The most wholesome service dog training rejects who found their own way: ‘My buddy's lab washed out for stopping mid-walk to chase butterflies'

Author image for Blake Seidel
Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Sep 5, 2026 8:15 AM EDT

Did you know that a doggo can fail out of service dog training for being too nice?

So, funnily enough, there is no country-wide standard for turning your pupper into a service dog. A few of the main organizations, like the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP), set their standard at around 120 hours of training, including at least 30 hours of public-access training. But this isn't your normal "Sit, stay, come" training - this training is much more intense. I'm talking about distraction-proofing, public manners, obedience, and any of the disability-specific tasks the dog will be required to pawform. This usually takes anywhere from 6 months to 1 year, depending on the dog and the frequency of training.

Because the training is difficult for any normal dog to complete, there are quite a few doggo dropouts from service dog training that become available for adoption. It's not normally because they're aggressive or anything like that, but sometimes, they fail for the most wholesome reasons you can imagine. Not being able to resist saying hi to everyone, stealing their trainer's sandwiches, asking for belly rubs instead of paying attention, etc. So, they may have failed out of being a service dog, but that doesn't mean they won't make pawsitively excellent pets after.

All the doggos from a howlarious Reddit thread below couldn't quite make the cut, but they found their own way by marching to the beat of their own drum. They're loved by their families, but they won't be providing any "services" except cuddles, numerous face kisses, and a lifetime of happiness.

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10660895488
    via Stephen Andrews

    Golden retriever lying on its back requesting belly rubs

    Image for illustrative purposes.

  • 02
    Does anyone have funny stories about getting a service dog who was rejected from training? I remember seeing a thread about it on twitter where someone said their dog got rejected because he enjoyed opening the garage door whenever he felt like it.
    via SnowFairy4256

  • Oh, how much I would love to dress up my dog in tutus. She would not stand for it, at all, but it's a nice dream to have. I can't even put a raincoat on her when it's raining, even though she despises the rain. 

  • 03
    disjointed_chameleon Kinda traded one type of service for another, but yes! There's a Rottweiler at my immunotherapy infusion clinic that flunked out of some sort of law enforcement canine program for being too friendly. The dog now provides the heartwarming 'service' of cheering up patients in the clinic - all while wearing different colored tutus and being the cutest creature ever. ☺☺
    via disjointed_chameleon
  • 04
    MeganMile Runs my buddy's lab washed out of guide dog school for stopping mid-walk to chase butterflies. happiest failure I know
    via MeganMile
  • 05
    fustilarian I have one! His name is Maverick and that naming was prophetic. He got rejected officially "for distraction" but it's really because he decided he was tired of training and started causing mayhem. He did this by opening his and the other dogs' crates and leading them into the yard. He
    via fustilarian
  • 06
    also opened his crate while his instructor was driving and jumped out next to her. We were told he was "too smart" and that he ultimately needed someone who he would respect, someone who would be extremely firm with him because he exploits any sort of shenanigan tolerance.
    via fustilarian
  • 07
    Maverick's very emotionally intelligent and sweet with just a little bit of chaos and stubbornness. We fostered him as a puppy and honestly he's grown up a lot since formal schooling.
    via fustilarian
  • 08
    Maverick is a very loving boy and while we had to really think about whether or not we wanted to take him back, he's really grown up and settled down overall. He still knows how to turn my desk fan off for attention and to ring the bell by the back door (that he usually
    via fustilarian
  • 09
    uses when he needs to pee) to distract the other dogs and take their toys. He has not opened his or any other crates with us, not that we're encouraging that sort of nonsense.
    via fustilarian
  • 10
    SEARCH DOG as gram
    via Joshua Jen

    Service dog approaching a young kid for pets

    Not actual story subjects.

  • 11
    RoseOfSharonCassidy I used to raise Seeing Eye Dogs! I had a good number rejected, mostly for minor medical stuff (one with mild hip dysplasia. although it never bothered her, one blind in one eye, one had weird dental issues). I only ever
    via RoseOfSharonCassidy
  • 12
    had 2 rejected for behavior, one was a little skittish around certain men and one was just WAY too high energy to be a service dog.
    via RoseOfSharonCassidy
  • 13
    Other weird ones I know of were a dog rejected for shuffling his feet when he walked (they were concerned he'd wear down his paw pads too much walking on pavement) and one for growling at a vet, but what they put on his paperwork was "self righteous behavior".
    via RoseOfSharonCassidy
  • 14
    Pale_Addition_9658 my cousin's husky washed out for howling along with the fire alarm
    via Pale_Addition_9658
  • 15
    reelJake my aunt's golden failed for being too friendly, kept ditching his person to say hi
    via reelJake
  • 16
    StormofRavens Roxy, my mom's black lab failed out of CCI for "lack of focus" which we're pretty sure means not being the brightest bulb in the lab drawer. She remembered some things from her training, like the fact that she wasn't supposed to get on the couch without
    via StormofRavens
  • 17
    permission unfortunately, she did not remember what permission was. So you'd give her the command to get on the couch, and she just stare at you and look at the couch pleadingly. You'd then cycle through everything you can think of to communicate that "yes, you can get on the couch" and she'd just sit there staring at the forbidden couch.
    via StormofRavens
  • 18
    Of course, sometimes she remembered she was allowed on the couch without permission. Now she's a bit too arthritic and old to go climbing on the couch, so she contents herself with the pullout mattress and a series of heated dog beds. (She's 14)
    via StormofRavens

  • After reading through all of these awwdorable stories, you might be asking yourself, “How do I adopt one of these cute canines?” Well, the process is actually quite competitive. There is a huge demand for these “career change dog adoptions” and not many of them to go around. The best way is to apply to one of the service or guide dog organizations, like Guide Dogs for the Blind, Guide Dogs of America, Service Dogs Inc., etc, and get put on a waiting list. Eventually, you'll get matched with a dog, go and meet them, and pay a hefty adoption fee. 

    Good luck!

  • 19
    ChasingGnosis When I was a groomer, we had a German Shepherd client named Max. He'd been rejected from the RCMP for "not being brave enough". As he would engage in dramatic whining from start to finish during his grooms, it wasn't hard to figure out why. Very sweet dog, but it was always a relief when he went home and you could hear yourself think again.
    via ChasingGnosis
  • 20
    sean_cinephile my neighbor's dog washed out for refusing to pass the bodega without a treat
    via sean_cinephile
  • 21
    CourtneySwish95 my buddy's dog got dropped from training for stealing the trainer's sandwiches every single day. lives his best life as a couch potato now
    via CourtneySwish95
  • 22
    Cheezburger Image 10660502528
    via Artem Labunsky

    Airport security dog taking a break while on duty as a service dog.

    Picture does not depict real parties.

  • 23
    Frelock_ My sister's black lab was supposed to be a seeing eye dog, but washed out because he was too helpful. He couldn't just sit still, he had to be helping somehow.
    via Frelock_
  • 24
    ImportantWeather70 my neighbor's golden got cut for flopping onto his back for belly rubs during the exam
    via ImportantWeather70
  • 25
    IllustriousFoxCat Mine got kicked out because he wanted to cuddle everyone. He just wanted to love the world.
    via IllustriousFoxCat
  • 26
    Original_Wazilla My family had one! A yellow lab named Circa, because she was always around (lol).
    via Original_Wazilla
  • 27
    She failed guide dog school because she was too friendly and also could not stop chasing squirrels. Once when we were on vacation, she pulled my grandpa down on the sidewalk to chase a squirrel.
    via Original_Wazilla
  • 28
    She also became a bit of an escape artist later in life, I think because she was bored. She was often found pretty far from the house, like 2-3 miles away in a short amount of time.
    via Original_Wazilla
  • 29
    DragonCanineTraining Well my dog is a part-time service dog and is retiring soon but sometimes he will open the fridge and get me water without asking because he wants treats, or he will grab his leash from my hand just to give it back because he wants to do something and get a treat.
    via DragonCanineTraining

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