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

[wizard-of-roz]

Well we set up our canopy and table with our group of CCI misfits & dogs yesterday at a local street fair. We met alot of nice people and even some that expressed an interest in becoming puppy raisers. We raised $232 in donations also. We are doing another one on Sept. 21st. It keeps us out of trouble. :D

 

Knowing you, there's all sorts of mischief you could be getting into to!!! :rolleyes: :D

[fairbourne]

We don't sell anything. We just have a donation jar out for whoever wants to put something in. They do get to play with the dogs if they want. That helps loosen their wallets some. :rolleyes:

 

 

LOL! Well the doggies did very well then!! :D.

[wizard-of-roz]

Knowing you, there's all sorts of mischief you could be getting into to!!! :rolleyes: :D

 

"Into to" - Only applies to DKD - The meaning is: One who gets INTO trouble more than once! Such as: "DKD went into to the store and walked out with out to paying!" :rolleyes:

[DisneyKidsDad]

"Into to" - Only applies to DKD - The meaning is: One who gets INTO trouble more than once! Such as: "DKD went into to the store and walked out with out to paying!" :rolleyes:

 

Look...now she's saying I wear a wig!! :eek:

[frecgenswl82]

Thank you so much sweet Nancy. I love your support!♥I hope to live a long time, I think Morey's birthday will always be an important day for me!

 

Your Morey's birthday will always be an important day to you. I am so glad that you had your family around to help you and Horton. I am happy that you were able to share more memories with your family.

 

Fairbourne I love your stories about Aruba. Thanks for everything you do to help other people. I do like reading and following all of everybodies stories and experiences. Susan

[DUTRAVEL]

Thank you so much sweet Nancy. I love your support!♥I hope to live a long time, I think Morey's birthday will always be an important day for me!

 

I am so glad that your family and Horton were able to help you make it through the day. Hopefully, every year will get a little easier, but you will always have your good memories.

 

Dianne

[wizard-of-roz]

Hi Roz - I'm glad you had your family around you - I recognised some of my DH in your description of Morey. He even cuts the easy spread butter neatly out of those tubs!!! LOL!

 

Horton, you are such a good, good boy, unlike like this little tink - see photo!

 

Photo - this is my old chair I have in my small study and I thought it was very quiet when I was in the kitchen next door, a bit too quiet! - you would think by now I would know how sneaky these dogs are!!! :eek: needless to say, she got short shrift and bundled off as soon as I took this photo! I think her expression says it all really - she knows fine she is not supposed to be there!

 

Aruba, are you sitting on Mum's chair? You look so regal! ;)

Edited September 8, 2014 by wizard-of-roz

[wizard-of-roz]

Look...now she's saying I wear a wig!! :eek:

 

If you're reading it really carefully it's referring to your dancing attire.......you know, your tu-tu! :eek: :D

[wizard-of-roz]

I am so glad that your family and Horton were able to help you make it through the day. Hopefully, every year will get a little easier, but you will always have your good memories.

 

Dianne

 

Dianne, thank you for your kind words. You're so right and I know it, it's just so difficult to grasp when you're living through it! Morey and I had a wonderful life together.....I'm very blessed to have known him!

[DisneyKidsDad]

If you're reading it really carefully it's referring to your dancing attire.......you know, your tu-tu! :eek: :D

 

With my belly...my tu-tu has become a four-four. :(

[wizard-of-roz]

Your Morey's birthday will always be an important day to you. I am so glad that you had your family around to help you and Horton. I am happy that you were able to share more memories with your family.

 

Fairbourne I love your stories about Aruba. Thanks for everything you do to help other people. I do like reading and following all of everybodies stories and experiences. Susan

 

Susan, thank you for your kind words!

 

The best part is a lot of folks reading this can live Fairbourne's and DKD's experiences by becoming a Puppy Raiser themselves. They can contact Canine Companions for Independence [online] or call: 1-800-572-2275 [572-BARK] and ask for more information about getting involved.

 

CCI has changed my life in so many ways. They're an amazing Org. If you live in Texas they'll be opening a new CCI and offering dogs in conjunction with a health center. They're all over the U.S. If you have a loved one or friend that you think could have a better life with the assistance of one of these miracle workers tell them to call. So many people have no idea about them.

 

I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound like a commercial but I'm always thrilled to share my experiences with CCI with others.

[wizard-of-roz]

With my belly...my tu-tu has become a four-four. :(

 

I do believe you meant a four by four! Okay, okay enough they're saying!!!! :p

[alexspepa]

got a funny story about toys - Lucy my choc lab has about 100 stuffed animals - I work for a hardware wholesaler and I always bring her toys back from trade shows. She has a chest full in the living room, and a basket upstairs and another one in the den. Whenever anyone comes to visit she always grabs a mouthful of toys to greet with. In seven years she has only chewed up maybe one toy...

 

Anyway we have about 5 or 6 of the same stuffed animal - a little stuffed dog. One day I came home and she had gathered up 4l of the same toy - from 3 different baskets and chests, and had them all in a semi-circle on the floor; she had only picked out the toys that matched exactly.

[wizard-of-roz]

got a funny story about toys - Lucy my choc lab has about 100 stuffed animals - I work for a hardware wholesaler and I always bring her toys back from trade shows. She has a chest full in the living room, and a basket upstairs and another one in the den. Whenever anyone comes to visit she always grabs a mouthful of toys to greet with. In seven years she has only chewed up maybe one toy...

 

Anyway we have about 5 or 6 of the same stuffed animal - a little stuffed dog. One day I came home and she had gathered up 4l of the same toy - from 3 different baskets and chests, and had them all in a semi-circle on the floor; she had only picked out the toys that matched exactly.

 

What????? :confused: She's a genius! What a smart girl, that's so adorable. I wish I could have seen it. These dogs never cease to amaze me!

 

Cute story. I was picturing every room you were describing! ;)

[DisneyKidsDad]

We finally got baby pictures of Davis from the CCI Breeder/Caretaker. Here he is at less than 8 weeks old. He don't look like that no more!! :eek:

 

[wizard-of-roz]

We finally got baby pictures of Davis from the CCI Breeder/Caretaker. Here he is at less than 8 weeks old. He don't look like that no more!! :eek:

 

 

Oh! No! Give me that baby! Who doesn't love them at this age? So, so cute and pudgy!!!!

 

I have NO PICTURES of either Brenda or Horton at this age. Their puppyrasiers, as wonderful as they were, just didn't take the time to capture those fabulous puppy and youngster moments. Too bad, because they're pups for such a short time. And, even though they look a lot alike, they're all so different. :)

 

If there are any breeder/caretaker's/puppyraisers out there who are reading this......PLEASE, PLEASE take pictures of the puppy's and toddlers for all the folks who will have these wonderful dogs in their lives. It would mean so much to them, I promise you!!!!

 

I treasure the pictures I've taken of Brenda and Horton since the day I got them.

 

And, the painting that Trudy did of Brenda just gives me shivers, how she captured her eyes and her expression......I love it so much!

[wizard-of-roz]

Now there's a battle going on because CCI was chosen as a contractor to furnish dogs for a study to be performed by the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] to determine the potential benefits of canine support for Vets with PTSD .

 

Some folks are arguing over the skills that will be taught the dogs such as:

Block-Keeping others out of the handlers space, in front of Vet.

Lights-Dogs enters a room, turns on lights.

Sweep-Dog enters a room, turns on lights, sweeps perimeter of room, Dog barks if they detect the presence of another person.

Bring-Dog brings specified items to the handler.

Behind-Dog stands behind the Vet. to provide physical space.

 

The study will go on for 18 months. The Vet and the matched dog will go into a Team Training environment and work together with trainers for 2 weeks. And, then go home and be over looked by CCI and the VA. If they do well in the 18months they will be given public access and be provided Vet care for the life of the dog by the VA.

 

Comments are being made that these skills are counter-productive for the Vets, etc., etc.

 

I wish some folks would just let them try it and see if it helps. CCI will know if and when they need to tweak some of the skills and commands.

 

It sounds like a wonderful opportunity for some folks who are housebound or fearful of their environment and need the assistance that a skilled dog can bring them.

 

Good work CCI and the VA!

[frecgenswl82]

It is good that CCI is going to work with the VA to provide qualified service dogs for the Vets that truly need them. A couple of problems I see, my opinion. Is the Vet truly in need of a PTSD dog,or are they faking it? My son has seen some people fake their PTSD to get out of things. What would it do to the real PTSD vets now that have trained their dog to help them? I wish them all good luck with the training and future training of the public,also. Susan

[dobiemom]

We finally got baby pictures of Davis from the CCI Breeder/Caretaker. Here he is at less than 8 weeks old. He don't look like that no more!! :eek:

 

Aawww! What a cutie pie!

[wizard-of-roz]

It is good that CCI is going to work with the VA to provide qualified service dogs for the Vets that truly need them. A couple of problems I see, my opinion. Is the Vet truly in need of a PTSD dog,or are they faking it? My son has seen some people fake their PTSD to get out of things. What would it do to the real PTSD vets now that have trained their dog to help them? I wish them all good luck with the training and future training of the public,also. Susan

 

Susan, there are a lot of folks who are skeptical about this but who also know that CCI is a very reputable organization and they're not going to put that reputation on the line. And, they've got the VA overseeing this project [not that they're as good as they should be] but, with both of them watching hopefully the study will bring help to those who genuinely need and deserve these amazing dogs.

 

We'll see!

[alexspepa]

on a somewhat related note - I urge everyone to read the article below about how the military classifies military dogs as "equipment" rather than "personnel". If a military dog is retired while overseas the animal is not entitled to a return flight home and is in effect abandoned unless someone is willing to pay the expense of shipping the dog home...

 

be sure and check out the photos of military dogs and their handlers in the slide show.

 

absolutely a horrible practice in my opinion - if you agree please contact your elected officials to ask that this be changed.

 

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/386953/dont-abandon-our-dogs-war-jonah-goldberg

Edited September 11, 2014 by alexspepa

[Caribbean Chris]

Love that photo, DKD! Green toy is almost as big as Davis.

 

(Wish I had some puppy pics of Hearing Dog Raylene.)

[wizard-of-roz]

on a somewhat related note - I urge everyone to read the article below about how the military classifies military dogs as "equipment" rather than "personnel". If a military dog is retired while overseas the animal is not entitled to a return flight home and is in effect abandoned unless someone is willing to pay the expense of shipping the dog home...

 

be sure and check out the photos of military dogs and their handlers in the slide show.

 

absolutely a horrible practice in my opinion - if you agree please contact your elected officials to ask that this be changed.

 

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/386953/dont-abandon-our-dogs-war-jonah-goldberg

 

The saddest part is that some of these dogs can't even be "change-of-career" dogs and adopted by Orgs. to be redirected to do other jobs here in the states, because what they've done overseas is so engrained in their brain that they're coming back with PTSD themselves. It's such a heartbreaker.

[wizard-of-roz]

The story that we're reading about these dogs really bothered me so I spoke to a colleague who served in Afganistan, he did not have a Military Dog but worked beside many of these amazing heroes.

 

He said, the dogs who did not fly home with their handlers were sent back to training camps and then flown with other soldiers at a later time [during their wait to go home, they're kept in the kennels, cared for and treated well.] He said it's not true that these war dogs were let loose in the desert to fend for themselves. Absolutely NOT TRUE.

 

He said he was involved in getting the necessary forms for these dogs [similar to the forms that we have to have when cruising with our SD's], in order to get them ready for the flight home.

 

He said the dogs were treated with great respect and not discarded like rubbish, as this article would have us believe.

Edited September 11, 2014 by wizard-of-roz

[alexspepa]

The story that we're reading about these dogs really bothered me so I spoke to a colleague who served in Afganistan, he did not have a Military Dog but worked beside many of these amazing heroes.

 

He said, the dogs who did not fly home with their handlers were sent back to training camps and then flown with other soldiers at a later time [during their wait to go home, they're kept in the kennels, cared for and treated well.] He said it's not true that these war dogs were let loose in the desert to fend for themselves. Absolutely NOT TRUE.

 

He said he was involved in getting the necessary forms for these dogs [similar to the forms that we have to have when cruising with our SD's], in order to get them ready for the flight home.

 

He said the dogs were treated with great respect and not discarded like rubbish, as this article would have us believe.

 

I certainly would prefer that version to the one in the article...will try to do some more research.

 

thanks Roz