# Would I qualify?



## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I have a very real fear of crowds and a personal space issue (give me room to BREATH!). I've been able to manage it by not going places where there are big crowds and avoiding lines as much as possible. But now that I'm traveling for business it's getting hard to avoid the lines.

Inside the plane, with everyone seated, I'm fine. It's the times when I'm standing in line to get on the plane (bad but doable) and the times when I'm standing in line to get OFF the plane (getting pretty UNdoable).

When possible I wait for everyone else to get off and then I deplane. But if I have connections to make that's not always possible. And I don't always have alot of notice when it comes to making plans (sometimes less than 24 hours) so I don't always have a choice as to seating. And First Class is NOT an option.









I can't have a drink or take anything that would make me sleepy as I have to drive when I get to my desination. And I'm already on 2 anti-depressants (one just for the off-label help with hot flashes).

So, ideally I would like a BIG dog to help FORCE some breathing room around me. And of course, down the road when he's old enough and if I'm still doing all this traveling, I'd love Mauser to fill that role. But I could really use some 'help' now.

So - how do I go about getting "approved" to have a PSD (if that's what they would be called)?


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

You don't need to be "approved." There is actually no certification required to have a PSD. 

Ironicly though for folks who want a PSD because they have anxiety in public, having any SD with you in a shop, at an airport, train station, bowling alley, etc-- instantly brings the following:
1.Crowds.
2.Stares.
3.Pointing, whispering.
4.CONFRONTATIONS from non-personel
5.CONFRONTATIONS from personel 

Note-- both #4 and #5 can be LOUD, attention-grabbing, crowd-drawing circus-like confrontations where someone DEMANDS you to explain your health, your condition, why you brought a dog in here, and the hardest actually is "You can't bring that dog in here!" (note: It isn't a question... and you need to do education here)

You can calmly and cooly assert yourself, answer what his tasks trainer are if asked, say that yes you are disabled, that he is a SD, and be off on your way.... unless the crowd of folks is blocking your path. It can be easy when you are comfy asserting yourself. It can be hard when crowds and attention overwhelm you in the first place.

None of the above was tough for me. But, I don't have anxiety about crowds and people. 

Mauser needs to be the kind of dog who geneticly has it in him to not react to The public. This can mean someone shrilly screaming while grabbing his fur for all they're worth, someone zipping right by on in-line skates, and someone grabbing his ear in the check-out line. The ONE unpredictable thing in SD work, regardless of all the task training and proofing we do, is the public. People can be real challenges. Anyone can be a dog lover who haunts you and won't leave you alone, a grabber, etc... and the pokers, petters, etc are everywhere.

I would still go for it, if Mauser has the temperament. Very few dogs do. But if he does, why not go into this with the idea that you are mitigating a disability that normally threatens to keep you housebound? You earn money for your household by working-- you need to be able to fly, go to meetings, etc.. teleconferencing isn't always an option. If fear is paralyzing you, I do not reccomend tyking pills and hoping to be numb enough to function. A good SD may mitigate your disability so that you don't need to stay home.

HUGS!!










PS-- Seeing your primary care physician for a psych referal to get things documented is a good start. You DO always have the choice try or to refuse to try, medication. Other health conditions may preclude the use of some meds. But, you can get a good therapist to document and follow your condition, provide insight, etc. Good luck!

PPS-- If this is deemed to not be a disability, and your doc can be an ESA, they have no public access rights, but may have rights in some situations such as housing... I know you have a home of your own, just mentioning ESAs for others reading this.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

But not all pill taking numbs you. There are meds for anti anxiety that help millions of people around the world. 

Even if you decide you can use Mauser for this, you're still going to have to figure out some way to function until he's ready.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

http://www.psychdog.org/lifestyle_statelaws.html

might help too.


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## rokanhaus (Mar 20, 2006)

FYI, Hawk is 69-70 lbs and has flown with me often. It is not easy for a dog to do. It is amazing all the things they must endure while riding in a passenger cabin of a plane. The must lay down for very long durations with all kinds of chaos going on around them, handle being tripped over and shoved into very tight confined spaces...barely enough room on plane for our own feet never mind trying to squeeze a GSD into that little space. They must be able to quickly and confidently move out front when walking down the aisle and well mannered enough to keep thier nose straight and not checking out the people they pass within such close quarters. They have to be able to stand in crowd and ignore everyone and everything. Be quiet and calm during take off and landing.

In a nutshell, flying with a dog can add stress!! And , it will not help give you any space when it comes to lines or crowds. 

The biggest factor with flying with a dog is there is often simply no room for them...Hawk is comfortable schooching under the seats and is very tolerant of being forced to lie down in a very tight space. 

Flying with a dog is not as easy as it seems....


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

What about asking the booking agent for a seat with extra room? Like the bulkhead seats or exit row window? I used to get those when I traveled for business becuase I have a phobia about possibly having to sit next to someone obese. (On one flight, I had a woman who just FLOWED on top of me during take off, it freaked me out so bad! They don't let large people sit in the exit row - sometimes you have to bring this to the flight attendants attention)

You could also ask for special accommodations from the flight attendant - I forget the wording but before every flight they say something about elderly and people requiring assistance.

I agree with Kandi, flying with a big dog is going to be a hassle - and you'll have to pay for his seat


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

The dogs can hear pets in the hold. They hear the hydraulics under your feet screeeeeching. My last GSD was super with all this. But, it takes an unbelievably CALM dog ( calm off his property, calm AFTER going through puberty ) to not react during flying. Agency dogs do this all the time--- but, dogs bred to think, to react, to make decisions in a normal manner, can sensibly have alarm bells going off in their heads when they hear things we don't during flying.

When flying with a SD, always notify beforehand. Bulkhead seating may help, if it not blocking an aisle nor exit. 

Always get the "ADA In Cabin Specialist" person's contact number for that airline. Keep it with you, should a confrontation with airline personel ensue.

Flying with my last SD was a pleasure-- he was always able to somehow override his own natural inclinations in favor of doing his job. But, I would say we drew crowds, got gawked at... not exactly a stealth operation, flying with a SD.


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## Mary Jane (Mar 3, 2006)

Lauri,

I think for people without agoraphobia plane travel is aggravating. I make several short trips a year and the time spent waiting, either in security lines, gates, or on the tarmac generally exceeds the time spent in the air. 

Fortunately for me, I can substitute the "fast" train (Acela) for flying to reach DC-prompting my question: Do you have any alternatives to flying for at least some of your trips? Can you schedule an extra day and drive? It places the burden back on you-but it is a short term solution. 

Thinking about my own behavior I agree with Patti and Kandi, the dog-loving public is attracted- not put off- by a dog with a cape. There are often K9 teams in the subway station or in Grand Central and I have to apply the lessons learned here not to run over and coo at the pretty doggies.

I'm sorry that you're faced with this,
Mary Jane


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

Have you tried Xanax?I used that the very first flight I had taken.I was flying with my kids and was scared to death since it took 2o something yrs to do it.It just took the edge off,I don't remember being groggy or out of it. Just a thought.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Lauri and others I see several things that need to be addressed in this thread, but I am out the door in a few minutes. I will be back to clarify.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Sorry, Lauri, I just re-read this more carefully. Is the condition actually becoming disabling at this point? To "qualify" for him being a SD under the ADA, you need to 1. _have a disability_, and a record of having one is a helpful part of that. Then, 2. he would _need to be task trained for things to mitigate _and help out. But, you don't need to "qualify" through an agency, unless you go through one for training that has seperate requirements. You can train your own dog-- but not many dogs have the temperament to tolerate what the public can dish out.









I will still say that having my dog with me draws people, rather than repelling them.


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## jmincy (Dec 22, 2004)

The first thing that you may be forced to demonstrate if you are ever challenged is "what task does the dog perform that specifically mitigates a disability?" Don't get me wrong, I think that Psychiatric service dogs serve a valuable purpose, but the dog, under the law must be "trained to perform a specific task", standing next to you to keep people back would not likely be consider a task that the dog was trained to mitigate a disabillity. One specific task that many PSDs are actually trained to do is to distract their handler when the dog notices the handlers anxiety level increasing.
Just something to think about if you are serious about utilizing a PSD.
Also, my wife travels with her 110lb GSD service dog, and I can tell you that is one of the most stressful things she does.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Let's look into this just a bit. If you only feel you have a need at specific times such as flying and not 24/7 then what you are describing is in fact sounding more like an ESA. I would like to state here that none of us on the Internet can make this decision for you but only offer opinions. 

So to make the distinction we will begin with traveling with an ESA. Traveling with an ESA is under the regulation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and not the Dept. of Justice (DOJ) which is the agency that most of us are more familiar with since they are the ones regulating such things as Public Access rights of a disabled handler. 

Here is where many people get confused about traveling with their dog. The DOJ has jurisdiction over most areas of the airport and once on board the FAA has jurisdiction. To make this as simple as possible say you are traveling with all the necessary documentation required by the FAA. You are cleared to take your dog with you in the cabin and all your luggage is on its way and now you have some time to wait. Hummm..... you were so busy getting ready to leave that you didn't eat and your flight and bag of peanuts is awhile off yet. Think you may just zip into the local little sandwhich shop and sit down and relax for a bit. Wrong, your ESA while it has a right to fly with you in the cabin is not a Service Dog and as such you have no legal right to take it into an eating establishment. Or how about traveling with an ESA, what about the other end? Staying in a hotel -- you will need to find one that accepts pet dogs and will probably have to pay a pet deposit. Want to go out to eat -- can't take it with you as that is against Board of Health regulations. Business meetings? -- Are pet dogs allowed? You have no Public Access rights with an ESA. Your dog is not a Service Dog.

Now what are the regulations that you need to follow to be able to take your ESA on a flight with you under the Air Carrier Access Act (49 U.S.C. 41705 and 14 C.F.R. 382)? 

The following is from Service Dog Central:

In order to fly with an Emotional Support Animal in the cabin of the aircraft with you, you will need a special letter from a licensed mental health professional.

... and...

The letter:
* must not more than one year old
* must be on the professional's letterhead
* must be from a mental health professional

It must also state ... That the passenger has a mental health-related DISABILITY. Note it is not just a mental illness diagnosis, but a mental illness which SUBSTANTIALLY LIMITS ONE OR MORE MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES. ... the animal is NECESSARY to the passenger's health or treatment ... The individual writing the letter should clearly indicate what type of mental health care professional they are (psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker, et cetera).


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

For a PSD:

Now if you decide that you are disabled per the ADA definition then your dog would also have to meet their qualifications. As has already been stated it must have been trained tasks for YOUR disability. 

Traveling with a PSD is now harder then in the past. There is a major organization that has been telling people that things like hugging your dog for comfort, having your dog insist on you showering attention on it, etc. are tasks. If in doubt check out any listings of tasks given on various websites, though the organization that I am speaking of has possibly changed some of their website. 

No, I just went to their website and "Cuddle and Kiss" are still up there in their tasks list. 

Now to see what the DOJ has said:

*Comfort animals vs. psychiatric service animals*.

Under the Department’s present regulatory language, some individuals and entities have assumed that the requirement that service animals must be individually trained to do work or perform tasks excluded all individuals with mental disabilities from having service animals. Others have assumed that any person with a psychiatric condition whose pet provided comfort to them was covered by the ADA. The Department believes that psychiatric service animals that are trained to do work or perform a task (e.g., reminding its owner to take medicine) for individuals whose disability is covered by the ADA are protected by the Department’s present regulatory approach. 

Psychiatric service animals can be trained to perform a variety of tasks that assist individuals with disabilities to detect the onset of psychiatric episodes and ameliorate their effects. Tasks performed by psychiatric service animals may include reminding the handler to take medicine; providing safety checks, or room searches, or turning on lights for persons with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; interrupting self-mutilation by persons with dissociative identity disorders; and keeping disoriented individuals from danger. 

The Department is proposing new regulatory text in § 36.104 to formalize its position on emotional support/comfort animals, which is that "[a]nimals whose sole function is to provide emotional support, comfort, therapy, companionship, therapeutic benefits, or promote emotional well-being are not service animals." The Department wishes to state, however, that the exclusion of emotional support animals from ADA coverage does not mean that individuals with psychiatric, cognitive, or mental disabilities cannot use service animals. The Department proposes specific regulatory text in § 36.104 to make this clear: "The term service animal includes individually trained animals that do work or perform tasks for the benefit of individuals with disabilities, including psychiatric, cognitive, and mental disabilities." This language simply clarifies the Department’s longstanding position and is not a new position. 

The Department’s rule is based on the assumption that the title II and title III regulations govern a wider range of public settings than the settings that allow for emotional support animals. The Department recognizes, however, that there are situations not governed exclusively by the title II and title III regulations, particularly in the context of residential settings and employment, where there may be compelling reasons to permit the use of animals whose presence provides emotional support to a person with a disability. Accordingly, other federal agency regulations governing those situations may appropriately provide for increased access for animals other than service animals.

I have a thread on the above at LINK to thread


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

Lauri, I can commiserate with you. Personally I hate to fly - last time I flew (six+ hour flight from Anchorage to Chicago) I went to stand in line at the restroom and fainted (landing somewhat gracefully on a strange man's lap .. *L* .. and then to the floor). It was a horrendous experience and happened in part to being tired and in part to being stressed by flying. I haven't gone anywhere by plane since.

I self-trained Khana to be my SD but it was more for my physical disability than my emotional problems. She does help me tremendously with my anxiety but she also is specifically trained to do tasks for me. But like has already been said - in public she is a magnet for people and draws much more attention to me than I had previously. I can handle it only because I've always been more comfortable when showing off my dogs than I have been on my own, but it still is difficult at times just in simple settings like the local grocery store. I'll be in pain, just wanting to get out of the store, and people will be stopping me to talk about my dog. 

So I'm not sure that having a dog on an airplane with you would help in the way that you're thinking it would. I was truly surprised at how stressful it was when I first started taking Khana into public places with me. For years I've trained outside these businesses, and yet when we walk in I find that I'm distracted with trying to make sure that no one bothers my dog. It's better now than it was at first, but I was truly surprised at how much stress it actually caused me at first.

I was just talking with my Mom about flying somewhere - she left today on a trip to DC - and was thinking about the logistics of trying to take Khana on the plane with me. Khana is not as tall as most GSDs and weighs about 60 pounds, but still ... she's big enough to have difficulty fitting into the space in front of my feet. 

Anyhow, good luck with your information search and I hope you find something that can help you out. Have you considered a cattle prod to zap those who get a tad bit too close? *L*

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Gosh I just realized that I had said that because of some people and their mistaken belief about PSDs (due in great part to much misinformation circulating around the Internet) PSDs are now required to have a note from the doctor stating the handler's condition in order to fly on a commercial airline. No other SD needs such a doctor's note in the U.S. for this form of travel. I'll try to find a direct quote to cut and paste here later along with a link.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Just a personal note... I was always shy and anxious in public, UNTIL I was partnered with my SD. Suddenly, nobody was saying "What's wrong with your eyes and hands?" Instead, everyone commented on my dog, Chell... so, I learned to relax around people. I was forced to develop confidence because I had to assert myself strongly, or I would never get service at some shops, and I learned to handle confrontations and crowds gathering calmly, and just breeze right through to get my errands and get back to meet the Handi-Van Ride on time.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Thanks to everyone that replied.

To the suggestion of asking for certain seating, as I said I don't always get alot of notice on leaving town so that isn't always an option. Like yesterday. I had to leave work early to come home and take DH to the hospital. He has either a very nasty vuris or food poisoning and he was dangerously dehydrated. Anyway - I get a call while I'm in the ER with him. My boss wants to know if I can fly to KY that evening. When she called me it was already 5:00 pm!

As for the dog drawing a bigger crowd - that doesn't bother me either. At the Pet Expo we recently did I had no problems walking through the packed aisles - as long as I had one of the dogs with me. And when it was Mauser we did draw a crowd. It gives me something to focus on other than the people crowding around me. It lets me talk about my favorite subject - dogs, and GSDs in particular!

Since the dog wouldn't be coming with me to the facilities (usually giant warehouses - not nice offices) they would stay at the hotel. And finding dog friendly hotels isn't that hard.

I actually had thought about buying a cane so I could use the "people that need a little extra time boarding" option they offer before the mad rush of general boarding.

As for taking more drugs - as I said I'm already on 2 different anti-depressants and I've subjected my body to more drugs (during chemo) than most people could imagine - I'd like to stay away from that if at all possible.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

From what I am seeing in your posts what you are asking for is an 
ESA and not an Assistance/Service Dog.


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