What Is Your New Year's Resolution For 2017?

[8888]

Lose weight and learn more about service dogs (I want to get one in the future).

 

[leelee]

To stay in the present more and to be aware when Im drifting out of it

 

[The Albatross]

Out with the old... and in with the new... and to endeavor to embrace change.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

That for all of you here, may your dreams, wishes and hopes for the coming year come true......

Awww! That's sweet!! :hug:

find a use for myself.

You are very useful! I'm not sure if that sentence makes sense though.

Great resoultion!

Lose weight

That was my resoultion for years for a while.

learn more about service dogs (I want to get one in the future).

Research, A LOT! I put in thousands of hours into research both before and during. To buy an already trained service dog there are long waiting lists and normally expensive. Also, there was a company on Dr Phil last week charging people somewhere around 16 grand for a 8 week old puppy claiming it's fully trained when it isn't (impossible for an 8 week old puppy to be a fully trained service dog) and the owners had to end up training the dogs so they paid like 10 times as much (or more) for a pet then they would had buying from a breeder or getting from a shelter. So be careful if you are looking to obtain from a company fully trained.

Personally, I am owner training my pitbull to be my service dog. We are a month in (so very early in) and he is doing well but he is reactive (over excitable around people and dogs and busy enviroments) because he was isolated with me so it is something I have to work hard on.

If you owner train, you MUST be consistent and constant. I carved out an hour or so before work and a few hours after work. We do 5 - 15 mins sessions, several sessions before and after work, every day. We take breaks here and there but mostly its every day. It's very hard and draining but well worth it as I am getting a ton out of it too.

There are no required tests and also there isn't a registry. Those registries are all scams. But, though not requored, being able to pass the public access test and the CGC (AKC Canine Good Citizen), is a good idea.

Recues are great and the only way I obtain animals. I would just select breed, age, and temperment wisely.

Owner training? What breed? Puppy or adult? Puppy is easier as adult you have to train undesired behaviors, but possible. Temperment? (Important). Buying already trained? Possible scam? Research the company. How much? Board and training? How do they train? How much?

Read the ADA law: Revised ADA Requirements: Service Animals

AND your State law. All States differ. Florida says that a Service Dog in training (my dog) has the same rights as a Service Dog so he can legally go where I go now. Though I have not taken him into stores yet as he isn't ready for that. He has been to my therapist's office once and will be back there likely in a month or so.

It is good to know your rights as if you search on youtube "service dog denied" you'll see many business owners, renters, air carriers (not ADA but ACAA), and many others, don't know the law. So you should.

Sorry, I didn't mean to go on a tangent about this. There is a lot of research to be had whether you are owner training, board and train, or buying an already trained service dog as there are many scam companies out there. The one on Dr Phil was just one of many. So if you are buying an already trained service dog, please research whom you are buying from. Same with board and trains. Also remember that service dogs are in training for life so learning about dog training is a must anyway as there are individual tasks that you and only you may need them to do and something(s) you may need to train. And the dog needs to be reinforced the training they already had, for life.

There is are a few threads about this but this is a recent owner training one: Training A Service Dog and then I am keeping like a log of my dog's training in my diary in Trauma's Diaries Members (about the last 20 pages or something) as many are advising me it is helping them so I kept doing it. If that helps.

I am not meaning to sound like an expert as I am no where near an expert and there are many on here whom has successfully trained their own service dogs and others that have gained one from an agency, already trained. I am just one person attempting to owner train and very early into it. I have about $500 into this but some of it wasn't necessary. Some of it was wasted and some of it were videos and books. I'd say start with a clicker, a treat bag, many treats to find their "jackpot" treat and keeping a variety helps, as well as some cooked meat, and just free youtube videos as research, to start. I have some favorites.

There are many people that are owner training that put great info on youtube that I have learned from as well.

Research, majory research, is my best advise there. Make a list of needed tasks well before hand and select a breed based on that. Also look at temperment as any breed can be a service dog but not every dog can be a service dog.

/rambling rant (sorry)

@leelee, that's a great New Year's Resolution! Staying in the present is good and if one can be self aware of when we are drifiting out of it, that would be of great help, huh?

and to endeavor to embrace change.

Ah, yes! We much learn to embrace change. That was, and still is, a big issue of mine. Not being able to handle change well.

 

[8888]

Awww! That's sweet!! :hug:



You are very useful! I'm not sure if that sentence makes sen...

Thank you for all the good info!

 

[Teasel]

To meditate everyday in 2017. Otherwise, to simplify and let go where possible.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

@Berlinda, thosr are awesome resolutions!

Meditation is something I can't seem to do but maybe I can master it (or be able to do it) in 2017?

I'm learning that simplfying is a good thing and helps in many ways. Not that I simplify today but it seems that I am learning this while training my dog. There are SOOO many benefits from it and many that I don't even know yet but the three I can see at the moment is teaching me how to slow down. Teaching me how to simplfy and how to take a complicated end goal and break it down to very simple doable steps and then slowly put them together.

It also is uplifting as its positive training and so you stay positive and happy, upbeat, and if you can't, you need to stop training at that moment. I learned that as well.

So many things.

Letting go where possible. What a concept! I struggle with that a lot. Someone upsets me, I rumminate and can't seem to let it go. Not holding a grudge. Not really. Just more reminding myself constatntly of how badly I was hurt by them. I think I do that for protection. To not get hurt again. Grudges are more resentment or to feel ill toward them. That't not what it is.

Anyway, yeah, letting go is a process for me. A long process and something I am working on.

Great resolutions!

 

[Heather]

To never, ever go against my gut feeling.

To find meaning....whatever that might be.

To believe in my strength.

Continue to advocate and use my voice...cuz I finally found it.

To find my passion... Think I'm getting there

Mostly: thank god 2016 is OVER!!!!! (Not really a resolution but thought I'd throw it in there)

 

[Heather]

@Ronin if you find out how to turn back time PLEASE let me know.

Cuz I'd give everything, anything to erase the last 3 years.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

To never, ever go against my gut feeling.

I'd love to have a gut feeling. Or what I think would be a gut feeling, felt in the gut (stomach region) as my head does all of that work working backwards.

Maybe developing a gut instinct in 2017?

To find meaning....whatever that might be.

Meaning. Hmmm, meaning to life or just meaning in everything?

Meaning is something I struggle with too.

 

[Heather]

@lostforgottensoul. Meaning in wtf am I doing with my life?

How to make it count for something and draw myself out of this misery that has become my life.

 

[Heather]

@Berlinda that is beautifully said: let go where possible.

I need to work on that too