I have decided.

[kaika_dragon]

I'm not sure where to post this, but I've pretty much decided that at least for the next few years, I will be better off with an ESA than with an SD.  I'm just not entirely comfortable with the decision of having a service dog, and I think on that reason alone I would do better to not pursue that right now.  Just having pets helps me a lot, and I think that getting a dog and training it in some SD tasks for home use will be enough.  Thank you all here for helping me make a more informed decision!

[state_of_nowhere]

I'm sure that the decision you made will be the right one for you!

[Kirsten]

Hey, sometimes an ESA is the right choice.  A service dog isn't the solution for everyone.  In fact, it's not a good solution for most people.  I do hope you continue to participate here, even though the name of the place is "Service Dog" Central.  It's also a place for people with disabilities to hang, and definitely a place for people with ESAs as well.

[Gretl2009]

I applaud you for knowing what is best for you at this time of your life.  I have personally seen quite a few people go through getting a service dog and then realizing that it is not what they need/want/or can handle. 

Someone told my husband they would never get a service dog if they had to take it with them everywhere, that it was too much trouble, and daily grooming was a waste of their time, as they needed that time to groom themselves, never a hair out of place.  As for me, the more dog Hair on me, the happier I am

[kaika_dragon]

Kirsten:  Yup, I'll definitely keep lurking, its way too interesting to leave!

I'm relieved that I've decided, and I'm fairly confident that I'm making the right choice for me at this time  .  Not only am I more comfortable with it, this will also give me the choice of having whatever animal I like best, whether it's dog, cat, rat, or hedgehog.  I LOVE animals, and they relieve my anxiety, and just help me a lot.  If I get a dog, I can always train it to be an in-home SD.  If I'd gone for a SD, I don't think I'd have utilized it well enough to be fair to the dog.  So, this is much better all around.

Of course, my mom is fixated on the idea that I should have an SD, but once I explain to her more what they are, and why I feel an ESA would be more appropriate, I think she'll understand.

[Roxie]

Hey!!!

Don't go anywhere!  Stick around!   Courageous decision you made!

Roxie

[kaika_dragon]

Don't worry Roxie, I'm not going ANYWHERE.  *maniacal laugh*

[Stag]

I agree with everyone else!  The SD lifestyle is a difficult thing and many people do best with ESAs. I have one that I was using before I got Boo, and I trained her some service dog tasks. She was unsuitable in public but she knew what to do when I needed her at home and that was, until my condition worsened, enough. And there is more flexibility with an ESA... I expect a service hedgehog would be hard to put a vest on. 

[state_of_nowhere]

Sometimes it's just not the right time to get a service dog either. I wanted mine so, so badly, but I was just not able to handle it right now. I was (and still am) too overwhelmed. I have been getting far too stressed out over the little things and that's just no good for a partnership. It will happen, after some heavy duty therapy. lol

[kaika_dragon]

Yeah, nothing's actually urgent right now, I'm not moving out for a few years, and if I'm not gonna go for an SD, I'd rather just stick to my kitties and ratties, our house is a bit crowded right now.  I still need to decide if I'm even comfortable with getting a dog at all, and if it's practical.  Part of it is that I'm going to college in a couple of years, and if I got a dog, it would need to be medium - large sized.  I'm clumsy, and I always feel like I'm going to break little dogs, barring one exception .  I've never owned a dog before.  Even if it can help me a lot, how fair is it to leave a bigger dog at a small apartment all day?  I need to figure that out still.  But the nice thing about ESA's is that I can have a dog, but if that won't work for me, I could also have a cat, or a rat.  It's more open, and there are more options so I can figure out what I'm comfortable with.  I agree an SD isn't for everyone.  Maybe it would work for me in the future.  But not right now.  I've been having an uneasy gut feeling that it wouldn't turn out well right now.  Although I do have anxiety problems, and am a total worrywart, this time I think I am right to trust my instincts and back out.  After all, it's better to back out of a thing you can try later than to do something that's not right for you.  I'm happier just to have made up my mind!  I hate decisions, !