Handicapped assistance animals

[fabricdragon]

an online friend has a blog for her assistance dog....HERE.. which is sort of like the LJ user  bboa   who is also an assistance dog. (and well worth reading i might add)

but one of the posts on Meet Luigi had a great idea that i passed on to my father (who has a hearing ear dog)
Her dog has his own postcards and business cards!

since my dad is deaf, and

Comments

[cvirtue]

Maybe you know the answer to this, but I've wondered: do assistance dogs need to be the larger, brainier, working-dog type? I've wondered about this ever since I saw a dog on a ferry with an assistance dog sweater, and it was a chihuahua. (Assistance dogs traveled for free on the ferry, out to an island, but regular dogs were not allowed at all.)

[wendyzski]

I know a woman who has two very small chihuahua type assistance dogs. One is trained for her seizures/fugue states and the other for her diabetes. They are each taught to recognize specific changes in her scent and/or appearance and alert her or her husband if she is unresponsive. The seizure dog will also "point" to her medic-alert bracelet if she's not responding.

They aren't the most generally smart critters, but within their specialty they are quite cabable.

[ladyfox7oaks]

I don't think so, I saw someone who was carrying around a Pomeranian in a bag slung over his shoulder that was blazoned with the "Assistance dog" patches and such,- It was his hearing dog.

[fabricdragon]

often the itty dogs make good hearing ear dogs. they are often very "sound oriented"

[fabricdragon]

the blanket answer is no.

the specific answer is... depends on what they need to do.
i mean if they need to help move a wheelchair or open and close doors. or be a stability help "lean on the harness to walk" dog. yeah
for hearing ear dogs? any size will do
for seizure alert dogs? well. if cats can do it, any size dog can....

etc.

as to brainy... some of the bigger dogs are really stupid. some of the smaller dogs are very smart. a great deal depends on their breeding. also you have the "idiot savant" issue. some dogs that are so stupid you are shocked they can find their food bowl do one thing very well.
sometimes that one thing is "alert to low blood sugar"

shrug
my dads dog is very smart. this is NOT always helpful. she is also very good at having her own way and goofing off....

[cvirtue]

Thanks -- good to know.

Of course I didn't say anything, but I did wonder if it was really 'on the job.'

[fabricdragon]

nods

[phee]

I have people wondering that with me too. I have a small, non-typical breed. And an invisible disability. However, if the dog looks like its not doing anything... that is excellent! It means I am *well* .... I have a medical alert dog, I want him not to HAVE to alert... alert means I am getting sick!!!

[fabricdragon]

true.
in an ideal world the dog sits back and lives the riley dog life....

mind you.. yours is covered with big signs and blazers and such.. it gets REALLY confusing when someone has a dog who isnt "labeled" but people think you should just "know" they are a service dog...
sigh
dad's dog is always in her vest...

[cvirtue]

Indeed!

I think it's great yours has the jacket with the basic role on it -- I'm sure it diverts a lot of casual interest from the sort of people who wouldn't pester you but are still curious that there's a cute dog where dogs are normally not allowed. ... course, that means all you interact with are the somewhat ruder curious people....