Hey all! Long time lurker whose learned a LOT from this reddit but finally created an account. My SDiT (1.5 female) and I moved to a new apartment place where, go figure, there are barking, lunging, and snapping dogs everywhere. (And I mean literally everywhere...several times a week just going out on daily walks we will be barked at) We've got a pretty good system down and the adjustment period was hard but, for the most part, the second a dog appears she'll look to me and move away with me or continue on our path. The problem that just recently happened was when someone walked out of their apartment with a dog who did not like mine so close to his house. The owner fumbled the leash and the next thing I know, the dog is within three feet pulling at the end of the leash, barking nonstop, and straining to get at my dog. While at first mine spooked and took a few steps to get behind me, after I processed the situation and turned to leave in the best way I could without getting closer to the dog (we were a little backed into a corner and most of the ways out would have brought us closer to an already extremely close dog), she began to move towards the dog. She reached the end of the leash and didn't pull at all, but wanted to get closer. She stood up, alert, tail wagging at a moderate pace in a carriage in line with her body. After a few moments of getting barked at and me trying to get her to look back at me, she refocused and walked away just fine except for stealing some looks back to look at the dog because it was still barking.

She has never shown any sort of aggression before and only had excitement problems when she was a young pup where she just couldn't focus well around dogs. That's been a long time and now she hardly looks a dog's way when she sees them for the most part. But I've been concerned that this repeated exposure to dogs who lunge and bark at her she could develop reactivity. We're constantly training to be neutral around them and are usually really good, but to be honest this encounter really made me wonder if she's acting inappropriately with a dog telling her to back off.

I guess, in summary, my question is what standard you all hold your dogs to when a dog comes up to them and barks at them in (at least to me at the time) a clearly aggressive way. Like am I expecting her to be something that dogs just inherently wouldn't be? If she wasn't training to be my service dog I would think nothing of her reaction and would be proud of her (and I most certainly am because we finished our walk just fine even after we ran into multiple dogs) but I also don't want to fall into that trap when it could be that she's starting to develop reactivity. As a disclaimer, I will be reaching out to my trainer about this, but most of my concerns about things like this she, kindly, laughs off and tells me to trust in my dog more and that she doesn't think any problems will develop, but if they do they will be able to be fixed.

Anyways, sorry for the long post but just curious what standards you all hold your dogs to and if anyone has any thoughts on

So I've got a 6 month old, throwback pomeranian, psychiatric service dog in training. We're still working very hard on his socializing and temperament, and he's very well behaved in 90% of ways when out in public. He obeys commands, asks permission before going to say hi to people, is very gentle and polite, and all around a good dog. But for that 10%, that struggle with focus, the temper tantrums he's had early on in training, those are what tereify me of being accused of "faking" his training or my efforts, or of being one of those horrible people you see on tiktok. I just want to be one of the good ones and I know there's a lot of highs and lows in the training process, but I feel like we need to see more of these low moments since they're perfectly normal. That's it, thank you for listening, tl;dr i just am anxious 😭

For background information I rescued this dog off the streets at 6 months old. She started doing extreme obedience about 8 months old (2 months into having her) and officially started SD training about 1 year of age. She just turned 2 and heres what we've accomplished so far:

Extremely advanced obedience, blood sugar alert, DPT, Tactical stimulation, Interrupting hyperventilating, public access (almost golden I'll come back to this).

We're still working on: POTS response (nudging under my feet and standing up so my feet are elevated above my head. We have each aspect down but are working on putting it all together), retrieving items, finding help (if I faint).

This dog is PHENOMENAL. Seriously would've never expected this from a stray and I'm so proud of how far we've both come. I was just starting to get diagnosed with things as I found her. Seriously a fate thing I think. However - she was 6 months old when I found her. She was malnourished, scared of everything, not potty trained, ill, and had clearly been neglected if not abused. This has not stopped her at all clearly and even in public access situations she's fantastic... until we hit a very specific situation like the gym, mall, airport, concerts, highway, all LOUD & FAST paced places. *it is ONLY the highway, it is not generalized to the car and she is fine in the car and on normal roads but the second she sees were getting on the highway - cue behavior*. She is unfocused, shaking and panting. We think it started with the highway because she likely was stuck on one as a pup and its transferring over into other loud fast places. OR second theory - its an instinctual thing like herding and theres too much stimulus for her brain to process at once. I just started her on prozac 1 month ago to see if I could keep her under threshold to desensitize to these very specific situations and while I have noticed some improvement its really killing her appetite which makes it hard for me to build a positive association to something if she won't take food. I recently found a process called "perception modification" instead of desensitization and I think that could be the key. Look up "TBTE" (training between the ears) and they explain a lot about it. However I'm not sure if I should keep her on the prozac (because I've seen some progress) or take her off (for her appetite). Again, to be very clear, while she is more geared towards timid than confident she does not display anxiety 95-98% of the time when she is working. It is in these specific scenarios. She LOVES working, is excited to put on her gear and get out into the world and do her job. I washed her for a few months previously and she was so depressed and regressing behaviorally, all of which stopped once she got her job back. I'm just not sure what to do in terms of the ethicality around a SD on anxiety meds (even temporarily for specific triggers) or what else to do if perception modification doesn't work.

*when she was "washed" she was still working at home and it was not enough for her, she missed the public aspect*

So - theres my dilemma. Any thoughts about why she displays this behavior, the meds, ways to help her, etc. please let me know! If it is a herding overstimulation thing, I don't mind some hyperawareness from her in those specific scenarios so long as she can focus on me to do her job which is not happening currently. If its anxiety, I don't want that for her. At the end of the day if she can work and just has to stay home 2-5% of the time when I find myself in those scenarios - thats okay. But I know we would both prefer to figure this out. She's incredibly intelligent and resilient and I feel like theres something I'm missing to help her through this.

Hi I’m 18f I’m from the USA, I was diagnosed with Tourette’s at the age of 12 when I first got my diagnosis back then it wasn’t as bad as it is now, as I got older my Tourette’s progressed, leading to tics that were so extreme I’d get concussion. I started taking medication that helped but obviously never got rid of the tics. A few years later when I turned 15 I was bed bound and I found out I had rheumatoid arthritis, I had to relearn how to do everything I know how to physically, all of these issues have fed into eachother for years. I’m currently using a cane on and of, my tics make my flare ups worse, and my anxiety makes the tics spiral. It’s a complete shit show when it comes to my health and the issues I have, but I say all of this to lead into the fact I have had the conversation more than once mentioning a service dog to help me with small daily task and in moments where I can’t help myself. The issues that are always brought up are:

1. Are my disabilities bad enough to wear I really need one
2. where do I start (I have looked on and off on my own but I don’t think I know what I am doing)
3. cost
4. time and my energy I don’t have a lot of energy in my body now days, I barely can go through daily college life, how would I manage to add in training with my health and schedule.

I feel very lost, and I’m can’t rely on people for small task like grabbing things or pressure when I’m alone. Am I valid, are my issues serious enough for considering a service animal? I just want to be able to live life without constant stressing about the smallest things like this and I know in return it will have a huge affect on my mental and physical.

I am booking an international flight. I have had good experiences flying with each airline, pre-service dog.

We’re planning a trip with my daughters service dog and I’d like to know which airline is better for flying with SD.

(I do not need tips on how to prepare for this really only looking to find out if one airline is better than the other specifically for SD)

In one of my previous threads there was discussion about explaining and revealing that my dog was a service dog. I don’t need to go into specifics, but the thought was that I should’ve explained more and earlier in the conversation to avoid confusion. Fair enough.

Having said that, unless it’s requested by a business, it’s not my responsibility to explain this to anyone. Of course, that would be ideal but I know it doesn’t work that way in reality.

To me it’s a double edged sword. It feels like victim blaming because I didn’t do enough to make others aware. An example might be a woman being blamed for wearing something too “revealing” (that’s a much worse problem but hopefully the idea gets across).

Do you have examples of occurrences and how have you handled them? Have you outright ignored others even though it could’ve “educated” them?

I bought a vest for my dog and it came with a service dog patch, now I never use the patch, because she is not a service dog. However, I was wondering if it would be okay for me to dress her as a service dog for Halloween, by putting the patch on for just tonight. If this is offensive or insensitive PLEASE PLEASE tell me so I can not do this😂 thanks a million!

Fair warning, post is all over the place. Please be kind, also, a lot of this is unknown and new for me.

To start off, I (20s F) do not have a service dog and do not live in America.

After months of casual research, going back and forth with myself (do I really need this, do I really 'deserve' this etc) and just generally wanting to see how my dog would grow up (he's now nearly 2.5 and I live with people who actively undermine my training) I decided I want to take that first official step. Not knowing where to start, I decided to ask my social worker if we can look at things together.

Big mistake because their reaction has left me questioning myself.

I'm a bit of a mess, both mentally and physically. Several diagnoses, waiting for a screening, a mystery chronic illness etc. Don't want to go into too much detail but I'm in that 'fun' group where my ability to do basic stuff varies each day.

Sometimes I hide when the doorbell rings. Another time I have a fun day out but will spend a week paying for moving that much. Yard work for hours could be fine one day, but I better not vacuum for five minutes the next. I could be having a good day mentally but my body decides not today, or vice versa. Really good days are rare.

I made my decision based on the mental side of things.

He already has some behaviors that I, as someone completely unfamiliar with what goes into SD training, figured could be built on to help me. Things like touching the back of my leg with his nose if I fidget too much, laying his weight on my lap when I ask him to, pawing at me under specific circumstances, things like that.

On those unavoidable but dog friendly outings, his presence alone helps me so much. He makes waiting rooms and public transport go from 'I will throw up if I don't leave right now' panic to being managable. If I have to go somewhere crowded, focusing solely on him gets me through it.

I suppose this entire post is really just a way for me to ask... do I 'deserve' a service dog? Or am I looking at it all wrong, overreacting, do I just need to toughen up etc

The social worker's response left me feeling like I'm the weirdo for thinking he could become a service dogs after taking all the right steps (then again, they did seem to think you can just lump SDs, therapy dogs and ESAs together bc 'they're all the same anyway'.)

Part of me feels like a fraud for even daring to consider my dog could be what I needed all along, honestly. ):

Hi all! Has anyone in Ontario owner trained and been able to access ViaRail?

I have an appointment with a new neurologist next week, and the most sensible mode of transport would have been the train, however, Via are demanding that I have a program trained service dog. Is this even legal? I've been all over both ViaRail and the CTA websites, and can't find anything relating to the fact that it is perfectly legal and acceptable to owner train in Ontario.

I have had to book to fly instead, which cost me a ridiculous amount. So I am massively frustrated by this. Does anyone have any answers for me? I have never had to rely on public transportation before since I usually drive, but my husband will be away with our car.

Hey guys,

I’m here to brag about outcome from another complaint of mine. But first things first, I’m in Bulgaria, here certification is mandatory and handlers are protected under the IPDA (integration of people with disabilities act).

Not so long ago I reported an issue in our equivalent of Walmart because a worker and a security guard harassed me. The worker came to bother me that people can be fearful and allergic to dogs, to which I replied that this isn’t my issue since my dog is an assistance dog recognised under the IPDA. After some back and forth he left me alone. Then at the exit the security guard stopped me and told me that he’s gonna let me slide this time but next time he’ll fine me. I offered to show documentation and he was like “no dogs period allowed into the store”. I offered to call the police and ask them, he backed off.

Today I went to the closest location and on my way out I saw that very same security guy. He followed me to the exit saying nothing. The shit eating grin I sent his way know I’m the reason he looks like he swallowed a lemon was priceless.

I’m glad he was not fired since this isn’t my point. I’m aiming for education over replacing people. If they get fired on first encounter they learn nothing but service dog handlers are bitter and have an agenda against the security guards.

Do any of you wear a camera or put one on your dog? If so I am looking for recommendations. Thanks in advance

Hi everyone!

I’m looking for guidance on service dog programs in Florida that could assist with mobility (balance), autism support, and (possibly?) high blood pressure detection. I've been researching various programs, but it’s tough to find organizations that cover all three areas—and ideally, I'd like to find a program that offers dogs free of charge or provides substantial financial assistance.

So far, I’ve looked into some well-known organizations like Canine Companions and Southeastern Guide Dogs, but they don’t seem to cover all the tasks I need, especially with balance support, since it seems to be a different "type" of service dog altogether. I’m also not a veteran, which limits my options with some programs.

If anyone has advice on programs that might offer free or low-cost placements in Florida for these needs, I’d love to hear about it! Or if you've navigated a similar situation, any tips on how you managed it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

Someone wants dog treats!

Is anyone doing anything fun? Our training facility is have a big party, so we are dressing up and going out for once!

There’s supposed to be trick or treating (for the dogs), and activities to do together. I am probably a bit over-excited about going to have fun.

I know it’s silly, and I wouldn’t go if it was for me, but I am really looking forward to seeing how much fun it’s going to be for my boy. We really don’t socialize with other dogs, so I’m happy he’s getting an opportunity to play with other safe dogs.

I hope all your pups are getting extra treats today!

I picked up Iradel on Saturday and oh my gosh she's an angel.

I decided to go with a 'started' dog. She has really good blood lines, and was raised really well.

Here's what I notice already

• very calm, but very alert
• learns incredibly quickly
• great general behavior
• definitely can do scent work
• doesn't bark
• no separation anxiety, sleeps quietly in her crate (except last night because I didn't know I was sick yet, but she sure did.)
• super snuggly
• waits to greet
• potty trained
• not bothered by gear(or Halloween costumes)

Honestly the list could go on and on. I'm so excited to work with her. She's already mastered one task.

First I want to start that I have no problem with service dogs or their handlers and this is not meant o be hate.

I know that there is a very wide audience using prongs and that there are a lot of people misinformed about them. I love seeing service dogs in public (although I never try and say hi) because I think it’s fascinating that they are so smart and are able to be trained like that.

HOWEVER, I feel like I’ve never seen a service dog wearing a prong correctly - most SD’s I’ve seen have been wearing one. - and they’re almost always too low on the neck and could be a little tighter.

Do you think it comes from like a lack of training from the organization in giving the handler usages for it? I just want to know if trainers and organizations show a handler how to use one before?

Also I have no hate against prongs either, just sucks that they are misused and hated on so much when they can be great if used properly.

just a quick question, i was scrolling on insta and saw a persons page for their service dog. their bio stated they were 14 years young, and the service dog is being trained by them to be a psd. i’m not judging though! i’m just a bit curious on how that works for teenagers to have services dogs.

So my ptsd is debilitating, gives me seizures and my eyes twitch so i can’t see, i really want to be independent but the second I’m by myself i land in the hospital. I also have anxiety problems as well. I’m looking into getting a service dog, i would specifically like a large short haired breed, but if longer furred dogs are better for this that’s alright. I have two cats so hopefully a breed that does well with them? I’m very new to this so i would love all your ideas/input!

Hello all, I have been doing research on where to get or train a service dog for autism and ptsd. With the support of my doctor and therapist I’ve been trying to find somewhere in Canada 🇨🇦 to get a service dog. But there is so little to read through and no clear instructions that I can find to follow.

I feel so lost and nervous about the process, is there anywhere that someone can recommend in Canada? Or maybe even some guidance on your own experience and a list of steps for me to follow to help me get along my way?

Thank you

Hello! For context I'm in highschool and I have PTSD, autism, panic disorder, pots and I struggle with delusions. Me and my parents have been looking into service dogs for almost 5 years now and we don't really know what to do beacuse there's so many paths to go down. Something that's really important to me is an emotional connection with the dog, I want him to be my dog if that makes sense now this comes with a couple complications beacuse most pretrained service dogs are already named and I want to do that so we were thinking of getting a puppy and training him through a program, we sadly can't do a home training otherwise we would try that, the worry is that the puppy we get won't grow up to be what we need from a service dog, some dogs are just naturally made to be a playful dog and the gamble is really risky. Another thing is that his task would range from ESA work to SD work and we don't know if that's a combo they can do? So the question is should we get a pretrained dog or try to rescue a puppy and train him?

Sorry if none of this makes sense I'm not good with words, any advice is appreciated though!

Hello,

I am planning a trip to India from the USA in January 2025 and will be bringing my trained and registered psychiatric service dog along.

I'm looking for any experiences or information regarding traveling with service dogs in-cabin on domestic airlines in India such as IndiGo, Akasa, or Vistara. My itinerary includes visits to Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Dehradun, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Chennai over the course of three months.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

I am planning on sending my boy to be trained as a service dog and any advice on finding the right training facility would be greatly appreciated. I’ve found a place in Pulaski ( Nee York ) .. we live in Manhattan .

He is an 11 month old Groenendael Belgian Sheppard and already has the right personality .. super sweet and friendly and great with people , children and other dogs , he’s incredibly smart .. I could go on and on ..

The people I will be sending him to are certified trainers and I went to visit the facility and it all looked good . The owner has also had groenendaels before , in fact his first dog was a groenendael.

They’ve said they can train him ( while boarding ) for what I need in 6 weeks ( I’ve already taught him a lot of the commands like sit stay place etc ) and they’re asking what seems to be a reasonable price .

My main concern , as he’s my first dog .. is there anything I should know before sending him away for that long and is that the right amount of time ? Also if anyone has a recommendation for service dog trainer please let me know .

Apologies for the long post and thank you in advance

Hi all! I was wondering what you guys did for your teenagers to keep them focused and engaged with you, I can't keep mines attention for the life of me lol.

Anything helps!

Edit: sorry for the non specification!

He is 10 months old, poodle mix, and he's just not engaged. I can keep his attention for a minute but eventually he turns to sniff something, even if it's something he's seen a bazillion times. I use freeze dried beef liver as treats, but I mostly train with his food.

Training wise I make sure he's had sniffing time and play time before I try training, but it no matter what I do he just seems distracted. Even with toys, I lose his interest for a few seconds.

i just upgraded my phone today and the case has a big gap on the side to accommodate a button, so not all edges are fully covered. on my prior phone case I used a pop socket for my SD to retrieve easily, but that’s not an option on this phone. my retriever has a soft mouth but i’m slightly worried about his teeth damaging that exposed button..

the case does have a lanyard slot, but i’m not sure if i’d want to use that - i might if it’s my only option, would need to find a lanyard that doesn’t get in the way too much. does anyone else have their SD pick up their phone without the aid of a pop socket, if so what do you use?

Can you claim receipts for your service dog on your taxes as they are a medical device?

i’ve been training my dog to be a psd for about a year now and am really starting to focus on public access. what is the best footwear or shoe for a male golden retriever who’s about 75lbs?

Hi! I am new to all of this and am wondering how I go about getting a psychiatrist service dog. I live in Minnesota and am 20 years old. I do have 2 letters by my care team stating my need of a service dog but I am having trouble finding either a trained dog or how to go about it. Any and everything helps. Thank you!

Hello Everyone!

I am looking into the possibility of getting a service dog but have some questions. I have multiple disabilities. Autism. Adhd, Possible Pots Diagnosis that is ongoing, and deaf in one ear and about to start the hearing loss process in the other. I am also dealing with current mental health issues and currently looking for a therapist but I am low income and on medicaid currently which makes it tricky.

Can a service dog organization train a dog to work with multiple disabilities or just one? I am primarily looking at canine companions since I met one of their hearing dogs and met one of the trainers. Any tips for those who are looking and knowing what's a good org to look for.

Edit: I've got the answers now, thanks to you lovely and helpful people. I really appreciate it! Edit 2: Got a little overwhelmed and can't reply to every new comment, but thank you again for helping! ❤️

Original post: My dog (11 m/o smooth collie) keeps getting mistaken for an assistance dog by members of the general public. He is not an assistance dog, he is a pet puppy.

Is there anything I could do to make it visibly clear that my dog is a pet, not a highly trained working dog? More importantly, could my dog regularly being mistaken for an assistance dog be harming the assistance dog community in some way?

He usually wears a red Ruffwear Switchbak harness as well as his collar and lead.

I use mobility aids due to physical disability, and when out with my dog I use my walking stick as it leaves one hand free for training him (he's walked on a waist belt).

We live in a very dog-friendly town but my dog in particular keeps being singled out as an assistance dog (remarks between onlookers, people coming up to me to comment on my (alleged) assistance or even GUIDE dog(?! The guide dog thing today was the final straw)) when to my eyes he's very clearly a PET, an adolescent who still needs to work on behaving appropriately in public.

I wasn't sure where else to ask - I lurk in this sub a lot as I have The Dog Autism™ - I hope posting this is okay.

I really don't want to harm the assistance dog community by accidentally passing my pet off as an assistance dog 😭

I know showlines often come with health risks or deformaties, and i honestly prefer the look of a workingline plus the fur is less maintanence. However, i know wl have a much higher drive which im worried could make them unsuited for service work. Gsd service dog owners what did you choose and why?

Vent post, sorry

I have a lot of tolerance for people yelling "doggy!" And generally making a fuss over my existence, the one place I don't is in the emergency room. Here I am, at 3 in the morning walking into my local ER, and a staff member outside stops me to try and pet my dog, then I finally get inside and it takes so long to answer all the basic questions because they're busy talking to him over and over....and like....wtf. Im actively struggling enough with my health to front a hospital bill, and the whole time you're more obsessed with my dog then helping me. I'm annoyed, I feel like hell, it's now 4am, leave him alone and do your job.

It happened last time I came here with a 9/10 pain headache, and them squeaking out "puppy" was so painful and exhausting. Just do better man...