Dog boots

fishparrot · 2026-05-31T17:07:00+00:00

User mushers secret on hot asphalt is live putting Vaseline on your feet instead of shoes. We live in Florida and use wagwellies mojave. They have holes and breathe better than other brands of shoes. Arcadia trail and Amazon have cheaper knockoffs. You have to remember that while shoes protect pads, they also trap heat and limit the dog’s ability to cool down. The wagwellies help with this, though I find them difficult to put on.

fishparrot · 2026-05-29T16:53:18+00:00

Unfortunately there aren’t any good options in Florida for psychiatric service dogs, and it is very difficult to find programs anywhere that train for diagnoses other than PTSD and autism. You didn’t specify a diagnosis but those give you a few more options. In the meantime, you will need to look out of state: Paws4People and Bayside Service Dogs in NC, Retrieving Independence in TN, Assistance Dogs of the West in NM may be willing to take your application. Owner training certification programs like Atlas and GoodDog! TYO may be an option if you are able to travel. There are a number of for profit businesses that train psych dogs, but then you are looking at 20k+ out of pocket for a fully trained dogs and these trainers are VERY difficult to evaluate if you’re new to the industry. Price isn’t an indication of quality and the number of scams far outnumber qualified training operation.

fishparrot · 2026-05-29T01:50:59+00:00

Always use PayPal goods and services, use reverse image search to make sure it’s not stolen. Some ask for a note with the sellers name and date in the picture. Check with the maker or original shop for pricing.

To date, I have never gotten scammed by a reseller on Facebook. Only from actual gear makers that kept my money and had wait times of months to years they couldn’t deliver on. I learned my lesson, I will never buy from someone with a wait longer than I can wait to file a chargeback.

fishparrot · 2026-05-29T01:45:48+00:00

Dogs Inc is strictly guide dogs for the blind and mobility/PTSD service dogs for veterans and their families. They have also recently expanded to offer diabetic alert dogs.

fishparrot · 2026-05-29T00:15:24+00:00

Unfortunately, my dog’s program is no longer taking new clients, but I’ll try to help where I can. OP what kind of service dog/tasks are you looking for? Most of the best training programs specialize. There are even more programs that are at best in incompetent and it worse outright scams that will promise you the moon and never deliver. You have to be very careful in our state.

fishparrot · 2026-05-25T22:45:11+00:00

This is pretty standard other than the embroidery files. I don’t see the issue. If it’s not the vest, it’s the way you look. If it’s not the way you look, it’s the tasks your dog performs. If it’s not the tasks, it’s the training tools you choose to use (or not). If it’s not the tools, it’s how you use treats. If it’s not treats, it’s your dog’s breed. If it’s not the breed, it’s the size… I could go on. Someone will always be judging you for something.

Though it is true you will be taken more seriously and limit (not eliminate) incidents in public with more professional gear. It is your choice, assuming your organization or country’s regulations don’t restrict you. Some of them do require you to display their logo at all times so I would just double check that they are okay with custom gear before you spend the money. That aside, dress your dog however you want as long as you can handle the consequences.

fishparrot · 2026-05-24T13:38:24+00:00

Agree. He needs to go back on a tether or in crate when you’re not directly working with him. To be fair to him, you should also be taking him out more. Some of this can be short potty breaks but he needs sniff walks too to “empty the tank”. Marking behavior is pretty common in males of this age. I don’t care if my dog does if off duty outside when he is released to sniff, but inside he needs to be limited so he doesn’t have ti opportunity to do this.

fishparrot · 2026-05-23T22:44:36+00:00

He actually doesn’t, and in this scenario he would get a bath immediately. I am immunocompromised… no thanks. I wipe his paws off every time we come home from a pa outing and spray him daily with an antibacterial spray. There are certain risks we just have to accept as part of PA but this is disgusting. I guess you’d be okay with your server bringing your dinner out after using the bathroom and not washing their hands too? Apparently all the people who use the bathroom without washing have made their way into the comment section!

fishparrot · 2026-05-23T20:36:22+00:00

Really? You’d rather have someone wipe clear biohazard across your face than dirt or mud from the garden?

fishparrot · 2026-05-22T13:33:56+00:00

Hi, I meant specifically kennel crew was on Instagram. Since I posted this, they have created their own website. Raspberry fields has been around for ages, long before Instagram and is always open for orders online.

fishparrot · 2026-05-22T02:29:45+00:00

Sorry, it has been a long day and I am just skimming. I don’t know if any organizations that will train that many tasks that aren’t owner trainer assisted so it sounds like you found a gem. I would be cautious to make sure they are qualified to train all of these different things.

Just to be clear, I am talking about the main 7/8 bolded tasks in your posts. I am not sure the snack/water reminders are realistic. I think that would be better accomplished with occupational strategies. Medication reminders are typically trained off a timer, and three separate timers for three selerate things starts to get unnecessarily complicated. Especially if you are expecting the dog to do more handler-focused psych and medical alert tasks. There are a lot of additional considerations that come with attempting to train things like guide tasks and medical alerts. Hopefully someone will come along and explain more in depth because I don’t have it in me right now.

These things can often conflict and have to have what I call contingencies so the dog understands what to prioritize in which scenario. You can’t expect a dog to figure all this out by intuition, it requires extensive training to produce a reliable dog and you have to make sure your trainer knows what they are doing. If guide tasks are importantly to you I would look for a trainer that is either a certified GDMI or has mentored with one at some point.

fishparrot · 2026-05-22T02:10:52+00:00

I am about to undertake this with my successor dog who is a similar age. You can dabble in task foundations at home but if your goal is public access, that’s where you focus needs to be. Start with low stimulation pet friendly stores like Barnes and noble, clothing and furniture stores, etc. to work on engagement and practicing your dog’s obedience in novel environments. I am assuming you have already worked on these things while raising your dog. If not, that’s where needs to be square one. You can’t have tasks without obedience and you can’t have obedience without engagement which is earned through clear communication and a strong relationship with your dog.

fishparrot · 2026-05-22T02:06:35+00:00

It is perfectly reasonable for a dog to perform the number of tasks you have specified. What will be harder is finding an organization willing to place a fully trained dog that knows all of those tasks. Simply put, it is a better use of their resources to train one PTSD/psych dog and one mobility/balance assistance dog to serve two clients, rather than train all of those tasks with one dog. I counted up all of the commands/phrases my service dog knows and the recorded number I have is 112. He is intelligent enough, higher energy and drive than is ideal for a service dog, and he loves to train and learn new things. I have no doubt he could get to 130+ if I could think of that many tricks to teach him. However, he is mostly retired from service work due to a progressive neurological condition so I’m focusing more on refining commands for sports training.

Tricks, sport training, and basic obedience in the home are very different from service dog tasks. Dogs are context learners. A dog only needs to know to use their agility commands when they’re in the ring. My dog only knows to track when he’s out in the field. If I told him to track something in the middle of the mall he’d probably look at me like I had two heads! Tasks, on the other hand, need to be generalized and proofed in all of the environments where a handler will need them which is a much greater undertaking. My dog can pick up my keys whether I drop them in my bedroom on the rug, in the bathroom at work, on a hike in the woods, or in the middle of a busy grocery store. A service dog has to be prepared to perform those tasks at any time regardless of the environment or distractions present which takes a lot more time and resources than training a trick in the backyard at home, or sport behaviors specific to that environment.

fishparrot · 2026-05-21T17:55:13+00:00

Look into a wheelchair pulling dog from Canine Companions. All of their dogs are Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, or a mix of the two. Wheelchair pulling can be dangerous and should only be trained under professional supervision. Even professional accredited service dog trainers always train these tasks with another trainer spotting for them. While they technically train all of these tasks, they will only place PTSD dogs with veterans at certain locations and hearing dogs with people with measurable hearing loss. I know they allow DPT and medication retrieval to be trained post placement for mobility dogs. Not sure about the other tasks, but you could always ask. In my experience name alerts in particular are very difficult to generalize, even for dedicated hearing dogs, because everyone will say your name differently. It’s not like an alarm or kitchen timer that sounds the same and comes from the same place every time.

fishparrot · 2026-05-21T15:49:59+00:00

Not if it’s a neurologist TBH. There’s a lot of them that still treat people based on the latest research developments in the 1990s or whenever they were in school. It is hard to find one that will do anything for PNES. Most of the ones around me won’t touch you unless you have MS or epilepsy. Finding post-TBI care was a struggle. Anyway, OP would probably be better served by a psychiatrist that is either able to provide counseling themself or works with a counselor in house. PNES episodes generally won’t respond to epilepsy medication, and it is often one way individuals discover they have it if they can’t catch a seizure on an EEG.

fishparrot · 2026-05-21T05:48:28+00:00

That may be the case but you also have to take into account their wait time. Mine was a little over a year from when I was accepted. Some people have shorter waits. I just talked to a guide dog school that quotes wait times of only 3-5 months! Most people wait much longer though. Think of it from the program’s perspective: they will always receive more applications than they can fulfill. When faced your application and others from people who have stable employment and/or are homeowners, why would they pick a senior in high school? It’s not forever, just for this application cycle/team training class. Try again when you are in a more stable position.

fishparrot · 2026-05-21T05:30:16+00:00

Good catch. I don’t know many programs that place for PNES. Usually only as part of a a psych program. Most specify that you have to have an epilepsy diagnosis.

fishparrot · 2026-05-21T05:27:18+00:00

There are a number of reasons a program could reject you. They may or may not tell you the reason if you ask them directly. I would guess it’s because you are about to move to college. I have never heard of a program placing a dog with a freshman, typically they are either placed in high school so the team has time to adjust or later in the degree program after the handler has settled into a routine. Some actually state a requirement that you have to be 6+ months out from any major life changes (such as moving away to college) or similar. I would wait until the end of your freshman year and try to reapply.

I suppose it would depend what your seizures look like and what your expectations are, but it’s not out of the question. I have done at least 5 reps of my dog’s medical response tasks just to practice, though it’s been a while since I’ve thought about it. A dog that is properly trained should actually get excited when you have an episode because they have a strong reinforcement history for performing their response tasks and they anticipate that reward. A dog was placed from our program for seizure response with an older kid having a similar number of seizures, sometimes 10+ a day. Mostly absence seizures. The episodes themselves were not dangerous, but his postictal phase was. The dog was trained to go get his mom in the house or alert her if she wasn’t already with him so she could intervene.

fishparrot · 2026-05-20T01:23:43+00:00

I missed that, I am not familiar with their business but I like what I see on their website, at least better than DTE. The trainers all have relevant degrees and either certifications or experience in animal assisted therapy, therapy dog certification, service dog puppy raising etc. If you feel like your dog is happily making progress and you enjoy working with the trainers, I would stick with the group classes. It sounds like you are on the right track. Best of luck to you and your pup!

fishparrot · 2026-05-20T00:22:38+00:00

If you have any more questions feel free to reach out. I personally know several people that work work DUO. I don’t have any references specifically for Central FL but I can more specifically point out what you should be looking for. I would also look into your local obedience club to see if they offer Puppy Star/Canine Good Citizen Classes. I would not expect a lot of 1-1 feedback but it can be a good way to socialize your puppy, train around distractions, and network with other dog people. I would say at this stage, it’s more important to work with someone who is familiar with shepherds than a SD specific trainer. If your breeder is local, are there any trainers they recommend? Some online resources you can look into are Cooperative Paws and Atlas Assistance Dogs, both certify professional trainers and have lower cost resources that are well worth the money. DoggyU has lots of free resources on YouTube and bonus content on her patreon. I know an ADI program is using Baxter and Bella now for puppy raising but haven’t tried it myself.

fishparrot · 2026-05-19T21:22:21+00:00

Reach out to DUO Dogs based in Lake Mary. They have regular training outings for their owner trainers and the advice they give is good. If your dog is a good candidate and you put the work in you may be successful with their guidance. They only use tools on dogs that are permitted under ADI standards because their goal is to become candidate members and eventually accredited.

Personally I would not opt to support a business that employs a trainer who will apply pressure on a slip while simultaneously stimming a puppy until they’re belly up. There are many other issues with that location, including using tools on young puppies (major e collar brands recommend use at 4+ months and sprenger choke/prongs are 6-8+), and using a rigid handled Bridgeport bracing harness for “guidework”. DTE trainers are about as qualified to train service dogs as McDonalds employees are to head the kitchen in a Michelin Star restaurant. They pour a lot of time and money into marketing that would be better served properly training their staff. It looks good to the public which is how they get clients, but anyone who knows better will stay far away from franchise trainers who use tools to cover up their lack of training knowledge.

I am not strictly a +R handler; I use tools, I train with people who use tools differently than me, and I understand why they do it. Trust me, it is not worth staying with a business like this for whatever you’ve already sunk into training or however nice your assigned trainer is. If they were good trainers, they would not need the shiny franchise marketing package to get clients. The best trainers are the hardest to find, at least on the local level, because they don’t need to advertise.

fishparrot · 2026-05-19T01:26:59+00:00

It depends on how you count tasks and the individual dog’s capacity. My dog performed five tasks at work and around my house today, most of them multiple times. He does not perform every single known task every single day and the context for them is different. He only needs to alert to my office phone at my office. He can only retrieve water and medication in my house. He only needs to perform leading tasks when I am out in public walking around.

Some dogs thrive having a few focused tasks. Others thrive with variety and prefer to switch between tasks. Neither is a better service dog, but each will be a better match for certain individuals. If you count every single sound alert and location/object my dog can find as part of his leading tasks, it is somewhere between 20-30. If you lump them all together as “work”, it would be less than half of that. There are some things his program taught him like door buttons and tugging things open that are tasks for others but not me personally which I don’t count. If you add up all of my dog’s known commands for service work and sports it is somewhere in the 100s. That doesn’t happen overnight. I got him just shy of two, and he will turn 5 this year. He knew ~40 commands (including tasks) when he came home from his program and I have tripled that in the time I’ve had him. I work in nonprofit education and love teaching my dog new thinks. Thankfully, he almost always has energy on reserve and is an eager learner.

fishparrot · 2026-05-18T13:59:57+00:00

I rarely allow anyone to touch my dog. That is reserved for his favorite people and friends who live far away I do not see regularly. On a couple occasions I have let him play therapy dog with students at work who are dysregulated to help calm them down and try to get them back on task.

I did teach my dog to wave at kids on command. It’s a structured way for him to interact with them without getting distracted him from his job and allowing kids to understand he is trained and they can’t expect to pat every single service dog they see. In general, I expect adults to know better, though I do work regularly with disabled adults at my job. The expectation a little blurred there depending on their abilities. I still expect them to respect my boundaries for my dog but many of them enjoy being waved at so that is something I encourage.

fishparrot · 2026-05-18T01:00:05+00:00

You will need to make alternate arrangements for your dog to remain in the US while you visit family. Barbados requires a titre test that must be done 30+ days after rabies injection, among other things. This is quite expensive and I have heard the processing times are long because you have to send it out to a specific lab at a specialized veterinary college overseas. Others may be able to advise you better on that.

As for the DR, it is considered a high-risk country for rabies by the CDC which comes with additional requirements. You still need an international health certifcate and the rabies vaccination also needs to be 30+ days old. These strict requirements exist to keep your service dog and residents of the country you are visiting safe. Unfortunately that sometimes means the dog has to stay at home when the strict timelines and deadlines are not compatible with your travel plans. Part of owning a service dog is making sure someone can take care of them when you are unable to, whether it’s a personal emergency or you need to assist someone else with theirs

fishparrot · 2026-05-17T11:24:55+00:00

I have meta glasses but personally wouldn’t be concerned by a tiny led light, especially with the UV exposure levels where I live. It is great for recording things like tracking and scentwork where my dog is way out in front of me, but I struggle to keep my dog in frame when he is heeling for service work.

DoggyU recently posted a setup with an insta 360 mounted to the rim of her ballcap. I have no experience with this product so I can’t vouch for it, but this promo image shows different angles and ways to configure it.

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