Emotional Support Animals are those that, through their affection and company, assist humans in reducing the symptoms of mental or emotional sickness. There is no denying that dogs are the first choice among humans as the emotional support animal.
A dog can be an emotional support animal without any special training or abilities. To qualify a dog as an emotional support animal, your medical condition must meet certain requirements. Your mental health expert can prepare an ESA Letter for you if your medical condition qualifies you for an emotional support animal’s aid. To prove that a dog is an ESA dog, all that is needed is an ESA referral letter. If you want to adopt a dog for an Emotional Support Animal, then you must choose a puppy because these cute puppies are easy to train, and you can easily handle them. Let us dive into some basic training methods that you can adopt if you want to train your dog as an Emotional Support Animal.
1. Potty Training
This is the most basic obedience training in which you as a parent need to teach your dog how to behave in public. Take your dog to that place where you want your dog to poop constantly. To train your dog, include food times and bathroom breaks in their daily schedule. Limit your dog’s access to the entire house while it is still being properly trained to go potty. Once your dog is highly trained, you can gradually let it into other areas of your house.
2. Recall
If your dog didn’t come when you called him, it wouldn’t be amazing. If you have a dog, it goes without saying that it should answer your calls and come to you when you call. It is crucial, especially if you are taking your dog anywhere outdoors. A recall can save your dog from encountering major issues.
3. Drop it
The drop it command is useful if your dog brings or fetches something that could be harmful to them or other people. Doggo assumes that its owner will be upset if it doesn’t drop or leave the thing just by saving “Drop it.” If your dog puts something deadly in its mouth, this order will save it.
4. Sit
To make your dog behave in a certain way you can use this order to make your dog sit in a proper posture. Using a treat as a teaching tool for getting a dog to sit is one possibility. Take a reward and move it back so that your dog sits while it is still standing. While doing that, carefully repeat the word “Sit” while using a single hand. The dog will eventually comprehend the command and respond as instructed.
5. Stop
This command is also very necessary if you have an aggressive Emotional Support dog. The ‘Stop’ command will help your dog in getting into dangerous situations. By giving the ‘Stop’ command it will not only help your dog but will also save other people from getting into trouble.
6. Settle
You can use the “Settle” command to tell your dog to sit when it is acting playful and keeping you from working. Your dog can learn this technique by being bribed with treats. Add your own cue and encourage your dog to calm down by holding a goodie in your hand. Although it could take some time, once your dog has it, we can assure you that it will be of extreme value
7. Down
You can use the rewards to teach your dog the “Down” command, just like you would “sit.” Move the treat down the floor in this instance to encourage the dog to stoop and practise the down position. Use the word “Down” and make a motion to indicate it.
8. 3D formula
You can also go for the 3D formula which is very helpful to self-teach your dog. This formula includes 3D’s that are distance, duration and distraction.
- Distance: It is an analogy for the distance between you and your dog. When you give your dog a command, you’ll step backward and teach him to hold the position until you’re back in the commanding position.
- Duration: It shows time. If you have a dog, you should educate it to hold the command until you tell it to stop. You can educate your dog to keep the stance for a longer period of time by beginning with a short time interval.
- Distraction: It stands for your dog’s attention. It is important to train your dog to obey your directions even when you are in a noisy or chaotic environment. In a park, you can begin to practise it. Your dog will encounter distractions in the real world; therefore, if your coaching results in the desired behavior from the dog despite the distractions, it is considered effective.
As you now have an idea of How to train your dog as an Emotional Support Animal it becomes easy for you to get your emotional support dog trained. It is very important to train your dog for difficult situations because no one likes to listen about their pets for their behavior.