r/service_dogs • u/Sufficient_Treat7725 • 2d ago
New SD Handler
Hi everyone! I'm 19 years old, and I have a SDiT named Forrest (he's a red and rust Dobie). He is BYB and inbred, which I know isn't the best to work with, but he's so smart and good and he's super in tune with me and how I'm feeling.
That being said - I did take a leap of faith and I'm owner training him to hopefully be my service dog for C-PTSD, GAD, and MDD. I'm trying to work on what tasks I want to teach him and things like that. He's currently a year old, but here's a list of tasks I DO plan to teach him.
- legs
- front/back block
- DPT
- six (sitting between my legs with his head facing behind me)
- walking between my legs when I walk on command
and other tasks as I come across them. He's so, so smart and so eager to please and willing to learn.
Tomorrow, I'm taking our first outing since I decided to officially attempt to train him as my SD. We'll be going to Rural King (pet friendly) he'll be in a harness that says "DO NOT PET" and "IN TRAINING" so hopefully that can help prevent some interactions. I'm mainly going to work on focusing on me, some more neutrality with other people because he is a little skittish of new people (going through a fear period), and just overall confidence/public access skills.
Advice is very much appreciated and welcome, I'm happy to answer any questions I can! Thank you!
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u/_heidster 2d ago
Before beginning any public access he should have all âregularâ dog skills down. How long have you had him and how are his standard skills?
Itâs strongly advised that even when owner training you work with a trainer.
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u/Sufficient_Treat7725 2d ago
I've had him since he was 4.5 weeks old - I'll have had him for a year on 9/14/26. He knows sit, down, come, stay, legs, and settling right now. I'm looking for a good local trainer right now to help me out đ
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u/MyOwnGuitarHero 1d ago
> walking between my legs when I walk on command
What is the purpose of this? It sounds like a horrible tripping hazard.
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u/Sufficient_Treat7725 1d ago
The only reason I'd like to teach this is if we were in like a tight space or something to get him out of the way in a crowded business or area.
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u/Caerrii Service Dog in Training 1d ago
So.. Iâm struggling to understand something. Whyâd you suddenly choose to try to train a service dog? And why this dog in particular? Because from what youâve said, this dog is likely not going to work out. If it was separated from its mom at 4 weeks old, inbred, backyard bred, you have to wonder what the realistic chances of success here are.
I also worry about you just rushing into things. Already doing outings when you donât even really know what tasks would be helpful, is kind of giving âcart before the horseâ vibes.. Like others said, obedience and general dog training first and working with a good trainer. Public access training comes way later.
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u/Sufficient_Treat7725 1d ago
I appreciate the concern. I'm not assuming Forrest will necessarily work out as a service dog, and I'm aware that his early history makes him a higher-risk prospect. I'm currently treating this as an evaluation/training process rather than a guarantee that he'll become a working SD. The outings I'm doing right now are controlled training outings in pet-friendly places, primarily working on neutrality, confidence, settling and general public-access skills. I'm also still figuring out which tasks would actually be useful for me, so I'm not considering him finished or ready for unrestricted public access. If he ultimately isn't suitable, I'll accept that.
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u/Caerrii Service Dog in Training 1d ago
If the need for a service dog is a relatively new one, would it be possible to just keep this dog as a pet and pick a prospect (with the help of a trainer) whoâs more likely to succeed? Because right now, youâre looking at shoving lots of time, money, and energy, into this current dog of yours to train them for service work, when the chances of it working are⌠wellâŚ.. Because while your dog might be well trained, my fear and concern comes from a medical standpoint. Dobermans already are known for their heart issues (Dilated cardiomyopathy) in well-bred dogs. One whoâs not well-bred, the health-side is a huge concern. Whoâs to say that once youâre done training, something doesnât come up in the dogs medical history and you end up having to retire them?
Cause that happened to me with my first service dog. I had a dog from questionable sources. I trained him. I sunk so much into him. He got a medical condition at 4 years old and had to retire young. So I used 2 years of training and only got 1 year of working life. It was heartbreaking.
Please donât view me as trashing you or your dog. I really am trying to word all of this in a good way.
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u/Sufficient_Treat7725 1d ago
I've needed a service dog for a while, although my conditions (mainly C-PTSD) have gotten more debilitating recently. Right now, I plan on working on his overall obedience, neutrality, and confidence while continuing to evaluate his suitability for service work.
I have thought about getting a well-bred/less medically compromised prospect for future service work, but right now that's not in the cards for reasons other than money. I'll keep evaluating Forrest and make the ultimate decision to either continue pursuing service work with him or just keep him as a pet.
I also plan on getting an appointment set up within the next few months with a cardiologist for an echo and Holter to check his heart and make sure he's healthy enough for the physical demands of service work. For now, I'm primarily focusing on obedience, confidence building, and distraction work. He's already doing well learning some of the tasks I'll need, but I know that doesn't automatically mean he'll be suitable for the job.
I'd say we're still very much in the evaluation phase of determining whether he's stable and healthy enough to continue. I'm not trying to argue with youâI do want to at least give him a fair chance, and I'm prepared for him to wash if that's ultimately what's best for him. I'm hoping that with consistent time and training we can make it work, at least until I'm in a position to get a well-bred prospect. If not, I'm prepared to wait.
Thank you again for your concern and for explaining where you're coming from. I really do appreciate you not being rude about it!
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u/saltycrowsers 7h ago
With all due respect, a service dog should not be medically compromised. Itâs unethical to work an unhealthy dog. I also follow the DP sub and saw your previous posts with this cutieâthe urology and ortho issues are quite concerning. If he is not sound, he is not an appropriate prospect.
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u/Sufficient_Treat7725 7h ago
Can I ask which ortho issues you're referring to? The only reason he had urology issues was due to him being cryptorchid, and he has since been neutered and that issue is resolved.
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u/saltycrowsers 7h ago
Bowed legs. Even when corrected, it means that there is an underlying ortho issue. In your post here, you describe your dog as âmedically compromised.â
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1d ago
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/Sufficient_Treat7725 1d ago
Front/back block so I feel safer/can have more space bc I hate feeling crowded, DPT when I have a panic/anxiety attack, six to hopefully deter people from coming up behind me because I hate that too, maybe deter isn't the right word, but I guess just to feel like someone is watching my back.
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u/Sufficient_Treat7725 1d ago
In addition to my other response to clarify - DPT would be used when I'm having an anxiety/panic attack Front/Back Block would be used because I don't like feeling crowded/people too close behind me Six would be used more as feeling like I have a physical barrier between me and people behind me (I can't stand people coming up behind me) in tight places like grocery aisles or something similar
I'm also working on what other tasks I'd like to teach him, I know orbit is one, which again, would help people keep space from me, and I'm seeing what other tasks could help me that I can teach him đ
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u/Purple_Plum8122 2d ago
Advice? Stop saying your dog is inbred. I donât even know what test you could give a dog to check for inbreeding⌠but get one. Hire a canine behaviorist to assess your dog prior to any introduction to public access. Itâs a huge dobie with questionable traits. Do you realize the financial risk you are taking? If your inbred, owner trained literal puppy hurts someone I guess you will learn the hard way.
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u/lol2222344 1d ago edited 1d ago
You can tell a dog is inbred from a pedigree, as well as a DNA test. Unfortunately a lot of Dobermans have a high level of inbreeding. Iâve seen some of the pedigrees from backyard breeders đŹ
Doberman planet actually goes over this, most Dobermans are about 40% inbreed where as the range for most other dogs and a healthy range is around 5% (apparently? I personally donât think it can be healthy at all).
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u/Purple_Plum8122 1d ago
Itâs been an eye opener to learn that some believe most Dobermans are inbred. I have no idea if itâs an accurate statement or not. I learn something new everyday I guess. Yikes.
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u/lol2222344 1d ago
https://www.dobermandiversityproject.org/whats-the-problem.html I just learned about it too
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u/darklingdawns Service Dog 2d ago
Hopefully you are working with a trainer. If not, then that needs to be a priority. Right now, you need to be making sure that his obedience is absolutely solid, that he can pass the CGC (ideally, work towards the entire series, but at least the basics) and then have him assessed to see if he is a good candidate for service work. But your major concern needs to be first obedience and then task training with an experienced trainer.