So I have been diagnosed for major depression by my psychologist, and my dog (a toy breed) is trained to get me out of bed, and out the door, and is trained to put his front paws on me if I begin to get overwhelmed, and can "fake" a situation in which I need to leave an uncomfortable environment (he will begin to bark and whine if I give him the hand signal). He lays down and stays, and is obedient on and off leash. What else do I need to do to get him recognized as a service dog?
What you have described is already a Service Dog-- you don't need to do anything else for him to be "recognized" legally as a SD. He meets the ADA's definition as being a dog "individually trained to mitigate a disability". Good work!
BUT-- just to be safe, I would begin racking up the paper trail.
If you ever end up in a legal situation where you have to PROVE he's a Service Dog, you want to have the ability to back it up (YES, even tho you already meet legal definition).
I would start with a CGC (AKC's Canine Good Citizen test). It's an easy test that shows that the dog has basic good manners, and IMO, is a good bare basic starting point for "proof of training".
After that, I would hire a professional dog trainer to administer ADI's Public Access Test. This is a more difficult test that shows that the dog is able to work in public. It's specific to Service Dogs and many training programs use it as a sort of graduation exit exam.
Lots of SD handlers stop there, but I like to keep going and compete in AKC Rally and Obedience events-- not only do titles REALLY prove that your dog is exceptionally well-trained, but the training and showing process is HUGE in bonding and building an amazing partnership between you and your dog.
(Consequently, setting goals, training, showing, and doing well are FANTASTIC for raising the spirits. It's also great for anxiety and other mental health problems and can be done very cheaply on a tight budget!)
Congratulations on having already trained your dog to help you! Now comes the fun part! :)
--Winnie
