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

[wizard-of-roz]

I would be the happiest foster parent alive if Miss Roz got one of CA's pups. But, they are with CCI and that works well for them. I gave Cracker's people a small photo album of his baby pictures and some of his favoirte toys. It helped me with the separation. I am taking sooooooooo many pictures of Cooler because you guys all said how much you loved them.

 

As long as CCI "fits" we will stay with them. And, maybe I'll get lucky the next time to get someone like you who loves what she's doing and puts her very soul into it.

Pictures, pictures, pictures. I love seeing pictures of Brenda when she was a rollicking pup.....so goofy, so adorable. It helps in the process and realization that she wasn't always this amazing working girl.....she was once a silly, fumbling puppy. I will sit and stare at the "4" pictures I have of her when she was small enough to lay on your lap. It helps complete her, in my mind.

I don't think her Puppyraisers gave her many toys or were very playful with her. The were all "business!" We've made-up for that many times over. She has a "toy box" at home and at work. And, well, you guys know me. I love spoiling her.

[DisneyKidsDad]

We weren't lucky enough to get "puppy" pictures of Orson. He had two puppy raisers. His first puppy raisers were from PA and for some reason had to give him up. We never got any pictures from them. He then went to a family in VA. They made up for the lack of early pictures. They gave us an album. But we would have loved to see Orson as a pup. That's why whenever we are talking to people who are thinking about raising a CCI pup, we tell them how much the graduates love the pictures.

[wizard-of-roz]

We weren't lucky enough to get "puppy" pictures of Orson. He had two puppy raisers. His first puppy raisers were from PA and for some reason had to give him up. We never got any pictures from them. He then went to a family in VA. They made up for the lack of early pictures. They gave us an album. But we would have loved to see Orson as a pup. That's why whenever we are talking to people who are thinking about raising a CCI pup, we tell them how much the graduates love the pictures.

 

We do, we do! If I could talk to PuppyRaisers I'd tell them the same. Keep 2 logs, one that you can have for yourself and one for the person who will get your dog.

To take our dogs into old age is such an emotional journey [at least, it is for me] and, to be comforted by the pictures I have of her during Team Training without any gray hair is such a comfort and joy.

During the classroom experience Morey shot pictures of me as I was walking/sitting/stroking and talking to Brenny. I adore these pictures, they're so special and, I'll always have them.

Sunshine, don't stop taking all those pictures.

[cjborne2]

We don't have any puppy pictures of Ollie either. I really wish we did. He is such a handsome dog now. I'm sure he was an adorable puppy.

[Quampapetet]

Thank you for asking. As usual, I was a nervous wreck.....and, not just because I was talking with a stranger and there would be lots of questions about me/lifestyle, etc., etc. But, the whole reason in and of itself was and continues to be emotionally exhausting. Brenda can make me cry faster than any other being in my life! :o

I'll bet! Sounds like it went well, though, so that's good! :)

 

The phone call came in at exactly the time they said....9:00am. It was a gal named Shelly from CCI in Santa Rosa. She asked questions about what Brenda does for me and what would I change in a "Successor". She asked if I would be available on short notice [if they had a "Team" who were not connecting in Training] would I be able to come immediately. I said "of course!" In my heart I don't want it to happen so quickly......but, in my head I know and I see how much Brenda could use the "down" time.

That is great that you'd be available on short-notice like that. How far is the campus from you? I can't imagine getting a call that pretty much says you're dog is now retired if this new dog meshes well with you, but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it (eh, what choice do you have, right?!).

 

She liked the fact that my DH would be home with Brenda and that he adores her as much and on some levels even more than I do!!!!

More?! Is that even possible?!?! :D

 

We talked about the introduction of the Successor to Brenda and she told me, "let the dogs handle it!" "They will work it out themselves, they'll find their comfort zones with each other!" She reminded me to not interfere too much and to allow them the time and space. She said that eventually Brenda will love the fact that Successor has to go to work and she can stay home with PaPa and get all the belly and head rubs that she wants. She said, "it's a process." And, the dogs will watch us to get their "ques" from us on how to behave. The calmer and more assertive about every situation we are, the more easily they will meld.

 

In the beginning, when I leave for work, we'll "dress" them both and walk to the car [as usual], except that Brenda will be walking with PaPa out the front gate [something she loves to do] and Successor will walk to my car and we'll leave. At first, she may do some staring and looking for me but as Shelly said, it won't take long and she'll just fall into a good pattern and routine and she'll be all excited when you both come home to her.

That's really interesting! Thanks for posting that part! Yeah, I can imagine that the first few times, Brenda will be kinda confused as to what's up. But, I'm sure she'll love getting spoiled at home!

Congrats on doing so well on the phone call!

[Quampapetet]

Good idea......

 

Well, back from the doctor. Gawd, I hate HMO's. While we were waiting in the waiting room a little boy with Down Syndrome was hysterical as we were walking in, then, he saw Brenda - It was a sight to see. He totally calmed down [the waiting room was full] everyone watched as the little boy walked over to Brenny and layed his head on her back. She, of course, just kept looking at me, the mother asked if this was okay and I and everyone else just kept staring at my amazing Brenny who gave such joy and calmness to this little boy.

 

After a half hour of watching the two of them the little boy was called into a room, he could not separate from Brenny. So, we walked him to the scale, to be weighed and then to his exam room. All the while the little boy had his hand on Brenny's head. So, so cute. Brenny just stayed by his side, with me on the other side and walked with the little boy. Such a sight!!!!!! I'm crying at the pureness of heart and soul of both my girl and that child.

 

I was called to my exam room and the little boy watched us leave and threw Brenny kisses.

 

I told the mother to call CCI.

 

Thank you for your wonderful encouragment as I go through this process your kind words are a great comfort.

 

Awwww, that's such a cute story!!!!!! I do hope the mother inquires about if a service dog could do things for her boy, or at the very least gets him an emotional support pet for the house.

[Quampapetet]

Or they misbehaved--we've had clients who have service dogs for PTSD who have anger management issues and we've had to explain that "no they didn't kick you out because of your dog, they kicked you out because you were acting like a jerk."

 

True! I read a newspaper article like that once. The guy was so irate and when the newspaper asked the restaurant owner, he said something like, "The dog is welcome to come in, but the man is not!" Definitely gotta remember to act sensibly and treat others as you want to be treated.

 

Thanks for your input Quam! The ADA hotline was something I hadn't thought of until you mentioned it. And the state vs. federal issue is important too--I already have a little high school civics lesson at the beginning to remind people about federalism :) As I mentioned before, Washington State actually affords more protection for service animals than federal law so we need to remind people that when traveling, their experiences might be different. And looking at this board over the past few days, I think I'll add a section on international laws and traveling with your service dog.

 

I love the states that have good laws in addition to what the ADA has, such as making it a crime for somebody to injure/kill or let a pet in their control injure/kill a service dog. I wish there could be a federal law that does that! Florida has a good one that makes the person who injured the dog pay for all vet costs, retraining costs, and even lost wages of the service dog handler if they couldn't work due to their dog's injuries. Not all states have any laws about injuring a service dog and some that do have a ridiculous limit such as just $300 (that is NOT going to replace a service dog, might not even cover the vet bills!).

 

Yeah, travelling internationally can get a little crazy, depending on where you go. A lot of countries don't have access laws (and a lot of ppl there have never heard of service dogs, or even a dog that's trained to sit on command) and a lot of countries have complicated dog import regulations. One definitely needs to do some homework before thinking of going to another country with their service dog - but it is very doable!

[Quampapetet]

This really saddens me to hear. I'm afraid she's not alone, which is why we don't see so many Working Dogs out and about.

 

If we don't get brave and deal with ALL the issues we may face going into the public it will NEVER get easier for us or for the folks who will follow.

I 100% agree! The more we travel with our service dogs, the more known service dogs get. The more known service dogs get, the better importing dogs and access will get. The better importing and access get, the easier it will be for all of us with service dogs.

Also, Europe tends to be fairly pet-friendly, so I would think it would be a little easier sometimes to get access there than it can be in the Caribbean (although the language barrier can be another problem - if you can't speak the language, it is a good idea to write up a short, clear statement about your service dog, what it does for you, how well-behaved it is [i.e. "It will just lay under the table in a restaurant"], etc. and have it professionally translated [which shows much more forethought and professionalism than using an Internet translating site] into the language of the country you are going to).

 

I, personally, make a promise to all of you who are just thinking about acquiring a Working Dog...I will NEVER stop fighting for the rights of these amazing heroes and the humans who walk and wheel with them. And, there are many, many people who feel the very same way I do!!!!! And, that's very good news!!!:)

 

Please don't hesitate to GO FOR IT!!!! You will not believe how enriched yours and the rest of your families lives will be.

 

:)

[Quampapetet]

I forgot a story about the potty box. In St Lucia we did some cruising to pick up shore excursion people about 10 miles away. It was slow moving and it took us a few hours but we got to see more of the island and the Pitons. Some guy from the island wanted to hitch a ride with us and they told him unless he brought grass for the dog, he would not be allowed to go. So he brought grass, It looked like he dug it up on some side of a hill. The ship put it in the new box and roped it off with velvet ropes and a sign. Is Wex that special he needed velvet ropes and a sign? It was funny, and of course we took pics. Also threw in one of Wex with his shades on. :D

 

Ahaha, I LOVE the potty box with the velvet ropes and firehydrant sign!!! :D

 

So, your cruise ship picked up some random guy? :confused: Or did you mean it was a shore excursion you went on and the ppl were nice enough to ask the random guy to get grass (perhaps you'd told them you need to get some)?

 

I just bought a pair of sunglass-style Doggles for my dog. Her vet recommended I get her sunglasses for the trip due to her current medical problem (Facial Nerve Paralysis on one side of her face - she can't close her outer eyelid on that side, though thankfully her inner eyelid is doing a good job at compensating ... and thankfully the Prednisone she'd been on for about ten days stopped the long string of drool that would often hang out of her droopy lip on that side [drool + public access, especially in a country with no access laws = not at all good!]). I got the brown ones that have three little pawprints in one corner. She looks trendy in them, haha!

[Quampapetet]

Poor Wex is having trouble finding a place to potty and as far as exercise.. forget it!! And besides that, he's a wuss with snow between his toes. He lifts his leg and whines. I can't imagine poor Jezzy Lou in snow that deep.

 

Do you dig out the snow from a little area in the grass so he can potty there? That's what we do.

 

If you mean he literally hates snow between his toes (or under his feet), get some Pawz brand dog boots. They're made of natural rubber and look like balloons. They stay on the dog's paws even in deep snow! :cool:

[Quampapetet]

I spoke to one of my fellow classmates from my "Team Training" class, yesterday; she was receiving a successor dog. Her retiring dog was also going to be staying home with her husband and he was looking forward to the day that her dog would be "his!" [As is Morey]. She went to Team Training by herself because, just as me, she didn't want to leave her retiring dog in a kennel while she was at CCI for the two weeks. And, my interviewer said that because it was a Successor dog, for me, that this was very doable. "Newbie's" should have someone with them to assist in the process.

 

My friend also reminded me that CCI does not want you to be without a dog, which is why they will move the process along for a "Successor Team!"

 

So, I wait. It's easier for me after hearing from my classmate and, having all of you and your wonderful support keeping me brave and strong. [sorry if I'm sounding dramatic, it's huge for me!]

That's great that you have a friend who is going through this at almost the same time! I think that will help you a lot.

I only know you on this forum and I still can't get over that Brenda will be retired soon and you'll be talking about a new dog! But, it will all be good! :)

 

Also, this means I'll have new Puppy Raisers - And, that's a very good thing.

 

Brenda's Puppy Raisers [although, they gave Brenny her start and taught her well] became extremely elusive with CCI and me, and never were able to communicate. I had to call and write CCI Exec's. to get puppy pictures of Brenny. After our graduation, while my classmates were getting albums, stories, tearful hugs and kisses and good luck send off's - Brenny and I got a hug and a kiss from PaPa and our trainers. Brenda was their one and only puppy; they had tried to "Puppyraise" again and were not successful and, then dropped out of the program. I have 4 pictures of Brenda, as a puppy; she was so, so cute. I wish I had more.

 

I made-up for not having puppy pictures and have enough pictures of her from the age of 20 months old to now; in albums, all over my house and at work, I could fill a barrel.

 

I hope this time you get to have more photos of your new dog growing up and being puppy-raised! I have two photos of my dog as a puppy, but as an older puppy (not close to being newborn). But, it is okay because, like you, I have a bazillion photos of her once I got her and those are the photos that really count - memories of us together! :D

[Quampapetet]

I will sit and stare at the "4" pictures I have of her when she was small enough to lay on your lap.

What, you mean she isn't your lap dog still now?! ;) My dog loves to jump into my lap even though she doesn't really fit, so when she does I say, "Look! I have a lap dog!" She loves to cuddle, too. Ahh, I love my girl!

She has a "toy box" at home and at work. And, well, you guys know me. I love spoiling her.

 

Our dogs definitely deserve all the spoiling they get!! :D My dog's toy box is overflowing still after I threw out a whole garbage bag (kitchen-size) full of old toys. Christmas didn't help, haha. BTW, if your dog likes teddy bears, go to Petsmart and check out the Martha Stewart collection - she makes the cutest teddy bear!! It is on the small side, but I got it for my dog anyway. (I also got her larger grooming supplies bag to use as my dog supplies bag for short [weekend/few days] road trips when I don't need to bring the dog suitcase for such a short trip. It works great for her food, supplements, some treats, and a brush or two! It looks really nice, too, of course, since it is Martha Stewart's!)

 

For the cruise, my dog's new toy will be Valentine-themed: a plush long-stemmed rose that has a voicebox inside that says, "I love you!" I got it from JeffersPet.

[Quampapetet]

BTW, as an update, St. Kitts sent me their import permit via e-mail today! They did it immediately after getting the paperwork (photocopies, of course) in the mail, as FedEx didn't even alert me the envelope had been delivered until a little after I got the e-mail! (So, the e-mail was a bit of a surprise!) I'm so glad I sent it when I did, as the lady who does the import permits is gone from tomorrow until the 29th and I leave on the 3rd!

 

In case anybody looks here in the future wondering about St. Kitts, it cost $52 to mail the document envelope via FedEx (sent it on Friday, it arrived today, Monday). That's in addition to the $20 USD import permit fee which can only be paid via an international postal mail order, which you purchase at the post office for a fee of about $4.25 (when they look up the country to do it for, "St. Kitts" isn't listed - you have to do it for "Saint Christopher and Nevis", which is the same place [even the import permit has "Saint Christopher and Nevis" instead of "St. Kitts" as the header]). It is a little pricey, but worth it!! :)

[wizard-of-roz]

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I'll bet! Sounds like it went well, though, so that's good! :)

 

 

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That is great that you'd be available on short-notice like that. How far is the campus from you? I can't imagine getting a call that pretty much says you're dog is now retired if this new dog meshes well with you, but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it (eh, what choice do you have, right?!).

 

 

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More?! Is that even possible?!?! :D

 

 

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That's really interesting! Thanks for posting that part! Yeah, I can imagine that the first few times, Brenda will be kinda confused as to what's up. But, I'm sure she'll love getting spoiled at home!

 

Congrats on doing so well on the phone call!

 

Thank you, Quam.

CCI's main office is located in Santa Rosa, CA. It's where the specific Team Training is done for my type of dog. CCI is a 7 hour drive for me. I love the drive and, you can just imagine how excited I'll be. I'll need the time to unwind before I have to "wind-up!" I'll be given a dorm room or, I'll stay in a nearby hotel. Doesn't matter to me, just as long as I'm there.

[wizard-of-roz]

Awwww, that's such a cute story!!!!!! I do hope the mother inquires about if a service dog could do things for her boy, or at the very least gets him an emotional support pet for the house.

 

I do too. I'm such an advocate for Service Dogs and all that they can do to make someone's life so much better.

I hope this mother [who had no idea what a difference a dog could make in her son's life] looks into the prospect of getting him one of his own.

It's a lot of work.......but so is having a wimpering/screaming/out of control child!!!!!!

[Quampapetet]

Thank you, Quam.

 

CCI's main office is located in Santa Rosa, CA. It's where the specific Team Training is done for my type of dog. CCI is a 7 hour drive for me. I love the drive and, you can just imagine how excited I'll be. I'll need the time to unwind before I have to "wind-up!" I'll be given a dorm room or, I'll stay in a nearby hotel. Doesn't matter to me, just as long as I'm there.

 

That's not too bad of a drive; I've driven longer in one day before (12 hours). But, yeah, I can only imagine the emotions you'll be running through on that drive! I'm glad you're excited about the future new dog, though!

[Quampapetet]

I had to come on here and post this adorable doggy black tie with lipstick kiss mark collar I just found. Maybe some of the boy pups on here can wear it on formal night! :)

 

Here's the product link: http://www.muttropolis.com/products2.cfm/ID/10616/name/Black-Dog-Tie-with-Kiss

[wizard-of-roz]

We don't have any puppy pictures of Ollie either. I really wish we did. He is such a handsome dog now. I'm sure he was an adorable puppy.

 

We have to start; "The NO PUPPY PICTURES CLUB" !

[wizard-of-roz]

I had to come on here and post this adorable doggy black tie with lipstick kiss mark collar I just found. Maybe some of the boy pups on here can wear it on formal night! :)

 

Here's the product link: http://www.muttropolis.com/products2.cfm/ID/10616/name/Black-Dog-Tie-with-Kiss

 

 

I love this......If I get a "boy", I'm going to get him stuff just like this.

Thanks for the site, and the picture!

[DisneyKidsDad]

I love this......If I get a "boy", I'm going to get him stuff just like this.

 

Thanks for the site, and the picture!

 

That dog needs his nails clipped.

[wizard-of-roz]

That dog needs his nails clipped.

 

I am sitting here, hysterically laughing!!!!! You don't say much, but when you do, you crack me up!!!!!!!! :p

And, thank you for the comic relief!!!!

[Quampapetet]

That dog needs his nails clipped.

 

LOL! True, but I never even looked that far down. I was only checking out the tie collar. :)

 

And you're a man? That's pretty darn observant for a man!!

[DisneyKidsDad]

LOL! True, but I never even looked that far down. I was only checking out the tie collar. :)

 

And you're a man? That's pretty darn observant for a man!!

 

Oh Geeeez here we go with the man bashing. :eek:

[wizard-of-roz]

Oh Geeeez here we go with the man bashing. :eek:

 

We adore you!!!!!! And, I personally will defend anything you say or do! [Even if you are a man!]

[sunshine426]

Cooler is 8 months old already. And while I think she is fabulous looking, she does look more "dog" and less "puppy". I am still taking lot's of pictures, but have slowed down. Now I try to find the right event. First trip to the aquarium, First Trip on public transport, etc.... Looks like next week she get's to go to "college" with one of our younger volunteers. I am very happy for her, what a great experience, go to classes, hang out with the 20 somethings... And I certainly hope that lot's of pictures get taken...I am pretty sure they will.

And I agree, those nails need trimming...Black nails are often longer as it is hard to see the quick...