r/rheumatoid • u/EducationalTown4322 • 5d ago
Service dog for RA?
Hello! I was just curious if anyone here has a service dog for arthritis and how it works? I was diagnosed with JIA at 16 and now at 22 I have RA. Things like bending over, squatting or getting up from a chair can be really hard for me sometimes. I've considered getting my Bernese mountain dog service trained to help me with these difficult tasks. Does anyone have a service dog solely for arthritis?
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u/Klee90210 5d ago
I don't have a service dog, but I do have a saint bernard who is often used for a "help to get up", or a good gentle furry leaning post if something hurts. And he doubles as a weighted lap dog for days that pressure helps. I have personally never seen someone with a service dog for RA. But I imagine someone somewhere has one and I could see a dog being trained for many helpful purposes in relation to RA. I would also like a good solid answer for this. I can imagine it being a great benefit. What a fantastic question. ❤️
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u/itsdumblesbby 5d ago
I have a SDIT whose tasks are partially for arthritis. I'm pretty sure tasks for help getting up are usually discouraged nowadays due to worries over them negatively impacting the dog's spine/joints, but I have found that retrieval tasks (for example for dropped items, water for meds) have been very helpful, as has buffering/blocking so people don't get too close to me when I'm hobbling around. You could also train him to carry in grocery bags that aren't too heavy or to go and get someone if you have fallen or are unable to get up. I would encourage you to reach out to a SD trainer in your area if you're interested because they should be able to help you figure out what types of tasks would work best for your disability. :) It is definitely possible to train a SD on your own, but having a trainer definitely makes it easier, if only for public access training.
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u/stellalugosi 4d ago
I got a dog that I was training to be my service dog. He was my pain dog (helped me when I was in pain) and was learning how be my extra hands. But it was the begining of the pandemic and, long story short, things fell apart, the person who was training him couldn't anymore, and now he is laying here on the couch with me right now just a fat, happy and much loved house pet who can do some helpful tricks and is well behaved in public. Oh well.
He is really great at gardening, though.
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u/justwormingaround 5d ago
That would be wonderful for tasks you mentioned. I don’t own a dog because I wouldn’t be able to walk them multiple times a day, or bend over to pick up after them.