Have you ever wondered what’s it like to have an animal for emotional support? Today, more and more owners claim that their pet is also their emotional support. The way things work in the world has changed a lot, and today you can get a written confirmation stating that your pet is your emotional support.
Are corgis good emotional support dog?
The answer is YES. And they are not only good, but they are also the perfect choice for emotional support if you have anxiety issues. The corgi dog will be the ideal companion for those who are dealing with stress, for example.
Emotional Support Animals are capable of changing people’s lives for the better. So, continue reading this article and find out how your corgi can become your emotional support and what the benefits are behind this title.
Corgis As ESAs: Do Corgis Make Good Emotional Support Dogs?
If you are a proud corgi owner who is going through a tough time, we have the news you have been aching to hear – Your corgi can become your emotional support dog.
Do Corgis Make Good Emotional Support Dogs?
Yes, of course. You are probably aware that your corgi shows affection and loves to be around you all the time. There is much more to this than just being a loving pet. Corgis can also provide emotional support to people who are dealing with specific issues.
Corgi’s constant need for activity and its fantastic sense of alertness makes it a great ESA candidate (Emotional Support Animal). Throughout history, this breed has been in charge of herding and making sure the cattle are safe, so they are not estranged from responsibility. Times have changed, and today their cleverness and skills can be used for human needs.
Corgis as ESA can be prescribed to:
- People who are suffering from a mental illness (anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, etc.)
- People who have suffered injuries and are placed in nursing homes. In this case, corgis operate as service dogs as well.
The official definition for an Emotional Support Dog is a dog that is prescribed to a person who has some type of disability by an authorized mental health professional.
Before we go ahead with a detailed description for corgis as ESA, let’s note down some key points:
- Emotional Support Animals are meant to be your own pets
- Therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists can prescribe Emotional Support Animals for people who are suffering from some mental illness
- A majority of airlines now let pets who are ESA stay with their owner in the cabin
Let’s start by talking about the most common health problems in today’s world – mental health, and how your corgi can help you get through it.
For ages, numerous professionals have claimed that people who are having trouble with their mental health are in dire need of a companion – more precisely – a dog.
Unfortunately, a lot of people are struggling with mental health today, and a caring pet might represent the best solution.
Corgi dogs are one of the best breeds you can turn to if you are having troubles. Some of the most common mental health problems include:
BIPOLAR DISORDERS: | Mania, depressive episodes |
ANXIETY DISORDERS: | Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), social anxiety, specific phobias, panic phobia, etc. |
STRESS RELATED DISORDERS: | Adjustment disorders, PTSD, reactive attachment disorders |
NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS: | Intellectual disability, global development delay, communication disorders, ADHD |
The thing that might make your corgi the perfect emotional support buddy is that both you and your pet corgi can suffer from separation anxiety, and the cure couldn’t be more obvious – spending time with each other.
Both corgi dogs and humans are prone to separation anxiety. This is a mental health disorder that leaves you with a feeling of loneliness. People and dogs who suffer from this struggle with spending time on their own; therefore, they need constant company.
Separation anxiety causes an individual to feel stress and fear when separated from things or people you are attached to. Corgis are one of the breeds which are prone to separation anxiety, and that’s why you shouldn’t leave your corgi home alone for more than 6 hours.
The same goes for humans. With the current situation, mental health should be a priority. People are isolated and prone to depressive thinking. This is the best time for them to get a pet corgi and spend the entire day with it.
Corgis can also be an Emotional Support Animal to those who were physically injured and are now in nursing homes or recovering in the comfort of their own homes. But why emotional support to those who are physically injured?
After an accident in which a person is harmed, a number of negative consequences may follow. Besides pain, people can often feel helpless, and that causes great sadness. That’s precisely why you should have a corgi by your side.
They are like energy boosters. They will make you feel loved and motivate you to get back on your feet and recover faster.
This type of support is actually very close to another role they can have – being a service dog.
Apart from emotional support, corgis can be trained to be a service dog for those who are in need of assistance. They are remarkably intelligent and obedient dogs, and if they are trained well, they can be of great help.
Corgis as service dogs are recommended for people who need a high-energy dog that would be more than happy to help you with your daily chores.
CAUTION: Service dogs are trained according to the disability the person is dealing with. This depends on your ability to move, the medication you need, and any other specifications.
Corgis possess many positive traits that contribute to their role as an ESA. Let’s list them:
- They are among the most intelligent breeds
- Corgis’ happy attitude has therapeutic effects.
- Corgis are excellent watchdogs.
- A corgi is good at providing solace after losing a loved one.
- Two in three corgis exercise regularly and are in great shape.
Now that you know the basics of corgis as ESAs, how do you qualify for one?
You need to qualify for an ESA letter.
This letter is valid only if it is written and signed on behalf of an authorized mental health professional. This does not include dentists, cardiologists, and so on.
ESA letters are most commonly written for flying purposes. Today, more and more people are bringing their dogs to planes. They insist that their pet is their emotional support partner, and that’s why they need this letter.
What should this letter contain? Here are the key points listed:
- An official letterhead (signed by the professional)
- Name of the mental health professional and type of medical license
- Date when the license is issued
- The type, name and weight of the animal
Here is an ESA letter sample:
The Effects – Can Corgis Be Emotional Support Dogs?
Okay, so far, we have explained what Emotional Support Animals are. If you are asking yourself:
Can corgis be emotional support dogs?
The answer is YES. Your pet corgi can be your emotional support if you are in need of one. The focus of this part is what do Emotional Support Animals do and how do they do it. We are going to list down the 5 positive effects of having a corgi as your ESA.
1. PRODUCING NEUROTRANSMITTERS
Most commonly, people deal with trauma or sadness by taking antidepressants. However, scientists believe that your dog can replace them. According to research, spending time with your dog and looking into his “puppy dog eyes” can positively affect your mental health.
2. CALMING ANXIETY ON PLANES
What Emotional Support Animals do best is calm their owners while traveling by plane. More and more people who are scared of flying by plane claim that they endured a better journey because their pet was there to calm them down.
3. PROVIDING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Here, the emphasis is on the “emotional”. Your ESA is there to offer you all its love and affection, and it seems like it never stops, and you should be thankful. Animals have the power to sense when we are going through something challenging, and their immediate response is to try and fix it by winkling out a smile on their owner’s face.
4. STABILIZING INTENSE EMOTIONS
Sometimes, emotions get the best of us, and it becomes very hard to calm down. That’s where your corgi steps in – stabilizing intense emotions like anger, sadness, grief, etc. Dogs can sense that tense energy and their presence contributes to this.
5. PROVIDING SOCIAL SUPPORT
We can all agree that sometimes, the human company is just not good enough. Although you might not crave human interaction, that doesn’t mean that your pet can’t provide the social support you need.
The Journal Of Personality and Social Psychology states that “If pets are ‘psychologically close’ to their owner, they may provide well-being benefits for the owner just like any other person”.
The Law
Before qualifying for an ESA letter and claiming that your corgi is your support, there are some legal issues that you need to be familiar with.
They are Housing, Airline, and Working & Education Laws concerning your ESA.
Housing Law
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) is a law that is against discrimination towards people with disabilities – physical or mental. People who are suffering from any of these have the right to an Emotional Support Animal.
According to this law, tenants who have a no-pets policy must accommodate these people and their pets without causing disagreement. Of course, the pet must come with a letter of recommendation from a mental health professional.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development is in charge of investigating possible cases of discrimination.
Airline Law
Airlines would grant access to your pet to be on the flight with you if you provided an ESA letter. Unfortunately, in December of 2020, The US Department of Transportation has announced that airlines will no longer be under obligation to let your pet fly with you. However, there are no updates on this law being passed.
Airline laws state that cats and dogs were the two primary support animals they accepted, but the selection grew longer. For your dog to be on the plane with you, there are a number of duties you must perform:
- Enclosed ESA
- Lobby verification
- Equipment
A Guide For ESA on Airplanes Includes:
OBTAINING DOCUMENTATION: | You must enclose your ESA letter signed, as well as documentation proving your illness – your doctor’s statement. Also, your pet should have a passport. |
INFORMING THE AIRLINE IN ADVANCE: | You are required to inform the airline company at least 48h in advance that your pet will be boarding with you. You must save the confirmation email they send you. |
THE CHECK-IN | When you get to the check-in, prepare your and your pet’s ID, as well as other documentation in case of an emergency. |
PASSING SECURITY | Both you and your pet are required to pass security. This involves going through an X-ray and examination of your luggage. This can take some time. |
BOARDING THE PLANE | The last part is boarding on the plane. At this point, your pet should be 100% ready and well-behaved. Try to fit into the first boarding group. |
If your pet needs to go potty, there should be pet relief areas on the airport, so make sure that you take care of this matter before boarding.
ATTENTION!
Your ESA must not: be released from its leash, occupying the emergency exit, seating in the seat next to you.
Workplace & Education Law
Workplace & Education Laws imply granting your pet access to the workplace or school an individual is going. Again, employers are forbidden from discriminating against a person with the inability to bring a trained ESA to the workplace or school.
People’s Opinion On ESAs
More and more people in America are claiming that they need their Emotional Support Animal living with them because it helps them cope with their anxiety, stress, and depression. However, the type of animal they choose to live with is becoming unusual.
It’s important to mention that 7% of the entire population suffers from depression and 18% from anxiety in the USA, so having an ESA by your side makes a huge difference.
Up to recently, the only known ESAs were cats and dogs. Now, people are classifying all sorts of domestic and wild animals as their emotional support.
We are interested in their opinions and how they feel about their ESA.
For example, we have Vayne Myers, 26 years old, who works in Starbucks, and his Emotional Support Animals is his duck Primadonna. Mr. Myers has been dealing with anxiety since he was a little kid. He says, “Whenever I felt like I didn’t matter in the world, Primadonna would waddle over and remind him that something does love you”.
Taite Brown is a second-year student at college, and we all know that college puts a lot of stress and pressure sometimes. This can be very hard to deal with, and surely you can use some help. Taite has found what she needs in her pet dog Walle.
She tells us, “I can pet Walle with one hand and type with the other, and it works; it gets done. And from my personal experience, there have been many days where if not for my dog, Banjo, I wouldn’t have made it to class”.
Sometimes, just getting through the day can represent a challenge for someone who is suffering from stress or anxiety. That’s why we need our pets nearby.
According to recent research, there has been a significant rise in the number of ESA cases on campuses, and it is starting to sound suspicious.
In the last few years, one survey concluded that requests for ESAs jumped from one-digit to two-digit numbers. This information concerns universities because of potential lawsuits.
So, what can be done about this?
So far, allegations of the fraudulent use of ESa have been made, but there hasn’t been any recent breakthrough that puts these animals in jeopardy. Even though the chances of the recession of ESA is almost impossible, specific regulations and training requirements will be made.
Final Thoughts
All in all, we can confidently say that you can rely on your corgi to be your emotional support. They will help you cope with mental health issues and boost your happiness level. They can even accompany you on international flights.
Corgis can also be service dogs to those who are injured and in need of a well-trained dog. However, there are a couple of laws you need to go over before certifying your corgi as an ESA or a Service Dog.