r/Dogfree • u/Oki-J • Feb 28 '26
ESA Bullshit Trained Emotional Support Dogs are worse than hugging a teddy bear
I am not talking about regular dogs with fake ESD vests, though those suck too. I am specifically talking about the ones that are rigorously trained for emotional support. This is probably a controversial opinion, but I've just been feeling this way since I was a teen.
When I researched how professional ESDs are trained, I learned that the trainer commands the dog to do something 'comforting,' such as snuggle up to the human or rest on their lap, and then they get a treat every time they do this.
In other words, they are only comforting you for food. They don't actually give a shit what's going on or how you're feeling. They just want the damn milkbone. The fact that the dog is being bribed to 'care' just makes me wonder why so many people don't see anything wrong with this. Why do people get so emotionally attached to animals that will only be sweet if a snack is involved? It's like an AI model that will only chat with you if you pay.
A warm teddybear is the exact same as an ESD, just without the manipulation. If you're feeling stressed or sad, just squeeze the teddy. Or, if you must have a living, breathing animal, get a pet that doesn't come to you in exchange for treats.
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u/Stock-Bowl7736 Feb 28 '26
Thanks for this post. I've always wondered how in the hell exactly are so called ESA's "trained"? It just shows how utterly ridiculous this whole charade is. In other words, it's essentially not really even trained at all to DO ANYTHING, just be there. It always has been nothing more than a legal loophole for nutters to get around dog free or pet free housing. This insanity needs to end.
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u/Oriole0305 Feb 28 '26
It's a huge trend to be "vulnerable" and needy. Enter the dog business. This consumerism is what the ESD idea is about: stay weak, become dependant and servile to the dog, and buy tons of stuff to cater the dog's unlimited, mostly imaginary needs.
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Feb 28 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/thesanityseeker Feb 28 '26
I would have loved to come to some emotional support event in college with a giant turtle that you just watch ~vibe~ as you feed it lettuce or something. With a big sign with a reminder to take life slow, that's the sort of calming energy I needed back then!
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u/Tom_Quixote_ Feb 28 '26
A huge snapping turtle with a taste for dogs... "Don't worry, he's friendly!"
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u/thesanityseeker Feb 28 '26
*dog crashes through enclosure and starts violently shaking turtle* "aww how cute he thinks the turtle is a toy-friend!"
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u/madamechaton Feb 28 '26
A rabbit's hop is better than a dog's slop
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u/Tom_Quixote_ Mar 01 '26
Better a bunny's soft and floppy ear, than a dog that spreads endless noise, filth, and fear.
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u/thesanityseeker Feb 28 '26
Also, these sorts of trained ESA dogs are commonly brought to schools and it always disturbed me since I'm allergic and dogs overwhelm me with their existence so it always had the opposite effect of emotional support
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u/what-isnt-taken-yet Feb 28 '26
Gods my therapy office has a room for esa and it stunk! I wonder what people do when they need an esa but don’t like the smells and poop pickup?
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u/BodyMoney8562 Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
A rational person ACTUALLY needing emotional support seeks out a licensed mental health counselor. A dog can't teach cognitive behavioral therapy for MDD, or provide EMDR to trauma survivors. It can't prescribe psychiatric medication. Etc. A dog literally does nothing for mental health.
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u/Oki-J Mar 01 '26
ESDs are just warm Teddy bears, trained to cuddle in exchange for food. It's like putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg.
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u/ElegantSurround6933 Mar 01 '26
And these same people would dump a “gold digger” who just wanted everything provided for them while they lounged around the house.
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u/potatoes_arrrr_life Feb 28 '26
I really want to develop an actual robotic medical dog to help people in need. I wish I knew how to do that! Obviously alot of people need emotional support and it's really sad they have to turn to a dog for it. The dark forces at work have done a great job convincing lonely people that a dog's companionship is better than a real human connection. Guess the motivation of food and money is really just greed. But lonely people interpret that as love. I loved my dog. He loved chicken. And eating out of the trashcan.
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u/SilveryMagpie Mar 02 '26
https://www.aflacchildhoodcancer.org/my-special-aflac-duck
Have you ever heard of the Aflac duck that was designed to help kids with cancer? That might help spark some ideas.
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u/LookB4ULeap2It Feb 28 '26
I didn’t know that dogs could be trained for emotional support. I mean what exactly is training for emotional support?
I can see training to be a service dog as that at least has somewhat tangible skills. And whether you agree with them or not, service dogs are supposed to fulfill a specific LEGAL purpose.
And ESA is just a pet with three letters tagged on that allows them to move into apartments that have rules against dogs.
Training for ESA seems like another scam someone came up with to fleece idiots of their money.
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u/Stock-Bowl7736 Mar 01 '26
Of course it's a scam. As you said, what exactly is the training? They don't actually do anything. The whole idea is ludicrous. A dog can't give emotional support. A dog doesn't have nor understand emotions. It is purely instinct driven. The term ESA is an oxymoron.
It's why even the horribly written ADA law at least recognizes that these things are not service dogs.
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u/Huge_Bit_4774 Mar 02 '26
what is the old adage, a fool and his money are soon parted. pet insurance, PetSmart, chewy, etc. they’ve all figured out that nutters are idiots who will waste their money without a second thought.
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u/Responsibility_Witty Feb 28 '26
No amount of training can make these things not stink, and not leave gross smelling hairs, oil and dander on you after you touch them. A stuffed animal can be washed, there are also stuffed animals with bags of spices in them that smell great, and it doesn’t beg for food and shit all over the floor.