Basic Things To Keep In Mind When Training a Service Dog for Anxiety

Are you dealing with emotional trauma and are planning to get a service dog? One thing you need to know is that you can be the one to train a service dog for anxiety. Here are five basic tips to keep in mind.

1. Look for the right dog candidate.

Some dogs have been raised for that purpose - to become service dogs. Get in touch with reputable breeders. Always remember that being a service dog is a demanding job, and you need a canine with the right temperament.

2. What will the dog's job be?

Ask yourself this question. At this point, you need to determine the role of your future service dog. What will he or she help you with? This will serve as the basis for your training. 

3. Maintain socialization skills. 

Service dogs should start socializing at a very early age. Socialization is essential because it helps them stay calm and focused even in distracting environments. Try to consider the types of environment where your dog will be accompanying you to. 

4. Teach your dog some basic obedience skills.

Basic, practical commands that you should teach a future service dog include the following:

• Sit
• Stay
• Calm
• Down
• Wait
• No
• Let's go 
• Side
• Leave it

5. Provide individual training.

The only way for your dog to recognize your anxiety is to work closely with him or her. This will allow the dog to recognize your body language. Remember that dogs have their way of picking up chemicals in your body when you're anxious. 

Do you own an assistance animal? Register your pet. 

The Service Animal Registry of California invites you to have your assistance animal registered in order to designate its status. We also encourage you to take our online classes so you can be fully aware of your rights and gain more knowledge about your support animal.

Finally, we present to you our book entitled, “ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS” to provide you with a complete education on assistance animals.

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