Psychiatric service dogs are trained to perform specialized tasks for those who suffer from mental illnesses.

Tasks performed by psychiatric service dogs

Specialized tasks that a service dog performs are determined by what type of difficulties a person has. If a person’s quality of life is negatively impacted as a result of a mental illness, specialized tasks can help mitigate that disability.

These are some of the tasks that psychiatric service dogs are trained to perform.

1. Alert

Alert is trained when a person suffers from frequent panic/Anxiety attacks. Dogs are able to detect changes in body language, which enables them to interrupt behaviors. We look for actions like, excessive scratching, nail biting, or any other nervous ticks that are present. When the trainer has determined this cue, they can start to pair it with a form of alert. The command must be something that is successful in disrupting negative behaviors like pawing at the persons leg or nudging with their nose.

Another way to train this task is if a dog is naturally inclined to want to interrupt negative behaviors like self-mutilation. What we want to do in this case, is to nurture that action by treating and praising the dog for disrupting an episode. Because dogs love praise (and treats), there is an incentive to continue this behavior. Training is successful when a dog automatically performs the tasks without treats as a primary incentive.

2. Boundary control

Boundary control is a useful command for those who suffer from any level of social anxiety. If a person needs space, this command creates a barrier between the handler and everyone else. A service dog creates enough space for the person to feel comfortable in any setting.

3. Retrieval

This tasks is helpful for a person that takes medication for their condition. When a panic attack is about to take place, it can often disrupt critical thinking. A dog can be trained to retrieve medications and other important items like water bottles or cell phones. They are also taught to perform complex tasks to get to these items. For example, they can be able to retrieve water out of the refrigerator and/or open cabinets to take medications and other important items to their handler.

4. Deep pressure therapy (DPT)

Deep pressure therapy is used when a person needs to calm increasing anxiety. The command also works as a grounding method to prevent dissociation. DPT involves a dog using their body weight to relieve tension. They act as weighted blankets putting your nervous system in a resting state. This stimulates the production of serotonin and reduces cortisol (the stress hormone). A service dog will be trained to respond to a DPT command, and depending on the size of the dog, either rest their two paws on their handlers lap, or jump on.

Psychiatric Service Dogs Vs. Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

One of the major distinctions between psychiatric service dogs and ESA’s is public access. Under federal law, service dogs are allowed public access because they fulfill a critical role. Emotional support animals are not afforded the same rights, because they aren’t required to have any specialized training. In addition, service dogs are held to a higher standard. For example, they cannot show any aggression towards humans, dogs, or other animals. Trainers most often follow a set of guidelines to train a service dog. click here for more information on IAADP standards. The ADA law is another great resource and that can be found by clicking here.

How to train your dog to become a service dog

Although you can train a dog on your own, it is advised you seek professional help. There are undoubtedly, many nuances that go into this type of training. In addition to learning tasks, dogs will need to pass the public access test before they can be service dogs. DO NOT fall for the websites that sell certifications without ever meeting your dog. They are not legitimate and their “certification” is not real. A service dog database is not a real or necessary thing. Be advised that taking a dog who is not trained to be a service dog into public, is a crime. You will be liable for any problems your dog causes out in public as a result. I have personally seen fake service dogs out in public who have tried to attack real ones on the job. Not only does this put the public in danger, but it creates a negative stigma around legitimate service dogs.

If you are interested in getting started with service dog training in California, check out my dog training business here. If you are in any of the U.S. states and are looking for general dog training, click here.

How to determine if your dog is a good candidate for service dog work

Before you start investing in training your dog for this type of work, it is imperative you ask yourself some very important questions.

Because this type of training is a long and expensive process, I advise you to think about investing that energy on a younger dog. The average working life for a service dog is about 7.

These are just some of the preliminary questions that should be considered when choosing a dog that is right for the job.

Do you think your dog has what it takes? Comment below.

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