Looking into a dog, Psychiatric Service Dog...

[totoro]

I have read alot about these wonderful dogs, we had a police trained dog when I was in high school,(for my father's illicit dealing's) but I loved that dog. We had properly trained dogs the few years I lived with my Father, and it changed my mindset on how great a dog can be!!!

So upon reading a lot about these PSDS, you can do a lot of the training as a family. Also work with a trainer and learn together...
So I found a puppy on line... I don't know if she is spoken for? Or not... maybe.

Just curious from those of you who have dogs with g'sfg abd who have trained dog's with your kids what you think???

K is doing great with her Hippotherapy and she has never been unkind to and animal, loves them all.
N has some anxiety and we are working with her, she loves our 2 cats, and is starting to get used to bigger dogs.
Both have never been mean or weird to an animal.
I would have a farm if we could. We are on the water and have an acre... lots of space at the end of a quiet dead end, no traffic, gravel road. everyone has dogs and they are all very well behaved!!!

Even husband is excited...
I think this could be good for K for her anxiety, social fear, sensory issues etc, for years to come.

 

[DammitJanet]

We have always had large dogs and they were great for the boys. They were their friends, protectors, confidants, pillows, walkers, lounge chairs, therapists, and on and on and on.

Even now with the baby her bestest friend in the world is my dog Bailey. Her first word is Baywee. She crawls after him and feeds him cheerios. She lays her head on him and grabs his neck and pulls on him and he just lays there. He adores her. She is his baby.

I think dogs are great obviously! You do have to get the right match temperament and personality wise but when you do its magic. To be honest, the best one we had was a rottie/shepherd mix. She was the biggest baby who thought she was a lap dog.

 

[dreamer]

I have to say of my 3 kids and all the various animals we have had over the years, my oldest difficult child is the most compassionate and loving with any animal at all. And the animals adore her more than the other kids.. She is much calmer when with one of our pets, and the pets bring out the best in her.

 

[OpenWindow]

We thought about getting a psychiatric service dog but instead adopted an american bulldog mix and had difficult child go to obedience school with him. They were inseparable and difficult child did all the training. difficult child loves animals and this was probably the most successful thing we've ever done for him. difficult child can help the other kids "train" their dogs and it's something he's good at, so we love it.

Now that Calvin is a couple of years old, difficult child doesn't spend nearly as much time with him as when he was a puppy, but Calvin is our best-behaved animal and we remind difficult child of this success every chance we get. He is very proud of his talent with animals.

 

[totoro]

This dog we would train ourselves with some help from a handler to be a PSD... as much as possible. They are pretty well trained already just coming from the FIDO course!!!

husband just called the Correctional Facility and left a message about the dog...

 

[jenbug]

I'm very "into" dogs. I work with a rescue group and have had many foster dogs through our house. We have 2 dogs and recently adopted one of my foster pups. My 15 year old difficult child son has gone to obedience training with me and it was wonderful. I let him do most of the work in class and he did feel very proud and it has made him bond with the dog. I think if you are committed to 12-15 years of caring for an animal it would be great. Dogs love us no matter what.

 

[hearts and roses]

When we were in the thick of it before difficult child was diagnosed I came upon an article on therapy dogs. I am highly allergic so we were limited in what type of pet we could have. We chose a cairn terrier, which led to another and then another. The last one is difficult child's dog for real, although the others were always shared :0).

With the first pup, difficult child had some trouble understanding that the dog didn't always understand what she wanted and would sometimes threaten to hurt him. For a while there we kept them separated until she was able to assure me she wouldn't hit him or yell at him for no reason. Eventually she was fine.

We added the 2nd one to keep the 1st company while we were out. Then, the 1st one had to be put down. One day difficult child and I stopped by the pet shop 'just to look' at the pups and there was this one little pup who wouldn't stop staring at us with her big giant nose and her tongue hanging out - it was adorable. difficult child said, "Mom, I think she wants us to take her home" and so, I activated my credit card and bought Sophie! Sophie is difficult child's dog and guess what? Sophie is a difficult child - they understand each other perfectly! LOL.

I think if it helps, it's a great idea. And adopting is definitely a great way to go!

 

[totoro]

Did you all look at her little picture??? how cute is she??? If she is half as good as they say... that little face... husband is smitten... he called this a.m. and left a message in her "voice" asking to come get her!!!

 

[flutterbee]

I couldn't resist that face!!! How sweet!

I've said it before that I'm a firm believer in pet therapy. I didn't read the link on the PSDS (on pain medications - short attention span - but I'll read it later as it sounds interesting), but even if trained as a service dog, they are still great pets and friends. My stepfather is blind and we had a guide dog. When she wasn't "working", she was just like every other dog - even with the rolling on dead things (what is up with that, anyway?!!?).