Service dog questions

[boomerkiller]

Hello everyone. I am a military veteran with ptsd and deppression. My doctor prescribed me a service dog and suggested I go through a service dog organization, but there is a 3 year wait. So I have went out and have a awesome 11 week old yorkie named Remmy. He starts puppy classes saturday but was looking for suggestions on training for him.

[rubymoon2072]

hi and congrats on your new baby remmy!! consistency is key. i work with my yorkies daily on training but they dont last very long....hehe. so i guess teach him as much as hes willing to pay attention each day. good luck at puppy classes.

[Amazing Yorkies]

What a perfect breed you have chosen for a loving companion! They are so sensitive, so loving and so understanding! I'm sure you're smitten already!
Welcome to Yorkie Talk, and good luck with the classes!

[furrybaby]

11 weeks is really tiny for more than looking cute, peeing and pooing Congratulations and thank you so much for your service! I've never served in the military but I have experience ptsd and depression, if we take real good care of ourselves we can overcome anything! As with all things, it takes time and keeping our mind on moving ahead and not dwelling on the past. I too bought a yorkie as a therapy dog, although I'm not sure how to make him an official therapy dog. My husband told me I wouldn't be able to but who knows...

It's really important, to not drive yourself crazy with letting your new puppy potty on any carpets or rugs that will hold the odor. Any chance you have tile, wood floors or vinyl that would be easy to clean up messes? Puppies/dogs like to go and do their business in the same spot. I bought a bag of disposable adult bed sheets, they can also be used as a diaper, they were a lot less expensive than puppy pads. We stayed the night in a hotel, a month ago, I put the pad on the floor and he just went potty on it without me encouraging him. I left the potty on the pad so he knew to go back there. That would be the first thing you want to do that would be helpful, I think. It's a lot easier to throw away a pad than have to keep cleaning carpets and messes up off of the floor.

If there's any chance you have a small soft sided crate or bag that your puppy could sleep in by your nightstand, that way you can get a good nights rest. I just tapped the side of the bag if he made noises before I was ready to get up. Never had an accident in the bag. Dogs don't typically like to soil in their beds. The puppy is going to want to be with you all the time, so will want to see you, even in the bathroom!

They like to be held and sleep a lot on your lap

I encourage you to brush your baby out everyday so he doesn't get tangled up and put him on a harness/leash and take a little walk for 5-10 a day. Are you able to walk or wheel your puppy?

Usually dogs have a pretty short attention span, 5-15 min a day training should be plenty. We've done some training with a military/police dog school for personal protection and we go over an exercise everyday but not for longer than 15 min. It's important to keep training fun

Welcome to the forum and when you can, post a picture of your new baby!!!

[MikaTallulah]

There are tons of people that train their own service dogs!

[aprilivy]

While not certified as a service dog, our Baxter is an important part of my husband's daily routine offering companionship and a real calming. We have seen that comfort dogs can now be added to the ranks of service dogs and be welcomed into public places that otherwise would not allow dogs.
We have been investigating the places where you can get training and certification, but have had little luck in doing so. If this is part of what you want to do with your dog, be sure to get the right training to be eligible for certifications that will allow you and your dog access to those places. (even on cruise ships, I am told)

[yorkiemini]

There are several reasons the waiting period for a fully trained service dog. One is dollars -- the training is expensive and lasts 12 to 18 months on average. Another reason is that the training agencies have to wait until any dog is old enough for their temperament and intellect can be assessed. Additionally, they will not place any dog that is not FULLY trained and they have had adequate time to work with taand train the handler.

Your pup, right now, is too immature to provide the services you may need, other than,of, course, the outstanding companionship and devotion. Doesn't mean he/she won't get there - just mean they aren' there now.

Your thinking is correct about training. Get into a basic obedience class and take it seriously. Then move to an intermediate training class. During that time you can ask around for trainers that do specialy training.

The next important item is - get a letter from your doctor/psychiatrist stating your need for a service dog. Keep that letter - it will open doors for you.

Many group/individuals who train service does are not familiar with toy breeds. Keep that in mind and realize it is not a handcap but may give you a few problems with finding an advanced trainer who is familiar with toy breeds.
Example: when my Yorkie got her/our scholarship to service dog school they were appalled when I showed up with this little dog. First, like I said they had a great deal of training experience but none with dogs this small and secondly I was dealing with a prejudice that they thought only they could chose a good service dog. True, they had much experience with that, but I had other reasons as well. She turned out to be the head of the class and trained at a rapid pace! Changed everyones mind!

There is a man in Texas who is very active in training dogs for the military folks. I'll try to find out his name -- of course, the waiting time may be too long as well.

Good luck. Your new best friend will be your greatest joy and at this early stage a bundle of overwhelming energy. Just got to get through that. Need to stay very positive with this pup -- that is VERY important.

Thank you for your service and glad you found your pup

[Britster]

Do you want a full on service dog or an emotional support animal (ESA?)


There is a big difference between the two.

A service dog is trained to abide by public access standards when it accompanies its handler in public. It performs tasks that help mitigate its owner's disability.

An emotional support animal is more of a dog that provides comfort, and doesn't generally do any trained task for disabilities.

While there is no size limit on an SD, a tiny pup will be limited in certain things. People are also very judgmental because they think if there's nothing physically wrong with you, you just have a 'SD' to you 'can take your dog anywhere'. Not to mention, you need to make sure your dog doesn't get stepped on. What size dog you need depends on the tasks you want the dog to perform.


Please Don't Pet Me - a good link


ESA handlers do not have public access with their ESAs EXCEPT for housing and airlines due to the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act. So you can live in no-pets housing with them and you can fly with them. I just learned that some states/towns do have public access laws for ESA handlers and parts of California allow ESAs anywhere a service dog is allowed.

Most people who get service dogs and train them themselves are VERY specific in what type of dog they get. They search for the RIGHT breeder and the dog that has that right temperament. You also have to realize that you may get a dog, train it for 2-3yrs, and then it's NOT the right candidate, and be able to access that. It's a hard decision to make when it's your pet dog as well who you have bonded with.

Also SD's don't just need regular basic puppy classes. They need classes specifically for service dogs. They need 1000 times more socialization, more positive experiences, etc... if your pet is spooked by... someone in costume, for example, it's really not a big deal. More of an annoyance. BUT, a service dog that is spooked by something like a shiny floor... that will be a big problem. Find a GREAT trainer that KNOWS what they are doing. Not your run of the mill petsmart trainer.

Not all dogs are cut out for the work and will "wash out", so don't be upset if your dog turns out not to be "THE dog". They can still be your loving pet

[yorkiemini]

Brister is totally correct. And the link she posted a very very good.
Only correction is that some airlines do not interpret the ADA laws to make emotional support dogs eligible for plane travel. It has been legally tested I. several incidents. I think in the future it may get more hopeful but as of now there are some problems with the interpretation.

In your favor, the airlines seem to be more open the small emotional support dogs than the larger ones - go figure, but that seems to be how the legal cases are coming out. They want you to be able to present a specific task that the dog performs for you - they don't consider cuddling and being present a specific task.

Also, even a well behaved service dog can be banned from a private place such as a church if they do not want them. Some places don't consider them public. Private run tours, boats etc can also be considered not to be public.

It is a little sticky. If your professional who writes your paper work for you is specific and writes well that can make a world of difference. That letter can solve a lot the problems you may run into.

With a help of a trainer (if you have not had much experience with training) you can teach most dogs to,perform a task that could be considered appropriate for your designation. Remember, you only have to be able to tell and at the most demonstrate the task your dog does for you - they cannot ask you what your disability is. In my case it is pretty blatant but in many it is not.

Just figure out what are the main thing you need help with and have a trainer work with you and your dog on those specific things.

Basic obedience will be required for your dog to behave in an acceptable manner - that is always expected and that is the area where most folks who train their own dogs miss.

Let me know if you need any help interpreting the ADA laws.

Airlines have gotten pickier because so many who do not have trained service dogs are trying to do their dogs on the plane for free - sort of ruins it for the others.

[ajabj5]

If you are disabled and have a medical need for a service dog and PTSD is listed as a medical need to alert the person and used for calming the person when anxious with PTSD. Service dogs for PTSD fall under the same criteria as for any service dog According to the ADA a service dog is an animal trained to assist a disabled person and to perform a task for that disabled person. Revised ADA Requirements: Service Animals

[yorkiemini]

The criteria is Psychiatric Service Dog vs emotional Support Dog

The training for each is different and the task they demonstrated are different

-The psychiatric Service dog is trained and can demonstrate doing a safety check of a room for a PTSD individual and/ or trained to search a room for a PTSD individual

- block a PTSD individual I a dissociative episode

- prevent or interrupt impulsive or destructive behaviors

These animals have been specifically trained to provide and can demonstrate the behaviors

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL FOR PTSD

Has not been taught or can not demonstrate the behaviors preciously listed however does support and calm the individual


One of the key difference in the training of these two animals is of course their ability to demonstrate the trained behaviors, but also the ability to recognize the need for the task.

Many individuals with PTSD will call their dogs to them when they need them but the dog may not be specifically trained to pick up on cues and act on them that the service dog would

If you go to the psychitric service dog organization web site it is discussed there.

Also: National Empowerment Center

The invisible disabilities are the hardest.
Anyone who challenges you can only ask if your animal is a service dog and what specific tasks they provide for your disability. They will also watch to observe those tasks.

The "task" of emotional support without the specific behaviors is not enough to get the service dog privileges. No one can ask for a letter from your doctor etc. but it is never a bad idea to have one. Remember-- there is NO official service dog registry, and people who screen for service dog know this - they are looking for the specific tasks that were listed above.

I almost missed an overseas flight one time because the people at the gate challenged my service dog and wanted to see the behavior she was trained to cue to -- was a real mess because the plane was loading but I finally found someone to set off an alarm and another to clap loudly for my dog to respond to the cue so they could watch her! Almost missed the darn flight!

[chestermama]

I will pm you when I'm back from vacation Chester is my service dog for ptsd and no formal training for it

[windwalker]

The training is the most important part, they can not ask you what he does! If you want to get your dog certified by Handi Dog, they offer classes that you train your dog, but your dog must pass certain tests before they will accept him, Social, separation anxiety and fit the profile for the need, it will take several classes and about 18 months to complete.


But at present as long as you train him to ignore other distractions, well socialized, no separation anxiety, well behaved, no yapping, if you say its a service animal, that's it, no questions. Now if your pup acts up and causes problems, service dog or not they can ask you to leave. I will be training mine for a hearing dog, C-4 and a 105 kinda messed my ears up a little, especial direction wise.

[ndyorkiemom]

And congratulations on your up coming service dog. I have a Yorkie who is my Medic Alert Companion and yes he was tested via a stress test by my doctors. He alerts me to problems with my heart, that being said I would like to point out that you cannot be asked to prove what your dog does. Yes they can ask you if the dog is a service dog and what his service is but, as in my case it is very hard to prove all needs. In my case I would have to have a heart attack or my heart would have to slow down extremely or my pacemaker would have to go wonky on me. This is why I say that they cannot force you to demonstrate, they can request but cannot force.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by windwalker

The training is the most important part, they can not ask you what he does! If you want to get your dog certified by Handi Dog, they offer classes that you train your dog, but your dog must pass certain tests before they will accept him, Social, separation anxiety and fit the profile for the need, it will take several classes and about 18 months to complete.


But at present as long as you train him to ignore other distractions, well socialized, no separation anxiety, well behaved, no yapping, if you say its a service animal, that's it, no questions. Now if your pup acts up and causes problems, service dog or not they can ask you to leave. I will be training mine for a hearing dog, C-4 and a 105 kinda messed my ears up a little, especial direction wise.

They can ask you to show what the dog does they just can't ask you your disability.