Its the training that costs so much and insurance doesn't usually cover the expenses. I have done some research but I am no expert. Any dog can be eligible but the highest success rate with training is retrievers/labs. Emotional Support Animal isn't the same but it could help without the major expence of training a new animal. ESA is still expensive but not as expensive as another service animal. An ESA can also be any kind of animal instead of just a dog. ESA can also apply to a pet you already have.

I’ve been doing tons and tons of research on this! You can literally adopt one, train, and turn it into a service dog yourself!! It’s not easy but they say the commitment is super worth it. I’m thinking I’m gonna rescue a young pitbull mix soon for this very thing. There’s a lot to read up on. I think there’s a ‘public access’ test you will need to train your dog for, so that when it goes out in public it doesn’t cause any issues (aka, your dog won’t be frightened, anxious or unfamiliar with how to behave in new situations and surroundings). Apparently some people just grab dogs and take them into stores with the vest on, and it causes a _lot_ of issues!! Getting a certification will really make you and your dog more confident. So, it’s gonna be work and a lot of ongoing training if you need to keep expenses cheap. I’m still working my way up to having the energy to commit. I have looked up programs where service dogs can be discounted. I think those are mostly for the blind and veterans though. The wait if you purchase a pre-trained dog too is oftentimes extremely long (some people wait 5+ years) because so many people want them. I like to think that if I don’t train my dog to be in public, I can still train it to be a service dog at home (pressure therapy, interrupt my anxiety, be stubborn with me about getting out of bed). Idk!! In general, you’re gonna wanna do some research on the type of temperament that’ll work for you. Pomeranians and Border Collies are very different, and different individual dogs are harder/easier to train than others. They say there’s a test to figure out if a dog will make a good service animal. For example, you gotta teach it how to be calm in situations where you might be having, say a panic attack, so if it is naturally extremely anxious, there’s a chance that could backfire. Food motivation is important too, because although training with play/pets/etc is effective as well, it’s extremely exhausting when you can’t constantly train your pet with just a treat.

There's a difference between an Emotional Support Animal and a Service Animal. An ESA doesn't have as many rights as a service animal, but it's still something. And an ESA literally just needs a note from your doctor. Our dogs are ESAs so we don't pay pet rent and we don't have to stay within the community's animal size restrictions.

Afraid you can’t get a service dog for anxiety, just emotional support animals which can be anything don’t really require special training or anything it’s just a pet that brings you comfort and it doesn’t get the features of a service dog like being allowed anywhere etc but can be helpful to be registered as an emotional support animal

I recommend finding a nonprofit organization that specializes in service dog training in your area. They might have some requirements but usually they’ll allow you to train your own dog if you have a Dr’s note, and have some forms filled out. The one near me allows people to train their dogs for free as long as they assist the organization with service dog related community service. Sometimes they’ll raffle off trained dogs and give them to people for free too. But if you need to pick out a dog to train, do the research and get the dog from a good breeder that has all their forms filled out. It’s different for every breed. Also interview the dogs personally and make sure they pass tests for anxiety and obsessiveness, because it’s a lot to expect a dog with those qualities to become a service dog. It’s probably the most expensive part but if you make sure you get a good dog for service dog training, they’re less likely to wash out when it comes to service dog training

I've been hyperfixating, trying to get a dog of my own, and my advice is if you can afford to buy a dog, then you can do a BUNCH of research on how to train it and Service Dogs in general, and train it to be your Service Dog! Owner training is valid, especially if you're like me and can't afford the massive expense of training. I'd recommend looking into the 'Fab Four' for the best chance, but they're not the only breeds able to be a Service Dog.

If you already have a dog you can take them to petsmart or petco and do regular training. It's fairly cheap. You can get your dog registered as an emotional support animal for free online but it costs a little bit of money ey to get tags and a vest. Do research for the best deals. I have my dog registered, just don't have the tags yet. They will be able to go with you wherever you go. Always with proper papers, renters can't deny you.

I trained my own service dog, this is my second service dog ( my first one got washed due to medical reasons but was my service dog for a year) It's not easy and it takes a lot of hard work and it's definitely not for everyone. But it's my lifeline. I couldn't survive without my service dog.

My first dog was ready to start public training after 4 months of at home training, she was already 3 years old so she was very calm. It took about a year of Public SD training for her to be considered (in my eyes) officially a service dog instead of a service dog in training. But you can message me if you want to talk more about service dog training

I may have already covered and if so I apologize there’s a lot of comments!! But you can find dog trainers who train them and get them that way. You can also train your own dog. Each state may be different for qualifications, but where I am there’s also no tests, license, certificate, for a service dog. Just someone who has a disability and dog who task for them at least one thing and training for good manners in public!

*for training