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

[rangeley]

Don't believe the bad rumors that some ppl have circulated about shock collars being bad. They don't hurt. Yes, I have tried it on myself before. Yes, such things have been used on humans before (albeit at least sometimes in a different learning style, such as when used to stop smoking as opposed to doing commands like a dog does).

 

Have you ever been in a cold place in the winter months? If you drag your feet across a rug/carpet and then touch something (preferably metal but it doesn't have to be - it can even be another person), an electric shock is created (if it is dark in the room, you can often even SEE the spark! That's pretty wild). It doesn't hurt at all, but is just surprising (or, to be punny, it is shocking, haha). The shock collar is like that (without the visible spark). Nothing bad about it at all.

 

 

Quam, In our apt I get shocked all the time and it hurts like heck!!! You must have tough skin not to feel that. I too, do not believe in a shock collar, but I also hated the prong collar they use at CCI. And Wex does not wear it, because John cannot get it on and off. But we would have not used it when we got home anyway. If the dog is trained properly, there is no reason it would need a shock collar. I am with Roz on this one, they should be outlawed.

[rangeley]

First I laughed about the lady and her walker and then you said, "Bailey didn't make it to that day!" And, of course, I teared-up! How old was Bailey when she passed?

 

I would love to spend some time with you, John and Wexy.

 

Cindy, I got my email yesterday to schedule my "in person" interview. They set it up for June 24th. I'm so busy between then and now that the wait won't be too bad. Morey and Brenny will go with me and wait in the hotel while I go to the interview. Whereas, when I interviewed for Brenda, Morey could sit on the sidelines and watch the whole thing.

 

I hope you're feeling strong and well.

 

Wooooooooohoooooooo Roz! Things are moving along. I am kind of surprised that you have to wait til June for your interview. It seems so far away. The grad dates are Sept 30th and Nov 4th for Santa Rosa. You can check the website for the dates.

 

Bailee was 12 1/2 when she passed.

[wizard-of-roz]

Wooooooooohoooooooo Roz! Things are moving along. I am kind of surprised that you have to wait til June for your interview. It seems so far away. The grad dates are Sept 30th and Nov 4th for Santa Rosa. You can check the website for the dates.

 

Bailee was 12 1/2 when she passed.

 

A September Team Training will not work for me because Brenda is cruising under the Golden Gate Bridge right about then.....and, nothing will stop us from fulfilling our "Bucket List"!

I hope I'll make it to the November class. I thought the wait until June was kind of long myself......but, CCI knows what they're doing and maybe my new "hero" is not quite done cooking, yet!!!!!!!! ;)

I guess 12 1/2 years for Miss Bailey was a decent age for these Labs.......It's just not long enough, as far as I'm concerned!!!! :(

[rangeley]

I wanted to post an article about our puppy raisers in our area. The ones we go to class with every month, but it wouldn't upload. So Roz I am emailing it to you.

[wizard-of-roz]

I wanted to post an article about our puppy raisers in our area. The ones we go to class with every month, but it wouldn't upload. So Roz I am emailing it to you.

 

Yeh!!!! You go to class every month? That sounds like so much fun. Is it through CCI?

[S.S. Cruisers]

Afternoon all:

Sunshine: We always told Reno we wished he had thumbs. He always had his big ole head right in the way trying to help us fix stuff. Ms. Cooler sounds like she is coming along quite nicely. Thanks to an attentive mom trainer!

 

Roz: I am glad the process is coming along and as long as you will be busy between now and June, the time will fly. I can't wait to see pictures of Ms. Brenny cruising under the Golden Gate bridge! It gives me goosebumps.

 

 

[wizard-of-roz]

Quam, In our apt I get shocked all the time and it hurts like heck!!! You must have tough skin not to feel that. I too, do not believe in a shock collar, but I also hated the prong collar they use at CCI. And Wex does not wear it, because John cannot get it on and off. But we would have not used it when we got home anyway. If the dog is trained properly, there is no reason it would need a shock collar. I am with Roz on this one, they should be outlawed.

 

I hate the prongs too!!! And, I have been shocked sometimes when I go to touch Brenny and there's lots of static in the air and, you know what, it hurts me and you should see how big her eyes get. I'm forever telling her I'm so sorry and I give her a big kiss!!!!!

I'm gonna have to hang one of those "grounding" things from my butt just like the big rigs do!!!!! :eek:

[wizard-of-roz]

Afternoon all:

Sunshine: We always told Reno we wished he had thumbs. He always had his big ole head right in the way trying to help us fix stuff. Ms. Cooler sounds like she is coming along quite nicely. Thanks to an attentive mom trainer!

 

Roz: I am glad the process is coming along and as long as you will be busy between now and June, the time will fly. I can't wait to see pictures of Ms. Brenny cruising under the Golden Gate bridge! It gives me goosebumps.

 

 

 

I keep reminding Brenny that she's got some "stuff" to do so she must take good care of herself......like this afternoon when she almost ran into that darn maple tree in the back yard.....I nearly lost 10 years off my life!!!!!:eek:

[rangeley]

Yeh!!!! You go to class every month? That sounds like so much fun. Is it through CCI?

 

 

One of the puppy raisers works at a dog store/groomer/dog training place. They have a huge room they use for training. Once a month all the puppy raisers in our area get together on a Sat night and have a class. They mostly practice and also talk about their fundrasing efforts. The puppy raisers are required to raise a certain amount each year. So because of Wexler we were invited to go and we've been going ever since. They are great people, and alot of fun. When they are done training, they have play time. Wexler loves that!! We also order dinner and have dessert. The dessert is my job, I have a few things they really like. It's alot of fun and it gets us out of the house.

[rangeley]

Roz, Article wouldn't send from my email, so sent it from Johns.

 

Cindy

[celle]

Hi all,

 

I thought you might be interested in this story, about a dog and its owner who survived the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand

"Blind earthquake survivor Blair McConnell has his guide dog to thank for leading him to safety through the rubble.

The labrador-retriever cross named Kiwi led a shaken and disorientated Mr McConnell through fallen buildings along the banks of the River Avon, until a passing motorist stopped to help.

Mr McConnell had been at work at Telecom's Old Exchange Building in Hereford St. He was dealing with a customer on the phone when the quake struck, the Sunday Star Times reported.

He dived under his desk where Kiwi was already sheltering.

"I grabbed his harness and he was quite keen to get out," Mr McConnell said.

They had escaped out of the building into the middle of Hereford St when the second big aftershock hit.

Mr McConnell, who is almost completely blind, said he could hear lots of screaming.

But Kiwi remained calm, and led him to the riverside where a passing motorist came to their rescue.

They finally got home three hours later."

 

Good to hear about another wonderful dog!

[wizard-of-roz]

Hi all,

 

I thought you might be interested in this story, about a dog and its owner who survived the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand

 

"Blind earthquake survivor Blair McConnell has his guide dog to thank for leading him to safety through the rubble.

The labrador-retriever cross named Kiwi led a shaken and disorientated Mr McConnell through fallen buildings along the banks of the River Avon, until a passing motorist stopped to help.

Mr McConnell had been at work at Telecom's Old Exchange Building in Hereford St. He was dealing with a customer on the phone when the quake struck, the Sunday Star Times reported.

He dived under his desk where Kiwi was already sheltering.

"I grabbed his harness and he was quite keen to get out," Mr McConnell said.

They had escaped out of the building into the middle of Hereford St when the second big aftershock hit.

Mr McConnell, who is almost completely blind, said he could hear lots of screaming.

But Kiwi remained calm, and led him to the riverside where a passing motorist came to their rescue.

They finally got home three hours later."

 

Good to hear about another wonderful dog!

 

Thank you for sharing this story. It sounds so familiar to the story of the dog who saved his handler and several other people as he guided them down a smokey/darkened stairwell inside one of the twin towers at 9/11.

 

I love these Service Dogs and all that they do to make our lives so much better. :)

[celle]

Thank you for sharing this story. It sounds so familiar to the story of the dog who saved his handler and several other people as he guided them down a smokey/darkened stairwell inside one of the twin towers at 9/11.

 

I love these Service Dogs and all that they do to make our lives so much better. :)

 

Thanks, Ros

 

Service dogs are great!

 

Christchurch central looks like New York after 9/11. It's heartbreaking!

 

Fortunately, we live in the North Island, so are safe, and so are all our friends and family. Our accountant and former trustee of our family trust has lost his close friend and colleague.

 

Caryl

[dlbutler5]

Test post of Valentine from new photo Gallery

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[wizard-of-roz]

Thanks, Ros

 

Service dogs are great!

 

Christchurch central looks like New York after 9/11. It's heartbreaking!

 

Fortunately, we live in the North Island, so are safe, and so are all our friends and family. Our accountant and former trustee of our family trust has lost his close friend and colleague.

 

Caryl

 

My heart goes out to all of you, especially the folks who suffered a loss in Christchurch.

We live in Northridge, California and in 1994 we were devastated by the Northridge earthquake.

We are thankful that we and the rest of our family were not injured. Even though we did have to move out of our homes for some time, we were very lucky to have insurance and stayed in hotels. I lost "stuff", sometimes I'm saddened by the "stuff" that I lost and can not replace but am ever so grateful for our lives.

I didn't have my amazing Service Dog [brenda] then and, I know when we get an earthquake now I think of her first.

Living in an area that has a constant threat of earthquakes can be a bit scary but it's NEVER at the forefront of your thoughts. You remain prepared for the worst and always hope for the best. No place is perfect and we love the area.

[wizard-of-roz]

Test post of Valentine from new photo Gallery

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What a face!!!!!!! I swear she comes to life, right off the page. Service/Working Dogs come in all shapes and sizes but, Valentine lends new meaning to the word "huggable!" ;)

[wizard-of-roz]

Roz, Article wouldn't send from my email, so sent it from Johns.

 

Cindy

 

Cindy, what a fabulous group of folks. Not only did CCI bring you Wex but they brought some new friends into your lives. Love it!!!!!

[guitarest]

Since we have a few photo's of our service animals here; I thought I would share 2 more with Blitz and his little sister Mel.

 

 

[wizard-of-roz]

I love the pictures of Blitz and his little sister.

I know these dogs separate well but I hate to see Mel leave. She looks so happy near her big brother!

Edited March 7, 2011 by wizard-of-roz

[guitarest]

I love the pictures of Blitz and his little sister.

 

I know these dogs separate well but I hate to see Mel leave. She looks so happy near her big brother!

 

I am so not looking forward to that day which is coming soon. Well Mel and her brother decided to play in the mud today after I cleaned the kitchen (while I was cleaning actually). Oh talk about being upset with two German Shepherds.....

[wizard-of-roz]

I am so not looking forward to that day which is coming soon. Well Mel and her brother decided to play in the mud today after I cleaned the kitchen (while I was cleaning actually). Oh talk about being upset with two German Shepherds.....

 

Wait til you cruise with Blitz and she decides that she wants to wear the beach on her paws and fur and you want to go into a restaurant to eat. Talk about "planning", you have to be prepared to wipe off his paws and clean-up the sand that has decided to take it's place on his fur, before you walk into a public place. And, most importantly before you re-board the ship.

Brenda had decided, in Alaska, that the salmon looked awfully good in a stream that was very near where we were walking and got her paws wet and then muddy [my fault, I actually walked right up to see the salmon and forgot that Brenda was a dog! :rolleyes:].

The walk back to the ship was enough time for her paws to dry and for me to wipe off the caked-on mud.

It's so hard to come to the realization that my Brenny is not human!!!!!!!

[guitarest]

 

It's so hard to come to the realization that my Brenny is not human!!!!!!!

 

 

See now that's funny because Blitz does not understand that he isn't and he is in the stage of "really daddy I'm not that large and I am still a lapdog". Something we have not done yet is a restaurant together, mostly because I eat at home and not out. So I have a few weeks left to try this out; Blitz is great in other areas but the eating thing would be a new experience. At home he lays down near me and does not get any left overs until there are actually left overs. We had a huge storm come through this weekend and between the squall lines we went to the local supermarket. While we were in there we helped the supermarket run out shoplifters without knowing we helped. Since it was in between storms we ran over to the supermarket, since the entire staff knows and loves Blitz we do not normally go there with his vest; we have a ID card attached to his leash and the leash also has a velcro sign attached that states "Service Dog". We went into the store and not 5 minutes after being in there the intercom came on about a security alert in the store. We casually walked over to the area with the meat, in the butcher area. Well the manager came over as we were getting the dog food and she told us that they had the attempted shoplifters who were trying to steal steaks. She didn't know if us coming towards that area had something to do with them leaving in a hurry without getting anything and dropping the steaks in another area of the store but it was cool that it appears we helped a little.

 

So Roz other than the food areas any other advice since this will all be new to us..

 

Thanks again for your information. You are a huge amount of information and all of it is so valuable to someone like me who has never done anything like this before....

[wizard-of-roz]

See now that's funny because Blitz does not understand that he isn't and he is in the stage of "really daddy I'm not that large and I am still a lapdog". Something we have not done yet is a restaurant together, mostly because I eat at home and not out. So I have a few weeks left to try this out; Blitz is great in other areas but the eating thing would be a new experience. At home he lays down near me and does not get any left overs until there are actually left overs. We had a huge storm come through this weekend and between the squall lines we went to the local supermarket. While we were in there we helped the supermarket run out shoplifters without knowing we helped. Since it was in between storms we ran over to the supermarket, since the entire staff knows and loves Blitz we do not normally go there with his vest; we have a ID card attached to his leash and the leash also has a velcro sign attached that states "Service Dog". We went into the store and not 5 minutes after being in there the intercom came on about a security alert in the store. We casually walked over to the area with the meat, in the butcher area. Well the manager came over as we were getting the dog food and she told us that they had the attempted shoplifters who were trying to steal steaks. She didn't know if us coming towards that area had something to do with them leaving in a hurry without getting anything and dropping the steaks in another area of the store but it was cool that it appears we helped a little.

 

So Roz other than the food areas any other advice since this will all be new to us..

 

Thanks again for your information. You are a huge amount of information and all of it is so valuable to someone like me who has never done anything like this before....

 

Great story.....I think seeing Blitz in the store really caught the "bad guys" off guard and they thought he would be a threat to them.....how cool is that!!!!

I've walked with Brenda in the parking lot of our local mall [just to go back to my car] and I've had many people ask if she was the "mall security dog?" I swear it's the "black dog" thing. People are more wary of black dogs. And, of course, we all know what the "typical "police or army dog" looks like in our heads! Just like Blitz! Today, these dogs are made-up of all different varieties.

You're going to get a lot of attention from folks who are not used to seeing a German Shephard doing Service Dog work. You'll have a lot of people who are fearful of him. This can be a two-edged sword for you.

Your demeanor will make all the difference in the world as to how you present Blitz to the public. Make sure he is always acting appropriately and get him used to hearing you speak and order your commands in a soft but firm voice. This is preparing him for his public exposure. You, using a loud or big voice will only scare the folks around you. And, it's not necessary for a well trained dog!

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER feed him in a restaurant, bar or anywhere the public is eating. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER allow him to eat off the floor or to get any food from you or others while you're eating. This habit will become very engrained in him. And, while you're eating in the restaurant make sure he is under the table or beside you, in a down/stay position and that he does not move. Make sure when you take him out from under the table that you are not infringing on someone else's space. You can help Blitz learn all these good habits by NOT feeding him at your dinner table or while you're eating EVER!!!!!!!

Always survey the area that you're going to eat in to make sure that there will be room for him to lay down and room for him to walk out without bothering others. And, make sure that there is no debris laying about. I have found, not only food, but forks/knives and shoes left under tables. She's also come out with gum stuck to her head! Yuck!!!! :(

When Brenda is coming out from under a table after I've eaten she likes to turn herself before she's asked to sit down and wait for me to walk away with her. I make sure that her tail will not brush other diners and that she has the room to comfortably leave. This may sound simple.......It's not.....It takes good planning and finding the perfect table.

I always ask for a table for 4 allowing Brenda lots of room to lay down and, if there's not room "underneath" the table, I make sure that there's a wall or window for her to lay against. Again, good planning on your part will make Blitz's experience a good one.

Look out for ailes that children/grownups/wheelchairs, etc., will be using and could trip over Blitz, hurting themselves and most importantly, hurting her. :o

We dine out at least 3 times a week and in all different types of restaurants. Little did I know how much this would prepare Brenda for the cruising experience and made going to different venues onboard the cruise so much easier for all of us. :)

[Latitude 20]

This is an SOS to Roz or Quam (or anyone else who can help). As you might remember I'm working on a compilation of access rights/issues for my boss (an animal law attorney). After thinking about it, I'd love to include a section on traveling with a service animal. I'm researching frantically and have the air travel and hotel section done but I'm unsure about the cruise ship regulations and I'd like to include the requirements for a service animal entering Canada and Mexico.

 

So, not that I'm asking you to do my project for me (LOL) but if you know off the top of your head:

 

1. What are the requirements for simply bringing your dog onto the ship (as if you're never getting off at any port)?

2. What are the requirements for bringing your dog off the ship into Mexico?

3. What are the requirements for bringing your dog off the ship into Canada?

 

My presentation is due at noon on Thursday so if you don't have time to answer before than, no worries--I'll just go with whatever I have.

 

But if you can get me the information, I'll put it together and see if the moderator will turn it into a "sticky" so folks don't have to comb through this thread (or ask you guys!) every time this question comes up.

 

Thanks for all your help,

Kathi

[Quampapetet]

Quam: There NEVER a time when a dog should be "shocked" - If a dog is treated with respect/kindness and positive reinforcement there is no way ever that it should be made to wear such a collar. They should be outlawed. And, I am not open for discussion about this again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

There is nothing non-respectful or non-kind about shock collars. And positive-only is not a good thing for either dogs or people/kids. There is zero reason to outlaw e-collars/shock collars as they aren't harmful in any way, physically or psychologically. They're a good training tool, especially for certain types of dogs who can be harder to train (not good at listening) or have certain jobs (i.e. hunting dogs who at times are at a big distance from their person).