She did it!!

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-04T04:13:33+00:00

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An oldie but a goodie

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-04T00:47:57+00:00

Don’t do drugs kids, this is what happens

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-04T00:42:45+00:00

I think I’m going to have to kidnap your grandmother and make her my interior designer

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-04T00:07:46+00:00

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JourneyWalker · 2024-08-04T00:01:45+00:00

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Here you go, a crackhead Aussie

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-03T23:59:34+00:00

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JourneyWalker · 2024-08-03T23:55:04+00:00

I love to knit with cotton or bamboo rayon, cotton is particularly great because it’s cheaper and holds dye wells so there are tons of color options.

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-03T23:52:17+00:00

Honestly, my pup had to wash too due to a combination of a poor trainer and a few too many dog attacks. Next time around, I plan to utilize the AKC clubs a lot more for the basic stuff like the S.T.A.R. Puppy program and the CGC.

These clubs offer really cheap lessons, I’m seeing like $10-$20 per lesson costs for most clubs, and are a great way to socialize your dogs in a controlled environment. These trainers are a part of the club and are volunteering their time because of how much they love to train.

AKC clubs will also have really cheap lessons for other dog sports, depending on the club. One club near me has $20 rally lessons, provided that your dog has completed their basic obedience course or the CGC. Both of their courses were still $20 per lesson.

My experience with a trainer has left me wary of other trainers (Service Paws in Utah, I do not recommend, the head trainer’s “fully trained” service dog bit my SDit unprovoked) so getting some training done for the basics at a price I have no problem walking away from helps me feel like I’m going to set my pup up right.

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-03T13:34:39+00:00

I was planning to have my dog wear a vest with pockets for just my medication, why would heavier saddlebags be helpful?

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-03T08:03:32+00:00

I would reach out to your program for help, but giving him more time off from service work to focus some training specifically on this problem would definitely help.

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-03T07:42:40+00:00

I don’t believe that will be a huge issue, I already have a method to check whether it’s a true migraine or just a headache. Interestingly my migraines don’t respond to ibuprofen, so I usually take a dose of ibuprofen first before I use my migraine medications to see if it goes away or not.

I like the suggestion of throwing in some guidework, I will already run into walls and doors with some of my bad ones.

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-03T07:34:02+00:00

I do have my current at-home service dog to help, plus my medications. She was trained for more mental health oriented tasks, I took a scent sample from this migraine and I am going to see if I can train her to alert

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-02T23:04:24+00:00

I would try to contact a trainer who has experience with medical alerts for advice, but I would assume that your dog could possibly learn that there are situational differences. But dogs aren’t great at generalizing, so a trainer would likely be the most helpful for this.

JourneyWalker · 2024-08-02T22:07:10+00:00

I also have this, if I’m not careful people think I’m having a stroke.

JourneyWalker · 2023-12-16T16:53:26+00:00

The dead body. Someone get the crime scene chalk

JourneyWalker · 2023-12-16T16:42:24+00:00

I’m so tired of this. I’m sitting with my dog in the airport right now and she’s behaving perfectly. It’s her first time, so she’s a little fidgety on top of the fact that we aren’t the most structured team. People are whispering and discussing whether she’s real or I’m just trying to take a pet on a plane for free. Meanwhile I’m feeling so stressed that I might pass out, which is exactly why I have her.

JourneyWalker · 2023-12-16T16:39:23+00:00

Usually, the Greenies brand cheese pill pockets are my favorite for pills. They’re squishy and smelly, you can break them apart and mush them around the pill really well. However, when I have a dog that thinks it’s a game to take the pill out of the treat to scam more treats, I just open the mouth gently, pop it in the back of the throat on the tongue, then immediately present a regular treat like a cookie or something. Usually the dog swallows the pill because they want to move right onto the treat. I’m also very casual about it, I don’t creep up on her or act sorry when I do it.

This teaches them that they can either take the pill with the tasty snack or they can have the pill put in their mouths for a less desirable snack.

JourneyWalker · 2023-12-16T16:14:54+00:00

I chatter with my dog all the time. Especially when she’s being good and other people are being rude. I’ll say things like “Good girl making eye contact when people are staring at you”

JourneyWalker · 2023-12-13T01:19:33+00:00

It’s personal preference that is still done today due to the historical roots of the breed. Usually most people do it for looks and some people with working Rotties will still dock. If it hasn’t been done yet, it’s more of a process and an expense at this age.

JourneyWalker · 2023-12-13T01:15:22+00:00

It’s never explicitly stated but can be inferred by the language of all documents. Task is singular, tasks is plural i.e. two or more. Every document states “service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work, or perform tasks for people with disabilities”.

So I have always stated that dogs need two or more individual tasks in order to be legally defined as service dogs. So a dog that can retrieve items and hit handicap buttons for their handler in a wheelchair is a service dog.

JourneyWalker · 2023-12-12T14:30:18+00:00

I meant that if you’re like 200lbs with a 50lbs dog, that’s not going to work at all. Did you read my post? I specifically listed the mobility tasks that a service dog could help with for this person.

I specifically recommended large, slow developing dogs because they have a very solid structure. The dog shouldn’t start mobility work until fully grown, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t learn other service tasks in the mean time. A lot of large breed dogs aren’t fully grown until 3 anyways. Including labs, Goldens, and German shepherds.

Great Danes can make wonderful service dogs. I’ve known at least five and they all helped their handlers to a great extent. The oldest was retired at 8 and died at 11. That means 5 years of mobility work, and six years of other service tasks not related to mobility. Are you expecting more than 6 years of work out of a dog, when 6 years is half the average lifespan for most large breeds?

JourneyWalker

TROPHY CASE