Best tips for training your ESA dog

by Paul Flythe on February 23, 2023

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There is a deep-rooted relationship between animals and humans. That relationship has evolved over the centuries. No one would have thought that animals would play a highly significant role in human life. These days emotional support animals are a source of solace for people suffering from mental health issues. An ESA dog can stimulate positive energies in you. Resultantly, your life becomes easier to bear.

When people bring an ESA pet into their life, they should be able to train it. Without effective training, an ESA would not be able to adjust to you. Consequently, you would not be able to get emotional support from them. No matter how hard you try, an ESA would not respond to your emotional and mental needs. There is a certain well-defined procedure regarding how ESAs should be trained and groomed. Here, specifically, we are going to discuss some tips for training your ESA dog.

Begin with potty training

Develop a proper routine, to begin with. It has been commonly observed that ESA dogs respond more to a routine. They should know when it is time for their breakfast, dinner, walk, etc. In addition, you have to be consistent in this. Taking dogs to unfamiliar places regularly is not a good idea. You should also give rewards to your ESA dog as a token of your love and care.

Stay

This is an important tip to keep your dog out of harm’s way. There are three things to note in this regard: distance, duration, and distraction. Give a stay command and reward the dog. Keep repeating this until you are sure that the dog has got this command. After that, you do the same thing from a small distance, while also increasing the duration. Subsequently, you can distract your dog through some noises to make sure that it is getting better at this skill.

Sit

Most dogs sit whenever they feel like it. But you have to train your ESA dog to sit on your command. Hold a treat and move it backward. As soon as the dog sits, you give it a treat as a reward. You have to keep repeating this until your dog fully follows your command. After that, you can train your dog in hand signals too.

Down

It is quite difficult to make your ESA dog lie down. This skill is highly important when you are taking the dog on an airline. You should start by holding a treat to its nose and lowering it to the floor. Once it responds to you, then you should reward it with a treat. You can also reward it by giving encouraging and cheerful signs. You should keep repeating this until you are sure that the dog fully submits to your command.

Deep Pressure Therapy

This is essential because you need your ESA dog to relieve you of stress or anxiety. Larger dogs rest their paws on you while smaller dogs sit on you. In this way, they apply light pressure to relieve your stress. You can begin by teaching them to climb up and down on the sofa through a verbal command. Use verbal commands such as “up” or “paws down” and then reward them with a treat. You are supposed to keep repeating this until they follow your lead completely.

Socialization

Socialization is very important if you want your dog to be well-adjusted to your life. Flawed or improper socialization would lead to problematic behavioral tendencies in ESA dogs. It is easier to train puppies in all aspects of socialization. You should gradually acquaint them with new places or people. Just make sure that you are not going too hard on them. It is wise to train your dog to get it normalized with minor and trivial distractions.

Hiring a dog trainer

If you have too much going on in your routine or you are impatient with the dog, then you can hire a trainer. Various clubs are offering these services. However, you should properly cross-check such clubs before visiting them and hiring a trainer.

Legal means and procedures

You would be well-advised to employ legal means and go through a proper procedure to get the certification. An ESA Letter would make you liable to claim the benefits that come with ESAs. For instance, you can get your accommodation fee waived and get unrestricted access to various places. Some people get tricked and end up receiving fake ESA letters. realesaletter.com and Various online platforms are selling fake ESA letters.

You should avoid all that and get your letter from a certified therapist. If you do not have a therapist, then you can always find one. Before reaching out to them, make sure that their credentials are valid. Some therapists can also provide you with free ESA certification. An emotional support animal letter for housing is especially for the accommodation fee exemption of your ESA. You can show it to the landlord and you would get that fee waived.

Conclusion

To sum up, emotional support animals are a big relief for your mental health issues. You should pay close attention to all the tips for proper training of your ESA dogs. To inculcate all the essential habits and skills in your ESA dog, you have to be consistent and patient. If your dog is not trained well, it cannot provide you with emotional support. In addition, you should employ legal means for getting your hands on a realesaletter.