#sdit

[kaijutegu]

Thanks everyone! We found Winnie a great spot!

[fayeandknight]

Just had the cutest interaction while training Forte.

We were working on alternating between casual heeling/llw and fmp with him in harness around the block. We'd come full circle back to the driveway when I spotted a young kid on a bike coming up the road.

I put Forte in a down and planned to reward him as kid and dad passed by. But the kid saw Forte and stopped in front of us while repeatedly pointing out the doggy. (Kid was young, training wheels and dad's hand on the back of his seat.)

I could tell dad was getting uncomfortable because kid would not move on and was very fixated on Forte. So I looked at dad and explained that this dog is learning to be a service dog, which is a special dog who helps people. That this dog loves people but needs to be able to ignore them when he's working so he can focus on the handler. And if they had a few minutes, would they want to help me train him.

Dad relaxed and said yes. So I asked the kid if he could ride around real fast and call to the doggy. If the doggy stayed in his down I'd reward him with a tasty treat. Kid was pumped to do so. After a few minutes I thanked them both for helping me train my dog.

As the kid rode off I could hear him excitedly telling his dad "I helped train a service dog. They're really special dogs ". And dad agreed that he did and that he'd done a good job. Kid proceeded to say "I'm going to tell mom I helped train a service dog. Does she know they're special dogs?" To which dad said mom's going to be impressed because she knows those are special helper dogs and their training is really important.

It was such a wholesome interaction.

[dog-gutz]

This Friday Molly got to meet a robot! The local junior high robotics team dedicated some time to come to the nursing home where I work so the patients could see their robot and learn about how it works! Me and my coworkers agreed it was a great opportunity for Molly to learn how to function around unexpected things, she did VERY well considering you don't see robots everyday. The team was nice enough to let me get a photo of the bot with Molly, and she thoroughly enjoyed watching it wander around the floor (I let her watch the bot for awhile since it was a new experience and expecting her to focus right away was just completely unrealistic). She was able to effectively task and listen to commands even while watching her environment which is exactly what I hoped for. Great job Molly!

[arwenthegreat]

Another photo dump of big girl working and being the best dog in general ❤️

[ambrosia-sdit]

anyone have any tips for crate training? we were doing really well, and she’ll sleep in it overnight, but only if she’s already sleepy when it put her in, and lately she just barks if i try to enforce a nap time. really struggling here, it feels like we’re making backwards progress :(

[justabunny]

I'm hoping to be able to get a service dog, but I also have a fear of not knowing how to properly train them.

[autistic-zukoao3]

Autism be damned, that boy can get a service dog.

In all seriousness, this is my GoFundMe for me to pay for Olly's training. You guys know Olly, the golden puppy I shove in your faces once a week at least.

Any help is appreciated, whether monetary or just reblogging. Thanks.

[mandana-the-service-pup]

In the United States, September is National Service Dog Month!

Here are some tips for anyone thinking about getting a service dog:

❤️ Most medical alerts are trained with scent detection. Blood glucose, heart rate, blood pressure, seizure, migraine, panic attack, food/environmental allergens, etc. We don’t know all of the chemicals dogs can detect, so if you are disabled and think a medical alert service dog could help you then it might be worth pursuing. (Debby Kay’s books/programs are a great place to start with scent training!)

❤️ Owner-training with positive reinforcement is totally doable! (I highly recommend the online service dog academy My Service Dog & Me LLC with Kate Olson!)

❤️ Raising and training a service dog in an apartment is doable! (I just posted about how to communicate with landlords about service dogs so definitely check that out if it applies to you!)

❤️ Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Poodles (of any size) and Smoothie Collies are called the “Fab Four” because their breed standards really jive well with service dog life. Any breed can be a service dog but not every dog can be. There’s nothing “basic” about choosing a Fab Four breed and off-breed dogs are just as valid. There are no guarantees in service dog training, so stack the odds in your favor by choosing a responsible breeder (I haven’t posted about this topic yet but there’s plenty of information about what makes a responsible breeder in the show, sport or service dog communities online)

❤️ By the legal definition, you have to be disabled to have a service dog. That doesn’t mean it has to be the last thing you try. If you think a service dog could help you then please reach out to me and others in the service dog community. We can help answer questions and get you pointed in the right direction. Good Luck!

Every team is different. Disabilities change. Training isn’t linear.

Here is what a typical morning looks like with my service dog at this point in our life.

[coolkidbowie]

She had to take a pic in front of the Bowie display! (Why she lookin at me like that 😟)

[fayeandknight]

Ruff life

[dog-gutz]

A TON of gear came in for my babes today! I'm so happy! I had to drastically cut the girth on the pnl I bought Aspen, but I'm very impressed with it! My mom says the new vest definitely fits his personality! The other gear is from the.craftypheonix on ig, I absolutely LOVE her gear, it's super good quality and affordable (definitely recommend checking her out!) I was so happy to open packages AND get all these amazing things for my babies :)

[arwenthegreat]

Honestly, I think 3/4 of my pictures are just her at this point 😅

[ambrosia-sdit]

ambrosia does not like me putting her harness or jacket on over her head. i realized the other day that this is likely contributing to her overall anxiety, and isn’t just at play when it’s time to go for a walk. after all, if she doesn’t trust me when it comes time for a harness, how is she supposed to trust me if we encounter something Scary in the world?

we woke up early this morning and instead of going for our usual walk, i just started doing some desensitization with her jacket.

at the start she ran into her crate as soon as i put the jacket on the floor. then, it was whenever i touched the jacket that she ran to her crate. then, whenever i picked it up, and so forth. by the end of this session, i could pick it up and hold it at face level, getting her to eat treats from through the part that goes over her head.

honestly, i’m just happy that she now views her crate as enough of a safe space that she chooses to run there when she’s uncomfortable!

we did another session before dinner, and she let me put the jacket on entirely over her head and still took treats while wearing it! i didn’t try to fasten it or anything (baby steps!) but i’m optimistic that in another day or two she should be comfortable wearing it on walks!

[autistic-zukoao3]

Got the MOST perfect photos of Olly yesterday

[800-dick-pics]

the way having a working and sporting breed puppy mix for your SDiT means that he is GREAT! at retrieving! he is GREAT! at giving me focus! he is GREAT! with the sheer drive to learn but he also has almost near endless energy and im fucking chroically ill!!!

like he is 14 weeks and can sit and down with focus, waits until his eat cue to eat, doesnt get out of his crate and ex pen until released, he is confident walking on hella surfaces, knows the commands of peeing and pooping, hand targets, learning his place and side (heel) commands and im so proud of him and me for the training! but.....

OMGGG HE ACTS LIKE ITS A CRIME TO PUT HIM AWAY FOR A NAP!!!!! SIR YOU ARE CRANKY AND NIPPY WHEN UR TIRED

YOU NEED TO FUCKIN SLEEP!!!!