ESA Dogs For First Time Pet Parents

Dogs are the most popular pet animals worldwide. The United States alone has nearly 100 million households with pet dogs. Dogs as Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) have been on the rise in recent times as many people tend to be comfortable with the idea of dogs being there for their emotional support. People who are prescribed to have a pet ESA through an  ESA letter often choose to have a dog as their ESA.

For people suffering from mental illness or disabilities to have support from their ESA pet dog at all times, the pet needs to be with them. The ESAs and their pet handlers are given provisions under the federal laws. The Air Carrier Access Act allows the pet animal to travel with them inflight with their ESA handler without any pet fees. While the Fair Housing Act allows the pet animal to stay inside the rental houses or apartments despite the unlawful no-pet policies, here too without any pet fees. 

Advice for first-time pet-parents

People who have no experience with keeping a pet dog and are new to adopting or bringing home a pet animal should keep in mind the following things:

• They should choose a dog breed that is suitable for their lifestyle and routine. It is so that you won’t have to disrupt your routine, such as office hours, etc. to take care or look after your pet animal.

• The dog should be known for its high intelligence and ease of trainability. This will allow you to train your dog for obedience, socializing, and support training. An obedient dog that can adapt to a new situation can put the ESA parent at ease during times of need such as public spaces and air travel. 

• Make sure that you bring home a pet dog that doesn’t have high-energy, as these dogs require lots of training both inside the house and outdoors too. If not indulging in physical activity these dogs can become destructive and troublesome.

• The emotional support animal letter must be recommended by an authorized psychological wellness subject matter expert. If having a pup with you at home will take up extra time, especially for adequate early training, then you can have a dog that is past its puppyhood. 

• If you want to adopt from an animal shelter, there are lots of dogs that are already house trained. Otherwise, you can take the help of professional trainers to train your dog for obedience, sociability, support, etc.

The dogs that you can have

Bichon Frise

The Bichon Frise is a small dog that fits right into your apartment lifestyle. It is very trainable and loves to be a member of the household (especially, good around children. To save time that goes into maintaining its coat, you should keep it trimmed short.

Golden Retriever 

The Golden Retriever is an all-rounder dog that will always look for ways to please its human companions. The breed is easily trainable and with the appropriate grooming— daily brushing of the coat— it can adapt to all kinds of households. If you or any other household member is eager to go outside to play the Golden Retriever will make your outdoor experience enjoyable while also meeting its daily exercise requirements. If you want your dog to get housing rights you should get an ESA letter for housing with you, which you can give to the property manager.  

Boxer

Boxers are playful dogs that thrive with human companions that love to indulge in daily exercise. With early training, you can easily train your Boxer to become social and obedient to your commands. The Boxer is a low maintenance dog that will happily be part of the household. It is especially perfect for a household with children in it, as it is careful around them and also protective. 

Related Resources :

Warm Dogs That You Can Have As ESAs

Interesting Points When Choosing A Pet Dog

Obliging Tips For Potential ESA Dog Handlers

Big Boss Breeds Suitable for Apartment Living