Cruising With A Service Dog....everything You Ever Wanted To Know!

[Quampapetet]

I am thinking of taking a little square of artifical turf for the potty box. This is not "astro turf" but the new turf they use on athletic fields, etc. We actually put it in our new backyard and Bailey loves it. We left her potty spot natural, but she now prefers a spot on the artifical turf. I would just dispose of it at the end of the cruise.:rolleyes:

What do you think?

 

Go for it. Many places sell indoor dog potties (some portable, some not so portable) that have such faux grass in it. There is at least one grass that is made specifically for use by dogs, as it is made of anti-bacterial something-or-other. You can see some of these products in the "In The Company of Dogs" catalog/online shop (www.inthecompanyofdogs.com).

 

There's nothing wrong with making your SD's potty spot better/friendlier! :) You might want to tell the ship you put it there, though, and ask them not to remove it before the end of the cruise. Just as a precaution!

[DisneyKidsDad]

That is awesome. I'm so glad you had a great time! The food and wine festival is GREAT! Werin is the same way. She gets so excited when we play the how fast can you do a command game. "Sit, down, front, back, sit, down . . . then "release"

 

Our trainers called that game "beat the correction". You first give a command like sit and count how long the dog takes to sit. Then you give the same command and the correction at the same time. Then you give the command again and see how much faster the dog does it. It's always alot faster.

[rangeley]

Quam, thanks for the advice. I think I will call some places today.

 

The only other thing I have is that you said SD weren't allowed in churches. I have never heard of that, our dog has been to church many times.

[Tinwoman]

While there may be a few dogs who shouldn't have been trained as SDs, the VAST majority of SDs are incredibly happy to do their jobs and to be out around everywhere. An SD can also have a bad day every now and again just like we can, not to mention that dogs don't express their feelings the way we do. If the dog's head is hung low and its tail between its leg and it is whining and all, yeah, that dog doesn't want to be there. But simply having no emotion showing (i.e. head normal, tail normal not wagging, etc.) means nothing. I don't know about you, but I don't smile all day long even if I'm doing swell or am happy - and most ppl are the same way.

This is attaching human emotion to an animal, who have different rules. A dog with head hung low, and or a tail between its legs is a very unhappy dog.

 

 

 

That is sad, but that's not the dog's fault; that's the girl's fault. You would shut down, too, if you got hurt on the job that many times, even if you really loved your job. The girl obviously either wasn't mature enough for an SD (if a child/teen - not sure if you meant kid or not by saying "girl") or wasn't careful enough. Most SD users are very careful and care for their dogs VERY well. We put our SD's needs first.

 

Here I meant that the girl young woman had a muscular disorder, while made her movements jerky and so driving the wheelchair, using this unsure movement made the chair sway around a lot.

 

 

That's simply not true. There are tens of thousands (or more) of happy and happily working SD teams across the world. Sometimes the dog and human don't mesh well and it isn't a match - if a program dog, the program will take the dog back and match him with another, matching the human with another dog. If an owner-trained dog, a responsible owner will retire or re-home the dog and get another to be their SD.

 

But who regulates these agencies? The government? The ADA?

I once tried to report a lady who had German shepherd that was a guide dog the dog was beautiful at first, I was teaching a college class at the time but over the semester it got skinner and skinner until you could see its hip bones, spine every thing, I asked the girl who she got the guide dog from and she told me some agency out of Texas, when I tried to contact them I was told the business had shut down, then talking to some people in the area who said that anybody can start a service dog business because there is no government regulations controlling them.

 

 

First of all, many disabled ppl travel solo. Others travel with the same ppl they have at home (i.e. spouse and kids).

 

Secondly, not every disability can be mitigated by a human. No human can detect seizures before they happen, for instance. Most humans make terrible sighted guides for blind/visually impaired ppl. A human isn't going to be able to be the mobility aid for somebody all or perhaps even part of the time. And many other situations like those.

 

SDs are often off-duty at home and get to play - sometimes with their owner, sometimes with their owner's family/friends, sometimes with other dogs/animals, etc. They get plenty of time to refresh when they're not working.

 

Dogs by nature love to work. Dogs need a job. If they don't have one, they will find one - that's why so many pet owners come home to chewed-up shoes, sofas, etc.

 

Dogs are also pack animals. They do not like being separated from their pack. When a human goes to work and leaves their pet dog at home, the dog is not happy. SDs are happier and better off than pets in this regard.

 

 

 

True, but the majority of SD handlers take as good or better care of their dogs than pet people do.

I hope this is true

[Tinwoman]

Service monkeys are important for quadriplegics, as they can do many things that dogs simply cannot do because they have paws. Guide horses are a good choice for some blind/visually impaired people because they have such a long life-span and can work well

Monkeys are wild animals, not domesticated like dogs and therefore not reliable as SA

 

 

Yes, too many ppl are illegally passing off their pets as service animals, which you apparently helped them do when you were a police officer.

I did what my department regulated.

 

 

 

Emotional Support Animals are not service animals. They are pets that have been prescribed by a doctor/therapist for a person who has a mental disability. They do not do tasks like service animals do, but are owned so that their presence affects the mood of their owner. They cannot be taken into no-pets-allowed public places like restaurants, stores, hotels, beaches, parks, etc. With a doctor's letter, they can accompany their person in an airplane cabin and live with their person in no-pets housing.

 

No emotional support animals have the exact rights as any other service animal. They can go any where as the person who has it may have a panic attack any where they go and the animal is suppose to stop this. It is the law, check it out for your self, our department attorneys thoroughly researched this as it was such a problem in our area.

 

 

Like somebody else said, a vet has nothing to do with whether a dog is a service dog or not. And sites like the one you pointed out are scams and cause people to commit crimes and fraud. As a police officer, you should have steered far away from such companies. Paperwork does not make a dog an SD nor does it make a person disabled.

 

You can go here and have basically any dog certified as a service dog for $50.00.

http://www.registeredservicedogs.com/

 

Getting Started is Easy:

 

We simply require that a Service Dog is registered. Our company requires that you supply:

 

* A doctor's request that this individual has a medical need for a “Service Dog”.

* A Veterinarian's signed statement that your service dog is not considered to be vicious or in any way a threat to the general public.

* Proof of the shots and vaccinations, etc. that are required to keep the dog in good health.

 

Simply click on the link below, follow the prompts, and submit the completed forms to us with your payment of $49.95 + 1.50 S/H. Your custom created ID Card Package will be sent out within three (3) business days.

[Tinwoman]

For now I am done here, I don't wish to make people angry, I know being handicapped is hard.

I was shot in the back and still have a bullet fragment lodged in my spine, the pain is exhausting, my service pet lays against my back and relieves the pain. Hairless chi.s put out incredible heat to help with pain.

I had a stroke a while back and I am still having trouble with thought processes and may not make my point as well as I once could.

[Andar]

Here are new pictures of Princess Star, fresh out of dry dock with all the new features.

I am looking forward tro the Sanctuary!

 

New Star Pictures

[denversees4me]

Actually, that is not at all the same thing. The wheelchair IS there due to a medical need - you got to the beach in it and used it at the beach. Even if the beach outlawed wheelchairs (which I've never heard of, LOL!), the wheelchair would be allowed because it is there for a medical reason. Now, if the beach outlawed wheelchairs and a person brought one when they had no medical need for one (obviously a very hypothetical question, since that would likely never happen!) but just wanted to play in it, then it would not be allowed.

WRONG !!!!if they are disabled and want to play in their chair more power to them !!!!! LOL

im not going to beat this to death !!! LOL but HELLO !!!!! what in the heck do you think a SD is ??????????????????????????????a medical device reguardless of if it is being ysed or not it is STILL A SD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and it IS allowed on the beach if it is not working if a disabled person needs the dog then it is allowed if the dog wants to kick up its feet in the water a little ( and im not saying run full board off leash ) it can still be there SERVICE DOGS ARE NOT PETS even when off duty !

 

thats all i will say about this ....im going to get back to what this board is ment for and it is not fighting it is for all of us who need info on cruisng and to share our experiences not bash each other over beliefs .....

cari and Denver

[denversees4me]

hi Abdar thanks for the link ohhh im so jealous !!!! i went on the last cruise with that ship before dry dock now a movie theater pastry case !!!! WOW let us all know how it is ok ?????

cari and Denver

[rangeley]

For now I am done here, I don't wish to make people angry, I know being handicapped is hard.

I was shot in the back and still have a bullet fragment lodged in my spine, the pain is exhausting, my service pet lays against my back and relieves the pain. Hairless chi.s put out incredible heat to help with pain.

I had a stroke a while back and I am still having trouble with thought processes and may not make my point as well as I once could.

 

I am very confused how someone who uses a service dog started this whole thing :confused:

[Andar]

For now I am done here, I don't wish to make people angry, I know being handicapped is hard.

I was shot in the back and still have a bullet fragment lodged in my spine, the pain is exhausting, my service pet lays against my back and relieves the pain. Hairless chi.s put out incredible heat to help with pain.

I had a stroke a while back and I am still having trouble with thought processes and may not make my point as well as I once could.

 

Shirley,

If you are disabled, I hope you educate yourself and get the training needed to make your dog a service dog. Remember the saying "just because you read it, doesn't make it true" Well, you can also buy illegal drugs, and firearms, etc. online. It doesn't make it legal. Don't send people to unethical sites like that. Buying a vest online and calling your dog a service dog, does not make it a service dog.

 

There is no such thing a service pet. SD are not pets. It sounds like you have a personal therapy dog. It helps you but has not gone through training, or performs any other tasks but heat your body.

 

I did notice in another post on CC that you were asking people to go on a ride on a camel. Sounds really physical to me (not sure how you would do that with so much back pain) but more power to you if you can go.

Forgive me, I guess I am just a little bitter that you blasted me for taking my SERVICE DOG on the beach. BTW, I worked in rehab, at least two hours a day,, for THREE years to be able to walk on the beach. I tried to do it last year and was not able to. I left in tears, set a new goal for another year. Also, Bailey did have to go on the beach to walk or relieve herself. I am sure they would not like it in the cabin. She left nothing but paw prints. You somehow missed the point that I was there for a week in the cabin. I did not have the ability to leave the area and find a "pet" area.

 

Again, I wish you the best, if you hang around here you will learn - but please don't post mis-information as fact, or encourage people to get SD items online without the proper training.

 

I will not address this again. I just had to explain that your thoughtless remarks and untrue "facts" had a significant impact on me and deminished the hard work I put in so I could walk on a beach like a 'normal' person.

[Andar]

Here are new pictures of Princess Star, fresh out of dry dock with all the new features.

I am looking forward tro the Sanctuary!

New Star Pictures

 

Back to cruise information.

I just found out that the Santuary charges $10.00 for half a day. I guess it still might be worth it to have a quiet retreat -especially on sea days.

 

I will not be getting off in any ports except Acapulco. We have reservations at La Perla and I have arranged to have a cab take us. We will have a nice dinner and watch the sunset and cliff divers.

[JNCRUISEBUMS]

Back to cruise information.

I just found out that the Santuary charges $10.00 for half a day. I guess it still might be worth it to have a quiet retreat -especially on sea days.

 

I will not be getting off in any ports except Acapulco. We have reservations at La Perla and I have arranged to have a cab take us. We will have a nice dinner and watch the sunset and cliff divers.

 

We have spent a lot of time in Acapulco, I wouldn't eat where the Cliff Divers are. My suggestion is Su Casa, they have an elevator, it is an outside restaurant with a gorgeous view, insist on being in front! Nancie:cool:

[Andar]

We have spent a lot of time in Acapulco, I wouldn't eat where the Cliff Divers are. My suggestion is Su Casa, they have an elevator, it is an outside restaurant with a gorgeous view, insist on being in front! Nancie:cool:

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion. We are going with a group that have never seen the cliff divers, that is why La Perla.

 

I have heard wonderful things about Su Casa and I know some on our roll call are planning to go there. Next cruise.......

[wizard-of-roz]

Like the rest of you...who go to this Board for good information about our Service Dogs and traveling, through life, with them....I emplor you; DO NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING THAT "TINWOMAN" HAS SUGGESTED SERIOUSLY!

 

The website that she [Tinwoman] and her cohorts are touting is absolutely the worst thing that anyone can do, who ligitimately believes in our SD's and the proper training and certification that it takes to go into public areas with them! She is the very reason why some of us are faced with discrimination!

Quam: Our dogs are very welcomed into Churches of all denominations.

****Now, back to the reason we're all here....Su Casa is wonderful. But, in order to watch the cliff divers...La Perla would be better.

Have a wonderful time!

[Andar]

Thanks Roz,

Has anyone used the Santuary area on ships?

Is it worth paying extra for?

[rangeley]

Andar, We didn't use sanctuary when we went on Princess, but we wish we had. The MUTS movie thing they have going on at the pool is horrible! It's blast your ear out movies all day long that no one watches. Half the time you can't even see them because of the sun. They do have an adult only pool if you have no kids with you, but it's not handicapped accessible. We were very upset about that. The other 2 pools are very crowded. Hope this helps. Cindy

[sunshine426]

Here are new pictures of Princess Star, fresh out of dry dock with all the new features.

I am looking forward tro the Sanctuary!

 

New Star Pictures

Andar, Thanks for posting these pictures. We were on the Star Princess during the ill fated fire, and she holds a very special place in our heart!!

[Andar]

Cindy, thanks for the information. Sounds like I need to budget for the Santuary. I can't handle blaring noise.

 

We live in a world of noise pollution (even in the PO and Drs. offices now) it is beyond me why the cruise lines think they have to have something blaring all the time. Why not give head phones to those that want to listen? :rolleyes:

[S.S. Cruisers]

Just found fantastic prices for December 14 cruises to Mexico!

$399 for 7 day balcony on Pride, $449 for 8 day Spirit and $649 for 7 day balcony on Oosterdam.....

 

My job is only temporary, so if not there don't get paid. This will have to be a tough one to decide.

 

Everyone have a great day and upcoming weekend. Hugs and kisses to furbabies and some extra scratches for people that don't have nice things to say about them.

 

Nancy

[denversees4me]

Andar, Thanks for posting these pictures. We were on the Star Princess during the ill fated fire, and she holds a very special place in our heart!!

 

 

hey i was wondering and never herd...how did that fire start ?????

[Andar]

Andar, Thanks for posting these pictures. We were on the Star Princess during the ill fated fire, and she holds a very special place in our heart!!

 

 

hey i was wondering and never herd...how did that fire start ?????

 

Wow, that must have been a very scary night. I am glad you and Denver were okay. Not everyone was so lucky:(

The cause was a cigarrette. Here is a link with picture:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11975460/

[wizard-of-roz]

Nancy: Wow! Great prices....Now, how do I explain it to my husband; Oh! I know..... "The cruise a month club!" Everyone should belong to that! ;)

I hope the prices for next year are as good.....we'll see!

And, I had to chuckle about your; "extra scratches for the people, who don't like furbabies!" It gave me my friday morning giggle!!! :p

[sunshine426]

Wow, that must have been a very scary night. I am glad you and Denver were okay. Not everyone was so lucky:(

The cause was a cigarrette. Here is a link with picture:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11975460/

 

Actually that was me who was on the "Charred Princess". A very lengthy study was done by the Marine Investigating Board and a summary was provided abt a year after the fire. The conclusion was that it was indeed a cigarett butt that smouldered in some towels left on a balcony. Since there was no sprinkler system ON THE BALCONY, with the wind, the fire spread rapidly. We were among the last passengers to disembark in Jamaica. Princess changed the type of balcony furniture, put in sprinklers and instituted a 24/7 watch on balconys.

[Andar]

Actually that was me who was on the "Charred Princess". A very lengthy study was done by the Marine Investigating Board and a summary was provided abt a year after the fire. The conclusion was that it was indeed a cigarett butt that smouldered in some towels left on a balcony. Since there was no sprinkler system ON THE BALCONY, with the wind, the fire spread rapidly. We were among the last passengers to disembark in Jamaica. Princess changed the type of balcony furniture, put in sprinklers and instituted a 24/7 watch on balconys.

 

Thanks for the correction. I can't imagine how scary that must have been; and you are still cruising???

 

Of course, it didn't stop me from booking the Star and I read the detailed report.:rolleyes: