my PSD in Training (PSDiT) primarily gives me something alive to focus on when I am in public, substantially reducing my fears. I want to make sure Polar is safe and behaving appropriatly, which takes my mind off me. She is also trained to remind me to take my medications three times a day, among other tasks and work.
Prior to utilizing Polar as my PSDiT, I did not leave the house for almost 3 years without my husband to accompany me. This made for many difficulties in scheduling dr appointments and put a lot of responsibility on him to make sure there was food in the house. Today I am still limited, but go to dr appointments by myself and am able to run a couple errans while I am out...such as going to Wal-Mart or the grocery store.
It is my understanding an Emotional Support Dog is trained for use at home, or taken to a facility to assist others such as the elderly. The PSD is trained for public work, and also provides services at home.
Take care,
Dawn & Polar
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