I promise you’re doing amazing.

here’s an uplifting post of things i wish someone told me when i started having a service dog in training.

i promise you, 98% of the people around you do not notice the mistakes you or your dog makes.

i promise you, your dog CAN do it and YOU can do it.

i promise you, it’s okay to have days where you cry. it’s ok to have days where things feel impossible and so hard and you want to throw it all away. i’ve been there, but it gets better.

the service dog community can be so toxic, do not let one opinion belittle the other 10 compliments you’ve received.

one person’s negativity does not mean you are doing a bad job. you’re doing your best for you and your pup. i promise you, advocating for yourself gets easier. telling people to leave you alone gets easier.

i promise you, offending one person by telling them no is worth more than letting your dog get distracted and potentially missing an alert. (unless you’re comfortable to do so, and that’s also okay- people say hi to my service dog because i think she deserves loving, but know when to say no, you can do it!!)

i promise you, you do not need to hold yourself to perfection. you are human, and they are animals. we’ll never be perfect, and that’s what makes it more beautiful. we push through and embrace the imperfections.

i promise you, your dog does not need to know every single fancy trick in order to seem legit. teach what you need them to learn.

i promise you, sometimes your dog is just going to suck. and that is OKAY. there are going to be bad days. embrace them and love your dog regardless- they have a hard job.

i promise you, if your dog can’t work 8-12 hour days, it doesn’t make them less important or awesome than other service animals.

i promise you, it’s okay to admit when you don’t know something.

i promise you, it’s okay to ask for hug and a cry on the days things feel hard.

i promise you, you can teach a trick and have them ace it a million times, and there will be times they don’t respond. that’s okay, they’re silly little creatures! (sometimes i tell my dog down and she factory resets. she’s just goofy sometimes!)

i promise you, some service dog handlers are going to be judgmental. it’s inevitable. ignore it. it does not matter. what matters is you’re getting the care you need.

i promise you, people are more in awe of your dog than judging you. you’re pretty freaking cool!

i promise you, pushing through uncomfortable situations makes you better.

i promise you, it’s okay to be afraid, but do it anyways.

i promise you. in the end, it is all worth it. you can do this. sending you so much love and happiness🤍