Ptsd Dog

[livingwiththis]

I have been looking into getting a PTSD dog, Im not much of a dog person but only because all the dogs i have ever known pee in the house, bark far to much for no apparent reason and constantly jump up on me. I spoke to agency who trains dogs and she said i met the qualifications to get one im just stuck because im on disability and im not sure i have around 700-2000 dollars a year to maintain the dog. But i heard these dogs can do great things like keep distance between me and other people in a store help with nightmares, help with searching the empty house.... I know where i live i have to have paperwork to bring the dog in public and this organization does all that

My question for everyone is do you have a service dog? and what does it help you with? is it worth the extra money you have to spend on your dog?

 

[Changing4Best]

Yes, I had one, but she got incontinence at age 7 and I had to give her away. I trained her myself, however, so I did not have to pay for her at all, just had to pay the usual food and vet bills. After they reach about 7, you have higher vet bills and I am on disability too, so I figured that was about the right time to part company with her anyway.

I got the state of North Carolina to certify her for me, which was helpful in the few instances that I needed to prove she was a Service Dog. One doctor's office required it and a store required it one time, but the local restaurants were usually good about it, except one, but when I showed them the cert, they were OK with it then. MacDonald's was the best, though. They had no problem with it what so ever.

Some folks do want to pet them, and they will come up close to you, so be sure to have her red or blue vest on at all times when you go out with her. This prevents them, as they recognize that she is a Service Dog and leave you alone. I learned this the hard way! Even though the owners of the grocery store were cool with her, sometimes folks would want to pet her, unless I had her vest on, then they left us alone. The only exception to this is young children, who may not yet know the significance of the vest. They will sometimes come close and if their mother is not aware of your being there, they may try to pet her. I had this happen once, and I yelled at them not to pet her anyway, pulling her away from them. The stupid mother was offended at me for yelling at her kids, but I didn't care. I made my point.

When I moved to a new town and joined a church she was the most helpful of all though. Folks were pleasant, kept their distance, and she gave me the confidence to meet some new friends and get to know people. The pastor was very nice about it all, even telling the next incoming pastor about her before she arrived, so that when she did arrive, she was very pleasant and knew to expect to find a dog among the congregation.

If you choose to find and train your own, there is a book called HOW TO TRAIN YOUR PSYCHIACTRIC SERVICE DOG or words to that effect. I believe it is by a Jane Miller. My memory is not great, so I might not have that straight, but it is close. I ordered this book through amazon.com.

Good luck and may the Lord be with you, if you choose to go this way.

 

[desiderata310]

@livingwiththis I am actually trying to sort this out right now as well. It's something my therapist is pushing me to do.

 

[therisa]

@livingwiththis if you are, on a provincial disability support program, they may offset some of the daily cost, you experience with the PTSD dog. You may want to look into this, with your caseworker.

 

[livingwiththis]

@desiderata310 have you decided what things you would like your dog to be trained to do?

@therisa I called my caseworker today and there is a 73 dollar a month allowance but she's not sure it would apply for a ptsd dog as she thinks it's only for seeing eye dogs but she's looking into it....? Do you have experience with this?

@SheilaKathy I'm glad you had a good experience

 

[therisa]

No, but there my nurse practitioner and I have talked about one, in the past. Right now, I can't do it, as I have 3 cats. @livingwiththis I hope you get the allowance.

 

[livingwiththis]

@therisa thank you is it a personal preference not wanting to do it because of your cats? Or will they not let you? I have a cat and they said that would be fine that the animals usually work it out themselves

 

[therisa]

My cats react very strongly to dogs, and I can't stand the sound of them fighting, like it's an emotional trigger for me. If I had only one cat, then I would do, no question asked, @livingwiththis .

 

[livingwiththis]

I can understand that.....cats help too they are very loveable @therisa

 

[therisa]

Yes, they are, @livingwiththis . One of my cats, is a rescued kitten, who I took in, 3 years ago, she has helped me, to trust, again.

 

[Kintsugi]

@SheilaKathy
Just so everyone knows, in the US it is illegal for an establishment (with the exception of an airline, a hotel, and possible a couple other unique situations) to request you to show ID proving your dog is a registered service animal. It is also illegal to inquire about the disability the animal serves you with. They can only ask you to demonstrate some of the tasks (if possible--seizure dogs cannot do this typically) that aid you, but I do think that a restaurant is pushing their luck asking for such a demonstration.

There is a man here somewhere who has posted about his service dog named Abbey. I can't remember his username, but he seemed to have an overwhelmingly positive relationship with his dog, and I know that one task she performed was waking him from nightmares by applying pressure to his chest, or something close to that effect. I am most interested in PTSD service dogs for help with space, applying pressure/sensory stimulation, and acting up on cue when I am uncomfortable (and providing me with an excuse to leave a situation).

I have four dogs, none of them are certified service animals (although I have great hopes for the puppy; we have a service dog trainer nearby), and they are worth every penny to me as they do provide me with a service: motivation, meaning, and urgency to get up and get going. Until I got the job I acquired just a few weeks ago, I typically lived below the poverty line or barely straddled it, bringing in between $750 and $950 a month.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

There is a man here somewhere who has posted about his service dog named Abbey. I can't remember his username

That would be member @popeye who hasn't been on in awhile. https://www.myptsd.com/threads/have-i-come-back-from-the-dead.41421/