Disabled dogs as Service Dogs - Not a good idea!

This is my mom's dog Maddox. He has three legs. He isn't a
service dog, even though he is conditioned and takes joint
supplements, it wouldn't be fair to work him. After a while he 
does get tired of walking. He enjoys running, playing, hiking, 
and has a keen nose for sniffing out treats. He doesn't have to 
work to lead a fulfilling life doing things that make him happy.

Be it a disabled vehicle, a disabled person or a disabled animal, the word disabled means the same. The basic dictionary definition is being unable to perform one or more natural activities because of illness, injury, etc. In my past few years in the service dog community I've seen multiple people working dogs who are themselves disabled. In theory it is a sweet idea to have a disabled animal devoting their entire lives to their handler, and with what bits they each have, the handler and dog taking care of each other. In reality however, this is a surefire way to produce burn out the dog, both emotionally and most certainly physically.


I've heard so often:
"Her seizures don't affect her that often. I can tell when they will happen and I take her home. Also she's on medication so they don't happen really ever."
"His cleft lip and palate doesn't affect him. I bottle raised him so he is happy to help me. Who cares if he has to eat and drink a little differently? He doesn't breathe much different than any other dog, and it doesn't matter, I don't like the heat either."
"Her anxiety is much better when she takes her medication. She doesn't hate working though, she's just a lot less scared when she has her medicine. It's not like she would ever hurt anybody."
"He's deaf but he never is supposed to be off leash anyway according to the law, so I can tap on him on the back to get his attention. He doesn't get upset if he knows it's me touching him, but he's really gentle so I don't think he'd ever do more than look back and then look to me for me to tell him it's ok if someone else touched him."
"She's blind but she's still a great service dog. I just try and keep her from bumping into things by pulling on the leash. Being blind doesn't stop her from alerting to my condition!"
"He only has three legs, but I promise you he can run faster with three legs than most dogs with four. He loves being with me and I try and get breaks so he can lie down and rest. He's healthy and happy so he doesn't mind steadying me if he needs to."
"She has hip dysplasia and severe arthritis, but I give her supplements. She's spoiled, she doesn't mind. Her being quiet and looking upset is not her actually being upset, she just looks serious because she's got a serious job to do - helping me!"

Almost inevitably by the time I see one of these online threads or conversations still taking place, someone has already used the statement or some variation thereof, "The blind leading the blind." Even if you don't use your dog with seizures as your seizure dog, a deaf dog as your hearing dog, or something along those lines, using a disabled dog is not ideal. There are thousands and thousands of young, healthy, temperamentally sound dogs who could be trained to be fabulous working service dog partners for virtually any disability or combination of disabilities. The right dog for any person with their given disability(s) is out there, and that dog isn't disabled either.

I feel like if I were to say to someone with a disability, "I am nominating you to come with me every day, everywhere I go and do this job for me. Here are the job requirements, I know you can do it because I love you and you're perfect for the job and you are special and valued. Even if you don't succeed I'll give you infinite chances to keep on trying. You are so needed and wonderful, I'll make it so you can't fail in my eyes!" I feel like that would be seen quite offensively and be countered with some comment about how they are disabled and there are limits to when and where they can go places and being unable to choose to enter or leave a job is unfair. I don't disagree one bit. I just feel the same should hold true to the disabled dogs these same people choose to work, and choose to put through the same job rigors as the hypothetical listed above. They can't verbalize that they do not want to work, so we must make the ethical choice not to work them as a service dog.

I often hear the statement "But they need a job!" Well, yes, but it doesn't have to be a physically strenuous and demanding job in which they could well be kicked,  run over or into with a cart, touched, pulled, screamed at, hugged, or any variety of things that could potentially upset even a more sensitive service dog, much less one who may not be able to have all of their senses intact to interpret and process the situation. Certain disabled dogs do really well as therapy dogs and some can even do dog sports or obedience as long as their physical needs are respected. In any case though, sports, obedience, tricks, therapy, none of this has a 24/7 job requirement. If a dog is hurting in a competitive run, they will be almost certainly be encouraged to sit out the next ones in the immediate future until they recover. Like humans, disabled dogs have days where they have more pain or less, more cognition or less, more stability or less. As you cannot speak to your dog, you can only go off of physical behavior and some dogs are very stoic creatures. You may not know something is really hurting or "off" until there is a serious issue. For example: some dogs with seizures develop temporary aggression. I'd hate to see the dog have a seizure right as a kid is passing by with a hand outstretched.

Back to the meaning of disabled. If you are disabled, there are things you simply cannot do on your own. Partnering with a dog who is also limited in their capacity means that you are stuck doing things for each other, sometimes incompatible things. Say you are wheelchair bound. Your dog with anxiety gets so crippled that in your fluster you drop your bag containing both your medication and hers. She is freaking out, you are struggling with your mobility and she is no help because she is having a doggy version of a panic attack. This is a bad situation that could have been completely avoided had you had a healthy dog in the beginning. The dog would have seen your need, possibly pre-anticipated it, gotten your medication bag and that would be that. No need to procure your bag from the floor, shelve your mobility and pain issues for the moment to shove pills down a highly anxious dog's throat in the middle of a mall (or anywhere!). All pain and discomfort on behalf of everyone (you, dog, passersby) would have been completely avoided.

I understand the idea of making an existing disabled pet a service dog is tempting. You love them, they love you, there is a preexisting bond. Same to getting a dog who you feel you will connect with because both you and the dog have disabilities. All dogs with healthy temperaments will bond if you are open to bonding with them. Simply do your dog a courtesy as a living being. If you would be uncomfortable with the terms, conditions and clauses of what your dog's current or proposed work, don't reciprocate and force it on your dog. They can't tell you no, they would prefer not to go to work.

Again, so many available dogs are out there who are perfect for you. One of them would love to accompany you everywhere and help you out as much as you need. This dog out there has a fabulous work ethic and incredible bonding ability. This dog aims to please you and worship you and help you in whatever way possible with a grin and a tail wag. A dog that brings complete freedom to the disabled handler is an ideal service dog. Disabled dogs are not broken, but they should be physically and emotionally healthy to stand up to the requirements imposed by the job.

Every disabled person I know (and probably the majority of everyone else) has at least one time pushed themselves past their limit to leap hurdles backward for someone they love. And in almost all cases, even if it was worth it to see the person you love happy and healthy, it was not worth it for the symptoms that come after. Overextending your limits and boundaries hurts in almost every way possible, and I for one know I feel it for days after at times. When a single isolated event of pushing yourself leaves you hurting and sapped of energy for days after, what happens when you do it all day every day and there is never an opportunity to truly rest? This is the life of a disabled service dog. Even when they are resting, they are, to some degree, on call. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year until they are retired or succumb and pass away.

There are things your dog, disabled or not, will do for you because they love you. The things they do because they love you should not be confused with things they do for you because they want to do them. Your service dog is your personal disability aid. They do things so you can be healthy. The kindest, best way you can support your disabled dog is by allowing them to do healthy things of their choosing. This may include finding a part time job (such as therapy, sports, nosework or tricks) or maybe they would prefer to lay on the couch most days and go to the park on occasion to play ball or go for a hike. Love shouldn't be a sacrifice and it doesn't have to hurt. This goes both ways. Treat your disabled dog with the dignity and respect you would hope would be afforded to you.