Service Dogs

[EOD K9]

I don’t have problems with people having an emotional support dog, but they cannot and should not be treated as a working/service dog.

 

[EOD K9]

Apparently, on a flight from AZ there was a young girl bitten by an emotional support dog. The girl however was warned not to touch the dog after repeated attempts. Not saying it’s right, but it was another emotional support and not a true service K9.

 

[Professor_Jason]

Our dog is a service dog who really does help my husband who is combat veteran with PTSD, and while we could take him we just don't think it's fair to him to make him travel 1,000 miles and then make him stay in a strange room while we go out and have fun and then check on him throughout the day. It's a great service from Disney and I'm not knocking anybody who takes their dog but I don't think it's for us, it adds unneeded stress to our vacation

 

[Mickey shaped world]

I feel really sorry for some of the dogs brought to Disney World, owners can be so cruel. Last trip we were waiting in the bus line at Pop Century and a women in a wheel chair rolls up. The women was incredibly over weight, the problem was she had her little dog stored in a pouch under the wheelchair. Unfortunately her but was making the seat of the chair sag down and was squashing the dog, it was panting vigorously in the heat, the poor thing looked so uncomfortable. Some people don't deserve pets

 

[jloucks]

No..... Service dogs in training are played with, have plenty of time being handled like any other dog. Play time releases stress and lets the dogs relax. Properly adapted, some play time can also be valuable as a training lesson.
Yes, they are trained to work and follow commands, but they are not tools. They are companions that assist their owners. They do take their jobs seriously but like you and me, they have time off from work and when not working can act as any other dog might. Many dogs will break down and have stress related issued that make them unusable or unsafe because their owners dont allow then to release the pressures of the job.

Your statement is too generalized. They are played with, but not in most of the ways people play with their dogs. The reason behind this is you are intentionally avoiding any play that triggers undesirable instinctual behavior.

No catch or Frisbee because that triggers pursuit behavior.
No tug of war because that triggers aggression. etc. etc.

These items are service dog training 101. Every trainer knows this. Hopefully this is not the play to which you were referring.

So what do you have left? Pretty boring play that is really training in disguise. You have the 'wait for it' game with their food. You have the tonail clipping game, to get them used to handling. You have the rub down game, to prep them for examination by blind people. You have the run around like a lunatic game that most puppies do (that is immediately stopped once unauthorized play starts). Then the 'game' pretty much turns into training. Even what toys you give them are very restrictive. No little animal toys, no tug ropes, etc. Just heavy plastic chew logs. Much of anything else genetically triggers.

I'm super skeptical of you raising service animals solo, from pup to final placement. This process usually takes numerous highly trained individuals with genetically managed superior dogs to accomplish. Not saying it is impossible, but just extremely difficult to do. If you do, are a a dog god and I have never witnessed anything like it. ...and I know a lot of amazing trainers.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Your statement is too generalized. They are played with, but not in most of the ways people play with their dogs. The reason behind this is you are intentionally avoiding any play that triggers undesirable instinctual behavior.

No catch or Frisbee because that triggers pursuit behavior.
No tug of war because that triggers aggression. etc. etc.

These items are service dog training 101. Every trainer knows this. Hopefully this is not the play to which you were referring.

So what do you have left? Pretty boring play that is really training in disguise. You have the 'wait for it' game with their food. You have the tonail clipping game, to get them used to handling. You have the rub down game, to prep them for examination by blind people. You have the run around like a lunatic game that most puppies do (that is immediately stopped once unauthorized play starts). Then the 'game' pretty much turns into training. Even what toys you give them are very restrictive. No little animal toys, no tug ropes, etc. Just heavy plastic chew logs. Much of anything else genetically triggers.

I'm super skeptical of you raising service animals solo, from pup to final placement. This process usually takes numerous highly trained individuals with genetically managed superior dogs to accomplish. Not saying it is impossible, but just extremely difficult to do. If you do, are a a dog god and I have never witnessed anything like it. ...and I know a lot of amazing trainers.

With over 40 years of training behind me, many of them years of training guide dogs and service dogs, I certainly do know how to raise and train service dogs as well as dogs in many other fields of training. You are throwing out many statements that are incorrect and show how uninformed you are about service dogs and their training.

Service dogs ARE trained to "tug". They are taught to grab onto specially made handles that can be placed onto doorknobs and/or tug ropes that are placed onto door knobs and drawer handles. They are taught to tug to open drawers, doors, gates and other things on command that a person may not have the strength or ability to grasp.
Playing catch/fetch allows the dog to learn the picking up of items dropped on the floor, return to the persons front, hold the item until told to release, returning it to the handlers hand or lap.
Trainers know how to get dogs to react and respond in favorable ways during training and discourage responses that are innapropriate. Service dogs are not robots , they are dogs that are trained to serve a purpose. They are played with by the trainers and the people who they end up having been placed with. We want happy dogs, dogs that enoy life, and play time is integral to their training phases and success after being placed. They are allowed toys, bones and other things to stimulate them in the home as long as they are safe items just like any pet would enjoy.

 

[jaklgreen]

https://www.apnews.com/f29933c0a6f2...d-by-dog-during-boarding-for-Southwest-flight

Shouldn't that dog have been in a crate?

 

[Captain Barbossa]

I'm contemplating on bringing my "emotional support therapy" lynx on our next WDW trip.

His name is Patches. Isn't he cute?

 

[Whippet Mom]

You're kidding me right? Somebody has that dog insured, it may not be you, but it is insured. It is a high dollar asset. Only people with very bad judgment (or that are self insured, i.e. rich) acquire high dollar assets and then don't insure.

You are wrong..

 

[Whippet Mom]

This is a tough one for Disney and all of us because we have to take people at their word otherwise be slapped with a civil suit.
This has been a doctors' dilemma since since the dawn of patients. Only now there are lawyers.

I hate to say it, but like this “service animal”, we’ve all seen people in handicapped carts driving around the parks that clearly don’t need them and use them to simply get around and get on-line first. We keep our opinions to ourselves because you don’t want to appear has heartless or cruel and maybe what you see isn’t the whole story.

Just like people w/handicapped tags that clearly don’t have a handicap for a closer spot to park. This is where the person literally hops down out of their Escalade in a gymsuit and runs in to get a “cofefe ”.
If your in a gymsuit...walk a little further!
We, just like Disney, can’t say anything for fear of litigation and maybe being just plain wrong.

Now, please, people who clearly need these things don’t get on my case because I have a feeling that anyone with true handicaps and service animals are aware of these same characters.

No pardon me while I get on Tower of Terror with my hungry service python.

Just to educate you, You have to have a Rx from your doctor to get a handicapped permit & a lot of handicaps are not visible to the naked eye. I understand you didn't mean to sound insulting but you did, It sucks that we have to constantly justify ourselves. Shall I carry MRI results with me?

 

[Bpmorley]

Your last comment really makes me wonder if you get how hard it is to tour the parks in a scooter. You need patience and a lot of extra time per ride and such using one. I think those who think ECV people are scammers have no idea really. The GAC was a scam for some but at least it's equal now.

I fail to see your point. I'm gonna venture to say 90% do not have one of these at home. Proven by the fact that I've been hit hard numerous time, lost a toenail once. So obviously most don't know how to use them. Had a friend pushing his 2 year old in a coach get broadsided by a woman and she didn't even stop. but saw her have no problem get out and jump up the steps of the bus. And I do not want to hear that people get tired. I get tired, we all get tired.

 

[Whippet Mom]

Guess I am one of your 10% This is my personal scooter that my doctor wrote a Rx for...

 

[correcaminos]

I fail to see your point. I'm gonna venture to say 90% do not have one of these at home. Proven by the fact that I've been hit hard numerous time, lost a toenail once. So obviously most don't know how to use them. Had a friend pushing his 2 year old in a coach get broadsided by a woman and she didn't even stop. but saw her have no problem get out and jump up the steps of the bus. And I do not want to hear that people get tired. I get tired, we all get tired.

You most certainly did miss the punt if you can only rant in reply. What I said had nothing to do with you being hit. Especially since we have no idea who is at fault.

You obviously gave a terrible disdain towards them. My aunt with CP had one at home and had nothing at all to do with being tired. Now she is 100% confined to a chair but I can tell you, touring the park with one wasn't easy when she could walk. Rude people constantly getting in her way and making rude comments were the norm. But go ahead and keep judging away.

 

[Jedi Stitch]

Just as the handicap parking space abusers forced the state of Washington, and more specifically the city of Seattle to have extra enforcement of the law and a change to it. Now, you can be stopped and not only display a placard on your car, but you must carry an identifying card on your person as well. This method of enforcement has stopped the people who get a placard from the Doctors office that is meant to either be temporary while they heal from a surgery, or to have some one that is for someone in their family that is in need of it, but are not ridding in the car at the time they are using the space. You have people who abuse the privilege of the space, meant for the the disabled who do not have the mobility to go farther or to access from a normal space. Eventually, people will abuse the service animal right to enter, and require proper documentation to be carried for proof.
Myself, I have seen the service animal vest on dogs who you can see clearly who are not properly trained animals. Just a couple months ago I was in a Costco, watching a "service dog" stop and sniff near the display of cards for movies and dinner vouchers, and then pee on the corner of the display. Later on, near the meat department, the Shepard/lab mix pops up and and grabs a package of steaks, after smelling and licking several packages. The butcher yells at the dog, scaring it, and it drops the meat. The dogs owner pushing a six by orange cart full yells at the butcher, and then take the dog and his cart, and goes off looking for the manager. Eventually, Disney, now allowing pets at hotels, will need to start asking for service animal documentation to enter the parks if Idiots keep bringing fake service animals in. Especially if the acts from the fake ones cause damage to person.

 

[NelleBelle]

Totally agree with the posts re. disabilities that are not visible. Don't understand why it is anyone's business who is using a wheelchair or scooter these days, now that the DAC have replaced "cutting" in line. Certainly have never understood how people can actually be so rude as to actually make comments to those who are actually using the chairs/scooters.

 

[Mainahman]

Does a Sea Turtle count as a Service Animal? the one in the seas is mine. I must be reunited and never leave his general area. In all seriousness, we are huge dog people, and i love seeing the service dogs. It is part of our society now. Plus seeing them in ears makes my heart so happy!

 

[beertiki]

We saw what I was guessing was a 6 - 9 month old golden retriever at AK last week. It was yanking and pulling it's owner, trying to get to everyone and everything. Typical puppy behavior. I said to my wife, there is now way that is a service animal, it's to young to have gone through enough training.

The sad thing is, it's going to take someone little girl or boy getting a serious bite injury, and then the discovery that the animal was just a normal untrained pet with a $129 vest and ID card purchased of the internet for Disney to crack down on these pets with vests.

 

[jloucks]

We saw what I was guessing was a 6 - 9 month old golden retriever at AK last week. It was yanking and pulling it's owner, trying to get to everyone and everything. Typical puppy behavior. I said to my wife, there is now way that is a service animal, it's to young to have gone through enough training.

The sad thing is, it's going to take someone little girl or boy getting a serious bite injury, and then the discovery that the animal was just a normal untrained pet with a $129 vest and ID card purchased of the internet for Disney to crack down on these pets with vests.

I agree with you, that was neither a service dog, nor one in training. Although, the breed was legit, so there is a small chance that was just a horrible puppy trainer. Lots of dogs wash out of school because their first handlers stank.

Breed plays a role in detecting shenanigans. You just don't see service chihuahua, service chows, service greyhounds, service pugs, etc, for a multitude of good reasons. Just google the best breeds for service dogs for the "whys" if you are curious.

If I were to bet, the airline industry will be the first to crack down.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Having been both a walker and a person that temporarily needed a scooter I can tell you that it takes far less effort to walk then it does to use a scooter. It is far less handy to use one then to just walk a direct line to an attraction or a show. It is easier to stop when someone steps in front of you when you are walking then when you have a scooter. In short there is absolutely no connection between lazy and the use of a scooter. Some may try it once since they figure it will save them some walk time, but, in the long haul it saves nothing and creates more delays and backtracking for them and others that are with them then is afforded by having that ride. Once I had the occasion to use one, I never again looked a someone with a scooter and thought... gee, what a lazy person. I have thought, gee, I'll bet they wish they could just walk around like we can. Before I needed one, I went with someone with severe back issues that needed a scooter. I remember saying to another friend that I never wanted to go there again with that person because it caused so many problems. The next day I had the accident that caused me to need to use one. Be careful what you look down your nose at... you may be next.

 

[Whippet Mom]

I agree with you, that was neither a service dog, nor one in training. Although, the breed was legit, so there is a small chance that was just a horrible puppy trainer. Lots of dogs wash out of school because their first handlers stank.

Breed plays a role in detecting shenanigans. You just don't see service chihuahua, service chows, service greyhounds, service pugs, etc, for a multitude of good reasons. Just google the best breeds for service dogs for the "whys" if you are curious.

If I were to bet, the airline industry will be the first to crack down.

Actually there are service Greyhounds, Whippets Etc.Breed doesn't play into being a service dog. Any breed can be trained to detect changes in body chemistry for people with certain illnesses..