#training a service dog

[teabookgremlin]

first year of college down let’s go

#it does feel very anticlimactic to finish the year with an exam that took me 15 minutes but still #i did it! #honestly the fact that this time 4 years ago i was literally dying from anorexia and now i’m happy and healthy and pursuing my goals #is just so exciting for me #like i’m at my dream school #studying animal science #training a service dog #a bit lonely but working on making more friends #i usually get in 3 meals a day plus snacks without anyone watching to make sure i do #15 year old me would be so happy to see me now #like knowing that there was a point where i wasn’t sure if i’d make it through high school #and now i’m here #doing my thing #my determination paid off #idk i’m just very happy

[coffee-mage-sans-caffeine]

My wife's service dog in training, Matilda, is trained to be super annoying at specific times of day. This is because my wife's executive dysfunction does not allow her to 'unfreeze' and therefore she gets 'stuck' in places/doing things long after she needs to move on to another task, room, etc. This isn't some arbitrary 'you should only play video games so long' type of thing. It's 'If unattended, my wife will not eat or sleep because moving from one thing to another is very hard'. Eating and sleeping are necessary things for survival, so moving to these tasks is necessary for survival. Matilda has therefore been taught things like 'ten pm is bedtime'. In order to help Matilda with this, her feeding schedule is on a pretty tight timeline as well--this way her internal body cues are lined up with the schedule of the day. For example, Matilda is fed between 8 and 830 pm (usually at about 810 pm, as it works out). She poops at 830 pm after dinner and she will throw a WHOLE FIT if she is not let out at this time. Daylight Savings has Happened to Matilda. She's only just a year old, so she does not remember Daylight Savings last year (she was two weeks old, roughly) and she does not remember the spring time change, either, as she was a fairly young puppy at that time and therefore not trained to a schedule like this. She is BEREFT. We're making her wait an hour for dinner. We're making her wait an hour for bedtime. She knows she needs to go out at 830, but it is not time for her to poop yet, which is BAFFLING. This poor dog. I'm sure she'll adjust in a week or two, but poor Matilda. We need to outlaw Daylight Savings. For Matilda.

#service dog in training #dog training #dogtraining #dogs #dog #puppy #daylight savings

[evergreen-pumpkin]

A snapshot of one morning, on a relaxed day with mild weather. Now imagine this when it's crowded or when it's raining or snowing.

Video description: POV from the lap of a wheelchair user. Very shaky. OP is going downhill on a fall day. Lots of trees and fallen leaves around. There are construction trucks to the left in the very beginning. Every now and then, you can see a German Shepherd on the left. Second obstacle shows a food robot crossing the sidewalk to drive in front of OP, but it stops suddenly and OP crashes into it. OP continues down the hill until she reaches another food robot, which is obstacle 3. This robot sits in the middle of the sidewalk while OP navigates around it. Then OP comes to a concrete ramp with iron railings, which is obstacle 3.5. It is very steep. After the ramp, OP goes to cross the street, where a black SUV blows through the crosswalk. Obstacle 4 is a ramp with red brick. OP struggles to move up and pauses at one point before continuing again to obstacle 5, where there is a big concrete building and manual doors. The German Shepherd service dog goes up to push the accessibility button multiple times to no avail. A student comes and opens the door, OP enters through two sets of doors into a hallway. Clip change to obstacle 6, OP is wheeling down a hallway and approaches a white elevator with out of order signs.

End of description.

#actually disabled #disabled #ambulatory wheelchair user #service dog #college #wheelchair #manual wheelchair #disability #inaccessibility #wheelie #city bus #college campus #campus bus #student #stem #women in stem #disabled scientist #disabled people in stem #service dog in training #dogs #german shepherd #assistance dog #shaky camera #flashing

[booksandbrainsandsoftthings]

Officially forming the theory that the reason more service dog handlers don't use protective gear like boots, goggles, and ear protection on their dog is because the public becomes 3000% more unbearable when they try.

We're all used to "aaaaawwww look the the doggo" when we go out with our working animals, but getting

1. Accosted for pictures (whether folks ask or just invade your space and distract your dog)

2. Pointed at like an exhibit

3. Shouted at (OMG DOGGLES, "why is it wearing that" etc)

4. Actively followed around by strangers

Is downright fucking awful.

I know it looks cool. I know some of our gear is specialized. I know pet dogs don't usually wear/tolerate what SDs learn the wear. But for the love of whatever you deem holy, BE KIND ABOUT IT. All of the actions listed above are just fucking rude. Leave people alone. Leave service dogs alone.

Disabled people can exist without being spectacles

#service dog #be respectful #educate #service dog training #working dog #respect the vest #dogs #important #task trained #dont be a dick #dont be nosey #dont be an asshole #mind your business #invisible disability #disability rights #disability advocacy #be polite #common decency

[pixierainbows]

Sunshine learning to stay calm . while . people throw soft foam balls all over the play room . for to try hitting down bowling ball pins .

is hard work . and . Sunshine do very very good !

#Sunshine #Sunshine the service dog #service dog #autism service dog #specialized programs #service dog training #actually disabled #actually autistic #actually nonverbal #nonverbal #nonverbal autism

[fayeandknight]

Tried hiding my keys in an entirely new spot and he still found them pretty quickly. I think this might be his favorite tasks, he loves finding the keys.

#dogblr #forte #belgian tervuren #psychiatric service dog #service dog #task training #i love how happy he is to work #he's a good egg

[cheytheratking1]

Dutch is 10 weeks old today :) one day he'll be able to fit into his vest

#red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption community #dutch van der linde #labrador retriever #servicedog #showdog #rdr2 #dogs #red dead redemption fanart #dog training #service dog in training #medical alert dog

[darkwood-sleddog]

Could you talk more on your thoughts on malinois as service dogs? I follow someone who has one so I'm curious as to your thoughts on it as someone who isn't familiar with the breed

I'm not ~in~ service dogs OR Malinois for that matter, but its been told to me by others that Malinois are quite sensitive to their handlers so are often not a good option depending on the type of service work that is needed. Malinois are also a high energy breed and need a lot of physical and mental stimulation. They can be challenging to average dog people (I wouldn't own one if you paid me even though I think they're cool). Both of these indicate to me a high potential for washing out of service work and generally, I'd hope that people don't recommend them to others for service animals.

For me it also comes down to this: a majority of modern malinois are bred to bite. Working malinois lines are often bite sports, personal protection, military, police dogs. To me, this type of dog directly conflicts with what a service dog should be when doing public access. In fact the AKC standard even states this regarding temperament: "He is naturally protective of his owner's person and property without being overly aggressive." (although this was recently rewritten in 2021 to omit this language so as to reflect the malinois temperament in "positive terms" (AKC malinois club words not mine)) and the FCI standard says this: "As well as its innate skill at guarding flocks, it also possesses the highly prized qualities of the best guard dog of property. Without any hesitation it is the stubborn and keen protector of its owner."

So somebody getting a Malinois for service work is probably going to want to go with a dog bred for show, but again, these dogs can be handler sensitive and even by their standard should not be "overly aggressive" when in IMO the correct amount of guardian behavior or people aggression a service dog, which is medical equipment, should display is ZERO. This is why golden retrievers and labradors make such popular service animals and this is why there are service dog programs that have been breeding dogs specifically for service work for generations (not to say there aren't dogs from these programs without issues, but that's another rabbit hole...)

I know a lot of "off-breeds" that are service animals and i think that's great when it happens successfully, but it's a lot different to have a unique individual who is up for the task, often an outlier in their breed, than to say a specific breed makes a good service animal. I know a few malamutes in service work, but that does not mean the breed as a whole makes good service animals and it does not mean I would ever recommend them specifically for service work (bc, hell, we have dog aggression in our breed standard!).

And regarding my last post, it's mostly the fact said service dog was cross trained in both service work AND personal protection which is a huge no-no and a big red flag to me. A service dog is medical equipment and a personal protection dog is a weapon. I've known service dogs that participate in bite sports, but that is different than being trained in personal protection. If an animal is going to be going into public access I expect them to be able to ignore other dogs AND other people, to be aggressive to neither, be non disruptive in public, and to focus on their actual, medically necessary job. But that's just my two cents.

#dogblr #faq #service dogs #malinois #it's mostly a yellow flag as a breed for this type of work #but a big red flag when people are getting them for BOTH PP and service work #why. would you want to do public access with a dog trained to be a weapon. #there are also so many badly bred malinois out there #ever since they became popular as a 'cool difficult dog' #so good temperaments are far and few

[mandana-the-service-pup]

A Complex Mobility Task: 📫🦮

Since moving into a house, Mandana has started to develop a habit of barking loudly when mail or packages are dropped off. Rather than punish her for this natural behavior I’m giving her the tools to deal with it in a more productive manner.

1. She rings the bell to let me know the mail was delivered.

2. She sits and waits for me to open the door and give her commands instead of bolting outside.

3. She brings the packages inside and stacks them in a pile.

4. She opens the packages for me only when I ask and only until I ask her to stop so as not to damage anything.

5. She helps me pick up items and throw trash away.

It’s a bit of extra work for me right now but she really enjoys it and it’s going to be very helpful when the training is complete.

#belgian malinois #3 years #service dog in training #medical alert service dog #mobility tasks #mobility service dog #ehlers danlos syndrome #dysautonomia #postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome #inflammatory polyarthropathy #service dogblr #dogblr #positive reinforcement #🎵 #spectra therapy laser

[morganbritton132]

I love how much Ozzy in the TikTok Saga is laid back about his service dog duties 🥰 Obviously cares about his human and is good at his job but knows when he’s allowed to be on vacation because Steve is Eddie’s responsibility.

Steve makes it known immediately that it’s fucked up that dogs have jobs, and like, what? Ozzy is supposed to work every second for the rest of his life? No way. That dog earns PTO. He gets breaks. He goes on vacation without Steve.

Steve loves Ozzy and that dog makes his life so much easier, but they can live without him for a day or two. Sometimes Ozzy won’t let Steve go. He’ll get in his way when Steve tries to leave or pull on his clothes, but once Ozzy realizes that Steve is with another capable person then he’s willing to accept his nice relaxing weekend at Dustin’s (Ozzy likes Nancy the best).

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#plus I feel like a heavy metal concert would stress out even the most trained dog #steve harrington #eddie munson tiktok saga #Ozzy the service dog

[arwenthegreat]

Excuse me?? Is this... The prettiest dog who ever lived???

#dog #doggo #great pyrenees #great Pyrenees service dog #service dog #service dog training #multipurpose service dog #service dog handler #chronic fatigue #actually disabled #disabled #invisible disability #chronic illness #disability #disabilties #chronic pain #cfs/me #fibromyalgia #psychiatric service dog #service dog in training #innapropriate #inappropriate sinus tachycardia #chronic fatigue syndrome #heds #probably heds #hypermobility

[dog-gutz]

It finally happened! Today I got a diagnosis for my pots!! I went to see a new cardiologist almost 2 hours away and he diagnosed me with pots! I'm so happy someone finally heard me and sees my struggles. �� Attached are some photos from my day at the appointment and in the town!

#potsie #pots #pots syndrome #disabled #actually disabled #chronically ill #chronic illness #chronic pain #chronic fatigue #mobility service dog #service dog in training #psychiatric service dog #service dog #service dogs #mobility aid #cardiac alert dog

[themiscyradobermans]

Tumblr... I am begging you to do your thing. My beloved Kaladin Halfdan has been hit by a car and his owner Liam as well as his entire family is devastated. Please please please consider donating and if you can't donate, please share far and wide. On top of being all around amazing top notch people for reasons outlined on the gofundme page, Liam being queer and disabled means his life quite literally depends on Kaladin's.

#gofundme #service dog #service dog in training #epilepsy #disability #seizure alert #medical alert #veterinary care #puppy #fundraising #queer #trans #lgbtqia

[sycopomp]

This is my first time needing to ask for help on this kind of scale, but this is so important. Taking my life back, being able to leave my home without anxiety or fear of any one of numerous ails striking me down for my hubris, would change the world for me.

It would mean so much if you could help, whether it's donating or spreading the word <3 ;; Thank you all so much.

#gofundme #service dog #disability #service dog in training #mental illness #life w sy

[8irdies]

road trip pics! we went to visit my grandparents. lavender is still in training so she can’t fly on airplanes which is why we were driving this year!

this is raspberry, a jellycat bunglie bramble bunny. she’s super cute! and the texture is very stimmy. she’s the 10 inch version. highly recommend the bunglies to those considering them.

#plushies #plushblr #stuffed animals #stuffies #comfort item #service dog in training #actuallyautistic #special interest #jellycat #jellycat bunny #safeplush #plushcore #kidcore #colorful #black dog #puppy #dogblr #plush #plushies of tumblr #soft toys #my jellies

[pixierainbows]

Hi Pixie, I have a question if it's okay. I know Pixie does not talk. How does Pixie give commands to Sunshine? AAC? Signs? Sunshine is a very cute dog, by the way.

training professional , what did all the training of Sunshine , did specially train for Pixie specifically , starting with very young puppies . special trainings specifically for Pixie include hand signs , living with kitties , and other things . this organization be very very very expensive but Them do very very good work with Sunshine to prepare for Pixie .

#asks and answers #service dog #sunshine #Sunshine the service dog #service dog training