The advantages/disadvantages of service dogs.

[Kintsugi]

I don't know what your level of activity is, but I would warn against a dogo. I would love one someday, but they are boar hunters. They can hunt six hogs a day, no sweat. We're talking a lotta dog with a ton of endurance. I don't know as much about presas as I do corsos. I would personally go with a bullmastiff for my energy level. I have an amstaffxbullmastiff that gives me a serious run for my money energy-wise. He can easily do a structured walk for three miles, then run and swim for several hours before tiring out. :eek:

Therapits are a phenomenon/movement. Pitbull-type dogs are becoming increasingly popular choices as therapy and service dogs.

Ever looked into a dogue de bordeaux? They seem like great dogs as well. A proper bandogge might be up your alley as well; they are pitxmastiff crosses that, when bred properly, are bred for working purposes. A bandogge is really any bullxmastiff hybrid that is used for work, including service, but the point is is those who breed such dogs are looking for excellent working temperament and may be better versed in drives than the run-of-the-mill breeder is (although mastiff breeders are typically good at understanding drives and temp).

I can move this to a PC if I'm getting too far off the rails of your thread here. I'm wondering, though, what kind of temperament and trainability you're looking for in a dog. I'm sure you know a presa is not for the faint of heart in terms of trainability.

 

[Inwardly_Broken]

I know that I do not want to train my own this time around. Right now, I do not have the means of doing that. Maybe ten or so years down the road I may consider training one. I used to be a very physically active person before my PTSD got out of hand. I miss running around the lake, hiking, walking, and simply being outside. So I would eventually want a very active dog (which would force me to do those beloved things once again).


I was doing a lot of thinking last night and for my first service dog, I think I'm going to go with a more typical breed from a rescue. Once I get used to having a service dog, understand fully what it's like, and after the first retires then maybe that's when I'll go for a "aggressive" larger breed. Some kind of Shepherd (King, Dutch, German), Doberman, or a typical mutt would be good to start off with, I think.


Okay, I think I really veered this off track from tthe original forum purpose... sorry! Maybe a PC would be best (I don't know how to start one).

 

[Barberian]

This is written as a general guide/ramble, not to anyone in particular, even though I ended up here, and was inspired to post because of recent posts.

There are NO breed restrictions of any kind for SD's. Federal ADA law ensures this. The biggest consideration is getting a dog that can help mitigate your disability(ies). Comic example: A chihuahua would not serve well as a mobility dog if your disability was mobility related. If you get a Pit Bull of any kind or any "aggressive" breed, many cities, and housing have restrictions against them. SD's are exempt from any breed restriction by federal law, which overrides state, county, city, and any housing authority including landlords. The only overriding factor is if a landlord or housing authority can prove in court an undue financial burden (insurance, etc.) which is pretty darn hard to do. SDIT, have the same legal protection in only a few states, check your local state laws.

When selecting a SD, please consider that many breeds have been breed to do a "job" - herding, guarding, tracking, etc. Consider the breeds average activity level, does it drool a lot, will it shed a lot, is it a yappy dog or barks/bays/howles a lot, etc.

A SD will be with you pretty much 24/7/365. It is extremely important to get a breed that matches your activity level, or you can accommodate, your temperament, grooming (some breeds will leave dog hair EVERYWHERE you go), feeding (heavy feed bags), where will it sleep and where will it be when you are awake (it will always be with you), and so much more to consider.

Overall I would have to say my conditions (PTSD, Anxiety, Depression) have gotten a lot better since I got my SD. I am far from cured, but anything that helps is welcome.

[/ramble]

 

[Lilly27970]

You know MOnster, you could say anything you liked really. It seems like you wouldn't wan to mention...

I am visiting this site to fulfill a homework assignment for my teacher license in special education. I just wanted to state, it is unfair that you have to justify what it is that your dog does for you. I could see someone asking what are the dog's capabilities, but to explain what issues you have and what the dogs do for you is not everyone's business. I see it on the lines of invasion of privacy.... Just my 2 cents...:

 

[Justmehere]

If you have a service dog in the US you never ever have to tell people what the disability is. You do have to be able to provide proof a health care professional says you have a disability that requires the use of a service dog.

You do also have to say at least one task the dog does, but it can be vague.

For someone with MS they don't have to say I have MS. They can say the dog assists in mobility and balance, here's my docs note that says I have a disability that requires use of a service dog.

For PTSD, I rarely ever say it's for PTSD. I tell them vague tasks like "the dog alerts to when I have symptoms." Or "dog is trained to bring items that assist me when symptomatic." I don't tell people the symptoms are psychological.

I have trained service dos for others for a wide variety of disabilities before I trained one for myself. My dog is self trained and is trained to do more PTSD specific tasks than the vague ones above, but she is trained to do those partly because they help and partly because they are easy to say and I don't have to admit to people my specific symptoms.

It isn't fun to admit I have a disability but I'm actually glad for people that ask for these requires these bits of info. It helps weed out those who try to abuse service dog regs so they can skip on airline fees for pets or just don't have to leave their dog in the car.

Many times people have asked me where to get a vest and what it takes to qualify a dog as a service dog so they don't have to pay airline fees or things like that. It's appalling. I usually tell them "step one, have a major disability, step two get a doctor to verify you have a major life altering disability, step three..." and then if they are really in need of an SD for. Legit reason, they will still listen. If not, they usually say "oh never mind."

@Lilly27970 - Great school project! I hope you enjoy learning more and thanks for the kind words and insightful compassion.

 

[Johnny Gage]

First and foremost, I am very glad to find this thread. I am in the process of getting a service dog from a local company that trains them. They have a Hounds for Hero's program for those of us are vets or public safety workers. I am both, 30 years as a paramedic and 24 years active duty. I am learning as I go. One question is that I still work in the industry and do not feel I need a dog for a lot of everyday issues, but she will go to work with me daily as I work for the Fire Department as an Emergency Manager, I am planning on using my girl to open up the lines of communications with my coworkers that PTSD can affect all of us and asking for help is ok. How often should I use my dog for things like grocery stores or movies etc...?

 

[DharmaGirl]

All the time. I stopped using my dog all the time and she decided she was retired. I'm retraining her now, but the more you use her, the stronger the bond will be.

 

[Barberian]

First and foremost, I am very glad to find this thread. I am in the process of getting a service dog from a local...

Generally and legally speaking, a service dog is trained to help mitigate your disability(s). If you can get on along without a service dog, it will be much harder to prove you need one if it ever becomes a legal issue (work, public access, etc). Being a fireman, you obviously can't take a dog into a hazardous environment, but the dog can help you recover once you come out. This too presents a problem. Is it a service dog or an emotional support dog. If you are so overwhelmed by your job tasks that you have difficulty functioning afterwards and the dog is trained to help - it is a service dog. If you just need a furry shoulder to cry on, it is an emotional support animal (I am not making fun of you).

Generally (once again, as the laws can be fuzzy), service dogs are always with their owners wherever they go, at all times to help mitigate the disability unless you are trying to ween yourself from the support of the dog or it is injured,in heat or sick.

I have a service dog. It helps me keep track of reality (is that a person or threat?), she helps keep people at a distance and not crowd me, helps with poor balance, and much more. She is almost ALWAYS with me except on a few errands like going from the truck to pay for gas in a non-crowded gas station when I am feeling strong. Another time she is not with me is if I am having anger management issues and it is best for us to not be together for her safety.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I just decided to try to train my pitbull to be my service animal. I was told to get him to pass the AKCs CGC training so that is what I am working on currently.

This is a descision I just made yesterday so it's something very new. Any advise appreciated. I can open my own thread if that is better.

 

[Barberian]

Please just remember. Training or self training a service dog is a near a full time job. Old tasks not often performed must be kept in training if you intend to ever need them. Every time you go out with the dog, or at least weekly it is a good idea to refresh something in it's tasks list just to keep it easy.

There is no Federally or State required training. Fed laws trump state, county and city laws. Any disabled person can self train their own dog to help mitigate their disability(ies). Anyone who is telling you your dog MUST be certified is either trying to take your money or discriminate against you. There is NO paperwork, saddle or pack, special leash or marking that the dog must have. It must be leashed unless the leash interferes with it's duties and can be voice commanded effectively.

Here are a bunch of my service dog links in no particular order. These, amongst other sites helped me tremendously. A few unrelated links/ ght have found their way in to the list, but a cursory glance gives me confidence they are all related.A few are for profit sites, but I used them for the info I could glean from them (I hope this doesn't break this sites ULA). You can also use youtube, but be warned. There is a ton of misinformation and BS about service dogs from uneducated people on youtube.


http://www.ada.gov/svcabrpt.pdf
http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm
State Laws | Service Dog Central
http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html
IAADP Minimum Training Standards for Public Access
IAADP Minimum Training Standards for Public Access
International Association of Assistance Dog Partners
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http://www.activedogs.com/page.php?id=42
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California | Service Dog Central
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGAMuIDhPOM
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http://www.petpartners.org/page.aspx?pid=304#TrainService
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JQLd8P2Opw
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW-DcEu7rms
http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap7shelterprog.htm
This Able Veteran ‘Closing the Gap’ with its Standards-Setting PTSD Service Dog Trauma Recovery Program - Press Release - Digital Journal
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Service Dog Central Community - Index
http://www.ada.gov/archive/qasrvc.htm
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http://www.va.gov/ORPM/docs/20120905_AN51_ServiceDogs.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5210a1.htm?mobile=nocontent
http://askjan.org/
http://pleasedontpetme.com/publications.php
https://adata.org/publication/service-animals-booklet
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http://adata.org/sites/adata.org/files/files/Service_Animal_Booklet_final.pdf
https://www.lds.org/topics/disability/faq/doctrines-and-policies?lang=eng#animal
http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/74

 

[lostforgottensoul]

There is no Federally or State required training.

These were given to me though:

Training Testing

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Anyone who is telling you your dog MUST be certified is either trying to take your money or discriminate against you. There is NO paperwork, saddle or pack, special leash or marking that the dog must have.

And then there is a thread about "fake ESA" dogs, getting vest and card you are to show, to fly on an airplane for free:

Woman Lied About Esa.

That's talking about needing a certifcate, doctor's paperwork, vest etc. And in that thread those with legal ESAs talk about having the vest and certificate and card.

So im wondering how there's no training or certifcate or paperwork or vest required. I'm confused.

Thanks for the links. I will check them out.

 

[Deleted member 541]

I understand what a service dog is, and that they are allowed just about everywhere and anywhere. My question is about dogs for people that have PTSD or anxiety. Are they allowed in food stores? I just get really irritated when I'm standing at the meat counter and someone comes up along side of me with this freaking huge dog that is drooling all over the place, or shedding all over the bread packages.

It's not just infrequent either. It's almost every store I go into lately.