Man Asks For Advice Because Housemates Won't Train Their Unruly Emotional Support Dog

"I love dogs and want to get one of my own"

Maryjane

• Published in Animal Stories
• September 16, 2023

An emotional support animal can significantly enhance the quality of life for those who have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental or psychological ailments. An ESA can ease one or more elements of a person's impairment through their company, solace, and unwavering love.

And Yes! Any dog is eligible to serve as an ESA, no questions asked! Breed, size, and age limits are all unconstrained.

The OP happened to get an apartment with a married couple, and things have been pretty good for the most part. The thing is, their "emotional support" dog, a half-Chihuahua named Artimus, behaved badly.

Worst of all, the dog's parents weren't doing much to discipline him. The dog would bark at any and every noise in the house and follow the OP around, growling, barking, and biting at him at every chance he got, among other things.

When the OP reports the dog's behavior to its parents, their discipline only reinforces the dog's bad behavior. Now the OP has tried suggesting training tips to help curb the behavior, but they don't listen.

They still repeat what they did initially, which doesn't work. Mind you, the OP doesn't want them to get rid of their dog.

He is the type of person who loves dogs and wants to get one of his own soon, but he doesn't know what to do at this point.

The headline

The dog is constantly tearing through trash and going to the bathroom on the floor

The OP even tried suggesting training tips to help curb the behavior, but they don't listen

As usual, comments came in and here are a bunch of them for you to read through below

They are not acting responsible enough

The barking doesn't even seem to bother them

The owners don't realize that their negative reinforcement is making it worse

The OP could try stopping them when they give a weak punishment

This redditor says the OP should train the dog

This is not a question of discipline for the dog but for the humans ...always the case in a confused animal . Ask them if You can take over the training of the dog for two weeks They must sit back observe and copy you if you do what you said in your post plus daily excersize it will only take two days

This redditor has got a similar story to share

They need their own little space with the dog

They can't stop making the dog think the OP isn't an intruder

Some people want a dog but not the responsibilities attached

The OP truly needs to consider whether adopting his own dog in that place is the best course of action. Otherwise, he'll just have to accept the obvious likelihood that change won't happen and decide whether he wants to continue living this way.

Yes, the house is dog-friendly, but the OP knows Arty won't ever be held responsible for any conflicts between the two dogs or have his conduct changed.

Maryjane