How To Get a Psychiatric Service Dog in Washington?

A psychiatric service dog is a canine that is trained to carry out daily tasks for its owners. With disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar illness, PTSD, and clinical anxiety, these highly trained dogs help their owners maintain their day-to-day work and help them with tasks like providing deep pressure therapy, providing medication, assisting their owners during anxiety, and much more.

Like service dogs, psychiatric service dogs are also protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and enjoy the same legal rights and privileges as given to service dogs in Washington.

Qualifying Conditions for Getting a Psychiatric Service Dog

Getting a psychiatric service dog depends on your mental health condition. If you have a qualifying mental health condition that substantially limits your ability to perform daily tasks, you may be eligible to get a PSD. Some of the qualifying mental health conditions for obtaining a PSD are mentioned below:

• Schizophrenia
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Post Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Autism
• Phobias
• Bipolar disorder
• Panic attacks
• Agoraphobia
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Traumatic Brain Injuries, and much more.

How To Train Your Dog To Become a PSD?

Training is essential if you’re looking for a psychiatric service dog or already have one. You can train your dog to become a PSD in some of the ways mentioned below:

Self-Training:

This method of training can be stressful. Training comes with a lot of research and experience, so doing this on your own would take a lot of time and patience. If you’re comfortable devoting all your time and energy to training your dog, you can definitely go for this option.

Working With a Qualified Professional:

This is the best training method, and many people choose it because they get a chance to work with a qualified trainer. Under this method, your dog would be in the hands of a professional trainer who will train your dog according to your mental health condition and keep a constant check on their performance. They have a clear idea about the ADA training guidelines, which helps them better understand what your dog can be trained to do.

Getting An Already-Trained PSD:

This training method is expensive because you’re getting a well-behaved dog that has already been trained to perform daily tasks for you. Many organizations are providing an already-trained PSD to people with disabilities. You can go for this method if you don’t want to spend time and energy training your psychiatric service dog or need immediate assistance from your dog.

Registering and Certifying Your Psychiatric Service Dog

Firstly, there is no such thing as PSD registration. Many people look for ‘PSD registration’ and search for websites that allow them to register their dog as a PSD. All these websites that provide PSD registration services are fake and have nothing to do with Federal Laws.

Only a psychiatric service dog certification or PSD letter can benefit you from federal laws and is counted as a valid document.

Note: A PSD Letter or a psychiatric service dog letter is an official document written and signed by a licensed mental health professional to prove your disability. With the help of a PSD letter, you can easily avail yourself of the benefits of having a PSD and take advantage of the federal laws and rights that protect the PSD and their owners from discrimination.

How And Where To Get a PSD Letter?

To obtain a PSD letter, consult a licensed mental health professional because only the LMHP can write a PSD letter for you. If you’re not in touch with any doctor or therapist that is licensed as a mental health professional, you can contact the Fast ESA Letter today! The Fast ESA Letter provides an easy and simple way of getting a PSD letter in the comfort of your home. You have to follow three simple steps to get a PSD letter now:

Fill up a small form

Start the process by filling up the small form by adding your personal and medical health details. Once done, submit the form by clicking the “submit now” button.

Get evaluated by LMHP

After submitting, our team’s licensed mental health professional will evaluate your form based on the details you mentioned.

Received your PSD letter

The PSD letter will be emailed to you after the licensed mental health professional approves. You can download your PSD letter or can take a printout of it.

Psychiatric Service Dog Rights in Washington

The importance of psychiatric service dogs in human’s life is increasing day by day. That’s why the Washington State has passed certain laws to protect these people and their PSDs from discrimination. These laws are:

Public Access Rights

People with disabilities have the right to bring their psychiatric service dogs with them into various public places in accordance with Washington’s Law that protects these people from discrimination. Some of these places are:

• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Shops
• Theatres
• School/College
• Elevators
• Shopping malls and other public places

Fair Housing Act ( FHA)

According to the Fair Housing Act, a person who is seeking assistance of a psychiatric service dog (PSD) for therapeutic purposes is allowed to live with the PSD on any property without any pet restrictions. According to the FHA, if a tenant has a valid PSD Letter, the landlord cannot deny the tenant from living with an PSD home. The landlord is required to make a reasonable accommodation for the tenant at no additional cost.

Best Psychiatric Service Dog in Washington

Psychiatric Service Dogs are usually trained dogs, so in order to get one, you have to be sure of your mental health condition. Finding the right breed according to your disability is essential to ensure your dog meets the requirement of becoming a trained psychiatric service dog. Some psd dog breeds prove better than other dogs. These are:

German Shepherd

An ongoing source of stability and serenity is necessary for those who struggle with anxiety. A German Shepherd is the best choice because they are highly devoted and easy to train. When their owners experience an anxiety attack, they aid in keeping them grounded. Hence, they are a great choice among people with mental health disabilities.

Pug

These dogs provide comfort and can bring joy to the life of their owners. These dogs are easy to maintain and do not require much grooming. They are also intelligent dogs that can easily catch their owners’ emotions, making them easy to train.

Corgi

Corgis are affectionate and energetic dogs that can be trained to carry out tasks for their owners. The owners of these dogs receive the daily dose of happiness they require thanks to their kind and caring nature. These friendly dogs can quickly bond with children. Hence they are also good with families.

Doberman

Most people are familiar with Dobermans because they are working dogs, but they also make excellent psychiatric service dogs. Doberman pinschers are known for being solid watchdogs, yet they can also be loving and devoted. They also have the quality to assist their owners with a mental crisis or stop risky behaviors thanks to their sturdy looks and size.

Conclusion

Get your psychiatric service dog letter from Fast ESA Letter, so you don’t have to hustle for accommodation and can easily travel with your PSD. Just get your pre-screening done and enjoy your company with the little bundle of joy.