Helper Animals?

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Cspr

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So...my mother, therapist, and rheumatologist all think an assistance dog would be good. :oops: I read some on the idea (made me a little emotional about the things I might be able to do) and tested our their theory with a rabbit in a stressful situation. I did far better with the rabbit than I normally do. I didn't dissociate, have a panic attack, shut down, run off, etc. So. That's good. I even talked to people more than usual, because I could talk about said rabbit, Primrose, who was good with the dogs other people had. :|

So. I'm rather allergic to dogs. What I mean by that is I start to itch all over, my eyes burn, and my nose becomes a faucet. :shock: I have discovered I am not allergic to Carolina Dogs, Chihuahuas, and certain poodle mixes insofar. I imagine I'm not allergic to poodles. Yapping dogs would mess with my SPD, so I presume a larger, quiet dog would be best, so that gets rid of small poodles, Chis, and most poodle mixes. I need a dog that won't harass my chickens, rabbits, or cats; that will be good with kids, old people, etc.; that won't run off at a scent and leave me; and that won't be too hard to control, but will be able to hold me up if I start to fall.

:? You see why I think this cannot be done. I hear some people use miniature horses with sneakers on, but that sounds rather ludicrous. I can not take a rabbit or cat most places because 1) rabbits get sick easily, 2) a lot of people are allergic to cats, and 3) neither can walk on a leash or be trained to do the stuff most people say I need help with and, admittedly, I do.

My biggest issues are PTSD-related and autoimmune disease related. The pain is all in my head, so it's not like I *need* a wheelchair or anything, I just... I don't know. I've been told it would help and it sounds like it might, but I have no real idea on the process or if there is even something that would work for me in particular. I mean, I'm sure plenty of people are deathly afraid of crowds and stuff, but is that a good enough reason? And would a dog help or hinder my physical limitations?

I'd love to hear if anyone has any knowledge of this--you're all animal smart so maybe--or useful links or anything like that.

P.S. I really wish people would stop telling me that being interested in buying a poodle mix means I'm stealing a home from a shelter dog or the only way I'll get one is from a puppy mill. :( But I'm allergic! I can't just... -sighs-
 
Standard Poodle? Or maybe a golden retriever x poodle or labrador x poodle?

As far as your requirements, any dog can be trained to be like that, given time and effort. My dog is half chihuahua and he's not yappy, not like people think when they hear he's 1/2 chihuahua, however I started training him from day one, that he was not to bark. He still does(not going to lie, he's a dog, dogs bark) but he shuts up when told to, and really only barks when there's someone at the door. Same with all the other things - being good with people = the dog needs a lot of socializing as a pup. Being good with cats/chickens/rabbits = introduce them young and make sure the dog knows that the other animals are higher in the pecking order. Keeping it beside you = first year or 2 on a leash training it that its place is beside you. Easy to control = put the dog in a halti, my sister got one for their pitbull cross who LOVED to pull and now my 8 year old niece can walk her.

I think the best people to talk to about this would be the therapist and the rheumatologist. They are the health care professionals, if they're suggesting it, one would assume they know what to do about it. If you're serious about this, ask them how to do it! They will know how to, or at least what direction you should be going in!
 
I would go with a standard poodle. They are fabulous dogs, very intelligent, not yappy at all.

Why don't you PM FrostedRabbits? She has raised and trained her own service dogs, and will be a wealth of information for you in all aspects, legal ones included. I know that she also belongs to service dog support groups.

Some breeders will donate dogs to people needing them. I know that I would if asked.

Good luck finding your helper dog! :good-luck:
 
And yet another vote for a standard poodle :) One of the horse trainers I used to work with swore that if they had thumbs, they'd be the best barn help she ever had!
 
Thanks so much, guys. My rheumotologist is supposed to send me some information on service dogs, but he's yet to do so. Considering how busy he is since it's winter and I'm sure he has family stuff, too, I'm not too surprised. And Bad Habit, I helped train my family's GSD/Lab mix because my dad is more of an omega than an alpha and my mom needed some help. Mollie, the dog, is good with all my animals, but boy my reaction to being in close quarters with her. -sneezes at the idea- Admittedly I've always been more of a cat and rabbit person, no surprises there. Never heard of a halti. I made a pulley system for the family dog, but that sounds like a thing that'd be useful.

Because of the suggestions, I'm looking for a local Standard Poodle breeder to get an idea in that vein, but I'm still researching the rest of it all. Seems like service dog for PTSD would be overall most useful. As is, I do like the concept of an Aussie/Poodle, because Aussies are just brilliant farm dogs, but it seems like the nearest breeder is somewhere in Florida. I'd have to meet the pup first to see if I'm allergic to it in particular, so that's not an option, but I wish it was.
 
Public understanding of what dogs can do for people lags behind what dogs *are* doing for people. I often felt like a one-woman Public Education Committee, at least when my service doggie was healthy, before Wobblers got him way too young. :( He was a service dog I trained; he was a rescue/rehome Bernese Mtn. Dog.

I've listed a few sites further down where you can get some basic orientation on assistance dogs. This is the term used, at least in California, for dogs whose help isn't as extreme as Guide Dogs for the Blind or a Hearing Dog, but is more intense than therapy dogs (visiting dogs). An assistance dog can help his/her person with any of a number of conditions (no dog helps with them all):

diabetes--blood sugar level warning
seizure disorder(s)--get person to a safe location before seizure
balance, walking stability
emotional support in public
carry things for person in doggie backpack
autistic/Asperger Spectrum patients
specific skills for wheelchair or other mobility-limited people (turn on lights, pick up dropped items, tons of tasks)

Canine Companions for Independence Seems to be California-based, but the information is relevant to most assistance dogs.
Paws with a Cause Trains dogs for a wider variety of disabilities than CCI does.
Assistance Dogs International A coalition of many service dog organizations. Their classification of assistance dogs is (1) Guide Dogs, for the blind and visually impaired; (2) Hearing Dogs, for the deaf and hearing impaired; and (3) "for people with disabilities other than those related to vision or hearing." Sounds pretty all-encompassing. :)

If you receive your dog from an established organization, you yourself will also receive training on how to relate to the dog and take care of him/her. This is especially useful if you haven't had any experience previously with dogs. My first dog arrived in my life after I had been an adult for a while (I didn't grow up with animals very much of the time :( ). I'm so glad we took him to obedience classes; it gave DH and me a foundation for communicating via gesture with Mr. Dog #1. Once we were more used to being with dogs, we only enrolled those with a specific reason for being there in obedience classes.

Please follow up this idea; a well-trained service dog *will* change your life for the better. :)
 
I have personally trained a dog that could easily be certified as a service dog, if I stumble she helps me up, if I drop something she hands it to me, if I'm nervous she comforts me, if I ask her to close a door she can do that too. She has a high drive and a need to please me making her an ideal partner, she stays by my side for the majority of the day and has made a huge impact on my life. I raised her from three months old and there is nothing she wouldn't do for me. She was also quite easy to train because of the traits she developed, and I sought out, when she was a pup. (I have recently acquired another pup with similar traits that I have also been working with, though not as much as I should be.) Neither are purebred and both have the necessary traits to become certified service dogs, one is an australian cattle dog/golden retriever/? the other is a great pyrenees/catahoula leopard dog. So don't count out short coated mutts.

If you do find a pup, at a shelter or even in an ad on craigslist, it is possible to train your own service dog with relative ease using positive reinforcement techniques. And keep an open mind when it comes to other hair (i.e. poodle) or short coated (i.e. chihuahua) breeds, it sounds like those are the ones you'd be least likely to have a reaction to. A doberman has a single short coat and so does a great dane, the latter of which can be a bit thick-skulled (dopey) and the former of which tend to be a bit protective, but it all depends on the individual and every breed has its own shortcomings. If you do see a potential dog or pup in a local ad, say someone local has a backyard litter of poodle/? pups, try to see if a local trainer (or friend with canine experience) will come with you to help evaluate the pups and decide if one might be suitable. The smartest pups I've found have been the ones that are more aloof, they tend to think more on their feet and have a higher drive which is easier to work with than the pups that saunter over and fall asleep in your lap.

I wish you luck on your future endeavors, if you're going to try and get a professionally trained dog it could be a bit of a wait, but it'll be worth it in the end no matter the route you decide to take in acquiring your future companion.
 
With the allergy issue I would hesitate to advise a mix, the coat/dander/allergy issue can be very hit and miss.
Curly coated dogs like poodles and Portugese Water Dogs have fewer allergy issues than most breeds.
 
As far as your requirements, any dog can be trained to be like that, given time and effort.
Click to expand...

Before having a shiba I would agree with that. I thought every dog could be trained and I trained many to get along with many animals and do many tasks. My akita is an extension of myself. That shiba though.... We did obedience classes, agility, flyball, and all the work at home. She's still a mouthy, jumping, noisy, small animal murderer. She has killing things down to an art form. We've joked a few times that we should just turn the shiba loose to kill the chickens or rabbits we want to butcher because she does it faster and cleaner than we ever could. She's not trustworthy around animals or new people and not for lack of working with her. She still outright disobeys me sometimes despite me always backing up what I say very firmly. So it's more like 99% of dogs can be trained to do whatever you need with enough work.
 
My Dad had standard poodles for years. Every time he said poodle someone always thought he was talking about either a miniature or a toy. In fact they scared the poo out of my husband the first time we went to the house. Something about "how big could they be"... They are small child smart, and are great temperament wise. And if you keep them in a lamb cut they aren't all that hard to maintain. They are originally for cold water duck retrieval which is how those crazy hair cuts got started.
 
Start by contacting one of the organizations mentioned above. Tell them what you need, and I'm sure they will help select a dog that can be trained to be what you need--and be non-allergenic for you. In fact, they may well already have just the dog for you...you never know until you call and talk to them. With dogs, IMHO, it is about temperament of the individual dog even more than the generalized temperament of the breed. I have two chihuahua mixes who are not all all "nervous/shaky" like I'm used to chi's being. Both are very sweet and smart but one is more so than the other -- although also a bit on the hyper side (but not bad, uncontrollable type).

Standard Poodles are also highly intelligent, calm, and hypo-allergenic...generally speaking.
 

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