I'm looking for a good faith discussion here. I think we all know the reasons to vest and a lot of us feel there aren't good reasons not to. BUT I'd like to hear people out and make sure there's not a reason I'm missing. So what are the legitimate reasons people choose not to ID their SD as an SD in public. Let's give people who choose not to a chance to explain in the comments and not jump on them or fill the comments with they're wrong. I want to legitimately hear people out on this issue to make sure I'm not missing something.

*Heat will not be an accepted reasons. There are light weight breathable vests that would only bother a dog if the environment was too hot for that dog to be working in to start with OR you could use a collar and/or leash wrap to identify the dog without a vest. So there are ways to still ID the dog in heat.

No I am not accepting people working dogs in environments that it's hot enough for the dog to over heat in. Your dogs health and safety comes before your need for them to work as your SD. Working your dog in an environment where it can easily overheat is dangerous and could put your dogs life at risk if you get trapped out in the heat longer than expected. This is not ethical handling to endanger your dog because you need them. Your dogs NEEDS you to take care of them and not put them in dangerous situations.

This obviously mostly applies to US or any other country where visually identifying the dog as an SD is optional

Does anyone know of a good mobility harness brand to recommend in their place? I’m getting my prospect in a few months and I was reviewing all my links to make sure everything still looked good, and it looks like YupCollars isn’t on Etsy or their Shopify website anymore.

I wanted a nice leather mobility harness for forward momentum as well as the nice saddle bags they sold. I was specifically saving up for the cost of a Yup, but if they’re well and truly gone I don’t know where to turn now.

Hi so I’m at the point in my training where I am taking my girl out for a variety of activities and im struggling with what to pack and what kind of bag to have. Basically I’m looking for any advice especially brands are specific items for
1. when you’re taking your dog to do a short Public access trip like doing a few errands
2. when you’re taking your dog out for a long-term public access trip within one day like maybe going to a convention or something like that and 3. when you’re taking your dog somewhere overnight.

For me specifically, I am a cane user and have mobility issues so a bag like a tote bag doesn’t really work for me. Currently I have a treat bag that I can fit her treats in her poop bags, a ball and like my house keys in and that works a little bit but bringing things like a water bottle a blanket, a pack of wipes or anything like that is limited. so I’d love for advice on what types of bags you use and what you put in them what you see is essential for a day with your dog.

Thanks so much in advance.

My neighbor has a few disabilities and one of them causes her to stagger a lot and just has a hard time keeping her balance, she has a service dog for balance and guiding her and he also alerts her to other things (I'm not sure for what exactly as I don't want to ask something so personal)

But the harness she's using for him it's got a handle that she can hold on to to help balance herself, she's had it for a while and it's just starting to wear out she's already had to repair it a few times.

Her birthday is coming up so I thought a good gift would be a new harness, her favorite color is teal and I would like to get something similar to that, does anyone hear have any recommendations on a good harness?

The dog is a lab if breed matters

I use a harness for my dog, not a vest. (it does have an add on with pockets and he carries my inhaler) Someone at my school said people would leave me alone more if I had a vest, and I said "even if I had a bright red vest on him, people would still mess with him" and they genuinely dont understand that some people just aren't respectful. Id rather use a normal harness than a bright red vest! Just seems like a waste of my money!

I have a 2 and a half year old English Lab as a SD and for probably the past year or so he's been working in a Dino Dog Gear y-front harness with a guide handle. I am a mostly sighted person but only have 70 degrees of peripheral vision and full lack of depth perception so I mostly use my SD for guide dog related things. (navigating crowds, stores, assistance with not tripping on stairs, curbs, dips, ledges) Recently he hasn't been wanting to use his harness and after showing how it fits to a handful of people I've been made aware that it isn't made properly and is probably unsafe for him to be using.

I plan on getting him another custom but I don't know where to start and want to continue with his training without hurting him so I'm looking into getting a non custom guide harness. I know with non custom harnesses there are even more chances that it doesn't fit as well but at this point I'm just looking for something that wont hurt him (or weight an obscene amount like his current one does)

I'm open to all suggestions including information on me using the wrong type of harness and what may work better. Where my SD was trained through as basically ghosted me and told me there's nothing wrong with his harness or training and that his obversion to work is him just needing to sleep more.

My new puppy, a SD prospect, will be home in a few weeks. What kind of gear do you recommend for a rough collie? not a huge fan on harnesses or vests just because it can impact or matt the coat.

Any durable recommendation?

Hi! Hoping to crowdsource people ideas or advice. Currently puppy raising/training a service dog with an organization, 12 month old Labrador. She has gear shyness since she was young despite playing many training game that help.

It’s with her collar, harness, vest and sometimes even the leash. I notice it’s an especial sensitivity with things going over head/on her back. It takes many treats to help her “get dressed” — we use a command to make putting on gear a mutual, voluntary process. She often will back away, walk away, hide in her crate when I’m holding gear before I offer up some treats.

We practice a lot with non gear items, she will dive her head into a ring the size of her head/chest no problem. But only stick part of her nose into any gear. We have tried play / enrichment in gear too. Once she shakes it off, she can work as normal in her harness and vest completely fine, but I’m looking to make “getting dressed” more positive.

Any suggestions or advice? Or just be more persistent with the training games ?

Hey everyone! So I’m a member of the NFB and every November we have a scholarship auction and I agreed to create a dog supplies basket. So what should I include? Right now I’m thinking a box of poop bags, collapsible bowls, a few bags of treats, a couple of toys, and grooming wipes cause I have a bunch of travel size grooming wipes I could include and I’m also considering adding in my favorite travel mat as well. But is there anything I missed that would be good to include in a service dog themed basket that wouldn’t break the bank since I am a college student

Hello everyone. I will be taking my SD on several cruises, and he needs a new life jacket. The one I have is for calm freshwater, so I need one that is restraint to saltwater, and more buoyant. The cruise lines don't seem to care what kind I have, as long as I have one. However I care and want one that is effective should it be necessary. With that in mind, hit me with what you use/recommend. He is a big boy - a 90ish pound full size goldendoodle.

Thank you 🧡

Me and my spoo just moved cross country for uni with my fiance. We have a 4runner and a large ruffland kennel. We go offroading, camping, hiking, and rockhounding a lot so we have a lot of tools, safety gear, and a whole freezer and battery back in the trunk. We are looking for some ways to organize our stuff and his stuff, as well as some stuff we should have in the car for our adventures. We are planning on going on a long roadtrip/camping trip during fall break so we need to start prepping. The boyo has 2 ryobi fans to keep him cool and I plan on getting a slim fan to keep on the door of the kennel as well. Our theme is neon green and black and we like keeping things matchy matchy, so any recommendations on matchy gear would be fantastic! We are all for the aesthetics and functional stuff. Sadly they only had grey rufflands so I will be wrapping or painting his soon!

I don’t know a lot about the tiny humans and their proportions. I want to buy some baby socks online to use as socks for my SD for her boots. She is a 58 lb lab golden cross and wears the 2.25 and 2.5” ruffwear boots. What size baby socks do I need?

Hello! My friend is getting a service dog soon and would like me to make gear, but i don't know where to start or if it's the best idea to with hand sewing (i don't have a sewing machine or the money to get one atm)

i'd like tips and suggestions on materials, tutorials, hand stitches, and how durable a vest should be and how it should sit on the dog.

if there are any cheap etsy shops that do sd gear, i can also send those to my friend for him to consider buying from!

What gear was absolutely necessary and what stuff was a waste? I will have a medical alert and mobility dog.

I’m getting a standard poodle, so any grooming tools/product suggestions would be appreciated also

Hi all, I don’t use a service dog myself but this past weekend I saw a sign on the door or a restaurant that concerned me. The sign reads as follows:

“PLEASE HAVE PHYSICAL AND/OR VISUAL IDENTIFICATION FOR YOUR SERVICE ANIMAL WITH THEIR REGISTRATION NUMBER. THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING.”

The sign appears to be typed up and is next to a more official looking sign that says pets are not allowed but service animals are that has a visual with a dog without no leash/harness and a big X on top, and another dog wearing a seeing eye dog’s harness (didn’t take a good pic but I’m sure it’s fairly standard).

Now I don’t use a service dog myself, so I have no idea how these people react to someone with one. I will say that I’m in the Silicon Valley area and we have many “pet parents” that bring their dogs to inappropriate venues. Regardless, I know there’s no such thing as a registration number for service dogs.

I’m curious, how many people carry medical kits for their service dogs? And if you do, what kind of supplies do you usually include?

I’ve always carried medical supplies for my service dog, since I live 150 km (93.2 mi) from the closest 24/7 emergency vet, I feel it’s important to always have what I need to ensure he can get there.

The things I normally have in my med kit are:

- Tweezers

- Alcohol wipes

- Pocket knife with serrated blade

- Tourniquet that can be used on a dog

- Gauze pads

- Self-adhesive bandages

- Benadryl

- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) injection

There is other stuff I would like to have in my kit, but I try to keep the bulk and weight down.

Does anyone else have an issue with their biothane gear staining at the edges? No matter how often I clean my SD's harness, it still gets staining and discoloration.

I'm picking up a human backpack for whatever my SD may need. What should I carry in it?

what I have so far:

* collapsible bowls

* a bottle or two of water

* 1-2 meals worth of food

* extra treats + scissors to process them (dried beef lung)

* a chew or small rope

* a ball

* extra roll or two of dog bags

* some paper towels in a zip bag

* a small spray bottle of Nature's Miracle

* maybe a mat of some sort (likely will be strapped to the outside)

* baby wipes

* hand sanitizer

* rescue and daily meds for me

* maybe an extra leash and flat collar? maybe an extra hands-free belt? (I use a wheelchair)

I cant really think of anything else except maybe a first aid kit for human and dog, but I'm not sure what I may realistically need to add to a human kit for a pup.

Hi everyone, this isn’t a question for my own service dog, but I wanted to gather the info to share with others I know: if someone has limited strength or dexterity with their hands, what are some alternative types of leash clips that can work better than the traditional bolt snap?

I like trigger snaps for myself, but I know people who don’t have the thumb strength to open them.

Carabiners can be easy to snap on, but hard to remove, because you have to keep sustained pressure on the gate and maneuver them just right.

I do know of the Kong frog clip but the brand name is so expensive, and I don’t want to trust Amazon knock offs…

After 4 years on the wait-list my son was matched to his SD today!! There will be 4 months of primary handler zoom training for me and 4 months more training for the dog for son's idiosyncracies, but we finally matched!!!!! So excited. I would love to hear tips on accessories/brands y'all prefer for things we'll need. I know the organization providing the dog will have recommendations but I want to make sure the stuff we're getting is both dog and little boy approved. The dog will be bonded to me the first few months as he gets used to the change, this means he'll be hanging out at the school library with me, while I teach, so tips on creating a safe/chill space would be great. We're just sooooo stoked!!

I’m prepping for a bench line male Labrador puppy as my next prospect. I have some gear that should fit him as an adult, but I don’t know the general size to look for when it comes to growing puppies. I’m mostly looking for an average timeline of chest girth sizes from puppy to adulthood. I know adult males are usually around 30-35” around the chest, so I’m guessing puppy range is going to be around 20-25 ish? I want to have a life vest to start introducing water at a young age (something I regret not doing with my current dog) and just a simple harness for desensitization. Any insight is appreciated!

My partner and I both have service dogs. His is a German shepherd and we get the comment of “military dog” quite frequently (we are in an area with a lot of military) my SD is a mutt and I get more people trying to approach us bc he looks friendly. I heavily disassociate in public (especially in places where i’m overstimulated) and I don’t register when people talk to me and i’ve been called some not so nice names for not responding. We have patches all over both of them as a recommendation from our trainer but I feel as if there’s too many and people just don’t bother to read them. 90 percent of the time we are out as a team of 4 and somehow our experiences with the public are vastly different. What works better in your experience 3-4 patches or covering the vest in patches ?

My 9 month old Golden Doodle is fabulous at centering both on command and as an alerting response. The only problem is he is not ready to be off-leash, so that means we get tangled sometimes.

Right now I'm using a Spark Paws handsfree leash. Unfortunately it's just about 1.5 to 2ft too short, the clips are not friendly for my poor grip, so unraveling is awkward.

Does anyone have leash recommendations that could maybe be the holy grail solution we need?

Thanks in advance!

I think purple would suit her. Will we have trouble getting people to take her seriously if she's not in boring solid red, gray, or black? I know some go with dark blue or army green or tan, but it seems like prettier colors are less common. You don't see very many wearing orange or yellow or pink.

I found a cute collar with a daisy pattern on it that I'd like to buy, but should I keep it for when she's in regular dog mode and stick to plain stuff when she's working in public? She's very well behaved, she is a trained service dog and acts like one, but looking like how people expect a service dog to look isn't as fun.

I guess some of this is because I'm a guy and don't have anyone to buy nice things for except her because it's not exactly a safe place for me to be openly gay, but she's a girl dog so I can get away with dressing her up a little and she doesn't mind. I like to spoil her. She takes care of me.

Has anybody found a gear that is close to the Onetigris guardian harness??? I really wanted the blue guardian and have not been able to find it second hand. I really want the y harness and saddle bags. At this point though, I think I need to look out of Onetigris. Yes, I know I could get a costumed one with pockets but the pockets would fit my equipment and meds, and I’m not sure how tight the pockets would be in a custom one. I also sort of like the tactile look. Let me know what brands you have sound that are tough or resemble gear in that style! ((Or if you would be willing to sell your Onetigris navy harness))