When you adopt a dog, you can help an animal in need by adopting a failed service dog. Although all canines have the potential to be good, not every dog is cut out to be a service animal.
Service dogs in training typically fail the process if they cannot commit to the various roles required of them. So if a dog cannot complete service dog training, don’t worry! These canines usually become available for adoption afterward.
What is a Service Dog?
Have you ever seen a dog in a vest walking with its owner and wondered what exactly that canine does? You’ve likely seen a service dog, also known as an assistance dog.
These canines are specially trained to perform specific tasks that assist their human partners with disabilities. Although most people are only familiar with guide dogs, many other types of assistance dogs fulfill various roles.
The Many Faces of Assistance Dogs
Guide Dogs
The first type of service dog most people think of, is the guide dog. These loyal pups are trained to help their visually impaired or blind owners navigate the world safely.
Guide dogs undergo an intense two years of training before being paired with their human partner. During their training, they learn to avoid obstacles, stop at curbs, and navigate busy streets and crowds.
Hearing Dogs
Hearing dogs are trained to alert their deaf or hard-of-hearing owners to specific sounds, such as doorbells, smoke alarms, telephones, and alarm clocks. Hearing dogs can be either big or small breeds, but all hearing canines undergo at least four months of specialized training.
Service Dogs for Physical Disabilities
Assistance dogs can also be trained to perform tasks for people with physical disabilities. These tasks can include things like opening doors, retrieving dropped items, pressing elevator buttons, turning lights off and on, and helping with laundry.
Physical assistance dogs generally have a keen sense of balance, so they can help their owner stand up from a seated position or provide added stability while walking. Some physical assistance dogs are even trained to help individuals who use wheelchairs by tugging open doors or carrying objects!
Service Canines for People with Mental Health Conditions
Service canines can greatly assist people with mental health conditions like PTSD, anxiety, depression, and more. These dogs are trained to perform specific tasks that help their owners cope with their needs.
For example, a service canine for someone with PTSD might be trained to interrupt repetitive or harmful behaviors, provide deep pressure therapy during anxiety attacks, or remind someone to take medication.
Medical Alert Assistance Canines
These canines are trained to alert their owners if they have a specific medical condition that requires attention. For example, a dog might be trained to sniff out when their owner’s blood sugar drops or if they are about to have a seizure.
Autism Assistance Canines
Autism assistance dogs can be a great asset for children and adults on the autism spectrum. These dogs are trained to perform tasks that help their owners cope with everyday challenges related to autism.
For example, an assistance dog that helps with autism might be trained to provide deep pressure therapy during meltdowns, help its owner avoid sensory overload in crowded places, or serve as a calming presence during periods of anxiety.
Facility Canines
Facility dogs are specially trained to provide emotional support and companionship in places like hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and libraries. These dogs typically have pleasant dispositions and enjoy being around people. Therefore, they often visit multiple locations to bring happiness and comfort to as many people as possible!
Why Do Dogs Fail the Assistance Training Program?
Have you ever met a service dog in training and wondered what happens if they don’t make the cut? While every dog is unique in its own way, not every pup is cut out to be a service dog. The most common reasons why dogs fail service dog training are:
Lack of Focus
One indicator that a dog might not make the cut for assistance training is a lack of focus. Canines for these jobs have to be able to focus on their human partners, even when there are distractions present.
If a dog constantly gets distracted by other animals or people, it likely will fail in this area of dog training.
Doesn’t Respond Well to Commands
Another sign that a dog might not be cut out for this type of work is if they don’t respond well to commands from its human partners. Assistance dogs must be obedient and follow instructions, even in new and unfamiliar environments. If a dog isn’t responsive to commands, it might not be able to fulfill the duties of a service canine.
Fearful or Anxious in New Situations
Some dogs might also struggle with training if they’re fearful or anxious in new situations. This can be a problem because these dogs often have to go places their human partners might not be comfortable with, such as crowded places or loud noises. If a dog is anxious or fearful in new situations, it might not be able to cope with the challenges of being a service dog.
Not Good With Other Animals
Another reason some dogs don’t make the cut is that they’re not good with other animals. The assistance dogs often have to work closely with other animals, so they must be social and good-natured around other creatures. If a dog doesn’t get along well with other animals, it could create problems during training.
Health Issues
The dogs must be physically healthy to complete their duties without problems. If a dog has health issues that might interfere with its ability to serve as a service dog, it likely won’t be able to succeed in service dog training.
How to Adopt Failed Service Dogs
The first step to getting a career change dog is finding one of the few service dog organizations that adopt out these types of dogs. You can ask your local veterinarian for a recommendation or search for service dog organizations online.
Once you’ve found a few prospects, reach out to them and ask if they have any adoptable dogs that fit your needs. Be prepared to pay an adoption fee, as these organizations rely on donations to continue their work. The following are two such organizations:
Freedom Service Dogs of America
The first step of the adoption program is to fill out a dog adoption application. You can find the application on the Freedom Service Dogs of America website.
The application will ask basic questions about you and your family and your reasons for wanting to adopt a failed service dog. Once you’ve submitted the application, a Freedom Service Dogs of America representative will contact you to set up an interview.
During the interview, the representative will ask more in-depth questions about your experience with dogs, your lifestyle, and what type of dog would be a good fit for your family.
They will also explain the expectations of adopters, which include attending training classes and keeping up with the dog’s medical needs. If both parties agree that it is a good fit, you will be matched with a failed service dog.
Additionally, you will need to take responsibility for their medical needs, including regular vet check-ups and vaccinations. But if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, adopting a failed service dog can be an enriching experience—for you and your new furry friend!
Canine Companions for Freedom
Canine Companions for Freedom is one service dog organization that gives shelter dogs a chance to become a service dog. In addition, canine Companions offers an adoption program for shelter dogs that have failed their training as assistance dogs.
While these animals may not be able to perform the specific tasks required of a service dog, they still make excellent pets. The adoption process is very similar to adopting a regular shelter dog, but a few additional steps are involved.
When adopting one of these career change dogs, more female dogs are available because some trainers prefer one dog’s gender over the other. The only time gender preference comes into play is when a larger dog is needed to perform weight-bearing tasks – and in those cases, boys are usually the safer choice.
Conclusion
So, if you’re thinking about adopting a failed service dog or a career change dog, you should know a few things. First and foremost, these dogs make great pets!
They’ve already been through extensive obedience training and socialization, so they tend to be well-behaved and easy to manage. And since they’ve been spayed or neutered and have all their shots, they’re also typically healthy—something that can’t always be said of rescue dogs from shelters.
But before you bring one of these pups home, it’s essential to do your research and make sure you understand what type of pup would best fit into your lifestyle. Remember, failed assistance dogs didn’t fail because they weren’t good enough—they just weren’t cut out for working as a service animal.
If you can provide the time and patience needed to help, your new furry friend adjust to life as a pet, then go ahead and help an animal in need by adopting a failed service dog by making him a career change dog!
*photo by cynoclub – depositphotos
