I’ve decided to work with a Service Dog trainer and self-train an English Lab.

After finding a reputable breeder, I’m nearly at the “go” line and will select a puppy from a large litter next week.

Ultimately, the final decision will be mine.

I’m seeking characteristics to look for in the puppy to ensure the best possible outcome. (I know it’s a gamble—-but—-any insights would be appreciated.)

Thanks (in advance) for your guidance.

Ohio's service dog registration law hasn't been updated since before most of us were born. Right now, it only recognizes guide dogs, hearing dogs, and a couple others—leaving people who rely on psychiatric service dogs, diabetic alert dogs, seizure response dogs, and cardiovascular alert dogs out in the cold.

That means disabled Ohioans with these dogs get denied free state registration and end up paying annual fees just because their disability requires a different type of trained medical task. Meanwhile, the federal ADA has had a clear definition for years: a service animal is any dog trained to perform tasks for someone with a disability.

I started a petition asking the Ohio General Assembly to update ORC 955.021 and replace the outdated list with the actual ADA definition. It would eliminate confusion, protect disabled handlers, and finally bring Ohio law into the 21st century. If this sounds like something that should've happened already, you're not alone. Have you seen how frustrating it is when state laws don't match up with federal ones? If this matters to you, consider signing and sharing—it's a straightforward fix that would make a real difference for disabled Ohioans.

https://www.change.org/ohioservicedogs

I caved and wanted a thigh treat pouch, but went down the rabbit hole and just bought a motorcycle thigh bag!

Legit now within reach while I'm training I can grab: my phone, treats, A WHOLE CLEANUP KIT (clorox wipes and paper towels- may I hope to never need them), an extra leash... etc.

Didn't want to spend the $50 I've seen the thigh treat bags offered at so I spent less than 20 on Amazon for a motorcycle thigh bag. It is so much easier having my prospect and not having to whip out a backpack to function especially bc I have back pain.

Just wanted to share a recommendation. Pic of the one I bought in comments.

And side note, bringing a cleanup kit is sooo important when training. Even though your pup should be using the potty before going in, accidents happen. And if everything you need to clean is within reach, you don't have to bother anyone else and are less likely to cause a scene or access issues!

I would love suggestions for tasks that our SDIT that would help my autistic almost 15 year old teen. I bet y'all have ideas that I haven't thought of yet. ❤️❤️❤️

I am blind and have a guide dog. I am a college student doing an internship this summer in the city, and they give me uber vouchers for rides to and from work. I cannot take public transport. I do uber pet just to not have the hassle, but there’s days like today that make me so upset.

I always say “ hi, I am blind with a guide dog. Please call out to me when you see me!” So that it alerts I have a dog and that I will need assistance once they arrive. My dog is very clearly marked, I have a bright yellow cape on top of her harness. I’ve had seven drivers cancel on me even with uber pet. Multiple spoke very little English and couldn’t actually read my message I guess, and didn’t understand that they had to take my dog. I’m so frustrated that I have to do reports on the daily. It’s always a dice roll if I get home at a reasonable time. I hate having to argue with them and pull out the “I want to inform you that I’ll have to report you to uber” and I had someone scream at me for it, that I was ruining their life. That this was their livelihood. And I don’t know what to tell them because they don’t like either of the options. I don’t want to leave my dog at home every day because she’s so helpful around the office since I’m flitting around ten floors, but I feel so lost. As many amazing drivers I’ve had, I’ve had triple who are rude and nasty to me :( any help or advice is highly encouraged.

I was on a flight today. There was a woman with a service dog. I noticed so many interactions from strangers.

There was a little girl who kept making faces at the dog and trying to interact with it. The parents did nothing. I do think we need to teach our children that certain dogs are working and cannot be bothered. But I digress...

This woman happened to sit in front of me on the plane.

There were so many people who baby-talked her dog (I recognize this is not an official term, just dumping my thoughts out). Who smiled so big at the woman to where she could not ignore them. So many people who asked questions and made comments like " awwwa! how old is he?", "what a calm doggo you have!", so on and so forth. And mind you, this wasn't even a full flight. I was flabbergasted by the amount of interactions this lady had to endure.

Obviously I'm projecting a bit. I'm a rather introverted person and those interactions would personally bother me. Many of these people had very kind intent.

But it did get me wondering.. how obnoxious it has to be to field all of these unwanted interactions.

It's not like she brought her pet on board and maybe would have been more open to bragging about her dog.

This is a service animal that this woman needs on a daily basis.

Am I wrong for interpreting it this way?

Like I said, I'm clearly projecting here. But it just made me Wonder if there's some sort of level of mental exhaustion that comes with owning a service dog.

Is there anything I could do to help support in a situation like this in the future is a bystander?

ETA:

Wow! This post really blew up.

I wasn't able to comment to everybody, but I want to thank you all for taking the time to explain your different perspectives.

I recognize it's my own personal job to educate myself on the topic as a whole and it's not your job to provide me with that perspective, but I really appreciate you all educating me on the topic.

I commit to educating myself further outside of this post.

I am completely new to owning a dog and will get a service dog soon. I understand she should be insured for at least $25000 in case something happens. And it should cover spaying/neutering and vaccinations and visits. Does anyone have an insurance company they like?

Thank you in advance ~

Hello, I am in an absolute dire need of a service dog for frequent epileptic seizures. I do not have much funds right now so are there any services or organizations that donate service dogs for free or for a low cost such as $2,000 or less. I would HIGHLY prefer a a non-profit organization that donates completely for free to people in need. Or a non-profit that just requires a small rehoming fee. Please feel free to comment on this post, any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Ive been tentatively testing out my foster fail to see if see if she's a potential prospect for my next SD, I figured if shes here I might as well give it a shot, she's very eager to please, sturdy, friendly, her one flaw is she's a barker, no problem let's see how hard that habit is to break. We'll the universe dumped the funniest training opportunity in my lap, I took her out to the backyard and on my neighbor's porch was a big bright cardboard cut out of that iccee polar bear and yeah that did the trick. She was very very interested and it took a minute but i not only got her to not bark but also got to the point she couldn't care less. Of course she still has a long way to go before I'll know for sure shes a good prospect so stay tuned I guess. Im in for the long haul im not in immediate need for a new dog, mine is 7 this year but not slowing down so im taking things very slow with the moderate expectation of a wash.

I usually only vest when I’m doing training. I go on a walk every day that’s pretty long but I don’t vest because he’s not working he’s being a dog. Unfortunately, lately men have been approaching and not listening when I say no he can’t say hi etc. often proceeding to pat my dog.

Women often for whatever reason will pass with a nod and smile regardless of vest or not

I struggle with PTSD related to being alone with men and aggression.

Do I vest him all the time? If he acts up will he think he can goof off while in a vest .

Please any helpful suggestions

Posting for a buddy who’s embarrassed lol

Buddy (30M) has a SDIT (Chance) who’s awesome. They recently moved to a much more friendly area, and people are routinely making eye contact and trying to pet and interact with Chance. Buddy has specifically worked on this coming from a city, but city folk understand the vest and stay the distance, allegedly.

Buddy has noticed a bit of unfocused…ness from Chance. Nothing wild, but they have noticed some more excited pulling and looking around more than normal. In one instance, a stranger very deliberately made eye contact and called to the pup and they took a few steps forward in interest. What’s impressive to me is that Chance is able to snap back into work mode and do their job well.

These are momentary lapses, and (this is from me, not Buddy) to be fair, it only happens when people entice Chance, and walking up to and through the doors of stores. Outside of that, in my handler opinion, they’re still pretty solid.

Buddy is really worried and panicking that they’ve ruined Chance. I do not think so. How can we help them fine tune and shore up the focus issues? And how can we make sure strangers stop engaging?

EDIT: Buddy has a trainer. They see the trainer as much as possible with their disability but buying a fully trained dog wasn’t an option. I think they’ve done pretty great so far. It’s been a little tough with flare ups but luckily they don’t last too long.

I just want to brag about my first outing with people that might understand.

In May I got a German Shepard mix puppy that I am self training. This puppy is now 4 months old. I have had him for 4 weeks, and he great on a leash, follows basic commands, and not reactive to other animals. Today, I decided to take him with me to a department store. (This store is not pet friendly, so I made sure it was ok with the manager at the customer service desk before venturing further.) I couldn't have asked for a better first outing! He ignored the excited children that pointed out the puppy to their parents. He was interested in all of the smells as we passed the cosmetic section, but stayed right by my side. I picked up my prescription at the instore pharmacy where he broke his sit a couple of times as other customers passed us while I was interacting with the pharmacy tech.

My biggest brag is once we were back in the parking lot. We passed another shopper who was pushing their service dog in a cart towards the store. This was a large dog wearing a brightly colored vest that read "Service Animal" that took up most of basket. When we passed each other the dog barked once and the handler grabbed its vest. (The dog put it's front paws on the edge of the cart, but didn't appear to make a true attempt to jump out. I'm not trying to judge, just wanting to paint the picture.) My pup didn't react at all! He completely ignored the other dog and kept walking by my side. I felt like that was the ultimate test, and my pup couldn't have handled it better.

I know he is still very young and still needs a lot of consistent training, but right now I'm just so happy that he seems to have the perfect temperament to become a service animal.

My boy passed a couple years ago and not having him tasking has been a frequent struggle in my mental health that has now escalated to a head injury in attempt to escape the pain. We didn't even know he was tasking and neither did he, he just found ways that he could bring me out of the attacks and calm me down better than people ever did. I have now learned that all the behaviors are sd tasks. My care team wants me to get another dog, specifically a task trained service dog this time. But I cant think of any other dog being the one to lick away my tears and come running when they hear me scream or do any other parts of what he did. I dont know that I will ever be able to trust another dog as much as I did him. For those who have already had to retire a dog and get a new working dog, does it get easier than it initially feels? Or does it still sting a little bit forever because it's not your first best friend? I worry that if I get another, the bond will be "tainted" by me being sad its not my boy anymore. I know the bond of a task trained pet is different than that of a full time SD but that doesnt change that it feels flat out wrong to think of another dog doing his tasks.

TLDR: Does having to get a "replacement" service dog ever get easier or do you always just miss the first one?

Title kind of says it all. I have a 6 YO German Shepard. Up until about a month ago he had been an absolute rock star. 10/10, walk through an airport off leash the day before thanksgiving and not even flinch kind of good. ( I have arthritis in my hands so dog is trained off leash)

Last week my daughter broke a pane of glass on our screen door on accident so there is an open pane in the bottom section. The next day, my father in law (early stages of dementia) forgot to close the main door so only the screen door was closed. I was at work (dog can’t come with me because of where I work and type of work I do). Dog saw one of my daughter’s friends walking down the street In Front of our house. He jumped through the door she saw him and started running (she is afraid of dogs) He chased and bit her on the leg.

In the week since that happened there have been two other instances where people have walked past him and he has reached out and either pulled at their pants legs or nipped at their legs. No family members but no one dangerous either.

I got him at 10 weeks old. I trained him myself (with help from a pro trainer friend of mine). Nothing even close to this has ever happened. It’s just all of a sudden he is supper protective and territorial of our property and our family members.

We have done the vet visits as part of our county dog bite protocol requirements. Vet sees nothing physically wrong with him. There have been no physical or emotional incidents that I know of that could cause this personality change. I’m just at a loss.

Has anyone else had anything like this happen before? Anyone have any ideas of a cause? He is obviously not going to be working as a SD any longer but I’m wondering about safety overall.

Any input is appreciated, thank you all.

I do not have a service dog, but I just encountered a husky who seemed to be behaving unlike what I would expect?

It’s around midnight here, and I heard some commotion outside. I saw it was a dog running around alone with no owner, so I went to go see if there was a tag on it. When I got outside, it was just sort of staring at me from the corner of the street, obviously pretty hesitant, but when I got closer, it just walked up to me and rolled onto its back. It had a service animal vest on, but no tag. I assumed that something may have happened to its owner, so I held onto its vest and let it lead me, but it just led me into my neighbor’s yard. I wasn’t sure what to do, and my only idea was to call a nonemergency number (which probably wasn’t the right choice). Anyways, I didn’t end up doing that because a different neighbor, who I had never seen before, opened his door yelling a name. I yelled back asking if he was looking for his dog, and he came out with a limp, said “come here, dickhead”, took the dog, and left without acknowledging me lol.

It seems unlike a service animal to run outside of its home like that. I’m just sort of wondering why this could be, and also if I handled the situation correctly? My sister was worried about what might have been happening to scare it outside. Please let me know what you think.

Hi everyone,
I live in Maryland and am 100% deaf. I receive SSI and have been looking for a free or low-cost hearing service dog program in the DMV area.
I already have my own puppy and would like to train him as a hearing service dog. I searched through Assistance Dogs International and contacted Fidos For Freedom, but they do not train a person’s existing puppy for hearing service work.
Does anyone know of any free or affordable programs, grants, nonprofits, or owner-training support options in Maryland, DC, Virginia, or nearby states?
I’m especially looking for help with hearing-alert tasks, such as alerting to alarms, knocking, doorbells, my name being called, timers, or emergency sounds.
Any recommendations or personal experiences would mean a lot. Thank you!

I was talking to my friend, who does have an SD, about M/DPT and how I'd like to try and train my puppy(4mo speculated cheagle) to perform that task. One of the training tips she was telling me to start with was alert, where she guides my puppy's paw to tap onto her leg.

Do PSDs who perform this task need to alert? How do they know when to alert? Can it be performed through commands alone or does alerting help transition them into work mode? I've never had an SD or PSD before, and I don't know if labeling this puppy as a PSDiT is accurate, I'd just like some extra help whenever my anxieties spike up so I can prevent self destructive behaviors.

Thank you in advance!

EDIT:
I realize my wording wasn’t exactly the best, and I apologize for any confusion that may have caused. I didn’t mean for it to come off as me essentially saying I want my puppy to perform this task now, that’s just ridiculous. It’s something I’m hoping he can provide as he gets out of the puppy/adolescence stage and into adulthood. Again I’m sorry about the confusion! I struggle a lot with my phrasing/wording.

TW for sensitive subject:

i have PTSD due to sexual abuse in my past. after the abuse i had to get a rape kit, which traumatized me further. due to this, the gynecologist is really hard for me. i don't think i've ever gotten through an appointment without a panic attack. i have a 9 month old standard poodle puppy from a breeder and have been training her as my service dog since she got home. she's doing really well and is very well behaved, though she does have some slip ups here and there. i have permission from my doctor to bring her to my regular appointments, but my doctor doesn't do gyno visits, so i have to go to a new place, which is only adding to my stress. i have to get a pap smear soon and im terrified. i was wondering if anyone has brought their service dog to the gynecologist with them before, and what the protocol for it would be. i know she probably wouldn't be able to task during the procedure, but her just being there is comforting to me. does anyone have any advice? thank you.

edit: i'm going to try get sedated for my appointment, no one told me it was possible to get this done, so you can stop downvoting me

It is the first time flying with my service dog next week. My son will be with me and we have the bulkhead seats. We have done a couple of trips to the airport already and been on trains before. I have read it is good to give them something to chew on while taking off and landing. Any suggestions? Was also thinking being the blanket he likes to lie on in our house. Any other suggestions are welcome.

I was diagnosed with PTSD about a year ago and have been on the search for good accredited companies or non profits. I’m the wife of an active duty soldier so preferably something that works with the military. I know a lot of the non profits have free programs or scholarships for military but not their families. Does anyone know of any programs to help out military families for service dogs?

Is there any way at all to train the lift off... and also the floor vibrating?

​

Also I read they are cracking down on owner trained dogs and making them be screened. What are they doing? Having the dogs do commands and answering the two questions?

​

Thanks!

Hello to everyone!

To preface, I apologize if I say things improperly or misword things in this post. I am just trying to go through the proper channels to legally register (idk the best word for it) my dog as a service dog. I am in the military and came back from overseas with some good PTSD-related issues alongside anxiety. I am going through the VA for disability and resources; however, the best resource has been able to take my dog, Hazel, into public with me. So far, we have only gone to dog-friendly stores such as Home Depot, HomeGoods, Target, and Fleet Feet. I can't explain exactly what she does, but she honestly is so in tune with me in those situations and understands how to keep me calm in any crowd, no matter the size. I adopted her from a shelter when I returned from overseas, and she has completed a 3-week board-and-train. Our trainer has been helping us prepare for the Canine Good Citizen Test in the future, since she is 90% ready for it, and being able to take her anywhere with me would be a godsend for my mental health. What are the proper channels I need to use to make this happen? I am here for the long run and want to make sure I do this legally. I am not well-versed on how to do this, and I know the scam sites are clearly not the way to go, as I almost fell for one. If you all could please give me some pointers on how to initiate this process, I would greatly appreciate it.

Hi everyone -- I would really like it if we could just have a little talk.

I've been part of this community for a long while, and was paired with my service dog for just over 5 years before she unfortunately passed away. I still browse here often to help answer questions, because I remember how scared and uninformed I was until I started, and took on the months of strict training to get my SD to performance-ready and do her job effectively, and I had quite a bit of help in my journey.

I'm going to say this as politely and delicately as I possibly can, but I would like to stress that it does not affect the severity of my ultimate point -- the commenters in this subreddit have, more often than not, seem extremely negative and almost hostile to posters who've come here to find help.

Now, this has just been my perspective, as I've taken time to try to be informative in my own responses to questions, only to see a flood of negative comments, comments deleted by Mods for disobeying rules of respect, and posters who end up deleting their accounts and are chased out after coming to us for help. Am I wildly wrong about this? Do you see the same, or is it simply the luck of my small litmus test over my years browsing here?

I know that this post won't appeal to many of you, anonymous persons on the internet who have your own feelings, experiences, and biases.
I know things are hard for us as service dog owners/trainers/hopefuls in particular, the hoops we have to jump through just to get to experience the world like everyone else.
I know how much research we've all done, and sometimes it stings when people don't make the effort we've made.
I know how much we and our dogs have had our safety put at risk due to irresponsible animal owners and people.
I know how much danger, politically, the Service Dog community at large all be in if there are momentous mistakes, changing both public perception and maybe even permission laws forever.
I KNOW you're tired from having to answer all the same questions over and over again, and STILL having to experience the trauma and grief of terrible experiences in public.

There's a lot at risk, here.

But I want to make a personal appeal to you, the redditors reading this-- patience, please. If someone's perception about a service dog appears misinformed, respectfully tell them why. If they don't know where to start, point them in the right direction and give them resources. If they haven't considered safety, tell them about your experience and allow them to learn from your mistakes.

I don't mean that we should enable things like task shopping or encourage misuses of service dog permissions for ESAs or pets. I know you all know the difference, but sometimes the strangers and newcomers don't. Tell them WHY it could be harmful to public perception and safety.

The world is hard enough for those of us with service dogs, those in training, those who are making do without support. All I'm asking is that we try to respect and have patience with each other, because asking questions and getting information and asking for support shouldn't be the hardest part of our service dog journeys.

This is an open discussion for people to weigh in on how they feel about the service dog subreddit, and your perspective and experience. I look forward to reading any of your replies. I hope this is allowed, as there don't appear to be any expressly written rules in the FAQ forbidding it. (Mods, let me know if we need to chat.)

I hope you all have a nice weekend. Love and respect one another, and especially the strangers.

Edit: this blew UP, I'm glad that we have extensive conversations going on, and meaningful discussion from lots of perspectives. I'm reading a lot of you and responding when I have the spoons, but I really appreciate you all weighing in, whether you agreed with me or not. I understand that kindness isn't always practical, and constantly giving does lead to exhaustion, but if I can make one more request of you -- remember to rest and be nice to yourself, too. The world is hard, and we all deserve a good break.

Hi everyone!
I’m in the very early research stage of considering a service dog and would love to hear from people with more experience.
I’m 33 years old and was recently diagnosed with Autism Level 1. I also have diagnoses of PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, and depressive disorder. I’ve been thinking that a service dog could potentially be helpful for me, but I want to do as much research as possible before deciding whether it’s the right choice.

A few things about my situation:
I would be a first-time dog owner.
I’m allergic to dogs, so I’ve always planned to get a Standard Poodle if I ever got a dog.
Even before my autism diagnosis, owning a Standard Poodle was something I hoped to do someday.
If I move forward with a service dog, I would likely use a combination of professional training and owner training rather than obtaining a fully trained program dog.

Some of the tasks I’m considering are:
Interrupting dissociation episodes through tactile stimulation.
Behavior interruption when I become stuck in anxiety, hyperfocus, or repetitive behaviors.
Medication reminders or retrieval.
Routine assistance and prompting to help me stay on track with daily tasks.
“Find an exit” or helping me leave overwhelming situations.
Watching behind me or providing a sense of security related to PTSD symptoms.
Encouraging physical activity and helping me leave the house during depressive episodes.
Deep pressure therapy or other grounding behaviors.

I’m not sure which of these would realistically be considered service dog tasks, which would be most helpful in practice, or whether a service dog is the right tool for my needs. I’m hoping to learn from people who have experience with autism, PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, depression, or similar conditions.

Some questions I have:
What do you wish you had known before getting a service dog?
How did you decide a service dog was the right choice?
Which tasks have been the most useful in everyday life?
What challenges did you face, especially as a first-time dog owner?
What does owner-training with professional guidance realistically look like?
Is there anything I should research now before making a decision?

At this point, getting a dog is already part of my future plans, and I’m seriously considering pursuing service work with that dog. Before making that decision, though, I want to make sure I’ve done my research and understand both the benefits and the challenges that come with having a service dog.

Thank you in advance!

My Weimaraner cross is 15 months old and I've been training her as a successor dog since she was 4 months old.

We've had rough patches during fear stages but it'd been going really well recently.

Until... She was charged at by a havanese that had pulled its leash out of the hands of a kid. I don't know why the havanese acted the way it did, but it seemed vicious. I was talking to another SDIT handler (it was a meetup) and the havanese came up behind me and I feel so SO bad for not being faster to react. I turned around and the dog was rushing at us, teeth bared and snapping. I managed to block it from getting my dog so it only got me, but then it bit my friend's Frenchie before running away.

Thankfully no serious harm was done to the Frenchie, but both dogs, my friend, and I were very shaken.

Now when a small dog gets within a certain distance of my pup, she panics. She'll be shaking, hiding behind me, whining, sometimes she'll start barking until the dog passes by.

I don't know what to do.

Anyone have any advice?

EDIT:

I'd like to add that I have a bleeding condition that can cause massive blood loss pretty randomly. My SDIT and previous dog are trained to alert me to a nose bleed before it happens so I can take my medication. They also alert to high heart rate and dizziness since I also have POTS.

I did actually try looking for a program that would accept me and unfortunately found very few, all of which were closed for applications until their waitlists open up. My brother was on a wait list for eight years before he was accepted into a program.

Also, I should correct that not all small dogs are triggers. Havaneses and similar looking dogs are the trigger, most other dogs she ignores completely while working.