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

[S.S. Cruisers]

Roz: It makes sense to me, even more as too the difficulty of training a new dog. The dog will really need to pick up on all your needs, not just the general ones that "we" all know hearing dogs to do. I can see where it is a special bond (Not that any of them aren't) Just Brenda picking up signs from your body language and also understanding the sign language is amazing to me. What a girl! And helping you in the working world is beyond anything I could have imagined. :)

[Quampapetet]

I, too, have thought about what it will feel like to walk/work/live and just be with a different dog. Will it travel as well as my Brenny does? Will it "get" me???? Like Brenny does???? I always tear-up at the thought [as I'm doing right now] and, I even feel somewhat guilty about abandoning Brenny.

 

 

First off, sorry I haven't been on here lately. We had DSL and the phone line it was on got intermittent static on it, making for an intermittent Internet connection (making these boards not doable 'cause I'd lose which threads/messages were unread since the last visit and all). At first I thought it was the DSL modem, so I bought a new modem, but the problem didn't go away. The phone company refused to come check the line (idiots!), so we took our business elsewhere! We now have cable Internet (we already had cable TV, of course) and cancelled the DSL and the phone line it was on (which we never used anyway since it was leftover from having a business in the house, which moved out of the house many years ago, but we had to keep it 'cause it was the only line DSL could physically be put on). You'd think when cancelling the services the phone company would ask why, but they didn't! Crazy.

 

Anyway, it will feel different to walk with another dog because each dog's stride, speed, feel of their muscles (for those of us with harnesses), etc. is different. I've heard from many guide dog owners who have gone for successor dogs and they have mentioned how weird it is to get used to a new dog and also sometimes to find the dog with the right stride and pace for them.

 

It will feel different to give the same commands to a new dog, too, I'm sure. But it is for your good - and Brenda benefits, too, as she will be able to retire (even though she likely won't like it much at first, the whole not being with you thing and all - you might be making a good number of trips to dog-friendly places the first couple months to soothe yourself to soothe Brenda! ;)).

 

I'm not sure how many years my dog has left to work, but we're going for recertification this summer and I will discuss the future/the successor dog scenerio with my trainer then. It'll be at least two years left in her, but possibly four. We shall see! All I know is, my dog will NOT like being left at home!! :( That'll have to be something she eases into.

[Quampapetet]

Canada has some provences that will give the Working Dog handler a horrible time accessing their venue. Some restaurants/museums/parks, etc.

Yeah, Canada's access laws are per province, not federal for the entire country. Some provinces exclude certain types of service dogs from access (by not covering them in the laws, I mean; not by stating they cannot have access), some provinces require the handler to have a doctor's letter stating the need for the dog, some provinces allow businesses (like hotels) to charge a pet fee for a service dog (shame on them!!), etc. We are really lucky to have such a good federal law here in the U.S.!!

 

Mexico usually knows that you've come from a cruiseship and they desparately want your business but they do have a "stray dog" issue and you have to be very careful when entering their beaches and even walking down their streets.

 

The Working Dog handler has to be aware of their environment when going with their dog onto a strange port and, always think of the dogs safety in every circumstance.

 

Stray dogs can happen in other countries, including the U.S., too. I saw no strays on the beach in Mexico, but did encounter one curious (not aggressive) dog about thirty feet from the entrance to the Cruise Center when going back to the ship. In Key West, FL (a cruise port stop) I encountered a loose dog on the main street leading back to the cruise ship. In Grand Turk there was a bunch of loose dogs just past the "center of town" (as they call it), but the dogs just barked and didn't come near us. I go to the Bahamas every year and while I have seen strays (Potcakes - what they call Bahamian mutts, most of which are usually really adorable ... I almost wanted to take one I saw last year home, LOL) roaming side streets while I've been in taxis, only just this year did I see my first stray dog in the main shopping area of Downtown Nassau. (Funny enough, I'd also just seen my first other-person-with-a-service-dog-in-the-Bahamas.)

[Quampapetet]

It's a more confined area [even though it will seem like it's miles long], you'll be running into the same people alot; inside the theatre, restaurants, shopping areas, elevators.

 

And most will remember the dog, not you! :p I stayed a night in a hotel after this past cruise and it was a busy changeover day for them, so rooms were not ready for a while. I got in the elevator when I did finally get my room and there was another guy who got into the elevator, too. He asked, "Did they finally give you a room?" I must've given him a strange look as I thought, "How did he know I was checking in today and waiting for a room?!" He said, "I remember the dog from the cruise ship." :p

[Quampapetet]

Service iguana!!!

 

There was an item on the Seattle news tonight about the WA legislature changing the definition of service animal to correspond to the new federal law and they interviewed a guy with a "service snake" who was testifying against the bill. He claims the snake alerts him to epileptic seizures.

 

A service snake?! Oh brother!!!! :mad:

 

I am glad that on the federal level now nobody can say they have some funky animal (snake, parrot, roach, gerbil, etc.) as their service animal!

[Quampapetet]

They replied to me that it could be “The health certificate issued by a veterinarian licensed to practice in the United States.” The reason for the distinction is that a health certificate from your local veterinarian is very different than obtaining an International Health Certificate through an Area Supervising Vet at the USDA. The latter requires your vet to provide documentation to APHIS who then certifies the information. The costs for this heath certificate can be more than $100 taking into account various aspects of it. It also requires days to weeks lead time unless you want to be a frantic mess trying to get everything signed!

 

The second clarification I asked for was if I would be allowed to return to the ship if my SD’s paperwork was not in order. In some countries dogs are taken into quarantine until their paperwork is cleared. I was told that I could either return to the ship or find a local veterinarian who could complete the certification.

 

I am bringing with me the documentation as issued by my local vet, not the USDA APHIS office.

 

The health certificate from the vet is the same certificate from USDA APHIS. When you need an endorsed health certificate from the USDA, they just check all your paperwork and then, if all is in order, sign the certificate and stamp it with a raised seal. This service is free for service dogs with proof that the dog is a trained service dog (i.e. show a certification certificate, if you have it). There are two ways to get it done: send the documents by mail and have them mail it back (at your expense with a SASE, of course) or go to your area's USDA APHIS office in person and have them do it on the spot (at my area's office an appointment is required, you cannot get an appointment before two weeks in advance, and they only do it on certain days at certain times).

 

On a cruise, the countries inspect the dog's paperwork before you can get off the ship, so if the paperwork isn't correct (you shouldn't have a problem for Mexico as long as your dog's rabies vaccination is good), you just won't be able to get off the ship. Usually they do this when clearing all the passengers on the ship, but in the case of the few countries who need to actually inspect the dog (such as St. Lucia), the ship will clear before the dog inspection is done so you're not holding up the rest of the passengers (which is a good thing, since it can take a bit; in St. Lucia my friends/group got off the ship to meet our private-tour tourguide and they were waiting for a bit for me, partly due to the length of time it took the stupid microchip scanner to finally find my dog's microchip! :mad:). I did a cruise that had a Mexico port in '08 and they did not need to see the dog in person.

[Quampapetet]

Big events since we talked last are Cameron was a winner last year in the Disabled Riding Event at Devon Horse Show - got a perfect score so the next day he rode with the rest of the winners for Best in Show -- Didn't get it, but it was a thrill to get video of him at the famous Devon Horse Show.

 

Congrats!!! I'm a rider (though it has been a few years since I've ridden, but I will get back to it), so know that's a big deal. Good job, Cameron!! :D

 

BTW - don't all of you love the new "mandated" places at the airports now for toileting. I used to joke before that I knew every piece of grass at every airport across the country. These sites make it so much easier for us.

 

Can't say that I do, as most of them are outside the secure area and, therefore, useless to me. I potty my dog before leaving for the airport, so don't need a spot when we first get there. Connection times aren't long enough to walk to the entrance, do the potty thing, go back through security (especially when travelling alone so having to bring the carry-on bags with me), and walk back to the gate. When I get to an airport, I'm either picked up by a person/resort bus or van/car/taxi or get in a rental car so potty my dog when I get to the hotel/home/etc. so don't need the potty area then.

 

The only useful areas are the few they have put inside the secure area - those I would LOVE to try, but I haven't been to an airport with such a spot yet. It is too bad they didn't require all the dog potty areas to be inside the secure area!

[Quampapetet]

Well to answer you question, one dog is much older, and the other is currently being trained to be a hearing impaired service dog.

 

Service dogs in training are not allowed on cruise ships. You can take the fully-trained dog on your cruise or wait to cruise until your new dog is fully trained, in which case you can take just that dog onboard the cruise. (You have no justification to bring both dogs once the new one is trained, as they do not do different tasks for you such as the rare circumstance when a person has one small dog that alerts to seizures and another big enough to help with their mobility issues [but that dog does not alert].)

 

She was injured by my Vet who gave her too much rabies shot, and to make a long story short ( I always cry when I talk about it) she almost died. Long story. Took her to a Vet Hospital, and there they told me her lifespan will be very short.

 

So sorry to hear that! :( Laws require us to over-vaccinate our dogs with rabies and most vets push unknowing owners to over-vaccinate their dogs with the other vaccines (i.e. every year or every three years). It is sad how over-vaccination is harming and killing our animals!

 

While your fully-trained dog might have an exemption-from-rabies certificate in your home state, this won't be valid in all other states (not all states recognize them) and it won't be valid/allow your dog to travel to other countries or Hawaii. So, if the last rabies shot has "expired" according to the vaccine label (one or three years), your fully-trained dog is stuck in your state (or other states that also accept vet exemptions for medical reasons).

 

If you haven't already, talk to Dr. Dodds to see if she has any suggestions for your pooch. Also, don't forget to support the Rabies Challenge Fund (if you can't financially give a gift, at least join the Facebook group for it or something).

[Quampapetet]

Muffin had what they call "vaccinosis", and was literally "poisoned" by giving her too much rabies shot in conjunction with other shots. She had "heavy metal" poisoning.

 

That's another problem with vets (and human doctors) - they give too many vaccines at once! The best way to do it is to give a single vaccine (including NOT using those multiple-vaccine mixes) each visit, spacing the visits out over a period of weeks and months (depending on when the best time for vaccinating the puppy is). After the puppy shots are finished, besides the rabies shot that has to be done per law, titer tests should be done each year instead of vaccinations. Rabies should be done every three years ONLY because it is required by many laws (here and abroad, if you travel). Hopefully the Rabies Challenge study will change such laws!!

[Quampapetet]

As you could see we stayed at the Venetian. I was really worried about where Werin would toilet (as you can tell by my posts, it is a constant anxiety that I likely need "professional" help for - wink, wink) with all the concrete around, but lo and behold, the Venetian had a dog run right at the side of their building just for this purpose. They don't allow pets, but had this whole green area set up with a gate, baggies, the works. WONDERFUL!

 

Thanks for that info.! I have a Vegas trip soon and, while I'm not staying at that hotel, that is good to know in case my dog needs to potty while we're doing something at/near that hotel. :) And, I must say, what a wonderful thing for them to have that just for service dogs!

[Quampapetet]

You certainly may bring two Service/Working Dogs onboard with you. With the proper documentation there will be no problem. Our friends, who are both blind, bring both their dogs and really love the cruising experience.

One per person, yes. The only exception would be if a person has two dogs because they do different tasks that only each one can do (like the example I gave before with one small dog that alerts to seizures [not something every dog can do] and another larger dog that helps with mobility [not something the small dog can do and this large dog won't alert to the seizures]). Two dogs doing the same tasks for one person is not a reasonable accommodation.

 

I still do not think it's a good idea to bring a dog who's stressed or in ill health. I think the trip would be way too stressful and the expectation that this dog needs to work is unrealistic and unfair to the dog. To take your dog because you want to vacation with it, does not mitigate a problem for anyone. It's more an emotional thing.

 

I know that sounds harsh but we must stay within the perameters of being appropriate when we bring a dog onboard a cruise ship.

 

I agree with Roz, depending on how ill the dog is. If the dog really is as ill as it sounds from the posts (vs. the dog is healthy and well other than it will have a shortened life because of the vaccine damage), a cruise could be too stressful for it.

 

As an aside, cruiselines (and hotels) have special kits they can install in your room that will blink a light for certain sounds (knocks on the door, phone calls, etc.) and wake you up with a vibrating disc under your pillow and such. They can also arrange for hearing help in the cruise shows (either an interpreter, if you know ASL, or a headset to make the volume extra loud).

[Quampapetet]

I'm wanting to book the Freedom for a cruise this winter, but am having difficulties trying to decide on a cabin.

My problem lies in the fact that my daughter travels with a service dog and I'd like the cabin to be in the same general area as the dog's relief box. Different ships use different areas so I'm looking for deck number and if it's forward, middle, or aft.

Has anyone traveled on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas before?

Thanks!

 

I haven't, but have been on their Radiance of the Seas. Not sure if they're in the same class or not. On that ship, the ship-provided potty was all the way forward on Deck 5 (or was it 4? Whichever one has the hallway that leads to the helipad, as that hallway was where the potty was).

 

I bring my own potty materials and put them on my balcony now, though. It is much easier and better for my dog (it is a larger area than the ship provides) that way! I use potty pads under faux grass (K9Grass).

[Quampapetet]

CCI dog on Wheel of Fortune tonight. Probably at the end of the show, they had a segment about a rescue dog last night. CCI is making the rounds this week!!

 

Aww, with the first sentence I thought you meant a CCI dog was gonna play the game! :p ;) (Okay, okay, I actually thought you meant a contestant with a service dog was going to be on the show....)

[Quampapetet]

Hi, I am taking my dog on her first cruise and of course am worried about the potty box. Also, I have heard that it is best to leave the dog on the ship while we go off in port but Celebrity says I can't leave the dog in the cabin. I did get a portable crate and they say this is okay. Our ship goes to St. Maartin, St. Kitts and San Juan -- I guess I could take her off in San Juan and St. Maartin if I get a rabies booster but is this wise? I have enjoyed reading all the posts -- thanks for your help. Shirley is an 8 year old guide from Guide Dogs for the Blind. Thanks for your help and comments.

 

I just was in all three of those places last month with my service dog. (Our cruise left from San Juan, so I was there for six nights - five before the cruise and one after. The other two were two of our ports of call [along with St. Thomas, Barbados, and St. Lucia].)

 

Your dog is fine to get off in those ports, however to get off in St. Kitts your dog needs to have two adequate rabies titer results at least one month apart from each other (and the first one must be at least one month after a rabies vaccination is given) and then you need to send for the import permit, which will cost you ($20 their currency in a postal money order [from the U.S. Postal Service - get it at your local post office] with the form and copies [NOT the originals, since you'll need those for the ship and other countries] of the health documents - you'll want to include a letter telling them your dog is your service dog [it is a good idea to tell them some of the tasks he does for you] and what ship you'll be on and date you'll be in St. Kitts ... FedEx-ing this fast [overnight or two-/three-day] will cost a pretty penny).

 

St. Kitts is beautiful and worth it, especially if you go to Brimstone Hill Fort (I think it is called) for the view and to check out the cool fort! :cool: (The fort will have a few "No Dogs Allowed" signs along the road, but we had no problems with access, even in the gift shop and tiny food store; I don't know if they knew we were coming because our tour company told them or if they knew about service dogs.) St. Kitts was my favorite port on this cruise! (Do note that there are wild monkeys everywhere in St. Kitts, but they won't bother you or your dog. In fact, I have read that many have befriended local dogs and take rides on the dogs' backs, LOL! We went to a beach/outdoor restaurant that had some monkeys there and they never paid a care to my dog even when we were just across the parking lot road from them.)

 

San Juan is part of the U.S., so you'll be all set there and the ADA applies there for access, which is great! :)

 

St. Maartin is easy to get into, you just need to be sure to have what they call "ownership papers" (or something like that) on you at all times while you're off the ship there. I didn't have such a thing with me (wasn't told I needed them until the purser's desk slid an envelope under my door on the second day of the cruise - inside were the regulations for each port), so just carried all the health documents with me. I never needed to show them to anyone.

 

As for the rabies vaccination, the dog has to have had a shot of it no more than twelve months prior to the dates you'll be in those countries (they don't accept the three-year vaccine date, in other words). Whether or not you want to re-vaccinate your dog if he isn't due for a vaccine yet is a decision only you and your vet can make together. I had to re-vaccinate my dog several months prior to her three-year date of needing to get re-vaccinated for the laws so that I could do the rabies titers in time (St. Lucia requires a six month period of time between the rabies titer coming out adequate and the dog coming to the country).

[Quampapetet]

I mistakenly started a new thread asking the following question. I re-post the question here and hopefully someone can give me his first hand experience. Would I need an USDA health certificate to cruise on NCL to Alaska, with a stop in Canada port?

 

My original question:

am a bit confused as exactly what travel documentation would I need for traveling with a guide dog. We booked a cruise with Norweighen to Alaska with one port of call in Canada. NCL told me I would need a USDA health certifcate. When I contacted my Vet, he questioned me whether we really need an USDA health certificate. He said the USDA health certificate is mean for international travel, it would cost a lot more and take longer time to process. He said we probably just need a "regular" health certificate to travel to Alaska. Any one has first hand experience as I would need to travel to Alaska on NCL cruise ship? One more question, is a rabies certificate same as health certificate

 

Alaska is a state, so you wouldn't need the health certificate there, but you might need it for Canada (sorry, I don't know their requirements). I do know you won't need to get the health certificate endorsed by the USDA (which is what your vet meant - you have to visit a USDA office or mail the paperwork to the USDA office to get it endorsed), but the health certificate is the same regardless of endorsement (as long as your vet is USDA-certified, which he would need to be to do an int'l health certificate).

 

No, a rabies certificate is a rabies certificate. It just shows when the dog was last vaccinated against rabies and it differs from state to state and, if the county/state doesn't have an official rabies certificate, likely it also differs from vet to vet. A health certificate is a form from the USDA that the vet fills out to list vaccinations, rabies titers, fecal floats, etc. as well as the dog's name, description, microchip number, etc. The vet must check off that the dog is healthy enough for travel and such. The vet signs it and gives their USDA number. Only certain countries require a USDA-endorsed certificate, which means you give the certificate and any accompanying paperwork (i.e. rabies certificate, rabies titer test results, etc.) to the USDA (via an office visit or by mail) and their vet makes sure everything is in order (they do not look at the dog, just the paperwork) and, if so, signs and stamps it with a seal.

 

Do take the rabies certificate with you when you travel, even if the health certificate has the rabies info. on it, just in case! One year my vet forgot to state that the rabies vaccination was a three-year vaccine and we were in year two or three, but there was no problem because I had the rabies certificate with me and that showed the vaccine to be a three-year vaccine.

[Quampapetet]

I don't want to mislead anyone who has followed along on this thread about who I am. I am totally deaf on my left side and only have 37% hearing on my right. I have acute/ongoing tinnitus which confuses the heck out of the only hearing I do have. I still have my voice, which can be a bit loud at times or too soft. Family and friends always let me know when I'm shouting at them!!!!! :p Or, Brenda will come over and lay down beside me......the "que" for "watch your voice!"

I, too, didn't realize Brenda was a hearing dog. I know CCI is known for their hearing dogs, so go figure, but they do other dogs, too, so that's why I didn't guess. I knew she wasn't for mobility, since you don't use a harness, or for blindness, of course.

I have tinnitus, too. Fun stuff, eh? I got it from a wayyyyy-too-loud concert I went to many years ago (let's just say the setup was made for a stadium or such and the venue was a half-gymnasium! Not a good idea, especially for rock-type music!). It got a little better in the months following the concert, but has been with me ever since. Woohoo. :rolleyes:

Because of one of my disabilities, I can't tell how loud or soft my voice is. You're lucky ppl tell you when you're shouting! :p Your dog, too.

 

She used to "alert" me to airplanes flying overhead for the first few months that I had her. We both finally figured out that that wasn't such an important sound to me.

LOL! I hope you didn't live too close to an airport or busy flight path!! :p

 

I think you said she alerts when ppl call your name (I guess I deleted that part from the above quotes already) - does she do this every time someone says your name (including in conversation)? Or only to a special cue or nickname? At one time I wanted this task with a special cue/nickname (not my real name), but I never persued it. Maybe with my next dog.

[Quampapetet]

Just Brenda picking up signs from your body language and also understanding the sign language is amazing to me.

 

Dogs can read written-word commands and understand stick-figure drawn commands, too! There's a book about it. The lady who wrote it is a service dog trainer and she has a school where she teaches others how to train service dogs. It is a fascinating book, especially how the dogs instantly could follow the stick-figure commands without being given the verbal or written-word command they already knew for the thing! :cool:

[S.S. Cruisers]

Quam: Now the dogs following the stick figure commands gave me the chills! I know growing up we had to spell certain words, when we were riding in the car with our dog, cause he would go ballistic. Two I remember were squirrel and cow! I just thought about that. I just see Jezzy Lou reading a book, along with me! LOL. They are amazing furbabies and I really think their learning ability is beyond what I know I thought possible.

[S.S. Cruisers]

Oh and Quam, I have missed you! I kept checking this thread yesterday, and nothing. No one else around. Then bam, Quam showed up! I love reading your knowledgeable posts, even though I don't have a service dog, I am an advocate for you guys. It gives me lots of information and if I were to ever see an incident like Roz was involved in, I would definitely stand up and give them a piece of my mind. Ignorance is no excuse and rudeness is definitely not going to get anyone anywhere with me. People should really memorize and follow, "Treat people the way you want to be treated!" Period.

[sd1]

Kathi,

 

2. What are the requirements for bringing your dog off the ship into Mexico?

The requirement for importing a dog or cat into Mexico are posted on Mexico's website in two key places. You can find information on the customs page in section 9 of the Customs and Migration web page at http://portal.sre.gob.mx/conreinouni...age&SubMenu=#9. The Office of Agricultural and Livestock Health is the regulatory agency. You can find their document regarding dogs at http://www.senasica.gob.mx/?Idioma=2&id=623.

 

..............

 

I am bringing with me the documentation as issued by my local vet, not the USDA APHIS office. I will let you know if I encounter problems. I am bringing along the email with me just in case! Failing that, I plan to spend the day on the ship enjoying the quiet and reading a good novel.

 

..........

 

 

I just returned from a cruise to the Mexican Riviera on Holland America. We were able to go ashore with my dog using a letter from my vet documenting all of the information noted above. There was no request for an international health certificate (one issued by the US Government through the USAD APHIS office that requires presenting in person or sending off information to them.). I did take a health certificate issued by my local, licensed vet with the letter. I was praised for the efficiency of my paperwork and my dog was cleared with the entire passenger load. I had expected to have her individually inspected but she was not. When I requested additional information since I did not want to get off if there were problems, I was told that she cleared with flying colors but that the week before they had an SD that did not clear due to lack of detail regarding worming and probably lack of clarity of the info on the rabies vaccinations. While I was sorry to hear about the other SD not being allowed off the ship, I was reassured that someone actually did review the information. On shore we had no difficulties but I did stay on an excursion and did not go out on my own.

Edited March 27, 2011 by sd1
added info regarding review of dog's documents

[wizard-of-roz]

I just returned from a cruise to the Mexican Riviera on Holland America. We were able to go ashore with my dog using a letter from my vet documenting all of the information noted above. There was no request for an international health certificate (one issued by the US Government through the USAD APHIS office that requires presenting in person or sending off information to them.). I did take a health certificate issued by my local, licensed vet with the letter. I was praised for the efficiency of my paperwork and my dog was cleared with the entire passenger load. I had expected to have her individually inspected but she was not. When I requested additional information since I did not want to get off if there were problems, I was told that she cleared with flying colors but that the week before they had an SD that did not clear due to lack of detail regarding worming and probably lack of clarity of the info on the rabies vaccinations. While I was sorry to hear about the other SD not being allowed off the ship, I was reassured that someone actually did review the information. On shore we had no difficulties but I did stay on an excursion and did not go out on my own.

 

It sounds like your cruise was a good one. I'm glad that you had no problems with your paperwork. You obviously presented you, your paperwork and dog in an appropriate manner. And, what you had was what the ship and Immigration authorities needed.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

[wizard-of-roz]

Great article Roz, of course we all know what a journey you have had and what an advocate you have been for service dogs, but now more know. I am not really surprized to hear that Brenny is a hearing alert dog...such a smart girl with such a fabulous family. I can only imagine the life of Brenny and PaPa...TROUBLE is what I think.... I worked with a few dogs who were being trained for hearing response...it takes such a special dog. One dog ended up in general service and the other....more general service and balance, but here hearing training has already made a huge difference in her recepeints life. And for me, I actually learned some American Sign Language as I had to use it for basic commands

 

Thanks for sharing,and I am still working on that California Coastal cruise.....

 

September 24th is the date......I'd love to see you.

[wizard-of-roz]

First off, sorry I haven't been on here lately. We had DSL and the phone line it was on got intermittent static on it, making for an intermittent Internet connection (making these boards not doable 'cause I'd lose which threads/messages were unread since the last visit and all). At first I thought it was the DSL modem, so I bought a new modem, but the problem didn't go away. The phone company refused to come check the line (idiots!), so we took our business elsewhere! We now have cable Internet (we already had cable TV, of course) and cancelled the DSL and the phone line it was on (which we never used anyway since it was leftover from having a business in the house, which moved out of the house many years ago, but we had to keep it 'cause it was the only line DSL could physically be put on). You'd think when cancelling the services the phone company would ask why, but they didn't! Crazy.

 

Anyway, it will feel different to walk with another dog because each dog's stride, speed, feel of their muscles (for those of us with harnesses), etc. is different. I've heard from many guide dog owners who have gone for successor dogs and they have mentioned how weird it is to get used to a new dog and also sometimes to find the dog with the right stride and pace for them.

 

It will feel different to give the same commands to a new dog, too, I'm sure. But it is for your good - and Brenda benefits, too, as she will be able to retire (even though she likely won't like it much at first, the whole not being with you thing and all - you might be making a good number of trips to dog-friendly places the first couple months to soothe yourself to soothe Brenda! ;)).

 

I'm not sure how many years my dog has left to work, but we're going for recertification this summer and I will discuss the future/the successor dog scenerio with my trainer then. It'll be at least two years left in her, but possibly four. We shall see! All I know is, my dog will NOT like being left at home!! :( That'll have to be something she eases into.

 

Welcome back, Quam,

Retiring our dogs takes a lot of thinking about. Brenda will be 11 in a few months and it's time, it's just not as easy to do as some would think.

Your trainers will certainly give you all the good advice when you go for re-certification.

We're all here to support you.

[wizard-of-roz]

And most will remember the dog, not you! :p I stayed a night in a hotel after this past cruise and it was a busy changeover day for them, so rooms were not ready for a while. I got in the elevator when I did finally get my room and there was another guy who got into the elevator, too. He asked, "Did they finally give you a room?" I must've given him a strange look as I thought, "How did he know I was checking in today and waiting for a room?!" He said, "I remember the dog from the cruise ship." :p

 

When the President of our company retired, last year, it was always so funny to me and to my colleagues how he would walk into our office [of which he only visited about twice a year] and he'd say to me, "hi Brenda how you?" It always made us laugh. I don't think he knew what any of our names were, except, of course, Miss Brenda! :rolleyes:

[wizard-of-roz]

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I, too, didn't realize Brenda was a hearing dog. I know CCI is known for their hearing dogs, so go figure, but they do other dogs, too, so that's why I didn't guess. I knew she wasn't for mobility, since you don't use a harness, or for blindness, of course.

 

I have tinnitus, too. Fun stuff, eh? I got it from a wayyyyy-too-loud concert I went to many years ago (let's just say the setup was made for a stadium or such and the venue was a half-gymnasium! Not a good idea, especially for rock-type music!). It got a little better in the months following the concert, but has been with me ever since. Woohoo. :rolleyes:

 

Because of one of my disabilities, I can't tell how loud or soft my voice is. You're lucky ppl tell you when you're shouting! :p Your dog, too.

 

 

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LOL! I hope you didn't live too close to an airport or busy flight path!! :p

 

I think you said she alerts when ppl call your name (I guess I deleted that part from the above quotes already) - does she do this every time someone says your name (including in conversation)? Or only to a special cue or nickname? At one time I wanted this task with a special cue/nickname (not my real name), but I never persued it. Maybe with my next dog.

 

In the office Brenda used to "alert" me when someone called my name, which was very often and poor thing, I didn't realize how many times folks were calling me. After the first couple of weeks I realized that this was grossly unfair. My colleagues now, come over to me or email or call me. It took Brenda and I time to learn each other and just when she was going to get rewarded to continue to "alert" me or when she would get a "no" to stop doing it.

 

Brenda figured out the "system" very quickly and we got into a good routine. She no longer alerts me to my name being called in the office. But, will do so when were walking and someone shouts my name.....she'll "poke" me on my leg or "tug" on the leash; I will use sign language "what", she immediately lays down and that's my cue that someone has called my name. Then, I ask [ASL] "where", she then stares in the direction of the person. Waaalahh!!!

 

At home if someone is knocking on the door or the phone is ringing. She will come over to me "poke" my leg, I ask "what" and she goes to the door or the phone and lays down. Sometimes, I'm confused because I may hear a sound but I'm not sure where it's coming from, while at home, and I ask Brenda "alert" and she radars her head and stares at where the noise is coming from and I'm at ease. :)

 

Of course, every time she "alerts" me she's rewarded with a treat or I just plain "throw a party!"

 

Tinnitus can give you horrible "noise confusion" and, along with the lack of dual hearing I have no perception, what-so-ever, of where sounds are coming from. It's so annoying! :(

Edited March 27, 2011 by wizard-of-roz