Last week and the weekend were really difficult for me. We have had temps of 100 + for 6 days and my MS is giving me a heck of a time. Because of this, I haven't been able to do much training with Willow, my Service Dog in Training. Well, tonight in class we were tested for the Canine Good Citizen Advanced level. This is level 2 of 3. I am so excited! We passed even though we didn't do a lot of training last week. I just had to share the good news! Willow is coming along so nicely! She should be able to pass her public access test by the end of this month with any luck.
For those of you who don't know or have forgotten, I am training Willow to be my service dog. She will be able to retrieve items for me, open doors, turn on lights, help me get up from a seated position and help me get up when I fall. In addition, she has begun alerting to my high and/or low blood sugars and is even helping me to remember things I have forgotten or forgot where they were.
I am owner training because it costs way too much to get a dog from an agency. I was being quoted $20,000-$40,000 and at least a 2-year wait with some agencies saying a 10-year wait.
This has been the best thing I have done for my MS. She NEVER questions me about why I feel bad. I don't have to explain why I have to cancel an activity again. She just totally accepts me and if I am having a bad day with a lot of pain she will lay against or on the body part that is in pain and try to relieve it.
She is the best!
Jacqui
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Bygonelines
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Bygonelines . Oh Jackie what a lovely post. Willow sounds amazing. The relationship you will have and already have is based on trust. I know with my own dog who has never been trained, is so affectionate, and Razor knows when I am having a bad day. What a companion. Congratulations to you both for passing your level 2. Keep us posted about how Willow advances and enjoy. Sorry about the heat, it really does not like ms. Blessings Jimeka 🌈 🦋 👍👩⚖️ 🐶 🐕
Bygonelines Willow is gorgeous. She has such kind eyes, thank you. You will never be alone while you have her and remember dog is God backwards. Enjoy, blessings Jimeka 🐶 🐕 🦋 🌈
I'm happy to know you and Willow did such a great job. Sounds like she loves you and will be a great friend. I'm sorry the heat has gotten to you. The rain is getting to me.
jimeka made a great suggestion...a PICTURE of Willow would be wonderful!
I love the collage of Willow you added! Wish I could have a dog/friend like her! My dad gets tangled up so quickly I don't dare have a dog to add to his falls. One day I will have a wonderful friend like yours!
You will love it having a friend like Willow. She makes the problems of MS seem so much easier. Just knowing that if I drop an object she can pick it up for me so that I don't have to try and bend down to pick it up and take a chance of falling over (I have done that on more than one occassion).
I would LOVE to do this too!!! How does one get started on self-training a service pup??? I would have no interaction with anyone if it were not for my 3 pupz... Willow does sound really awesome!!!
The first thing you have to do is decide what you would like a service dog to do for you. Then you need to find a dog with the correct temperament, size and in great health. There are some pre-testing you can do to help determine if the dog is appropriate for the work. After all of that, you have to decide if you will do purely positive training or balanced training. Then you need to decide if you will do the training 100% yourself or work with a trainer. Then you can start your training. This is just a quick little summary of what you need to do. If you would like additional info send me a private message and I will give you additional help.
I would like to reply about safety dogs I worked in a school a couple of years ago. There was a little girl that had a safety dog, she would have mutable seizures a day one day I was bring a class back to there home room and she walked by with her dog and stopped to talk with that teacher. I with my MS was not having a good day my left leg was having issues the dog put his head against my leg for a couple of minutes and then they moved along. That had helped me for a couple of moments. Don't you know that night I ended up in the hospital at first they thought I had the flu. Nope it was the MS. I had had an episode. I was in the hospital for about a week. When I finally got back to work I told that little girl nurse that would also be with the little girl and her dog 🐶 Keep that dog away from me. I was only kidding, I told her what happened to me and she looked at me and said that the dog knew something was wrong. I agreed with her. The I hope your dog passes all his rating, give your dog a big huge from me.
Bygonelines , that's wonderful news! Willow is such a wonderful companion for you. I'm sure it's a lot of work to do the training, but obviously well worth it.
Congratulations Bygonelines ! I know temp 100+ is killing us (We may live in the same state but you and Willow can survive and enjoy this summer! Yes, please post the picture of Willow. We would like to get to know her!
I have added a collage of photos of Willow. The 2 photos with her head down is because she is looking for the treat I threw on the floor for her to find. She is the best! This morning I heading to the door to go to my doctor appointment and Willow started nudging my hand and walking back to my computer. I told her I didn't have time for her to play and we needed to go but she refused to move away from the computer. So I walked over to her and she began nudging my glasses that I had forgotten to put on. She didn't want me to leave without them. Such a smart girl! No, I did not train her for that. She did that totally on her own. Once I put the glasses on she trotted right over to the door. I, of course, gave her lots of praise and some good treats!
Bygonelines So happy for you and Willow. Our beloved Riley wouldn't let me leave our cabin without my hat, sunglasses, and walking stick. Dogs are so in tune with our routines.
It has been so hot here I wear a cooling scarf around my neck in the house to be able to function. It is amazing what Willow can do. Congratulations to you both!😀🐶👏
Thinking of cooling not just people but animals!Im thinkn a cooling scarf for Willow (any dog)....as temps rise.After long work with dogs I admit I just found out they do not have sweat glands!Thus why they pant.I keep hearing hydrate hydrate hydrate....Too hot here....ID
I have been using a cooling scarf myself and it is wonderful except for today. Our humidity is pretty high because of last night's thunderstorms and rain. Oh well.
BTW, the picture in the top right corner is Wilow telling me off because I pulled the camera out again. She really doesn't like her picture being taken. The one in the bottom right corner is from a couple of months ago we had a bunch of company and everyone was telling stories and laughing and having a great time. I just thought Willow looked like she was laughing and having a great time too so I had to snap a picture before she knew what I was doing.
What kind of dog is Willow? I have a springer spaniel, Trixie, but she isn't a service dog. However, I did teach her to get my slippers or shoes and to take off my socks or pick them up and put them in the washer. She is very easy to train.
Jacqui and willow, so congrats! How awesome it is to hear of programs like this!Im curious, did you have to take a class, have a manual or all of the above?My besty schnauzer passed awy 8 months ago and I in my heart have wrestled with, when my MS etc is worse how will I handle another love bug and care for as needed.I would love your opinion.I know the love and companionship is a win win.Being out at the shelter I have put people and animals together so often with great joy but now an hour once a month isn't working.Do you have a dog walker?Tell us more! From one Jackie to another Jacqui!
Jackie - There are so many things to consider when getting a service dog. Your ability to care for the dog is one consideration. I am lucky in that my husband can take care of her if I am unable to. As far as walks go, I have never been able to take her for a walk. When she was younger I could get kids from the neighborhood and church who would do it for me in exchange for cookies. I looked into hiring a dog walker but in my area of Utah people wanted $20-$30 for a 1/2 hr walk. Not happening. So I got myself an electric mobility scooter and take Willow walking with that.
For her training, I have used Petco for part of it ( I was given 3 classes by a friend from church). I also have a private trainer that I have used for 90% of her training. I have not been very happy with the results of this trainer but because I had to pay in advance and she does not do refunds I am stuck with her till the money is used up. Her training is good for pet dogs but not so good for service dogs and she hasn't done hardly anything on the training plan yet. She is a purely positive trainer which is great in theory unless you have a dog who quickly figures out how to get around the system. The things Willow has learned she has learned from me and what I have learned using books, DVD's, and you tube videos. I did recently send her to another trainer who is a balanced trainer, meaning they use positive training and there are consequences when your dog doesn't do what they are supposed to do. In this case, they use a prong collar and an e-collar. Willow learned more in 3 weeks from this trainer than she had in 2 1/2 yrs with the other trainer. Prior to taking her to the other trainer, I was sure I was going to have to wash her and not use her as a service dog because she had a tendency to lose her head in public and become a total puppy and not listen.
She is a smart girl and quickly figured out with positive only training she could do what she wanted and when she got around to it she could do what she was told and still get a treat. The trainer said to always treat her no longer how long it took her to do something or what she did in between the command and executing it.
Sorry this is such a book.
Feel free to message me if there is anything I can help you with.
WOW, you are awesome...thank you for the detail, much appreciated.Its one thing at the local shelter I have not looked into volunteering there...myself!You gave me many angles to go from here.Great point about not turning a service dog into a pet...keepn on track.It is so easy to go up to someone and detour the process.Thank You So Very Much! In the west we are dog crazy about accepting all animals in shops etc as long as you say its a service dog.People need to realize what work does go into an actual service dog.Im your neighbor in Idaho!
I'm in boise for 34 yrs now...I love Utah it is so pretty.I haven't been in awhile, travel is more difficult.I do hear Washington is a beauty and green is what I miss!Hope it stays cool there!
Western Washington is green and beautiful. Eastern Washington is a lot like the Salt Lake Area without the inversion. We would like to go back and live in Eastern Washington.
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but you and Willow can survive and enjoy this summer! Yes, please post the picture of Willow. We would like to get to know her!
Too Hot to Walk
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I, too, am new but older than dirt!!
