Emotional support animals have a huge impact on the lives of millions. Animals can have a strong connection with humans, and this can have positive effects on mental and physical health. If you and your healthcare provider have decided that an ESA is right for your circumstances, you might be wondering what the next steps are.
Whether you’re transitioning a household pet into the role of an emotional support animal or if you’re starting this relationship with a new animal, you have probably been thinking about training.
Training is essential for pets, but in some ways, it’s even more important for emotional support animals. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to get started.
What Kind of Training Should ESAs Have?
While the kind of training your emotional support animal should have varies depending on the species of animal and the environments where you’ll be taking them, there are some strong foundations that most should have.
Harness Training
First, all animals that you’ll be taking into public spaces should be harness trained. Most public places don’t allow animals to be off leash and besides, you’ll want them to stick close to you in case you need their support. Starting them off with harness training will help ensure their comfort from day one.
You can experiment with different harnesses to find one that’s comfortable for them and easy to manage for you. For small animals, you may want to experiment with wearable wraps or bags that you can use to take them with you day-to-day.
Obedience Training
Being able to communicate with your emotional support animal and have them respond to their environment and to your cues is essential. Obedience training will help deepen that bond by teaching your ESA to listen and trust you.
That way, in any situation you may find yourself, your animal will look to you for guidance and trust your commands to keep both of you safe. This makes it far less likely that your ESA will get spooked by something in their environment, which could result in them running off, fighting another animal, or causing property damage in a public place.
Specialized ESA Training
There are many pet training schools that are now offering specialized training to prepare dogs and other animals for their role as emotional support animals. This training may vary, but it generally teaches animals to stay calm in a variety of settings and be attentive to their needs. Some of it can be completed at home with online guidance, but you also may find it beneficial to attend in-person classes with your ESA.
You can work with your ESA to customize what kind of behaviors they should exhibit in response to your cues. For example, you can train them to come to you if you enter a recovery position or start crying. You may also develop specialized commands for them.
Sometimes, as a pet, animals may naturally have comforting habits such as laying on and grounding their owner when they are in distress. The animal may do this intuitively at first, but be sure to give them positive reinforcement to encourage them to repeat this helpful behavior.
What’s Next for ESAs
Emotional support animals are still a relatively new phenomenon with varying levels of legal protection. Once your animal is ready to accompany you on a day-to-day basis, you should take some steps to alert those around you to your animal’s special role.
We recommend getting your ESA certification done and including your ESA in an online database. This helps give you access to legal support, as well as a certificate and an ID card for your animal that you can carry and show anyone who questions the presence of your ESA.
You may also find it useful to purchase a vest or tags that alert others to the fact that your animal is working and shouldn’t be bothered and petted by random passersby.
Train Your ESA for Success
Some animals intuitively support us and provide much-needed care. The transition from pet to ESA can be challenging for both humans and animals if the proper care is not taken. By training them appropriately, you’ll ensure their quality of life and happiness along with your own.
Fortunately, there are many training resources now available for emotional support animals and there to help you take the next steps when they’re ready.