Kaik9s

50 minutes ago, wizard-of-roz said:

I don't like to see a dog, especially a Service Dog, lift his leg to pee anywhere, ever!  Most Service Dogs, males and females are trained to squat when they pee.  Squatting guarantees that the dog will not leave any stains or odors behind!!!!  

 

I wouldn't want to see or smell pee stains on walls, planters, furniture, etc. when I'm traveling in hotels and on cruise ships.   I'm unable to physically wash down walls or other objects after my dog pees, therefore guaranteeing the hotel or ship that my dog will NOT leave any odor or mess behind. 

 

Now it's more clear for me to see why the cruise ships wouldn't want to place a potty box on our veranda.  Maybe they think that my Service Dog might lift his leg and pee on the walls, windows, glass shields and/or furniture.  It never occurred to me before why they are so insistent on NOT allowing the box to be placed in a more convenient area for me and, honestly, I never thought about the dogs who lift their legs.........Now I know that I MUST tell them that my dog would NEVER lift his leg and damage anything, or leave any urine odor.

 

It's really a training thing.  ALL DOGS can be trained to squat when they pee.  And, because they're in the public venue should be!

 

 

🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬I thought this was a “safe place” to share information NOT have my SD attacked for not living up to your standards!🤬 REALLY?! your RUDE response isn’t NECESSARY! 🤬I find this type of predjudice against SD who are trained differently to be offensive and belittling to other teams. MY  SD DOES NOT pee on furniture or windows etc. I am responsible and would  never let him cause damage. He’s well trained on WHERE he’s allowed to PEE. the Potty box was PLACED against a Metal wall on outside deck BY the CRUISE company. I CLEANED it!  He Didn’t damage anything! There are NO RULES or LAWS against a male dog lifting his leg to pee it’s a natural thing! He was PROFESSIONALLY trained to be my SD. 
PS Thanks for triggering my PTSD. 
I’m DONE with this group and thread, I get Enough 💩 from public I DONT NEED IT FROM YOU!!! **** OFF!!!🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

30 minutes ago, Wendsong said:

I got a square 4x4 wading pool and filled it with cedar mulch, which is what Princess said Island uses. Jazz wouldn't even get in it until I directed him to and then just stood there with his nose pointed at the sky. I took him out to it at the regular times, but to no avail. 24 hours he refused to go, until I finally relented and let him free range in the back yard. I was worried that some harm would result from him holding it any longer. Since then he has pee'd on the side, but will not go in it on his own.

I am traveling by car right now, and will try again when we get home. I put some potted plants in it (he likes to lift his leg over/against a tall bush), intending to remove them one at a time, hoping he wouldn't notice! We are leaving on the Panama cruise in March. Can anyone tell me how long a standard poodle can "hold it" without damaging his kidneys or something?

my boy does this too, I just made sure he had access to plenty of water, kept taking to the box every so often giving him the opportunity and so he knew that’s where he was expected to potty, he waited till he couldn’t hold it anymore, once he used the potty box on ship, I praised him, gave him treats, he had no problems using it afterwards. I’ve tried at home getting him into wading pool filled with same stuff and he just looks at me like I’m crazy🤣 we also took some artificial turf just in case, but didn’t need it.

Plus you just gave me an idea for my guy. He lifts his leg to pee as most boys do, so our first cruise he peed on the wall where the potty box was pushed against. I was given a dry mop to clean it with. I’m thinking of either getting magnets to hold pee pads on wall or an artificial bush or greenery to place in middle of box for him to pee on? We’re also taking the turf, I’d rather have it and not need it, NCL access desk said wood chips in boxes. 

Wizard of Roz MurphySD is the same way as Horton, just a big love!  He’s been trained in threat assessment, so he observes many things going on in our environment. He loves other dogs still on the occasions we’ve been barked at, especially aggressively and lunged at, he’s kept his cool and eyes on them as we leave the area, including looking back behind us to make sure the threat is gone. I either reroute to avoid them or put myself between him and any dogs that I feel maybe a potential problem. I’m ready to step in to protect my SD, just i have for our pets when aggressive dogs approach on walks.

On 1/5/2020 at 5:29 PM, Mavis and Me said:

Canceling wasn't an option - my family would have had a conniption!  We were at the end of a long trip wanting to get back to Seattle!  It was more ridiculous to watch than it was upsetting.  Mavis didn't care at all.  And luckily all the dogs around us were under 40 pounds, so not really a threat.  My family was vigilant to keep the ones on retractable leashes (MAN, I don't like retractable leashes!) away from me and Mave.  I literally saw this white chihuahua stroll at least 15 FEET away from it's owner!  It was wrapping around the legs of the guy in line in front of it.  I thought that man was in their party at first!  And the little tan one was down right aggressive!

If these two were the size of my SD would this be acceptable public behavior? NO!!!

There is absolutely NO reason these two should be considered emotional support let alone SD. Their behavior alone is anxiety inducing! And the airlines brought this on themselves by allowing NON SD to travel on their planes. Emotional support animals don’t have the same public access protection under ADA laws. I could claim my GSD as an emotional support animal, but she doesn’t like other people or dogs, can you imagine having her barking in this situation let alone a flight? So why are small dogs misbehavior tolerated?  Common sense needs to prevail, NO untrained pets should be allowed in public venues, especially if the owners are not being attentive to their dogs like in the photo. Why should SD teams be subjected to extra scrutiny because of these people and their dogs. 

On 1/5/2020 at 6:07 PM, wizard-of-roz said:

I don't ever want to be unkind to anyone.  

 

If you want to take your self-trained dog into the public, your dog should not bark, whine, growl or lunge at anything or anyone. 

 

Your dog should remain calm, assertive and ready to assist YOU whenever you need him.

 

In order for your dog to be ready to behave well around other dogs/animals in general, and humans you MUST work with your dog on a daily basis. 

 

Having special treats ready when you're out and about is nice but it's a bit like letting the horse out after the barn door is closed.

 

You MUST work with your dog when your just sitting and reading or watching T.V., or walking to the mailbox, or going to the bathroom......You MUST work with your dog ALL THE TIME.  You MUST practice, practice, practice, have patience, patience, patience and ALWAYS be KIND AND GENTLE.  A well trained, well behaving Service Dog is a golden gift from God!

 

You should NEVER be allowed in public if your dog acts badly, no matter how much you may need him.  

Thank You for stating this! My SD was trained by an organization of Veteran military dog handlers who started training PTSD Service Dogs, free for Veterans, fee for civilians like me. There was no ID issued, just a letter stating what training & testing he completed. Unfortunately the company went out of business. Some of MurphySD tests was Canine Good Citizenships and Public Access. These were to make sure he was not only comfortable in various public venues, but also that he was well behaved and not a threat to public safety. 
I’m all for giving people the option of self training, I may have to do that myself when MurphySD is ready to retire(hopefully not for many years). Not only are there very few PTSD SD training organizations but most now only train for Veterans or their civilians are on even longer waitlists and other SD training organizations dont train outside their specific disabilities group.  That said there are online resources for the above test requirements so everyone can train their dogs how to behave properly in public, no matter their size. NO dog should be in a public venue unless it can behave appropriately. But especially any dog being touted as an SD. 

Thanks Caribbean Chris! 

MurphySD on our first cruise two years ago. Carnival Inspiration 

Potty Boxes: MurphySD is a “potty holder” when we travel. Car, camping, Cruise ship, he KNOWS he’s going somewhere. He loves to travel, but will hold pooping to once a day or every two days, for the first couple days and won’t drink as much water as normally,  till he knows the “routine”. He’s offered water regularly but refuses to drink very much while in the car, once we arrive and settle into hotel room he drinks normally and picks his potty spot outside.  He’s gotten better the more we’ve travelled, once we arrive at our destination, campgrounds or cruise ship, he gets used to where his potty area is and feels more comfortable going there, he even leads me to it once were on that deck. I always take him from each direction so he knows where potty box is and the exits on each deck since that’s one of his tasks. I also bring artificial turf but we haven’t used it yet, it’s peace of mind for me to have options for his comfort. I also bring his blankets, toys and life vest (NCL is requiring us to bring one). I have a photo of him sitting next to potty box on Carnival Inspiration but I don’t know how to load it here. I don’t use online photo companies. 

its My understanding that the USDA APHIS health certificate is required by Cruise ships to board, at least Carnival & NCL have required them from us, both email prior to cruise and upon boarding. I’d have it just in case, I like to be over prepared when traveling with my SD. 

24 minutes ago, wizard-of-roz said:

Horton and I have been together since 2011, he knows me, I know him.  We're very relaxed around each other.  But, always "alert" to each others needs.   He gives me a comfort, safety zone that's really only visible to the two of us or to someone who travels with us and know's us.  Does this come across as "poor Service Dog behavior", maybe, to some folks. 

 

Does Horton need to sit or be at a "heel" every time we're not moving, no, because I'm standing and usually turning and looking and moving to the left or right or forward or backwards and this really demands that Horton be ready to move right along with me and not be stationary.  It's a "dance" that we do with each other.  He'd actually trip me or get in my way if he weren't ready to move all the time, as I do!  If I give Horton a command he's very responsive and right there for me!  Sometime he'll get distracted, like any dog would, but he's easy to bring right back to me.

 

It took over a year for Horton to totally understand my walk, my stance and my wants.  He's a great travel buddy now.

 

Unless the dog is acting badly, barking, lunging at others, or growling, I would assume that the handler and the dog have a "dance" with each other and know what they're doing.

I totally agree. MurphySD and I have our own way of working together. He doesn’t always heel as far back as others think he should but he’s trained for threat assessment and watching my back so he needs to be able to see all around me.  He also stands behind, in front or by my side depending on the situation, most people think SD should only sit by your side, but different SD are trained for different jobs for their person, so like you if the dog is well behaved and mannered there’s no need for judgement from me. 

Looks like Mavis likes cruises too! Have fun enjoying your day. 

19 minutes ago, rpclmc said:

Halo did not go.  Rich flew in to take care of him.  Rich is really possessive and doesn't think anyone can take care of him and I as well as he does.  News for him, my daughter can.  But that is ok, I am ok without him, as long as I have a "service person".  Being that my daughter works in home health and works with people who fall more than I do and have more mobility issues than I do, she is great to have assist.

 

We are going on the Carnival Inspiration, May 18th from Long Beach to Catalina Island and Ensenada.  Since you ask, I assume nothing special for Catalina Island?  Mexico seems fairly simple and endorsed 7001 and health certificate?  I don't need an import permit like I did for Bahamas?

 

Are both those ports ok/safe for Halo?  What is recommended to do with mobility issues?

 

Linda and Halo

This was our first SD team trip two years ago. MurphySD loved the ship, the potty box was large enough for him to turn around in.  Catalina was great, they do tender you from ship to pier. I wasn’t impressed with Encinada it’s run down a lot since we’d gone there two years prior to this trip. Plus stray dogs running around. There is a nice shopping area right off the ship that we enjoyed. No Permit just the health certificate. There are new rules for the certificate so check usda online. We also had trouble finding a bus/ transportation into town as SD are not recognized in Mexico and it’s up to the drivers if they want to take dog, the person outside the shops at pier did explain in Spanish to couple drivers till he found one to take us. The authorities checking passports to leave pier back to ship were very nice and were smiling at us, no problems or extra examination of SD, just checked passport and ID. Carnival had given the Mexico port our information prior to disembarking. I’ve found Carnival Special needs department to be very helpful. They sent a crew member to meet us and take us directly onboard to the main desk so they could make several copies of health certificate. Then to dining area to request special seating so SD wouldn’t get stepped on and I’d be close to exit. We also found out what nights the dining staff sing & dance as I couldn’t dine those nights due to the excess noise triggering me. They were very nice and helpful. 

22 minutes ago, Wendsong said:

Unfortunately, yes it is! That 's all the DOJ law requires. The law gives store owners and others an out, if the dog is misbehaving, allowing them to refuse service to the dog, but not the owner. Real SD handlers, on the other hand, realize that an uncivilized SD is bad for the whole community . We make sure our dogs are well trained and worry when they might go rogue on us (act like a dog!). Poser SD owners don't worry about that. They are law breakers and have no concern about the damage they do.

Thanks for that information. It sounds like even the laws are confusing on what constitutes a SD.

 When I was being trained to work with my Professionally trained SD, I was told by the training team that to be an SD the dogs were required by ADA to pass not only basic Canine good citizen  training and testing and Community access tests which included how they reacted to other people, or dogs in public, if they didn’t pass the testing  these dogs could pose a safety problem and were disqualified from being SDs.  I must be misunderstanding the laws as it sounds like any pet dog can be task trained and it’s an sd? Then why did I pay for a professionally trained dog? My other dog/pet (Who was training with me to be my sd) who is scared of strangers and barks at them or other dogs could have been my sd under those circumstances! Fortunately I decided she wasn’t sd material and we kept her as pet since she’d bonded with my husband and I started training with another dog, chosen for me and  trained specifically for me, who did pass all the required tests at that facility. 
Can you imagine an sd scared of other people out in public! I shudder at the thought! Although the reactions my SD and I have gotten from other sd vested dogs has startled us, barking, growling and lunging at us, now I know why, unclear laws on what constitutes an SD. 

I find it interesting that even between SD handlers there is debate about weather to vest or not vest. I get harassed with or without my SD in vest since I “don’t look disabled”. While I agree vests are highly visible means of identifying SDs, they don’t make a dog an SD, training AND behavior does!  Just because a dog has been trained to do tasks for disabled person, it’s not an SD! If the dog lunges or barks at other dogs or people it’s NOT an SD, it wouldn’t pass the basic level tests or training for public access which IS PART of SD training for public safety.  With the many different companies and individuals training SDs,  for a multitude of different disabilities, at least here in USA, there is not one product that they all use or make available to those of us who have SDs. Many of us have to purchase online products, vests, patches, leash, leash wraps, collars etc.  There is a variety of different ways to “uniform” our SDs. Mostly it’s personal choice. Unfortunately ANYONE can buy these same items and put on their pets and take them out in public places which not only makes it more difficult for real SDs but is ILLEGAL, at least at federal levels, but these laws are not enforced at the local level! When’s the last time you heard of someone actually being fined for fake sd? Are you aware that even if we real SD teams are harassed or kicked out of store or restaurant for no reason, we can call police but they CANT do anything because they don’t enforce federal laws! So our only recourse it to file complaints with ADA and/or hire attorneys!? Is it any wonder people feel it’s ok to fake their pets as SDs? I’ve been told by few stores they’re scared to approach people with misbehaving vested pets often barking at customers or peeing on items, for fear of being sued! It’s a no win situation for us or them. I did however meet a retired federal officer, who was working at a museum, who actually asked me if he could use my SD to train another employee on how to recognize a REAL SD from fakes! He explained how many fakes come into museums and how he’d told one irate woman he’d have her arrested if she continued to lie about her dog being sd, she finally admitted it and left.  He KNEW how difficult fakes make it for us since his wife had an SD! 
I’m not sure what the resolution to this problem of fakes will be, until then we in the SD communities need to support each other and stop putting other REAL SD Teams down for having to purchase our gear online! It doesn’t make my SD any less valid than one who’s gear came from a “well known” program. Those Known programs only train for specific disabilities, for example Guide dogs for the blind, I’m not blind so I can’t get SD Or gear from them, it STILL doesn’t make my SD or gear fake just because it’s purchased online. 

26 minutes ago, Mavis and Me said:

Can SD handlers NOT get paperwork for certain ports if they don’t plan to get off the ship? Is that even an option? Thanks!

I’ve been informed by cruise lines that it doesn’t matter if your getting off in the port or not, the requirements are for the ship to declare any animals on board and so they are required to show the health certificates and any other required documents etc for each port the ship enters. Hope this helps, I’d rather be over prepared with all required documents than chance it. 

51 minutes ago, rangeley said:

 

Whats going on with NCL? Any questions about bringing a SD I can help. 

Thanks! I’ve been trying to get answers to other questions that affect my disabilities. 
I can’t be around crowds especially in confined spaces or lines, so will need assisted boarding, and private muster drill. Last cruise it was so crowded waiting to board ship and Carnival sent someone to take us through priority boarding due to their policy of boarding people with disabilities, including Service Dogs prior to others, I need to know NCL policy. Then that afternoon the room where we were stationed to meet for muster, was not only crowded with hundreds of people but enclosed with no windows which is a BIG no no for me, then walking out on deck as part of drill people were crowded trying to get outside, stepping on my SD, ALL of which triggered my PTSD and MurphySD couldn’t even do his job because of the crowding people, my Hubby and two friends literally had to position around us to keep people from getting closer, every time MurphySD and I tried to move away we were told to get back with others.  I came very close to total melt down. Once triggered it affects my body for hours, MurphySD helps with the immediate fight or flight, flashbacks and panic attack, finding exits to get me away from triggers but the whole muster drill is a trigger. I’m sorry if I’m sharing too much information. My PTSD is from an explosion and fire. 
Carnival immediately took care of requests for our Cruise in 2021! So I’m frustrated that NCL can’t even reply to emails or have answers in phone conversations for cruise in May 2020! 

I tried again to get answers from NCL Access Desk, the woman who answered wasn’t from Access even though that’s who I called, she was as helpful and polite as she could be but said I needed to email AD AGAIN! She at least tried to contact directly to personal involved with the ship they didn’t answer. I’ve now had 3 different employees tell me 3 different things and NONE of them really answer/resolve my inquiries.

 I’ve sent ANOTHER email and if I don’t get clear, knowledgeable information soon,( I’m still waiting for response to prior email from 6 weeks ago) I’m going to Corporate level to lodge official complaint. 

Yesterday I spoke to Carnival Special Needs dept for 2021 Alaska Cruise. They were polite, cheerful, Knowledgeable and extremely helpful with answers to ALL my needs! It was like night & day between the two companies! All this for a cruise year and half in future! 

Hopefully things will improve with NCL soon! I found the CC roll call and sounds like other people really like NCL Sun, so far no other SD. 

4 hours ago, Mavis and Me said:

New question!!  How do you all do buffet lines with your large service dogs?  I rarely eat at buffets here at home because it feels weird having my dog scoot 6 inches at a time as I ‘graze’ down a buffet, not to mention she takes up a lot of space next to me, but I just don’t feel like putting her on a down-stay under the table is ok either. When I’m forced to go to one, my hubby usually brings me a plate of food, but on the cruise I’d like to select my own items!  What is the correct etiquette for buffet dining with a service dog on a cruise ship?!?  Thanks!

My SD never leaves my side, he accompanys me to any buffet on land or ship. I have a European hands free leash that’s crossbody. I get a plate and have him sit at each stop I make to pick out food, since he’s trained to watch my back he automatically turns away from the food area. He does occasionally pick up food from floor (that has been dropped by others) and is immediately corrected, most of the time I spot the floor food and command leave it which he does but I’m not perfect and he’s a dog not a robot. Mostly we’ve only had positive reactions with people saying he’s better behaved than children or some adults in the buffet! Lol. I understand why some may not want SD near food services but it’s not breaking any laws or SD etiquette if they’re by your side. 

43 minutes ago, DUTRAVEL said:

How handsome are they? Great picture.

 

Dianne

so CUTE together! Look like their having good cruise too!

Anyone been on round trip Hawaii Cruise from SF? We’re researching for our 35th Anniversary in 2022. And just want to know if it was fun experience with SD. We’ve been to Hawaii several times but that was when I was ok with flying and didn’t have SD. I can no longer go into airports and would have to be knocked out to get me on planes! So cruise ship is only option if we decide to go. I’ve already gotten the current SD information but would get updated info when we decide to book since it’s couple years away. Carnival Miracle goes and Princess. We’ve only been on NCL Sky and Carnival Imagination & Inspiration. We’re booked to Alaska May 2020 on NCL Sun and May 2021 Carnival Miracle (we have credit that has to be used by 2021from canceled trip) We figured another Alaska trip would be good since our friends said you never get to see everything in one trip anyway, they’ve been several times and are Platinum cruisers on Carnival. I tease them they’re planning their next one while on the cruise ship😆. Thanks for sharing any information or experience with Hawaii cruises. 

9 hours ago, rangeley said:

Oh my! Poor Raylene. We are so disgusted with this whole service dog system. Besides the giant tree bark, to walking a mile to take them potty. Why put 2 boxes in one place and not place one at each end of the deck. John couldn't open the door to take the dog or get by all the cleaning carts in the hallways. If you have a balcony, the box needs to be placed there. We all have to put our heads together and figure out what to do about this. There were supposedly 5 SD on this ship. I only saw Horty and a little dog someone was passing off as a seizure dog. Too bad it was never with the person who had the seizures. And only worked at night. 🤔. Ugh. 

seizure dog only worked nights and never with their person? Sounds strange, having worked with people who have seizures the dog shouldn’t leave their side!? Decisions, decisions, which box should I use😆is how I’m reading the look on that cute face! 🐾

8 minutes ago, rangeley said:

 

Oakland lifts his leg sometimes. Unfortunately the other day he was close to the edge of the box and decided to lift his leg! Peed all over the floor. It was formal night and I had dress clothes on. Luckily they had cleaning products and paper towels right next to the box. Roz and John were waiting for me at dinner and I'm in a skirt cleaning pee!! Not good. I don't have an answer for you. 

Oh NO! Glad there were cleaning supplies. The crew left a mop near the potty box when MurphySD showed them how boys pee 🤣 fortunately we’d brought artificial turf so we put it behind the box to help keep deck clean. And used mop on wall if needed. He eventually learned the box dimensions and would adjust his stance inside. 

Rangeley, how do you teach your boy not to lift his leg to pee? MurphySD would have peed on the wall! That’s if I could get him to even go potty inside! He’s trained to only go potty outside. Thankfully the potty box on our Cruise was on outside deck. MurphySD also needs coaxing to poop when traveling. He will go up to 24 hours without but once he realizes it’s the only option he goes, no problems after that. Glad your all having fun otherwise. 

The only cruise MurphySD and I have been on, we were approached by several other cruisers asking if the two small dogs on the cruise were fakes as they had observed them barking furiously and lunging at him, trying to get out of the arm or lap of their people, every time they saw us. MurphySD didn’t respond to the barking other than keeping his eye on them for potential problems as he’s trained to do, especially since we’ve had the same experiences with large dogs in stores, and my PTSD gets triggered. I responded that it was NOT my job to police the ship, if they had problems with their behavior they were welcome to report them to ship crew. I did however educate them on the many ways small SD help with disabilities since many were under the mistaken impression that only large dogs could be SDs. I did feel that the two dogs, who were traveling with a couple, needed more training since we were barked at anytime we were in their line of sight, even though we were not close to them. In fact they were actually triggering me with the sudden barking from across rooms! After few times of this we (the three other adults we were with) would keep eyes out for them and we’d leave before the other dogs saw us. Thankfully it was a short cruise. The worst was people making RUDE comments about dogs on cruise ships as they passed by us! After this happening on frequent basis, my friend responded that I COULD HEAR them! They’d assumed wrongly that I was deaf or they just didn’t care. I have invisible illnesses including the PTSD, it’s not apparent to the public why I need an SD, so it’s assumed I’m faking just to bring my dog! MurphySD  was in his SD vest and on excellent behavior so there was no reason for the rudeness! This was couple years ago, now I’m better experienced with handling these situations. Back then I heavily relied on my traveling friends to run interference since I’d been mostly home bound the previous few years. I’ve read that NCL puts a notice in the daily letter to notify people of SD on ship. Hopefully when we go to Alaska with NCL it will be a more polite group of travelers. On the same cruise We were stalked by a teenager who was angry I wouldn’t allow her pet my SD! She’d actually come up to us and angrily say “I’m know I can’t pet him” then turn abruptly and stomp away! It happened a few times but she’d only approach when we were alone as my friends had told her to stop being rude and stay away. if it happened today she’d get turned in to ship security to have a talk with her parents about keeping her under control and away from us! Of course with the passing of years I’ve learned to better cope with these type of issues and no longer tolerate them. Hopefully sharing some of my experiences will help newer people be better prepared for their traveling. 
 

6 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 I hope everybody had a great weekend, and that Roz, Horton, Cindy & John, and Oakland, are having a wonderful cruise!

 

On Saturday, we had a play date for Raylene and two other Labradors at my house. A dog we met for the first time, a black Lab from Southeastern Guide Dogs, works for a really interesting woman who has had Usher Syndrome from birth, which causes both hearing loss AND vision loss. They fly a lot together for her job.

 

The three service doggies had had so much fun together, and we all loved that they ran the full length of backyard and tumbled around like children. It was great exercise and such a change of pace for them. Eight year-old Raylene held back some, like the gray-haired grandma watching the kids go crazy, but she let out a deep bark now and then (very rare).

 

The three “moms” had a great time, too, laughing at each other’s stories and sharing the not-so-funny ones.  It was interesting to hear the perspective of someone with vision loss who travels to earn a living. People really do not recognize the ramifications of their thoughtless actions, including taking pets and emotional support dogs to places where they shouldn’t be. The worst is when their animals distract and attack service dogs  - two people I know have had that happen. I can’t imagine how terrifying an attack on the dog would be for a blind person.

 

Anyway, I forgot to take a photo of the three dogs, so we have to do it again soon.

1 hour ago, Mavis and Me said:

I never leave home without a bottle of PB8 Probiotic!  It works great on the kids, the hubby, AND the dogs!  My service dog, Mavis, is prone to stinky burps and toots.  It's embarrassing when she's in a closed area with me and her tummy is upset.  I will sprinkle about 1/2 a capsule onto her food every morning and evening (1 capsule/day) when we travel as it seems to really help her.  I've used the stuff on sick kittens, dogs, baby goats, calves, children, and everything in between and I swear by it! 🙂

6 minutes ago, Mavis and Me said:

Roz, while I understand what you are saying, this is not entirely true.  Handlers with program dogs can access much of the equipment they need from their program.  However, owner-trained teams often rely on the Internet for sourcing much of their gear.  Just because I had to buy my vest/patches online, doesn't make my SD illegitimate or fake.  She is task trained to assist me with my disabilities and public access certified through a 3rd party evaluator.  I know how we all feel about fake teams making trouble for real teams because of inappropriate behavior, but to say a statement so emphatically ("You NEVER, NEVER, NEVER purchase anything online for a legitimate Service Dog") is hurtful for those of us who either couldn't afford a program dog, weren't willing to wait for one, or the program's training didn't cover the disabilities that the handler has.  It undermines our feeling of being a valid team, which is difficult enough already.  Despite the fact that there is no certifying agency in the USA for service dogs, when program teams whip out their badges/IDs/etc from their program and use them to access places that don't know any better, it makes it near impossible for owner-trained teams to gain the same access.  I've been asked quite a few times over the years for 'proof' that my dog is a service dog, when there is no such thing as service dog certification or registration.  A couple of times it has unfortunately resulted in me calling the police to start a discrimination report, when all I wanted to do was simply go shopping or sit down and enjoy a meal at a restaurant! 🙂

I agree. Although I got my SD through a training organization they didn’t have much SD equipment available. I researched company’s making sure they weren’t selling IDs or advertising “take your pet anywhere with this......” the company’s I got equipment from ALL made sure to define what Real SDs are and informed pet owners of the ADA laws and problems Real teams face due to fakes. The gear doesn’t make MurphySD my SD his training does. FYI some of us cannot afford or get SD through the more we’ll known SD programs, the wait times are also problematic, some of them are booked up 6 months to two years wait list, or they only train for military, first responders or children, deaf, blind, autistic or other mobility illness. Finding a company that trains PTSD SD for civilians is difficult, I was lucky to find a company run by former military dog handler who trained PTSD SD for us civilians too. They helped me with accepting my illness, not feeling guilty about having it when I’d thought only military got it (the first Psycologist I was sent to shamed me and threw it in my face that “military people have it worse trying to cope” when I wasn’t responding to her therapy) and not being embarrassed when dealing with triggers and letting MurphySD help me on this journey. Unfortunately they’re no longer in business..   So yes sometimes online is the only option for some, we just have to try to find reputable companies.