I'm jumping a big hurdle and getting a comfort dog

The Second Moon

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All my life I've had extreme anxiety (selective mutism) and have never liked dogs, but since I'm going to be staying in a dorm next year, I figured I need to jump my dog-disliking hurdle and get a comfort dog.

I hope to get shih-poo, because I think it may be the right type of dog for me. (I knew someone who had one and it was really friendly and calm)

Anyways I just wanted to share and ask if anyone else has or knows someone with a comfort dog. I'm not really sure about where I can bring it, since I'm still learning about this whole comfort dog thing. Also does anyone here own a shih-poo (they go by other names, too, so looking up an image might help)? What are they like? I've done a ton of research, but I'd like to hear from someone with more experience with that breed than me.

I'm actually really excited about this. :snoopy:

Thanks for reading this and for cheering me on.

I'll keep posted on my progress with getting the dog if anyone is interested.
 

Chris P

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No experience at all, just a dog lover and excited for you!

I'm kind of surprised there aren't advisors or counselors that can connect you with the right type of dog to fit your lifestyle, preferences and needs. Is there such a service out there?
 

AW Admin

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You may need to check about having a dog in the dorm; it's generally not allowed.

If it's a licensed professionally trained and registered companion/working service dog (i.e. seeing eye dog) that's different, but even then you need to coordinate closely with the school and your R.A. and R.D. of the dorm.
 
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Enlightened

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I've stayed in dorms in many colleges and universities in several U.S. states and none of them allowed non-service dogs. I don't know what kind of dorm you will be in though. Check policy, for sure.
 
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AW Admin

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No experience at all, just a dog lover and excited for you!

I'm kind of surprised there aren't advisors or counselors that can connect you with the right type of dog to fit your lifestyle, preferences and needs. Is there such a service out there?

For a licensed service animal, absolutely.
 

Abbeysroadlesstaken

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I know that emotional support animals only need to be registered and wear a vest in my state. I don't know about dormitories or but my cousin had her husky registered and her landlord couldn't tell her to get rid of it. I've thought about having my cat registered. Of course, there are a lot of animals that can be registered as emotional support. A man in FL has a crocodile that *gulp* gives amazing hugs. I don't know where it happened but someone tried to bring a peacock on an airline...

I imagine your college would be much more inviting to a dog. I've never had a small dog; the last dog I had was a pitt bull. He was really sweet and helped a lot with the anxiety/lonely cycle that ran through that part of my life.

Are you getting a trained dog, or going through the classes together?
 

Dan Rhys

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I hope it works out for you...I have taken to cats myself, though. They're quiet, a bit more low-energy, and make pleasant sounds--mine in particular has a soothing trill.
 

Roxxsmom

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Here's an article about the issue, though in spite of the title, it doesn't seem to actually list the colleges allowing pets on campus anywhere. According to the article, the fair housing act requires colleges to allow service and support animals in their dorms.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/20/here-are-the-colleges-that-will-let-you-bring-your-dog.html

https://esadoctors.com/emotional-support-animal-college-dorms/

It gets kind of dicey, because college staff are allowed to ask if an animal is a service animal and to ask what it does, but they cannot require someone to prove that the animal can do something or ask the person what disability they have. However, if the animal is disruptive or not behaving like a trained service animal in general, it can be dismissed.

Service and support animals can be self trained, but it's very important to make sure they are impeccably trained and socialized, be clean and hygienic, can handle being calm in public and around strangers all the time, don't bark, and are never destructive or distracting to people in public places. One of my co-workers in our college department has such a dog, and he is a delight--very well behaved, but she worked very hard training and socializing him.

I've had a number of dogs in my life, some better trained and mellower than others, but none were to the standard expected of service animals, and I would never claim they were anything but companion dogs. Proceed with caution and do your homework. Unless you go to a school that allows first-year students to have single rooms, you will be sharing with at least one, and possible two or three other people in a very limited space.

For good or for ill, the US is very restrictive (compared to some other countries) in terms of where non-service dogs can be taken in public spaces, and it allows landlords and schools to be restrictive in housing. I suppose that's a big reason why there are a lot of "fake" service animals these days, but pets posing as service animals can be a big problem (and is also illegal). I can't judge whether one person's social anxiety is enough to warrant a comfort animal when another person's isn't. But be sure any dog you get and bring to school as a comfort service animal is in fact filling that purpose and trained to that standard.
 

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I hope it works out for you...I have taken to cats myself, though. They're quiet, a bit more low-energy, and make pleasant sounds--mine in particular has a soothing trill.

I'm also ending up getting a service dog for my needs as well. The problem is I'm 100% a cat person. I've never liked dogs, but now I'm backed up against a wall. You just can't have a cat in the dorms, so a dog it will have to be. I'm trying to get excited over it by next year when the Second Moon and I get it.
 

The Second Moon

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I'm starting to get nervous about getting a comfort dog (ironic, right). I mean, like my sister, starrystorm, I am 100% a cat person. I just don't want to think of this dog as a comforting tool. I want to think of it as well... a good, comforting friend, like I do my cats. But, I won't back out of getting the dog. I really think it'll be beneficial for me with my extreme anxiety. Hopefully once I get the dog and start to bond, I'll feel less nervous.
 

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One idea would be to find a local rescue (either a big shelter or often individuals foster/rescue/adopt out specific breeds) in your area and volunteer. You could get some one on one time with dogs and become more comfortable. That would also help you determine if this specific breed is the right one for you. Will the school allow you to have a single dorm room as a freshman so the roommate thing isn't an issue?
 

The Second Moon

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One idea would be to find a local rescue (either a big shelter or often individuals foster/rescue/adopt out specific breeds) in your area and volunteer. You could get some one on one time with dogs and become more comfortable. That would also help you determine if this specific breed is the right one for you. Will the school allow you to have a single dorm room as a freshman so the roommate thing isn't an issue?

About the roommate thing, I will be sharing it with my sister, so I don't have to worry about that.

I really like your idea on getting one-on-one time with the breed I'm looking into. I will keep that in mind.
 

JJ Litke

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I’m not sure volunteering at a shelter is going to give you the kind of experience you’re wanting. Shelters tend to have very high numbers of specific breeds, not a general cross section of dog breeds or types. Also, shelters can be very high stress, for people and for dogs. If you want a relaxing encounter with different kinds of dogs, this probably isn’t the way to do it. Most shelters will require you to do some kind of volunteer training, so if you think you might be interested, you can always do that and see how you feel about it then.
 

Maggie Maxwell

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Yeah, a shelter may not be exactly what you're looking for. You may want to look more into a breed-specific rescue, and talk with the rescue leadership about your needs for meeting with their dogs. They may be able to set you up with a foster who has a dog that suits your temperament for spending time with the breed.
 

The Second Moon

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Yeah, a shelter may not be exactly what you're looking for. You may want to look more into a breed-specific rescue, and talk with the rescue leadership about your needs for meeting with their dogs. They may be able to set you up with a foster who has a dog that suits your temperament for spending time with the breed.

Okay thank you.
 

KBooks

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Sure, breed-specific rescues was more what I was thinking... just without knowing where Second Moon is from (town size) and if there are many of those in the area, a general shelter would be a secondary option. Also, if you could find a friend or neighbor who had that type of dog and arrange some hang out sessions, that would be another option. How did you decide on that particular breed? Does someone you know have one?
 
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The Second Moon

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Sure, breed-specific rescues was more what I was thinking... just without knowing where Second Moon is from (town size) and if there are many of those in the area, a general shelter would be a secondary option. Also, if you could find a friend or neighbor who had that type of dog and arrange some hang out sections, that would be another option. How did you decide on that particular breed? Does someone you know have one?

When I was little my friend had one and it was super nice and friendly. Also the lady (I've worked with her before on other things) who is helping me get all the paperwork and find a good place to look for dogs at, said that poodle-mixes would be great for me.
 

KBooks

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Okay, cool. You might not be able to find a rescue for that specific dog since it's a mix, but you might be able to find either a poodle rescue or a shih tzu rescue, and the rescues I've been to for various animals often scoop up anything "close" so you might even luck out and get to spend time with a shih poo. Plus all the rescue peeps I've met over the years have been super nice.
 

Roxxsmom

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I'm starting to get nervous about getting a comfort dog (ironic, right). I mean, like my sister, starrystorm, I am 100% a cat person. I just don't want to think of this dog as a comforting tool. I want to think of it as well... a good, comforting friend, like I do my cats. But, I won't back out of getting the dog. I really think it'll be beneficial for me with my extreme anxiety. Hopefully once I get the dog and start to bond, I'll feel less nervous.

I've heard of people having cats as ESA (not service) animals, but they generally aren't going to be the kind you would take everywhere with you. Though some cats do learn to walk on leash or hang out quietly in carry bags while being schlepped around in public. The first cat I ever had would walk on leash with me for short walks and was very socialized, but he wouldn't have been up for a long hike.

We were allowed one small caged pet in our dorms back in the 80s (I had a snake). Someone in our dorms had a cat, which was not officially allowed (but the RAs pretended not to notice). It was kind of hard on the kitty, though. Some of the guy's friends played roughly with him when they were drunk, and the cat was pretty cramped in that room.

Some people don't care for dogs because they are so often noisy and messy and not respectful of personal space. Service animals should not have these issues, so think about what it is about dogs you do or don't like. Again, service animals should be impeccably trained, and their owners should be meticulous in their care and in picking up after them etc.

If you want to obtain a dog and train it as a comfort animal, I'd suggest consulting a good dog trainer (the association of professional dog trainers site is a good place to start) who uses positive training methods. They could be helpful in selecting and training the right dog for the job. They can possibly give advice about reputable trainers and organizations to help with ESA training.
 
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I strongly, *strongly* recommend that if you are getting a self-trained ESA that you put the dog through the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) training. I like that for all dogs, but esp. for ESAs. It's a pretty simple certification that just demonstrates that the dog can do things like say hi to people without jumping all over them, come when called, basically show good manners in public. It means you're much less likely to have a problem.
 

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I don't have anything much to contribute more than what's already been said (other than I am a huge cat person myself as well and I feel so, so comforted by my sweet little furry best friend whenever I have mental issues or am just not in the right state of mind, but actually she makes me feel at peace all the time as well... so I 100% get where you're coming from!). I just wanted to give you a virtual hug, you're doing great! :Hug2:. Good luck on whatever you're facing. I hope your dog will help you through it.
 

frimble3

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Some people don't care for dogs because they are so often noisy and messy and not respectful of personal space. Service animals should not have these issues, so think about what it is about dogs you do or don't like. Again, service animals should be impeccably trained, and their owners should be meticulous in their care and in picking up after them etc.
This. I guess it shows that I'm not a 'dog person', huh? I am not opposed to the presence of dogs, but I want to know that the dog is under your control, and that you can stop it from forcibly interacting with me.
And, please don't be one of those dog owners who cries "Oh, he just wants to be friends!" when your ill-disciplined mutt leaps up on some innocent stranger. These people never ask if I want to be friends with Cujo.

I strongly, *strongly* recommend that if you are getting a self-trained ESA that you put the dog through the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) training. I like that for all dogs, but esp. for ESAs. It's a pretty simple certification that just demonstrates that the dog can do things like say hi to people without jumping all over them, come when called, basically show good manners in public. It means you're much less likely to have a problem.
And I strongly agree with the strong recommendation. Especially if you're taking the dog on public transit, into stairwells and classrooms and other confined spaces.

And, just to show I am not being a total lady-dog about this, I have what I hope is a useful point to consider.
If both Starry Sky and Second Moon haven't liked dogs much, prior to this, if I were them, I'd be looking at adult animals, and not cute li'l puppies.
a) puppies and young dogs need a lot of quality time and interaction, which you're not likely to have when you're adjusting to school. They will get bored, chew, howl and teach themselves bad habits.
b) baby animals are all cute, but you don't know what their grown-up personalities are going to be like. You're just guessing, based on other people's opinions.

If you check out adult dogs, you're likelier to actually find a dog that likes you, your level of activity, and is a fair match for your personality. Also, if you're careful, you can get one that's already partly trained, so you can see if the dog is willing and able to take instruction. (If it's your first dog, beware the dog that intends to be boss.) If you're looking for emotional support, you don't want a dog that sees your needs as weakness. You want a soothing dog that wants to snuggle and be your friend.
 
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NinjaFingers

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Shelters often have adult dogs with some training that ended up there through no fault of their own. TELL them you are looking for an ESA before your first visit and they'll curate suitable dogs for you. You may also find a trained adult dog through Petfinder, although you may have to be a bit more careful there...those dogs are more likely to be listed for a reason.

Breeders also sometimes have adult dogs available.

One last recommendation: You're living in a dorm. Get a small dog that's not prone to barking. I wouldn't go about 20, maybe 25 pounds, and avoid dachshunds - they're amazing dogs, but I have yet to meet one that didn't want to sound off constantly! You don't want a dog that makes you unpopular with the neighbors and a natural non-barker means one less training issue (which can be particularly tricky) to deal with.
 

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The first step is to be in the care of a licensed mental health professional familiar with ESAs so they can determine whether you have a qualifying disability which an emotional support animals is necessary for (i.e. there are normal day-to-day activities you cannot perform without one). If you want to have the animal in any non-pet housing or transportation area their letter is absolutely necessary. I have assisted universities with assessing reasonable accommodations and they will want that letter to meet all the federal requirements including that the person writing it does have you as an ongoing client.
 
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