Balance dogs!

[cjthatsme]

I don't have a service dog and not wanting one at this time. My uncle is legally blind, it took him almost a year to get his service dog, which is great for him!!

How ever, I do have an 8 year old dog my ( fur baby ) that has not wanted to leave my side in the last 6 months! I fell on him about 2 weeks ago, neither of us hurt!! When my balance is bad, he knows and will keep me sitting. I fall a lot, he whines at me before hand, then gets my hubby if I fall. He is by my side 24-7 and knows when I am getting ready to have or have already started to have symptoms of whatever is coming on.

There are times when I have to make him leave me alone, but he turns around, there he is again. Hes not a large dog, 55lbs. but he seams to know things before I do. He cries and whines at me what seems like all the time to me. Hubby thinks its a warning, cause if I don't pay attention to my baby, he runs to hubby, cries till hubby comes to me.

Only trained by and with all the love he gets he at home. I got him at 11 weeks old, rescused, because they were only giving him 1 more week before he would have been put down. all my animals have been rescuse babies, they seem to be the ones who care and love you the most!

[heliotrope]

Hey all.. What a great thread. I own a boarding kennel and train dogs; I am an ex-K9 so let me wade in here.

Not all dogs can be true service dogs. People have dogs they call "service dogs" but the training is quite specialized.

In our state a service dog has an id and meets certain criteria.

In our area there are several very good reputable people who could help train; so if you research you should be able to find someone to help you if you are looking for dogs that help with balance etc.

A dog should be assessed by a professional to be a service candidate; as with any dog potentially being trained for a job. Not all dogs have the drive or the mental aptitude for this type of work. When people tell me they are going to use a current pet I am always skeptical.

It is important to find a good experienced trainer and that person may already have a dog(s) lined up.

A yes, a rescue could potentially be a candidate.

Training a dog is an art and although some people are naturally better at it I can say from giving many classes that mist people don't have a clue about how to proceed so a trainer can be invaluable.

A service dog must be reliable in any situation no matter how confusing.. Traffic, aggressive people, unusual movements etc.

All my dogs do all these things and more!

Training this type of dog can be expensive and it is time consuming so if I can be of help please message me or go o my website and email me.

I am a fountain of doggie information!!

J

JustACowgirl,
Just so you know... Your website isn't working.

And so I'll pose the question to all of you. We're dealing with a lot of a ice right now, and my intermediate balance is shot. If I slip, I'm going to fall. I have a new rescue dog, who thankfully, doesn't mind me using his harness to balance myself as we walk if I need it. I'm working with a trainer to begin basic training with him (he needs it), and we're trying to reenforce the harness training. The only problem is that using a traditional harness requires me to lean over him. Is there an easy way to acquire a service dog harness? He's no where near ready to act as a service dog - but this would be good training no matter what.

[poppydarling]

I'm about to get the pulling and balance harness from activedogs.com for my rescued Great Pyrenees, as he can help as I get out of a chair, walk to my mailbox and even pull me on the Rollator if I poop out halfway down the driveway

I would post a link to the product page but I don't think we're supposed to post commercial links...

[Pipes123]

So I just brought home an 80 pound 2 yr old shepherd mix, who walks on a leash without pulling, and sits. Someone put a lot of energy into this guy, but he was in a high kill rate shelter. Thankfully he was spotted by a rescue organization.

Now to get started on down, stay, and balance work.

[poppydarling]

So I just brought home an 80 pound 2 yr old shepherd mix, who walks on a leash without pulling, and sits.

Oh, this is great! Congratulations! and thank you for rescuing. Once he settles in, you will make great strides together, I'm sure.

[Pipes123]

Thanks Poppy. I really appreciate the encouragement.

Currently he's on probation, pending approval by a trainer. But as the rescue person said, while he's with me he's getting love and further training, so even if he ends up with a different family it's all good. We both need to settle in. Caring for a dog is work and I have ms fatigue. But I'm loving the affection.

[poppydarling]

We both need to settle in. Caring for a dog is work and I have ms fatigue. But I'm loving the affection.

Right?! Somedays I think: What did I get into? as I had my first two dogs when I was much more energetic. But then, my Walden does something touching, makes me laugh, helps me and protects me and it's all worth it.

No matter what happens, this dog is part of your journey, and that makes your relationship worthwhile.

[LynnC]

service dogs

I have a wonderful German Shepherd, who was intended to be a service dog...she didn't quite finish that training, but she has been my constant companion for eleven wonderful years. What she doesn't know how to do like picking things up that I have dropped, she more than makes up for by always staying close by. Now that she is slower, and having trouble with her hind legs ( as do I!) I am just grateful for every day she is with me. We think about getting another German Shepherd, but I don't think I will do it as long as she is here...I love her too much to share the time with another dog. But a friend researched service dogs for me, and found an organization that trains German Shepherds for that purpose. I am keeping that tucked away in my files...
I know Canine Companions trains labs, and golden retrievers also...cost is minimal for you, and the rewards are immeasureable!

[JacquiP]

I too am looking to train my own service dog

I am currently looking for a rescue dog to train as a balance dog for myself. That is a lot of hard work! I have seen over 35 dogs so far. I have found 3 that would be good but then when i take them to the vet they have hip or elbow displasia and get knocked out. The last dog I took on a 1 week trial failed because he was too small.

I am large so the vet said I need to have a dog that weighs a minimum of 80 lbs at a normal weight. That leaves me the really big dogs. Out of the really big dogs my husband has vetoed St Bernards and Great Danes and Mastiffs. I am know down to XL Labs, XL German Shepherds, Great Pyrenese, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs. All of which are very difficult to find in my area.

I have found a wonderful trainer in my area who trains Service dogs and has a service dog herself. She is helping me to find the right dog and then will be helping me train them. I am unusual in that I don't want a puppy. I want a dog between the ages of 1 and 3 to train. I need help with my balance, picking up things, retrieving things from other locations, carrying items, opening doors, etc.

I have applied at several service dog agencies for a dog and am still waiting to hear if I have been accepted into any of them or not. Depending on the agency it could be another 2 months before I hear. It seems like they all have really long waiting lists at this time.
I really want a service dog so hopefully I can find a likely candidate soon and begin training.

Training my own dog will cost me about as much as it would to fly out to an agency, stay 2-6 weeks (depending on agency), pay for hotel, food and rental car for same time frame and pay for lost wages. So I might as well train my own and have my dog trained to me specifically.
How is training going for the rest of you?

** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **

[poppydarling]

Sounds like a good plan!

Have you considered rescuing a dog via a national breed rescue organization, like National Great Pyrenees Rescue? That's where I found my Great Pyrenees, who was approx. 1 when I got him. It was a bit challenging as he was still in his puppy/adolescence stages, but he's growing up now, fortunately!

Our training is going slowly as I am LOL but he's learned "Brace" this month, which is great for when I lose balance while walking in the house, or need to catch myself on a step. His size is important in being able to do this--I call him my Tower of Power And the other day, my cooling headband flew off my head clear across the room, and he picked it up and brought it back to me. We're working on pushing and pulling doors now.

It's not as fast or easy as having someone else do the training, but our bond is strong now, and it's very rewarding.

[Pipes123]

Reporting back. The shepherd mix did not work out. But we jut adopted a lab - bulldog cross from a family who was moving. He is gentle, obedient and strong. He walks at my pace on a loose leash. He's too old to learn to be a service dog in public places like the grocery store. But I think we can work up to balance work at home and on walks.