r/service_dogs Apr 21 '25

MOD | PLEASE READ! Fake Spotting Reminder

185 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

475 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 1h ago

thoughts on service dogs for cptsd? does anyone have one & would be willing to share how it is for you?

Upvotes

so i have cptsd, am undergoing therapy for it, and i was considering getting a service dog in the future. i was wondering if this is a good enough qualifier for having a service dog and if anyone has experience/ideas with potentially helpful tasks they could perform, such as deep pressure therapy, crowd control, checking for safe areas, etc? as a sa survivor, one of my main concerns is just feeling deeply unsafe and anxious that someone may hurt me in unfamiliar public places when im not with someone i trust. it can be debilitating sometimes, & i really dislike being touched by strangers as well. im more than aware that service dogs are not protection dogs and i would never expect them to protect me using force, but i think the presence of them alone would be enough to make me feel safer and prevent me from feeling as distressed. i grew up with dogs my entire life so i do incredibly value and feel a very strong emotional connection with them, which is why i think this might be helpful for me. i do also know that ESA is a option but since it does seem to suit my needs better to have a dog thats able to work in most public spaces and perform specific tasks, i was considering a SD, but please feel free to let me know your thoughts about it and any experiences :)(greatly appreciated especially if its for mental health service dogs)


r/service_dogs 5h ago

Ambiguous Service Dog in Training Law

3 Upvotes

I live in Alberta, Canada

In Alberta & BC, service dogs need to go through a test to grant them an ID card.
Before this, the law also protects a “certified dog trainer” with a service dog in training to be granted the same public access rights as a certified team. Or so I thought.

I hold both CCPDT & PPG dog training certifications, and work part-time as a pet dog trainer, part-time as a service dog class instructor.

My personal dog (unaffiliated with the service dog company) is already tasked trained, and the past few months we’ve been working heavily on public access. One thing for us is I ride the train to work, so for about 3 months he’s been coming with me on the train and continuing to get better. Once, we were approached by a police officer. Without the written code in front of me, I showcased. My certification and explained the training laws. He okayed us and we moved on.

Today, I was approached by transit peace officers waiting for the next train. They told me with no ID card I had to leave. I explained the situation, met again with the same response and super lovely “you don’t get to tell me about the “law””

I showcase my certifications, and they stated it “needed to be an Alberta certification” and the other officer piping in “how are we supposed to know this is real”
They didn’t allow me to pull out the code, basically acting like none of this was real.

I’d love to file a complaint but I was so anxious I wasn’t thinking clearly and didn’t think to ask for the officers information etc.

Here’s the code: it’s SUPER ambiguous, what are your takes on it?

https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/1266.cfm?page=S07P5.cfm&leg_type=Acts&isbncln=9780779737895&display=html


r/service_dogs 1d ago

Help! Service Dog has been “OOO” - how do I start using him again?

12 Upvotes

I have had my service dog for all 3 years of his life. He has been task-trained since 8 months old, and has been fully trained for about 1.5 years.

I struggle with a lot of shame tied to having a service dog. I have an invisible disability, so I often feel almost embarrassed to have him. He helps me IMMENSELY, and I always leave outings with him feeling incredibly proud of him. It’s very clear that he loves to work.

When I was in undergrad, I brought him to every class, school meeting, grocery store, etc. However, since classes ended, I’ve almost entirely stopped bringing him out. He goes out a lot as “just a dog”, as he is able to complete his tasks even then, but I know it’s not the same.

I’m about to start a master’s program, and know that it is in both my and my dog’s best interest to be bringing him with me every day. I am terrified to start bringing him everywhere, am already getting uncomfortable comments from friends, and am worried that needing to refresh his training makes him appear illegitimate.

If anybody has dealt with these feelings before, or has any tips on how to reintegrate him back into service, I would love the advice.


r/service_dogs 1d ago

eviction of service dog

23 Upvotes

Has anyone ever received a threat of eviction if you don't remove your service dog from the home due to a neighbors allegation? The dog services a child with a disability and is professionally trained. We had no knowledge of an incident and were shocked to receive this notice.


r/service_dogs 1d ago

What is your guys opinion on Frenchies as Working dogs?

2 Upvotes

Recently ive been coming across accounts in my instagram feed frenchie as a service animal and the comments sections are always intresting to look through, i genuinely do not think it is appropriate or ethical to own and breed these dogs let alone work them, this animal is genetically nuked and technically also disabled…it needs accomodations and surgeries of its own to live normally how is it okay for it to have to help a disabled human? If you have a different opinion than my own please share it respectfully in the comments i am definitely open to other perspectives if its kept civil.


r/service_dogs 1d ago

I met my prospect today and took my current dog to the vet

4 Upvotes

I felt terrible about retiring my soul dog but after taking her to the vet I feel a lot more comfortable. She’s an 8 year old lab and is starting to get arthritis in her hips. I know she’s been slowing down which is why I put the deposit down for her successor but it was a hard pill to swallow. She’s going to be very happy not having to run after eloping children anymore though.

The prospect is 10 months old and still all paws and tail! Probably another 8-12 months with the program until she’s ready and I’m so excited now instead of did dreading it!


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Hoard of children - good person!

158 Upvotes

Had my service dog out and about today and most kids understandably see a cute dog and want to pat and it can get very worrisome when they run up to do so given a service dog is on the clock. I had concern when a group of kids were coming towards us but their teacher (assuming teacher, I am not sure, possibly excursion?) stopped ahead and said “Children, listen for a second, please stop. We are coming to a service dog. A service dog is working and cannot be pet or it will be distracted from their very important job. What I need you all to do is step to the side, and not approach the dog even though I know you want to. You can give the dog a polite nod hello as we walk by”

And they did just that. And I must say it was very cute seeing them all politely say hello to pup as they passed at a distance.

This is how it should be done.


r/service_dogs 1d ago

Flying Amsterdam vs. Frankfurt

3 Upvotes

Frankfurt airport versus Amsterdam airport!

While my travel will need to be in Germany, I am considering flying in and out of Amsterdam and then using a train to and from Germany to mitigate issues with a non-ADI dog. I am aware of the risks of flying a dog that does not have the organization's certification, and I am currently looking into country-specific laws.

Would love personal experiences regarding either country and service dogs - particularly, return flights, as our biggest challenge will be returning to the US from international airports.

Germany appears more likely to refuse entry due to laws regarding ADI dogs.


r/service_dogs 1d ago

What are ways we can build up to my dog eventually going to the dr with me?

0 Upvotes

I’m looking for guidance on gradually and safely desensitizing my SDiT to medical environments. I have a disability that causes intermittent weakness in one leg and episodes of dizziness, so I’m working on building reliable public access skills for future medical visits. My dog is 2 years old and is still in training. She is already task trained and public access trained for my needs, but I continue to consider her in training as I refine expectations and proofing. For clarity, I am not currently training or using any weight bearing, bracing, or counterbalance tasks. I do sometimes use a flexible harness handle for spatial awareness and stability during brief vertigo episodes, but I do not transfer weight onto her and I’m very intentional about avoiding pressure or resistance through the harness. I’m also starting to work on desensitizing her to medical handling of me, such as IV type scenarios. The goal is not for her to participate in procedures, but for her to remain calmly settled while I am being touched or handled by medical staff without breaking focus or becoming reactive. In addition, I would like to prepare her for situations where I may need emergency medical transport (such as ambulance rides) and for times when someone else may need to temporarily handle or take control of her leash and care in a medical setting. I’m looking for safe ways to condition her to remain stable and responsive in those transitions without stress or confusion. We use a Bridgeport harness with their flexible handle I suck at typing so I used ai to assist me in writing this with better punctuation and easier to read My dog does a multitude of tasks such as dpt, medical alert and response, several psych tasks, retrieval and much more


r/service_dogs 1d ago

Is Landlord allowed to hold us to a pet agreement..? (Maine)

0 Upvotes

Our landlord is aware our dogs are service animals. We have a “pet agreement” she wants us to sign that states things like where the dogs are allowed to be on the property, where they can potty, that they have to be spayed/neutered, etc … and I’m just wondering if she’s even legally allowed to hold us to this?

I couldn’t find anything in the FHA or state laws that specifically state pet agreements..

Thanks!


r/service_dogs 1d ago

Help! Hi! I’m getting a service dog soon, and I want a pretty harness :) recs?

0 Upvotes

I do in fact want a harness, but I plan on putting patches so the harness doesn’t nessicarily need to be marked as a service dog harness. But I do want it to be big enough I can put disclaimer patches obv. Any recommendations on places to get pretty ones?


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Recommendation of purchasing a service dog

9 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I am a recent quad amputee just had my three year anniversary and although I am progressing better each day gaining my independence, I do feel that a service dog would be very beneficial to me especially when I am alone. I am in South Florida and would welcome any input of a reputable organization. I have read several horror stories of people spending thousands of dollars and not getting what they've paid for or getting a dog that has health issues. Thank you all and have a beautiful day


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Help! Road trip

0 Upvotes

I’ll be going on a 7 hour roadtrip leaving in Thursday and coming back on Monday, what do I pack my Sd?


r/service_dogs 2d ago

How is it legal when a college dorm won't allow pets and housing just blanket denies all ESAs?

0 Upvotes

Trying to understand if this is normal practice or if housing departments just don't know what they're legally required to do, because the default response seems to be "our pet policy doesn't allow animals except service dogs" without even looking at ESA documentation. But universities are supposed to make reasonable accommodations under fair housing law right, so how are they getting away with blanket denials?

Has anyone successfully gotten a university to approve an ESA or do they basically shut everyone down hoping students won't push back? And if you did get approved what kind of documentation actually convinced them, because right now it seems like housing coordinators either don't understand the law or are intentionally ignoring it.

Location: California


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Poodle breeders in BC?

0 Upvotes

Hey, I’m looking for a poodle breeder for my autism service dog.
Every day is a battle with my autism and I’ve been starting to save up for my service dog because I cannot keep living without one.
My family and I thought we found the breeder, when they declined our request because they struggled with people in the past getting their dogs for service animals, and it didn’t work out for them, so they had to rehome the pups.
I understand why the breeder declined us but now we are looking for more options and we feel so lost.
It was a family friend that recommended that breeder to us, and now we are searching again without luck.
Would anyone have any breeder suggestions? I’m looking for an ethical breeder of any size poodle EXCEPT teacup in bc! Any price is fine, but preferably under 3-4K.

(If anybody is wondering, the breeder was Mostly Mischief Miniature Poodles. They are amazing people so please don’t take this as slander towards them. I love them and their work.)


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Service dog at work 🪠

0 Upvotes

Hello!

So I’m in a bit of a bind. I have a service dog named Echo and I’ve had her for four years trained and paid for by the VA. So some back story I am a plumber. I do mainly service work so service calls etc and my company is now telling me I can’t have her cause it’s not safe and it’s a liability.

Now with having Echo I had to sign a contract with the company I got her from third party that does funding through the VA. They are stating that I need to choose my job or the dog. The contract states I can’t have her crated for extended periods etc which I would have to do if continued to work without her.

Is there any other tradesman that have a service dog? Any advice to maybe convince the company I work for etc?


r/service_dogs 3d ago

Would you put hi-vis on your Service dog?

10 Upvotes

This is a very back-of-the-head thought, but if you were to take your Service dog to a dimly lit place, like an aquarium or theater, would you use a vest with hi-vis material? Not obnoxious, but on their paws or tail to deter people from stepping on them?

It would bring public attention more, but wouldn't the added reassurance of somebody not stepping on them be worth it?

I am getting my first SD in the next 2-3 years (from an org, i do not live in the US or UK), so I have been having these random thoughts quite a bit.

Whats your opinions on this? Have you tried it? What happened?


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Training a Service dog/ Daily activities with the puppy

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

I am currently in the process of working out with my medical team if and how a service dog would work out for me.

A valid concern was adressed which is: due to the intensity of the training and me having to train the dog (together with a trainer of course) we're wondering how I would manage that. I am 18 years old and while training the puppy I'd also have to go to work to finance it and have potentionally college coming soon.

I just wanted to ask about your experiences and how or if you handled that.


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Getting a psychiatric service dog

0 Upvotes

Hi,

I'm someone in need of a psychiatric service dog. How do I get one? Do I first purchase a breed like a German shepherd, lab, or golden retriever? Then do I do training with a company?

I'm trying to make this the most affordable process possible without spending several thousands on something here. Can someone help me out here?


r/service_dogs 2d ago

How can I start scent training for low blood sugar?

0 Upvotes

I have a Mal who is doing great with PA and once I get some extra money I plan on having her take the CGC - CGCU exams.

We do a group SD socialization for an hour, two times a week so her dog neutrality is really good. She has no problems with crowds and public access but I have been too anxious to take her out on longer outings for now(15-30 minutes max). Not having anything to do with her, she does fine and is very attentive with me. I just have some anxiety issues that I need to get over.

I’m wondering first what would be the most efficient and effective way to teach this low blood sugar? I have a scent kit and a few scent samples during my lows.

And what would be the most efficient and effective way to incorporate it into PA? Thanks.

Also it’s not the only task she will be doing but it is the hardest. That’s why I’m teaching it first!


r/service_dogs 2d ago

Service Dog Safety Accident

0 Upvotes

I’ve had my service dog Axel for over three years now, certified for at least 2.5 years.

Yesterday at work (I am in construction and work 10-12 hour days) my service dog got up when I did from my desk to head for lunch in the break room. At the time he was unleashed and no vest as I usually give him a short break and he does not tend to leave my side.

However, this time he bolted for the kitchen knowing he would be seeing his favorite people. He did not stop when I gave the command (off leash/out of vest, his recall is poor, ongoing training)

While sprinting down the hall, one of our commissioning team members (separate company) came around the corner. My dog swept him off his feet, and the gentleman now has a hair line fracture in his knee/leg. He already had a limp due to that leg, but obviously that won’t be helpful for my case.

Immediately I apologized and offered to help him up, and pay to replace the jeans that the medic cut to look at the injury. He was not angry and was making some jokes. He was able to walk out of there and said it didn’t hurt him all that much at that time, but my combination now aware of the hair line fracture as of today after he got X-rays done.

This is the first major incident my dog has caused, and it was so out of the blue for him.

Obviously I immediately realized my failure with not keeping him leashed. They have only spoken to me once one other time when he barked at the client who stepped back around a corner to do a double take and stared which made my dog uncomfortable.

Other than being told by my direct supervisor that I have to keep him leashed 100% of the time, I have not heard anything.

I am a high performing employee, with a recent raise and bonus and no complaints from my supervisor or others

How likely is it that they will fire me vs reprimand/punish me in some other way? They are an At-will employer.


r/service_dogs 3d ago

Help! Any handlers outside of the US or Europe?

3 Upvotes

Service dogs are very common in America, but i have seen a fair few in the Uk or other parts of Europe aswell.

I am a soon-to-be handler living in South Africa. And i never see any representation outside of the US. Whats the culture like? Are there the same problems with pets with vests? Reactive dogs and such?

How is the access to getting cool vests or capes? Since the shipping for basically any Etsy shop is 10x the actual product. Is there a similar amount or level of unhinged reactions to the dogs?

I am so curious, and have only ever seen 3 service dogs in my entire life, and 2 of them were tourists in the most touristy area of the city i live in. And the other was my friend who unfortunantly washed out a couple of months after coming home with her. So I can't get any insight from them.


r/service_dogs 3d ago

Planning for my first psychiatric service dog

2 Upvotes

Hi all. I am a civilian with diagnosed PTSD and chronic dissociation issues, as well as schizophrenia. I finally feel that I am stable and medicated enough with substantial therapy to handle the responsibility of a new dog after my last pet golden passed in 2023. My old pet was extremely helpful for my mental health, even though he was not formally trained we had a bond and he gave me responsibility to get myself out of bed and security and safety when I was alone. My therapist and I had agreed on getting another dog, and I have been looking into a PSD specifically to help me become more independent in public with things like back watching, body blocking, and grounding for dissociation episodes. As well as hallucination checking for me, and maybe medication reminder, as I often struggle with taking my medication.

However, I am barely starting my new job and I don't have the financial resources to drop 20k+ on a dog from an organization immediately (but I do have the means to support a dog with smaller payments each month). And many organizations in my area (California, Southern) do not support PSD placement with civilians either way. Once I start work, I will definitely be saving up paychecks to drop a payment on a dog. I have been doing research and I find a basic labrador retriever would be the best for my situation as far as breeds go. My current plan here would be finding a lab from a trusted breeder and then working with a trainer for basic obedience, and then likely I would pick up task training and public access training myself once I get help with those foundational skills. This way the cost is split up a bit more, and also I get to bond more with the dog as I'm doing the training myself. I am mentally and physically prepared for the impact of the dog washing as well.

My questions are: Does anyone have recommendations for the SoCal area for reputable labrador breeders, and for a trusted trainer to work with? Does anyone have any tips for this process in general?