u/AlternativeGur9876

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?

saw a service dog yesterday and was surprised because i didn’t know belgian malinois made good service dogs! he was really calm and well behaved. off leash the whole time. i guess we learn something new everyday. does anyone else know another service dog of this breed?

hello! so, I am 13. I know I’m pretty young to get a service dog. I have type one diabetes, autism, adhd and anxiety. I am looking to owner train a diabetic alert dog. This is something I have talked through with my parents and my doctors and they all believe I would benefit quite a bit from a service dog. I am hoping to get a trained dog by college (I’m going into eight grade) and I’m looking for an owner training program in Maryland. And a breeder (im also most interested in a poodle)

I have my SD trained to sit/lay next to me but facing behind me at checkout lines. She’s also trained to stand/lay/sit between me and crowds of people. I live in the US South, where people are very touchy and huggy. Somebody touching me or giving me a hug if I don’t know them very well can cause a meltdown, which my dog is also trained to lean against me.

Are these legit tasks? I simply ask her to exist as a buffer to keep me from having a meltdown when in public.

She’s 86lbs and looks like a Lab took a Rottweiler’s coat and turned the black a dark, steely gray. I absolutely use her appearance as a buffer. I would NEVER ask or allow her to be aggressive, just be a buffer.

Obviously, people who need mobility assistance aren't going to do this because they're disabled.

But since a certain subset of people claim bracing is ethical, I did a simple test. The average American male weighs about 190 lb (I'm rounding down), and the average woman weighs about 170 lb. Let's assume you have one of the largest German Shepherds at 90 lb or a Lab at 80 lb. An average 180 lb person is roughly twice the dog's weight.

So I had a friend help me test it. I got my friend who weighs about 200 lb, not even twice my weight. I got down on my hands and knees, and they used me for support to stand up, placing their hands just above my shoulders and hips.

Jesus Christ, it hurt.

Now imagine, most people don't have great danes that are 170 lbs, and even if they did, their bone structure is not meant for bracing. So, that means they're using shepherds, labs, retrievers, poodles, etc to brace. Unless the handler is 120 lbs or less, that dog is going to feel it. And let's be real, the people posting "brace" videos of them fake fainting (which is another issue in itself) are not 120 lbs.

I encourage people to try brace at home with your friends or family (if you can for fun). Even if your weight ratio is 1:1, I guarantee you will not like the feel of it.

Being a minor should not give someone a free pass for making ridiculous SD requests. This is especially true when people expect a fully trained service dog for free or at little to no cost. Training a legitimate service dog takes years of work, thousands of dollars, and an enormous amount of time, skill, and consistency. Dismissing that effort or acting entitled to someone else's time and resources deserves criticism, regardless of age. If that sense of entitlement is never challenged while they are young, there is a good chance they will carry those attitudes into adulthood. How else do you think we got boomers? Do you want Gen Z to be the next boomers?