Emotional support animals (ESA) and emotional support dog breeds provide their humans with therapeutic benefits, including anxiety relief and comfort in social settings, without any requisite training.
While all dogs can offer support, certain breeds have traits that make them more likely to excel in the role. They tend to be gentle, laid-back, and sociable. These dog breeds are also typically highly trainable and want to please their humans.
Here are 13 dog breeds to consider if you're looking for an emotional support animal.
What Is an Emotional Support Dog?
Emotional support animals can help individuals who experience various mental health struggles—examples include depression, anxiety, ADHD, panic attacks, and PTSD—by providing companionship and comfort. Emotional support dogs aren’t the same as service dogs and don't have the same rights as service dogs or therapy dogs.
To be considered a true emotional support animal, a dog must be authorized by a licensed mental health professional.
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American Staffordshire Terrier
Jasmin Leonard / Getty Images
Pit bull-type dogs have been maligned for years—an unfortunate result of bad owners and bad PR. But these friendly, devoted canines are incredibly well-suited to serve as emotional support animals. With the proper training and socialization, breeds like the American Staffordshire terrier typically can get along with most people in various situations.
Breed Overview
Group: Terrier
Height: 17 to 19 inches
Weight: 40 to 70 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Courageous, affectionate, protective
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Short, stiff coat; variety of colors, including black, brown, blue, fawn, red, and liver; brindle and/or white markings also possible
Life Span: 12 to 16 years
02 of 13Golden Retriever
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
Golden retrievers have long reigned as one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States, both as emotional support animals and as general family pets. Their patient demeanors and overt friendliness make them a good fit for people with health issues. And, as a bonus, they are highly trainable.
Breed Overview
Group: Sporting
Height: 22 to 24 inches
Weight: 55 to 75 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Trustworthy, intelligent, playful
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Medium-length double coat; light to dark gold
Life Span: 10 to 12 years
03 of 13Labrador Retriever
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
Search any list of the best emotional support, therapy, or service dogs, and you’ll likely see Labrador retrievers. Labs are gentle and friendly with a strong desire to please. They're good for people who need a companion out of their homes, as Labs tend to be comfortable exploring the world.
Breed Overview
Group: Sporting
Height: 22 to 25 inches
Weight: 55 to 80 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Friendly, active, companionable
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Short, dense double coat; black, yellow, or chocolate
Life Span: 10 to 12 years
04 of 13Corgi
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
Corgis are more than just the preferred breed of the queen of England. These affectionate dogs are typically good with humans of all ages, and their intelligence makes them excel in training. But corgis are fairly active dogs, so they're not right for every condition. They can be suitable for owners who prefer to take their dogs with them when out and about, as that will help channel the corgi's energy.
Breed Overview
Group: Herding
Height: 10 to 12 inches
Weight: Up to 30 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Friendly, protective, playful
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Medium length, double coat; black and tan, red, sable, or fawn (all colors are typically seen with white markings)
Life Span: 12 to 13 years
Continue to 5 of 13 below05 of 13Yorkshire Terrier
Yevgen Romanenko / Getty Images
What Yorkies lack in size they make up for in confidence and affection. They expect lots of attention, but they give it back tenfold. They’re easy to travel with, which is good for people who require their emotional support animal to accompany them on trips. And they tend to adapt well to change.
Breed Overview
Group: Toy
Height: 7 to 8 inches
Weight: 7 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Affectionate, bright, playful
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Long, silky; black and gold, black and tan, blue and gold, or blue and tan
Life Span: 11 to 15 years
06 of 13Irish Wolfhound
Anke Sauerwein / EyeEm / Getty Images
Irish wolfhounds are natural protectors. And their sensitive nature helps them tune into what their humans are feeling. But one factor to keep in mind is they have a relatively short lifespan—just six to eight years—which can be difficult for those who rely heavily on their emotional support animal.
Breed Overview
Group: Hound
Height: 30 inches and up
Weight: 105 to 120 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Courageous, calm, even-tempered
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Medium-length, wiry; black, blue, brindle, creme, gray, red, silver, white, wheaten
Life Span: 6 to 8 years
07 of 13Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Tara Gregg / EyeEm / Getty Images
The Cavalier King Charles spaniel is like a living stuffed animal. These dogs love to cuddle and typically have a friendly temperament. They're often referred to as the “comforter spaniel.” They're usually just as happy to cozy up with their favorite humans as they are to join them for a pleasant walk.
Breed Overview
Group: Toy
Height: 12 to 13 inches
Weight: 13 to 18 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Playful, affectionate, patient
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Long, sleek, and silky; feathering around ears, feet, chest, and tail; tricolor, Blenheim (red and white), ruby, and black and tan
Life Span: 12 to 14 years
08 of 13Chihuahua
Rie Saito / EyeEm / Getty Images
Chihuahuas run the spectrum of temperament. But, with proper socialization at an early age, chihuahuas can develop loving personalities that translate well into emotional support. Like Yorkies, they travel easily for on-the-go companionship. They don’t require much exercise, and they're happy to keep their humans engaged with playtime and snuggles.
Breed Overview
Group: Toy
Height: 5 to 8 inches
Weight: Up to 6 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Loyal, alert, lively
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Smooth and short or longhaired; black, black and tan, blue and tan, chocolate, chocolate and tan, cream, fawn, fawn and white, red
Life Span: 14 to 16 years
Continue to 9 of 13 below09 of 13German Shepherd
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
German shepherds prefer to have a job, which is why they’re often chosen as working dogs. Their intelligence and eagerness to please also make them strong contenders as emotional support animals. Most German shepherds love to engage with their humans, and, with sufficient training, they can become wonderful companions in public spaces.
Breed Overview
Group: Herding
Height: 22 to 26 inches
Weight: 50 to 90 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Intelligent, courageous, alert
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Coarse, medium length, double coat; black and tan, black and cream, black and red, black and silver, solid black, gray, sable
Life Span: 12 to 14 years
10 of 13Collie
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
As herding dogs, collies constantly check to ensure their flock—or family—is happy and secure. Most collies are skilled at picking up cues from their humans that something isn't right, and they're quick to swoop in to provide comfort. They do need ample exercise, which means they're good at getting their humans up and out of the house.
Breed Overview
Group: Herding
Height: 22 to 26 inches
Weight: 50 to 75 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Loyal, affectionate, attentive
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Long/rough or short/smooth; black, white, and tan; blue merle; blue merle and white; blue merle, white, and tan; sable; sable and white; sable merle; white; sable merle and white; white merle
Life Span: 12 to 14 years
11 of 13Poodle
Michele Jackson / Getty Images
Poodles of all sizes (standard, miniature, and toy) are wonderful, active companions that can make great therapy dogs and service dogs. They’re intelligent, like to have a job to do, and are easy to train to follow various commands. They’re also outgoing, friendly with strangers when socialized properly, and good with kids. Plus, this is a hypoallergenic emotional support dog breed for those with allergies.
Breed Overview
Group: Non-Sporting
HEIGHT: Up to 10 inches (toy); 10 to 15 inches (miniature); over 15 inches (standard)
WEIGHT: 4 to 6 pounds (toy); 10 to 15 pounds (miniature); 40 to 70 pounds (standard)
Personality/Temperament: Intelligent, affectionate, active
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Curly and long; apricot, black, blue, brown, cafe au lait, cream, gray, red, silver, silver beige, or white
Life Span: 10 to 18 years
12 of 13Pug
Black Pug and Fawn Pug Snuggling Photo © inajeep on Flickr Pugs are eager to please and can be trained easily. This is another emotional support dog breed to consider if you’re looking for a small, quiet canine that you can travel with easily. They don’t need a lot of exercise, but care needs to be taken to ensure they don’t overheat because they’re brachycephalic.
Breed Overview
Group: Toy
HEIGHT: 10 to 13 inches
WEIGHT: 14 to 18 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Affectionate, sweet-tempered, playful
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Short and smooth; fawn or black with a black face mask
Life Span: 13 to 15 years
Continue to 13 of 13 below13 of 13Shih Tzu
Neil Bernstein / EyeEm / Getty Images Cute little shih tzus are small and sturdy, as well as hypoallergenic for those with allergies. This is yet another emotional support dog breed known for their loving personality. They prefer being around people and can have separation anxiety. They’re also very smart. But they have a high-maintenance coat, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Breed Overview
Group: Toy
HEIGHT: 8 to 11 inches
WEIGHT: 9 to 16 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Friendly, intelligent, playful
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Long, double coat; nearly any color, but most commonly black, white, blue, gold, liver, or combinations
Life Span: 10 to 16 years
Breed Characteristics
Emotional support dog breeds tend to include dogs that easily bond with their humans, which is an ideal trait for an emotional support animal. They’re the type of dog that’s in tune with humans and can read their emotions versus a breed that’s more aloof.
Also, they respond well to training but don’t have the extreme smarts or energy levels that require an owner to put in lots of effort to tire out their dog mentally and physically. And, while they’re confident dogs, they’re generally not aggressive or headstrong.
Breeds to Avoid
While any individual dog, regardless of breed, can be the right fit to provide emotional support to a person, certain dog breeds are less likely to fit the role.
For instance, while the shar-pei is a loyal and protective dog, they are not particularly social and may not be able to provide the level of comfort you're seeking from an ESA.
Likewise, the Kerry blue terrier, Pekingese, Shiba Inu, and several other breeds are quite independent and often don’t need to share affection with their humans to be happy, so they're not likely contenders to provide support whenever it's needed.
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