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Frequently Asked Questions About Emotional Support Dogs |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How Get-A-Wag's Therapy Dog Qualifies as an
Emotional Support Animal
Dogs want to make their human's happy.
They pay such close attention to what pleases you.
They read and understand us in ways we could never teach them.
They have ways to help with problems that are at first invisible.
We don't know what stimuli they are responding to.
It is instinctive.
It is the bond that forms between man and dog.
- What makes a Get A Wag puppy an ESA: Emotional Support Animal?
A dog may be an Emotional Support Animal if it provides love in therapeutic support of a disabled child or adult or an elderly owner. It gives them companionship and a focus in life outside their own problems. It teaches them through positive reinforcement how to give and receive kindness and affection.
- What special training is required for your Get A Wag Emotional Support Animal?
Emotional Support Animals [ESAs] require very little training at all so long as the dog is reasonably well behaved and would be expected to get the usual attention to house training any other pet would. There is no requirement for it to perform special tasks since emotional support animals are not generally taken anywhere pets would not ordinarily go without permission (the exception being to fly in the cabin of an aircraft, even if the airline does not ordinarily accept pets).
- What special priveleges are available for an Emotional Support Animal?
If a doctor determines that a patient with a disabling mental illness would benefit from the companionship of an emotional support animal, the doctor write letters supporting a request by the patient to keep the ESA in "no pets" housing or to travel with the ESA in the cabin of an aircraft.
- What is the difference between a service dog and an Emotional Support Animal?
Service dogs may accompany a sick/infirm/blind owner places in order to actively assist them in a trained task. This is why it is important not to try to pet a service dog because that would interrupt their work. Therapy dogs go places that typically allow pets and, for lack of a better way of describing it, cheer people up. It is not considered as invasive to ask to pet someone's emotional support animal because that pet's job is to increase the person's interaction with the world around them, including responding to admiring people that want to know more about the dog.
- How does one qualify for anEmotional Support Animal?
A doctor is qualified to make a medical determination of a person's disability. On that basis a dog may be prescribed as an ESA. To qualify as disabled under federal disability rights laws, a person must experience substantial limitations on one or more major life activities because of their mental or physical illness.
- How does a child qualify for a Get-A-Wag puppy?
The Get-A-Wag Foundation will evaluate all applications for the dogs and determine which children have a profound physical, emotional or financial limitation. We then choose from the candidates that provide the most complete photos and stories of their challenges in life. This applicant should be agreeable to having their name posted in the media.
- How does an adult qualify for a Get A Wag therapy dog?
Candidates will apply to receive a free dog and we will select the recepient from the applicants based on your financial, and health or emotional need. We also consider all available information and pictures you submit. You should be willing to have your information, pictures, and name published.
- What are the therapeutic benefits of keeping a Get-A-Wag pup?
Studies have shown increased health benefits for those living with pets. This include. * lower cholesterol * lower blood pressure * lower triglyceride * reduced stress levels * reduced feelings of loneliness * better mental health * increased activity * more opportunities for exercise * more time spent outdoors (for dog owners especially) * more opportunities for socialization A therapy dog actually encourages a developmentally delayed child to advance more quickly. Some make great strides improving in mobility and speech in order to interact more fully with the pet. They take great comfort in the nearness of the pet for companionship. It teaches them how to give and receive love.
- Will an older puppy or young adult work as well as a Get-A-Wag dog?
An older dog is able to understand your efforts to train them to your household. It is a myth that young dogs are the only dogs that can be molded into what you want. A dog's natural temperament becomes evident in an older dog. You can determine if it shows patience and tolerance with children. If you want a dog primarily as a pet and emotional support as a bonus, then you can safely get whatever age you want, keeping in mind that the dog's success with emotional support shouldn't be a condition of his stay with you. What you will get is a friendly loving pet. And that is what defines an emotional support animal anyway.
- What are the dog breeds that Get-A-Wag places with children?
A child may receive a Queen Elizabeth Pocket Beagle, a Toy Rottweiler, a Toy Boxer, a Toy Bulldog, or a Toy Panda Dog. These breeds have been assessed for almost a decade to determine that they are stable in temperament and gentle with children.
- Will the Get A Wag puppy or dog come already trained?
You accept responsibility to train your puppy or dog after you get it. Therapy dogs need to know simple commands, be leash-trained be house-trained, and pay attention to you even when surroundings are distracting. Please refer to our guide to care and training of your therapy dog.
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