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

[wizard-of-roz]

DKD, Thanks for the info!!!

 

Cindy

 

When we went to Team Training in 2002, some of the Teams trained in separate groups.

The Skilled, Service, Facility and Skilled Companions were in one group and the Hearing Dogs were in a totally separate training room.

Although, things have changed, maybe they're ALL trained together, now!!!

The best part is you'll know the answer in just a few days.......

[S.S. Cruisers]

Mornin' all:

Tap, tap, tap, we are waiting for the rest of you to make a choice on which dog John and Cindy are going to get!

Cindy: I am so excited for you guys, I cannot even imagine how you feel. I would be pacing nerviously back and forth and not able to concentrate on anything! I keep going back and looking at those beautiful babies that are waiting to help their new mommies and daddies.

Everyone have a great Friday and weekend.

Nancy

[1 Huskerfan]

Cindy:

 

It seems like we were separated from the beginning and for most of the time. It was a class of service teams and a class of skilled companion teams. We had no facility teams in our team training.

 

Did you mention John was a teacher? Will he be done with team training by the time he has to start teaching again? There is a grad here who teaches kindergarten and takes his dog with him to school.

 

Kim and Keldon

[rangeley]

Kim, We will be home for a week or so before John has to go back to school. I'm glad because we will have time home for the dog to get used to living here and being with Bailee. Rangeley went to school everyday but Friday. That was his day with me. We would go to this little diner type restaurant. Rangeley would go in the back with the owner, she would have a box of cookies there for him. We would have lunch, then it was off for a walk to the lake. I looked forward to it every week. We would have our chats about life. lol

 

Cindy

[sunshine426]

I am being "seranaded" from pups this morning. They have already been out, been fed, and play time. This is nap time for them and they are protesting. If I didn't know better I would swear they have some hound dog in them. "a whoooooooooo". One saw his reflection in the fireplace glass door and started barking like crazy. It was this high pitched baby bark. They have been racing and chasing and wrestling, and chewing on each others tails and ears. One stole a chew from the other and took off running, next thing I saw was one puppy running the other grabbing his tail as if to say, not this time.

 

Off to the farmers market this morning as soon as I get cleaned up. I'll take one of them to that. Then off to Sears for a new battery and fixing up MIL's car. So, one or both will go visit at the Senior Independent Living facility. Lot's of sunshine(not me) to spread around.

[sunshine426]

OK, my vote if for "Lucah II". I just looked at the picture and saw which one caught my eye. They are all fabulous and I am sure a great match will be made. Good Luck!!!!!!!

[S.S. Cruisers]

Mornin' all:

Well I see we are all picking different babies! One of us will be right.........

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

John and Cindy, I just can't keep the excitement in, I have no idea how you two are coping! Give Bailee lots of hugs and kisses and let her know she will be getting a new brother or sister? The names are so hard to read, were there any girls?

Nancy

[1 Huskerfan]

Cosequin and Dasuquin ARE Glucosamine/Chondroitin combos. They are the highest-quality ones out there. The company makes G/C for humans, as well, and those are doctor-recommended (my father's doctor told him to get that particular brand after my father had knee surgery). Dasuquin is a newer formula that has something added that helps the G/C work better - you can also get it with MSM added (I forget what MSM adds as far as benefits go, but you can look it up on the company's Web site - just do a Google to find it, as I forget the exact name). So, yes, this would definitely benefit Brenda - and save you hundreds of dollars! (I recommend the chewables - they are very palatable, I think beef flavoured or something like that.)[/color][/b]

The Welactin is also high-quality and the two or so added ingredients help the salmon oil, so it will be as good as or better than what you feed now. (I don't know what brand you feed, but some brands of supplements have no quality control and differing amounts can go in each bottle and such.) You can read about it on the company's Web site, as well.

 

Hey everyone...at what age did you start your dogs on this. Keldon just turned 4. He has it in his chow, but I am thinking about starting him on this as well?

 

Kim and Keldon

[1 Huskerfan]

Kim, We will be home for a week or so before John has to go back to school. I'm glad because we will have time home for the dog to get used to living here and being with Bailee. Rangeley went to school everyday but Friday. That was his day with me. We would go to this little diner type restaurant. Rangeley would go in the back with the owner, she would have a box of cookies there for him. We would have lunch, then it was off for a walk to the lake. I looked forward to it every week. We would have our chats about life. lol

 

Cindy

 

It is good you have a week to let the new dog settle into the family and your home. That is very cool he took Rangeley to school. I hope he will take the new one as well...of course except for your "date" Friday. lol Are you guys leaving for CCI tomorrow? How close are you to the CCI campus? I think August is the best time to go. Speaking of August...it is 2 years for Thomas and Keldon this August!

 

Kim and Keldon

[Quampapetet]

Quam, these actually look doable......I will try them and let you guys know how she does with them.

 

She's the only dog in training that would not wear a gentle leader on her nose.....she would, literally, run her face along the ground and walls to get it off and would not focus on her job. So, CCI decided it wasn't worth the hassle with her!!!!!!

 

Also, getting anything on her paws makes her "nuts", until she gets it off, she'll do nothing else (I swear she has a bit of OCD)......we'll see if the booties work. I'll let you know.

 

Yeah, many dogs don't like head halters and do things like your pooch did.

 

My dog is not a fan of the other types of boots we've tried (including the ones from RuffWear). One day I had them on her and she just threw a tantrum about it by sitting every time we were stopped for more than one second, LOL! For a mobility dog, this is not a good thing, so off they came and she behaved normally after that. Thankfully, hot pavement doesn't phase her, so it isn't a huge deal.

 

When we're in winter climates, though, I'd like for her to wear boots due to the harsh ice-melting salt they put down in parking lots. One time a little of one of her paws got burned from that stuff and it hurt her. :(

 

I did want to buy some of these, but never did do it. I almost ordered them from one site, but then saw the shipping price and it was ridiculous on that site. Then I meant to stop by a local shop that the boot site says carries the boots, but I never did get there.

 

I wish that the boots came in every color in every size, though. They are only in one color per size, though. I would rather have a different color than what my dog's size's color is! I want the lime green ones!! But those are only for the tiniest of doggies. :mad:

[Quampapetet]

Regarding the dog shoes/boots we borrowed a pair of Muttluks for our trip to Disney World. Keldon was fine wearing them (we practiced a bit at home before we left). They are a softer one without the rubber soles like the Ruff Wear ones.

 

I don't know if Roz has tried those, but I have. They fall off all the time (especially if you use them in the snow) and my dog hates them, too. :( Picky doggy! But, if we're in snow and she wants to go play in it, I put her doggy snowsuit on (yes, I'm serious :o) and then put Muttluks on and attach the Muttluks to the snowsuit with mitten clips which I sewed onto the Muttluks). They still come off, but not as often as without being clipped on; I prob'ly need to put a second clip on each to see if that helps. That had been my original plan, actually, but by the time I was done with four clips, I didn't want to put another four on! :p

 

(My dog's coat of hair gets ice balls when she is in the snow, so that is why I have a snowsuit and booties for her. Otherwise, she comes inside looking like the Abonimable Snowdog and not even a doggy hairdryer plus rubbing with a towel can melt all that ice quickly or easily [and conserving my energy is a necessity].)

[Quampapetet]

Some of it included pulling the wheelchair and turning on and off lights.

 

Did you know that in England it is illegal for service dogs to pull wheelchairs? I don't know why, as lots of teams do it safely here in the States. But that's England for ya. (So, anybody here who has a wheelchair dog, if you go to England, make sure you don't have your dog pull your chair while you are there/in public there.)

[Quampapetet]

Hey everyone...at what age did you start your dogs on this. Keldon just turned 4. He has it in his chow, but I am thinking about starting him on this as well?

 

Kim and Keldon

 

It is best to ask your vet for your individual dog about the Cosequin/Dasuquin. I think your dog would be all right, though, and I think my dog was four when I started her on Cosequin (then changed to Dasquin when the company came out with it). The Welactin can be had at any age, I'm pretty sure. Your vet has to call in for the free stuff, anyway, so you'll have to run it by them unless you aren't an IAADP partner member (or you have more than one service dog, since only one service dog can get the benefits from IAADP and that's the dog that is listed on your membership card).

[rangeley]

Well we are off to CCI. We have a 2hr drive to my moms to drop Bailee off, then another hour to the ferry, 1hr ferry ride then about 1/2 hour to the campus. Its gonna be a longggggg day. I know it's a happy time, but I'm really sad about leaving Bailee for 2 weeks. She's my baby!! I know how she is and she will be very sad too. :( Not bad enough we will be leaving her but then we will be coming home with another dog :eek: I hope this doesn't kill her. But I have to think positive! I will try to update you as much as I can. Wish us luck and say a prayer for us that things go well. Love you all!!!

 

Cindy and John

[S.S. Cruisers]

Mornin' all:

Cindy: Best of luck and safe travels! I am sure Bailee will be fine at grammies. I know its hard leaving her. We are already discussing how we will be able to leave our little terrier beast for any length of time. She has to be with one of us at all times. I think Bailee will be so happy to see mom and dad, she probably won't even give that "other" dog a second look.

Everyone have a great day. I start work Tuesday, orientation with a pot luck! They hired 6 new people, so we should be fine.

Nancy

[denversees4me]

ok little secret Denver wanted me to share about paws and snow and ice

 

theres a great product called mushers secret and it is a wax you apply to their feet you have to google it to understand what it is and what it does but it works great for the snow if you have dogs who dont like the boots . :-) have a great week everyone -Denver and i have been busy with the rescue dogs and will TRY to come tell u all about them soon but for now they are taking up all of our time LOL

Cari amd D

[denversees4me]

denver started cosequin and welactin at 5 and it has been a BIG help - Roz I say go for it !!!! you wont be sorry :-) Free is GOOD and Brenny will love the chewables and the oil !!!!

Cari and D

 

ps Roz amber and rick had the baby the evening of the 27th funny story to go with it next time i see you which im hoping is sooooooonnnnn

xoxoxo

[dobiemom]

Good Morning all. I took Roxie to the vet on Saturday (she's still scratching). He gave her a shot and that always seems to help. I asked about the salmon oil and he said no. I didn't ask why. But I did looked on the skin care vitamins she takes (from the vet) it has "Marine Lipids" in it. So maybe that's why? And she's still on the antihistamines.

 

Roz, I'm so glad Brenda's paws are OK. Don't feel bad, you're such a good mom, it could happen to anyone.

 

Cindy/John, How exciting, a new dog! I can't see the black dogs in the picture too well, so I'm going with "Bachelor." He just looks so happy! I hope the trip there was uneventful. I'll be saying prayers that everything goes well.

[sunshine426]

Good Morning all. I took Roxie to the vet on Saturday (she's still scratching). He gave her a shot and that always seems to help. I asked about the salmon oil and he said no. I didn't ask why. But I did looked on the skin care vitamins she takes (from the vet) it has "Marine Lipids" in it. So maybe that's why? And she's still on the antihistamines.

 

Roz, I'm so glad Brenda's paws are OK. Don't feel bad, you're such a good mom, it could happen to anyone.

 

Cindy/John, How exciting, a new dog! I can't see the black dogs in the picture too well, so I'm going with "Bachelor." He just looks so happy! I hope the trip there was uneventful. I'll be saying prayers that everything goes well.

I finally took my dog to the vet for her itchy skin. We had a long talk about allergies and the various treatments. He thought the salmon oil was a good idea, but felt that she was not responding to the benadryl. Since she tolerates prednisone and solumedrol, I elected to give her the injection of solumedrol(steroid) and continue with oral prednisone over the summer. She never gets itchy in the fall or winter, so we think it is seasonal. I could go allergy testing and allergy shots, but that is a big expense for something that might not work.

 

On the other hand the two puppies I have home this week, have suggested a nice roll and dig in wet Georgia red clay. A spa treatment or mud bath... They had a great time playing with the sprinkler and then rolling and digging in the mud. Now instead of golden puppies I have two strawberry blondes.

 

They weren't as enthusiastic about their cold water baths outside in the tub, but got over it quickly. Snuggled right into the towels after the bath and fell asleep. So there are Mr Sunshine and myself sitting on the porch swing rocking two puppies like they were babies. ;)

[sunshine426]

denver started cosequin and welactin at 5 and it has been a BIG help - Roz I say go for it !!!! you wont be sorry :-) Free is GOOD and Brenny will love the chewables and the oil !!!!

Cari and D

 

ps Roz amber and rick had the baby the evening of the 27th funny story to go with it next time i see you which im hoping is sooooooonnnnn

xoxoxo

 

 

Cari, I am looking forward to hearing about your rescues. My two pups are going back to the training facility today:(. They have been supersweet, but are a handful.

[wizard-of-roz]

Cari: I'm going to look into the wax (Mushers Secret).....I could keep some in my purse and just put it on, before we leave the car and before we take our walks in the summer sun (I would think it works for heat as well as cold!) I'll check it out.

I hope all went well for Amber and the baby.

Sunshine, the stories of your puppies is a total crack-up! I love puppies!

And, it amazes me how some things work for some dogs and not for others.....just like people! I hope your dog does well this summer, with all her allergies. I swear by the Benadryl and the Oil....at least for Brenny and, for now!!!

Brenny started the Salmon Oil when she was 5 and the Benadryl when she was 8.

Cindy & John: (I hope you can log-on to a computer at CCI, if not you'll read this when you return home.) Your stories of Bailee and how much she's your "baby" ring so true for me. I'm so anxious about the time when I will get a Successor Dog from CCI. (You can get one while you still have your Retired Dog in your home.) However, I think Brenda would be very jealous of any new dog in our home and, she would be very upset if I didn't take her to work with me.....so, we will wait until she's no longer with me (OMG), to go back to CCI for another dog. These are very tough words for me to even write!!!! (As my eyes start to fill-up!)

Cindy, Bailee may look at this time with your Mom as a vacation and simply rest or have a lot of fun.

When you get back home and pick her up.....the new dog will be bonding with John and you'll have little to do with it for a few months. This is a good time to pay a lot of attention to Bailee!

I'm looking forward to hearing all about your adventure.......I think about you and John, everyday!!!!!!!!

Our love to all of you!!!!!!!

[DisneyKidsDad]

When we went to Team Training in 2002, some of the Teams trained in separate groups.

 

The Skilled, Service, Facility and Skilled Companions were in one group and the Hearing Dogs were in a totally separate training room.

 

Although, things have changed, maybe they're ALL trained together, now!!!

 

The best part is you'll know the answer in just a few days.......

 

The Long Island, NY campus does not train hearing dogs.

[S.S. Cruisers]

Mornin' all:

One day closer for John and Cindy to finally meet their new furbaby! Can't wait, myself.

Roz: That wax sounds like a good idea. Then you would always have it in your purse and available.

Everyone have a great Monday.

Nancy

[wizard-of-roz]

The Long Island, NY campus does not train hearing dogs.

 

I didn't know that....thanks for the info. They'll probably all be together then......

[sunshine426]

I took puppies back today. After their bath they returned to their natural color, I did like the "strawberry" or "red clay" blonde look!! They were greeted with sniffs and jumps and I am sure all sorts of doggy questions from their littermates. I had some snuggle time with a few of those and then headed home to steam clean the carpets!!! (It is funny watching the dogs react when a dog comes back. They sniff them up and down as if saying, darn you got to go to the Mall and I am sitting here with nothing but kibble!!!!)

 

I snuck a few minutes with my "flat-coat". He and I played and I gave him some kisses and some brushing. Love that flat-coat. They don't have an undercoat, so they dry so easily, and brush out as well. They just look funny when you are used to the lab/golden.