Well said Anin. As a doctor, the onus is on me to make an accurate judgment in these cases, as the power to decide who should have this credential potentially affects many people.

A year ago my my cousin lost her 16 old Pom and as her sitter and servant I mourn her to this day. I have had dogs/family in the past but have not done so for the last 6 years or so. I have been in medical care for migraines since the age of 14 and have moved on to fibro and acrute arthritis, among a few other things. In psychiatric care due to the loss of a child since 1985-she actually passed away in 97. I try to mentally disconnect when I can.

I discussed with my current psychiatrist, the last retired, getting a small dog that sheds little and will make me go out more, for the needed walks, just for a walk. He thought it was a great idea; just what what I needed and gave me the needed paperwork for my condo association which I will present in a manner that others cannot abuse.

On further research I find how therapy these pets can provide from what I see on this forum so now I can look forward to maybe letting go of one or six or more meds that I take daily. I could also have a handicap tag but I choose not to, because I dont because while I can I want to keep pushing it. One day I won't have that choice.

Thank you all for all this wonderful information!

A letter from your doctor does not make your dog a PSD, his training does. To have a PSD 3 things MUST be true:

1) you must have a life limiting disability (this is where the doctors letter helps)

2) Your dog must be trained to DO something to mitigate your disability. Just being there and making you feel better does not count. They must have a trained task such as alerting, grounding, finding exits, reminding to take meds, etc...

3) The dog must be trained to behave in public.

This is very important. Without the training, the dog is a ESA and is not allowed in no pet public places.

[QUOTE=OneMoreTime;495899]Someone has (once again) told those on this forum that a SERVICE dog MUST be trained in SPECIFIC TASKS that enable a person with a disability to function more fully in this world, whether at home or in private. They follow this up by explaining that there could therefore be NO psychiatric service dog unless the dog was needed to fetch your medicines along with a bottle of water or (presumably) to knock you down and restrain you (with his vast body weight if not his jaws) if you, as a psychiatric patient, are in the midst of a paranoid wild-eyed state of ranting and raving. Just joking - and NOT making fun of the mentally ill - I IS ONE!!

According to Federal Law, the ADA, a Service Dog, no matter what type MUST be individually trained to perform tasks to mitigate the disability of the handler, no matter what type of service dog it is, including PSDs. A dog that is not task trained is a ESA and is not allowed in public places. This is FEDERAL LAW and not open to debate.

Directly from the ADA website:

A: The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.

Service animals perform some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform for him or herself. Guide dogs are one type of service animal, used by some individuals who are blind. This is the type of service animal with which most people are familiar. But there are service animals that assist persons with other kinds of disabilities in their day-to-day activities. Some examples include:

_ Alerting persons with hearing impairments to sounds.

_ Pulling wheelchairs or carrying and picking up things for persons with mobility impairments.

_ Assisting persons with mobility impairments with balance.




Now, as to what dogs can do as PSDs: I suggest that you visit **.

They have a list of tasks for PSDs.

PLEASE STOP saying that PSDs do not have to be task trained. That is simply NOT true and by guising a ESA as a PSD, you are breaking the law!

[QUOTE=lilfarfa;624029]
A PSD does not have to be able to bring you meds. A PSD does not have to be able to restrain you.

Task 1 for my dog. Break a dis-associative state. No pills or water needed there.
Task 2 Check the house for security (no one hiding there).
Task 3 Remind me when to take meds 3 times a day.
Task 4 Alert me to my stress and anxiety levels are getting too high.

I don't see any water or pills or anything else there.

Task 5 Make sexy eyes and bow at a pretty girl at the pub. NOT an SD tasks but he's trained to do it.

**. But I[ve been reading here for a few hours and I see much that is incorrect or misunderstood. A couple of my friends and I have come over here and I hpe we can be of some help.

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

Sally,

There are many resources for therapy/emotional support/service dogs. The most important thing is to make sure the dog has the disposition for the tpe of work before making a committment to proceed. Even with an evaluation...all dogs do not work out. I recommend Psychiatric Service Dog Society to start with. (go to "PSD Lifestyle" then "Choosing the right dog") I believe on the same website there is a step by step "test" for evaluating a new dog to train. This evaluation works on puppies and adult dogs. Some dogs are available for free if you dig deep enough. Some individuals are aware that those seeking a SD or ESD are often at the lower end of the income scale. More and more people are training their own dogs, with some input by a dog trainer at one point or another. Check out the website and email me through the community or off line if you like to discuss further.

Dawn & Polar

This is a good discussion on emotional vs psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) and what is required for a dog to be legally considered a PSD.

There is a dispute in the PSD community as to whether a PSD has to perform tasks or if work is sufficient. It appears the laws will get stricter for PSDs before they get more liberal. So I have included task training in my work with Polar. I interpret the current ADA regulations to require tasks of all service dogs, not just work. However, the ADA does not specify what tasks a PSD must perform.

When I began training my PSD, I found I could attend my doctor appointments by myself if Polar was with me. Previously agoraphobia kept me in my house for several years unless accompanied by my husband. I have added running a couple of errands on the way to or from a doctor visit, but I don't yet go out just to run errands. (yes, there is a difference!) I have goals to improve my public outings, but for Polar this is her working with me, not performing a task. She is not doing anything other than accompanying me and being available to be picked up and snuggled with.

Now, while I am out, Polar's task is to paw my leg or arm to let me know I am having an anxiety attack or not being conscious of my surroundings.

As with a previous individual, Polar alerts me to take my medication three times a day. This is also a task.

Due to my medications, I used to stay up all night. I could sleep 3-4 hours in any 24 to 36 hour period for a week before I was totally manic...caused by my medications. It just would not occur to me that I should go to bed. My husband would wake up for work, see me on the computer or reading and say "hoot hoot!" (night owl) I would look at the clock, having no idea how much time went by. If I lay down, I can sleep, but I just didn't lay down. Polar now alerts me when it is bedtime (10pm-ish). This is task number three. She finds me at bedtime and twirls in circles to get my attention. (Same thing for the medications.) I look at the clock and realize I again have lost track of time and need to head for bed. This mitigates a symptom caused by the medications I take.

I also forget to eat lunch many days. I could train Polar to alert me to this, but I always eat breakfast and then dinner when my husband comes home from work, so I don't worry about it. If I needed Polar to perform another task, this would be an option.

Each of us is different, so the tasks may be different. When I began training Polar I had no idea what tasks she might perform, other than reminding me to take my medication. This concerned me and made me anxious. The "return from anxiety attack" and bedtime tasks she performs she picked up on by herself. I just had to recognize she was alerting me and integrate it into her training so she is consistent.

Although I began training Polar on my own, after seven months I needed assistance, so found a trainer. I want a trainer as part of my documentation file in case I need to defend my right to have a PSD and am taken to court. This will help in documenting she is a trained PSD, even though it is not required by ADA regulations. Just trying to cover all bases.

When people ask, and gatekeepers are allowed to ask, what my SD does for me I say she is a medical alert dog. I personally am not secure enough to say she is a psychiatric service dog. Some people know, but not strangers. There is a stigma on mental health that remains in our culture. I am willing to educate people on SD, but not ready to battle the mental health stigma. Another response some PSD handlers provide is mobility - assist with dizziness caused by medications. This will not work with Polar and me as she is only 10 pounds!

Part of Polar's training will be to pass a Public Access Test and Delta Society's Canine Good Citizen test. Currently, she is ready for the Public Access Test and almost ready for the CGC test. I have a letter from my psychiatrist indicating part of my treatment program is to have a PSD. Lastly, Polar just finished a series of tests by her vet. Once all the results are in the vet will mail us a letter of health. I have the documentation that she is up on all of her immunizations, including rabies.

All of this has taken 9 months. This is fairly quick. PSDs usually take 1-2 years to train. I started with a very well behaved dog who knew me as she was my pet before becoming my PSDiT.

Enough from me...this became much longer than I anticipated!


dawn & polar

I think a definition of task vs work is needed. A task is something the dog does to mitigate the disability that can be easily demonstrated on command. For example, picking up a dropped object is a task. Work is something that the dog does to mitigate a disability that can not be easily demonstrated on command. For example, altering to a medical condition can not easily be demonstrated as there has to be an episode occurring for the dog to alert. In either case, the dog has to DO something. Just being there making a person feel better does not count because the dog isn't doing anything.

The ADA says that the dog has to do work OR task, and only one is necessary. This is an issue not just for PSDs but also for Medical Alert dogs. My dog is a syncope and seizure medical alert dog. He does have other tasks as well, as most dogs will, but the absolute most important job he has is his work in alerting.

Hi everybody!
This is my firs time on forum here.
I have little situation here, and I'm not sure if I am in right place.
I have a condominium and I was away from it for 1,5 years, never thought i will move back there to live. When I was away(had a different life) ,I gotten a puppy ... Now my life situation has changed.I was in very obusive relationship where my puppy grow up with me, and she was the only support and companion for me there. Now i have got out of that hell and i have my baby(dog) with me.She is the closest life creature for me in this country( all my family still overseas) . I have to move back to my condo(cause i cant sell it in this days...) and have to have my dog with me,but....Association rules only allowing 20 lb dogs, and she is 82lb. I have submited letter to association,and it look like -after a moth they still don't have an answer for us. Somebody from building asked me if I am "that person with a dog"...,and sogjested that only way i can bring my "baby" to my condo it is to go to the psychiatrist and get letter from them about -my dog is my therapy dog for me... I have deal on all my problems always by my self ,but here I'm helpless ...
People,please, i need sogjestions ASAP, I don't know where to go with this,and how to deal with my situation.Have to be out of my friend house by end of May...
PLEASE WE NEED HELP! I can't be without my dog! She is everything for me! She dos not know any other "mom" then me...

Thanks for reading.

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