#service dog owner training

[blue-theservicedog]

Sometimes as an owner-trainer it is INCREDIBLY tempting to take my dog into stores he’s not allowed in yet (my state doesn’t give SDITs full access rights) because it’s easier than going out to run errands and then coming home and then taking him out for training, and I know those stores don’t care because I’ve seen so many fakes and straight up pets inside and watched employees not only ignore them but even interact with them. No one would care! Clearly no one knows the law!

But I know, and I care, and I also know he’s not ready for those kinds of locations yet, so I’m good and I don’t take him with me to pick up my meds or whatever. But man, I want to.

#service dog #service dogblr #service dog in training #service dog owner training

[adogcalledpoe]

About us!

Hi! my name is Jamie, I am a 17 year old who is currently training my dog to be a service animal. I have been professionally diagnosed with a hearing disability, which is known as CAPS (Central Auditory Processing Syndrome) as well as GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), Persistent Depression, ADHD and I have also recovered from an eating disorder. I am a self diagnosed autistic and I really struggle with sensory overload, specifically with sound. All of these things together largely impacts my day to day life and is disabling.

I am owner training my dog Poe to help me mitigate my disabilities. Her tasks with include though will not be limited to:

-providing Deep Pressure Therapy (also knows as DPT)

-guide me out of crowds and noisey environments

-self harm interruptions

-alert to high anxiety and raised heart rate

-help to stay present when I am dissociating

On this account I want to share our training and progress as there is only so many times a day I can tell my family and best friend the exact same things about our training sessions. This will sort of be like a little public diary and I'm honestly really excited about it.

#service dog #anxiety #depression #disabled rights #disability #actually adhd #autism #service animal #service dog in training #service dog owner training #psychiatric service dog #hearing disability #central authority processing #i really dont feel disabled enough #do i actually need a service dog? yes. do i constantly doubt myself? absolutely #blogging

[mandana-the-service-pup]

Service dogs are not exempt from local dog registration in the United States so we went to our City Hall to pay our annual $10 fee. They were closed for renovations so we had to leave without dropping it off.

We were already prepped for public access training so I took her grocery shopping instead. It was my first time driving since starting Methotrexate and I felt even more dizzy & nauseous than I usually do while driving. There are some driving warnings on the Rx so I’m thinking it’s related. I will have to be extra cautious until I figure out the details.

My main focus was public access training so shopping was slow. It amazes me how she always seems to be improving even when we have to take long breaks from public access. A couple halfhearted sniffing mistakes that were easily redirected and that was it. Her heeling is marvelous imo. She was noticeably slower on her position changes but I know it’s because I swapped out her old shoes for new ones that still need to be broken in. I like the Ruffwear Grip Trex for quick outings but they can be tough to break-in especially in the cold.

She was being super good at ignoring people which I like to reward with occasional breaks to say hi to polite strangers. She prefers kids & elderly people so when I noticed a blind preteen with her grandmother who were talking kindly about us I offered to let her say hi. The child was especially excited to meet Mandana because she is working on getting her own service dog. I described Mandana & her gear and let her feel her ears, head, harness, badge and shoes. I answered questions about training & tasks. She wanted to know what tasks Mandana knows that could help a blind person so I told her about how she’s trained to locate specific objects by name and bring them to me. She was excited to show me her Disney stickers so I gave her one of Mandana’s custom stickers and showed her how she could feel the ears and tail that are cut out. Mandana really enjoyed the attention and we all had a fun conversation.

#belgian malinois #3 years #service dog in training #owner training #public access training #public access #medical alert service dog #positive reinforcement #ruffwear #service dogblr #dogblr #disability awareness #disabled community #blind community #alt text #methotrexate

[uchuujin-chan]

if you’re wondering if psychiatric service dogs really improve lives

i don’t have panic attacks in grocery stores or crowds anymore (grounding, momentum, dpt)

i stopped biting my nails (interruption)

i don’t doomscroll or ruminate anymore (interruption, dissociation alert)

i can wake up in the morning without 6 alarms (dpt, stimulation)

i can sit through a meal without dissociating, and enjoy it! (grounding, sensory stimulation, dpt)

i can deescalate my anger (interruption, grounding, dpt)

i go new places on a whim and enjoy it (being a source of confidence, best friend)

pics of the goober making a con accessible for me ❤️

#service dog #federally protected #not emotional support #psych sd #psychiatric service dog #border collie #i do not recommend this breed for the average owner #as a pet let alone a service dog #experienced homes only #owner trained #professionally trained

[x22817]

#beans beans the magickal fruit #mum is in town #so we are going places and doing things #today we found a cute little sewing store out in the middle of nowhere #lady turned out to be an Airedale breeder since the 70s #she was VERY impressed with Bean and that I owner trained her #very proud moment for me! #my $25 shelter mutt #compared to her $2500 puppies #dogblr #service dog

[givemebishies]

Just got my tooth glued back on yaaaaay!! Only issue is they told me it’s a temporary fix until I get through my Invisalign retainers, so they told me to baby this tooth so it won’t snap off again, and TourettesBrain is being v BreakItBreakItBreakIt

#I WONT but I am actively suppressing it and it’s annoying lolol #hopefully once I stop thinking about it I’ll stop getting that impulse #but at the very moment omg #I feel like that TikTok of that service dog in training that chomps his teeth when he’s excited and the owner keeps having to tell him #to stop #I am the man and my tics are the dog lolol #tourettes #actually tourettic #tics #tic disorder #cw tics #cw tic mention #ticposting #chatterbun

[straydogged]

sometimes I think about crawling back to the high control group (I wish. I fucking wish this was hyperbole but it isnt) "service dog" org that scammed my family out of 25k. because there was a verbal promise to make up for all of the bullshit by training me another dog for free. but I doubt he'd actually follow through on that and I cannot. I can't handle the surveillance and cult shit and group shaming and gaslighting and emotional abuse again. I think having to deal with the dog trainers and head of the organization again would break me.

idfk how I'm going to get a service dog if not through them but I just can't go back to that.

#head in hands. if you are canadian and are trying to find a service dog. there is a group based in manitoba with a 4 letter acronym. run. #it's not worth it. #I have reason to suspect they abused the dog they “trained” for me and then ripped away without warning #and its just. don't. don't even get involved in their owner trainer program. #hahah! was this a cult? maybe! it's hard to say!

[seven-oomen]

I am tired, lethargic, in pain, tearful. I want to take a nap, but I can't. Now I'm frustrated that I can't sleep. I would like to continue my research into owner training an Assistance Dog in the Netherlands, but I know that it's not helpful at the moment. It's Sunday, so I can't ask my social workers for help. And I just don't know what to do with myself for a moment.

#ben says stuff #assistance dog #service dog #owner training #actually autistic #actually ptsd #actually adhd

[cainite-bite]

Ya know I think we're at a point where we really do just allow dogs into way too many places (barring actual real service ones ofc)

like when i go to the grocery store i do not want to see your dog. i do not want to see your dog in a restaurant. i do not want to see your dog in a theater. i do not want to deal with your dog at the clinic. Or most places for that matter

I really just do not want to deal with all these loud, barking, untrained dogs that are going to be getting into everything, barking at everything, jumping at everyone cause its too excited (im real tired of being damn near knocked over and i've dealt with concussions a little too many times from this shit), or the risk of being bitten or growled at because your dog is too anxious/scared to be in the place you are subjecting it to

fucking take it to a dog park or some shit idk but quit subjecting everyone to your unwanted dog and quit subjecting it to weird fucking situations

#again im fine with service dogs #they have their jobs and the real ones are wonderfully trained #but everyone else's dogs for the most part are not #and i dont think its a great idea to just have an out of control dog- even a friendly one- put in all these places #i dont blame dogs when they are scared and anxious i pity them because you're a bad and irresponsible owner #i aint even mad at untrained dogs in themselves just you for being a bad and irresponsible owner #i think throwing a very understimulated high energy husky thats used to being confined to a 1 room place #into the middle of a busy store with a lot of movement and noise is a fucking bad idea #and its real damn irresponsible and makes you a bad owner #letting your dog sit or lick restaurant tables is nasty #letting them grab random food items from shelves or waft their fur from a wagging tail onto produce is fucking nasty #and it makes you a bad owner #taking your dog into these places when you know it scares them and they keep baring their teeth makes you a bad owner #other people have allergies and did not ask for or consent to dealing with your dogs fur and dandruff #making them deal with the reactions from is makes you a irresponsible person #like i dont care if i sound like a boomer but im gonna say if you get bad you're probably the person im talking about #and i hope you stay mad until you reflect on how you treat your dog #and the lack of consideration you have for it and the people around you

[orange-cat-ace]

Me: I believe I would benefit from a psychiatric service dog

Friends and family: I believe you would benefit from a psychiatric service dog

Doctor: I believe you would benefit from a psychiatric service dog (but we don’t do it here so talk to your psychologist/therapist)

Therapist: we can discuss an emotional support animal in our next session

Me:

#personal #mental health #depression and anxiety #I know there is technically a difference between ESA and a pet but for 90% of my purposes they are the same thing #and I already have pets #a dog and a cat #well 2 dogs if you count the younger one I would like to get trained as a service dog #benefits of a pet: comfort and emotional support at home and any public place where pets are allowed #benefits of an ESA: comfort and support at home and anywhere pets are allowed and if well behaved allowed in no pet housing and on airplanes #benefits of service dog: trained to preform a task to help owner/handler and offers comfort/support and allowed almost anywhere handler is #I’m not flying or renting so for my purposes and ESA provides the same benefits as a pet #I believe a service dog would be beneficial #my friends family and doctor agree

[blue-theservicedog]

Every once in a while I’m reminded how big of an undertaking, how long-term of a project (and for the HIGH possibility of “failure”) owner-training a service dog is.

And I think there’s this misconception that most of the training time is spent on task work. At least, that was the idea I had when I first started doing my research and preparing for this. But no. It’s ALL about public access. Per the ADA (so this may be different in other countries), a service dog only technically needs to be able to perform one task, but they HAVE to be well behaved and in control at all times in public in order to be considered a service dog.

Obviously mistakes happen and no one’s going to get kicked out of a store for an imperfect Sit or Heel, but it has to be dang near because it’s a matter of safety for you and the general public.

It is SUCH a labor intensive and exhausting experience and a lot of owner trainers know that going in but don’t have any idea HOW just… how MUCH it is. And you’re doing all that on top of being disabled and needing a service dog. It can get so much worse too, if your disability prevents you from training for a time and you have to effectively start over on certain skills.

I think we owner-trainers deserve a gold medal or something just for surviving, honestly.

#service dog #service dog handler #owner trained service dog #service dog training #blue the service dog

[ceasarslegion]

I do wonder if all these internet poisoned folks who seek out "irredeemable and problematic fiction" to yell about are the same types who run up to pet random dogs they dont know and then scream at the owners when they get growled at or bit

#i use this comparison because ive had really large dogs all my life #and they were well trained and well socialized and because of that were very friendly and loved humans #but it always bothered me when people would run up to my dog while we were walking and pet her without my permission #like yes shes friendly and wont bite you because we made sure from her puppyhood that as a house dog she'd see humans as Big Friends but #what if she were a working dog or an off duty guard dog or service dog? #or just not as well socialized for any number of reasons #and she saw you as a Threat to herself or her owner? #and you didnt even ask me before you ran up to her with big foreign smells and hand movements and noises and started touching her? #it would not be my fault if you got barked at or growled at or bit #if they asked first i was happy to let them because i knew keira wouldnt do anything but wag her tail and give kisses and ask to play #but my dog was not a representation of every dog #and the same can be applied to anything you engage with #assume that if you poke a sleeping bear it wont end well for you #and its not the bears fault that you woke it up unpleasantly #some thoughts

[mandana-the-service-pup]

See @behaviornerdwithahat reblog for correction on terms used in this post

We’ve just started dabbling in “errorless” training. I’m not a certified trainer but here’s my basic understanding of the “errorless” method. It’s kind of like shaping but instead of only rewarding when they meet the criteria, you reward for any effort. If you only reward for doing something a certain way, then frustration can start to creep into your training session. With errorless, they always win something. The benefit is less frustration and more engagement. You become better at evaluating what your dog can do and setting them up for success. Your dog builds confidence and desire to train and offer behaviors.

I tried to edit the video so it makes sense. I would suggest reading the purple words first. If you’re interested to see how she did with her cues then go back and watch for the green words at the bottom.

Looking back at the video, we need to work on coming to “side” from different directions before adding “center”. She gets so used to doing things a certain way that it becomes muscle memory. Breaking it down further and focusing on not marking behaviors that get “participation” rewards is going to really help us be successful in our next session.

#belgian malinois #2 years #service dog in training #service dog training #owner training #positive reinforcement #errorless training #service dogblr #dogblr #🎵

[healingheartdogs]

Early to mid winter is a time of year where I get this sick-to-the-depths-of-my-soul level of nostalgia for dog training and kennel work and being in a kennel environment. There was a lot about dog training school and the kennels I worked at that I did not like or even absolutely hated, but being surrounded by dogs, working with dogs near daily, and seeing other people who loved working with and talking about dogs regularly... Gods I miss it so much it hurts.

#just coincidence that i always happened to be going into those things starting in winter ig #but now it has made winter dog nostalgia season for me #i need to be around other dog people in a training and kennel environment like i need air to breathe rn #someone with money fund me and my dog friends to open up our own kennel pls lol #sigh #i miss the kennels at school especially so much #even though i hated that place and hated the owners #i loved those dogs sm #especially the detection and trailing dogs #and the service dogs #deep soul aching siiiiiiigh

[purplesaline]

Wall O' Lab

My current view

#spending a couple hours at Lance's sister's house #to feed them dinner #and they've got a service dog in training there at the moment #cause Lance's sister's owner is a service dog trainer #cosmo is a BIG boy!

[border-collie]

Honestly the thing that REALLY opened my eyes about how most people own dogs was a (very well run by a dog professional) service dog group on Facebook. The sheer amount of entitlement for what the OP wants compared to what is best for the dog is huge. I applaud the mods of that group because it has to be difficult to sift through the bullshit.

#things like 'how can I make this puppy/newly rescued shelter dog/bite risk dog a service dog in the next month' are common #I can say it makes me very 😬 about A LOT of owner trained dogs #like I am not saying that these people don't need service dogs I am saying a lot of these dogs are not trained #this is about the merit of the dog not about the merit of the disability