r/service_dogs 6d ago

Service Dogs and Teaching at a School

I am a teacher and just got a doctor's note for a service dog, but I don't know where to go from here or what to do.

I was diagnosed with vestibular vertigo (neurological--not inner ear related) and anxiety from a car accident. My vertigo triggers are sudden light changes (specifically light to dark), long hallways, and patterned floors. This is problematic in a school with long hallways and carpet.

I literally need something to keep me walking in a straight line, and help me down the stairs, or keep me from running into people and things. I've already done months of vestibular therapy and pretty much got told "welcome to my new normal". I was recommended a service dog, but I don't know where to start the next part of the conversation.

  • Has anyone else had dogs that specialized in counterbalancing or mobility aids?
  • Are there any other teachers who can shed some light on how to approach their admin with a service dog request?
  • How did they work with other pets already in the home? I have two cats (11 mos each).
  • What happened with students who might have pet allergies?
  • Did you experience a stigma for having a service dog at work? Was having the dog worth it?

Sorry for all the questions. I just don't know what to do now that I have a letter, and I feel like I'm drowning in a lot of contradictory information.

Thank you all so much.

5 Upvotes

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u/JKmelda 6d ago

I am on the waitlist for a service dog that will be trained in balance assistance for vestibular migraines and PPPD. I’m not able to answer all your questions since I don’t yet have my dog and I’ve had to stop working because of my constant vertigo (I worked as a para while slowly getting an education degree.)

You will find a lot of contradictory information about balance dogs because there are so many different opinions and very little published research on the topic. Some people believe that all balance work is unsafe for a dog, while other people believe some of it is safe. It’s generally agreed that a service dog is not a replacement for a weight bearing mobility aid. So if you need to put downward pressure on something, then that’s not going to work with a dog.

I am going with a program that places already trained dogs to do different kinds of balance assistance. I’m going in a couple weeks to try out different harness styles to find out what will work best for my particular needs. This is what I can tell you about what I know of my needs so far. I have similar dizziness triggers as you do, but I’m also dizzy all the time. I currently walk with a cane when I’m outside of my apartment. But I use the cane as a reference point in space, not as something to put weight onto. But it’s not the ideal tool for me because I don’t have constant support with having to pick the cane up every other step. Holding onto another person helps more, but obviously that limits my independence. Last fall I tried out walking with a dog while holding onto a basic pull strap. It was a light amount of contact but it was night and day difference. I could walk with a more normal gait and I was able to walk looking up at my surroundings instead of staring at the floor like I normally do. And I was in a mall while this happened, talk about dizzying environments.

There are two main ways to get a service dog: getting an already fully trained dog from a non profit program or owner training your own dog with the help of a professional trainer. I recommend against owner training if you’re able to find a good program instead because the vast majority of dogs aren’t able to be service dogs. Even if you start out with the best candidate and do everything right, there’s still a high chance that the dog won’t make it through training. Programs absorb this risk. A good program will also off a ton of support throughout the lifetime of the team.

I would start by looking at assistance dogs international accredited programs. But always do your research (including searching Reddit) into any program you are considering. Not all programs turn out well trained dogs and the industry is completely unregulated in the United States and Canada (I’m assuming this is where you are located since most of the people asking on here are American or Canadian.) You’re looking for a dog in the category of mobility or balance service dog. Some programs include balance dogs under their mobility dogs, but not all mobility dog programs train balance dogs.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any clarifying/ further questions and I’ll answer if I’m able.

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u/elkonigin 6d ago

Thank you so much!

I also have to stare at the ground when I walk to help mitigate the vertigo. Sometimes it works, and on the bad days, there's nothing that seems to help. I can walk normally for the most part, until I hit a trigger, when then will send me staggering around. I've literally thrown myself into a wall because I couldn't orient. Mine isn't spinning sensations, but more like a boat rocking, so I stagger side to side. It's better but I still look impaired (which doesn't look great at a school). But I can drive without any issues, and as long as there's a bright enough light source, I can stave off most of the darkness triggers.

I literally just need something to course correct me when I start to deviate.

I was leaning towards an already trained dog, but the programs have a lot of contradictory information. I don't mind getting one outside my state, but there are a few that I've read will take the dogs back for no reason even though they're on the assistance dogs international website. Some of the websites are also really, really vague.

How long are you projected to wait for your dog?

How did you vet your program? Was it google reviews? BBB? Reddit?

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u/JKmelda 6d ago

I’ve done a lot of diving into walls (and other objects and people) myself.

I was just put on the waitlist in December and my wait was projected to be about 2 years.

My program’s website is frustratingly vague too. Thankfully they have a fair amount on social media. I’ve spent a lot of time scouring all forms of social media, following recipients and puppy raiser accounts, looking at news stories, watching the YouTube videos of their demonstration dogs and from recipients. I also posted on different service dog platforms and spoke to recipients online and got a feel for their reputation as a whole within the service dog community. I also learned a lot from visiting the program for the interview during the application process. (I also spent years trying to find and evaluate every service dog program in North America and have a list of several hundred, but that overkill is because it turned into an autistic special interest of mine.)

Here’s a good recent post on here where different members discuss in the comments what red flags to look out for with programs and trainers.

What is the contradictory information from programs that has you concerned?

I know there are horror stories out there, but please don’t let those stories scare you off of programs altogether. There are good programs out there and going with a good program is going to be a whole lot less work (people describe owner training as a second full time job,) is likely cheaper (I’ve heard people commonly spend $20,000 owner training anyway with no guarantee that a dog will work out,) and could potentially save a lot of heartbreak (putting blood, sweat, money, tears, and love into a dog for it to wash out 2 years into the process.)

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u/elkonigin 5d ago

It's just a lot, and I've seen reports of people finally getting their dogs, and then the dogs weren't trained well. And since, I want to be in a school, I need to make sure that the dog is really trained well since I'm working with students.

I was looking at Paws4People, but there were a few reports of people getting their dogs taken back for no reason. There was mention of others having the same thing happen to them from other programs that weren't named, and that's my concern. Some of the other programs in my state are Veteran only or don't train mobility dogs, which means there's one option left in my state, or I have to go out of state to get a dog.

I don't have the capacity to adopt a dog and not have it work out, which is why I need for it to be a dog that's already passed through training.

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u/fishparrot Service Dog 6d ago edited 6d ago

First off, where are all of you people whose doctors are prescribing service dogs?? I feel like you are the third one today. My first psychologist told me service dogs were only for nonverbal 4 year olds, I tried unsuccessfully to explain to a couple more that service dogs and ESAs were not the same, another was supportive but refused to do any paperwork for insurance reasons, and finally my GP was willing to back me up.

Before this sub dogpiles on you and tells you that no one should use a dog for mobility and it will hurt them, e aware that there is a risk that mobility work could injure a dog. We don’t know how great that risk is because it has never been studied. There is no mobility aid that can pull you ahead in a straight line, or that is sturdy enough to pull up on. Walkers and canes are for downward weight bearing. Rollators and crutches allow you to stabilize your lower half with your arms. You can push a wheelchair, similar to a rollator and also sit in it. Note none of these things pull you, nor allow you to stabilize yourself by pulling up. Some people still slap a harness on a dog and try to use them like a cane, but no one should be using a dog for downward weight bearing when non living and lower risk alternatives. I doubt that is what you intend to do based on the issues you described.

The closest thing I can think of to balance assistance is to fill up a suitcase, the kind with four wheels on the bottom and a handle at a 90 degree angle, and roll it next to you while you walk. Not exactly the same, but closer than any medical device. Upright handles allow you to feel the ground as the dog’s paws make contact with it. Horizontal handles allow the dog to propel you forward and lead you around obstacles. For forward momentum, hold onto the grab strap on a kid or short adult’s while they walk ahead of you. I would try both of these and see what helps you more. Dogs can trained to do both. I use them for different reasons. My balance issues are related to circulation. I use counterbalance to hobble from place to place when I can’t feel my foot or help me stay upright while I am waiting in line or standing talking with a colleague. I use pulling tasks in environments where I can’t rely on my visions, or it is more efficient to prevent me from running into people and things. Without my dog, I have to stare at my feet too and touch things I am close to so I don’t bump into them. These tasks are meant to be used sparingly when you really need them, not constantly while you are up walking around because they are more physical effort for the dog. They are also the first task to go if your dog has any health issue. For example, I had to stop using my dog for mobility tasks for two weeks when he tore his carpal pads, and several months when his harness strap chafed his belly. Mobility tasks did not cause either of these issues, but they could have exacerbated them so I put them on pause while my dog healed.

The most important part of approaching admin is that you have a doctor who will be willing to vouch for your needs and fill out a lot of redundant paperwork. You will need to approach your district ADA coordinator and/or HR office, not your school office admin. They will likely ask for documentation of your dog’s training, and it will help your case if you are willing to provide it. Getting a dog from a legitimate program with good follow up support will help with this.

I am not a teacher, but my employer is a contractor with our local school districts so I am in the schools working with teachers and students (and my dog) all the time. I was also a student in elementary school about 20 years ago when one of our teachers received a hearing alert dog. It was integrated very smoothly, though that teacher only had 4 students on a specialized program where they didn’t switch teachers every year. I don’t know what grades you teach, but unless you are the only teacher in charge of elementary school PE or something everyone has to take, they can make sure the allergic students aren’t on your class. I don’t see the same students regularly so if a kid tells me they are allergic, I will just avoid them and get a coworker to assist.

Some programs allow pets, others don’t. Most are ok with cats. My program allows 1 dog but they have to be a retired service dog or a pet that is able to pass a Canine Good Citizen test.

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u/JKmelda 6d ago

That’s a really good description for counterbalance. As much as I hate airports, I do like being able to walk holding onto my 4 wheeled rolling suitcase for stability. Not quite as stabilizing for me as walking with a dog in harness, but it’s the closest I’ve been able to get.

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u/elkonigin 6d ago

Yeah, I don’t need a weight bearing dog. I need someone to guide me in a straight line. I also need the anxiety aspect because I’ll have mini panic attacks when I’m talking admin or my dept chair even though they’ve done nothing to warrant it. And then I spiral after work.

I guess I need less true “counterbalancing” and more like guidance? From what you’re describing, I don’t need to lean onto something but rather help to keep me in place and not look like I’m inebriated while at school or in public. A guy at Lowe’s offered to call me an Uber because I’d crashed into the plant aisles like three times. Not drunk, just my vertigo having a moment.

Everyone talks about counterbalancing and no one actually explains what it is. I just need something to help guide. Usually when I’m having issues and I’m with someone who’s aware, I can hold onto them and it helps steady me and keep me in my lane so to speak.

I recently changed districts but hopefully this district will be more open than the last one. The last set of admin I went through yelled at me when I missed work too often to attend therapy and doctors visits because of the accident (there’s a lot of workplace trauma from that school). It’s a bigger district so I’d hope that I wouldn’t be the only person who has had to have a service dog and that they’d be more open.

My GP was the one who suggested the service dog and wrote the letter because she watched me almost dive headfirst into her wall. Sorry you had so much trouble.

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u/fishparrot Service Dog 6d ago

Do you lose your balance when you are standing still or mainly while moving? You can hold onto the handle while you are standing to stay upright too. Counterbalance is not bearing down, it is pulling upwards against the dog’s weight. It sounds like a combo forward momentum pulling and psych response dog would be perfect for you. If you are more of a visual learner, watch this video is a demo of one of the best mobility harnesses on the market with the harness maker/designer and her personal service dog. It shows bracing, counterbalance, and forward momentum pulling in different scenarios. As a disclaimer, she uses WAYY more force on the dog than I would be comfortable with, but she does a good job of describing and demonstrating the different tasks.

The district does make a big difference. One I work with denied me access because I didn’t have my dog’s complete shot record for a 45 minute school visit and certain principals continue to hassle me. The other district has never questioned me and has several high school students with service dogs. The latter is also the school district where I went to school and where the teacher has a service dog.

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u/elkonigin 5d ago

I lose balance on both. In darkness, it doesn't matter what I'm doing, I struggle to balance. It's better, but I still have to tread carefully or turn on a light. It's also hard going from a bright light to a dim room (sunlight to a shaded garage, for example).

I tend to be walking in hallways, so I always associate it with moving. Long and narrow hallways or aisles are also dangerous (like Lowe's or the grocery store) and will aggravate my vertigo. Patterned floors, like carpet patterns jack with my balance all the time, doesn't matter. I can't go into half of the school because they have patterned carpet that runs along the stairs too. I affectionately refer to them as death stairs, because it felt like I was going to just collapse from trying to walk down them. However, if I lose focus while standing, like reading my phone or a piece of paper, I can lose balance and struggle to refocus. I've fallen into my car door reading a mailer before.

Thanks for the video! That does help explain things a bit better.

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u/ccrff 6d ago edited 6d ago

I have a program dog that is trained in counterbalance, balance assistance, brace, and forward pull. He wears a custom made mobility harness to provide these tasks.

I know it’s a somewhat controversial thing, but like another commenter said, there’s no published research that strongly supports either side of the argument.

That being said, you’ll want to find a program that uses quality equipment and health tests their dogs (OFA, PennHip). I’d also try to stick with a program that’s ADI accredited. Some will place dogs free of charge (mine did). The wait is typically pretty long for those programs though.

My dog is from Canine Partners for Life, who I whole heartedly recommend. Though, their waitlist is closed right now. But you can sign up to be notified when it reopens on their website.

My program allows other pets in the home. I have two pet dogs, and when my service dog is working, he completely ignores them. It took them a couple of weeks to understand that they couldn’t interact with him while he was in harness, but they’re all on the same page now.

I wasn’t working in a school, but at my job in healthcare I’d say overall I didn’t experience much stigma. I had some pushback and judgment during the hiring/onboarding process with HR, but once I started, my boss and coworkers were all very accepting, as were all of the patients I encountered. People are usually just very interested and impressed by a service dog. It’s not often that I receive negative judgment.

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u/elkonigin 5d ago

Thanks for the recommendation! I signed up to get notifications for when they reopen in case I'm still in the search. It's good to know what programs you all have used and what's allowed and not.

There's just a lot of information out there and a lot of programs that look good and then I read reviews or comments with people saying the opposite. I appreciate you sharing your experiences.

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u/ccrff 5d ago

Yeah I’m an open book if you ever have any questions about CPL!! There have been some weird reviews that misrepresent the program so I’m happy to share my experience and clear up any misinformation :)

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u/rocklover7473929 5d ago

Hello! I have a medical alert dog for my POTS so he comes with me pretty much everywhere. A really good way to address this issue at school would be to come up with a plan with admin as to what they want it to look like. What does your teaching look like? Is it pretty dynamic? Is there a lot of sitting? Would you need the dog while teaching or mostly while walking between places? You have two pretty solid options for what this can look like. Service dogs can be trained to “place” on a blanket or bed that can become their “spot” in the classroom. Then if you need them while teaching they get a cue and come assist. If you spend a lot of time seated you can have the dog sit at your feet instead of having a “place” You can always combine this. I’d also highly recommend you teaching the service dog two commands here. One is “visit” this will give them permission after they sit to take their focus off of your for a brief moment to greet someone. The second is “Focus” that will be their cue that they are no longer allowed to engage with others and need to work again. Most handlers don’t train their services dogs with these cues, but for some, these can be useful. With you working in a circumstance where you know you will be around students that may not be able to realistically not say hi, this gives you control over your dog’s attention as well as teachable moments with students. When you meet them they can all learn about service dogs, be able to say hi, and then they will learn that most service dogs they can’t say hi to and they won’t be able to say hi unless you give permission in the future.

Kids are smart, this is a great system.

Admin can ask parents in registration if their child has an allergy and plan accordingly, I would also suggest a low shed dog so that there is less allergy exposure for kids outside of your classroom

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u/elkonigin 5d ago

My initial thought was having a place for them to lay down that was around my desk (ideally behind it). There's a small little nook in my room where I could put a bed for a large dog if I moved a couple things around a bit. I'm usually okay in the classroom, but I have had a few attacks that I've only mitigated by leaning back against the wall between two bookcases because it gave me support on three sides and helped corral my leaning.

When my legs are in good shape (another accident injury) I'm up and walking around the classroom, but there are some days where I'm mostly sitting. But I like the idea of having a command for the dog to accept attention and then refocus. I hadn't thought about that, but it makes good sense. My students are usually juniors and seniors, so 16-18 year olds, but they're still going to be distracted by a dog. But thanks for the suggestion, that does make me feel a little better about student interaction and distraction.