This information is provided by the Psychiatric Service Dog Partners' website. A link to more information can be found at the end of this excerpt. There are many reasons why a dog might retire, retire early, or wash out. In many cases, consulting with a professional dog trainer or vet can help you make these decisions. As service dog handlers, we owe our lives to our dogs. And as such, we need to respect their limitations, desires, and health. In everything, we need to put our dogs’ needs first, and worry about our own disability-related assistance secondarily. If our dogs need to retire or be washed, and we don’t have another dog ready, we need to not force our dog to work, but instead find ways to adapt our own lives to accommodate our needs until we do have a suitable dog. It’s a lot easier to do this if we have a practical mindset and plan ahead For more information that addresses health concerns, reactivity or aggression, timidity or anxiety, not enjoying the work, partnership isn't working, or the age of the dog, click on the link below. |
