[News] Yorkie Works as a Service Dog

[fasteddie]

Cleveland, OH - Mention a service dog, and most of us think of a Labrador retriever or a golden retriever, helping vision-impaired owners, alerting hearing-impaired owners to visitors or pushing light switches or opening doors for owners incapable of doing those jobs.

Lacey, a 5.6-pound Yorkshire terrier, is far too small to reach a light switch or a door handle, but she is a service dog.

Her job is to retrieve items for her owner, Sue Dunay of Concord Township. Dunay has multiple autoimmune disorders and uses a motorized wheelchair or an electric scooter. She cannot bend to retrieve dropped objects or lift Lacey into her lap.

When Dunay wants Lacey to get in her lap, she extends her arm toward the floor. The little dog wraps her paws tightly around Dunay's arm so she can lift her.

The little dog can bring items such as a pen, paintbrush, checkbook and, though it is difficult, a 2-pound bag of cookie mix to Dunay. She does demonstrations of Lacey's abilities with these items at schools.

Visitors to Lake Metroparks' Lake Farmpark will get to see Lacey and Dunay in action at Working Dogs Weekend, Saturday and Sunday.

Lacey, 4, who understands 75 words, became a service dog by a stroke of luck. After Dunay's disabilities forced her to quit her job, she started taking art lessons and decided to get a dog to keep her company - not a service dog, just a companion.

A dog as small as a Yorkshire could easily be trained to use a doggy litter box, Dunay said to her husband, Terry Dunay.

The Dunays purchased Lacey from a breeder when the dog was 8 weeks old. She was too young and too fragile to leave her siblings at such an early age. But for the care of a veterinarian, Lacey would have died.

When Lacey came home from the animal hospital after three days, Dunay had to feed her every two hours around the clock. A strong bond was formed.

When the tiny terrier was healthy at 4 months, Dunay had a trainer, Tina Guyron, come to the house to work with her.

On one occasion, La cey grabbed a piece of paper in her mouth and started running around the room with it.

"Tell her to heel," Guyron said to Dunay.

Lacey did, but she kept the paper in her mouth.

"She has retriever instincts," Guyron said. Within eight weeks Guyron and Dunay had Lacey retrieving all sorts of things.

Dunay worked with her a half-hour each day.

When Lacey is working, she wears a coat that says she is a service dog. "She seems to know the difference," Dunay said. "If she doesn't have her coat on, she knows she is allowed to do anything."

As a service dog, Lacey may accompany Dunay everywhere, including grocery shopping, art classes and art exhibitions, hotels, restaurants and airplanes.

Lacey's vest has a pocket in which she carries a letter from Dunay's physician, stating that the dog performs a service that the owner cannot.

"She seems to know when I don't feel well and stays right beside me when I am in bed," Dunay said.

Other demonstrations at Working Dogs Weekend include agility, herding, carting/draft dogs, terrier races, sled dogs and tracking as well as search and rescue dogs.

Visitors are asked to leave their own pets at home.

http://www.cleveland.com/living/plai...7615027310.xml

[Jussi09]

Hello -
I see that this is a rather old post. Does anyone know of any other owners who have trained their yorkie as a service dog? I'd really like to have more information on this and find out where and how you could train your Yorkie.

I've also heard of training dogs to go to Nursing Homes and Hospitals to visit the patients as part of their therapy. I think this would be a wonderful thing to do for others.

Please let me know if you have any information. Thanks!

[xxmxaxrxyxx]

i am so glad you found this thread...there was no response and i was not even a member back then...but the article put a smile on my face...i know there are other members who have their yorkies whom are therapy dogs...and i am sure they can point you in the right direction.

[kdkjoshi]

Maggie was a rescue from a man that used her to bait fighting dogs. When we got her, took her rather forceablly from him, she would roll over, cry and pee on herself if anyone looked in her direction.
With a lot of care she bonded with my boyfriend who is diabetic and has PTSD from Vietnam.
Maggie kept getting in his face and barking at him. It was the only time she acted almost agressive. Finally we put two and two together. She does this when his blood sugar drops too low, just before he starts feeling dizzy and ill.

It was great at home and we have worked with her really hard to be able to go into public without fear. Now she is his protector. He is also hearning impaired. She lets him know when the phone rings, or vibrates, when his blood sugars are too low, and helps him calm down when he needs it.

We had her certified as a service dog almost a year ago and she goes everywhere with him.

[Jussi09]

Oh, this is wonderful and thank you for responding to my post. Could you please tell me how you trainer her and how you got her certified as a service dog? Thanks!

[deafpanda22]

Originally Posted by Jussi09

Hello -
I see that this is a rather old post. Does anyone know of any other owners who have trained their yorkie as a service dog? I'd really like to have more information on this and find out where and how you could train your Yorkie.

I've also heard of training dogs to go to Nursing Homes and Hospitals to visit the patients as part of their therapy. I think this would be a wonderful thing to do for others.

Please let me know if you have any information. Thanks!

Actually You can train your own dog long as you start at YOUNG age as 8-10 weeks old. I have been training my puppy since he turned 8 weeks old. He is now almost 12 weeks old. He already learns sit, come, stay, down, busy (potty) You just need be sure he know how social with lot people, dogs, in crowds, and be sure he know to stay beside you, etc...
Next month I am getting that training vest for my puppy so people will know he's in training to become my service dog.
You know the dog must know at least 3 thing for certain disability or for work as service dog. Like my pup for example. he must know how to alert me of 3 different sounds: doorbell, phone ringining, car coming from behind, etc...thats just examples. Also well groomed, and always focus on you, never distract, etc...its alot work! I have full time College but I still have to train him everyday at least 30 min a day.
Good luck!

[deafpanda22]

Originally Posted by Jussi09

Oh, this is wonderful and thank you for responding to my post. Could you please tell me how you trainer her and how you got her certified as a service dog? Thanks!

You know service dog don't need certified? long as they pass all ADA law requirements... Some people can train their own service dog, some perfer wait for years. training is easy, but the alerting part is little harder. my experiences with that

[eddiesmom14]

I would like to know more about his, too. My 14 + year old Yorkie just passed away but I thought of him as a healer, as in he had instincts for trying to heal illness. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and several other major health problems and he could always tell which of my joints was hurting and would lay by those areas. He also seemed to be able to tell when I was depressed.

I am faced now with the prospect of finding another Yorkie. I am allergic to some animals but Yorkie's don't seem to bother me since their coats don't shed like some other dogs. I was going to try to adopt a rescue Yorkie as almost all the dogs I've had in my life have come to me as problem dogs or rescues. Now I wonder if I should seek out a puppy to buy?

Any opinions from people with experience? Yourkie puppies have gotten so expensive. I don't have unlimited funds to purchase a puppy but I do know what it costs to keep a dog up well, and by well I mean to feed premium food like Wysong, give supplements, heartworn treatment and regular vet visits and treat them like they were your children.

[Texanschwander]

My Yorkie (Dudley), is 4 yrs old and I was wondering if I could train him to visit the elderly in a nursing home. I start a job at one soon and would love to go there on my days off and take him to visit them. He is so protective of me, that he sometime growl and snaps at people and this is not acceptable at a nursing home. Where do I go and is it wise to even try to train him at this age?

[yorkiemini]

Yes you can probably train your pup to be a therapy dog - not the same as a service dog - and the elderly will love it

Contact your local Red Cross or Pet Pardners. Your local dog shelter or pet store may also know where you can train your therapy dog ! What a great service you will be doing!!!!!
Man

[KairaPup]

If he's snappy he can't be a therapy dog.

[yorkiemini]

He will have to take a class and pass a test. By doing this they Are then certified and have liability insurance. Most agencies will not allow a therapy dog with out that.

[Mayzoo]

See if this link helps you to get a start on your research:

Therapy Dog Organizations - American Kennel Club