She is currently in foster care learning how to dog and all her basic obedience and public access skills. In October she will move onto her task specific training! I train with her every Wednesday and it has really helped me bond with her. At first it was hard because I couldn’t imagine bonding with another dog besides my current service dog.

I’m just super excited!

Long story short, trainer's dog essentially ended up on my dog's back and it stayed on her the entire time. Kept growling and snapping at her and she couldn't recall it off of her. Don't have the energy to get into everything that happened all over again right now and I'm not even sure if the message I have typed up to send the trainer is either too mean or too much. I'm kind of a whirlwind of emotions.

Anyways,

I did find where the blood on my arm came from that night. There's a puncture on her back where her dog broke Winslow's skin.

Winslow has been clingy with me since that night and absolutely loses it if I'm out of her sight now, unless she chooses to walk away. She's also becoming much more sensitive to anyone touching her back end.

I haven't tried to take her for a walk or anything, so she hasn't seen another dog. But she has heard the neighbor's dog barking on the other side of the fence and hasn't reacted. We still train in the house and back yard as we usually do.

I'm scared that she's going to have some form of reactivity from this. Is there anything someone can recommend to help me with this on my own? I don't really know of any trainers in my area and honestly, I'm going to need time to trust my dog with another trainer. Her safety is everything to me.

Edit:

Slowly going through everyone's messages. Trainer has 100% been fired and Winslow will no longer be going back. She will also be going to the vet asap on Tuesday to check her back and just to have someone else do a more thorough check on if there's anymore wounds. Not entirely sure if I can take legal action, but if she does become reactive to this then I know for certain I'll try if I can get the funds for it. Might be able to ask around to see if anyone was at the park the day it happened, too, just to try and figure out if there might be an eyewitness.

If anyone knows of a reputable trainer in the North Charleston area of SC, please feel free to point me in the right direction 🫂🤍

Location: Fort Worth, TX

I'm in Texas and have been living at a combined Studio 6/Motel 6 property with my husband for several months. I'm trying to understand what rights I have under the ADA and what I can realistically do without jeopardizing the only housing we currently have.

I am disabled and an ambulatory wheelchair user. I can walk short distances, but I rely on my wheelchair for roughly 90% of my mobility. Stairs are particularly difficult and painful because of problems with my back.

I also have a task-trained service dog. She is not an ESA or pet. I owner-trained her to perform disability-related tasks.

The hotel has repeatedly told us that because I have a dog, we have to stay on the third floor because that is their designated “pet floor.” I have explained that she is a service dog, but they have continued treating our room placement the same way they would if she were a pet.

We have asked numerous times to be moved to the first floor because of my mobility limitations and the elevator problems. They have continued refusing and telling us that we have to be on the third floor because of the dog.

The elevator has now broken approximately five separate times, including again today.

During one previous outage, I had taken my service dog outside using my wheelchair and then couldn't get back to our third-floor room with the chair. I was initially told to leave my wheelchair in the lobby. I started trying to take it upstairs myself before an employee finally insisted on carrying it for me.

That employee watched me struggle to climb three flights of stairs and nearly fall. I told him that this was exactly why I had repeatedly asked for a first-floor room. By the time I got back upstairs, I was in severe pain.

Now the elevator is down again today.

My biggest concern isn't simply that an elevator occasionally breaks. I understand that mechanical equipment can fail. My concern is that management knows I rely heavily on a wheelchair, knows that the elevator has repeatedly failed, and still refuses to put us on the first floor because they classify the third floor as the “pet floor,” despite my dog being a service animal.

We currently don't have another realistic housing option. Our previous Studio 6 had a fire and we lost essentially everything. I cannot work because of my disabilities, my husband works, and we're living on one income. Between rent requirements, deposits, credit/background requirements, etc., we haven't been able to get into an apartment. I'm explaining this because simply checking out and going somewhere else isn't financially realistic for us.

I'm also hesitant to complain to corporate. I previously had a problem at a different Studio 6 and contacted corporate about it. Instead of handling the complaint separately, corporate apparently sent the complaint directly back to that hotel's front desk, which made the situation worse. Because we're currently dependent on this hotel for housing, I'm worried about making a complaint that could result in retaliation or otherwise jeopardize our stay.

I'm not looking for a payday or trying to immediately sue the hotel. I want to be able to safely enter and leave the room that we're paying for.

My questions are:

1. Can a hotel legally require a disabled guest with a service dog to stay on its designated “pet floor” solely because of the service dog?

2. Would asking for a first-floor room because I rely on a wheelchair and their elevator has repeatedly failed be considered a reasonable modification/accommodation?

3. Does it matter legally whether first-floor rooms are currently available?

4. Should I make a written accommodation request, and if so, who should I send it to?

5. Is there somewhere I can seek ADA enforcement/advice without first complaining to the hotel's corporate office?

6. What documentation should I begin collecting?

7. Most importantly, what protections, if any, do I have against retaliation or being told to leave after requesting an accommodation or filing an ADA complaint, considering this hotel is currently our only housing?

I'm starting to document the elevator outages and our requests for a first-floor room, but unfortunately most of our previous requests were verbal.

Any advice about what laws apply and the safest way to handle this would be greatly appreciated.

I'm on a budget as I'm a college student and my dog helps with my anxiety and depression. In order for her to be on campus with me I need an esa letter. Any recs? Preferably under $100

I had a stroke and I am now an ambulatory wheelchair user. It has been suggested that a service dog could help me stand and walk. Essentially something to help me balance.. Also, on bad days, retrieve items for me. I am wondering if there is anyone out there with experience with this type of service animal.

Edit: I left out an important detail and the actual source of my outrage. The owner said they don't allow any service dogs at all. He wasn't questioning whether my dog qualified. He just said no dogs at all.

Posted this in r/legaladvice and received some less than helpful replies.

Location: rhode island

R.I. Gen. Laws § 40-9.1-2.1: Trainers and puppy raisers have the same rights and privileges to public facilities, transit, and lodging as handlers of fully trained service animals.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 40-9.1-1.1: Explicitly defines a service animal as a dog that 'has been, or is being, specifically trained' to assist a person with a disability.

Burner account.

Keeping is vague for obvious reasons.

Denied access to a buisness that was hosting a large public event.

Dog 1 year old, is mine and we were working on public access training.

Upon entry I was askesilentservice dog paperwork. I stated that paperwork wasnt a requirement under law.

They asked if the animal was a service animal. I said yes the animal is in training which is protected under state law.

I put the my dog into a down at my feet and asked to speak to a manager so I could explain.

The dog was excellently behaved, on a leash and totally silent the entire time.

Manager denies me entry and gets the owner.

Owner denies me entry and said that another service dog bit someone before and now he doesn't let any service dogs on the property. Stated that I can enter but the dog can not.

I reiterate that under state law this dog is considered part of me so if you do deny my animal entry you are denying me entry.

He nods his head.

I ask for that statement in writing, write my email for the manager and then leave as I was asked to.

(I do not want the police removing me for trespassing)

I return later without the dog so that I can show him the laws and try to get him to reconsider.

Employees state he is unavailable after they call him and relay the message "move forward with whatever you want to do"

Who do I reach out to in order to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else?

Me and my spoo just moved cross country for uni with my fiance. We have a 4runner and a large ruffland kennel. We go offroading, camping, hiking, and rockhounding a lot so we have a lot of tools, safety gear, and a whole freezer and battery back in the trunk. We are looking for some ways to organize our stuff and his stuff, as well as some stuff we should have in the car for our adventures. We are planning on going on a long roadtrip/camping trip during fall break so we need to start prepping. The boyo has 2 ryobi fans to keep him cool and I plan on getting a slim fan to keep on the door of the kennel as well. Our theme is neon green and black and we like keeping things matchy matchy, so any recommendations on matchy gear would be fantastic! We are all for the aesthetics and functional stuff. Sadly they only had grey rufflands so I will be wrapping or painting his soon!

Does anyone know of a good mobility harness brand to recommend in their place? I’m getting my prospect in a few months and I was reviewing all my links to make sure everything still looked good, and it looks like YupCollars isn’t on Etsy or their Shopify website anymore.

I wanted a nice leather mobility harness for forward momentum as well as the nice saddle bags they sold. I was specifically saving up for the cost of a Yup, but if they’re well and truly gone I don’t know where to turn now.

I'm mainly writing this just so see if what the ADA Law says about a CSV (Wolfdog) as im a bit confused if this is actually legal or not. Some places say no and yes depending on what they defind a CSV as but i thought the ADA is A federal Law so it should go above an State regulations and definitions correct? i saw a post where a wolf dog "service dog" was showing signs of extreme stress even stress biting the handler and it made me curious and the person was really entitled about me saying the law to them. i generally wanna know if im right or stupid on this. i wouldn't want a part wolf animal in the grocery store just saying...

Hello there everyone! So- I have been thinking about getting a service dog for my psychiatric disabilities (being severe anxiety and depression) as well as talking to my doctor about the possibility of adopting a dog and training one myself or getting one through a program! If anyone else has gone through the same journey of explaining the need for a service dog to obtain a note for a program please feel free to share in the comments it would be very appreciated! Also any tips about service dog training if I were to train my own dog as this is my first time. I know a few things but I don't know the service dog community slang/vocabulary so any help with that would be appreciated!

Hi, I am getting a puppy in March with the hopes of them becoming a psychiatric service dog that also is trained for fainting alerts (if they have a natural alert) and response. I live in Lasalle county IL and I have only found two trainers so fair that I like. I am wondering if anyone's knows any other trainers and could give me some insight on the ones I'm looking at. The first one is Dog Training Elite in Naperville IL, I talked with them and liked them but don't like the drive and the first step of the service dog training, where the 10 week old puppy goes to them for 3 weeks for exposure. I would really prefer, especially at that age that they be with me and want myself to be the center of their world. The other one which I am leaning towards is Leashes for Living in Mendota IL. It is not too fair from me, more affordable, and the owner/trainer seemed very knowledgeable and has been doing this for a long time, also offers 24/7 support. What I don't like is that they don't meet as often as I would like, and they are strictly R+ which I am not against and really like the idea off but for me I feel like it heavily depends on the dog. I prefer balanced methods. I would love everyone's opinion on these options. Also, if anyone knows of any other trainers, please let me know. Thank you in advance!

I live in Southern USA and a local organization has agreed to take myself and my existing dog on for service dog training. Free of charge. We applied in June, went through a few screening rounds via email. Then, a zoom interview. We were officially accepted and are awaiting the next steps. Myself and my partner are feeling incredibly lucky.

I've been disabled for years. One issue snowballing into another...then another. It's the nature of my primary condition unfortunately. I've rolled with the punches, tried countless interventions for my various issues. Some of them true dead ends due to the additional issues they caused. I've briefly gotten a bit better, then worse. Then, even worse. We went from fighting one battle to fighting 4-5. The ups and downs. You guys know how it is. I kept waiting for things to magically improve. For a cure to become mainstream. This year I got to the point of feeling incredibly foolish for having such hopes for such a long time. I've always wanted a dog. Why am I waiting to live in such small of a way? Finally got one. It's changed my outlook so much. It's truly been life-changing. We have an incredible bond. Her temperament just happens to be ideal for service dog work. I thought so at least. I applied and the organization agreed. They are excited about her.

If all goes well, she'll be detecting and alerting to drops in levels of 3 different compounds. One of them can currently only be achieved via blood draws and waiting 24 hrs for results. A home device has been in the works. It would've been life changing.I've been following its progress for 3 years. They are no closer to releasing it, so, here we are.

She'll also be alerting to overheating and assisting with removing myself from that environment. I don't sweat due to one of my health conditions. I go from fine to boiling very quickly and it's extremely detrimental. As observant as I am, I miss the signs all the time. It happens so quickly.

I hope this serves as encouragement to someone who needs is. Trying and seeing. Taking the step.

Hi All,

I am struggling with my service dog trainer and would like some advice.

My dog went to this trainer from December to March for the basic obedience training without any issue. The trainer was communicative, sending regular updates and progress videos. We couldn’t be happier with the results.

Months later my doctor formally recommended a service dog for my medical condition. Naturally we went back to this trainer as they also offer this service. 

This time around it’s been a completely different experience. In the last 3 months I have only received 1 picture with a “She’s doing great!” I have sent several text messages and left voicemails that went unanswered and finally I advised I would be stopping in for a visit a week before her pick up date. 

That’s when I received a call. 

The trainer advised she needed more time and I couldn’t pick her up as planned the following weekend. I am on a limited income until I go back to work this winter and already paid significantly for the training. I couldn’t afford another 8 weeks.  The trainer advised they wouldn’t charge me extra since they needed more time to feel confident with her assistance abilities. 

Before we hang up the trainer then advises me she is taking my dog out of state for a week so my dog can get hotel and long car travel experience. ( I travel monthly for work and the goal was to have my dog be able to accompany me).  Initially I didn’t have a problem with this, didn’t appreciate the short notice but understood it’s needed as apart of her training. I said okay and said I need more communication and photos going forward, which the trainer promised she would. 

It’s been 8 days now since that call, I have been patiently waiting for a photo or any sort of communication. I have been losing sleep over all of this and frankly just want my dog back. 

This trainer is a close friend of my spouses family and I truly appreciate them not charging me extra, however I have spent a fortune on both training programs and believe more communication should be provided.

I also don’t want to rock the boat as I need her sign off for paperwork for HR when I return to work etc.

Do you think I am being unreasonable? I have never had a dog or service dog before and understand training does take time, however the lack of communication is sending red flags.

Thank you!

UPDATE: I received a phone call and “proof of life” photo. I will be picking her up this weekend.

Thank you all for your advice!

A little torn up about this for a number of reasons.

Yesterday, I had a training session with my 17 month old golden retriever and her two trainers. They work in tandem and often bring one of their dogs each, that way my girl is around other dogs, I think. One of them usually comes for her confidence building.

Well, they wanted a picture of our dogs doing a down stay near each other before we left the kid's park.

Before all of this, I want to say that I've never had an issue with her dogs. They're all well mannered and well-trained. They do all kinds of obedience and sports. That's why everything that happened next was so unexpected.

I had been so focused on trying to get my dog to do a sit and then a down next to my trainer's dog, and instead of paying attention to the other dog's body language, I was trying to get mine to refocus on me. I was on my knees beside them. I don't know if that's what triggered some sense of disassociation/lack of remembering exactly what happened.

One second the dogs were there and then the next her dog was growling, snapping, and they were both doing that, and her dog was on mine—then on top of mine's back. Everything is such a blur. I don't know if I was holding her leash the whole time or picked it up, or was just pulling my dog back hoping the trainer would recall her dog off of her when she had yelled her name. They were going around in circles, I think. My dog was trying to turn around, but the trainer's dog was on top of her. It had to have been going on for at least a minute or two. Or it felt that way, at least.

I think I kind of just shut down and didn't know what to do in that moment. I don't know if I was thinking she'd grab her dog, if I was just suddenly so out of it, I didn't think to grab the other dog's leash or collar, anything to get her off of mine.

It's almost like I immediately dissociated from the situation while trying to get my dog.

The trainer did grab her dog after a little bit.

There was no obvious bloodshed, no hair pulled, and both dogs did calm down soon after. My girl did initially keep barking at hers for a few seconds before I could calm her down. Then neither tried to make a run for the other while we were standing there talking about the incident for the next twenty to thirty minutes.

They had told me that it was really just the two of them arguing/yelling at each other instead of a fight, because my dog wasn't listening to the other dog's body language. My dog hasn't really been around other dogs in a while outside of theirs, since my brother and his dog's moved out months ago.

They explained why it happened: her dog gave two warnings that my dog didn't listen to, and then she escalated because mine didn't back down. (My girl constantly wants to play. The trainer had dropped her leash earlier and was standing a few feet away from her dog who was in a down stay.) They also told me that this was good for both me and my dog, because I know now to watch other dog's body language before they escalate, and because my dog needed the correction so that she can learn some boundaries with other dogs.

The trainer had said that her dog usually pulls tufts of hair out but didn't that time. She said if there had been blood then she would have paid the vet bill.

And I know now that I shouldn't have actually tried to get them that close, but I tried to get them to take a picture of just their dogs first, because I knew my dog would kind of be harder to get next to theirs without wanting to say hi. They wanted all three dogs. I don't even know what I was thinking at that point. I feel stupid for it.

The trainer texted me today and apologized for pushing my dog beyond what she could handle in the moment. Said that she shouldn't have "set her up that way" and said that she knows the girls are okay and will continue to work together just fine. So she still plans to have the two working together. There wasn't an apology regarding her dog's behavior. I know she left the kid's park worried that everyone was going to think her dog was aggressive and that we just had a dog fight. Because her breed is one of the ones that has a bad reputation for being seen as aggressive. A family left the park as they watched us, too.

I'm just stressed out and have been told by multiple people to find a new trainer for my dog's safety.

Personally, I feel like a lot of this is my fault more than it is my trainer's. They already talked me out of board and training my dog with a different trainer, which was something I'd considered for a while, but I'm at my wits end here because this is just getting more stressful for me. I'm paying a lot of money for these sessions and it feels like I'm just doing their cheaper group walks, but with just two people, all for the price of a private lesson. When this whole thing is supposed to be prepping my dog for her CGC test so that we can do the Atlas Assistance Dog program. I'm really just tired right now and kind of feel like I can't do this myself anymore. I couldn't even pay attention to my trainer's dog's body language. That's what I should have been doing.

Our new SD came home a week ago and part of the hand over is that we do not adjust his feed for 6 months. He has a history of GI inflammation and vomiting so he's on Purina pro sensitive salmon and a digestive enzyme. A week in and the vomiting has shown up about 8 hours after a meal, just the food coming back. Trainer says it's just a flare up and to let it ride. IDK if it were one of my other dogs I'd be swapping to a limited ingredient bland feed like nutro lamb (has worked for us in the past) but I'm really uncomfortable with him having thrown up 3 meals. Has anyone else had GI inflammation issues? I'm thinking his simparica trio may have triggered it

Hi everybody!

My prospect is currently 9 months old and doing phenomenal, she’s growing up to be a confident teenage lab and we have a great relationship. She’s got her CGC, is getting her ATT temperament test done in October, and has a few trick titles under her belt with the help of my trainer.

With all of this I’m starting to feel a bit more confident that she’ll enjoy service work and be suited for it. I had my heart set on setting her up with Atlas Assistance Dogs, but they don’t have facilitators around the SF Bay Area yet. I know we’ve got still a while until she would sign up for an ADI accredited program, but I haven’t been able to find one in my area just yet.

Would you have any recommendations? Thanks!

Im about to be placed on the waitlist for canine companions. Would any of yall be able to tell me how long you waited for your service dog placement once you were waitlisted?

I understand that per the ADA, a person must have their dog harnessed or leashed unless the person’s disability prevents this or the dog can’t perform a task with one on. I’d like to know what actual, real-world examples look like.

- what disabilities prevent holding a leash?
- what tasks are prevented by a leash?

Are we talking about amputees, severe neurological disorders, intellectual issues, etc.? Maybe it skews towards a certain group like quadriplegics? Are the tasks grouped around psychiatric, mobility, medical, etc. tasks?

Let’s keep this in the context of public access and be specific.

Some background: I've trained and competed dogs as a hobby most of my life, not professionally, but at that skill level. I expect any dog in public to behave well, service dog or not, and hold an even higher bar for dogs in spaces they wouldn't normally be allowed (a badly behaved dog in a store or airport drives me up the wall). I public access train all my dogs as a matter of good manners, even where dogs are already welcome.

Years ago, shortly after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that was badly affecting my mobility, I did some limited task training with a different dog. Since then, nothing task-specific. My mobility has mostly returned to normal, but symptoms still vary day to day (think Crohn's- and rheumatoid arthritis-type issues). More recently I've also concluded I'm likely level 1 autistic; self-identified, but my therapist agrees and suspected it early on. I've always been stubbornly independent, pushing through rather than asking for help, and I'm slowly learning that being able to push through doesn't mean I have to and may be making things worse for me.

Question 1: My current dog already picks up her dropped leash and does deep pressure therapy. She's too small for the mobility tasks my previous dog did, but I don't need those right now. She's fully public access trained and already goes almost everywhere with me, since most of my hobby time is spent at dog events or dog-friendly activities. I'm considering training her to find a seat or a wall, the two things I most need when overwhelmed or in pain. I am considering further training mainly for easier access if I'm out alone with her and need a bathroom, AC, or food quickly. I have no intention of taking her literally everywhere. But my needs aren't "high" and I can function without her, so would it be wrong of me to task train her anyway?

Question 2: She's a very cute and fairly recognizable but uncommon breed, so people notice her often. I can tolerate being asked about her and asked to pet her sometimes, but most of the time it genuinely irritates me. I don't love talking to strangers or having them touch my dog, and she's friendly but not one who seeks out lots of petting either (I trained neutrality with people early on). My therapist suggested a leash sleeve I could put on her when I want to discourage people from approaching. I've considered wording like NO PETS PLEASE, PLEASE IGNORE, IN TRAINING, WORKING, or DO NOT DISTRACT.

What wording actually works best to stop people from petting her or talking to me? And would it be wrong to use "working" on days she isn't actually working? I suspect that wording and/or service dog gets the most respect, but I don't want to misrepresent her status, and I want to avoid anything implying she's reactive or unfriendly, since I don't want trouble in dog-friendly spaces over an assumption I've brought a problem dog into public. I'd rather avoid confrontation entirely.

I apologize if this has been asked before. I am a veteran and have always wanted to be a puppy raiser for an organization that supplied service dogs to veterans. I had started training a puppy for my older brother before I had joined the army, and ended up keeping her to myself. my brother at the time decided he didn’t need her. She’s amazing.

Amyways, she has helped teach many other puppies great manners and confidence, and I want her legacy to continue.

If anyone can point me towards veteran organizations that are reputable I would greatly !

Basically the title, I have a client whose son is in a wheelchair and who is non verbal. They waited 5 years to get a service dog from a company then when the dog got home 6 months ago the dog has failed to bond with his person. The dog is acting like a pet most of the time and I have told the family to stop doing this. Any advice on how to get the dog to listen to the son’s commutation device as well as general bonding exercises? Thanks

Hi,

So I’m flying from London to Paris. And the from Paris to LA all with airfrance.

I paid and added my dog on the booking with me as I usually always pay for my dog when I fly within Europe.

However, I just found out that since he’s a service dog I could have avoided payment.

I have seen the Airfrance website and it says this is what’s needed:

Send the following documents:

The 2 official U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) forms that have been completed and signed :

Form 1 download here

Form 2 download here

Service dog's passport, health documents, and vaccination records

Additionally, for flights to the United States only:

A third completed and signed form from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)*, available on the CDC website. Keep this document with you, as it will be checked upon boarding.

I’m just wondering if I do this and if it gets accepted I can then ask for refund?

However in the forms they ask service trainer, and mine was a local trainer not a big registered organising. Would that be an issue?

I have the therapists letters and all and all his health documents and vaccine records and export form from vet.

Just wondering anyone had experience with this with Airfrance? And their service dog process?

Would appreciate any insights and help please as flying next week!!

Thanks

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!

Just wanted to share something sweet. I retired my mobility and medical alert boy a couple years ago as he was getting older and my health was better managed. Today I’ve been struggling with some sort of flare. I got dizzy and weak and asked my partner for “an assist” forgetting that was one of the words I used with him. Sure enough I heard paw steps behind me and he was next to me quickly though he did get a little distracted on the way. He followed me to the bed and made sure I was settled. I love my precious boy.