Service Dog Cards

All service dog teams, at one time or another, find themselves faced with a person who does not know about the rights afforded service dogs because of the Americans with Disabilities Act. For those occasions, a service dog card like this one is a simple solution. The cards are affordable handouts and are a wonderful way to educate.

Booties

Your service dog is on the job 24/7. It is your responsibility to keep him healthy. That includes his pads. To protect those pads in extreme temperatures, train your service dog to wear booties. Would you want to walk barefoot on hot asphalt or hot sand? Of course not. Remember, too, that if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, whatever is used to melt that snow may burn your dog's pads as you walk through a parking lot or on city sidewalks.

Look around at what is available but definitely consider Ruff Wear's Bark'n Boots Grip Trex. I found this review from a K9 handler:

I am K9 handler in the Florida panhandle. As you can imagine the extreme summer temperatures are rough on my partner, especially the asphalt in the roadway and parking lots. On a recent mission to we were tasked to assist the Secret Service, during a Presidential visit to the area. This required me to search for a canine boot that would stay in place and be comfortable while worn. Extended sweeps in parking lots and in vehicles which have been sitting in the sun produce temperatures that will burn my partners pads. I found Bark'n boots with grip trex and liked the concept. After the boots arrived I tried them on my partner and with very little adjustment he was up and running. The fit was fine and his working time was increased due to the comfort that these provided. His climbing and running had no effect on them. I wholeheartedly recommend them.

Public Access Training

Sammy is a Diabetic Alert Dog in training. As part of his public access training, he and his handler, Marcie, demonstrate how to enter a public place. Appropriate behavior in public is key to a well-rounded service dog ... and necessary for certification. Well done, Sammy!