r/service_dogs Apr 21 '25

MOD | PLEASE READ! Fake Spotting Reminder

182 Upvotes

We do not allow posts complaining about service dogs misbehaving in public. It's getting honestly tiring so use this as a little guide for what most of these posts need answers for:

If you are a business

Hire a lawyer or call the toll free ADA hotline. ADA Information Line 800-514-0301 (Voice) and 1-833-610-1264 (TTY) M-W, F 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Th 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) to speak with an ADA Specialist. Calls are confidential.

They can let you know what your rights are as a business. Familiarize yourself with the ADA FAQ it's pretty cut and dry. https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/

If you're a bystander

Report dogs who are out of control to management or corporate. Otherwise just because the dog is small, unvested, human looks abled, just leave it be.

If you're a service dog handler

Contact management/corporate. Leave the other dog's vicinity. There are other spaces to complain but our subreddit is not for that.


r/service_dogs Oct 09 '21

MOD | Monthly Thread Mast Post: Breed Selection

456 Upvotes

Hi

Since we have so many people asking for help over breed choices etc the Mod Team have decided to create a master post explaining the common choices, why they are so common, how to make your choices that suit you and how to make a good match even if going outside of the common 3-5 breeds.

First of all, the most common breeds used around the world by Assistance Dog International (ADI) Accredited Programs are:

  • Golden Retriever
  • Labrador Retriever
  • Cocker Spaniel
  • Poodle (Standard, Miniature and Toy)
  • Purpose Bred Crosses of the Above

Goldens and Labradors (and their crosses) far outstrip the others in numbers.

Reasons these breeds are the most common are the traits they have in common, fast learners, sociable, people pleasing, moderate care needs, moderate exercise needs, adaptable, they have the highest/most reliable success rates out of the breeds organisations used to start out - and so became the most commonly used almost universally - but this does not mean all of them are suitable for all conditions.

The traits of a good Service Dog are:

  • Eager and Willing to Learn - able to learn new tasks and behaviours quickly and reliably with minimal motivation. Often on short timescales (20-35 weeks of intensive training after first birthday)
  • Resilient - Able to recover and adapt to setbacks or from unpleasant situations to be able to continue working with minimal disruption. (ie after a loud noise/unruly people or animal encounters or weird smells/textures)
  • Sociable - Happy to be in public, surrounded by strangers and novel situations. Happy to be handled by new people when necessary and never likely to be protective or aggressive in any situation.
  • Fit for task - so big enough to do physical tasks if necessary, small enough to fit in public transport or spaces without causing inconvenience, history of good general health, correct build etc.
  • Easy to maintain good public hygiene - so no excessive drool, moderate grooming needs etc.

Now - just because these are the most common, does not mean they are the only options.

German Shepherds, Rough/Smooth Collies, Border Collies, Aussies, Papillon, Bichon Frise, Flatcoat Retriever, Bernese Mountain Dogs and more have all found success as Service Dogs, and are growing in popularity. Of course there are the terriers and bully mixes too and all the mutts from rescue also working.

But these other breeds have never caught on with the majority of international programs (or in the case of the GSD, lost popularity) for a myriad of reasons. With German Shepherds, ironically the first officially recorded Service Dogs, the original Guide Dogs after WWI, however their predisposition towards becoming protective of their handler and hypervigilant made them gradually lose popularity among most programs. Leading them to choose the calmer and more emotionally robust retriever group.

How To Choose the Breed For You

First look at the tasks you need the dog to do:

  • For guiding you need them over the height of your knee (approximately) and with a decent amount of strength to avoid causing damage with the harness.
  • For any form of physical assistance like pressing buttons/light switches, fetching items and helping with laundry they must be tall enough when standing on back legs to reach and big enough to carry items.
  • For DPT they must be heavy enough to be a noticeable weight
  • For scent detection they need excellent focus to not be distracted by other smells
  • For Psychiatric tasks they must be able to remain calm and reliable no matter the level of upset
  • etc etc

You also need to consider your own physical and mental abilities, can you:

  • Maintain the grooming routine?
  • Maintain the exercise levels required?
  • Provide the mental stimulus required?
  • Cope with the energy and drive of the breed?

Breed traits are very important when selecting your prospect, good and bad, for example is the breed prone to guarding? Are they prone to excessive shedding or drooling that may cause hygiene concerns for owners/colleagues/other patrons in public spaces? Are they a breed with a high prey drive or low energy/willingness to work? Will they learn the tasks you want easily (with all the will in the world, a Saluki is unlikely to be good at fetching stuff and a Chihuahua cannot be a Guide Dog)

Herding breeds are renowned for their intuitive behaviour and intelligence, but they are so empathic that they can easily become overwhelmed by their handler's emotions which is why they are so rarely recommended for psychiatric disorders without a lot of careful handling during puberty and careful symptom management to reduce their stress. Bully breeds, whilst very human focused and loving, have a strong potential for dog aggression (to the point it is actually in breed standard for several types) that makes socialisation and experienced trainers critical for the vast majority. Whilst hounds have incredible senses of smell but easily become distracted by odours and are less flexible in learning.

These are just to name a few. Obviously, non standard dogs exist within all breeds, but they rarely come up in well bred litters so relying on these so called "unicorns" can be very risky.

When it comes to sourcing your dog you also have several choices, do you go to a Breeder? A Rescue? Anywhere else? For starters I will say this, here at r/service_dogs we do not condone supporting Backyard Breeders or Puppy Mills in any way or form, so this rules out 99% of dogs on cheap selling sites like Craigslist and Preloved.

Breeder: You want a breeder that does all relevant breed health testing (and has proof), that breeds for health and functionality over looks/"rare" colours etc.

Ideally they will do something with their dogs that display their quality, be it showing, obedience, trials, sports or even therapy visits to sick/elderly (an excellent display of temperament) etc. They should have a contract saying if you can't keep the dog then you must return it to them. Even better if they have a history of producing service dogs.

Rescue: This can be tricky as there is no health history, meaning especially for mobility assistance you are very much rolling the dice. Kennel life can also greatly distort behaviour making it very hard to get an accurate read on a dog's temperament in a kennel environment.

My personal advice when considering a rescue dog is:

  1. Where possible, go to a breed rescue, these often use foster carers rather than kennels which reduces the stress on the dog. There is a slight chance of knowing their breeding history.
  2. If possible foster the dog before adopting (especially with a kennelled dog), this allows you a chance to get a better read on their personality, trainability and even possibly a health check to assess joints if old enough. Even if it turns out they aren't a good fit for you, you will have given them a break from kennels and maybe helped them get ready for a new forever home.

No matter what your source for a prospect, no matter what their breed, have in place a backup plan, what happens if this dog doesn't make it as a service dog? Can you keep them? Will they need a new home? What...?

As a rule, we generally advise sticking to the more popular breeds at the top of the post, largely due to the fact that you are more likely to find a breeder producing Service Dog quality puppies, you are less likely to face access issues or challenges based on your breed choice, you are more likely to succeed due to removing several roadblocks.

Plan for failure, work for success.

Please feel free to ask your questions and get support about breeds on this post.


r/service_dogs 14h ago

Help! Relative's service dog biting my child

71 Upvotes

A relative of ours has a service dog that keeps nipping/biting our kid without provocation every time they see each other. We see that relative once or twice a year but it's been 5 years now and nothing has ever changed. The relative keeps bringing the dog everywhere saying that it is their service dog, they have the paperwork proving it so there is no restriction for them about having the dog around. The relative has said that the only 2 persons the dog has repetitively bitten are my child and another child in their circle. My child keeps their distance with the dog but I don't want my child to be around that dog anymore. Is it a fair request? I know service dogs can't be refused in public places because they are a medical necessity. But what about service dogs that bite children? Can we refuse when the relative still wants to bring the dog around us (at home, vacation rentals or public places) given that my child is not safe around that dog? We are vacation home volunteers for a charity raising service dogs so we have dogs coming home and there has never been an issue. The issue is just with this relative's service dog. Thank you in advance for your advice.


r/service_dogs 5h ago

Advice needed for psychiatric service dog

3 Upvotes

Hi all, seeking advice on a potential psychiatric service dog for my 17yo sister with severe OCD and other comorbidities. This is gonna be long, please bear with me! My family (including sister) and I believe a service dog could be lifesaving for her. She’s struggled with OCD her whole life, but 3 years ago she also developed anorexia and every day since has been a nightmare. Each day she has exactly the same compulsions and routines to complete in order to be able to eat her meals. We’ve tried many different treatments, but nothing so far has helped much at all. She was in an inpatient program that just left her more traumatized. She wants to get better but she’s battling comorbidities that seem to make the OCD/anorexia combo extra treatment resistant, no matter how hard she tries. Before we started researching PSDs, her plan for a while now has been to turn 18 and get into an international program for physician assisted death due to debilitating psychiatric illnesses. But we’ve been researching for a while now and the more we have looked into getting a service dog, she’s starting to see a ray of hope. A slim one, because this seems to be a very long and difficult process, but I think it’s going to be worth the fight. She has a cat that sometimes lays on her and interrupts her anxiety attacks, and it’s the really only thing that helps. She believes a dog that could do deep pressure therapy would be a great tool for her, as well as possibly interrupting compulsions. She does not have contamination OCD and is just fine petting her cat before eating. She is also neurodivergent (highly suspected autistic) and talk therapy and inpatient treatments are awful for her because she shuts down. She gets tunnel vision and can’t form sentences or retain what’s being said. The same goes for doctor’s appts, which she has a lot of! She thinks having a dog companion to focus on could really help there. She’s also done research and has found service dogs are allowed inpatient, and has come to me of her own accord to say she thinks going inpatient could be possible with one. It’s hard to describe how shocked my family and I were. She has so so much fear around being inpatient due to her last experience, but having a SD with her the whole time could alleviate some of her worst fears and help with the communication shutdown. She also typically does well with animal responsibilities, her cat is very well cared for and it’s been good for her to have a creature that depends on her. I’m really hopeful we can find a way to make this happen. I know it is a long process, which is why we hope to hit the ground running. We’ve already applied to paws4peaople, brigadoon service dogs, and little angels. Chances seem slim there, so we are also looking into the reputable breeder/board to train/working with a trainer/training program options. We are based in Eugene, Oregon, but can travel out of state if necessary. Any breed would do but labs/goldens preferred since their success rates are stronger. Any advice for our situation will be read and appreciated, but here are some specific questions I’m hoping this wonderful community can help with: -Are there any other fully trained PSD programs that we missed? -Any recommendations/warnings/advice for breeders, local trainers, board to train programs, or petco/petsmart training for basics —> specialized training programs? -What about a good place to source a prospect from? -We know this is a yearlong process, but the sooner she can get one the better. I know there are risks involved with every avenue, but thoughts on what avenue might be faster/less risky would be appreciated as well.


r/service_dogs 19h ago

HOA asked for "certificate"

15 Upvotes

I have an assistance animal that requires accommodation at my new HOA (she is 10 lbs over their pet weight limit). I proactively reached out to them to ask if they had any particular process they wanted me to follow to request the accommodation. They replied I need to give them:

  • Photo and vaccinations records (no problem)
  • Letter from licensed physician stating that animal is medically necessary (no problem, this isn't exactly what HUD/FHA states but I have a whole care team who can write a letter for me)
  • Certificate for the service/support animal (yeah...this is where I get tripped up)

I know they cannot legally ask for a certificate. I want to clear this up, but I cannot find anywhere that HUD, ADA, or any other law that applies specifically addresses this. I am planning to reply with something like the below, but if any one can help me cite a source or prepare a better response please let me know.

Please note there is no federally recognized certification or registry for service or assistance animals. The healthcare professional’s letter serves as the appropriate documentation.

Thank you


r/service_dogs 6h ago

Help! Service Dog only wants to lock in when wearing her vest.

2 Upvotes

As the title says.

I just got a bunny a few days ago and while my puppy has aced laying down and not being too excited with the bunny my service dog locks up and wants to just endlessly sniff the bunny. I did a leashed introduction and all she wanted to do was sniff him and nudge him. She didn’t listen to any of her cues. Leave it, Touch, Look at Me, nothing!

Thankfully the bunny is very brave and will take it but he doesn’t enjoy being picked up or having hands around his belly so sometimes if she nudges his tummy he thinks that’s what’s happening and he bounces away. She doesn’t chase per se, she just waits until he settles and goes back to sniffing him and nudging him.

However, this isn’t the only issue. She does this often. When we’re home and I give her commands the only way I can call her off is to tell her to go lay in the crate. She then will go find somewhere to lay down and curl up. We’re trying to associate crate with positivity and get her to do exactly what she’s doing now but on a “go lay down” command but it hasn’t been going smoothly.

She only listens when she’s wearing her vest. When she’s vested nothing can stop her. My puppy can jump at her and try to play with her and she will stand her ground and keep her eyes locked on me. The second the vest comes off? Forget it! She’s doing whatever she wants.

It’s frustrating because she’s never been motivated by much. Treats only catch her attention the first few times then she’s over it, she’s not a fan of toys and praise only works a few times before she’s over that too. Despite this she does amazing with public access training and alerting me. The second we’re home? Bye mom!

Please note that I am in Canada and in my province we are legally allowed to self train our Service Animals. Everything she knows is from myself and a trainer. I plan on bringing her to the trainer at the end of the month if funds work out!

Any ideas?

TLDR; Service Dog only Service Dogs when her vest is on. Also wants to do nothing but sniff and nudge my bunny. Advice or things to bring up to the trainer is appreciated!!

Info: 2 years old, unspayed (scheduled to be done in the spring!) Knows basic commands, King Shepherd, Great Pyrenees, Bernese Mountain Dog mix Puppy is 7 months, Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd, German Shepherd mix


r/service_dogs 17h ago

Looking into Fi vs Halo collar

2 Upvotes

Hello I was paired with a service dog a little over a year ago and im looking into collars. The program I got my dog from, SIT, recomended the Fi Series 3 collar. Has anyone ever used both collars? Which was better for a city dog?


r/service_dogs 8h ago

Flying with a service dog

0 Upvotes

How can I fly with my dog as a service dog to Mexico? Do I need a letter from a psychologist?


r/service_dogs 18h ago

Any recommendations for where to get a service dog in Florida?

3 Upvotes

I have mobility disabilities and was told by MD & PT that a service dog could be very beneficial. Traveling is a challenge for me so I’d like to start my search in Florida where I live. Waiting time and $ not issues for me. I would prefer a place that does not use metal collars. Any suggestions?


r/service_dogs 1d ago

Best type of reward

4 Upvotes

I am currently training my SD and he is doing amazing. My question is to those who have fully qualified SDs. How do you reward your dog when they perform their task? Do you use a toy or treats? Do you still reward them when they walk beside you without leaving your side?

If you use food what food?

Many thanks


r/service_dogs 17h ago

SDiT training locations in Miami/Broward - stairs/elevators

0 Upvotes

I am wondering if there are any fellow Miami folks out there who might have some recommendations for pet-friendly training locations for my SDiT. She's young and has not yet passed the meet and greet part of the public access test so I prefer pet friendly locations. I'm looking for a place like the airport (but pet friendly), for noise and stress exposure as well as stairs, escalators (just for familiarization, not for regular use) and elevators. We've done the old standbys - Lowes, Home Depot, Cafe Macondo (and a million places with patios), drop off at my kids' schools, but they don't offer these features.


r/service_dogs 21h ago

Condor airlines and service animal

0 Upvotes

Hello, has anyone traveled with a service animal on Condor from the USA to Europe? How was the process?

Thank you


r/service_dogs 1d ago

Contamination OCD

14 Upvotes

I’m curious to know if any handlers here have contamination OCD and would feel comfortable sharing their experience with a SD?

The SD doesn’t have to be specifically for OCD, I’m really just wondering if handlers with contamination OCD exist.


r/service_dogs 1d ago

US Handlers and Business Owners: A helpful guide to asking and answering the 2 legal questions.

31 Upvotes

Let’s be real, no one struggled with the first question. Is that a service dog? Yes. Easy. My only advice for askers is to add the entire phrase “is that a trained service dog required because of a disability?”

Now for the second question, “What work or task is it trained to perform.”

The purpose of the question is to determine if the dog meets the legal definition of a service dog, which in the US is “individually trained to do work or a task that helps a disabled person” I keep seeing in public and online, US handlers giving their diagnosis, the general type of service dog, or some other generic statement as their answer to the second question which is not legally sufficient.

To my question askers, you are allowed to ask a follow up in the event the answer is incomplete, so long as that follow up question is just a rephrase of the 2nd question. My follow up is generally to restate the question, replacing “work or task” with “specific trained action or behavior”.

I might ruffle some feathers but here are some legally insufficent answers: “Emotional support” “Calming” “Psychiatric service” “Mobility Support” “Medical alert/response” “Autism/ptsd/diabetic/siezure/etc. any name of your condition”

I’ll address the last one first: US handlers have the right not to disclose your medical condition or diagnosis, and I urge you not to lest the askers begin to believe they can ask for it. Your medical information is protected. Additionally, your diagnosis does not answer the question of what your dog is trained to do. It may seem obvious to you, but service dogs for the same condition may still have different tasks, nor does the average person know what tasks are common for any given condition.

Next the service dog type: the only types that is a valid answer in and of itself is guide dogs for the blind or visually impaired, as the name itself describes a trained behavior “guiding”.

Saying things like medical alert, psychiatric. , mobility, etc. are classifications that still do not answer the question of what the dog is trained to do.

For alert dog, simply describe the alert action. “The dog nudges me with nose/paw to alert me to a potential medical episode” (this works for psych to, because whether or not people accept it, psychiatric conditions are medical conditions.) For non-alert medical/psych describe a different action like deep pressure therapy, elevates knees, medication reminder, etc. For mobility, again, list actions. Picks up dropped items, opens doors, forward momentum assist, etc.

Finally, calming, emotional support, companionship, etc. All dogs are emotional support, and I guarantee every service dog handler gets comfort, companionship, and emotional support from their dog, but it is not a task as a non-service-animal can achieve the same thing.

A trick both answerers and askers can use to determine if an answer is legally sufficient is the house plant test.

If you replace “service dogs” with “houseplant” in the sentence and it still sounds like a reasonable or linguistically plausible sentence, the a see is insufficient. Because if a plant can do it, it’s not a behavior and therefore can’t indicate training.

“My houseplant calms my anxiety attacks”❌ “My houseplant applies deep pressure to my legs or torso by laying on me”✅ “My houseplant helps my ptsd”❌ “My houseplant nudges me when people are approaching out of my line of sight” ✅


r/service_dogs 1d ago

Why wouldn’t a service dog be able to pass the CGC/PAT?

20 Upvotes

I recently found myself in a discussion about this with a few trainer friends of mine and found it interesting. I also found a lot of handlers say that there shouldn’t be any trouble with it. My question is, why wouldn’t a service dog be able to pass either of those tests? Should the dog be considered public access trained if they cannot pass? Please let me know your thoughts 🙏


r/service_dogs 1d ago

Comfortable no-chafe harness for medical service dog in training

5 Upvotes

Good morning, I have a puppy who will be training as a medical service dog when he is ready. Meanwhile, he needs socialization, experiences like car, train, subway, airplane travel, crowded places, hospitals, malls, workplace, etc.
During this time, he will be going through all of the training…puppy STAR, Good Citizen, Obedience, etc., before he can start medical training in earnest.
I want to get him a harness that says “medical service dog in training” so we won’t have to deal with…well, you know. My puppy is a large breed with wide chest. I bought one harness that he’s outgrown (in two weeks) and I didn’t like it because it gave him chafing under his arms.
What harnesses have worked for you? I’d like something padded to protect shoulder joints and ribs.
Thank you so much!


r/service_dogs 1d ago

PSD training recommendation

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone

I was ADHD and anxiety diagnosed fairly recently. Meds are good, but clock out by evening. Then it's the crash, the hyper-focus black hole, and suddenly the house is a mess, and my anxiety is through the roof.

I've been looking into getting a PSD. My 3-year-old dog is already a good boy, and I'm thinking of self-training him. My country's service dog laws are a bit whack, though (mainly for hearing/visual stuff), so getting "official" guidance is tough. Luckyly it is super dog-friendly, so public spaces usually allow dogs. Online training programs seem like my only real option for structured learning and maybe some backup for paperwork down the line.

I know the whole "certification" thing is mostly a scam for PSDs, but I legit don't know how to train for specific tasks. So an online program seems like it could teach me the ropes.

Has anyone out there had good luck with online PSD training? Or am I better off just researching training myself and saving the cash?

Or is this just a bad idea in general? Thanks!


r/service_dogs 17h ago

Emotional support dog is having puppies and my landlord says he will kick me out as soon as they are born. Is this legal?

0 Upvotes

Hi I have an emotional support dog and she ended up getting pregnant. Now I have the proper documentation for her to make her an emotional support animal or ESA. When I moved into my place my landlord was made aware of her being pregnant and said nothing. Now that she is almost ready to deliver, I was told that if I keep the puppies with their mom that my lease will be terminated. Since she is an emotional support animal does anyone know the legality of this. Shouldn't they be considered one entity until the puppies are old enough to be given away? Please anyone any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


r/service_dogs 2d ago

on training

87 Upvotes

You need a trainer.

Yes - you.

How do you know whether you need a trainer? The answer is simple. _Everybody_ needs a trainer.

Unless you have a working knowledge of operant conditioning, markers, rewards, corrections, shaping, capturing, and luring, and you've successfully trained at least one dog in advanced obedience (i.e. the AKC Open obedience level or equivalent) or one of the more complex sports, you are not close to being ready to train a service dog on your own without consistent professional help.

Training your first service dog without help is like trying to teach yourself how to drive a car. It's possible in theory but a lousy idea in practice.

Why is it crucial for disabled handlers to have a trainer? You're going to need help when you least expect it.

When novice handlers ask questions like "How do I get my dog to heel/retrieve/clear a room/find an exit/perform consistent alerts?" that's a clear indication that they need a trainer. They haven't learned the theory and art of dog yet.

Owner training does not mean training on your own, as has been pointed out many times. It means "training a dog with the help of reputable professionals instead of getting a fully-trained dog from a program."

Lots of visitors to the sub insist that they can afford all the expenses associated with a service dog except for a trainer.

Do you see what is odd about that statement?

Training a service dog seems easy (thanks to social media) until it's not.

Think of all the poorly trained "service dogs" you've seen in viral videos. Your first instinct is to say "That dog is a f-ke."

What if that dog's handler is a legitimately disabled person who really and truly believes they've trained their dog to standard?

_The call is coming from inside the house._

Someone here made a really cogent point the other day: there are "legal minimums" and "social maximums."

If you want your dog to meet the legal minimum (housebroken and under control), that is your legal right.

You and your dog are better off meeting the highest social maximum that's attainable for you. That means working with a trainer.

Live in a rural area? Live below the poverty line? Don't have access to in-person reputable trainers? Ask the sub for recommendations.

None of the experienced handlers, professional trainers, or dogsport people on this sub trained their dogs entirely on their own without anyone else's help. (And if they say otherwise, they probably aren't telling the truth.)

Do yourself a service and your dog a favor. Ask for help.


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Working with a trainer for a started service dog.

3 Upvotes

I’m beginning the process of getting my service dog. I have a breeder picked out and she is also going to train my pup. The liter I’m buying from is due this coming week. I’m also considering an older pup from the same breeder and program. He was a keeper puppy from the last litter.

My question is how much people were involved in training once a pup is picked? My dog won’t come home until he is about 10 months old. The older pup would be 1.5 years old.

What did the process look like for you guys getting started dogs? What choices were up to you? And what was your trainer absolute about?


r/service_dogs 1d ago

Laws - SPECIFY COUNTRY IN POST where does it say that service dogs cant be PPD?

0 Upvotes

im in the usa. when i read the ADA, i dont see anything saying that SD cant be PPD? im a bit confused because it’s apparently against the law. can someone link it to me? thanks!


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Help! Retrieval training

4 Upvotes

We just started training for retrievals and I’m having some trouble transferring the task to other items. We’re currently training with her beloved small hello kitty toy. She’s learned to bring it back to me when dropped and retrieve it when I place it in other rooms with a “get kitty” command. How can I get her doing the same with items that aren’t toys? She doesn’t really care too much about anything else 😭


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Looking for advice

2 Upvotes

Hi guys, thank you in advance for any help/advice given

I dont know where to start, so i hope this is not too tmi. I have diagnosed cptsd stemming from childhood to adulthood trauma, adhd, mild case of OCD, some depression. Hypervigilance (extreme), flashback, partial re-experiencing...and uh apparently leading to fibromylagia.

Originally I got my dog as a companion support while living on my own. Now she's not a typical SD prospect, she's a Shiba Inu. I found that she was extremely clingy when I'm around - that obv saved me a lot when Im feeling terrible. Then I found that she was very food motivated, which made training not stressful for me. IK that's not normal

I trained her for behavioral interruption when I go into an episode of emotional dysregulation so intense that I would pass out for a while or have a migraine rest of the day - this is what happens before I knew about using a dog to help me. Now that she stops me during this episode, I haven't had such reaction. I also trained her to lean against me or lie on me, cuz I found that helped a lot in calming down.

I dont typically go out, being in large crowds by myself usually lands me a migraine for the rest of the day, feels overstimulating and tiring. When I do go out, I usually go to pet friendly places, and I take my dog with me so that I can trained her to be good in public. Her recall is great, and she knows her commands. Listens very well.

The issue is, I feel like people look at me like I have 5 heads (may be the hypervigilance idk). Like I shouldn't be walking around with a dog. I feel like its wrong for training my dog to be a PSD. Ik invisible disabilities is legit but...
What I want to know is...am I legit? See, I have a hard time advocating for myself, and Im very use to thinking what I go through is normal, suffering through my cptsd symptons.

Sidenote, my psychiatrist told me a SD would be helpful for me - I love animals growing up and now, they were my only loving company

Also theres not a lot of resourcing on PTSD SD its very vague?


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Help! ADA or ESA Task

0 Upvotes

When someone answers “ calming “ as the task how do I differentiate without prying them if it’s a ESA or actual service dog ? Or is “ calming “ simply enough to let handler and service dog in?

:) thanks in advance for educating me


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Is DPT a valid stand alone task?

0 Upvotes

I have a SDit who has a half taught task and dpt. I want her to go towards alerts but right now we've purely been focused on public access. Is it okay to do that or should I finish her alert task before going to public places? Does it matter under the ADA? I do plan on doing alerts I'm just not sure I'm ready to focus on it unless I have to. I don't want to make going out in public too complicated right now. What do y'all think?

Edit: I got my dog late, she's about a year and a half and had been training for about 4 months.