May have a service dog!

[LewisLegion]

Some of you might remember I've been working on getting a service dog for about the last eight months. I may actually have one! She's six months old, already has learned several commands and has started some 'light' training (she can't start 'formal' training until she's a year and a half) and is doing WONDERFULLY at it. From everything I've been told she sounds like more than a perfect fit with what I need, the only slight draw back that she is coated, not hairless (which is not a deal breaker, just means a slightly lower body temp for heat therapy...she's still quite hot!)

I'm so excited!!

[draggar]

Congratz! We need pics!!

[Lyse]

I second the demand for puppy pics! And congratulations on finally getting your dog!!!

[Frantic Freddie]

If I needed a service animal I'd want a Plumed Basilisk

Seriously,congrats,a good service dog can make your life wonderful,it's been shown that people who have pets either for companionship or as in your case for service have better overall psychological health,which can lead to better physical health.
See my signature

[LewisLegion]

Thanks guys. I have an appointment to talk to the rep this evening online, there is a second dog that might also work for me, so we'll be covering both and making a final decision. As soon as I know one way or the other, I will post pics

[telecom_goddess]

Can I ask what the service dog is for? What's this about the heat therapy?

[LewisLegion]

Can I ask what the service dog is for? What's this about the heat therapy?

I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, hypermobile disorder, RLS, an undiagnosed sleep disorder, and a thyroid condition. I have also had issues with vertigo on and off again, and in the past dislocated both my lower back and my hip (part of my hypermobile issue) and so the pain from my other conditions tends to flock to those two areas. This makes sitting still for great lengths of time, bending, crouching, or being on my feet for longer than about 45 mins extremely painful.

The service dog will act as a retrieval dog (picking up items such as my car keys or pens/pencils, etc) if I drop them, eliminating the need for me to crouch or bend over to do so. S/he will also be able to fetch things like the cell phone, home phone, or remote. Due to my clumsiness and slight balance/compensation issues she can alert and fetch help if I happen to fall down. S/he can remind me to take medications if needed (the CFS and fibro both affect my memory at times). S/he can help with dressing/undressing by tugging on socks, pant-legs, shirt and coat sleeves, etc. S/he can bring me my cane if I need it. S/he will also act as a small buffer in public...helping just by being there to alert other people so they will be less likely to jostle or bump me (which can land me on the ground very quickly). None of my disabilities are 'visible' so people make the constant assumption that I'm perfectly normal when in fact I may be in a great deal of pain or far too easily knocked over.

As for the heat therapy, Xolos have been used since the Aztecs for their body heat acting as a 'hot water bottle' to soothe pain and relax muscles. Which is ideal for someplace like the movies where I have to sit for extended periods of time. S/he can be draped over my shoulders and neck or lay against my hip and leg to help ease and control the pain without my having to rely so much on opiods or narcotics. When I'm laying or sleeping s/he can do the same and ease my back pain and my RLS syndrome, helping me to get better sleep.

Eventually I will need a larger, balance service dog as well.

[telecom_goddess]

I see thanks for the detailed explanation. I can understand the heat therapy portion now and it sounds like the dog would be useful in a lot of ways. I'm wondering if I shouldn't look into that myself. With balance issues, sleep apnea, diabetes, and memory issues myself it sounds like it could be helpful. How did you go about getting one?

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Xolos! :3 I hope you get an excellent animal suited to your personality-- as well as your needs.

[Eisa]

I'm starting to wonder if I need a service dog myself...

That sounds so great! Hehe, and I love the picture in my head of the dog draped around your shoulders...doggy scarf.

[LewisLegion]

Well something came up and she wasn't able to get on chat last night, so we will be chatting tonight instead. So, no updated news on that front to report

telecom_goddess, there are several organizations that provide service dogs for those that need them. I went through X-CPR due to them focusing specifically on dogs for chronic pain and fibromyalgia issues. There are several associations for balance and general service dogs as well. This link is a list for service dog organizations and specialties by state:

http://www.inch.com/~dogs/service.html

Once you find an organization you think will be suited for you and your needs, you contact them and go through the application and interview process. Depending on the organization, the size, and the amount of donations they process you may be linked with a service dog totally free, or at some personal cost. Mine will end up costing me about two grand, but most of that I defrayed through donations. Everything you pay out of pocket for the dog, including not only the cost to obtain/train the dog, but food, vet bills, insurance, clothing, vests, harnesses, ID, shipping costs, etc...is all tax-deductable as medical equipment.

You can also get your own dog from whatever source you wish and then train it yourself, or train it through a trainer that specializes in service dog tasks. The downside of this is of course, finding the right dog with the right personality and health on your own (for example, if you want a dog for balance, you want a dog who comes from a line that has been medically documented for healthy hips and back). Too many people adopt a dog they intend to make a service dog just because it's 'cute', then find out when it's too late the dog is not suited at all for public or service work. VERY few dogs have the right personality. With an organization you are relying on their experience to match you with a dog that will fit your needs. Even then, there is a chance the dog will wash-out...though the chance is much slimmer than if you just randomly picked one on your own.

Not that it's impossible, mind, if you do, so long as you're smart about it.

[LewisLegion]

So I finally had my video chat with lady from the service dog organization (VERY wonderful woman, btw), and we went over everything, pro and con. Then I talked things over with my roomie and, long story short...looks like I got my service dog!

Her name is Sadie (it will be changed). She is just about eight months old and has already gone through quite a bit of training. She's been to several restaurants and movies and also went to a conference that lasted about twelve hours (the pics of her asleep on the chair). Every fault the woman could bring up was simple puppy issues in keeping with her age (chewing, for example) and were not severe at all.

In fact, she's doing so well that if she continues the way she's going, the organization wants to enter her into their breeding program. That's a whole other set of considerations that don't need to be decided on now, at any rate.

Anyway, barring any major unforseen happenings, she's mine!! She should be here sometime in January, and potentially as quickly as a week from now

As I promised...pictures!! They are direct linked as they are fairly large:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/Melara/Sadie6.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/Melara/Sadie7.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/Melara/Sadie1.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/Melara/Sadie2.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/Melara/Sadie4.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/Melara/Sadie5.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/Melara/Sadie3.jpg

[draggar]

Congratulations!!

Do yourself a HUGE favor - learn service dog laws inside and out. We even carry a pamphlet with the information on it wherever we go - it's not that people are mean or aggressive about service dogs is that there is little to no education on it.

People can (legally) ask you two questions:

"Is that your service dog"

"What service does it provide"

It is against the law for them to demand paperwork to prove it (most of the time there is no "official" paperwork). Some will ask and insist. It is a good idea to get a cape with some iron-ons like on MacLeod here:

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o.../MacLeod-1.jpg

The capes aren't too expensive and you can get or make the iron-ons. On the top it says "Please do not pet me" with a picture of a hand with a line though it. You may also want to learn "No toca me perro por favor" (Please do not touch my dog" in Spanish).

Hotels and planes cannot charge you extra for the service dog. The dog will be allowed to go with you wherever you are allowed to go.

They cannot ask you to leave unless the dog is being a nuisance (excessive barking, pooping, peeing), destructive, or a risk to others (the dog tries to bite someone, etc..).

99.999% of the the a legit service dog (not someone claiming that their pet fluffy is a service dog) will not have any issues (but rarely accidents do happen). the hardest part is telling children that they can't pet the dog while she is working - especially if the dog loves children (like MacLeod did). If the dog does like children, then you can let them get some attention during breaks (as a reward).

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask.

Edit: here is a list of service dog laws by state:
http://www.servicedogssavelives.org/statelaws.html

[LewisLegion]

Thank you, Draggar. Since this whole thing started I've been reading up as much as I can (I'm a research hound ) but I appreciate the heads up. What concerns me most is as you said...how many people are downright rude and unaware of the law...or simply don't care about the law.

My Supe, for example. She's been MOSTLY supportive about this whole thing, but we recently found out that another coworker of mine has one of the same conditions I do (the Fibro). Since that came out, my Supe's understanding and support has suddenly gone in the toilet. If I'm having a bad day and she asks what's wrong and I tell her I'm just hurting, she reacts with a 'why?' or 'CW isn't hurting, why are you hurting?'

Yeah, the same condition can hit different people differently. I have more going on than just the fibro. We both have different pain triggers (and some the same). CW can still ride horses (and keeps telling me if I ride I'll feel better). Riding a horse would literally CRIPPLE me (it did before I was diagnosed and before I was as bad). CW doesn't need a service dog or a disabled spot...I do. But because we aren't exactly the same I think Supe has come up with the idea that I'm either faking or inflating things.

We met with HR the other day regarding bringing the service dog into work. The HR lady was VERY nice, almost excited over the whole thing, answered all questions, gave me all the paperwork I need, etc. Supe was there and kept mentioning things like 'well, we still need to make sure no one in the department is allergic' and 'people passing through the department may be allergic too', speaking with a tone and fixing me with a look that suggesting that if someone was allergic, my dog would be denied.

I wanted to tell her that it was actually against the law to deny a service dog based on someone else's allergy, that even if that allergy was severe enough to be disabling (i.e., the person needed an epi-pen), they could not discount my disability for theirs, or vice versa...they would have to accomodate us BOTH (changing departments or offices so the allergic party wouldn't come in contact with the dog). But I think I'll wait until she actually tries to pull that card before I will slam her down (or allow HR to slam her down).

But there are stores and businesses that have been sued for throwing out people with service dogs because someone might be allergic, they didn't believe it was a service animal, or because the dog 'might' get hair on the merchandise. A strangely vast number of people seem to think the laws only apply to seeing-eye dogs, or that only dogs of a certain size or breed can be service dogs, or that they can demand a license or certification paperwork, or any number of crazy things.

Anyway, that was long and rambling. I do appreciate the help, Draggar

[draggar]

Thank you, Draggar. Since this whole thing started I've been reading up as much as I can (I'm a research hound ) but I appreciate the heads up. What concerns me most is as you said...how many people are downright rude and unaware of the law...or simply don't care about the law.

Yes, there will be some who are downright rude over the laws, my wife was once refused a cab ride because of her service dog. Luckily, I think the majority is from the lacking of an education / training (personally, I was never trained about service dogs at any job of mine!).

My only complaint with my wife is that she can get a little sharp and snappy when she feels that people may start to think about saying something about the dog - but I guess that can happen when you get it constantly. (and I've been teaching her to take it down a notch).

My Supe, for example. She's been MOSTLY supportive about this whole thing, but we recently found out that another coworker of mine has one of the same conditions I do (the Fibro). Since that came out, my Supe's understanding and support has suddenly gone in the toilet. If I'm having a bad day and she asks what's wrong and I tell her I'm just hurting, she reacts with a 'why?' or 'CW isn't hurting, why are you hurting?'

That kind of attitude is really annoying - there are all different levels of a disability. My wife has coxa vara and it is not uncommon but the level that she has it it is hard for her to walk (hence the need for a dog).

It's hard for people to completely understand a disability.

Is your job a desk job or do you move around a lot? If it is a desk job I'd recommend a crate for your work area. You can get "pop" crates for under $20 and they're small (when folded) and very light - even large ones can fit in a backpack.

Zorro is also a show dog (conformation and obedience). He's even been in the Westminster Kennel Club show over the bast 4 (or 5?) years and even won "Best of Opposite" at the Eukanuba nationals a few years ago. Here's a video SNY TY took of Sara and Zorro last year (during Westminster):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n01aXZu6lo

Have fun with the dog. If you have the energy and money, do some friendly competition with her, obedience should be easy when she's fully trained. You should have no problems with a CGC (canine god citizen) and maybe even a BH (Schutzhund companion dog title - it's all obedience).

Make everything as much of a positive experience as you can.