Hello! A friend asked me to post this. They were looking for a psychiatric service dog. They are diagnosed with anxiety, depression, OCD, and PTSD. They said there were many sources online for service dog recommendations, which made it difficult to find a trustworthy source. Would anyone have any recommendations as to a service dog program they could get a service dog from? They live in Pennsylvania, in the United States.

This is a bit of an odd question, but I ordered a custom vest from them in May, and they stopped contacting me in July. I have tried DMs through Insta but the shop is “closed” and DMs haven’t been read. It’s been too long since I paid to file a claim through PayPal, and I’m just trying to get my money back if they aren’t going to ship my gear (they had sent pics of the gear being made, so idk why they wouldn’t finish and ship it????) I’m just bummed bc that’s about 130usd down the drain AND no cool gear.

mentions of SA

So, I joined the military when I was 19 and experienced sexual trauma when I was in training. I am 23 and it has affected me in all kinds of ways. Mostly PTSD, anxiety, depression, and bipolar. I have been looking into getting medical discharge in hopes that it may help my situation. For now I have about a year of prep for it. I know nothing about getting a service dog. Maintaining a service dog. The rules of owning a service dog. I know absolutely nothing about anything. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

I have an legitimate ESA (I actually discussed with my doctor BEFORE adopting a dog) who is in training right now so that she is calm and behaved in public. I AM NOT TRAINING A SERVICE DOG, but I was thinking of putting a working dog vest on her so that people will be less likely to walk up and pet her without asking or let their dogs greet her without asking. I will only ever be taking her to pet friendly places, and she won't be a service dog, so I am wondering if this is okay or if there is a better option. I can't afford for her to become reactive due to another dog since I have depression and will be her only handler (ie, if she can't go out, I can't go out).

What are your thoughts? Would it be wrong to have her wear a working dog vest if I don't try to bring her places like a SD?

Hey all!

Similar to some of the "Trick of the Month" posts in some other dog subreddits, we will do a monthly check-in on your training. However, unlike other sub's posts, this is not a contest. It is a check-in to see how you're doing so we can encourage each other, congratulate your successes, and problem-solve (if needed).

Pictures and Videos are HIGHLY encouraged in this thread!!! Whether your prospect just learned how to "sit", you just taught your service dog a new task, or your SDiT just passed a public access test.... we want to see it!!! Did your dog bark at someone this week or have an accident? Let's work together to see if there's a trainable solution! We will also allow ESAs on this thread if you are training them to assist with your disability.

For now, this will only occur on a monthly basis - but we may increase/decrease the frequency depending on the success of the post. You are welcome to comment several times in the thread if you have multiple things you would like to share over the course of the month.

I'm really excited to see how all of your dogs grow in their training!

Hello! I'm a 17 year old almost turning 18 and i have a purebred chocolate lab, he was orginally meant to be a service dog due to my PTSD but he flunked out of our training, I have pretty bad spells of fainting and light headedness and i was wondering if i could train him to detect the smell or symptoms when im at home? hes a smart boy but i have no idea where to start. My faintness has become more of a regular problematic thing now and im just wanting to train him for emergencies or if it gets worse in the future ! thank you so much

I have a friend, "Elise," who uses crutches. We're both super into service dogs. When she gets older, she really wants one of her own for object retrieval, open/closing doors, things like that. We've even worked on those tasks with my pet dog at my house. However, she doesn't want to have to train a dog from the ground up. But she wants more control over the training over her dog than a reliable program would allow, and she's very determined to stay away from board-and-train because of all the horror stories associated with them.

To be honest, it probably won't end up happening, but I just want to know, has anyone else had a friend/family member who trained their SD for them? I've suggested it to her for once we're out of college, and we've talked about it a little bit.

Hi all, I've been working with an SD trainer for my puppy since he was 8wks old. The guy seemed really solid and I really liked the conversation we had over the phone. He wasn't as attentive to my needs as I would have liked, but at the same time i kept it pretyy straightforward since our conversation was limited to 45 minutes. Our first training session was awesome too, I ended up having about 4 sessions with him, but I don't know if I want to continue with him just because I don't know if what he did was right for my puppy.

He's an Ex Army K9 handler and he also did work for LEO'S in thier K9 programs, so he's got a hell of a background, like I said. I really liked the way he showed and explained things and we discussed how we planned to work our way up from basic obedience to task training. During our 4th session (or third) he talked to me about the heimspringer collar and he used it on my puppy, he was gentle and explained it's use and purpose,

I made sure to do my research before hand with this collar before allowing him to put it on my dog, we'd discussed it the sessoon before so i had a few days to read up. I know he's a professional so I didn't want to say anything either. My puppy didn't enjoy it, he kept telling me he was just being defiant and testing the boundary, but a part of me feels like it was more than that. I haven't scheduled anything further with him because of that, plus I don't live where he's based, I'm visiting family for the holidays. I'm going back to my place in a few days. He said he offers online training but I'm hesitant.

Now, there's this other SD trainer, she's a vet tech and she does it on the side, I really liked our conversation as well and she's got a lot more options when it comes to packages. I haven't worked with her yet, so I don't know her training methods. She was a bit more attentive to my personal needs versus the other trainer. She asked me what I had and suggested other things I could train my dog to do, things I didn't think that would be helpful or things that I had considered but didn't think I'd need.

What are yours guys' experiences with trainers? How can I single out a good one vs a bad one? I'm new to this and I did my research the best I could but a part of me feels like it wasn't good enough.

Hi all,

I finally got my DOT form approved (after issues regarding miscommunication on my part) yay!

That being said, I’m extremely nervous about all the other things I need to do. Getting the affairs in order feels like this monumental task.

We’ve done our training (and continue to do so) and I’m confident in my boy’s ability to assist me and be a functioning member of society. What I’m not confident in is the paperwork. I’ve submitted the Travel Notification (it says it’s processing) but I’m not sure what else I need.

I could really use some reassurance and advice.

Hi :)

My Name is Olli and I have a 7 month old Australian shepherd/Labrador mix service dog in training for my cPTSD and several other things. I've grown up with animals my whole life, and my family also owned a French Bulldog since I was 6 years old, while we also always had a bunch of cats. I've always been a person who had to be around animals, since I love them, they sooth me and bring me lots of comfort. I also always loved dogs, so when my symptoms got worse and worse (I've had them for eight years now), my gf , also my family and me ofc decided to get me a service dog. Sokka (the dogs name), arrived this June ans I love him a lot.

But the more weeks passed I came closer and closer to the realization, that I didn't love dogs as much as I thought - or at least that I am not a dog person. It doesn't fit my style and needs of living and brings me a lot of stress. I also figured out that I am not the type of person who's extremly invested in spending a lot of active time with a pet and that I am much rather a "body-doubler" - I like it when the pet just chills next to me and doesn't require much attention for it's well being (Like a cat for example), which is not a good trate if you want a dog. It frustrates me a lot, since I love dogs and also had the experience with our Family dog, but now I'm scared that I might got it completely wrong bcs, raising a dog on ur own is a complete different story that I completely underestimated.

I have the feeling that I can't meet Sokka's needs proberly because of my conditions and my usual way of living and routines I have to take so I don't break down. It goes as far, that I only keep him bcs I need a service dog (and bcs I love him but yeah) and I think that is moraly wrong and not fair to him.

There are a bunch of other problems I have with him, like the ususal "My dog is in puperty and it sucks" but I want to ask the question if there are other people who, after getting a SD, realized that they might not fit a dog in the first place?

Thanks in advance <3

Hey everyone, I am trying to figure out how I can get some more information on service dogs for ADHD, Depression, anxiety and OCD. I've struggled and been diagnosed with the 3 later for around 5 to 10 years. I have recently (within the past year) been diagnosed with ADHD. The past year I have extremely struggled with my mental health (more than usual). Panic attacks, depressive episodes, OCD rituals, burn out etc. I also struggle with emotional regulation and experience emotions at a higher level then others. I do go see a therapist weekly and a psychiatrist regularly. I am on meds for everything. The reason why I am looking into service dogs now is because I leave for school late next year and I worry about how I will fare with everything. I won't be able to see my therapist in person but will continue to see her online. I have two dogs at home right now that belong to my parents. I've done my own research into service dogs but there is so much that it kind of overwhelms me and I am not sure where to start. When I try to talk to my parents about it they won't listen and turns the conversation to something else. I do work as well as go to school full time. I can only work a limited amount of hours due to the fact that I do have these problems. I do make enough to be able to support a dog though. I'm trying to figure out how to move forward with my research and what information I can get from people who might know things in the comments! Thank you!

BTW I am based in NC.

I'm trying to find a decent puzzle toy for my friend's SD for days when they're in a flare up or otherwise too exhausted to work one on one for some mental stimulation (and also just because they're fun!). Everything I'm seeing either looks way too easy for her, or just needlessly "loud" (tons of colors, flaps, pieces, noises, etc.). I'm having trouble finding a middle ground between too easy she gets bored and so much that she just gives up.

What are y'all's favorite go tos?

I'm looking for teachers' experiences with having their service dog in a classroom.

After months of training and testing, I had a service dog officially placed with me yesterday. Long story short, I am blind in one eye and have a sleep/anxiety disorder and recently had a rather unique opportunity to receive a certified service dog. She's a very docile 2-year old golden retriever, and we recently completed the full training sessions and passed the service certification testing.

I am a 5th grade teacher at a K-6 elementary school, and two or three days a week, I work at the after-school program for 3 hours after dismissal. So some days I am on campus as much as 7:00AM to 6:00PM whereas other days I am able to leave campus at 3:00PM.

I am planning on slowly introducing my service dog into the classroom and on campus, but have a few uncertainties about what that will look like for my work routine and how my 5th grade students will respond, as well as the other students and staff on campus. My principal is very supportive, but, like me, uncertain on exactly what it will look like.

I have a very difficult class of 26 students this year. They're not so much destructive or volatile, but they are very immature, disruptive, lacking the independence that I've usually encountered or expected from students of this grade level, and VERY easily distracted. I'm constantly implementing new strategies and restrictions aimed at limiting their distractions and keeping them engaged during instruction. They're exhausting, and I feel like I can't keep my eye off them for 5 seconds.

I would like to hear about the experiences of teachers who have brought their service dogs into their classroom. How did you initially address your class regarding the presence of your service dog in your classroom? How did you initially address it with your parents/guardians? Have you encountered concerns from parents regarding a service dog being in the classroom? How have you tried to minimize students becoming distracted by the presence of the service dog in the classroom? In which ways have you seen the presence of the service dog being beneficial for your students and/or the other students on campus? Any creative ways you've used your service dog on campus or in the classroom?

I am also curious as to how teachers have utilized the presence of their service dog to address the SEL needs of the students in their classroom or on campus. I am at a low-income school with a high-rate of students in my classroom and on campus in need of SEL and emotional/social support. We are an autism full-inclusion school, and I have two students in my classroom who receive (not enough) support to address these needs as well as 4 students on a 504 plan for ADHD and several EL students and students on an IEP. More than half my class is either autism inclusion or on a 504 and/or an IEP.

Any experiences or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I feel that her presence could be uniquely beneficial for our students, but I am also aware of the possible distractions she may bring.

Hi there,

Let me preface this by saying I am new to traveling with a service dog and I totally accept if I made a mistake, in spite of my good-faith efforts to understand the rules.

So my wife and I just flew with her service dog for the first time on a round trip with Delta, and while the first leg of the trip was fine, on the return flight the check-in agent gave us a hard time about missing a document that does not seem to be referenced anywhere on Delta’s web site.

We filled out and submitted the DOT forms two months prior to the flight, and received our approval emails from Delta within days. On the first leg of the trip, we presented the paper copy of our submitted DOT form to the agent, and that was that.

However when checking in for the return flight, the agent informed us that we didn’t qualify because we only had a paper copy of the original DOT form we filled out, and didn’t have some kind of approval receipt from the DOT. Delta’s web site makes no mention of this that I can find, and in their own approval email it states:

“We have received all the necessary documents.” … “You will need to bring a copy of all of your submitted documentation when you travel.” (emphasis mine)

I told her that what she was saying contradicted Delta’s email, but she insisted that Delta’s email only meant that the request had been approved by Delta, and that we still needed to get the DOT to approve our request directly. However I later checked and the DOT’s own site says not to submit forms directly to the DOT and to submit them to the airline.

Ultimately she spoke to her supervisor who told her to let us through, but the agent basically still said we were wrong and they were making an exception.

Did we make a rookie mistake, or did the agent misunderstand the check-in procedure?

Thanks!

Heyo! Finally got our first snowfall of the year and got about 2 inches of snow. Ive got a GSD and I’m curious if anyone uses specific boots or coats to kind keep their dog from getting wet from the snow while they are working? Would love to hear any recommendations for them!

This is pretty much a rant, but if y’all have any advice on how I can handle these situations better, that’s also appreciated.

I needed some stuff from Joanne’s the other day, and since it’s pet friendly, I decided to bring my 5 month old SDiT, Juno, to train while I’m there. I’m a big crafter, so we go to Joanne’s pretty regularly and Juno is always great(for still being a young puppy ofc).

In a lot of ways, bringing Juno into stores is exposure therapy for me. I get super anxious about starting conflict by bringing her, so we typically only go down empty isles, and try to avoid people up until the cash register.

But this day, the only thing that would work for my project was ribbon that needed to be cut, so we went up to the fabric cutting section. Juno was doing very well waiting in line, until an employee got behind me to start petting her. I pulled Juno back and tried to say my usual spiel of “We’re training right now, but if you have a minute to help us work on polite greetings that would be great”, but before I could say anything, another employee got on my other side to “say hi” to Juno. Both completely ignoring me. Within a minute four employees and two customers were all backing us up against the counter.

I have pretty severe PTSD, and was completely freaking out/dissociating, but no one noticed because honestly, no one was talking to me. Juno was also getting extremely overwhelmed and peed on the floor from all the excitement, but honestly I felt helpless and like I couldn’t get out of the situation. Eventually I was able to leave, dropped the ribbon, and got out the door.

Since this incident, Juno gets so excited about people, that it almost looks like reactivity. I feel like all of the work I’ve put into human neutrality is gone. I’m hopeful that since it is excitement and not fear, and it’s only been a few days, we will be able to overcome it pretty easily, but still. On top of that, I feel awful. Like I wasn’t able to handle her properly in a stressful situation, and maybe I’m just not cut out to handle a service dog.

Also, who the hell does that?? Do people seriously get so excited when they see a puppy, that they forget basic human decency? I’ve almost considered calling corporate to report the incident since most of the people were employees, but I don’t really think that’s appropriate.

EDIT: She was wearing service dog in training gear, and one person actually mentioned it. But since we’re only going to pet friendly places right now, I replaced her SDiT patches with giant “DO NOT PET” ones after this event.

I’m autistic and I need to plan every single thing- which has been made a lot worse since the event that caused my PTSD last year. I feel like I need to be in control all the time, and it’s really hard to do that when you’re planning for a puppy. I’m struggling to find a job since dropping out of college, I’m trying to fit into one of the 4 timelines I created, and it’s just so, so overwhelming. I know I have a lot of privilege living with my parents right now, and there’s so much they can do to support me, but I’m so scared to ask for help. It’s just really hard and I want to be independent, but that’s why I’m getting a service dog, and it’s hard for me to accept that I might need to wait a little longer before I can be fully independent. I feel so guilty even thinking about getting a service dog when the process is so stressful. Did any of you deal with this? Do you have any advice?

So, I have 2 pups (Link and King) who are a year and four months old. They are not siblings but are both Australian Shepherds.

Originally Link was supposed to be my service dog and he was trained from puppyhood, but he washed due to an unfortunate event that happened shorty after he turned one.

So, I ended up switching my prospect to our other pup, King. This was not an easy choice because King is not the same kind of dog Link is and I've struggled with that.

King has had standard pup training but no service training. I decided if he could pass the CGC I'd go ahead with starting SD training. We practiced a few weeks and he was tested today and passed!

So my dad and I were just at the car wash, and we were vacuuming the interior. It’s very loud to me and hurts my ears very easily, and it got me wondering how your SDs react. I’m sure it hurts them more than it’d ever hurt me. It was one of those basic life tasks that I never really thought about until recently. Do you avoid taking your dog if you can? Just curious and want to hear your experiences!

I (32F) have a small (10lb) service dog who primarily helps me at home. I frequently take her with me to work and other public places and she’s incredibly well behaved, but I only really need her services at home so I don’t take her most places on a daily basis. But I do take her with me when I fly and she’s a great traveler.

I flew with her on Southwest to visit family for Thanksgiving and didn’t know there was a new DOT form. So I was at the check-in counter for several minutes filling out the new form. There happened to be several other dogs in the check-in area, one of which was two counters down. That dog started barking and the other 3 or 4 dogs started barking from different areas of the terminal. It was a solid minute of barking while my SD looked around from her backpack carrier, but didn’t otherwise react. She eventually gave two tentative barks because the barking was all around us and so prolonged, but I told her to shush and she did. The check-in agent told me if she was reactive to other dogs, I couldn’t bring her as a service dog and would need to pay the pet fee and keep her in her carrier for the flight. I assured her that my SD is not much of a barker, but the other dogs’ barking was a lot. The barking eventually stopped for brief period, but then the dog two counters down started it back up again. My SD growled a little and gave another, single bark. The check-in agent told me that service animals never react to other dogs and if she was reacting, she couldn’t be brought on as a SD. Particularly because there were two other dogs booked on my flight. I convinced the agent to keep her as a SD, but she called ahead to the gate to “warn” them of my “disruptive” SD. She said that if she barked again, she would have to be treated as a pet. She also said she made a note in my passenger profile so they would know on future flights as well. As far as I could tell, no one said anything to the instigating dog’s human, who I suspect was also flying as a SD based on the size and lack of carrier.

My SD was as quiet and calm as ever for the rest of the trip, but I was super paranoid about it (because anxiety). Also, there were no other dogs on my flight.

I did train my SD myself so she does bark when someone rings our doorbell at home. But in public, it’s almost never an issue. And even in this situation, it was not an aggressive reaction. She was just trying to assess the situation.

So I guess my question is whether it’s normal for SDs to react in situations like that or if I need to somehow train her better? I’ve always felt that even the best-trained SDs are still animals and will occasionally act like animals. That’s part of why I don’t take my SD to places unnecessarily - to avoid possibly distracting or disrupting another working SD. But, because I did train her myself, I’m always self-conscious that I did it wrong or didn’t do enough 🙈

I’m about to fly home with her and I’m stressing about it. Especially if I now have some kind of flag on my profile (that could have been a bluff, but I don’t know for sure)

If that is unacceptable SD behavior, any suggestions for additional training strategies? Thanks!

Hi all- I'm looking to help my dad start the process to get a service dog or esa. He had a horrible accident 4 years ago (a cyclist hit him going a million miles an hour while he was crossing the street [in a crosswalk when he had the right of way]) and now has a pretty serious TBI. He fell and hit his head and was in a comma for a few days and since he was on blood thinners for a blood clot he had some other underlying issues there were complications so he was in the ICU for two weeks.

He has gotten great care and my mom has been incredibly helpful so for the most part he has recovered, however his life and personality has dramatically changed. He has ptsd from the accident and has crippling anxiety about going out and doing normal things that he used to be able to do all the time. He has balance issues so is worried about falling all the time. He has been suffering from depression as well. Because of all the anxiety he has trouble sleeping. I don't have his medical records or documentation from his doctors, etc, so there might be issues he hasn't told me about, but he has great doctors and I'm sure we could get the documentation he needs.

I think a service dog could be helpful to get him back to living a more independent, full life. I think a service dog would be beneficial over an ESA so that he can bring it everywhere since he's too worried to go many places and do things on his own (work, travel, planes, hotels, trains, cross the street, etc. that he used to do all the time).

He has expressed that he wants one but only talks about it has not made any moves to reach out to agencies, etc. We had a dog who passed away 8 years ago who he absolutely loved taking care of and taking on walks so I also think that just taking care of the dog would be hugely bennificial for him in addition to what the dog can do for him.

I'm wondering if anyone can help with suggestions on how to get the process started? Agencies to reach out to? Do you need to go through an agency or can you just go to a breeder and then have the dog trained by an expert?

Breeds that might be good options for his needs? He wants one that is small enough that it would be comfortable on a plane or crowded train, but not so small that it can't walk long distances or help with his balance. I was thinking maybe a cavapoo, but I'm no expert.

I should also mention that my parents can afford to pay for the dog and all the training, so they don't need any financial assistance. I'm sure it will be very expensive, but we would hate to take that option away from someone else who needs the assistance more than us. But if anyone has a sense of how much the whole process might cost that would be helpful.

Thank you so much in advance!!

UPDATE: thank you all for the questions that got me deep thinking and the replies to better help me understand. I’m in agreement that the docs and therapists did not make a good recommendation on this and will hold off pursuing it until he’s a teen (if he even still needs it). In the mean time, we will look into ESA and additional assisted therapies!

Original post below.

Multiple disabilities, mostly all psychiatric. From the reading I’ve done they would qualify for a service animal and not just an ESA. Everything I’m finding is catered more towards adults with these disabilities, not young children. I need to ensure that a) the animal will not be prohibited in school or crowded places (stores, large parks, etc) and b) will be allowed in the airport/flying (nationally, mostly). Can someone point me to the right direction or give me some guidance here? United States/Ohio if that helps.

Edit: Background: my child was adopted and was born severely addicted. We have true psychiatric issues due to the effects on the brain. This is well documented and the doctor is the one who suggested we look into a service animal as we are at maximum medication dosages. The child’s therapists also agree. We have started at the bottom and worked our way up. We currently do equine therapy, OT, PT, behavioral therapy and medications. I am not some parent who just wants an excuse to take a pet anywhere. I am looking for something to legitimately help my child with something beyond their control.

I am posting very early because i couldn’t wait , but , today I am going with my sister and nephew to Chucky cheese . Obviously, Sans is going too . My concern is not my nephew messing with Sans , he knows better , but rather the kids at Chucky cheese . Some don’t know better and see them as dogs to mess around with . Sans is Not fond of little children yanking at him , we know because some kid did it in the supermarket . And anyway , I’m afraid If I tell them to stop and they don’t , we Will have to leave , and I can’t disappoint my nephew . So , I’m really nervous about this !

I want to switch brands of dog food because it is beginning to be too expensive. I would like to know what kind of dog food everyone feeds their guide dog.

does anyone know of and recommend any service dog training programs that are currently accepting applications? i’ve applied to canine companions but got an email back that they aren’t currently accepting applications and to try again in a year. i also looked at NEADS but they aren’t accepting applications for service dogs for adults with physical disabilities.

i’m located in MA but willing to travel. however, I can’t afford to spend/fundraise a HUGE amount like some programs ask.

Hi everyone, new to reddit so I'm still trying to figure out how this works.

I've had a service dog since I was a kid (14...so this was 16 years ago for me) I was originally paired with one when my psychiatrist recommended it to my mom for my autism and PTSD. I have had seizures since around that time but only once or twice a year so it was never a concern. Ten years ago, I got into a near-deadly car accident as the passenger with my service dog in the car with me (don't worry he was completely okay and the driver just had whiplash).

I had muscle damage, nerve damage, and broken bones that refused to heal over time, and I started having more frequent seizures which lead to being diagnosed with Ehlers-danlos syndrome, dysautonomia and epilepsy. Apparently because of the EDS, I was injured worse than others in the car, and my bones weren't healing on their own nor my gashes and cuts.

To keep a long story as short as possible, I spent years doing physical therapy, using a wheelchair on very bad pain days, and eventually graduating to forearm crutches, then walking independently. I also have finally found the right medications to keep me mostly seizure free. This was over the course of ten years - my first service dog learning new tasks to help me, his retirement, a second dual purpose service dog, his retirement, and now I'm training my third service dog.

Problem is, I don't know what I really need my service dog to be doing outside of psych tasks anymore, which I was originally paired with one for. Obviously EDS doesn't go away even if I healed my injuries, but I don't have nearly as much pain or trouble walking. If I walk too long or am on my feet for too long I will have a pretty bad pain flare though. I have some mild balance issues still from joint instability too. My friend suggested a mobility assistance harness, but i feel like I don't need/deserve to use that?

I do walk with a permanent limp, but it's not like I'm falling over or anything without a cane or something to hold onto. I ordered a stability harness to see if it helps just in every day walking and it did help me balance much better and I could walk a mile or two longer than I would otherwise, without any pain afterward. I just feel like, well, everyone sees me walk just fine nowadays without that! Is it silly to feel like I need it? Do I even need it?? Do I look stupid holding onto this thing when I can walk relatively okay without it?

I definitely don't need the seizure response tasks anymore (god willing the medication works for life) and I know I will always need the psych tasks, it's how I grew up and learned how to be a functional adult after all. I don't know why I'm feeling so undeserving of using a mobility harness now that I'm mostly recovered from my accident.

I guess I just need some advice here. Is it time to ditch the mobility assistance tasks?

I just got back from target a few hours ago , and there was this very rude lady behind me In line . She kept reaching forward to touch him and asking me very personal questions about Sans ( my service dog ) and what he does , and It was making me uncomfortable . Nobody put her in her right mind , so I just went to self checkout , but to Be honest people , just pretend we don’t exist, we’re not robots , or aliens . Anyone else got storys or opions on this topic ? Do share

Hello! I’m very confused at the moment, and I’d like some advice. For some background information, I’m 18F going to college but living at home. There is usually one person home at all times. I have nerve damage in both my legs, and I have cardiac issues. I already have a handicap placard, but that only does so much.

So I got a note from two of my doctors saying I would benefit from a service dog. The tasks would be mobility and retrieval tasks. There is one German Shepherd puppy at this place called PetLand, and if you’re not familiar with it they basically get all of their dogs from puppy mills. He’s four months old and he alerts when he has to go to the bathroom on his own (I didn’t know that’s what he was doing until he did it lol). I want to rescue him and get him out of there. I’ve never had a service dog before, and I’ve only trained my current dog for obedience and leash training (she’s too old to make into a working dog).

Would attempting to turn him into a service dog be a good idea? If he isn’t able to be one, I’d keep him anyway. I just don’t want to spend $3,500 to rescue him if I’m advised against it for the purpose I want him. It’s already a slight struggle to pay that much myself out of pocket all at once (which would be the way to get him. My parents would pay for shots, neutering, food, bed, etc.). Any advice is appreciated and I can give more information in comments!

ETA: I know “rescuing” him keeps the place in business, but I can’t stop puppy mills on my own. I feel it’s wrong to let an animal suffer even though it keeps them in business. I’d rather have him be in a happy home than malnourished and neglected. I’d take all of them if I could, and I feel like turning my back due to the origin is just as bad.

Hi hope everyone is doing well.

I'm trying to understand how this all works.

Do owners with service dogs situation in certain spots? I know that front row is for disabilities. I'm just wondering how close I will be to another person and how cramped the area will be.

She's a 40lb dog. She's fine in cramped areas and around people yelling mostly.

Also do they require paperwork for rabies and everything? I'm planning on leaving next month so trying to get any first hand experiences.

This is gonna be a long trip but I plan to exercise her on the longer breaks. 4 days. I'm trying to return home. I left to hide from an abusive ex and am not doing well out here with no friends or family.

She's for my ptsd and extreme social anxiety.

Also asking for me.

If the bus is crowded and I do have an episode im wonder how she will be able to work if she's crammed under the seat.

I have considered flying but it does cost more for my luggage and stuff.

Appreciate it thanks.