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Did you choose a specific breed of dog?

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An English lab is at the top of my list and likely what I will go with if I have a choice in the matter. Someone took me off of labs for some reason in this thread. Not sure who or why but still at the very top and not one has made it above them yet
Probably me. The things you were describing needing... lots of downward weight bearing; standing up, sitting down, chairs/bathrooms/etc, plus leaning on whilst standing/walking... would destroy most labs’ backs and hips within a couple years, Max. Labs are super strong forward/back, but very weak up/down. Lean on a lab’s back, the way you were describing, and it would create hip dysplasia even if they didn’t already have it, although the breed is incrediably prone to it; & damage their spine, which in turn would KO their kidneys. As labs’ kidneys nearly always go, as soon as their back does.

Or it could have been the fur & oil issues, as labs are inherantly very ‘dirty’ dogs; as they were bred for swimming off fishing boats in arctic waters, they have a super oily top coat & perpetually shedding downy undercoat. Even with daily brushing & weekly bathing/grooming, you’re still looking at needing to sweep/vacuum daily, and wash the floors/walls/furniture in a small space most likely on a weekly basis. On a thousand sqft house I did it weekly, along with my Jeep (or here would be a brown streak across every wall about 3 feet up, 18 inches wide & slippery carpet from where he laid down. Meanwhile the entire Jeep would be an oily/gritty mess). I did the floors every morning (sweep & wash), and the walls/furniture once a week. On a 3,000 sqft apt I could do it once a month, if I could tolerate the smell (meaning I still did it daily/weekly), but I seem to recall you live so where more the size of my house than my loft? That level of maintenece would be difficult for someone with preexisting mobility issues, unless you hired it out. But it’s also something of a pointless expense when you couldn’t use the dog to sit/stand/walk anyway, and there are dogs with non-oily short single coats similar to Choppers.
 
Even with daily brushing & weekly bathing/grooming, you’re still looking at needing to sweep/vacuum daily, and wash the floors/walls/furniture in a small space most likely on a weekly basis.
I do not know how but somehow... I end up with labby hair on my ceiling.

Love my lab but yes. Fur everywhere. Always.
 
Or it could have been the fur & oil issues

It was this. I remember now. I dont do the rest of that stuff. Yes, Chopper helps me up but mainly for balance. I dont put much pressure on him. And if I can't do it that way I will bear hug him and pull up. I dont know if I even mentioned bracing in this thread.

ETA: Fur doesn't bother me so its not really a factor except for grooming.
 
lots of downward weight bearing; standing up, sitting down, chairs/bathrooms/etc, plus leaning on whilst standing/walking
I'm struggling to imagine an orthopaedic surgeon or similar recommending that a dog is a safe substitute for a cane for any of these tasks...??

Quite apart from the dog's welfare - you lose both stability, strength using a dog instead of a walking aid, as well as posture which, over a short period of time, would do more harm than good, surely?

Handrails, grab rails and walking aids are the safest choice.
 
I'm struggling to imagine an orthopaedic surgeon or similar recommending that a dog is a safe substitute for a cane for any of these tasks...??

Quite apart from the dog's welfare - you lose both stability, strength using a dog instead of a walking aid, as well as posture which, over a short period of time, would do more harm than good, surely?

Handrails, grab rails and walking aids are the safest choice.

Agreed! My cane does a better job and can't get hurt!
 
This isn’t specific to service dogs but you guys might know- Does any one know of something that is both convenient to carry while out and makes picking up poop on a walk easier if in a wheel chair or difficult to bend to ground using a stick? I’ve only found quite large tools
 
This isn’t specific to service dogs but you guys might know- Does any one know of something that is both convenient to carry while out and makes picking up poop on a walk easier if in a wheel chair or difficult to bend to ground using a stick? I’ve only found quite large tools

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ETA: Not sure if that works for a wheelchair tho
 
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