choosing an ESA

[Alia3]

Hello,

I'm not sure if I'm eligible to have an ESA, but, if I am, I have questions about them.  I've been wanting a dog for years and years now, essentially to be what is an ESA though I didn't know that term until a few days ago.  In my head, I've always pictured my dog being able to do a couple of what I now know are called tasks.  These tasks are things I need help with at home, but the dog would not need public access.  However, I do need a dog which would be relatively "bomb-proof" because I would like to be able to take it with me outdoors, and have it not react to kids/cats/other dogs/city noises/country things, like cows, etc.

I also have learned that ESAs are allowed in most, otherwise no-pets, housing.  While my goal is to always find pet friendly housing, and a few months ago just decided I wouldn't move anywhere unless I could have a dog, I don't want a barker.  I know all dogs bark, but some really do seem to bark all the time.  I will be living in apartments at least some of the time over the next 10 years.  I need a dog that won't bark every time a person enters or exits the building.  Or, at the most, gives a single bark. 

So, how do I do this?  Do I get a puppy and train it well?  Or an adult and fill in the gaps (I've also never had a dog before).  Are there trainers who will go to shelters with individuals and aid in decision making?  While most of the things I want from a dog are things which don't require public access, there are a few tasks which would have to be performed in public places, by their very nature.  Because there are some tasks that I would like the dog to be able to do, and some tasks which would be ideal require public access, and I really DON'T want more than one dog at a time, should I see about getting a SD through a program?

Thanks in advance!

[state_of_nowhere]

There are some programs that train "companion dogs". They are essentially ESAs, but have all the training that you're talking about. That may be an option for you to look into too.

[Ilghaus]

Just remember that since you live in Canada that your laws are going to be different then here in the U.S.

[state_of_nowhere]

Just remember that since you live in Canada that your laws are going to be different then here in the U.S.

Oh I didn't see that! Canada doesn't recognize ESAs.

[Alia3]

eek, sorry, I guess I should change my location.  I put Canada because I am living there now, but I will be moving back to the US in less than a week.

[Spectrum]

I agree that being the first time you have a dog, a trained companion dog from a program is a good idea. This is a dog that for whatever reason isn't suited to be a service dog, but is a very well trained pet and often has some tasks on it. Another alternative is a program release dog - they're also generally well trained, though of course a dog can wash out for anything, so you do need to be careful. Waiting lists can be long, but you won't have to start from scratch with a dog.

If you want to go to a shelter and pick a dog, I highly recommend taking an experienced trainer with you, telling them your needs, and have them not only help you pick a dog, but follow up on its training. At a minimum the dog should pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test - and after that you may learn (as I did) that you want to pursue dog sports of some kind (I'm doing Rally Obedience right now, but am trying to branch out into standard obedience, herding, lure coursing and agility). I never planned to compete with Gavroche until after he took his CGC test and I learned about Rally. Competing with him has been so good for me - I intend to compete in *something* with all my future dogs. I am competitive by nature, and I finally found an outlet for it that I enjoy and my dogs enjoy.

[Magesteff]

I would also agree with the  suggestion about talking to SD programs in your area as well, some of the dogs that don't work out as full service dogs make wonderful companion animals as they have already had basic obedience training, but may not have the health or temperment to do public access work but are otherwise very fine dogs.

Humane shelters work very hard to make certain that the dogs they place fit the home and family adopting them, but they don't always see all the behaviors of the dog while there in their care. While most of the animals at a shelter may be very sweet, some may have food or abuse issues that may lead to agressive behavior, and may not show up around the Shelter personnel as they are trained to deal with such things, but may turn up in someone's home if the person is a bit timid around the dog. I agree that you should take a professional trainer/behaviorist with you if you are not familiar with dogs - or have never had a dog before.

If you are looking for an ESA rather than a SD, you might also want to consider adopting a cat rather than a dog. Shelter personnel should be able to tell you which cats are more people friendly.

I'm not pushing cats, I love both cats and dogs and have both. Cats however do not need to be walked outside, can live indoors full time easily.  Just like dogs they have their own personalities from couch potato to very active, from cuddly lap cat to loner, from people friendly to single person cat. Spike tolerates nearly everything from strangers picking him  up to baths. Hobbes is a single person cat, she would rather people leave her alone, but she lays across my legs in bed.