Service Animals Redefined...

[Lifesong Farm]

Actually a dog with a job is a lot happier and more rounded than"just a pet" ever is. Dogs were created to work. Sticking them in a house with nothing to do or chaining them in a back yard is cruel. JMHO
People who have work dogs wether they are service dogs, police dogs, herding dogs, guardian dogs or drug sniffing dogs are well cared for. If they weren't then they couldn't do their jobs. They are also well socialized and loved otherwise they wouldn't WANT to do their jobs. I am sorry but you can't MAKE an animal do a job if it doesn't want to. Apollo was originally gotten to be a herding dog. One day he decided he didn't want to do it anymore. After that all he would do is lay down when you told him to bring the girls in.

 

[Sierra pachie bars]

Exactly what I posted but it was removed. For whatever reason service dogs seem to be a issue with some people on this forum. I do not get why my post was deleted trying to educate and yet the one saying it is cruel remains. ?

 

[NellaBean]

I didnt read all through the replies but wanted to clarify my own position. It doesn't matter to me whether an animal is professionally trained or not. Animals that are actually providing a service, great. However, everyone and their brother caught wind of the whole service animal thing and are using and abusing the system. Believe me, I used to work at a shelter and was the person who issued the service animal tags for that shelter. We weren't stupid, we could tell who really needed a service animal and who was just working the system. But what can you do? Until people stop working the system, they will have to place more and more rules to try to weed them out. It will indeed catch up "good ones" in the process. Which is sad.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
DEFIANTELY!! I've had waiters and waitresses mouths drop open when my Service Dog has come out from under the table. Entire sections of a restaraunt get quiet except for an "It's A Dog!" most times pleasantly, but we have had the occasional, "It's A darn Dog" which sets my husband off with, "It's a darn Idiot". He is not as pleasant as I am with dealing with people who act like idiots.

I find these times out in public a great time to educate people on what dogs are able to do and how they save lives on a daily basis. I have found that our older citizens and teens to younger adults are more informed and accepting of Service Dogs than adults over the age of 30. I don't know why that is. Children just know that it is a dog that is friendly and they want to cuddle. If they are willing to ask me about my dog, I will let them, and talk to them and their parents about Service Dogs.

If you touch my dog without asking, I will rip you a new one. My dog could have been preparing to alert and you have just distracted them from their job. My dog is my left arm. You have no right to touch me! My dog is part of who I am. My dog will not acknowledge that you exist unless I tell them they are permitted to say Hello and if they don't wish to, I don't force the situation. A dog has a better read on most people than most law enforcement folks.

I don't believe a Service Dog should have to be certified. This is another factor that limits who could have a Service Dog. Who would do the certifying? The government? They can't figure out what they are trying to do themselves. The AKC? They believe my current dog should have been destroyed when it was learned that she was deaf!

Please know that I speak of Service Dogs because I have had no other experience with a Service Animal. I have heard of Service Monkeys and a Guide pony. I was told about the pony by a police officer who had seen it while working in NYC. Pony's live for a good 30 years, a dog for 15 if you are lucky. What I would have given for my girl, Spook, to have lived for another 18 years. But then again, I wouldn't have my Krazy Katie who runs around like a nut case until she puts that Service Dog Vest on. Then she is the ultimate professional even at 1 year old.


Wow you know absolutely nothing about Service Dogs. My dog is not my slave, my dog is my partner. My husband will tell you that Spook was my Soulmate. Katie is working her way in to her own part of my heart.

Both of my Service Dogs have been Aussie CattleDogs, aka Blue Heelers. These dogs MUST have some type of job or they can be very destructive. Doesn't matter if it's herding cattle, search and rescue or telling me if there is something around that is going to kill me. Both dogs have been trained with postitive reinforcement only. They do what I ask, they get a treat, to play with their ball, a good ol' fashion belly rub. Just as you see with officers with the drug and bomb sniffing dogs, when it's done right, it's playtime! And if you do it right, the job they do is playtime as well.

My dogs are better well taken care of than all of the kids in my neighborhood. They get the best food money can buy. My DH had special window tint placed on the extended cab of the truck just for the dogs. My dogs are known for their great behavior and friendliness.

But yet, they are still dogs. Katie is "that little CattleDog" from the dog park who loves to be chased because no one can catch her. She loves for her "Daddy" to play "airplane" as she hangs on to the rope of her jolly ball or wrestling with the neighbors foxhound when she goes off on a "playdate" How many people can say that the neighbor calls up and asks if you dog can come over to play with theirs? Spook on the other hand, didn't realize she was a dog. She was raised with cats and thought she was one. Either that or a human, which is what most of the staff at my school said about her. When the students were there, she was all business, when they were not, she was just one of the staff, except she played frisbee with the superintendant in the hallway of the school.

Slave no. Partner and trusted friend, yes.

 

[Sierra pachie bars]

You could tell by looking at the person or the behavior of the dog ? I agree on the behavior once I was in home depot and someone came in with their pet which then proceeded to bark at me with my dog. My dog was like oh ok then and ignored the dog barking at him.
But if you go by look of people I would not appear to " look" like I need help. But I do badly. At times you can tell other times you can not.
My doctor gave me a written note for my dog or the use of him. I am younger , but a lot younger then you would expect to be disable. The worst ones yelling at me for parking handicap legally is always elderly folks. Guess for me I got old way before my time then. Just it really stinks to look one way and my body feels the other. Its very hard and people can be very cold and crude with comments. Its rather sad. And sometimes I i go crying home. I wish that society was different.

 

[c is 4 cochin]

I agree with Lifesong Farm Animals are pretty good at judging on their own if a situation is abusive or not. They will always do one of two things in any situation in which they perceive as a threat to their safety and well being . . .flee or fight back. Either way, one will not get any cooperation from the animal in which it is asked to do something if that animal feels abused. I think a lot of people underestimate how sharp and perceptive animals really are. While I do agree that animal don't reason in the vast capacity of humans they can reason to a good extent and are quite perceptive when it comes to people with disabilities.

 

[chickpeaz]

Just to clarify for those of you who believe that all professionally trained service dogs cost megabucks...

I'm currently raising my 7th puppy for Canine Companions for Independence. CCI is the oldest organization in the US (founded in 1975) providing assistance dogs for people with disabilities other than blindness. They have 5 regional training centers across the US and they train service dogs, hearing dogs, skilled companions (to be placed with children or other individuals who need a parent or partner to help handle) and facility dogs, which work in a multitude of different settings. CCI is funded completely by private donations. Puppyraisers assume all the costs of raising the pup for the 15-18 months that they're in our care -- we pay for their food, veterinary care, training classes, travel expenses, etc. The dogs are returned to CCI for 6-9 months of advanced training, and then they are matched with graduates AT NO CHARGE. The only cost the graduate assumes is the cost of getting to the training center closest to them, and their meals during their two weeks of team training, at which time they learn to handle their new canine assistance partner. Some of the training centers do not have housing, so the individual would need to pay for a hotel stay as well. But the dog is completely free of charge.

Obviously the waiting list is long, but CCI is a very highly regarded organization and I would encourage anyone to get involved, either by applying for an assistance dog if you need one and meet the qualifications, or by volunteering as a puppyraiser or in any other capacity. You can follow the link in my sig to learn more, or PM me for more information.

 

[chickened]

Cannot they do all that without the Service Dog label? Another poster hit the nail on the head, it is being abused... ALOT and to the point that it annoys non dog owners. It reminds me of the people at the on ramps they all claim to be Veterans. By the way my wife has trained dogs for over 20 years including Healers.
Quote:

Wow you know absolutely nothing about Service Dogs. My dog is not my slave, my dog is my partner. My husband will tell you that Spook was my Soulmate. Katie is working her way in to her own part of my heart.

Both of my Service Dogs have been Aussie CattleDogs, aka Blue Heelers. These dogs MUST have some type of job or they can be very destructive. Doesn't matter if it's herding cattle, search and rescue or telling me if there is something around that is going to kill me. Both dogs have been trained with postitive reinforcement only. They do what I ask, they get a treat, to play with their ball, a good ol' fashion belly rub. Just as you see with officers with the drug and bomb sniffing dogs, when it's done right, it's playtime! And if you do it right, the job they do is playtime as well.

My dogs are better well taken care of than all of the kids in my neighborhood. They get the best food money can buy. My DH had special window tint placed on the extended cab of the truck just for the dogs. My dogs are known for their great behavior and friendliness.

But yet, they are still dogs. Katie is "that little CattleDog" from the dog park who loves to be chased because no one can catch her. She loves for her "Daddy" to play "airplane" as she hangs on to the rope of her jolly ball or wrestling with the neighbors foxhound when she goes off on a "playdate" How many people can say that the neighbor calls up and asks if you dog can come over to play with theirs? Spook on the other hand, didn't realize she was a dog. She was raised with cats and thought she was one. Either that or a human, which is what most of the staff at my school said about her. When the students were there, she was all business, when they were not, she was just one of the staff, except she played frisbee with the superintendant in the hallway of the school.

Slave no. Partner and trusted friend, yes.

 

[Lifesong Farm]

Quote:
That's why I stated 20K or 6yrs for the dog my mom needs. Sorry but mom is falling now. Not 6 yrs from now. AND I am not getting rid of MY dogs because they think that a service dog should be the only dog in the house. I need a work dog to. Trying to catch goats on foot isn't fun.

 

[Lifesong Farm]

Quote:
Wow you know absolutely nothing about Service Dogs. My dog is not my slave, my dog is my partner. My husband will tell you that Spook was my Soulmate. Katie is working her way in to her own part of my heart.

Both of my Service Dogs have been Aussie CattleDogs, aka Blue Heelers. These dogs MUST have some type of job or they can be very destructive. Doesn't matter if it's herding cattle, search and rescue or telling me if there is something around that is going to kill me. Both dogs have been trained with postitive reinforcement only. They do what I ask, they get a treat, to play with their ball, a good ol' fashion belly rub. Just as you see with officers with the drug and bomb sniffing dogs, when it's done right, it's playtime! And if you do it right, the job they do is playtime as well.

My dogs are better well taken care of than all of the kids in my neighborhood. They get the best food money can buy. My DH had special window tint placed on the extended cab of the truck just for the dogs. My dogs are known for their great behavior and friendliness.

But yet, they are still dogs. Katie is "that little CattleDog" from the dog park who loves to be chased because no one can catch her. She loves for her "Daddy" to play "airplane" as she hangs on to the rope of her jolly ball or wrestling with the neighbors foxhound when she goes off on a "playdate" How many people can say that the neighbor calls up and asks if you dog can come over to play with theirs? Spook on the other hand, didn't realize she was a dog. She was raised with cats and thought she was one. Either that or a human, which is what most of the staff at my school said about her. When the students were there, she was all business, when they were not, she was just one of the staff, except she played frisbee with the superintendant in the hallway of the school.

Slave no. Partner and trusted friend, yes.


Trust me that same thing annoys us as well. That's like saying EVERYONE on welfare is lazy. (Using as an example don't flame me)