Required Training of Assistance Dogs

When most people think of assistance dogs, they usually envision a handler with a physical disability such as vision impairment or limited mobility. These dogs are typically referred to as service dogs. However, service dogs that perform certain tasks or work to help individuals with unseen or unnoticed disabilities are known as Psychiatric Service Dogs or PSDs.

We assist you with the process of training your assistance dog to be a service dog, not only for seen disabilities, but also those unseen or psychological disabilities.

Psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) are indispensable to their owners since they are trained to do work that allows individuals with psychiatric disabilities to function in everyday life. There are too many of these tasks to list in one area, but below is a sample of the important jobs that PSDs perform. The most common tasks performed by Psychiatric Service Dogs are:

  • Balance Assistance – For those that may need the added security when walking (eg. those that may have to take tranquilizers to stay calm).
  • Find a Person/Place – People who suffer from severe anxiety may become disorientated in a large crowd, a PSD can be trained to locate a person and place.
  • Ground and Reorient – A PSD can help ground their handler back into a more present state of mind during an anxiety attack. 
  • Interrupt and Redirect – A PSD can help limit obsessive compulsive and self-destructive behaviors by interrupting or redirecting.
  • Navigation and Buffering – A PSD can provide a buffer and help guide their handler through stressful environments. 
  • React/Alert to Specific Sounds – A PSD can alert their handler to smoke or security alarms along with unusual noises.
  • Retrieve Medications – A PSD may pick up medication from a table or ring a bell as a reminder.
  • Room Search – A PSD can be trained to perform a room search to help those that suffer hyper-vigilance caused by PTSD.
  • Stabilize Routines – A PSD can help their handler maintain healthy routines by, for example, preventing them from oversleeping or reminding them to do daily tasks. 
  • Tactile Stimulation and Pressure Therapy – A PSD can use touch or gentle pressure to provide calm and comfort to a handler that is in distress. 

To train a dog to become a psychiatric service dog, you need patience and dedication. The law permits individuals to self-train their psychiatric service dogs or PSD. Our services offer validation of this training based on the individual’s attestation of the proper training. Professional dog trainers and training organizations offer a multitude of trainings which may be effective (but also expensive). Note however that there is no “official” training program for PSDs, although there are entities that issue guidelines and suggestions. 

In addition to being trained to perform the task related to a handler’s disability, a PSD must always be under the control of its owner. A PSD must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times, unless that would interfere with the PSD’s ability to work (in which case, the handler can use other means of control like voice commands or physical signals). For air travel, a PSD must always be harnessed, leashed, or tethered and not engage in disruptive behavior. 

Many service dog organizations do provide training or the availability of an already trained psychiatric service dog (PSD) for a typical cost ranging from $20,000 to $40,000. Professional dog trainers are a great option when you need help specifying the task that your dog must perform. Additionally, simply internet searches on YouTube offer free at-home tutorials to ensure the success of your PSD.

Essential Qualifications

What are the Essentials for Self-Training a Psychiatric Service Dog or PSD?

There are two main benchmarks to help you identify your dog as fully compliant as a psychiatric service dog or PSD.

  1. The American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Test: The PSD follows simple commands when in public. 
  2. PSD Conducts Specialized Task: The PSD completes a task that an individual self-trains their dog to perform to best address a need of a disability.

There are important milestones a individuals should track to determine whether their Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) is ready to be taken in public:

  • Can the PSD ignore distractions?
  • Is the PSD obedient even in busy areas?
  • Does the PSD run after or lunge at other people and animals?
  • Is the PSD calm when around children and other animals?
  • Is the PSD able to maintain its focus on the handler even with the presence of food and treats?
  • Does the PSD growl or bark uncontrollably?
  • Can the PSD remain on task in loud, crowded places?
  • Is the PSD calm around moving vehicles and traffic?