Pets
My husband and I are considering applying to 4 Paws for Ability for a service dog for our 5-year-old son. We would likely need a Multipurpose SD most similar to an Autism SD but with a few ?extras'. I don?t mean for it to sound like car shopping - I?m just trusting that this board knows what I mean so I don?t need to be too detailed on my son?s specific needs since that?s not really the point here.
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considering service dog for child - pros & cons?
My family currently consists of my husband, me, our 5yo DS, our 1yo DD, and 3 cats.
Please tell me what I need to consider and what the pros and cons are of having a service dog who travels with us all the time. I have considered the cost and the benefit to my son, but other than that I have no clue what I?m getting in to here.
Thank you so much! This is likely a post and run, but I?ll be back in a bit!
ETA - I almost forgot! Please also tell me if you know anything about 4 Paws for Ability. Thank you!
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Re: considering service dog for child - pros & cons?
I'm not able to help you 100% with the service dog thing - we don't have children or a service dog. However, I used to live very near the 4Paws facility and we went to the same training facility for basic obedience that they sent their young dogs to. They're great people and you can tell they really care about their animals.
In fact, we briefly considered "fostering" one of their breeding program males (a puppy just wasn't right for us) but due to being a renter (at the time), having an unaltered male would have broken our lease agreement.
So I say go for it, based solely on my knowledge of the organization.
Hi! I am a service dog handler on my second service dog now so I can tell you about my experiences. I trained my first service dog myself but she had to retire early due to a knee problem and got my current service dog from a program in Kansas called CARES, Inc.
Having a service dog in the family is a lifestyle change, even more so for parents who will be part of what is called a triad team, where you as the parent will be doing a good deal of the handling of the dog. You basically have a very helpful, intelligent, 4 legged two year old going with you everywhere you go (within the limits of the law). These dogs are usually trained for 18 months to 2 years but they still are dogs and can make mistakes.
It can take a while for the dog to bond with your son. With Coleman, my current service dog, we bonded very quickly, part of that I think is due to his breed. It can take up to 6 months for a good bond to be formed. You will have to limit your daughter and husband's interaction with the dog so he bonds with your son and whoever the primary adult handler will be. My family didn't listen to this rule on vacation and Coleman started to ignore me so we had to stop all contact so he would refocus on me. Make sure the program knows you have cats so your dog can be exposed to them.
You have to learn the laws. Learn federal laws (the Americans with Disabilities Act is a biggie) and your state laws so you know your rights. The police can't enforce federal law and often don't know state laws so you really need to. The ADA does not require any kind of identification so no place can require it. Some states do have IDs but those are only related to state laws and you still have public access under the ADA regardless.
I always plan at least an extra 20 minutes for anywhere I go. People will stop to ask questions, try to pet or distract the dog, make comments, tell stories, etc. I am polite and try to answer all the questions but am firm in my no petting while on duty rule. Some people will get angry when you ask them to not pet or distract your dog (just the other day I had two ladies whistling, barking, growling and howling at Coleman trying to get his attention) and you can't get angry back.
Be ready for rudeness and access challenges. There are always gatekeepers who try to bar the team from entering and some of them can be very abrasive. This is when keeping calm and knowing your laws comes in handy. I've only had one incident that wasn't resolved when management was called over and we are working towards a resolution in that one. Be ready for rude comments and people saying mean things. I've had people walk out of a store because "they let dirty animals in here" (never mind my dog is a poodle and bathed weekly). I've had people tell me I was abusing my dog for making him work (he loves it), that they hated his hair cut, they thought poodles were dumb, I didn't look like I needed a service dog,etc. you have to be able to just let it roll off your back.
Coleman goes everywhere legally allowed with me. He has been on vacation to the beach, a trade show, surgeries, procedures, emergency rooms, movies, shopping, just everywhere. I get him ready in his vest and collar, make sure I have some water, a bowl and potty bags. In the car he is buckled in a dog seatbelt (I use the Champion Canine Seatbelt System). When we travel, I bring bowls, food, some toys and chewies, treats, a blanket or bed, extra leash and collar, any equipment we might need, get numbers for a local vet and emergency vet and try and find some rest stops on our route. For places he will be laying down for a long time I bring a mat I make that is slightly padded and has a waterproof bottom (really good for places where liquid might be spilled). He has ear protection (Mutt Muffs) for very loud situations like the movies.
We take up a lot more room than a typical person does, so you always have to think about that. You don't want your dog blocking rows or aisles and definitely not any emergency exits. At restaurants we usually pull a chair away so Coleman can fit under the table.
This is all I can think of at the moment but I'm sure there is more. I'll try to check back in but you can also email me at colemantheservicepoodle (at) gmail (dot) com
Super Cole the flying service poodle!
Blog: TheCRPSGirl
Um, WTF. The happiest dogs are the ones with jobs. They probably have unruly animals because they don't train or exercise them.
Sorry for the hijack as I have nothing to contribute, but I applaud you for doing your research for the positives and negatives! GL!
I don't know if this is helpful or not, but I have a story to add. DH's cousin was preparing to get a service dog. She is a college aged student. Her family spent a long time fund raising to get money for the dog. Then she had to attend a training camp type of thing, where they teach you how to work with your dog. Half way through the training, they decided she wasn't a good match for a dog & sent her home.
Needless to say, she was very disappointed. I dont want to be a downer, but wanted to let you know that's a possibility. I don't want to discourage you for persuing this. I just saw how disappointed DH's cousin was & hope your LO won't have to experience the same let down.
Hi.
I don't know very much about service dogs either. However, I am a teacher and have a diabetic student that has a service dog. He was in the 7th grade when we learned he would be getting a service dog. Pamplets were passed out to teachers and a brief meeting was held. This year he is in the 8th grade and on my hall. It was so important to inform all the other students that the dog is not a "pet", but a service dog. From what I observe, the dog is an excellent aid for the student and really helps with recognizing when the child has high or low sugar levels. For the most part, most students and teachers are very understanding, but it does take lots of communication and education with teachers in order to understand how to work with the dog in order to ensure the child is receiving the best care.
I will also say that there are 1-2 teachers that complain the dog is a hinderance in the classroom- laying in the middle of the floor or having accidents in the room.
*THIS IS NOT MY OPINION. I just wanted to share with you the observations and opinions I have heard from people that have interacted with a service dog in school.
Best of luck!