What age should I retire my service dog? Simple and Effective Tips

Signs it May Be Time to Retire Your Service Animal

There are several objective signs that often signal owners that the time is now to reduce their animal’s workload and responsibilities.

Your animal doesn’t seem happy (experiencing mood changes). If you’ve worked with your service dog awhile, you’ve probably become pretty skilled at gauging its mood. If your dog seems sluggish, depressed, or fails to greet daily routines with enthusiasm, it could be a sign that they are ready for a less demanding schedule.

Your animal can no longer keep pace with you. Age takes a physical toll on service animals, as it does on humans. If your service dog can no longer keep pace with you or your daily activities—and you’ve ruled out potential medical conditions—age could be the cause. This can be a signal that the time for retirement is near.

Your animal has special health needs of its own.Many health issues—including visual impairment (cataracts), arthritis, deafness, or diminished kidney function, to name only a few—can affect your animal’s ability to work and function. You need an animal that is healthy enough to perform its routine duties, and you must consider whether your own health would permit you to meet your animal’s needs without sacrificing your care.

Your animal shows cognitive deterioration.Your service animal relies upon its senses and its mental acuity to perform its duties. If your dog becomes less responsive or begins to miss important commands or cues, the cause could be cognitive decline. Memory problems affect older dogs as they do older humans, so it’s important to observe your dog’s behavior as the animal ages to look for signs of cognitive impairment.

If you’ve been working with a service animal for a while, chances are that you’ve built both a powerful rapport and a good understanding of what normal is for your animal’s agility, attentiveness, appetite, mood, etc. For many, making the hard decision to retire a service dog begins with little more than a gut feeling. Perhaps it’s nothing you can pinpoint—just the general observation that your beloved and devoted animal is beginning to show the signs of advanced age. In such situations, many owners let their hearts decide when the time is right.

Why do service dogs retire?Some service dogs are simply too old to do their job because of medical conditions like hearing or vision loss, according to Erin Conley, the director of communications for

What age should I retire my service dog?

Most service and working dogs, which are typically Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Golden Retrievers, are estimated to have an average working life of 8 years (35, 49). Since most working dogs do not officially begin their careers until 2 years of age, they are typically retired at around 10 years of age.

What Happens When Service Dogs Retire?

If youve ever dreamed of adopting a service dog, youre not alone. These noble canines have some of the toughest jobs around, and at the end of their careers, they deserve to settle down with a loving family. But thats not all. By taking in a retired service dog, you could be saving their life. The dogs are generally between the ages of 7 and 10 when they retire from active service, but some organizations will consider working dogs older than 10 if they are healthy and active. Most service dogs are very well trained, and there is typically a long wait list of people looking to adopt these remarkable pets.