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

[Quampapetet]

I got mine too, last week. I'm now using the chewable, monthly for fleas and ticks. But, I'll use the other when I run out of the chewables.

 

I am a firm believer in Heartguard [i know it's the brand name] medication and anything that will keep my dog flea and tick free.

 

Our dogs go into restaurants and other public places, we don't want them scratching and infested with any vermin.

 

Our Service Dogs should ALWAYS be well groomed and clean. They don't just represent us, they represent the organization and anyone else who may come into this establishment after us; maintaining their skin, coat, ears and teeth makes for a healthier, happier dog. ;)

 

Heartguard is for heartworm and other internal pests. Heartworm can be given to your dog by mosquitoes (another reason those things are evil!) and it is a serious problem if your dog gets heartworm, as it can be deadly. If your dog gets heartworm, it cannot be active during the months of treatment for it, as being active can kill the dog since the dying heartworm can go into the heart and kill the dog. This means no work and no play, just hanging out in a crate all day. This is why heartworm preventive is SOOOO important! I recommend you give it year-round no matter what region you live in (many vets recommend this now instead of stopping in the winter since mosquitoes can still be around on milder winter days), but especially if you travel to warm places (including the Caribbean for cruises and Florida/California for Disney) in the winter. If you stop it for the winter, you cannot start it again without getting a heartworm blood test done to make sure your dog is not infected, since if he is infected and takes heartworm preventive and especially if he is active, he could die (see above).

 

Ticks can pass on diseases to dogs, too, of course, so it is important to protect from them. And fleas are gross, obviously, plus some dogs are allergic to them. Some Caribbean countries have an abundance of both these critters, so definitely make sure your dog is protected before venturing out!

[Quampapetet]

 

I love the bilingual patch! What a great idea!!

Edited May 9, 2015 by Quampapetet

[Quampapetet]

Gibson gets the entire back bench seat in the car for his very first road trip. We put a memory foam mattress topper and a Disney quilt so he would be comfortable.

 

Very cute! Please use a safety-tested car harness to keep him and all the humans safe, as a dog in a car crash becomes a flying object that can get hurt/killed as well as hurt/kill the humans - and nobody wants that! I recommend the Sleepypod Sport harnesses, since they have been crash-tested and have three points of safety like human seatbelt do and are easy to use (just thread the seatbelt through the back of the harness and buckle it in).

[Quampapetet]

The only problem here is some of the shopping malls lock their disabled toilets and you have to have some sort of key to open them. Which is great in keeping them available for folk who genuinely need them of course, and in that case they have the key, but useless when you are training a pup and the guy cleaning the loos, just looks at you like you are mad when you ask him to open the door for you! :rolleyes:

 

Really?! They lock the accessible stalls? Wow. How do those who need it get the key?

[Caribbean Chris]

I have done the ACVO eye exam twice and it is a great thing! I hope your pup was told she has perfect eyes!

 

It was very reassuring... her career change out of the Guide Dogs for the Blind program in CA came about because of a small breed-typical cataract. The Dogs for the Deaf trainer said their vet described it as needing to wear reading glasses for a human, but that it would not affect her service dog career.

 

The ACVO-volunteer eye doctor (who was quite handsome, Raylene and I thought), said it's like seeing the world through glasses with a slight scratch and that her eyes are great! It was wonderful to get that second opinion.

[Caribbean Chris]

Tell Raylene that Gibson will be anxiously waiting for his first correspondence. He was four years old on January 1st and has never had a penpal. Purple is his life, so he just rolls with it.

 

His daddy was full English Labrador retriever and won lots of ribbons in the showring. He was called Decoy but his legal name was Simbetha's Just A Decoy. Mom's name is Victoria, and she is a Fox Red Labrador retriever. I will try to post the link for Gibson's litter at Trial by Jury Kennels. There are some really sweet puppy pictures. The breeder donated Gibson and his sister Gracie to Paws for Freedom so they could learn to be service dogs.

 

Thanks,

Beckie

 

http://www.trialbyjurykennels.com/Default.aspx?page=Victoria-Decoy%20Litter%202011

 

The link works and those puppy & training photos are so wonderful!

[NBCZero]

Thank you Roz for the extremely helpful information! I called the vet and they reassured me they are USDA certified and added "otherwise the form would be invalid." Phew! What a relief! I thought I had everything lined up but then digging further into the various government sites I found the need for USDA approval and mention of a permit from the Alaska state vet..

 

This thread is such an amazing helpful resource! Thank you for everyone that has put in their time to post about their experiences and tips!

[alexspepa]

Hey Everyone - I picked up a great book at the airport yesterday:

 

What a Dog Knows by Cat Warren...a true story about a lady who gets an overly rambunctious German Shepherd pup and out of frustration teaches it to become a cadaver dog (her first attempt at training a working dog).

 

So far it is funny and informative, and many of the things she goes though remind me of a lot of the stuff I have read from you folks!

 

One thing that comes to mind is how she encourages the dog (Solo named for coming from a one-litter pup - which apparently accounts for the personality he has) whenever he does well at something - akin to you guys "having a party" when your dog does really well. So when he does find his first body Cat is jumping around going "woo hoo!".

[fairbourne]

Really?! They lock the accessible stalls? Wow. How do those who need it get the key?

 

I know it's really weird ..... and I've heard from other puppy walkers who have managed to get into a disabled toilet in this particular shopping mall that they then get locked in! Can you imagine! I know the door was definitely locked the day we were all there doing our training session in the mall, as I tried it! We ended up having to take turns using the regular stalls, with one of us holding the pups - ridiculous.

 

I must stress this is not normal at all for the UK, just in case anyone gets the wrong idea about spending a penny here! There are plenty of very good disabled access facilities and this was the first time I've ever heard of this!

 

I must get to the bottom of this - so to speak! :rolleyes:;):eek:

[Insuregal]

Very cute! Please use a safety-tested car harness to keep him and all the humans safe, as a dog in a car crash becomes a flying object that can get hurt/killed as well as hurt/kill the humans - and nobody wants that! I recommend the Sleepypod Sport harnesses, since they have been crash-tested and have three points of safety like human seatbelt do and are easy to use (just thread the seatbelt through the back of the harness and buckle it in).

 

Quam, thanks for the tip on a good dog restraint. Diana had one a while back that was a complete piece of junk. So she has been really wary of all the different brands and their safety claims. Gibson weighs 76.5 pounds, so is at the top of the range. She is going to measure his girth to see if he fits that way. He isn't overweight, just a hefty boy. :o

 

Beckie

[Insuregal]

Hey Everyone - I picked up a great book at the airport yesterday:

 

What a Dog Knows by Cat Warren...a true story about a lady who gets an overly rambunctious German Shepherd pup and out of frustration teaches it to become a cadaver dog (her first attempt at training a working dog).

 

So far it is funny and informative, and many of the things she goes though remind me of a lot of the stuff I have read from you folks!

 

One thing that comes to mind is how she encourages the dog (Solo named for coming from a one-litter pup - which apparently accounts for the personality he has) whenever he does well at something - akin to you guys "having a party" when your dog does really well. So when he does find his first body Cat is jumping around going "woo hoo!".

 

That sounds like a really good book. We love success stories! By the way, how is your brother-in-law doing?

 

Beckie

[Insuregal]

I know it's really weird ..... and I've heard from other puppy walkers who have managed to get into a disabled toilet in this particular shopping mall that they then get locked in! Can you imagine! I know the door was definitely locked the day we were all there doing our training session in the mall, as I tried it! We ended up having to take turns using the regular stalls, with one of us holding the pups - ridiculous.

 

I must stress this is not normal at all for the UK, just in case anyone gets the wrong idea about spending a penny here! There are plenty of very good disabled access facilities and this was the first time I've ever heard of this!

 

I must get to the bottom of this - so to speak! :rolleyes:;):eek:

 

Is there a special key that disabled individuals carry with them when they go to this mall? I can't imagine that they would have to track down a security person just to use the restroom. That is really strange!

 

Gibson gets very unhappy if Diana doesn't take him into the stall with her. He does have a tendency though to peek under the wall at anyone who might be in the next one. So we often hear ladies talking to his peeping tom self, and we always apologize for his nosiness. Nobody has complained, yet...

 

Hope you're having a good weekend!

 

Beckie

[frecgenswl82]

His daddy was full English Labrador retriever and won lots of ribbons in the showring. He was called Decoy but his legal name was Simbetha's Just A Decoy. Mom's name is Victoria, and she is a Fox Red Labrador retriever. I will try to post the link for Gibson's litter at Trial by Jury Kennels. There are some really sweet puppy pictures. The breeder donated Gibson and his sister Gracie to Paws for Freedom so they could learn to be service dogs.

 

Thanks,

Beckie

 

 

Very handsome parents. Also good looking litter mates. Susan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.trialbyjurykennels.com/Default.aspx?page=Victoria-Decoy%20Litter%202011

[Quampapetet]

It was very reassuring... her career change out of the Guide Dogs for the Blind program in CA came about because of a small breed-typical cataract. The Dogs for the Deaf trainer said their vet described it as needing to wear reading glasses for a human, but that it would not affect her service dog career.

 

The ACVO-volunteer eye doctor (who was quite handsome, Raylene and I thought), said it's like seeing the world through glasses with a slight scratch and that her eyes are great! It was wonderful to get that second opinion.

 

That's great! I am sure it felt really good to hear that.

[Quampapetet]

I know it's really weird ..... and I've heard from other puppy walkers who have managed to get into a disabled toilet in this particular shopping mall that they then get locked in! Can you imagine! I know the door was definitely locked the day we were all there doing our training session in the mall, as I tried it! We ended up having to take turns using the regular stalls, with one of us holding the pups - ridiculous.

 

I must stress this is not normal at all for the UK, just in case anyone gets the wrong idea about spending a penny here! There are plenty of very good disabled access facilities and this was the first time I've ever heard of this!

 

I must get to the bottom of this - so to speak! :rolleyes:;):eek:

 

Glad to know that it isn't the norm! I can't believe they locked someone in the stall! That's crazy!!

[Quampapetet]

Quam, thanks for the tip on a good dog restraint. Diana had one a while back that was a complete piece of junk. So she has been really wary of all the different brands and their safety claims. Gibson weighs 76.5 pounds, so is at the top of the range. She is going to measure his girth to see if he fits that way. He isn't overweight, just a hefty boy. :o

 

Beckie

 

I hope he fits! They will eventually be coming out with the next bigger size, but I guess there have been delays on that - I don't know if they are safety issues or manufacturer issues or what. This is the brand I got for my puppy.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Quampapetet

[DUTRAVEL]

Happy mother's day to all the moms of two and four-legged kids.

 

Dianne

[thephantomsgirl]

Happy mother's day to all the moms of two and four-legged kids.

 

Dianne

 

Thank you! You as well. :)

[alexspepa]

That sounds like a really good book. We love success stories! By the way, how is your brother-in-law doing?

 

Beckie

 

He is out of the hospital but in rehab, and unfortunately the long-term prognosis is not very good. Also unfortunately most of the burden is falling on my wife.

 

I do appreciate you asking Beckie.

[alexspepa]

Beckie's kind post reminded me that I owe you guys a summary of the travel insurance experience...well here it is - I posted it on the insurance board and here is the link:

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2207632

 

I will be happy to answer any questions.

Edited May 11, 2015 by alexspepa

[DisneyKidsDad]

Well...the countdown has begun. This is the last week with Davis. We will be turning him for advanced training on Friday. Hopefully he likes college and becomes someone's amazing service dog. If not, we have a local family that wants him. So if Davis and college aren't a match, we hope this local family will be lucky enough to get him as a pet. The hole in my heart is starting to grow as I type this. But with any luck, when we get back from Disney World, we will be picking up our next challenge. Friday is gonna be a long day.

[thephantomsgirl]

Well...the countdown has begun. This is the last week with Davis. We will be turning him for advanced training on Friday.Friday is gonna be a long day.

 

I hope you know that people like me, so very, very much appreciate people like you!

 

Hugs!

 

Holly

[alexspepa]

Well...the countdown has begun. This is the last week with Davis. We will be turning him for advanced training on Friday. Hopefully he likes college and becomes someone's amazing service dog. If not, we have a local family that wants him. So if Davis and college aren't a match, we hope this local family will be lucky enough to get him as a pet. The hole in my heart is starting to grow as I type this. But with any luck, when we get back from Disney World, we will be picking up our next challenge. Friday is gonna be a long day.

You and your family are amazing, amazing people. Someone is going to get really lucky because of you. Best of wishes to Davis on his next adventure...

[thephantomsgirl]

He is out of the hospital but in rehab, and unfortunately the long-term prognosis is not very good. Also unfortunately most of the burden is falling on my wife.

 

I do appreciate you asking Beckie.

 

Continuing to send healing thoughts and hugs to you and your wife.

[wizard-of-roz]

Dear Davis,

I remember when my "PuppyRaisers" took me to a church so the priest could bless me before I set off on my journey to Florida [by airplane] to be formally trained. We lived in North Carolina and the trip was going to be very far for a puppy.

 

I loved them so much and never wanted to leave them but CCI thought I'd be a good Service Dog for someone like Roz.

 

I went from Florida to California [i'm a really good traveler], and I know that Roz is thankful, every day, that the Florida adventure and training didn't work so good. I had to stay in formal training for a little bit longer because I just love to play "keep-away" with everything I pick up off the floor. Don't tell anyone but I still do! Roz and her family think it's funny and eventually I do give whatever it is back.....I'm giving it back quicker and quicker these days. I hate when Roz rolls her eyes at me!!!!

 

Good luck Davis......I hope your forever home is one that you work in and not just play and sleep in. Working is fun......I get to go on the best adventures with Roz and her family and I get lots and lots of pats and loving from every stranger, everywhere! You never can get too much patting, as far as I'm concerned. I roll over on my back and let them scratch my tummy too! I know I look totally goofy but when you act like Marmaduke sometimes it just feels good to get in some extra loving.

 

Don't cry DKD, you did an amazing job and Davis is such a handsome dog, whatever he does in his life he's just full of all the loving and kindness that you gave him so that he can carry it forward!

 

Pawlightly,

Horton Jeffrey