As many of you know, I have had a goal of doing some pet therapy work with Aspen. I've been doing a lot of research into TDI (as recommended from some DF members) but I can't find a TDI affiliated trainer/tester near me. I've switched over to looking at Pet Partners and have found a trainer/tester. I have been in contact with her briefly, just to send over my contact info so she can send me some information. Do any of you know any major differences between the two organizations? If I... Pet Partners vs. TDI ..read more

Is there an "official" means of certifying a dog for Service Dog? I see all these (obviously) bogus sites but have not found anything that looks legit. There is one called Service Dog Registration, supposedly through ADA.gov that looks maybe OK. I received a letter from one of my doctors stating that I meet the requirments. I would like to have a certification just because of all the idiots out there that are giving us a bad rap. I would like to have a certificate of some sort if only for... Service dog registration ..read more

What is the best dog to be trained as a service dog ..read more

Hey guys, I recently adopted a puppy from the local pet shelter. They told me they thought she was a German shepherd mix, but I think she looks very similar to a Belgian Malinois. If anyone that is familiar with Belgian Malinois, I would really appreciate your input. She is 7 months about 46 lbs and stands about 22 inches tall. Thanks ..read more

I have a havanese, he’s roughly 8 years old, about 15-16 pounds (a healthy weight), and a little over a foot tall. I was thinking it would absolutely adorable to get him a (very) small cart so that he can pull a very small amount of produce from my garden to my house. Plus, it would get him exercising. But would this be safe? I can’t find any information on it online, and I don’t want to accidentally hurt him. The cart would be appropriately sized, he would have a harness, and I would only... Small Dog Cart Pulling ..read more

At this point I've told a number of people at my job that I'm interested in handling explosives detection dogs at some point in the next couple of years. I've been told several times by different people "Oh, you know they're not pets," kind of patronizingly. Like, they think because I'm a young woman I'm not going to train or handle the dog well? What does "not a pet" even mean? From what I've read and heard, it's encouraged that the dogs live in the handler's home, so it's not like... Not a pet ..read more

I've been talking to friends, family, and a service dog, therapy dog training program for months now. I've done all my research on how to train the dog, and if I qualify for a service dog or not. I have my puppy Bleu, he's a Mastiff, Australian shepherd, Rottweiler, cane corso, and pit bull, along with several other breeds. I have been training him to be my service dog for the last month and he almost has all the basics down. His tasks I'm training him are, anxiety alerting, medication... Psychiatric Service Dog ..read more

Hello, I’m looking for a American pitbull terrier breeder preferably in Southern California I plan on getting one for personal protection and maybe do some sports in the future ..read more

I just relocated to another City, and we got into our place last night. A little cottage, on a quiet street, tucked behind another house. It didn't take long for me to realize the serious problem- one window is blocked by an old trailer, the other faces into my yard- there will not be people walking by. My dogs whole purpose & existence revolves around sitting by the window and barking at strangers walking by. He doesn't have a job now. He's already not feeling well due to a skin condition... My dog has no job- pls help ..read more

I will need my GSD to protect me loyally but is it possible for him to be command trained to attack and stop, and have natural instinct to attack someone who is trying to cause either of us harm, but also be trained to detect panic attacks/episodes of PTSD and be able to comfort me and be brought into and behave well in public? Is this legal? A good idea? Or even possible ..read more