• 💖 [Donate To Keep MyPTSD Online] 💖 Every contribution, no matter how small, fuels our mission and helps us continue to provide peer-to-peer services. Your generosity keeps us independent and available freely to the world. MyPTSD closes if we can't reach our annual goal.

Service dog for ptsd

  • Thread starter Deleted member 38906
  • Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I know rotties are fabulous dogs but having one as a service dog would be more of a problem than a benefit

I know a Rottie service dog.

I also know a Mallinos mix service dog (which is probably the worst breed for service dog).

Some dog breeds are historically bred to attack.

And Chopper is An American Pitbull Terrier and he makes as a fabulous service dog and there are actually many pitbull service dogs.

So, yes, breed is important but I'd be careful with the sterotypes.

ETA: And I am not meaning to just go willy nilly on selecting the breed. Do the research, get the right breed for the job you are asking if it, from a working line. I am certianly going to get Chopper's replacentment from a working line and likely a Golden for the body build for mobility but I am just saying. Chopper was started as an adult and is a rescue and I know many rescues as service dogs as well. I feel its too risky to get another rescue as it hightens the lilelyhood of a washout but its not impossible. I couldn't take on a puppy and house training (organizing my life now to) and it allowed him to start working when he was ready and not a year after he was grown. So there are pros to rescuing. Many cons as well but still pros. I know a girl that rescued and is now working the dog 4 months into training. Its possible. But she also did the exact same temperment testing and vetting aa one would a puppy.
 
Last edited:
@Freida - I love your enthusiasm and totally agree that more people should have a dog. Even without being a service dog, they're fantastic companions, and many breeds naturally assist with a whole range of ptsd symptoms without any training at all. From being good motivators to get out of the house regularly, bringing self-confidence, stabilising mood, to being a natural grounding tool and stress-defuser - the list of things a dog will help with is endless.

But I'm also wary of enthusiasm breeding misinformation. Dogs are a lot of work. They're a big investment of both time and money, and while you can definitely have a dog on a tight budget (I'm on the dsp), it's a big committment.

Service dogs, as opposed to having a dog as a companion animal, is a lot of work. Yes, a trainer can achieve a whole lot in 30 days. But training a service dog is about training behaviours, rather than just clever tricks. And that takes time. It takes time from the handler every other day if you want a dog that does the right thing reliably.

And while an intensive with a qualified trainer is great, 30 days? Is the beginner crash course. Even with breeds bred to work in this type of role, it should be at least 12 months of regular training before a dog is considered ready, with a lot of dogs taking much longer. Experienced trainers who raise and train dogs as service animals? Will keep the dog usually till it's at least 1-2 years old, with training starting when the pup is as young as 4-6 weeks old. And that's people who train dogs professionally.

Age is also a consideration. Getting a puppy is ideal - you can cram a lot of training into the first 6 months of a dog's life to get fantastic results. But dogs shouldn't really be considered ready until they're at least 18 months old, because they're still little kids and prone to misbehaviour and plain old getting tired while they're young. That means a commitment of at least a year training any dog before they're ready if you're self-training. That's a big commitment.

There's a whole lot to consider with breeding, and sticking to typical working dog breeds (like retriever breeds) is a good idea. Many small breeds, particularly terrier breeds? Naturally bark to assert themselves, and unless you're up for using a training collar (which I'm not a fan of), that's a natural habit that you really want to avoid. They also aren't big enough to do some of the things that a larger dog will do.

At the same time, large dogs are more expensive and tend to need more space and more exercise.

So weighing up the right breed for both the skills you need and your individual living situation is a really good idea.

As a companion animal, rescues are a great option. But not as a service dog. It is achievable, but I'd recommend against it because you're typically going to inherit problems that will need addressing.

Like I said, I definitely agree more people should have a dog, because they're so incredibly life-changing. But it's important not to let enthusiasm lead to misleading information about the amount of commitment required. Like your trainer said, a lot of people get a dog and are full of good intentions, but it ends up not working for them.
 
breed is important but I'd be careful with the sterotypes.
There's pretty good stats on dog attacks kept here in Australia. There are certain breeds that are a liability. Your experience with Chopper is great, but several hundred years of breeding does effect a dog's temperament.

It's not about stereotyping, it's about being responsible with choosing a puppy. Some breeds naturally do better as service dogs. Just like some dogs make better gaurd dogs, and some dogs make better lap dogs.

Suggesting otherwise? It's kind of like saying I shouldn't assume a Daschund will naturally grow into a dog with an unusually long spine. That's how they've been bred, that's how most of them are going to be.

Temperament is individual to the dog. But for a person wondering what breed to get? It makes sense to go for a breed that has the best chance of success.

I know many rescues as service dogs a
I'm going to take a punt that you know "of" many rescues who have gone on to become a service dog, rather than knowing them on a personal basis. Yes, there are success stories. The work involved behind those success stories? Is usually pretty huge.

I'm not fighting with you, I'm just cautious about people getting the wrong idea. Because personally? My experience is that dogs can spend years not being a problem, and then the right set of stressors happens and the consequences can be devastating. No, it's not every dog of those notorious breeds, but it only takes one nightmare event and you can have devastating consequences.

It's a whole lot safer, if you're picking a pup for the purpose of getting a service dog, to pick a breed that is notorious for being friendly, rather than notorious for attacking. It just is.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Temperament is individual to the dog. But for a person wondering what breed to get? It makes sense to go for a breed that has the best chance of success.

And I have seen many Golden Retrievers that are super aggressive.

I would hope a temperment test don't accoint for people putting dogs in a pit and forcing them to fight. Temperment is temperment is temperment. And if you search on youtube (and facebook), you will find MANY pitbull service dogs. Chopper and I met another in training pitbull team. Hell, one of Michael Vicks fighting dogs was rescued and trained to be a therapy dog and they DO have to pass the CGC in the US.

I am NOT saying it is wrong to pick a golden or a standard poodle because they are "known" to have good temperment (I've seen many aggressive standard poodles too) but I think it is down right dangerous to straddle the line of breed sterotypes.
 
Actually, I'm not. I've now owned Chopper, an American Pitbull Terrier now for 4 yrs and he has yet to "snap" (ETA: and is now the 3rd pit I have owned and about the hundredth I've trained) and just like on here, you can actually make friends on youtube. Actually those run deeper and people have meetups.

Why the hell are you being so defensive about this. Like I know nothing though I've been doing this a year now. Yeah, you may have had a service dog longer but that doesn't mean you know more (nor am I saying I know more) or have more experience as I have also been training dogs since my early 20s and also voluteered for many rescues, shut down countless puppy mills, and placed very wounded "bad breeds" and seen them turn around to being working dogs. I have experience too.

I am unsure why you are so hell bent to push your opinion but I do have opinions of my own and no, not all of my research is on youtube (though you can learn a ton on youtube). Just because Chopper has a youtube channel does not mean I narrow my mind to it. I have actually bought 3 Leerburg Univeristy courses (that are not cheap and are very long and detailed), 5 books, a few DVDs and a VOD. I have also read countless pieces of research.

For the OP, hopefully this thread isn't too off topic. I would just breed research for the job you need. If that is only PTSD then research breed traits. After you narrow that down, then find a good breeder that breeds working stocks and make sure all the health and vetting is there and then do the temperment testing that you can find pretty much everywhere. And I would throw out breed sterotypes as most is wrong. I have seen a Golden more aggressive then I have seen any pit and rottie put together.

That's all I have for that. Out.
 
Last edited:
You've picke a fight where there isn't one.

I've followed your trauma diary. I'm aware of your experience. I'm aware this isn't the first thread where your misinformation about dog breeds has been an issue.

ETA: My approach? Isn’t to suggest that if you have a dog already, only certain breeds will be successful as a service dog. But, if you’re starting out fresh like the people asking questions here, certain breeds are more likely to set you up for success.

@lostforgottensoul - I’ve read back over this thread to try and see where it went bad, and there seems to a bit of defensiveness which I’m guessing comes from the bad wrap that Pit Bulls have. I can imagine a lot of people make assumptions about Chopper which are unfair. I’m sorry if that happens because I know how important he is to you.

That said, it does make me nervous that people with zero experience as a dog owner may read this thread and think that breeds like pit bulls are as appropriate for the job as any other breed. They aren’t a good choice for someone who has limited experience owning a dog, especially if the dog is to be a service dog.
 
Last edited:
That said, it does make me nervous that people with zero experience as a dog owner may read this thread and think that breeds like pit bulls are as appropriate for the job as any other breed. They aren’t a good choice for someone who has limited experience owning a dog, especially if the dog is to be a service dog.
This.

For a very thorough article about both sides of the pit bull debate: The Unbiased Pit Bull Information Site: The Dangerous Pit Bull Propaganda War
And I would throw out breed sterotypes as most is wrong.
Breed stereotypes come from breed standards. The best way to learn about a breed is simply to research where it came from, and how the breed standard changed over time. Poodles, for example, are water retrievers. Hunting dogs. People don't tend to think of them that way.

It's just as sad when 101 Dalmatians came out (again), and kids all wanted a dalmatian for christmas, or the holidays, or a family dog. A large percentage of the breed is deaf. A lot of dalmatians can end up in shelters because they are a high energy, independent dog...and of course, a dog can seem destructive and untrainable - when they can't hear. A cursory search for the breed traits, history, and myths would turn up all the info anyone would ever need.

Breed standards are hugely useful, and will tell you an enormous amount about the psychology of a purebred version of any breed you are thinking about. It's irresponsible to not know the tendencies, good and bad, that a breed has.

(If you are not sure, because you've adopted, or aren't clear on your dog's provenance, consider a DNA test. Mixing and crossing can do a lot of good to take the 'edge' off of some of the edgier breed standards).

For anyone considering a psychiatric service dog (so, a service dog for their PTSD, not an emotional support animal) - think about the tasks you might need. It's easy to get seduced by stories of 'wonder dogs', dogs who have a big repertoire of skills and can do all sorts of things. But what do you as an individual, hope to get out of the support of the service animal? It's a good thing to think about.

Finally, if you've never owned a dog before, and you are serious about wanting a service dog, get serious about going to the shelter and adopting an older dog with as few behavior problems as possible. Adopt a pet. Be smart about it - if you haven't ever lived with or been completely responsible for a dog, it's a good thing to go ahead and get some practice, if you can afford to.
 
And while an intensive with a qualified trainer is great, 30 days? Is the beginner crash course. Even with breeds bred to work in this type of role, it should be at least 12 months of regular training before a dog is considered ready, with a lot of dogs taking much longer. Experienced trainers who raise and train dogs as service animals? Will keep the dog usually till it's at least 1-2 years old, with training starting when the pup is as young as 4-6

Soooo I think you may have missed part of my explanation of how my guy came to be. There was a lot of work involved that led from surprise puppy to service dog

To begin with he was in some kind of training or another starting at 9 weeks, including an 8 month stint as a 4h puppy to get him socialized to every thing he would see in the world and a fairly tough obedience course (he even got first place for our area The girl that worked with him was ecstatic!) After that my trainer kept him for 30 days of intensive training and then we trained with her once a week for over a year before she would allow us to apply for PAC. So by the time he got to wear his vest he had had almost two years of consistent and supervised training. I know most people are not going to have that luxury, which is why I advised getting the best training they could afford

@lostforgottensoul I was actually looking for a Rottie when I found my golden. I had just lost my rott...2 months after getting him certified as a therapy dog to go into hospitals and what not. I was devastated. He was the 3rd Rott I had owned and it's shameful to admit but I don't think I could have used one as a service dog. We got so much crap in our day to day life over the years about having a Rottweiler in Public that I wouldn't have been able to function if I would have had to have constantly defend him as a service dog.

I think what you are doing with Chopper is awesome and I wish I could have been that strong!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@Freida - I’m not sure, but I think you may have misconstrued my post as being an attack on how you’ve approached things with your dog and how you’ve had him trained? That wasn’t the intention, I just wanted it to be clear to anyone (like the OP and subsequent guest) that it wasn’t a quick process getting a dog trained.

In case it isn’t clear? We’re all big dog lovers here I think! I love dogs, love training them, love seeing people’s lives being changed with them (mine included).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top