what is your reason for needing a service dog?

Question

what kind of dog is he/she? how long have you had him/ her? How has your dog improoved your life?

Answer 1

My hearing dog, Mitch, is a standard poodle. He is only 18 months old, which is very young for a service dog, but he recently passed his certification tests. (Certification is not necessary in the USA, but Canadian airlines can refuse to take service dogs that are not certified.) I have had Mitch since he was 7 weeks old. I had professional help, but I did most of the training myself.

I had been considering a hearing dog for some time because I cannot hear timers, doorbells, phones (I have a text telephone), or people coming up behind me and talking. The thing that finally made me decide was a hotel fire. I went out for a walk one evening. When I opened the door, the hall was full of smoke, and firefighters were dragging a hose down the hall.

Mitch tells me about all of the things in the house that ring or beep. He also tells me when someone calls my name, which is usefull in a crowded waiting room, when traffic approaches from behind while we are walking, and when someone behind me starts talking. In terms of life saving alerts, we have had one false alarm, and one that was not false. When I changed the batteries in the smoke detectors last spring, one of the batteries was bad. My wife was out of town visiting her mother, and the smoke detector started beeping intermittently. Mitch woke me at 2 AM and gave the signal for an alarming smoke detector. When I stepped into the hall, I saw the LED on the dector flashing intermittently. I changed the battery and it stopped. The other life saving alert happened when I was crossing the street. I was in the intersection when Mitch signaled something behind us. A car being chased by the police came out of an alley behind us and turned onto the street I was crossing. Without Mitch's warning, I probably would have been hit.

The other advantage of my hearing dog is that my lip reading has improved. Before I got Mitch, I could understand close friends and family members, but I had trouble with strangers. That changed when I got Mitch. Everybody wants to talk about the big white dog with the orange vest, so I get constant practice. Rather than avoiding situations in which I might meet strangers, I now look forward to them.

Answer 2

First question is a bit nosey but I'll answer it anyhow... I have a recurrent/remissive form of MS.. which means sometimes I'm ok.. and sometimes I'm not.

I started with a couple of Samoyeds nearly 12 years ago doing a variety of tasks.. then someone who trains Service Dogs pointed out it would be better to train just one.. so I trained one of my Sams... as she aged I realized I needed a bigger dog and I have a Bernese Mtn Dog now.

She's 4.5 years and I've had her since she was 8 weeks old.

She assists me by initializing movement when I have difficulties and steadys me when I am wobbly. I'm in the process of training her son, in much greater depth, for someone else. I've trained several dogs as Service Dogs and have assisted people to train their own dogs.

One of the things a Bernese is superb at is working when its time to work... and being just fine with not doing anything at all when its time to lie down for hours on end. This can be crucial for someone who is not always active due to health concerns.

Edit: "How has my dog improved your life?" She allows me to be active when I might otherwise be stuck at home. This has made it easier for me to work and to continue doing the other things that make my life pleasurable.

Answer 3

I have a Bichonpoo. I am working on making her a service dog. I have multiple sclerosis. She is not that big but she is super smart and really tuned into me. She knows when I have to rest and though she wants to play she will settle down with me while I take a nap. She is so gentle and sweet, when she outgrows her puppy playfulness and has a little more training she will make an excellent service dog.

Answer 4

I have a poodle. He knows when I am not feeling well. I have not particulary trained him for that. He just does his thing. I remember one time, I got a migrane attack. It throw me on the floor , I could not move, just throw up in the toilet and than passed out before it. My poodle smart as he was took a pillow from my friends bed and put it under my head. Than he sat there next to me his head down on my shoulder. Til help came. What a dog to have...

Answer 5

I am looking for my service dog to train. She/he will help me lift my self up off the ground, help pick stuff off the ground and help me hear better! Also help me destress! I have a pain disorter called fibromyalgia and the more stress I am the more pain I am in!

I hope to find a service dog soon!

Answer 6

Answering for a friend:

She is a 12 yr old female lab mix for seeing. She has had her for about 11 yrs. She has made going outside the house possible for her.