Companion Dog?

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I was reading on the net about how you can designate your dog, with your doctors help, to become like a therapy dog. Actually any type of animal and that you can have thus animal in a "Pet Free Area".

Reason I'm asking is because I've become very stressed lately and just had an angziaty attack little of an hour ago and still can't fall asleep.
I'm been breaking done and crying and stress out over the littlest things.
Now I've been wanting to get a Dog for a while, actually a Chihuahua, but I live on campus and they don't allow pets.
Now if any of the stuff I read is true, can I get permission from my doctor/s to give the manager/landlord to permit me to get a dog to help with my stress and emotions?

I'm just going crazy now. I've been having the hardest time. I've been conterdicting my decisions and wondering what I truely want to do in life!!
I've never really stressed this bad over college before, but I use to during high school and down before I was diagnosed with AS.

Now after having been diagnosed and being given meds and pronounced disabled at this time, its getting hard again.
My parents want to wheen me off the meds or at least one of them, but when I try I start to freak out and get stressed and become an emotional reck.

I'm actually wondering if getting a dog might help with all this.
I did have a fish, but I never was around and I couldn't do anything with him.

What can I do?

Here's an artical--> http://www.aspieweb.net/resources/compa ... ers-legal/

I'd love the idea of a pet I could take anywhere, but I don't think people with aspergers should be allowed companion pets if other people are not.

Everyone benefits from affection and emotional support, so why should NTs lose out? After all. you could argue that their friends aren't going to be there 24/7, and not every person without aspergers has the same social support.

If it stops meltdowns/anxiety or just calms someone down I don't see why not.
I don't cope well in social situations but I have my choices between a squirmy kitten that loves everyone or an asocial cat that hisses at everyone.

Think something like this over carefully before you pursue it.

Have you spent a lot of time around dogs and know that you'll benefit from having one around you ALL the time?
If not then you're just assuming that having a dog is going to help but what if it doesn't? You'll be stuck with the responsibility of caring for an animal that has needs itself that you might not be able to give it in your condition. Small dogs like the one you want will live for 15 or more years that you'll be responsible for.
I have a dog (pit bull) that I really love and the feeling is mutual. She's a very sweet and gentle dog and even sleeps with me a lot. She would be the perfect candidate for a therapy dog but I don't think having her or any other dog does a thing to help me with AS. At least not that I can tell but that's not the reason I got a dog. It's going to depend on what, if any, affect dogs have on you as an individual.

Just because you have the dog and it falls under handicap law protection doesn't mean the manager of your building will like it. If that's the case they can find other reasons to screw with you that are harder to define as harassing the handicapped.

Don't rush into it!

Sounds like a good idea. Since i'm at home most of the time when i'm not at work, i'm around my three dogs most of the time and i think they have a big effect on how i feel. They're easier to understand than people, and they're also furry and i like how they smell, so there's a sensory aspect also. I would be completely insane without non-human animals in my life. None of the dogs are well-behaved enough to go out in public with me, though.
A chihuahua would probably be good if they are well-trained.. They are small enough to stay in a bag or something with you, so in most cases people wouldn't even have to know they're with you. Where i work dogs aren't allowed, yet i've still seen customers bring chihuahuas in their purses. Chihuahuas have a tendency to become attached to their owner, and a lot of the time they can be overly protective... So you'd need to make sure they're very well trained so that they don't growl and bite at other people. Any time i've taken my chihuahua on a walk or to a pet shop and another person has come close(especially kids), he's growled at them.. And he won't let people he doesn't know touch him at all. That could be a real problem if you're taking the dog somewhere and some kid comes up and decides they want to pet the doggy and gets bitten.

Perhaps to volunteer at a pet shelter to see if it will help you with your issues, also it would help you see the responsibility involved in caring for a dog.

In my opinion, I think it is very wrong for society to deny permission for a certain sub-culture (i.e., some Aspies) to be allowed to take their companion dog with them wherever they go. My dog is my anchor. I cannot enjoy myself without her. For example, I want to take her with me on a kayak trip. I was told she is not allowed to be with me. I have no one (never had anyone either) to be my companion on trips. I don't think other people can understand how important having a companion dog along can be unless they were forced to live life without any human companionship.

What you've read is true, a licensed therapist can arrange for permission for a disabled person to have a dog for therapeutic purposes in an otherwise pet-free zone. Raptor is right, however, you need to be sure this is a responsibility you're up to taking on. Dogs are great companions and loyal friends, but they cannot take care of themselves - especially not when living indoors. If you're on campus, in a dorm, any dog you get is going to have to be escorted outside for regular bathroom breaks - and even the most well-trained dog, when they let you know they're ready to go out - they mean NOW. No matter whether you're studying, having sex or sleeping, NOW means NOW, or you're going to have an ugly, smelly mess to clean up.

You'll also want to bathe the animal at least once a week, or your living space will begin to reek like a kennel. You won't notice it so much, because you'll be living in it, but visitors will notice immediately, even if they don't say anything, and many will stop associating with you if you and your home stink (I realize to some here that would be considered a plus ).

Just think it out thoroughly and be honest with yourself. I love dogs, but I know I'm not the most attentive person in the world, nor the most effusive emotional 'giver' and dogs, like humans, crave attention and affection and become lonely and depressed when ignored. It would be cruel to adopt one, only to realize six months down the road, all you ever do for the poor creature is feed it and let it outside to crap. They need more than that, and they deserve more, so be sure you're up to the responsibilities of the relationship.

I have no experience with Chihuahuas, but naked breeds like the Mexican Hairless or the Chinese Crested are good house dogs, because being hairless, they don't shed and they're hypo-allergenic. They do require a rubdown with a skin lotion once in a while so their skin doesn't get too dry and actually require silly sweaters in the winter, but they're very cool looking and generally non-aggressive.

A companion dog is another term for a pet.

A therapy dog is a dog people take into hospitals and other places to socialize with the people who live there.

A service dog is a dog trained to help you with a specific task or set of tasks. The laws are different in different places but in the USA it can't be just helping with anxiety (which is unfortunate). They also have to be trained to a certain standard of behavior.

A therapist can't just designate any random animal that way.

Learn about this stuff before you even think of doing this.

I think that the idea of having a companion dog, is a good idea.

So does anyone have any links to stories about this sort of thing?

Therapy dogs that are taken into hospitals must be temperament tested--I think they give you a certificate. If you get your dog temperament tested, then your school might be more likely to consider your proposal.

I'm not sure where you are, but here are a couple of links for testing information:

http://www.atts.org/testdesc.html

http://www.tdi-dog.org/

P.S. Chihuahuas are not generally known for having good "therapy dog" type temperaments. They are small and portable, but many (not all, but a lot) are nippy.

I suggest you go to a shelter and talk to the people who work there, explain what you are looking for, and see if there is a particularly sweet adult dog that needs a home and would be suitable as a therapy dog. Or you could contact breed rescue organizations (there are probably tons for Chihuahuas) that have dogs in foster homes, where a particular animal's temperament will be well known.