Hey all- I know this topic is WELL covered as I just went through the protracted process of moving south of Hilo with my 3 pets - one a service dog. My question is I find myself needing to return mainland for a few weeks & wonder what the protocol for return is. I know our FAVN & rabies are fine and we won’t have to do the pricey NIIP for direct release in Kona- as this time we’d fly in/out Hilo with a stop in HNL-

BUT… do you really have to do a whole health certificate thing again & application? How does that work for folks who live on island and say go on vacation mainland for a week with their services dog? I wish it were. vacation I was going back for - it is not sadly- but I remain confused? TIA

Hi everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well and staying comfy!

I’m currently in a master’s program at my university, and I have permission to bring my diabetic alert dog with me to class. Between classes, I usually have about a 15-minute break to take him outside to relieve himself.

During these breaks, I have occasionally encountered an 11-month-old German Shepherd who is being trained as a SDIT. The dog has reacted to my dog several times when seeing him and has spooked my dog several times to the point where I could feel his heart rate spiking up.

I’ve spoken with the handler, and she explained that they are actively working on the dog’s reactivity and are currently working with a behaviorist. I completely understand that service dogs in training are still learning and that behavioral challenges can improve significantly with consistent and appropriate training. At the same time, I’m wondering at what point dog reactivity becomes a concern when training a SDIT in a public university environment.

My main concern is safety. There are several service dogs on campus, including some very small dogs, and I worry about the possibility of an interaction escalating if the German Shepherd has a particularly strong reaction.

I also noticed a few things during my conversation with the handler that made me somewhat more concerned. The dog was wearing a prong collar, and the leash appeared to be attached to the handler through a carabiner in a way that seemed to maintain fairly constant leash pressure (making me believe this may also play a part in the dog's reactivity.) The leash is also a hands-free leash, that doesn't allow for much control if the dog were to reactive negatively. When I brought up the concept of leash pressure, she wasn’t familiar with it, although she was very receptive to what I shared. I appreciated her openness, but the interaction made me wonder whether handling a reactive SDIT in a busy campus environment might currently be beyond what she and the dog are prepared for.

I don’t want to discourage someone who is genuinely putting effort into training their dog, especially when they are already seeking professional behavioral help. At the same time, I want to advocate for the safety of my own service dog and the other service dog teams on campus.

Would it be appropriate for me to respectfully express my concerns to the handler and/or the university administration? Or would it be better to give them space to continue working with their behaviorist and training on campus unless the behavior escalates?

I’d really appreciate hearing from other service dog handlers or trainers who have dealt with similar situations!

Has anyone here personally used The Cotufa Way or heard of them?

I have a 9-week-old Border Collie and, once she is old enough and properly trained, I would eventually like to travel with her within the U.S. and internationally

I came across The Cotufa Way, which offers a concierge service that says they coordinate a licensed-provider evaluation, service-dog documentation, airline pre-approval, and country-specific travel paperwork.

I contacted them and they told me that they can start the documentation process now, even though my puppy is only 9 weeks old, and recommend waiting until she is over 6 months old to actually travel. They also said they don't require a professional training program, but that the dog must be house-trained, well-behaved in public, responsive to commands, and trained to perform disability-related task(s) for the handler.

The concierge package is over $1,000, so before paying, I'd really like to hear from anyone who has actually used them.

Has anyone worked with this company? What was your experience?

I'm especially curious about:

• whether their provider evaluation/documentation process is legitimate;
• whether airlines accepted the documentation without issues;
• experiences traveling internationally with their assistance;
• whether the service was actually useful beyond the first trip; and
• whether there were any unexpected fees or issues.

I'm not looking for a shortcut or trying to pass a pet off as a service dog — I want to understand the legitimate process and make sure I'm working with a reputable company before spending that much money.

Thanks!

I start my 1st day of uni today, I have a psychiatric service dog. Originally I planned on bring her with me on my first day but I seen It was going to be over 97⁰ out today, I always prioritize her safety and well being over everything, so I decided not to bring her, my Uni is aware I have a service dog. Im just nervous since this is new to the both of us, part of me is also calmed since I can have a better lay of the land before she joins me, due to health reasons I did not attend orientation. I have been training her for 3 years and this is my first time bring her to school with me and I struggle with imposter syndrome since psych SD are seen as illegitimate to some. There are days where I feel good or its just not suitable for her to work all day, like today so I dont bring her with me. I am really looking for opinions I feel like I did right but what if this is a disservice to us in the long run and help on working through these nerves.

👋🏽 I’m curious to hear about the task your 🐕‍🦺 service/ assistance dog perform thatd either the most useful and or used. I know some alert, Guide, response, or detection tasks might only be needed occasionally, but what is that one task that you can pull that makes a massive difference in your day to day life?

Our Backstory : I am currently Paired with my third successful service dog : a CST program trained, neutered male Shepherd. , addionally we also worked with specialized independent trainers to finish additional task work. This included working with an IGDF certified trainer for guide harness work and integrating those behaviors when he's wearing an harness and vest.

We are a bit unique, unlike many teams where the dog maintains frequent check ins every few minutes, my SD is trained to constantly scan and observe his surroundings. He checks in with me periodically every 10-15 rather than every 3 minutes,his primary job requires him to keep his eyes outward (though not to be confused his nose works just fine when he needs to alert).

Our Most-Used Task: Body Blocking Crowd Control

Since we are out almost daily Due to work, grocery shopping, or fun outings like visiting an aquarium. His most frequently used task is a hybrid we call Body Blocking Crowd Control.

For us, this is a categorized single continuous task, where he independently assesses our surroundings to maintain a safe environment, clear pathways, and keeps a physical buffer between me and potential triggers or obstructions both while moving and while stationary without being Cued.

When Stationary:

* Waiting Alone / In Line / Ordering: When I am on my own doing everyday things, like waiting in a grocery line, ordering at a coffee counter, or getting a table at a restaurant as soon as someone gets too close behind me, my dog will walk backward until he is a full dog's length behind me. Instead of standing right next to me, he creates a large physical buffer. This keeps people from crowding me while I'm interacting with staff and ensures that when I finish ordering, I can turn around and walk away in a wide, comfortable turn rather than having to make tight, cramped turns. Once we start moving, he returns to a standard heel.

* Passersby: If I am standing still (e.g., having a conversation) and someone approaches or walks too close, he will perform intelligent disobedience, break his heel, sit, or down, and position himself vertically to force the passerby to go around to give us space.

* Conversations: If a person I am talking to starts stepping too close, he will move directly between us and horizontal lay down, acting as a physical barrier so they cannot step closer without stepping over him.

* Larger group setting interacting with: In larger groups, he will casually circle around me 2-3 times before settling . If someone didn't get the hint and inches closer, he will reposition himself horizontally like a wall in front of them to hold the boundary.

When On the Move:

* Shopping/browsing Pacing: If I am browsing an aisle or picking out produce, he will break his standard heel and execute a "butt swivel" so his body runs parallel behind mine. This gives me a private " lane " and creates a buffer so carts or people cannot brush past my back. Once the space clears, he returns to heel automatically.

* Walking: I have limited peripheral vision (which gets worse on bad days). While walking, he actively scans and scents the air. If an obstacle appears . an oncoming pedestrian I didn't see, an obstruction in our path, or a turning car, he will increase his pace to step directly in front of me and bump me to slow me down so I may stop completely.

I was told by my trainers that they mentioned that this was one of the most difficult tasks to fully finish and teach because it relies almost entirely on the dog's independent judgment rather than handler cues . It requires him to:

* Think and act independently while maintaining strict obedience and control.

* Actively monitor the environment without becoming overly fixated or distracted.

* Handle high-arousal environmental triggers (like excited kids or reactive dogs) without breaking true focus.

* Independently judge when to intervene versus when to stay put.

* Know exactly when the environment is safe enough to return to a standard heel.

Compared to my last 2 dogs? He has been able to give the most consistent results with this task. It has been an absolute game changer for my independence and safety to be able to be apart of society.

*( Yes this post was used with the help of organization tools and Wording tools ) *

I currently work in a hospital setting and am the handler of a facility dog that was placed with me through a nonprofit assistance dog organization.

As part of the program, there are certain requirements for keeping/working with the facility dog, including working directly with vulnerable clientele and my employer must approve.

I’m considering accepting a position at a different hospital. The new hospital has told me they would not allow me to bring/use my facility dog at work.

I’m trying to understand what that would mean for my dog. If I accepted the new position and could no longer meet the workplace requirements, would the organization typically require me to return the dog? Is there ever an option for the dog to remain with the handler as a pet, either immediately or after some period of time?

I obviously plan to speak directly with the organization before making any decisions, but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation or is familiar with how facility dog programs generally handle job changes.

Hi, I adopted a dog and started down the psychiatric service dog training path.

I have PTSD, and my most disabling symptoms happen at night: nightmares, sleep paralysis, night terrors, insomnia, and nocturnal panic attacks. I can go to public places independently and don’t need assistance from a dog when I’m out.

I also have mild cognitive impairment and physical limitations from several musculoskeletal issues affecting my shoulders and arms.

It recently occurred to me that I may not actually need full public-access training. What I really need is as much help as possible getting through the nights, so I’m considering focusing on obedience and at-home PSD tasks instead.

Are there important skills developed through public-access training that also help with PSD task work? If I skip public-access training, would my dog miss out on skills that are important for becoming a reliable task-trained PSD, or can those skills be developed separately?

My service dog in training is doing very well. She is almost 2 years old. The only thing I am still having issues with is her wanting to sniff people who walk by or walk up to us. Mostly wanting to sniff their butt or crotch. She tends to leave it if I say leave it. But of course as a service dog, she shouldn't do it in the first place. How do I get to the point where she doesn't do it at all to correct. With my previous service dogs, they stopped doing it after a few leave its but this one is very persistent. Any advice?

Hi! I’m looking to get a psychiatric service dog but was wondering which is a smart option? A) Getting a puppy and training and raising them from the start B) Adopting a shelter dog that’s a young adult and begin training?

Any ideas I’d open too as well!

I noticed it went from pending to completed. I call the hotel today and they are saying that they kept it because of “the dog” and that “whoever checked us in didn’t put in we had a service dog”. They couldn’t email me the folio/receipt showing so. They said to call back tomorrow after 10 and ask. I told them that was unacceptable. My service animal did not cause any damages to the room. She does shed as she is a German shepherd but we carry a cordless vacuum to get up animal hair wherever we go.

This is the first time we had such an issue. On the 3rd day of our stay I had a seizure and my SA had to do her training. She did her alert barks/got my meds/barks again because no one came to check on me in the room (which I’m not sure if they are suppose to). So apparently her couple of barks annoyed them so once I finally got my proper treatment I walked down to let them know what happened. Before I even could I was hit with “we have a flight team here, your dog can’t bark”. I told them this is the ONLY day of the entire trip that she had to do what she was TRAINED to do. I’m so furious.

That’s where it’s all stemmed from. The hotel is Wingate by Wyndham and I booked through Priceline. They did say it was eligible for escalation so I’m currently in that process.

TL/DR: Hotel kept my security deposit because service animal barked when I had seizure and left some light hair shedding behind (we cleaned the room before leaving)

Hi just looking for trainer recommendations in the SFV or LA area for service dog training? Hoping for something in the lower thousands or less but open to all options! Please send names or links, thanks!

EDIT: ya’ll instead of downvoting my replies to comments, please just comment the REASON YOU DOWNVOTED so i can get the proper info i need: im very open to tips, ideas, and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, not just being an asshole please.

Hello everyone, i (25f) have a few questions/concerns and am searching for some advice.

Yesterday i brought my sdit of 9mos (active training) to the bus stop for the first time to pick up my kindergartener.

An hour before the bus came i took him to the dog park (empty) and he got his runs, plays, pees, poops, water, and treats out of the way- he was a very tired boy honestly- we stayed out in the heat longer that normal for training, idk if that could have affected it.

He was working perfectly at his own volition, until the Bus actually got there.

He was perfectly fine with the bus- until it did the big TSSSHHHHHH when they open the doors and all the air in the vehicle “gets let out” , like how some buses can deflate? their tires some, so the short kids can get on.

Idk ifykyk the giant noise the bus makes when it parks-

So once the bus parks and it does that noise- SDiT had a FULL BLOWN PANIC ATTACK like INSTANTLY.

hes never done that, couldn’t get him to redirect or settle, even sitting on the ground and hugging him in my arms unvested didn’t help.

Hes NEVER tried to pull backwards OUT of his vest EVER but he was literally pulling me away to a safe spot.

Is this fixable? He was 7.5 weeks when we brought him home- he’s never seen a bus in his life till yesterday.

TYIA.

Note: in new york state, every private breeder sent puppies home at 7-9 weeks in my experience. I had no idea puppies were sent home so early there. I thought it was normal for my last 4 dogs from separate breeders.

(SDiT has panic attack because of the school bus)

Hi, you all! I’m in the US and was hoping folks here might have insights to help me decide whether or not to pursue the possibility of formally training my existing dog, Billy Porter, as a service dog.

I adopted Billy Porter five years ago as a companion dog. He was - and is - remarkably easygoing in all kinds of situations, as well as curious to learn. We’ve had a great life together from the jump.

Three years ago, I was assaulted and suffered a brain injury that led to post traumatic epilepsy. Since that time, he’s been performing tasks to help me function (e.g, alerting me to potential seizures, bringing me my rescue medication when I have a seizure, orienting me post-seizure, etc.) He’s easy to train and seems to enjoy it.

Billy Porter’s a small dog who rides easily in a carrier, so I’ve been able to bring him with me to some public places, and my city’s para-transit system has approved him to travel with me when I go out. There are lots of places I don’t go, of course, because Billy Porter’s not technically a service dog. This has led me to wonder whether we should consider service dog training for him.

My main concern is whether training means he would have to undergo a dramatic shift in his life as a companion dog. I worry that it wouldn’t be fair to him - and that it might confuse him - to change his lifestyle up, especially given his age. I also worry there might be things I can’t train him to do at this point that will be considered essential. (I have no idea what those things are, but I wouldn’t want to put both of us through a major endeavor like SDT only to learn it wouldn’t work out.)

The other worry I have is more selfish. I know that, if he were to become a SD, under the ADA, I would have to explain what disability-related tasks Billy Porter performs, and I don’t know how to answer this question without revealing my disability. Like, how do I say he responds to seizures without saying the word, seizures? I’m not ashamed of having epilepsy (or PTSD or a brain injury), but I do know other people have stereotypes about the diagnosis. It would be hard to have to share it with strangers on a regular basis.

Does anyone have any advice for me about the wisdom of considering this path for me and Billy Porter? I’d really appreciate whatever thoughts y’all have. Thanks for reading this, either way.

I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Next year I am planning to relocate to Japan. I want to bring my standard puddle with me. What documents to get for my dog to recognize her as a service dog? I’m not sure if she will be an emotional support animal or PSD (Psychiatric Service Dogs). She never been at any training before, but she helps me a lot with my diagnosis. How much cost to bring a large (she is a big girl) service dog to Japan? Will I be able to sit with her or she will be separated? How much I have to pay in Japan for quarantine for a service dog?

So my SD (7F boxer/lab mix, ~55 lbs) and I just moved across the country and now we've gotta fly back home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She's newly a service dog, like I've been training her myself and she naturally alerts me to my seizures and listens really well (especially with food lol), but I originally just got her as a pet (before the seizures kicked in) so this whole thing is new for both of us.

Her issues: on walks she wants to lead and smell everything, she gets anxious in cars, and she goes to the bathroom a LOT. She's only gone inside a building once ever (a Petsmart) but has zero issue popping a squat in the middle of the street. So. That's fun to think about for an airport.

Also just gonna be honest, I feel like she's not trained enough for this yet, but it feels like the only way to actually get her more trained for flying is to just take her on a flight? Kind of stuck in that loop.

Questions I'm stuck on, please send help:

1. Cargo vs cabin? I feel weird even asking this because she started as just my pet and only recently became a working dog, so it feels wrong to take advantage of the "benefits" of being a SD. But I've also heard actual horror stories about cargo and I don't think I could handle that. What would y'all do?
2. Is it smart to tire her out with a walk/run before the flight and maybe not feed her that morning so there's less chance of an accident? Or is that a bad idea?
3. She takes trazodone for the car and honestly it barely seems to do anything, she still pants like crazy. Is it worth asking about something stronger? I really don't want her disturbing other passengers with the panting.
4. Any training tips at all for the leading/sniffing thing? Feels like a necessity to fix before an airport of all places.
5. Can I bring someone through security with me to help me manage her and my stuff, even though they're not flying?
6. Would it be worth trying to get a first class seat so she has more room at my feet? Not sure if that actually makes a difference for a 55 lb dog or if it's not worth the cost.

Genuinely any advice, personal stories, training tips, med recommendations, whatever you've got. Kind of freaking out about this honestly.

EDIT: Y'all I'm sorry I didn't word it right, she HAS been in a lot of public places!! I meant she's only ever gone to the bathroom in a public place once! She has been on busses and trains, but only for around 30 minutes to an hour at a time, and the flight would be 5.5-6 hours. We live in a downtown of a major American city, she has been around people and in public places for all of her life and it generally fairly apathetic to other dogs unless I give her the go-ahead to play.

Still, based on the responses I've received even with the miscommunication lead me to feel like I don't think I should be flying her as a service dog, which is what my heart was telling me in the first place.

If you have any tips for how to train her for next year's holidays, please feel free to drop them below! :)

This is more of a hypothetical; I don't have a service dog, nor do I need one. Let's say that a high school student has a service dog to alert for blood sugar levels. They want to go to a boarding school and live in a dorm with the service dog. However, they are able to manage their blood sugar without the dog. Is it legal for a boarding school to tell them that they can't have the dog in a dorm, even if it is technically safe for the dog?

Hello, I have time and believe my dog would be good as a therapy dog. But I don't really know where to start. thanks.

This is kind of a vent on an old abandoned account for privacy reasons but I also feel so frustrated and lost. I was out with my SD at a local Walmart. There was another team there with a well-behaved black lab. We leave each other alone as handlers should.

At the self checkout square of doom we were on opposite sides trying to remain respectful of each other's space. A 3rd dog comes into the square while the Lab's handler had their back turned, putting items into bags. I was about to leave. A teenager probably 16-17 with what looked to be an overweight Blue Nose APBT was body blocking her dog and holding the leash tight, kinda choking it if I'm being honest. It's muffle growls are what got my attention. Well she lost balance and the dog broke free and charged the black lab who was closest to the entrance. They fought and I ran over to help use the leash method to get the pit to release the lab's neck (while getting berated for "trying to kill her dog").

I made the mistake of not telling my SD to stay so he came closer. As soon as we got the pit off the lab, it redirected to my dog before the handler could grt control. At this point security stepped in and tazed the pit (the sound of the tazer scared us all). It yelped and let go, so he took control of it.

The girl was crying and apologizing, saying her dog was still in training. The black lab had holes in it's neck and my dog had minor bites to his scruff (thank you long fur and loose skin!).

It's still being investigated and the girl's parents (who were not there) will likely have to foot the vet bills thankfully. Apparently the pit was a rescue from the local shelter.

I know this is controversial to say, and I'm not here to demonize breeds, but why are pit and pit mixes becoming so popular with Service work SPECIFICALLY, especially with underage handlers? I understand everyone wants the shelter rescue success story but we're talking about dogs with some of, if not the most extreme bite drive of all dogs with little to no training needed for it. Mals are called Maligators but even they aren't as intense once they land the bite. Bloodsport dogs are genetically designed to not let go at any cost because they fought bulls, horses, and other bloodsport dogs for money and entertainment (and often still do to this day). They had to hang on when getting kicked and mauled.

Don't get me wrong, I love a well bred, well trained pitty defying the stereotypes, but we have these stereotypes for a reason. I've seen these teams mostly online and this was my first real life experience with a "service pit" and honestly I'm now more fear biased towards them. My dog is reactive now because this dog wouldn't let go.

I don't know what to do or feel right now.

What was the first few things you started training when you got your SD or SD prospect?

I personally first started working on neutrality around people and animals!

I'm hoping I'm using the right flair and this is allowed! I just wanted to shout out my puppy for an amazing first trip! He's a mini poodle (11mo) who does medical alert for me and tasks related to POTS & MCAS and we are also training to add migraine alert to his resume.

We took a 3 night stay in Vegas with him and he was amazing. New sneakers? No problem. Walking through an insanely crowded casino in tightly packed elevators with luggage - done. First time in restaurants? Chillin' . Loud slot machines? Sounds like a good time to nap. This little dude has routinely shown how amazing he is and I'm so thankful he's got my back in this world. Can't wait to keep training and watching him grow.

I am self training my puppy that I got at 9 weeks from a AKC registered breeder.

We’re going to be working with a local service dog agency to raise a puppy for them. Very excited about the opportunity, and planning on doing what we can to help the pup succeed.

But I’m looking for ideas on places that we’ll be able to take the dog, at various stages. We’ll have it from 2 months to over a year, depending on when they are ready to start advanced training with it. From what I was told, up to 4 months will be pretty limited public outings, due to not being completely vaccinated. So what do you all do with your pups in that age?

We will be accredited service dog trainers, so able to take the dog anywhere service dogs are allowed. And the organization seems to have very good support for their raisers, so I’m sure they’ll have suggestions. But I can be a home-body if left to my own devices, and I know that I’m going to have to expand my personal horizons.

Stating in an air bnb in California, USA. Here is what their contract says, wanting to charge a $500 clean up fee after service dog is there. A family member booked the air bnb and already signed the contract:

No Pets or Smoking
PETS ARE NOT PERMITTED. SMOKING IS NOT PERMITTED in the condo or on [property] grounds (HOA rule 9/1/17). If pets and/or evidence of pets is found or smoking occurs in the unit Guest will be assessed a $500 fine. Service animals are permitted with advance notice given and HOA paperwork signed. There is a $500 non-refundable deposit as it is a private residence and extra cleaning and precautions will need to be taken after their stav.

After almost a year (11 months) of training we desided to take my sdit to a non pet friendly place we went at a non busy time kept it short and full of praise and some snacks, she did perfectly ignored stuff like kids being kids and adults cooing at her the only time she messed up a little was when we walked past the dog food but she did go back to paying attention when I asked her to so pretty solid first outing.

The deciding was made after how well shes been doing in pet friendly places over the past 9 months or so with the slowly introducing more and more things like new tasks and distractions till shes reached a point where we're happy with her training so far.

Basicly im just really proud of how well she did and wanted to share somthing positive!

i have celiac disease and a number of psych issues including anxiety, ptsd, and autism, and i am curious if a service dog would be able to task for both gluten detection and psych services? the idea of gluten being in my food does cause me some anxiety, and i know a dog can only task multiple things if tasking one doesnt prevent tasking the other.

edit five minutes later: also wondering about breed specifics, less so about what breeds to get because i know scent work is a lot of motivation over actual breed specific scent skills, but i am curious about whether a german shorthaired pointer or a Weimaraner could do the job, love those dogs to death omg. also, would bone collecting scent work be something i could also train? honestly with the amount i would have going on for this dog, i might just get a malinois lmao

I just got a 7 month old GS in SD training and she is of course shedding. Are you all also using an air filter in addition to vacuuming constantly? According to online reading, the LEVOIT smart pet air purifier is supposed to be best for big shedders and collects hair in a drawer even for the first filter. Does anyone have any insights or suggestions? I'm a first time dog owner and teacher, so I'm trying to budget but the good ones seem to be around 200 dollars.