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

[rpclmc]

Halo was weirded out similar to Oakland and Mickey, on his last flight.  It was really weird.  Same seats we always have.  Don't know what was different.

 

Halo stops and put on hard brakes about 25 feet from the relief stations in the airports.  He refuses to go into any.  Good thing he can hold it forever.  

 

Linda and Halo

 

[DUTRAVEL]

That’s interesting that JetBlue is asking for ID or a training letter. The Final Statement of Enforcement Priorities that was just released by the Department of Transportation in August provides:

 

1.      “Proof that an Animal is a Service Animal. If a passenger’s disability is not clear, airlines may ask limited questions to determine the passenger’s need for the animal even if the animal has other indicia of a service animal such as a harness, vest, or tag.” and

2.      “Documentation Requirements. We do not anticipate taking enforcement action against an airline for asking users of any type of service animal to present documentation related to the animal’s vaccination, training, or behavior, so long as it is reasonable to believe that the documentation would assist the airline in determining whether an animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. We will monitor airlines’ animal documentation requirements to ensure that they are not being used to unduly restrict passengers with disabilities from traveling with their service animals.”

 

It seems that JetBlue may be asking for documentation regardless of whether your disability is visible and regardless of the dog’s behavior. Of course, the Enforcement Priorities do not have the force or law and are only guidelines on how the current rules should be interpreted. Until the new amendments to the Air Carrier Access Act are released, it appears that this will continue to be a grey area of the law and it may be a good idea to carry as much documentation as you have.

Edited January 4, 2020 by DUTRAVEL

[wizard-of-roz]

8 hours ago, rangeley said:

 

Jetblue had a supervisor come out and talk to us. She asked John for some identification for the dog and asked what the dog did for him. I told her we were not asked in November and she said this just started and they went to training about a month ago. We saw at least 4 other non service dogs around the airport yesterday. Alot of people are flying with their pets. 

I am so proud to walk with Horton and go into any public situation.  He is remarkably well behaved and responds to my commands very well.  

 

Watching the way Oakland responds to you and John makes it so much easier for both of you when going out in public.

 

I know that my having "paperwork" for Horton may make it more difficult for those who have no paperwork from a training org.,  but it's so simple to have your Vet write something about your dogs training [by you'] on an RX pad and carry that around with you wherever you go!  I might even have it laminated so it doesn't shred or fall apart easily from usage.

[rangeley]

15 minutes ago, wizard-of-roz said:

I am so proud to walk with Horton and go into any public situation.  He is remarkably well behaved and responds to my commands very well.  

 

Watching the way Oakland responds to you and John makes it so much easier for both of you when going out in public.

 

I know that my having "paperwork" for Horton may make it more difficult for those who have no paperwork from a training org.,  but it's so simple to have your Vet write something about your dogs training [by you'] on an RX pad and carry that around with you wherever you go!  I might even have it laminated so it doesn't shred or fall apart easily from usage.

Horty is so well behaved. Oakland is very good in public even though he's new. Unless he's under Auntie Roz spell to get in trouble. Both dogs loved meeting people. They are so social. 

I still think there should be some kind of govt certification. This way all dogs trained by an organization or self trained can avoid the hassle. Just show your govt card and done! 

 

Hung out by the pool today. Posting my boys..

[rangeley]

A girl in our vets office said it would be so easy if we had a pet passport. As far as I know it's kind of useless. Anyone know anything about it? 

[DUTRAVEL]

Just now, rangeley said:

A girl in our vets office said it would be so easy if we had a pet passport. As far as I know it's kind of useless. Anyone know anything about it? 

If she's talking about the pet passport that they have in the EU, I believe that you have to have a local address to get one. It does make traveling easier because you do not need to get a health certificate to travel between EU countries (but it has nothing to do with service dog documentation).

 

British Columbia has a service dog registry and you can register even if you are a US citizen. All you have to do is send in your training documentation from a member organization of Assistance Dogs International. Even if your dog is privately or owner trained you can get a registration card by passing a public access test (which they provide in multiple locations). No doubt it would be more work to have to go and pass the test, but everyone regardless of who trains their dog can be registered.

[wizard-of-roz]

1 hour ago, rangeley said:

Horty is so well behaved. Oakland is very good in public even though he's new. Unless he's under Auntie Roz spell to get in trouble. Both dogs loved meeting people. They are so social. 

I still think there should be some kind of govt certification. This way all dogs trained by an organization or self trained can avoid the hassle. Just show your govt card and done! 

 

Hung out by the pool today. Posting my boys..

They both look like warmer climates agree with them.

 

Yep!  I love getting these well-trained Service Dogs all stirred up and watching them act like puppies!

 

I wish there were government regulatory certificates for trained SD's.   If your dog and you were trained by an accredited agency the Government Cert. should be automatic and given by the agency upon graduation. 

 

There would ALWAYS be objection by the privately trained folks because they would have to acquire special testing materials and here come the objections.  Way too much red tape.  The training orgs. are trying to kick start this but "self-trained" folks don't help in getting it done, and before you know it.......it all gets bogged down with laws, regulations, paper work and objections to one thing or another.

[mmarq1992]

21 minutes ago, wizard-of-roz said:

They both look like warmer climates agree with them.

 

Yep!  I love getting these well-trained Service Dogs all stirred up and watching them act like puppies!

 

I wish there were government regulatory certificates for trained SD's.   If your dog and you were trained by an accredited agency the Government Cert. should be automatic and given by the agency upon graduation. 

 

There would ALWAYS be objection by the privately trained folks because they would have to acquire special testing materials and here come the objections.  Way too much red tape.  The training orgs. are trying to kick start this but "self-trained" folks don't help in getting it done, and before you know it.......it all gets bogged down with laws, regulations, paper work and objections to one thing or another.

 

I self-trained my service dog and I am all for government issued certification! AKC is in the beginning stages of creating something called the "Service Dog Pass". They haven't released much about it yet, but I'm hoping it will be good!

[rangeley]

2 hours ago, DUTRAVEL said:

If she's talking about the pet passport that they have in the EU, I believe that you have to have a local address to get one. It does make traveling easier because you do not need to get a health certificate to travel between EU countries (but it has nothing to do with service dog documentation).

 

British Columbia has a service dog registry and you can register even if you are a US citizen. All you have to do is send in your training documentation from a member organization of Assistance Dogs International. Even if your dog is privately or owner trained you can get a registration card by passing a public access test (which they provide in multiple locations). No doubt it would be more work to have to go and pass the test, but everyone regardless of who trains their dog can be registered.

So it's useless to us in the Caribbean. 

[Algebralovr]

As someone who hired a private trainer to aid in training my dog (we did a board and train, followed by self training, followed by many weekend workshops with the trainer) I would welcome a real government sponsored public access test, registry and ID.  There needs to be a fee waiver for those living in poverty, though, since MANY people with disabilities live in poverty.  
 

I don’t have an ID card for Scooter right now.  We had one from our trainer previously, but the expiration date is past.  The trainer I hired recommended we “re-certify” after two years, which was May 2019, but we’ve not made the time to do so.  They are over 170 miles away, and I spent way too much time recovering in 2019.
 

I have been seriously tempted to create an ID card on my computer and print it.  I maintain the standard, which is the important part.  When the cape goes on, people act amazed at his behavior.  
 

 

[wizard-of-roz]

3 hours ago, mmarq1992 said:

 

I self-trained my service dog and I am all for government issued certification! AKC is in the beginning stages of creating something called the "Service Dog Pass". They haven't released much about it yet, but I'm hoping it will be good!

I'd like to hear more about the AKC  Service Dog Registration Card.  Organizations like Canine Companions For Independence will advocate for the proper ID Card for all certified and well trained Service Dogs.  I hope that I'm still working with a SD and am around to see such positive things happen.

 

Until there is UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION and an ID CARD make sure that your dog acts appropriately in public at all times.

[Mavis and Me]

10 hours ago, DUTRAVEL said:

British Columbia has a service dog registry and you can register even if you are a US citizen. All you have to do is send in your training documentation from a member organization of Assistance Dogs International. Even if your dog is privately or owner trained you can get a registration card by passing a public access test (which they provide in multiple locations). No doubt it would be more work to have to go and pass the test, but everyone regardless of who trains their dog can be registered.

I looked into this a couple of years ago because I live near the BC border and enter Canada on occasion.  It ended up being cost prohibitive for owner-trained SD handlers.  If you have a dog from a recognized and acceptable program, you were automatically able to register your dog.  If your dog was not trained by one of those programs (and I want to say it was only a few programs) then there was a $200 fee to take the PA test.  I decided since it isn't required in BC to have your SD registered, it wasn't worth the fee to test my dog through their channels.  I've never had a problem with my SD when traveling in BC up to this point, so it simply wouldn't be money well spent.

[Mavis and Me]

8 hours ago, mmarq1992 said:

 

I self-trained my service dog and I am all for government issued certification! AKC is in the beginning stages of creating something called the "Service Dog Pass". They haven't released much about it yet, but I'm hoping it will be good!

I've not heard of this, but it sounds interesting!  I look forward to learning more about it when it becomes 'official'!!  I owner-trained my SD too.  She had her CGC, CGCA, and CGCU before I even attempted to have a third party evaluator test her readiness for Public Access.  Since I didn't use a program, I wanted to make sure that she was up to the minimum standards for being a good canine citizen before proceeding with her service work in public!

[Mavis and Me]

19 hours ago, rangeley said:

We saw at least 4 other non service dogs around the airport yesterday. Alot of people are flying with their pets. 

We were at Miami Int'l Airport a few weeks ago and they had a special LINE for people with dogs!!  I was very nervous about standing in it because there were at least 8 obnoxious, uncontrolled dogs that wanted to start trouble with my SD.  My family stood around her like guards as she slept on the floor just to keep these dogs on their flexi-leashes away!  It was insane.  One man held a poofy, white dog in his arms that was literally yodeling and whining the entire time.  It was terrified.  It had a vest on with something written on the side, but I couldn't read it through his arms and the dog's thick fur.  Then there was a Chihuahua and a Pomeranian that nearly had a death-match throw-down at the counter because their owners weren't paying attention to where they were.  Ridiculous!  And my dear, sweet Mavis slept through all of it!

[Mavis and Me]

On January 4, 2020 at 1:27 AM, wizard-of-roz said:

You are so right, we do need to be a strong voice for one another.  ...  I'm not going to allow these folks to get away with this behavior anymore.  When I see a "fake" SD on board a cruise or in the market or hotel, I'm going to call them "OUT!"  Hopefully, this will STOP people from dragging their untrained, poorly behaving pets into the public forum.

What you have to remember Roz, is that some of those "fakes" ARE real service dogs that are just not trained properly around other dogs.  A lot of veterans and elderly folks have dogs that provide very important medical alerts, which makes them real service dogs, but the dogs don't have the proper public access training to always act appropriately in public.  Rather than attack them, maybe find a way to help educate them.  Often they don't have the money to hire a professional trainer, and they themselves aren't experts in dog behavior.  I understand that none of us want our service dogs attacked or even upset by another dog out in public, but compassion can go a long way.  Encourage folks with naughty dogs to carry high-value treats to distract their dog when they see that they are going to be reactive.  And be kind when explaining how their dog's behavior makes it difficult for your dog to work for fear of being injured.  It might fall on deaf ears, but at least you tried.  If they become belligerent, then by all means, call an authority figure to mediate the situation!  :)

[rangeley]

2 hours ago, Mavis and Me said:

We were at Miami Int'l Airport a few weeks ago and they had a special LINE for people with dogs!!  I was very nervous about standing in it because there were at least 8 obnoxious, uncontrolled dogs that wanted to start trouble with my SD.  My family stood around her like guards as she slept on the floor just to keep these dogs on their flexi-leashes away!  It was insane.  One man held a poofy, white dog in his arms that was literally yodeling and whining the entire time.  It was terrified.  It had a vest on with something written on the side, but I couldn't read it through his arms and the dog's thick fur.  Then there was a Chihuahua and a Pomeranian that nearly had a death-match throw-down at the counter because their owners weren't paying attention to where they were.  Ridiculous!  And my dear, sweet Mavis slept through all of it!

 

Omg!! I'm glad I wasn't there for that. 

 

Just a quick comment. A lot of organizations give their dogs for free. CCI all the dogs are free. You get a beautiful room to stay for free while you are training. And volunteers bring homemade food every day for lunch. There are so many leftovers that we didnt even worry about dinner. The only expense we had was a yogurt and granola bar we ate for breakfast. 

Edited January 5, 2020 by rangeley

[Algebralovr]

Yikes- a special line for dogs?  That puts the real trained dogs at even more risk from the untrained ones

,

@rangeley one issue is the wait lists, and that not everyone qualifies for a dog from the well funded orgs.   I know someone who has been on a waitlist for over two years.  No end in sight from the organization she is waitlisted for.

British Columbia will provide an ID card to any dog trained by an ADI or GDFB member organization.  One issue is that ADI does not admit for-profit companies to their membership.  So, a small business that trains even a decent number of dogs a year isn’t admitted.  The trainer I got mine from is a mom&pop small business, which helps keep their overhead low, and they train a lot of dogs for veterans, paid for by various vet organizations.  But, their dogs are considered privately trained and not ADI approved.  It is an issue.  Just one more reason why we do need a national registry with specific criteria that can actually certify dogs.

 

I don’t consider $200 for registration for my dog to be too much, after all it is paying for someone to go over the paperwork from my physician and me, look at my training log, and actually administer the public access test.  That person has to have some training in what the PAT actually means and what is expected.  Considering my costs for training, $300 isn’t bad.

[DUTRAVEL]

6 hours ago, Mavis and Me said:

I looked into this a couple of years ago because I live near the BC border and enter Canada on occasion.  It ended up being cost prohibitive for owner-trained SD handlers.  If you have a dog from a recognized and acceptable program, you were automatically able to register your dog.  If your dog was not trained by one of those programs (and I want to say it was only a few programs) then there was a $200 fee to take the PA test.  I decided since it isn't required in BC to have your SD registered, it wasn't worth the fee to test my dog through their channels.  I've never had a problem with my SD when traveling in BC up to this point, so it simply wouldn't be money well spent.

I didn't know there was a fee for non-ADI organization trained dogs, but it still provides a good framework for a national registration since it does allow certification for owner-trained dogs. I have been refused by yellow cab because of my service dog in Vancouver when trying to take a taxi from Canada Place to the airport.

[Miki_moto]

19 hours ago, DUTRAVEL said:

If she's talking about the pet passport that they have in the EU, I believe that you have to have a local address to get one. It does make traveling easier because you do not need to get a health certificate to travel between EU countries (but it has nothing to do with service dog documentation)

I have a UK/EU pet passport for my dog.  You don’t need a UK address but it looks like all bets will be off after Brexit!

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexit

 

I live in BC and love the fact we have certification!  Nico’s school does the paperwork with the government so it’s seamless for the handler.  I have been asked for my ID on several occasions, especially when checking into hotels.  Sadly, I don’t think certification helps with the taxi situation.  Many drivers won’t stop if you have a dog, even if it is certified.  There are huge penalties for doing so - drivers can be banned from the airport run for a month - but it still happens way too frequently.

[rpclmc]

Roz, Halo was privately and self trained.  I have no objections to there being red tape.  I, personally, think the easiest and not expensive way to start regulations is to get the AKC CGC and PA required for service dogs.  That would eliminate these "fake" service dogs, even the real ones that don't behave in public. 

 

I know my biggest concern for Halo is being attacked by a dog that can't handle being in the public.  

 

I honestly don't think that even the owner's of owner trained real service dogs object to some more requirements.  

 

Linda and Halo

 

[rangeley]

On the ship. I heard there's a person with 2 small poodle like dogs on board. I haven't seen them yet. More to come on that. 

 

The box is quite large and filled with grass. We asked for mulch but thats ok. If we asked for grass we would have gotten mulch. Lol   Anyway he went right in sniffed and peed! Wooohoooo. I think he's finally got the hang of it. The box is on the promenade deck port side front. Perfect for us since we are right at the front elevators port side. That is the usual place Holland America puts it. 

[Mavis and Me]

2 hours ago, rpclmc said:

I know my biggest concern for Halo is being attacked by a dog that can't handle being in the public.  

This is my concern too.  It's happened a few times over the years but I'm fast to step in and get them off Mavis. 

 

2 hours ago, rpclmc said:

I honestly don't think that even the owner's of owner trained real service dogs object to some more requirements.  

I OT'd my SD and I wouldn't object to some sort of certification.  However I have the means to pay for transportation, testing, and re-testing if necessary.  To get a CGC one must pay an evaluator.  I've heard prices ranging from $15 to $30 to administer this test - not too bad.  Finding a source for a public access test is much more difficult and it's not unlikely that an OT trained dog will fail the first time.  Most OT SD handlers are training their first dog, so they may have missed something important during training.  Failing them is not a problem for me - they need to know what to work on.  BUT if they are paying $100 for each evaluation, that can start to add up.  A LOT of OT SD handlers are on disability, welfare, and/or minimal budgets, as service dogs are not only for the well-to-do.  And if finding a PA test proves challenging, and a dog fails that first one, how long will the disabled person have to withdraw their dog from working before they can locate a second test?  If mandatory certification/registry is put in place, then there needs to be a government-run training/financial assistance program too. 

[kmg365suzyq]

My psychiatric SD, Miss Tish, is self trained.  When I adopted her she was well trained behaviorally.  The blocking and other tasks I have trained her.  Usually she ignores other dogs when she is working.  How would I prove she is trained to mitigate my panic attacks or wake me from a nightmare?  I have decided to go out more and now cruise with her even with the snide and rude comments since I don't look like I need her or because she is a small dog she must be a fake.  Not everyone can afford to have their SD professionally trained.

[wizard-of-roz]

3 hours ago, rpclmc said:

Roz, Halo was privately and self trained.  I have no objections to there being red tape.  I, personally, think the easiest and not expensive way to start regulations is to get the AKC CGC and PA required for service dogs.  That would eliminate these "fake" service dogs, even the real ones that don't behave in public. 

 

I know my biggest concern for Halo is being attacked by a dog that can't handle being in the public.  

 

I honestly don't think that even the owner's of owner trained real service dogs object to some more requirements.  

 

Linda and Halo

 

My biggest fear is another dog attacking Horton.  He looks like a huge threat but doesn't have a threatening bone in his body.  He makes a lot of noise at the front door and will stand his ground when he sees another dog or a stranger walking towards us.....all of which doesn't mean that he will go into "attack mode" when forced to.

 

I want reasonable, genuine and sincere efforts made by anyone who walks or wheels with a Service Dog.  I want them to make sure that their dog behaves in a manner that is respectful to other people and especially to other dogs and animals in general.

 

Let's remember that our CCI dogs will NEVER chase a pigeon, squirrel, horse, cat or any other animal.  When I'm traveling with my dog and see other dogs menacing towards other animals it breaks my heart.

[wizard-of-roz]

10 minutes ago, kmg365suzyq said:

My psychiatric SD, Miss Tish, is self trained.  When I adopted her she was well trained behaviorally.  The blocking and other tasks I have trained her.  Usually she ignores other dogs when she is working.  How would I prove she is trained to mitigate my panic attacks or wake me from a nightmare?  I have decided to go out more and now cruise with her even with the snide and rude comments since I don't look like I need her or because she is a small dog she must be a fake.  Not everyone can afford to have their SD professionally trained.

As long as Miss Tish is trained to respect others and especially act well towards other dogs I don't care what kind of paperwork you may carry for her!