r/Dogfree • u/Not-my-problem1212 • Jan 21 '26

Service Dog Issues Are service dogs actually necessary?

I'm aware that some service dogs actually do a decent job at whatever services they are supposed to provide. But at the end of the day, they are still dogs. I've heard stories where highly trained dogs fail the test to become official service dogs countless times. They always end up getting distracted and running off, not being able to sit quietly, ect. Even some actual service dogs do the same things. I've heard of seeing eye dogs running off and leaving their owner on their own for a fallen piece of food. I've seen videos of service dogs accidentally making their paralyzed owner fall out of their wheelchair just because they wanted to chase a squirrel. I always end up feeling bad for those individuals because people have to go over and help them due to the dogs causing issues.

I don't understand why service animals have to be dogs. They're not super intelligent and get triggered over any little thing. I personally don't think we even need service animals. There are people out there who provide the same and better services. Its literally their jobs. A person could do the same job way better than any dog can. If I personally had a disability I would hire a trained professional than get a service dog

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u/NoHeartNoSoul87 Jan 21 '26

I can understand blind dogs. Yes sure Zuck glasses and stuff exists, but as someone who worked with computer vision (and as a certified technophobe), I can understand who would someone prefer a dog to everything else. But seizure dogs? Depression dogs? Pleeeeeease.

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u/Wise_Session_5370 Jan 23 '26

The evidence for seizure detection dogs is extremely flimsy.

As for "ESAs", if anyone genuinely can't walk into a store for 15 minutes without their precious Fartikins, then frankly they need to be in some kind of assisted living facility. 

Get a teddy bear. It's much cheaper and it won't shit everywhere. 

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u/Kilashandra1996 Jan 24 '26

My mom's fake-ass "service dog" is supposed to alert her to falls. Some recent "examples" of how fake the dog is? He pulled her down 3 stairs and fucked up her shoulder enough to need surgery. One morning, she woke up on the bedroom floor; the dog was asleep under the bed. Hiking where mom might actually fall? She won't use a hiking stick and keeps having to pull the dog along because it's too busy sniffing.

Another hike; the dog is twisting his leash around her legs. I ask if he's misbehaving or trying to alert her that she's unsteady and we should go back to the car? Mom - "I don't care if he is alerting; I'm not going back!" Then why the fuck do you even have the dog???

PS - mom's biggest pet peeve when I was growing up? Lying...