A forum for you

If you are considering a diabetic alert service dog or are training one of your own, one of the best resources around is Rachel Thornton's website.

I have been told by my own clients that the forum is especially helpful. The world of diabetic alert service dogs is confusing ... full of more questions than answers, fraught with good and bad trainers and organizations, and jam packed with conflicting information. Rachel's site can help you navigate all of this by providing good information based on real-life experience.

deethedogtrainer.com

Service Dogs & the ADA

Effective in 2011, the Americans with Disabilities Act's definition of a service animal changed to:

“Service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the handler´s disability. Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to, assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds, providing non-violent protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, assisting an individual during a seizure, alerting individuals to the presence of allergens, retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone, providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities, and helping persons with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors. The crime deterrent effects of an animal´s presence and the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship do not constitute work or tasks for the purposes of this definition.”

Important changes include:

• Only dogs are recognized as service animals.
• Service animals are exempt from breed bans as well as size and weight limitations.
  

If you have a service dog, know your rights. Read through the ADA's FAQs before venturing out in public with your service dog.

Need more information? Contact me at dee@deethedogtrainer.com.

Service dogs in public

Recently I observed an adult dog, in a service dog vest, exiting a plane with his adult male handler. Sadly, the moment the dog's paws hit the tile floor in the airport, he became completely unglued - struggling to keep his footing. He took a step and one of his legs would go out from under him. He would correct and it would happen again, trying desperately to keep up with his person. The handler ignored his struggles, walking fast, the leash short.

I stress the importance of great handling skills in public to my service dog families. Why? Because a dog who is distracted, anxious or improperly trained cannot effectively do his job. The video that follows illustrates appropriate handling skills by 13-year-old Olivia. She worked her year-old Diabetic Alert Dog, Gracie, deftly through and around people. For more than two hours, Gracie was focused, tail wagging - a perfect canine partner.

Bravo to Olivia and all the other great kids I work with. They demonstrate time after time that young people are often the best dog handlers.