PSDeurope
TURN YOUR DOG INTO A PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE DOG
We train dogs as companions for people with mental disabilities who experience relief through their dog. These dogs work in the attachment and relationship system and for this reason they must be protected and spared from separation from humans as well as from negative experiences and trauma in order to maintain their function for humans and to be able to fulfill their tasks.
What we do?
Who we are?
What we want?
What is a PSD?
PSD – for whom?
Our claim
Contact
Our organization
PSD Training – What Can You Expect?
The PSDeurope video
current customer base
interested parties and inquiries
Important information
We are currently working with our customers to expand the existing PSD (USDoT Standards) training into a European dimension. The goal is to work out and implement the criteria for a PSD assistance dog (according to the European standard). Customers who book the PSD Full Package (1+2) can currently participate in this test program free of charge and work with us on the realization of this training module.
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Your PSD test
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PSD theory course
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PSD video samples
Here you will find examples of videos created for the basic skills and task list
PSD web store
You want to book the PSD training. Visit our web shop.
What we do?
We train Psychiatric Service Dogs in Europe
Currently according to USDoT standards, we are working on expanding the acceptance of training. We are talking to organizations, advocacy groups, airlines and global institutions.
PSD training according to US-DoT standards (our current focus)
A PSD should also accompany its people on trips (especially air travel). Our alignment makes this ideal for flights and travel to/through/from USA and Canada.
PSD Training – ADI accredited (our medium term goal)
When traveling with your PSD, European organizations often ask for accreditations from international assistance dog organizations. This is a goal for 2022
The combination of theory and practice as a challenge
A well-trained PSD human/dog partner team requires theoretical and practical know-how for everyday coping with mental limitations and problems
Who we are?
Non Profit Association – Part of VFBB (Association for Bonding & Relationships in Animal Assisted Work)
PSDeurope is part of the association for bonding and relationships in animal-assisted work based in Maria Wörth, Austria and works as a non-profit institution.
Based in Austria with the claim to represent the topic PSD in Europe seriously
In Europe, we are the institute that was the first to deal intensively with the topic of PSD and the associated requirements.
People from psychotherapy, management, law, dog training
We are a team of people who bring in experience from a wide variety of areas and thus create an optimal product
Cooperation with dog schools, trainers and European clubs
PSDeurope can only work on the European market with cooperation. We know that and are therefore open to any kind of meaningful cooperation.
What we want?
The recognition of the PSD as a special status of a service dog
Each PSD dog is individually assigned to a specific person. The assignment happens after the bonding phenomenon as between mother and infant. Teams are created spontaneously or intentionally.
Therefore, the same guidelines cannot generally apply to PSDs as to assistance dogs in general.
Seriously helping people who need a PSD to manage their lives
People with psychological / psychiatric impairments who experience symptom relief through the bond with their dog, cope with everyday life and give their lives meaning and space for development should also have the opportunity to take their dog with them on trips with our help – without discrimination.
be a good and stable partner for airlines worldwide on the critical issue of PSD
The behavior of the human/dog teams we train must contribute to flight safety. We also expect exemplary behavior in the airport areas as well as at check-in and security control. These are very important topics in our theory training as well as in the prescribed dog skills for acceptance as a PSD team.
Respect the standards of global institutions such as ADI and ESAAT
The widest possible acceptance of the PSDeurope training would be promoted by the accreditation with globally active service and assistance dog associations. It is therefore our goal to discuss, coordinate and accredit the acceptance, scope and content of the PSDeurope training system with these institutions.
What is a PSD?
A dog that supports a person’s psyche and helps to lead a normal life
PSD are DOGS that offer therapeutic benefits through affection and companionship to their owner with mental/psychiatric dysfunctions or contextual limitations (fear of flying, claustrophobia, etc.) while being trained to overcome these limitations not only through their existence but also through individual abilities to reinforce
A dog that has and lives a special relationship and bond with its human
PSD’s take on special tasks that are not only based on special facilities and skills, but also have a special bond and relationship with your people as the basis for cooperation. Any training cannot therefore focus on the dog alone, but must take into account important elements of psychological cooperation.
A dog specialized in psychiatric/ psycho-somatic complaints
If the PSD dog is with his dog owner, he/she can and will be more relaxed, more confident, more present in the here and now. He/she often feels less lonely, freer from compulsions and other emotional limitations, and more open to many activities in everyday life. The result is a human/animal team that is stronger than the individual part
A dog that learns + carries out special tasks in dialogue with its human
A PSD dog performs specific tasks, although these are not skills that can be learned independently. Suitable dogs sense the right behavior based on the existing limitations of their human and develop appropriate abilities, behavior patterns and skills that need to be strengthened as part of the training.
Who Needs a PSD?
A person with psychological / mental limitations who can make their life better with a dog
A person with psychological problems who is recommended an animal by a doctor or psychotherapist
A person who already owns a dog and can no longer imagine living his life without it
A person who would like to travel but cannot do so without animal help due to fears and insecurities
We have the opportunity to do something positive and give many people another piece of normal life. Be part of it.
The history:
The knowledge and scientific confirmation that animals have a positive effect on the human psyche in many ways was first recognized in the USA. Animals that bring relief to a person with a mental/psychiatric impairment (mental disorder) may not be separated from their owner by law – they are animals with special rights. They are called Emotional Support Animals.
This status is obtained when a specialist (GP, specialist in psychiatry/neurology, psychologist, psychotherapist) checks and confirms that the animal’s owner is suffering from a mental/psychiatric illness (diagnosis according to ICD or DSM) and alleviation of symptoms and complaints through the special bond and relationship with his animal.
Due to undisciplined behavior, the complaints increased and the demands for regulations and training of the animals became louder and louder. The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has done a thorough study on this issue. In December 2020, the results of the investigation were published in the US DoT Final Rule.
ESDs (dogs that support their owner mentally) that have been trained in prescribed rules of conduct and have learned special tasks that support their owner’s psyche must still be allowed in the cabin.
These dogs are given the title PSD. These regulations apply to all dogs in the USA, regardless of age, breed or size or other characteristics.
Do you want to book PSD training for your dog?
You have further questions?
You want to test whether you can do a PSD training?
Our top priorities
The PSDeurope project is currently to be ranked above all other projects at VFBB. The background is the clear desire to fly (travel) with your own dog if it is prescribed by a suitable doctor or psychotherapist as a necessary PSD (psychiatric service dog). It is therefore the task and goal of PSDeurope to optimize PSD training for dogs and humans.
Customer service
We are not a profit-oriented organization that is concerned with generating new sales and selling our services and products at any price. We really want to help you train your dog to be a valuable service dog and we understand that this is not easy for all people with mental disabilities. We are here to help. We do not let you alone.
theory training
The theory training is one of the main pillars of our PSD training. It is about giving you, as a dog owner, the best conditions to lead and train your service dog and to provide you with all the information you need to get along with your dog in a wide variety of situations (shopping, flying, visiting) without any problems.
Special: Traveling in Europe
We want to design our training according to USDoT standards in such a way that it is accepted by European organizations, tour operators and official bodies and that our customers can also travel in Europe with their service dog without any problems. A currently great wish of the customers and thus the goal of the VFBB
Specialty: Flying with the PSD
Airlines are particularly interested in keeping their flights, their crews and their passengers absolutely safe. A PSD can pose a certain risk if the dog fails or the human/animal team does not harmonize well. It is therefore our job to make the airlines understand that we do not compromise when it comes to safety.
PSD Project: Accreditation
We are currently working on putting the VFBB and your projects PSDeurope and EURO-DOGS.eu on a broader basis. This requires the accreditation of the developed training courses with nationally active organizations such as ESAAT for the therapy dog complex and ADI and IAADP for the PSD training content. Appropriate clarifications are sought.
Support us – share your story
In the past we have been repeatedly confronted with the importance of animal-assisted work in various areas. The topic fascinates us and is now much more than a hobby and an idea. We feel more than connected to our customers
Our partners & supporters
Do you have any questions - contact us?
Project by VFBB (Association for Bonding and Relationships between Humans and Animals)
Wörthersee Süduferstrasse 181
AT 9081 Maria Worth
Carinthia, Austria
Phone: +43 664 9654601
service@psd-europe.eu
