These sections include:

• What is a Psychiatric Service Dog? 
• Being a responsible owner and trainer
• Understanding your dog
• Teaching effectively
• PSD fundamentals & PSD tasks
• Public access tests
• Living and traveling with your PSD

While obtaining this federal status can cost up to $30,000, the ICTI is committed to making this certification more affordable and accessible for the rising number of people looking to improve and support their mental health in the US, among other disabilities that benefit from PSDs.

"My PSD Helps Me Complete Daily Tasks"

I initially got Cooper, a black labrador, as an ESA to help me manage my anxiety after Covid. Due to my auto-immune disorder, I was scared to go into public spaces or into crowds where I had a higher risk of getting sick. Even when I’d wear a mask, normal tasks like going grocery shopping, on public transportation, or out to dinner caused me paralyzing anxiety.

While Cooper helped me feel calm at home, he was not legally allowed to enter these outside places as an ESA. Now that he’s a trained PSD, Cooper can not only provide emotional support for me in crowds, but is trained to walk a few feet ahead of me, which helps clear a safe distance for me to walk.

I cannot express how much turning Cooper into a PSD has improved my life!

"Our Family’s PSD Saved Our Son’s Life"

Due to a rare birth defect, our son Zachary is prone to getting seizures out of nowhere. While my husband and I do our best to keep a constant eye on him, our work schedules sometimes mean there are small stretches of times where we cannot be with him.

A few months ago, we both happened to be on calls when our PSD dog, a German Shepard named Roxie, started barking loudly, as she’s been trained to do when Zach has a seizure.

If not for Roxie’s PSD training — we might not have our son with us today.