Service dog q&a

[Friday]

All things Service Dog!

Whether you have one, have had one, are in the process of acquiring one, considering one, learning about training, have questions for those who do - or find yourself going off topic in another thread and wish to continue the conversation? Bring it on over here!

As a reminder, we also have this thread >>>
Service dog handler lobby for those who already have Service Dogs & wish for some camaraderie amongst peers.

 

[KwanYingirl]

Annie is my PTSD therapy dog. I can’t take her to stores, but she is a great comfort for me and alerts me when anyone comes near my condo or at work. She also likes to sit on my clients laps during my treatments. My clients LOVE her. She is my shit detector!

 

[littleoc]

Hey, then I have a question!

I currently have a service dog, N. We're (unsurprisingly) best friends.

However, she is getting on in age... and she was a very special circumstance. She discovered my disorders.

I'm afraid of adopting a dog and self-training, because I see that typically this backfired. Most dogs are not cut out for service work, because even of the best breeds (depending on job at hand), only 1/1000 dogs will fit the bill. I also doubt I have the time. I live in the United States and have packets and pamphlets of my legal rights via lawsuits from the past -- and I noticed that it is not legal to have a service dog in training in some living situations. I am unsure where I'll be living for the most part.

So, I was hoping to get my next dog from an agency. That way I'll have more backing if something goes wrong, or if the pupper needs surgery.

Probably is, it's expensive, and I am a civilian (couldn't even hope to be allowed in the mulitary at this point).

So, if anyone has any advice on funding (in the United States) or otherwise regarding this, I'd love to hear it!

If not, thanks for reading anyway :)

 

[Gs172003]

Thank you @Friday

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Annie is my PTSD therapy dog.

If you're in the US and if you own her she's actually an emotional support animal. Therapy dogs are for others.

I noticed that it is not legal to have a service dog in training in some living situations.

Where do you see that? State laws cover service dogs in training. Most state laws have a provison for them as during owner training you have to have an in training dog. The only state I couldn't find a Statue for (was looking up most States in case we traveled) was PA which pointed back to the ADA and the ADA doesn't cover in training teams. Is that in your State law or since the ADA doesn't cover in training teams, it could be just that but the your State law covers it. Have you read your State law?

Probably is, it's expensive, and I am a civilian

I was told by 3 agencies, once I advised I wasn't a veteran, that I don't need a service dog and I can't have PTSD unless I was a veteran (really? And are you my doctor?). That they doubted I would be able to get a program dog and if so it would be a 5+ year wait as there's a very long waiting list and veterans were chosen first. But, I also know of a vlogger that isn't a veteran and got a service dog from a program while in high school following two in patient hospital stays and right after her 2nd one is when she got him after just a few months of a wait. He was orginally trained as a mobility service dog and she trained all of his tasks for PTSD though so not sure what program that was. I think she advised that the owner was a friend of the family but unsure. Depends on the program really.

Price (if there is one) depends on the program as well. I know of someone that paid 25 grand for her program dog and it was too small for mobility so after a few yrs she ended up getting a Newfie and owner training it. Some programs have you volunteer to "work off" the money. Some programs are scams giving you a very unhealthy and very untrained puppy (one such scam program was on Dr Phil once) where they state they will send someone to your house and help you train the dog. Be careful on the program you choose. Or make sure to reseach it greatly looking up reviews or seeing if you can contact a few of their clients to get their experience with the program.

You can also owner train by hiring a trainer. You can either board and train (make sure that trainer will train a service dog as many call that a speciality and won't so you'll have a well trained pet) or have that trainer come to your house and work with you to train the dog. Maybe they can train the public access and you train the tasks or visa versa. The public access seems like the hardest to me and the most time consuming. Mobility tasks seem a lot harder to train and take way more steps then the PTSD tasks as well. So, it honestly would depend on the full reason you need a service dog. If PTSD alone I find those tasks are not hard nor take up a lot of time to train. It takes a good while to public access train completely and so while a trainer is doing that you can be working at home for maybe 30 mins a day to task train. Just an idea.

So, if anyone has any advice on funding (in the United States) or otherwise regarding this, I'd love to hear it!

What about crowd funding? Gofundme and the like. I will be doing that for a mobility support harness from Bold Leads Designs which cost anywhere from $500 - $1,000 depending on the needed customizations. I am also thinking of making paracord items and things like bandanas qnd selling them on Etsy. Can you make something that people will want? Can you sew? Make service dog patches? We buy a shit ton of patches and many teams are selling those epic patches on Etsy. What about making vests? Or really anything others will want to buy. Sell it on Etsy.

 

[littleoc]

Where do you see that?

It was in a pamphlet -- let me see if I can find a link...
admittedly it was a COURT CASE, not a law, exactly. The university I attended took it very seriously, though. But i haven't checked my state laws. Now that you've questioned it, I feel I may be wrong or misinterpreted.

I found it!
First thing i noticed: it was written in 2010. I'm guessing different court cases have been happening since.
I am definitely not a law student...
http://adagreatlakes.com/Publications/Legal_Briefs/BriefNo015ServiceAnimals.pdf

What about crowd funding? Gofundme and the like.

That seems like a good idea. Thank you so much for all your information. I've definitely encountered scams while looking -- one place in Knoxville, TN, called Wilderwood or something like that was extremely questionable. They kept referring to dogs as "defective," but did not do X-rays or other basic things. They didn't seem to want me to visit them. I found people who had visited and fled, because the dogs were sick or unhappy or sometimes treated harshly, and there were news artcles readily available of some of their dogs literally dropping dead on the job within weeks of placement. They also had this sketchy guarantee: "We GUARENTEE that you will get your dog faster hear than anywhere else! Within two years!" Yeah... no.

They also didn't know what a task was evidentially, because they kept insisting that a dog I was placed with would only need to "be there for me" which doesn't even make sense. I have a pet bird for that...

But anyway, hopefully they'll finally get shut down soon. There have been several petitions. I was using a using a search engine and typing "psychiatric service dogs" at the suggestion of one agency:
Assistance Dogs International : Assistance Dogs International : Setting standards for the assistance dog industry since 1987
It let me type my state in.

Limited success, though, but at least I know they are less likely to be scams.




Also, I can't believe they would ever say you can't have PTSD without being in the military! That's ridiculous and doesn't even match the definition of PTSD...

 

[lostforgottensoul]

http://adagreatlakes.com/Publications/Legal_Briefs/BriefNo015ServiceAnimals.pdf

The only thing in that that said "training" was a court case over Costco. Which (I didn't read it all) maybe referencing the same court case that the owner of Trained and Maintained was in where Costco was asking too much medical information (I didn't read up on the entire court case as I was trying to find info on her. Not the specific court case). But I am failing to find where it references anything about an in training dog living in non-pet friendly housing.

To be honest, that entire pamphlet was referencing the ADA and in training dogs aren't covered by the ADA but State law. So, I'd read and know real well your state law (if you decide to owner train/train with a trainer). I have mine printed (quite a few copies and I keep one in each of his vest with pockets and one in my backpack so I have it in reach at all times and then highlighted the sections where he is given rights. My apartment has a copy as well as a copy of my Dr's letter. So, it's on file. At least on the old lease. When I signed this new lease I offered it but she said she didn't need it. She may have gotten it out of the file and put it with the new lease. Not sure. I know I didn't legally have to do that but I always want to make sure all bases are covered and where I am in the legal right I want to make sure all know I am in the legal right if that make sense. If there is ever a complaint they have that to reference. You know?

We GUARENTEE

Run from that phrase! If you follow chroniclly Jaquie on youtube she talked about that. She owner trained Harlow (and was on The Doctors) but before Harlow her and her family got a dog from a scam program and that was one thing they said a lot. We guarentee you a dog that will work and be fully trained etc, etc but there are zero guarentees in service dog training and work. I think a program dog (if I could ever get a program to consider me) is certianly easier the 2nd time around.

Also, I can't believe they would ever say you can't have PTSD without being in the military! That's ridiculous and doesn't even match the definition of PTSD...

Yeah, I know. I'm like "what?" I'm not sure I could ever get a dog from a program now. Left such a bitter taste in my mouth by the way they treated me. And it wasn't just one program. It was 3. Disgusting if you ask me. And if programs only consider those that have been in patient at a hospital, boy are they waiting too late! I am already struggling to train public access but still want to owner train my next dog. Even if I have to use a wheelchair for just that, I am determined to do it myself.

 

[KwanYingirl]

FWIW I live in Maine and I considered buying a condo in a tranquil setting but no dogs allowed. My realtor said right away that a service dog is allowed. But my kids couldn’t bring theirs so I let it go.

 

[littleoc]

To be honest, that entire pamphlet was referencing the ADA and in training dogs aren't covered by the ADA but State law.

Aha. That must be it.

I haven't refead the whole thing (tiny text!) but there's one hiding in there about a person who had a service dog and other dogs she was training -- although I can't remember if she was training them for herself or not. I also think my state laws are probably different.

Thank you again :)

 

[Strangelongtrip]

I don’t know if I can post in here but I wanted to share it somewhere that I’m saving up money for an owner training program and puppy I hope to purchase and start in a year or so. My PTSD is the worst it’s been in months right now but that I’m both fortunate enough to have the funds to do it and also that I’m making this a reality propels me through my bad days. I have my timeline and what I need to save and I’m so excited. I’ll be moving into my own place hopefully at the end of the year/ beginning of next and then I will hopefully have a prospect by June!!

 

[lostforgottensoul]

That's awesome @Strangelongtrip! I'm sorry to hear your PTSD is bad but excited that you get to make being a service dog handler a reality for yourself! And keeping yourself in reality about the cost is great as it is an expense. And starting out with a puppy is perfect! Yay! I've personally gained an entire chunk of life due to my service dog and I hope you gain such benefits as well!

 

[Strangelongtrip]

@lostforgottensoul thank you!!