Selecting The ESA Dog Breed. Here’s What You Should Consider
Although quick internet search can provide you a list of the best dog breeds for emotional support animals, they are not like “one size fits all.” You should select the right ESA dog breed so that you can receive maximum health benefits. Before choosing any breed, you should comprehensively research about its sizes, grooming requirements, exercise needs, etc. so that you don’t face any problem later on.
Here are major factors you should consider when selecting the ESA dog breeds for promoting mental wellness.
Size
Budget
All dogs require a multitude of supplies, including food, toys, training equipment, etc. So, see how much can you spend on dog on a weekly and monthly basis. In addition to that, other potential costs include professional grooming fees, licenses (such as emotional support animal letter, pet health certificate you may require when flying or living with your pet).
Larger dogs require a good amount of care and have greater expenses than their smaller counterparts. So, before choosing the breed, make sure you consider all these factors.
Temperament
Some breeds are friendly while others are aggressive and don’t feel like going out. Which breed you should choose depend on your needs. If you’re looking for a guard dog, choose an aggressive one. If you want a family pet who plays with everyone and helping you take off your anxiety levels, go for easygoing breeds.
Some breeds are friendly while others are aggressive and don’t feel like going out. Which breed you should choose depend on your needs. If you’re looking for a guard dog, choose an aggressive one. If you want a family pet who plays with everyone and helping you take off your anxiety levels, go for easygoing breeds.
Consider Your Needs
Before you select the dog breed, analyze the needs of your family. Small children see small dogs as toys, thus they may not become good companions. However, many dogs are excessively loyal or aggressive, and may not fit the needs of a socially active family. Additionally, constant intrusions may make your dog develop stress and anxiety.
If one of your family members is allergic to dogs, you can bring hypo-allergic breeds — Poodles, Maltese, etc.
If you consider what your family require, you are sure that everyone enjoys the comfort and love provided by your pet. Additionally, you should also consider your future needs.
You should select the emotional support dog breed that is-
- Well-behaved, and should be able to be controlled by the owner
- Easily cleaned and checked by the vet, because airlines and landlords ask for pet health certificates and ESA letters to allow people to fly or live with their support animals
- Trained to behave in public. However, you can find the complete guide on how to train your pet at home on the internet
- Good to provide you emotional benefits so that you can deal with your mental illness
- Able to fit your residential space. Bringing home a large dog isn’t a good idea when you are living in a small apartment.
Covering it up — having an emotional support dog at home can help you in managing your mental illness effectively. Moreover, ESAs are allowed to fly with their owners in planes, making their travel more exciting and enjoyable. When selecting the best dog breeds for emotional support animals, you should consider various factors. Analyze your and your family needs. Also, don’t forget to consider how much space do you have at home for keeping the dog? How much can you spend on your dog every month? Spend more time in learning your needs and bring home a perfect ESA that will care for you and provide you the required emotional support.
