Thread: Question - Do You Use a Service Dog?
View Single Post
  #8  
Old 30-10-2006, 06:24 AM
becvan's Avatar
becvan becvan is offline Gender Female
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: T. Bay, Ontario Canada
Posts: 3,244
Blog Entries: 7
becvan is a splendid one to beholdbecvan is a splendid one to beholdbecvan is a splendid one to beholdbecvan is a splendid one to beholdbecvan is a splendid one to beholdbecvan is a splendid one to beholdbecvan is a splendid one to beholdbecvan is a splendid one to behold
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by sibemom View Post
Well I was aware of psychiatirc service dogs way before this happened to me because I trained them along with other service dogs. I don't really know if there is a specific school that trains them mostly they are handler trained under the guidance of a PRO. I was inspired to do something to help myself instead of sitting around feeling sorry for myself and useless, so I with the help of my husband and a few freinds in my Dog Training Circle did more research about how a dog could assist me because of the issues I have with the medication. The theory is that the dog will alert you to episodes of panic, and keep you in a better state of reality. They also can take you out of a situation, remind you to take meds, snap you out of a panic attack by staying close to you and also keep people at a distance, go get help by barking and alerting someone to assist you AND can be taught to hit Speed dial to call 911 on your home phone or on an emergency phone that you carry with you. The other part of the theory is if you focus on the dog and not on all the things that stem an attack of fear and endangerment, you will be able to work through the attacks. I own a Border Collie who is being trained by me to assist me. I was just curious if anyone else had a dog that they use for this purpose. My therapist and Neuro Psychiatrist very much support my use of a dog, very new to them also but I am finding that with time maybe I can get off all the meds. This dog will also offer me the skill of getting in between me and people so that I am not accidently bumped because that sometimes will bring on the RSD pain.

Ann
Thanks for the very quick reply! My dog is also a border collie. She is not a service dog though. She carries out all those functions (minus the med reminder and dialing 911!!) for me. I did get her for the purpose of safety and an early warning system. It was suggested to me by a therapist when I left a really abusive partner. That is not covered by the Guide Dogs program though. The police will also suggest that Domestic violence victims get a dog for safety when it's serious. You have to train them yourself though. (mind you I live in a remote area with few resources, it wouldn't suprise me if that is available to city folks). So in the same sense, I would say yes, there are many of us with dogs in the same capacity. However, it would not be from the Guide dogs program.

Have any training tips?? LOL

Bec
Reply With Quote