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Service Dog and getting a job

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Buffheart:
Hello all! Currently I do not have an SD but I am working with a trainer friend who is going to help me get one next year. If all goes according to plan he is going to pay for the puppy, take it to his house, and work with it on basic training as I will be moving around the time the pup is ready. The breeder knows this and is okay with it. In early summer he is going to drive it out to me.

My biggest dilemma is that I don't have a job. Officially I have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and ADD and have been tentatively diagnosed with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and Dyscalculia. I am also going to see a doctor on Monday about some additional problems I have been having.

All those conditions make it very hard for me to find a job I can handle. I have only had two jobs in my life, one a summer job, one a bit longer. I had to quit my second job because it was too stressful and have since been unable to find employment. I applied for a job a few weeks ago and was turned down though I never knew why.

I'm on disability pay but it's not enough. My parents don't support my decision to get an SD either and I know that they won't help me. My trainer friend said not to worry about paying him back, though I plan to some day, but what I'm most worried about is some kind of unforeseen emergency. Or what if I can't find a trainer I can afford?

So my question is, do you think I should be trying harder to find a job before the dog arrives, or should I wait until after it arrives? I'm just worried that I won't be able to handle a job without it, but having to wait all those months for it to arrive and then months and months after for it to be trained enough to go to work would be a very long time. How do people who are unemployed care for their dogs and other animals? Were you guys employed when you got your dog/s? Is there some kind of SDiT scholarship that will at least help me pay for training?

state_of_nowhere:
In my opinion, it is important for a person to be able to navigate the world and handle life without a service dog. I am going to be frank with you - there is absolutely zero guarantee that the puppy you have selected will become a service dog. It takes 18-24 months to fully raise and train a service dog and there is a myriad of things that can go wrong during that time frame.

Planning for emergencies when you have a service dog is very important - absolutely imperative. Owning and caring for a service dog is very, very expensive.

I would not make having a service dog criteria for searching for and obtaining a job, but rather work on utilizing alternate coping mechanisms and skills and search for something that you enjoy and that can help you to meet your expenses.

Buffheart:
Thank you. Next year I will be going to a University for people with AS and LD's and they will help me find a job as right now I have no employable skills.

Magesteff:
There are also a lot of stresses that are unique to having a dog - such as people trying to pet or do other things that may distract your dog, or get overwhelming for you in public. Average yearly cost for a healthy dog is about $1200 USD this is for average grade food, normal vet visits and things like flea and heartworm preventative (i.e. recurring costs). This does not cover things like emergency vet visits, high end food, or more than a few basic toys. 

First consider your other options for managing your medical issues and coping skills. A dog does not replace those, a dog can only assist with some functions to help you have a smoother life, but does not replce other medical treatments.

Buffheart:
Thank you both. I just want to state that even after I get the dog I am not going to discontinue other skills or treatments because I don't want to become fully reliant upon the dog in case it doesn't work out. I will learn coping skills and such like that because I know that having an SD will be stressful. Though I have never had one I have talked to other owners and they have all said the same things. But that doesn't mean that I'm just going to give up on my SD. That just means that I have to work harder, which I am going to do.

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