Seriously, how cute are they? Don't they make a great pair?
He may not belong to us but we will always love our Dashman!
الثلاثاء، 8 ديسمبر 2009
A Christmas Card
I love getting updates and photos of our former foster frenchie Dash. It lets me know he is doing well and that I chose a great home where he is much loved. Considering how attached we got to him while he was with us this is a real relief. Here is his Christmas card to us this year. The adorable boston on the right is his brother Ivan.
Seriously, how cute are they? Don't they make a great pair?
He may not belong to us but we will always love our Dashman!
Seriously, how cute are they? Don't they make a great pair?He may not belong to us but we will always love our Dashman!
الأحد، 6 ديسمبر 2009
Snow!
At last we have snow here in Maine. I can't quite remember ever having to wait this long for it to show up in the past.
Snow is one of Jack's favorite things. And he sure looks pretty in it.
Missy on the other hand isn't nearly as impressed. She was annoyed that a spot needed to be shoveled for her before I took her out this morning.
I have started using doggy diapers on Moo due to her condition. Her pee schedule has become super erratic within the last few days and trying to out wait her stopped working. She would walk in circles for half an hour and then sit as if she forgot what we were doing. I only put one on her when an outside potty time hasn't been productive. It isn't a perfect solution but nothing really is at this point. It's all management. Because she is an odd shape the size diapers I bought fall off her if she walks to much in them. I need to go buy a toddler onsie to add to see if that helps keep it in place. She's had a few falling episodes lately but seems to be feeling ok. It is interesting that she doesn't panic when they happen. She has her good days and off days. I'm just grateful that the good days still outweigh the off ones at this point.
(for anyone else using doggy diapers make sure you remove a wet one as soon as possible and then wipe clean and dry their potty area to prevent infection and irritation)
Does the end justify the means?
My husband taped an episode of a certain dog show for me recently because there was going to be an akita on it. It is not a show I normally watch anymore because of the frustration level it causes me. Apparently I am either a slow learner or a glutton for punishment because it had the effect I thought it might and I just have to vent a little now.
The akita in question was a 2 and half year old named Roscoe. Here is the episode on Hulu so you can watch for yourselves: http://www.hulu.com/watch/110393/dog-whisperer-run-home-roscoe The dog was scared of strangers and was to afraid of many things to go for walks off the property on leash. Their other dog Jupiter was fine.
First I hate that they show the owner doing stuff to the dog with the stupid music in the beginning. You can see that the dog is trying to avoid a problem and is super tolerant of bad handling. Many dogs would have at least growled a warning or maybe even snapped or bitten by that point.
So said behavior expert tries giving some treats which the dog doesn't take while near his doghouse. He then climbs into the dog house with the fearful dog. (and thankfully does say not to try this at home verbally out loud as he is doing it) He starts explaining how we need the dogs brain to be forward and not backward. Ok I understand english isn't his first language but what I am hoping he meant was that when a dog is in a reactive state they are not learning so we need them to NOT be in that state when we are teaching them something. But watching the dogs body language I am not sure he totally understands the concept himself.
Now one of the first things I noticed and that he also mentions is that the dog walks with an odd gait and has muscle atrophy. He says it was probably from the dog having distemper as a puppy. (so now he is a vet too) Clearly something is going on with the dogs hind end and should be checked out by a vet and probably x-rayed. If my dog walked like that I would definitely want to know why and if it caused pain in any way so I could address it. If I were there as a trainer I would insist they get it checked out before any real training could be done. If there is any pain happening at all it NEEDS to be addressed first! Certainly before any physical manipulation is done to the dog.
Next he uses a leash as a makeshift collar and lead and tries forcing the dog to go for a walk. This is considered flooding when you force a dog to do something they are afraid of. Most times all you will get is a compliant but mentally shut down dog because they go into what is called learned helplessness. It does NOT change the emotion of the event for the dog! The dog clearly was in panic mode and stressed and while he said that "you need to hold the leash a certain way so you don't hurt the dog", I only saw the dog being choked by the leash which certainly looked like it was painful.
Sidenote: There are other collar options out there that could have been used, can he not afford to take the correct tools along with him? A martingale would have been a good choice because it tightens so the dog can't escape but doesn't cut off their airway if adjusted properly. Or even a harness would have been a better choice. Nothing that cuts off the dogs airway. (Tho some trainers do that because it makes the dog give up sooner. When you can't breathe you can't fight.) Also he kept patting the dog on the head with hand tapping which dogs typically do not enjoy. Someone needs some dog communication language lessons.
When dragging the dog for a walk didn't work, because the dogs nails started bleeding from clawing at the pavement, he loaded the dog (muzzled) into a car to take to the park where the ground was softer. When the dog got to the park (unmuzzled) he refused to walk. So the expert lifted his back end up and did a wheelbarrow move to force the dog to start walking on his own. Once he did he acted like he had cured the dog of his fear. (see it only took 4 minutes to get him to walk!) Uh ok.
While the dog was sniffing around after starting to walk he peed, and the expert said the dog was owning this new area which showed he was comfortable. (Maybe he just had to pee.) Back at the house he then addressed the dog not wanting to jump into or out of the back of their pick up truck. (remember those hips?) He lifts the dogs front end up and gets the dog to pull himself up the rest of the way. "Make him do 50% of the work" he tells the owner. To get him out of the truck he PUSHES him out, using his special wheelbarrow technique again when the dog refuses to jump down. He did this at least 3 times I think. (You don't want to check his mobility issues first, seriously?? Please kick me in the head now.) The dog clearly wasn't comfortable jumping down from the truck.
They discuss the fact that the dog hasn't been to the vet because it was to hard to get him there. The expert says that this should be the goal for the dog. The next step the expert decides is to take the dog to his "center" for some pool therapy. He doesn't explain why this is needed. Again more flooding as he carries the dog into the pool and down the steps all the while the dog is defecating. (If you watch the episode yourself watch the beginning of the pool scene closely. The camera man tries to cut that out of the shot.) One wonders why he doesn't have a dog ramp into his DOG pool. The dog swims because he has to and you can see him try to escape when he gets the chance.
A couple weeks later they go to the experts new dog center and they take the dogs for an off leash walk and to meet some of his dogs. (Not sure why this was done other than to show off the new place being constructed.) The dog does jump out of the truck but lands oddly. (and I swear I heard him yelp) They don't show much of the dog on this other than when they were trying to locate him because the two dogs took off ahead of them. They didn't really show any interactions with his other dogs that I remember. When it was time to go the akita TRIES to jump in the truck and can't make it. (It's his HIPS people for crying out loud!!!)
TWO MONTHS LATER they take the dog for a bath at a local self serve dog wash and the dog screams while they are carrying him in. He refused to walk in himself. (Perhaps those hips that were never checked hurt when he is being carried?) The bath itself looks like it goes without incident tho he recovers a little slow afterward when they put him down but he does walk out. Then they take him to the vet.
The vet visit looks like it lasts about the time it takes you to read this post. A rabies vax and I think a distemper shot and he walks out. NO check of the hips AT ALL. No mention of the odd mobility by owner or the expert. No real exam that I can see. No mention of the muscle atrophy. The dog walks on the floor oddly as he leaves but it has the look of scary floor walk which a lot of dogs do at the vet which may be why the vets don't notice the odd gait. I cannot believe this was not addressed. What. The. Hell.
Overall the ending of the story was that the owners could take the dog to the park for walks and the dog was getting out more and getting more attention. So the dog did get some help, regardless of the methods used. My daughter who was watching mentioned she was angry that they never seemed to praise the dog at all. (by either owner or expert) She is 14 and figured that out on her own.
What do you think? Does the end justify the means? Or is this just another case of how lucky we are that some dogs are very tolerant of our species idiocy and ignorance? Should we only care about the results and concentrate on the silver lining? Could there be some fallout hiding in that cloud? The things we do to dogs in the name of training or changing behavior sometimes makes me sad. This was definitely one of those times.
Don't get me wrong, I am happy that the dog has an improved quality of life now. It was just hard to watch knowing there is a better way to get there than what that sweet dog had to go through.
***This would bother me so much less if he were just another trainer doing what he does to his own local dogs, which would be bad enough, but he isn't. He has a worldwide audience who assumes he knows what he is doing simply because he is on a TV show. And unknowledgeable people imitate his stuff. The disclaimer only means they can't then sue the show when their own dog bites them for trying that malarkey on them with disastrous results. He isn't wrong about everything: dogs need exercise, rules, and to be treated like dogs, but he is wrong about a lot of other stuff like how to properly handle them. Just my opinion as a professionally trained dog trainer. Do some research before you let someone handle your dog. Anyone can hang a shingle and claim to be a professional. Anyone. ***
The akita in question was a 2 and half year old named Roscoe. Here is the episode on Hulu so you can watch for yourselves: http://www.hulu.com/watch/110393/dog-whisperer-run-home-roscoe The dog was scared of strangers and was to afraid of many things to go for walks off the property on leash. Their other dog Jupiter was fine.
First I hate that they show the owner doing stuff to the dog with the stupid music in the beginning. You can see that the dog is trying to avoid a problem and is super tolerant of bad handling. Many dogs would have at least growled a warning or maybe even snapped or bitten by that point.
So said behavior expert tries giving some treats which the dog doesn't take while near his doghouse. He then climbs into the dog house with the fearful dog. (and thankfully does say not to try this at home verbally out loud as he is doing it) He starts explaining how we need the dogs brain to be forward and not backward. Ok I understand english isn't his first language but what I am hoping he meant was that when a dog is in a reactive state they are not learning so we need them to NOT be in that state when we are teaching them something. But watching the dogs body language I am not sure he totally understands the concept himself.
Now one of the first things I noticed and that he also mentions is that the dog walks with an odd gait and has muscle atrophy. He says it was probably from the dog having distemper as a puppy. (so now he is a vet too) Clearly something is going on with the dogs hind end and should be checked out by a vet and probably x-rayed. If my dog walked like that I would definitely want to know why and if it caused pain in any way so I could address it. If I were there as a trainer I would insist they get it checked out before any real training could be done. If there is any pain happening at all it NEEDS to be addressed first! Certainly before any physical manipulation is done to the dog.
Next he uses a leash as a makeshift collar and lead and tries forcing the dog to go for a walk. This is considered flooding when you force a dog to do something they are afraid of. Most times all you will get is a compliant but mentally shut down dog because they go into what is called learned helplessness. It does NOT change the emotion of the event for the dog! The dog clearly was in panic mode and stressed and while he said that "you need to hold the leash a certain way so you don't hurt the dog", I only saw the dog being choked by the leash which certainly looked like it was painful.
Sidenote: There are other collar options out there that could have been used, can he not afford to take the correct tools along with him? A martingale would have been a good choice because it tightens so the dog can't escape but doesn't cut off their airway if adjusted properly. Or even a harness would have been a better choice. Nothing that cuts off the dogs airway. (Tho some trainers do that because it makes the dog give up sooner. When you can't breathe you can't fight.) Also he kept patting the dog on the head with hand tapping which dogs typically do not enjoy. Someone needs some dog communication language lessons.
When dragging the dog for a walk didn't work, because the dogs nails started bleeding from clawing at the pavement, he loaded the dog (muzzled) into a car to take to the park where the ground was softer. When the dog got to the park (unmuzzled) he refused to walk. So the expert lifted his back end up and did a wheelbarrow move to force the dog to start walking on his own. Once he did he acted like he had cured the dog of his fear. (see it only took 4 minutes to get him to walk!) Uh ok.
While the dog was sniffing around after starting to walk he peed, and the expert said the dog was owning this new area which showed he was comfortable. (Maybe he just had to pee.) Back at the house he then addressed the dog not wanting to jump into or out of the back of their pick up truck. (remember those hips?) He lifts the dogs front end up and gets the dog to pull himself up the rest of the way. "Make him do 50% of the work" he tells the owner. To get him out of the truck he PUSHES him out, using his special wheelbarrow technique again when the dog refuses to jump down. He did this at least 3 times I think. (You don't want to check his mobility issues first, seriously?? Please kick me in the head now.) The dog clearly wasn't comfortable jumping down from the truck.
They discuss the fact that the dog hasn't been to the vet because it was to hard to get him there. The expert says that this should be the goal for the dog. The next step the expert decides is to take the dog to his "center" for some pool therapy. He doesn't explain why this is needed. Again more flooding as he carries the dog into the pool and down the steps all the while the dog is defecating. (If you watch the episode yourself watch the beginning of the pool scene closely. The camera man tries to cut that out of the shot.) One wonders why he doesn't have a dog ramp into his DOG pool. The dog swims because he has to and you can see him try to escape when he gets the chance.
A couple weeks later they go to the experts new dog center and they take the dogs for an off leash walk and to meet some of his dogs. (Not sure why this was done other than to show off the new place being constructed.) The dog does jump out of the truck but lands oddly. (and I swear I heard him yelp) They don't show much of the dog on this other than when they were trying to locate him because the two dogs took off ahead of them. They didn't really show any interactions with his other dogs that I remember. When it was time to go the akita TRIES to jump in the truck and can't make it. (It's his HIPS people for crying out loud!!!)
TWO MONTHS LATER they take the dog for a bath at a local self serve dog wash and the dog screams while they are carrying him in. He refused to walk in himself. (Perhaps those hips that were never checked hurt when he is being carried?) The bath itself looks like it goes without incident tho he recovers a little slow afterward when they put him down but he does walk out. Then they take him to the vet.
The vet visit looks like it lasts about the time it takes you to read this post. A rabies vax and I think a distemper shot and he walks out. NO check of the hips AT ALL. No mention of the odd mobility by owner or the expert. No real exam that I can see. No mention of the muscle atrophy. The dog walks on the floor oddly as he leaves but it has the look of scary floor walk which a lot of dogs do at the vet which may be why the vets don't notice the odd gait. I cannot believe this was not addressed. What. The. Hell.
Overall the ending of the story was that the owners could take the dog to the park for walks and the dog was getting out more and getting more attention. So the dog did get some help, regardless of the methods used. My daughter who was watching mentioned she was angry that they never seemed to praise the dog at all. (by either owner or expert) She is 14 and figured that out on her own.
What do you think? Does the end justify the means? Or is this just another case of how lucky we are that some dogs are very tolerant of our species idiocy and ignorance? Should we only care about the results and concentrate on the silver lining? Could there be some fallout hiding in that cloud? The things we do to dogs in the name of training or changing behavior sometimes makes me sad. This was definitely one of those times.
Don't get me wrong, I am happy that the dog has an improved quality of life now. It was just hard to watch knowing there is a better way to get there than what that sweet dog had to go through.
***This would bother me so much less if he were just another trainer doing what he does to his own local dogs, which would be bad enough, but he isn't. He has a worldwide audience who assumes he knows what he is doing simply because he is on a TV show. And unknowledgeable people imitate his stuff. The disclaimer only means they can't then sue the show when their own dog bites them for trying that malarkey on them with disastrous results. He isn't wrong about everything: dogs need exercise, rules, and to be treated like dogs, but he is wrong about a lot of other stuff like how to properly handle them. Just my opinion as a professionally trained dog trainer. Do some research before you let someone handle your dog. Anyone can hang a shingle and claim to be a professional. Anyone. ***
السبت، 5 ديسمبر 2009
Meet Zelda, an akita in need of a home
This beautiful girl is at my local shelter and will be available for adoption soon.
She was taken away from her owner for neglect. They weren't feeding her regularly and left her to live outside 24/7. (Seriously, WHY do people get dogs and then make them live outside on a chain?? Why have a dog then?) She had been part of a court case and has been at the shelter waiting to legally become theirs. That finally happened this week. They will now spay her and get her vaccinated before she becomes available to the public. I have met her and she is super sweet. Great on leash and very gentle. I think she is about 2 to 3 years old. I will post more about her SAFER test and status as it updates. I will be helping the shelter find her an appropriate home.
*
She will most likely need to go to into a cat free zone. They will test her with other dogs but many akitas do best only with dogs of the opposite sex or as an only dog in a home.
She was taken away from her owner for neglect. They weren't feeding her regularly and left her to live outside 24/7. (Seriously, WHY do people get dogs and then make them live outside on a chain?? Why have a dog then?) She had been part of a court case and has been at the shelter waiting to legally become theirs. That finally happened this week. They will now spay her and get her vaccinated before she becomes available to the public. I have met her and she is super sweet. Great on leash and very gentle. I think she is about 2 to 3 years old. I will post more about her SAFER test and status as it updates. I will be helping the shelter find her an appropriate home.*
She will most likely need to go to into a cat free zone. They will test her with other dogs but many akitas do best only with dogs of the opposite sex or as an only dog in a home.
As you can see from the clip the presence of the other dogs had her a little worried but not in a reactive way. She is a sweet girl that loves attention. We she first came in she was a little standoffish, as akitas can be with strangers, but she warmed up to staff quickly. She has a super thick coat from being outside and I think she is simply stunning. I just wanted to post her info so that other akita people looking could be aware of her situation.
Check out the auction for Akita Rescue of Western New York: http://www.akitarescuewny.com/Auctions/auction.htm Even though it is a New York based group they do help cover akitas in need for the New England area. ALL akita rescue groups are in need of funds right now so if this isn't a group that covers your area, and you want to help akita rescue, find the one closest to you and donate today. They are already in need of help and with the akita movie coming out soon are bracing themselves for the potential kick that may create. When a movie makes a breed popular there is always fallout later.
Aside from the breed rescue groups local shelters are also in need this year. Consider giving a gift to them with a donation as well. I am a big fan of think globally and act locally. Can't afford a monetary donation? Consider giving your time. Dogs always need to be walked and poop always needs to be scooped. They welcome able bodied volunteers to take some of the burden off of their staff when possible.
I will keep you posted on Zelda. Please think good thoughts for her. She deserves to live in a home inside with a family to love.
Jack gets his turn
One problem with having multiple dogs is making sure they all get good one on one time with their owners. Lately this has been a challenge for me.
Jack finally got his turn to try the bloodtracking. I've done a little regular tracking with him but he isn't the most driven dog and didn't seem that interested. He even earned the nickname "One Track Jack" for that reason. I am not into forcing a dog to do something they don't enjoy so we just stopped. I figured I'd try him on bloodtracking because he does like his deer meat and I thought that might be a bigger motivator. I was right, he definatly stayed with it for the short bit of track I gave him. Normally when he lost a corner he would be done but this time he kept searching. I did notice that he started air scenting though so maybe he is just better at that and asking him to track actual steps is not his thing. I need to experiment abit more with it.
I feel that Jack has gotten the short end of the stick lately. With Missy being sick and needing extra attention, and Jenny being the high energy dog and needs to be kept busy, Jack is always the one left last to do stuff. I need to make more of an effort to get him out and have fun with him too. It is a classic case of the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Jack is such an easy dog that he gets overlooked. I need to stop taking him for granted and challenge him more to enrich his life daily.
I think I have finally figured out how to embed video here now. Here is my most recent attempt with Jacks track.
Jack finally got his turn to try the bloodtracking. I've done a little regular tracking with him but he isn't the most driven dog and didn't seem that interested. He even earned the nickname "One Track Jack" for that reason. I am not into forcing a dog to do something they don't enjoy so we just stopped. I figured I'd try him on bloodtracking because he does like his deer meat and I thought that might be a bigger motivator. I was right, he definatly stayed with it for the short bit of track I gave him. Normally when he lost a corner he would be done but this time he kept searching. I did notice that he started air scenting though so maybe he is just better at that and asking him to track actual steps is not his thing. I need to experiment abit more with it.I feel that Jack has gotten the short end of the stick lately. With Missy being sick and needing extra attention, and Jenny being the high energy dog and needs to be kept busy, Jack is always the one left last to do stuff. I need to make more of an effort to get him out and have fun with him too. It is a classic case of the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Jack is such an easy dog that he gets overlooked. I need to stop taking him for granted and challenge him more to enrich his life daily. I think I have finally figured out how to embed video here now. Here is my most recent attempt with Jacks track.الثلاثاء، 1 ديسمبر 2009
Behold the Ninja Pissah!
So Missy earned herself a new nickname. The medication she is on causes her to drink alot and in response pee more. (prednisone) She was dubbed so by my husband after an incident earlier today. It seems he only saw her walk across the floor to her spot on the couch. However when my son came into the room a couple of minutes later he saw a substantial puddle along her travel route to said couch. Since my husband never saw her squat or stop to pee along the way he came up with the new nickname. Then to cap it off she peed again while I was standing in the next room. She was in the kitchen and I was in the living room and there is no wall in between. I never saw a thing.Really considering the why of it all I only have two choices, laugh about it or cry. Thankfully she has been choosing the hardwood flooring for her ninja incidents. She is also having some crate accidents as well so I have been keeping extra easily washable bedding there for those times. I have noticed that sometimes when she goes out she seems to forget why we are there. I have to keep reminding her to "go potty" and then she starts walking in circles. (always to the left) I have gone back to rewarding her everytime she is successful outside to see if that helps. (I don't think it does but she seems to like it since food is involved.) It is slightly fustrating as she used to do her business within seconds of going out before she got sick. Now it takes her 20 minutes at a minimum for a successsful potty break. Sometimes I need to bring her in and go back out 10 minutes later to try again. Add to that the steady approach of cold and snowy weather and this is going to make for a really long winter.
We added phenobarbital to her medications recently and that seems to be helping her feel a little better. I even caught a play moment on film recently. She hasn't shown much interest in playing as of late (and in her case most playing involves just stealing and hoarding the toys) or chewing on her bones. Fortunatly she does still like getting her stuffed kongs when she is crated.
She has also become super touch sensitive and hates being picked up or messed with in any way. This has brought a screetching halt to her regular nail trims. This is starting to be a problem since they keep growing (so inconsiderate of them!) so I have taken to triming single nails during her frequent naps. I hate the sneakyness of it but it is the only way I can do it without stressing her out. Holding her or her paws is no longer and option. She either screams a protest or acts as if she might bite me. Something I never thought would be a worry with her. But I know she isn't herself so she gets a pass. (as long as I can keep everyone safe)
All in all earning a nickname, doing extra laundry, covering the couch cushions in protective plastic and manuvering around a nail trim isn't all that bad in the grand scheme of things. She is still eating well and seems comfortable so we'll keep on keeping on for now.
I saw this on facebook....
and just had to share it here. As a trainer I am appaled at how many times people ask me about training for their pet dog so it can "go everywhere with them". Not because they need a service dog, but because they want one. One dog in question was a 3 legged geriatric (that owner called me twice) and another was a yorkie puppy the owner didn't want to leave home because "he has seperation anxiety". Are you kidding me?? I am less nice in my answers to these people than I used to be. The first thing I say is that they are considering misuse of a service dog and go from there. After reading the article I can see the issue is widespread.
The following article is written by Carla Jackson and is presented here in it's original form:
A word about service dogs: you probably don’t have one.
Want to drive me crazy? Just ask, “Where can I get one of those vests so I can take my dog everywhere?” This question is almost always asked by someone without a disability and followed with the explanation that “I just don’t like being alone in public” or “I want to take her with me into the store” or “He’s with me all the time anyway…everyone loves him.”
Many of us enjoy and are comforted by our dog’s continuous company. With their loyal dispositions and eagerness to participate in whatever we’re doing, dogs provide us with fun and emotional support. The notion that these naturally occurring qualities of the pet dog somehow entitle him to the appellation “service dog” is both naïve and inappropriate.
The vest-seekers never want to know how to actually train an authentic service dog. On occasion, they might inquire about “certification,” but their eyes quickly glaze over at the complexity of the task. No, no, no. Just give me the vest.
I’ve seen the service dog moniker subjected to a full spectrum of abuse: from the housewife who wants to keep a poodle in her purse while shopping, to the inebriated man belligerently insisting he and his dog be admitted to the county fair. In the latter case, not only was the man drunk, but his dog was off-leash, hiking his leg on everything and growling at passersby. His homemade “service dog” vest had been cut from an old shirt.
Service dogs perform actual, specific tasks for people with disabilities: signal dogs for the deaf, guide dogs for the blind, assistance dogs for those in wheelchairs, alert dogs for insulin-dependent type 1 diabetics, seizure response dogs, assistance dogs for persons with certain psychiatric disabilities, and medical alert dogs. These are not pets - they are highly trained, working partners that have been liberating people with disabilities since World War 1.
The homemade “vesters,” claiming bogus disorders while masquerading their untrained pets as service dogs are no different from those who fake a condition in order to park in handicapped zones. Bolstered by phony websites professing that any dog can be declared a service dog - hey, all you need is a doctor’s note! - they threaten to erode the access to public places legitimate service dog organizations have fought so hard to earn. http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm
Most real service dogs have been carefully selected by professionals for their suitable temperament, health and aptitude for their necessary work. They have received intensive training, often completing a 2-year training program before being assigned to their person. It is a painstakingly sophisticated process and it’s unconscionable to think one can simply slap a T-shirt on the family dog and stride through any public place with impunity. It devalues the work of true service dogs.
Can you train your own service dog? Yes. Maybe. I respect anyone with a genuine need for a service dog who seeks to legitimately elevate their dog’s status from pet to service animal. Contact the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners http://www.iaadp.org/ (IAADP) for information.
The process http://www.iaadp.org/iaadp-minimum-training-standards-for-public-access.html outlined by the IAADP is extensive and time-consuming. Dogs must have a solid temperament, impeccable manners and be proficient in basic obedience. They must receive a minimum of 120 hours of schooling with 30 hours dedicated to working in public places under the supervision of a program’s qualified trainer
http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/Standards/TrainersStandards.php and perform at least three identifiable physical tasks Click Here for the benefit of the disabled partner.
See also:
Traditional Tasks performed by Guide, Hearing and Service Dogs http://www.iaadp.org/tasks.html,
Tasks for Service Dogs for Persons with a Psychiatric Disability http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html
The Delta Society’s Minimum Standards for Service Dogs http://www.deltasociety.org/Document.Doc?id=170
I’m not the only one plagued by the vest-seeking crowd. People with real service dogs http://anewscafe.com/2008/04/30/one-smart-dogby-darcie-gore/ are regularly tormented with “You’re so lucky, I wish I could take my dog everywhere,” “Can I pet your dog?” and of course the dreaded, “where do I get one of those vests?”
What’s behind this casual and intrusive attitude toward service dogs? Thirty years ago, the only service dogs most of us encountered were Guide Dogs http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer assisting the blind. We instinctively knew it might be rude or even harmful to distract a blind person with questions about his or her dog and back then, predominant service dog breeds were impressive, formidable-looking German shepherds and Labradors whose sheer size often commanded respect.
Not so anymore. With the advent of innovative organizations like Dogs for the Deaf http://www.dogsforthedeaf.org// who evaluate and adopt shelter dogs into their training programs, the service dog field now employs all manner of breeds. It is common in public and social arenas to see “Everydogs” performing a wide range of tasks and assisting people with a much larger variety of disabilities. Hence they frequently look like the pets we have at home. Since not all disabilities are obvious, the public has developed a false sense of familiarity, even entitlement, regarding service dogs.
This new attitude is aggravating. Yes, a modern-day service dog might resemble “Benji,” but when you stop to consider his skill level, he’s no less impressive and formidable than his heroic predecessors. Although his human partner may not be blind, it is still impolite and sometimes dangerous to interfere with the pair’s routine. Those relying on service dogs for their freedom often find themselves forced to run the gauntlet of curious strangers http://mytimeoflife.blogspot.com/2009/09/warning-frustration-ahead.html every time they leave the house. As a side note, while many people with disabilities find constant overtures exhausting, the opposite may be true of “vesters,” who seem to crave the attention generated by being in public with their pets.
If you’re smitten by the sight of someone with a working service dog, offer the team a smile and keep moving. Play with your own dog and be thankful you have the luxury of enjoying her as a delightful companion.
As a dog fanatic, I’d love to see pet dogs welcome in more places throughout the community. If you agree, then take steps to change public opinion about dogs by training your own, picking up after him, teaching him the skills to be a good canine citizen http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/program.cfm and courteous neighbor. And please, don’t call him a service dog if he isn’t one.
Resources: Canine Companions for Independence - http://www.cci.org/site/c.cdKGIRNqEmG/b.3978475/k.BED8/Home.htm
Delta Society http://www.deltasociety.org/Page.aspx?pid=302
Dogs4Diabetics http://www.dogs4diabetics.com/index.html
Dogs for the Deaf - http://www.dogsforthedeaf.org//
Guide Dogs for the Blind http://www.guidedogs.com/.
International Association of Assistance Dog Partners - http://www.iaadp.org/
Carla Jackson is a certified pet dog trainer who owns and operates Jackson Ranch for Dogs, a kennel-free dog boarding and training facility. Carla specializes in private training/behavior consultations for the family dog.
For a complete introduction to dog training, check out Cari Bowe’s and Carla’s DVD, “Your Family Dog, Leadership and Training,” an interactive DVD featuring over 60 locally owned dogs learning new behaviors in beautiful Shasta County locations. The DVD provides valuable tips for daily living, guidelines for solving common behavior problems and the essential skills needed to teach your dog basic commands.
The DVD is now available at many local veterinarian offices and through dogwise.com or jacksonranchfordogs.com.
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