Psychiatric service dog

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A psychiatric service dog is a specific type of service dog trained to assist their handler with a psychiatric disability, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia. Although assistance dogs classically help with physical disabilities, there are a wide range of psychiatric issues that an assistance dog may be able to help with as well.^[1] ^[2]

1 Training
2 Accessibility
3 See also
4 Footnotes

[edit] Training

Like all assistance dogs, a psychiatric service dog is individually trained to work and perform tasks particular to their handler's disability. Generally, the majority of the dogs' work is to provide environmental assessment, in such cases as paranoia or hallucinations, or "alerting" behaviors, such as interrupting repetitive or injurious behaviors or reminding the handler to take medication. The dogs may also be trained in physical tasks, such as retrieving objects, guiding the handler from stressful situations, or acting as a brace if the handler becomes dizzy.^[1] ^[2]

Psychiatric service dogs may be of any breed or size suitable for public work. The majority of psychiatric service dogs are trained by the person who will become the handler- usually with the help of a professional trainer. However, assistance dog organizations are increasingly recognizing the need for dogs to help individuals with psychiatric disabilities.^[3]

[edit] Accessibility

In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act defines a disability as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual,"^[4] and therefore allows handlers of psychiatric service dogs the same rights and protections afforded to those with other types of service animals.^[5] The Fair Housing Act also allows tenants that have service animals or emotional support animals to stay in housing that has a "No Pets" policy.^[6] Note: Some individual state laws may also provide additional guidelines or protection.

An alternative to a psychiatric service dog is an emotional support animal, which may or may not have specific training related to the handler's disability, but provides companionship and emotional support. They do not qualify as service animals in the United States, though they do have some privileges with regards to domestic air travel and housing.