Types of Service dogs

[Karen]

I know Gina - sandragonfly - has had problems with bus drivers not picking her up because she has Crayola with her and is not blind. He is her Hearing Ear Dog, just as important as a seeing eye dog - people need to be educated!

I also once met a lovely Bernese Mountain Dog who was her person's Stability dog. She needed a breed tall enough, stable and heavy enough to counter her own weight, as she otherwise has equilibrium problems that give her trouble walking or standing. The dog had a handle on her harness, and her job was just to be there and help mom not fall over. Sounds funny, but if you've never had balance problems, you don't know how awful - never mind painful physically - it can be.

[NicoleLJ]

I know Gina - sandragonfly - has had problems with bus drivers not picking her up because she has Crayola with her and is not blind. He is her Hearing Ear Dog, just as important as a seeing eye dog - people need to be educated!

I also once met a lovely Bernese Mountain Dog who was her person's Stability dog. She needed a breed tall enough, stable and heavy enough to counter her own weight, as she otherwise has equilibrium problems that give her trouble walking or standing. The dog had a handle on her harness, and her job was just to be there and help mom not fall over. Sounds funny, but if you've never had balance problems, you don't know how awful - never mind painful physically - it can be.

That is quite common. I am blessed with Sheena and living in an area that is very knowlegable about Service dogs and accepting of them. But I have heard many stories form people about access problems and transportation problems because people just don't have the right info.

Bernese Mountain dogs are very popular as Mobility Dogs. Their carting back ground gives them a natural gift for the join of aiding someone with a mobility disability.
Nicole

[NicoleLJ]

Karen I thought this might interest you since you mentioned a Bernese Mountain dog as a Mobility Assistance dog:

http://www.mira.ca/contenta/nc1a.html

This is MIRA. They are a Service dog Training Facility. They have their own breeding stock and one of the breeds they use on a regualar bases is the Bernese Mountain Dog. They are in Quebec Canada.
Nicole

[sandragonfly]

quoted by karen
I know Gina - sandragonfly ..

that's me!

good to see other people with service dog(s) here. this is my favorite website - http://www.adionline.org, it seems it had helped us a lot lately when we have problems bringing "a dog" somewhere, even with his vest on.. especially for landlord to take a look at too! a well-educated link on laws, etc., I think. it has information on which state requires which. for example, california requires (bright orange) collar and vest on but new york only requires collar. thank god, humidity! I would still need to put vest on him sometimes though..

great introduction, nicole and thanks for those links, I'd like to do some looks later!

edit ~ karen, it is hearing dog, not hearing ear dog.

[NicoleLJ]

quoted by karen
I know Gina - sandragonfly ..

that's me!

good to see other people with service dog(s) here. this is my favorite website - http://www.adionline.org, it seems it had helped us a lot lately when we have problems bringing "a dog" somewhere, even with his vest on.. especially for landlord to take a look at too! a well-educated link on laws, etc., I think. it has information on which state requires which. for example, california requires (bright orange) collar and vest on but new york only requires collar. thank god, humidity!

great introduction, nicole and thanks for those links, I'd like to do some looks later!

edit ~ karen, it is hearing dog, not hearing ear dog.

I LOVE ADI. lol I frequent that website as well. Great info. Also nice to meet another Service Dog Handler. So great to meet you and hope we can become good friends.
Nicole

[sandragonfly]

nice to meet you (virtually) too! here are some pictures from dinner with mayor (karen) last year - crayola looks the same.

we were waiting for someone outside


under the table wondering what we have been blabbing about ..


vest off just for mayor's smooches and hug!

[NicoleLJ]

[QUOTE=sandragonfly][color=slateblue]nice to meet you (virtually) too! here are some pictures from dinner with mayor (karen) last year - crayola looks the same.

QUOTE]

Adorable Pictures. Sheena loves teh attention after working. She sees it as hr reward for a job well done. lol
Nicole

[cassiesmom]

LOL! The little kids used to try to give the pup a piece of their doughnut - they wanted to share, and the pup was right at about their height. She finally had to tell the kids it was better for them to not share, to help puppy learn. I am not sure if she will do it again because giving him back was hard.

[NicoleLJ]

LOL! The little kids used to try to give the pup a piece of their doughnut - they wanted to share, and the pup was right at about their height. She finally had to tell the kids it was better for them to not share, to help puppy learn. I am not sure if she will do it again because giving him back was hard.

I could never imagine after raising and training Sheena and tehn giving her up. That would have been very difficult.
Nicole

[NicoleLJ]

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Sheena when I first got her. She is wearing her Service Dog in Training Bandana and is only about 8 or 9 weeks old.





Nicole

[Freedom]

For anyone interested in service dogs for diabetes and / or seizures, here is a site for a group which trains them:

http://www.heavenscentpaws.com/

I'm sure there are many other such groups. I heard about this one because Dad is diabetic, and we watch dlife most weeks on TV. (For anyone with diabetes, it is on CNBC on Sunday at 7 PM) The program did a segment on the woman and her family who started this organization. As I recall, she has 3 children with type 1 diabetes, and she couldn't keep up with everyone's low blood sugar levels. Somehow a dog they had started alerting her! And she took it from there.

This must be SO helpful to parents whose children could have a serious situation develop during the night while everyone is asleep. The dog is trained to respond and get the adults UP! (among other things)