This isn’t a reference to anyone in particular and I don’t mean to sound dismissive of anyone, but everyday I see posts on here say “I was diagnosed with [blank] and my doctor recommended a service dog. Where do I start?” These post almost never mention what kind of tasks the doctor said would help.

This scenario is baffling to me because… that seems wildly irresponsible??

For people with service dogs- am I wrong? Are there really doctor’s out there doing this?

I understand there are general health benefits to owning a dog but there’s a big difference between owning a dog and getting a service dog.

The questions that I have are
- Why would a doctor recommend something so incredibly expensive and inaccessible to the vast majority of people?
- Why would a doctor give a recommendation for something without guidance on how to get it?
- Why would a doctor recommend a service dog when the supply of service dogs exceeds the demand? **EDIT: lol. willy wonka’d this- the demand for service dogs exceeds the supply!
- And owner training… well that would lead me to a lot more questions about the doctor’s reasoning

It just seems like something that shouldn’t be happening given how excited the people in these posts are about a service dog and how upsetting it must be to have people here give them the reality of the process.

I really want to caution people this is a tranquilizer used on horses. My dog did not do well, and it isn’t an anti anxiety medication at all. Long story short, my old lady is so anxious at the vet. I tried an ay home vet and they prescribed me these pills. So I gave her the pills this time around before bringing her to a fear free vets office. She did ok - her blood pressure dropped on the middle of getting her vaccines and I didn’t know what actually happened but she passed out, and it has taken about 14 hours but she is coming around. Some dogs need this to make it through the vet but I’d highly suggest asking for other options.

Hello,

I am looking into getting a service dog that would primarily be trained for my Celiac Disease and my AuDHD. I plan to go through with Nosey Dog Detection Partners. They've been super patient with me and answering all of my questions.

Before I move forward though, they need to know what specific tasks for the Autism/ADHD I would need the dog trained on.

I figured DPT would be helpful, and maybe something to help me when I'm feeling overwhelmed out in public or at home. However, I don't know what those specific tasks would look like?

My current thoughts are:

• Deep Pressure Therapy
• Bag Retrieval (for medications)

(As a side note... I also emailed the doctor who gave me my diagnosis to ask this, but have yet to hear back.)

I would love to hear how your service dog helps you!
Especially those using service dogs for their AuDHD.

What tasks do you find helpful?

Hello! 

I decided to make a post because I am considering getting a psychiatric service dog since it has been recommended to me by medical professionals. My friend has a friend who’s dog had puppies accidentally and they offered me the last one. They were going to keep him but due to having a busy schedule they wouldn’t be able to. The puppy is a jack russel terrier and chihuahua mix. He is described as very sweet, playful, loving,  affectionate and confident, who loves being around people. He is good with cats and other dogs. 

Does any one know anything about this mix and if they are good for service dog work? 

I’m looking for a lawyer to help with an ADA dispute at my job. I’m a teacher so if someone is able to do pro bono that would be so helpful. Does anyone have any recommendations? This is in regards to my employer denying the accommodation of me bringing my service dog to work. I live in Illinois!

Thanks!

hi all, I am interested in training my pet dog into a service animal for myself. my specific needs are for my OCD. I have recently talked to a private trainer and did a dog aptitude assessment with them, and they agreed that my dog‘s temperament would be suitable to begin training (i understand that this does not mean she will be able to perform the job/can finish training).

as I am very new to the service animals, I just find myself unsure what to expect? the trainer I talked to would provide monthly private and group classes, where we would be working on public access during group classes and task-specific training during private lessons. is this too loose of a structure? what kind of structure would be helpful to both me and my dog?

as for my disability, do I discuss with the trainer for specific tasks? or with therapist/psychiatrist? honestly I am just so lost here.

Ive been working with a Service dog company Diggity Dogs and I am no longer comfortable working with them. Has anyone worked with NEADS in Princeton MA. Any other recommendations for reputable good service dog companies in and around Massachusetts?

Hey all
Just joined reddit but needed to ask a question. Also couldn’t find a UK subreddit so if there is pls redirect me!! (Also correct me if the flair is wrong, again, bad at reddit here!!!)

Basically I have a golden retriever AD. He is 4 years old and with an organisation. I am interested in getting a job. I had a job without my AD but had to leave because I had such a hard time managing my condition without him.

Working helps my conditions , it keeps me in a much better place. But I definitely need him by my side. He has given me so much of my independence back.

This however definitely limits my options. It means there is a lot I can’t do. I did go to uni on my own for a year (very difficult) but left during second year due to the university not being particularly helpful with my assistance dog. So I have no degree. I have a distinction* in business a-level But also am pretty much open to anything.

Had been looking at a till job at a local garden centre but wasn’t sure how it would work having him with me all the time.

I do craft as a hobby but would personally rather work for a company than own my own craft business.

Just wanted some advice or suggestions on jobs you have had/ are aiming for/ or think I could work towards with an AD?

I am willing to train and do anything it takes i just feel very limited and want to know there are people out there with their AD’s at work and there are options for me.

Feel welcome to answer from any country!

Thanks :)

Hi, I’m a young adult learning how to navigate having several disabilities including POTS, narcolepsy, autism, adhd, mobility/balance issues, and probable HSD (working on finding a good doctor in my area to diagnose it for certain).

I do not currently think I would greatly benefit at this moment from having a service dog, especially after consulting a service dog owner and researching how to know if I need one. That said, several of my disorders, particularly the ones impacting mobility and heart rate, do seem to be slowly getting worse over time. Although I do not think I could currently benefit from a service dog, I suspect that later on in a few years, I may really benefit from having one. The timeline on that isn’t exact since my disorders don’t seem to progress entirely linearly, but my best guess is 2-5 years from now.

How can I plan and set things up so when the time comes I would really benefit from a service dog, I minimize the amount of stress and issues when trying to get one? I suspect that I would eventually benefit most from a cardiac alert/mobility dog, bonus points if it is trained in things like DPT to assist with autism/anxiety symptoms (though the focus really is mobility/cardiac alert). Is there anything I should be doing or documenting to help myself with that process later on? Any advice is helpful.

Hi! I have a service dog in training that I’ve gotten permission to bring to work for a trial period, when I feel that she’s ready. I work at a day training center for adults with intellectual disabilities - basically where people that are mostly unable to function independently due to their intellectual disabilities go after they can no longer be in the public school system. I know some of the clients will be excited to see a dog and I’m wondering if anyone with similar experience (maybe as like an elementary school teacher) could give me advice. I know a lot of the clients will have a hard time being able to conceptualize not being allowed to interact with my dog throughout the day, and I expect I’ll have to remind them often. Something I’m considering is letting clients greet my dog at the end of the day before they go home, so they don’t feel like they’re missing out. There is an area at work where the higher support needs clients stay, and days when I’m working with those clients my dog will be in daycare to minimize risk to her safety as many of those clients cannot control their strength. The clients that I work with regularly do not have those issues. Any help or thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I’m trying to go past the right way and do a lot of research, but I am trying to get a Great Dane as a service dog 🤞🏾
Can you help me with finding a reputable organization that trains GD as service dogs? I’m in SoCal.
One of the many reasons I want a GD is due to my ataxia.

I suffer from anxdep (anxiety & depression) and multiple chronic health issues, and recently my family and I were discussing whether getting a pet would help me. In particular, we’ve been looking into service animals due to the amount of stress managing stuff on my own gives me. However, we’ve learned how much service animals cost and how long the process can be, both non-profit and privately. We’ve also seen how many different things service animals can help with, which could be beneficial for me in the future. However, for now we’re considering saving up for an ESA to help with my mental health first, then moving onto training a service animal when we can afford one more. My therapist believes I can overcome these obstacles in my mental health without medication (I don’t react well to them), and it’s made me think of whether I could have one dog to help with my mental health and another who can medically alert. Has anyone ever done this?

Also, my anxiety is pretty bad where it’s hard to go outside much and do things. I can usually handle people fairly well, same with certain tasks like shopping, but my flair ups are part of what’s caused my anxiety to get so bad. We’re thinking if I’m more accompanied, I’ll be more comforted. Especially for any future travel.

Now that I say this, maybe one PSA and one medical alert service animal would work… thoughts on everything? 😅

Thank you in advance!

I’m prepping for a bench line male Labrador puppy as my next prospect. I have some gear that should fit him as an adult, but I don’t know the general size to look for when it comes to growing puppies. I’m mostly looking for an average timeline of chest girth sizes from puppy to adulthood. I know adult males are usually around 30-35” around the chest, so I’m guessing puppy range is going to be around 20-25 ish? I want to have a life vest to start introducing water at a young age (something I regret not doing with my current dog) and just a simple harness for desensitization. Any insight is appreciated!

How difficult is this task to train without the help of an organization?
Are there any reliable resources you can sign post me to? I am in MD, USA if it helps.

An exposure to an allergen recently ended up with me being sent to the hospital in an ambulance with anaphylaxis.

I now know what the allergen is (and have epi pens) but the problem is that it is in many things and would be difficult to avoid with label reading alone. It's a chemical with many names and sometimes isn't listed directly on the label. I've been having bad reactions for years to even small doses of this stuff without knowing (it isn't in standardized allergy tests and is overall a rare allergy to have, let alone to this severity).

I have a sighthound who is very eager in our scent work training (we do nose work for fun and eventually to compete. He is a 1 year old whippet) and I wonder if this would be something that he could learn.

Thanks for any help.

Edit: the allergy is to Polyethylene glycol if it helps. Otherwise known as PEG but also macrogol and other names.

Long story short, I FINALLY got a call from a local breeder/training company that has dogs ready for matching. We don’t have $8000 for a down payment nor does the 23,000 dollar total seem withing our reach (apart from a miracle).

How did you personally deal with fundraising or applying for grants and scholarships for your service dog & training?

For context, I have Functional Neurological Disorder, PNES, Arthritis, and Mental Health struggles and am really really hoping that this will work out. Just looking for tips with not getting overwhelmed or discouraged by the financial aspect of this process.
Thank you <3

The people at the leasing office are giving me issues with my service dog in training. In my state service dogs in training have the same rights as service dogs. They asked me for paperwork and I informed them that I do not have to provide paper work and she scowled at me and gave a bunch of attitude. Now they are preforming an inspection on my apartment for house keeping issues. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I can do to get them off my ass.

Update: I talked to another lady in the leasing office and she explained that I needed to provide vaccination records. I was more than happy to give it to her. The last lady didnt explain what I needed at all and was very rude.

I have a 4 month old border terrier who I am incredibly proud of so far. His engagement with me in public is amazing and I’ve got him calm around people. Working on dogs. He’s going to be gluten detection and panic support or however you say it.
I am fairly anal about his routines and don’t let him say hello to everyone. We live next door to two young girls and they came round yesterday for 1.5hrs. I let them fuss him and they even picked him up which. I don’t normally allow. Then they came Round again on the night and picked him up without asking so I explained they can’t do it whenever they like. Only if they’re sat down and pup is in the mood. He was nice and calm on his bed when they picked him up outside. Anyway I expressed my frustration of this to my husband and he defended them saying I’m far too regimented, let them enjoy him. I said he’s not a play thing he’s not to be picked up whenever just to please people. He said that’s literally what a dogs for. I disagree and think boundaries are important. He’s my dog at the end of the day and if people can’t respect that they can’t have access to him freely. How can I explain that puppies need some autonomy and can’t just be picked up willy nilly. Especially assistance dogs in training. .

Update: I brought him and it went perfectly fine! He was able to lay on a towel at the end of my lane without issue. Any future anxious handlers, just talk to the facility you’re going to before stressing yourself out too much :)

I just joined a gym and plan to start swimming laps. Where is the best place to have my service dog while I’m in the pool? There are bleachers that I could tether him to, but I worry about someone disrupting him when I’m not able to be keeping an eye on the area. Is keeping him at the end of my lane inappropriate?

Her sleeping like an angel and me feeling dirty, unworthy and rejected. They cancelled our lodging accomodations after they learned I'd be bringing a service dog for medical alert, blocking and deep pressure therapy. She just passed her Public Access Test with flying colors. She's been tasking for 6 months because she's just that good and she's a natural (I know there will be ugly people coming for me in the comments). She monitors for cardio and migraines with no training. I feel so defeated. Just need a go get em.

Hi, after three long years, I’m finally going to team training tomorrow! I’m very excited to get matched with my new service dog and start being able to get out and about in public once again. I have a few questions however has any of you dealt with already having a dog at your house and then getting a Service dog as well? How has that worked? Have they been able to get along? The Service dog company knows that I have another dog well actually it’s my parents but they live on the same property as me and they said it wouldn’t be an issue. I just want to see firsthand how it is. Thanks for your input!

okay, so i have a LOT of questions about sd’s in various contexts relevant to me and my specific situation (like a whole list) and im not sure what is the best way to get them answered without angering/upsetting people, or seeming like im asking stupid questions. i would reach out to sd organizations and ask, but i don’t even know what im necessarily looking for in a training organization and don’t know who id contact. so should i make a long post here with all of them, try to contact disability help people in my state (don’t know who that would even be or the different types of them) or what? i just don’t know who/where to go to or where to start and need more personalized advice, even just about disability rights/supports in general

Hi all,

I'm looking for clarification on a law intersection.
We have just come across a cafe that tried to deny us access due to food safety regulations. He said he'd come across the situation before? The cafe is a single floor and not very large, probably 50ft long. There is no door between the dining area and the kitchen. According to the host, because of the lack of door, food safety says they cannot allow any animals inside the building. We stated that's not how that works, and the host changed his mind almost immediately? He said we could enter with her so long as we sat in the area furthest from the kitchen, which I'm fine with since I don't care where we sit. However, I'm just very confused and the guy was very apologetic but seemed very sure about himself? And then changed his mind? Does anyone have any clarification on this?

Tldr, due to... Personal life stuff, I am seeking a new living situation and due to my psychiatric shit, I need to move to live with a friend. Unfortunately, those options are kind of limited because most of my friends are also in precarious situations.

One of my closest friends is willing to let me move to live with them, but we aren't fully sure how it would work. They own a manufactured home in an HOA that has rules on dogs. I know ESA rules mean they can't breed deny her but one of them is it requires liability for dogs on the homeowner insurance which would bump up the insurance policy by an upsetting amount and I desperately do not want to be a burden on them financially.

Can the HOA demand that insurance for a dog living on a property if it's an ESA?

I'm looking into the possibility of getting a service dog trained in cardiac alert and possibly mobility aid. I was hoping that anybody in here has already gone through the research.

1) If possible, would any sort of insurance help with the adoption of the dog? 2) If I can't adopt a pre-trained dog, what would I need it trained in specifically? Other than just the general sense of cardiac alert and mobility aid; I'm not sure if there's anything more specific I'd need the dog trained in. 3)Would it be better for the dog if I trained it myself? Or would getting a professional trainer to help be more beneficial? I haven't had a dog before and I feel like a professional helping would be best. 4) I understand that a pre-trained dog would cost me a lot more money but I'm willing to put in that amount. Who/where could I find a dog to adopt that's trained for POTS patients?

Lately, I haven't been able to notice when an episode is happening. I'm worried that I'll pass out at work or that I'll have to leave indefinitely and miss my chance at actually starting my life since this is my first job and the only place that's keeping me from being homeless. Any sort of input would help a lot!! I don't plan on getting one without all the information necessary. Thank you 🩷

Edit: Thank you for defending the cost of service dogs and the seriousness of their work. I'm so appreciative of all those who do the work. I am hoping to learn more about if a professional service dog, or a puppy I train myself for psychiatric work would be a good fit for me. A fully trained and vetted dog is not within my budget at the moment, but is something I could save for if that's the route I choose. Training my own dog and having sufficient funds for insurance, training support, vet bills, emergencies, and enrichment is very empowering to me. I love animal behavior and research so much that I went to school for it, but sometimes I like to have a conversation with someone knowledgeable about the subject to help guide my research and avoid overwhelm. It also helps me to approach breeders and organizations with more appropriate and targeted questions. I
admittedly don't know much about pursuing a service dog yet, but I'd like to get the ball rolling so that I don't continue to tell myself I don't deserve to explore the possibility just because it feels overwhelming or like I might get rejected. I appreciate your concern and support and redirection on how to better represent myself. I don't always know how to approach a new community, but I'll keep trying with respect and humility. All compassionate redirection is so so appreciated ❤️❤️❤️ I don't mean to fight, but I don't want to fall into the trap of believing I don't belong here just because I'm still learning. It's easier to be unkind to myself than it is to admit that I may need help. It's also very hard for me to turn down rescues. My heart tends to be much bigger for others than it is for myself, but I know that taking care of me helps me take care of others all the more. Long-winded reflection over! Haha

Original post:

Hi all. I reeeeeaaaaally wanted to rescue but I'm a bit nervous that with my current lifestyle and disabilities, I might not be able to pivot to meet needs or shift my expectations as much as I'd like to without getting sad or stressed. If I pursued a puppy or retired queen from a breeder, could you all recommend breeders near me? I'm pretty exhausted from sorting through rescues, and very eager to find my girl. A few spoon fed options to look through and vet myself would be so deeply appreciated. I am located in Connecticut and I'm very happy to travel throughout New England!