“I Coulda Had A V8″ – Don’t Let That Happen To You With Service Dogs

Posted on | November 20, 2009 | No Comments

One of the biggest reasons I harp so hard on getting the best service dog you possibly can and point out things/places that aren’t so great is that I don’t ever want you to be this guy:

Where you get a dog that turns out to be a great companion but a not-so-great service dog, you see one later that really IS that great, and you realize, “Man, if I’d have only applied to a better organization, paid more attention, and done some more research, I could’ve had one of those.”

Or you support an organization or individual you later find out really isn’t up to the standard, or is training and placing dogs into situations you’re not comfortable with now that you know better (e.g., the dog is being asked to do things that may very well be beyond the capabilities of the dog – or any dog).

Look, there’s a ton of fun, laughs, and wonderful things that happen in the service dog world, no question. Make no mistake, though – once you get past all the “feelgood” stuff (like most of what you read online or see on the news now), it’s serious business, and you have to look beyond the surface stuff and pay close attention.

Don’t let it happen to you – I’ll do everything I can to make sure it doesn’t.