Is my 5-year-old dog too old to become an emotional support animal?

Question

So I have very bad generalized anxiety and ptsd I just got a dog and I want her to be my emotional support dog but she’s five so is she too old. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | 21 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Hi there. A dog does not normally need any specific training to be an emotional support animal - this just means that they make you feel better by being around. So she doesn't need to learn any particular skills. I would not expect her age to be an issue for this, as long as she has a calm, confident personality and gets along well with you :) If you mean that you want to train her as a service dog to accompany you in public places, this is much more involved. In that case, her age doesn't really matter, but her temperament matters a lot - some dogs are well suited to be service dogs, and others are not. If this is something you're considering, I would recommend getting in touch with a professional trainer in your area who can evaluate her in person and help you get started on training her the skills she needs if she seems suited for this job. You can search for a qualified obedience trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

Is my 5-year-old dog too old to become an emotional support animal?

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