service dogs

[Guest guest]

Hi,!

How great you are thinking of getting a service dog! My Charlie changed my

life! 3 years ago my EDS had completely taken over my life, and I was pretty

much homebound. My pain was uncontrolled and my doctor was trying different

things trying to find something that worked. Even the use of a cane was

impossible because of my shoulders slipping out. My hips are badly effected, and

my right ankle collapses, so I fell a lot and stumbled even more.

I had applied at one Service dog school and found I couldn't request a type

of dog. Knowing that my grandchildren have many allergies, so I had decided that

a standard poodle would be a good fit for me & my family. I had trained dogs for

years, showing in both breed and in obedience......so knew that this training

was a huge step from what I had done before. A service dog school in land

accepted me, and I found Charlie finally from a land breeder and bought him.

Charlie's training made him a terrific working dog and he has been a Godsend.

Of all the tasks he knows, the way he counterbalances me, helping me to sit and

to stand, bracing solidly.....is the best! He is a great dog, and just a huge

part of my life! With his help, I have resumed my life! Thank God.

Lots of people don't know that all poodles stem from the standard size, or

that they are retrievers. They don't have doggy odor and they don't

shed....hence no hair everywhere! Vacuuming is really hard for me to do, so he

hasn't added to my housework.

Whatever breed of dog you decide that is your perfect fit, research your

breeder carefully should you choose not to go with a school that supplies your

dog. It can make all the difference. There are a set of training books out that

are wonderful called Teamwork I and II, by Tucson trainers/authors

Nordensson and Lydia Kelley are available through TOP DOG Publishing Company.

The non-fiction books are dog-training manuals for people with physical

disabilities. They teach us-disabled adults- to train. The Delta Society is an

umbrella for service animals and disabled people. There is wonderful information

on their website-- one page is of information for someone considering getting

a service dog. It is http://deltasociety.org/nsdc/dsb100.htm. Their main webpage

is http://deltasociety.org You don't need to pay for information, you can get

all the training information from these 2 books should you do it yourself, and

reputable service dog organizations do not charge for their dogs in most cases.

As with anything good in life, there are those who will take advantage. You can

purchase the books through them.

There are many people out there that will take advantage - Service Dogs do

not need to be certified, but they should be trained as if they have to. This is

a dog you trust with your life--it should want to work for you and do so out of

love.

I have a lot of information on service dogs, tasks, and websites; let me

know if you would like any of these or if I can help.

Good luck!

Sue J.