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

[wizard-of-roz]

Brenda, being an English, Lab.....will always have to battle the "weight thing!" It makes her more like me!!!!!!;)

I got the "square" ball on-line from EntirelyPets.com. In order to get free shipping, I needed to spend a bit more money....so, the ball was a filler....and, it was a great choice!

After our cruise (where I, literally, walked her butt off), she would sleep so heavily at night that she took her "snore ratio" up about 10 octives.

Also, because our furry helpers sleep on the floor, in most of the places we visit, on the ship....the "humming and whirring" of the engines, really assist in them getting some good "lulling to sleep" moments. Brenda loves this part of cruising. She will stretch out on her side and go into that "snoring/sleepy" mode everywhere we stopped!!! :D

[Quampapetet]

Brenda, being an English, Lab.....will always have to battle the "weight thing!" It makes her more like me!!!!!!;)

LOL!!! Well, my dog gained between one and two pounds from last year, but should be three or four pounds lighter than she currently is (which I didn't know 'til the doc just said it the other week). So, she needs less treats and more running (she IS being too lazy of late!). :)

 

I got the "square" ball on-line from EntirelyPets.com. In order to get free shipping, I needed to spend a bit more money....so, the ball was a filler....and, it was a great choice!

Cool, I will have to check it out!

 

After our cruise (where I, literally, walked her butt off), she would sleep so heavily at night that she took her "snore ratio" up about 10 octives.

Haha. My girl doesn't normally snore, thankfully.

 

Also, because our furry helpers sleep on the floor, in most of the places we visit, on the ship....the "humming and whirring" of the engines, really assist in them getting some good "lulling to sleep" moments. Brenda loves this part of cruising. She will stretch out on her side and go into that "snoring/sleepy" mode everywhere we stopped!!! :D

 

Aww, sounds cute! :D

 

At least I know on the two days we're getting off the ship she'll do plenty of walking. For the other days, it'll still be more than if we were just at home 'cause of the size of the ship and all (a wee bit bigger than our house, LOL!).

 

Speaking of, I should prob'ly get off the computer and go take her out into the back yard for some fun (if she'll have any - sometimes she just wants to go back inside!! Weird doggy!!). Hmm, my stomach is telling me that I should eat something first, though! :p

[sunshine426]

Valentine's Mom: You are most definitely doing the right thing for Valentine! Keep up the good work! When I come back, in my next life, I want to be your service dog! Except, I'll be too busy running and playing with Brenny!

 

Sunshine: THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart and soul! Without wonderful folks like yourself, Brenny and I would not be a Team!

 

You have helped to make it possible for people like me and so many others to have the assistance and love of these amazing beings and all that they can do and bring to our lives!

 

My life (and my husbands) is truly complete with Brenny! Assistance dogs are a gift. I appreciate that gift EVERYDAY! And, all the work that you do to make it all possible!

 

Brenda was trained to assist people like myself....but, the added benefit goes to the spouses, other family members and friends, who get to love and receive love from our working dogs! :)

\

 

I love reading about your trips with Brenda. I love working with these dogs in training, but it can have it's challenging moments. Stories like yours, and seeing the dogs placed with their recepients, makes every mid night potty run, every training trip to the grocery store, all those baths and runs on the agility field, so worth while.

[Quampapetet]

Well, I have made my final payment (early) and plan to get the final fax to RCCL tomorrow! I'll be sending in my hotel payment (group booking, so pre-paid) prob'ly tomorrow, as well, and then later on just have to pay the group fee for the group I'm going with. I already purchased the one planned excursion I'll be doing (the other port that I'm getting off at some friends and I are doing on our own), too. So, things are coming together and I'm looking forward to the cruise! :)

 

I need to make a trip to Wal-Mart soon (the nearest one is a bit of a drive) for the anti-seasickness meds. I found out about an herbal one called MotionEaze that can be used on dogs as well as humans and I read here on CC that it can be found at Wal-Mart for cheaper than the company sells it online, so that'll be good. Plus I'll get some generic Bonine (meclazine).

 

I still need to buy a formal dress, but I do have my eye on a particular one. Oh, and I just needed to place an order with PetFoodDirect so also got one of the pouched doggy waters (vitamins added et al) to see what it is like and if it would be handy for the cruise (especially when we're not in the boat, as it has a built-in bowl for drinking ... even though I always have an Outward Hound plastic folding travel bowl with me).

 

Now I need to plan birthday and Christmas gifts for my dog, as those are both coming up in the next two months! :)

 

Hope y'all are doing well! Thought I'd check in with ya.

[wizard-of-roz]

Quam: Congratulations.....Doesn't making all the final payments bring the trip that much closer? It won't be long now!

If I don't get to write to you before you leave....HAVE A WONDERFUL/SAFE AND RESTFUL CRUISE!

Sunshine: Please don't stop doing what you do!

I wasn't sure if any if any of you had asked the question about entering the UK with your service dog. We will be going to London next year, with Brenda and I have all the information required for that trip.....I'm happy to share it if any of you need it....We'LL also be entering Switzerland and the information for the UK will also apply to there.....

[Quampapetet]

Yes, it does make it feel closer! I was going to say, "Now if it would just get here already," but there are too many other wonderful things going on between now and the cruise for me to want to hurry things up. ;)

 

Are you going to the IAADP conference in London this coming summer? That would be really neat to attend.

 

You'll love Switzerland - I've been there (before I got my dog), going between France and Switzerland (was on the border) and it is a neat place to be. Don't forget to bring back lots of chocolate!!! :D I've been to Italy, too (long before I got my dog).

 

Oh, so PetFoodDirect stopped carrying the bee pollen I've been giving to my dog with her food. They were the only place in the US that I could find that carried it, so now I'm trying out NUPRO, which has bee pollen as one of its ingredients. I got the medium-sized jar of it yesterday ... :eek: oh my gosh is it HUGE! It is a 5 lb. jug that looks like it belongs in "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids"! Too funny. Now I'll have to go buy a smaller jar in a kitchen store to use when we travel (otherwise this one would take up half a suitcase!).

 

I also ordered a pouch of doggy water to try out. I haven't tried it yet, but it should be interesting. It is 16 oz. and is a bone-shaped foil pouch (just like those juice pouches kids use, but with a built-in bowl in the top instead of a hole for a straw). The water is filtered and has vitamins added to it (formulated by a vet, apparently). You open the resealable top, squeeze the sides of the top to form the bowl, and then squeeze the pouch from the bottom to make the water come up into the bowl. Seems simple enough, but we shall see once I get to try it! ;) If it works well, I'll get enough to bring on the cruise for both on the ship and off the ship. It won't fit into my dog's little pack (it's just big enough for a few essentials), though, so I will have to get a small bag (maybe a mini-backpack so my shoulder won't hurt) to bring it and any other extra items in.

[wizard-of-roz]

Quam: The water and the dispenser sounds interesting....We always bring bottled water on our cruises and when traveling, with Brenda.

Please let me know about it, what is the name of it. And, where to buy it!

We may not be able to attend the conference with IAADP, in London, the timing may be off....That being said we will be going to Switzerland (Zurich), renting a car; driving through Switzerland; Italy; Germany; France and then flying home out of Heathrow. I'm not sure how much time we'll have in England....It's really Switzerland that is the draw for this trip......

We just got back from a Seminar at CCI, in Santa Rosa. There's so much to learn. Hearing Dogs are being trained differently than when we were in school (2002) and the learning process is challenging my learning curve!

Hearing Dogs are now being trained to ride on escalators....they were a "no-no", in the past. I'm still not sure I want to try it.....And, the dogs are being trained to take their partners to the person whose calling their name, instead of just laying down at their feet. And, they're being trained to "alert" to smoke alarms and on and on.

When Brenda retires, I will need a degree from Yale to go back to "Team Training", with another dog. Hopefull, "Miss B" has a few more good years in her, to work and I won't have to worry about all the new stuff until then.

We are inundated, here in So. Cal. with all these fires....today seems to be a better day for all. Of course, there are so many who are homeless and the flora and fawna will not be the same for many years.

We are lucky, the fires were all around us; the smells; the sounds; watcing the animals run for safety and the looks of our brave firemen and fellow homeowners are enough to keep us up at night!

I say a prayer for all of them to find their inner strength and prevail.

Take care.....

[Quampapetet]

Quam: The water and the dispenser sounds interesting....We always bring bottled water on our cruises and when traveling, with Brenda.

 

Please let me know about it, what is the name of it. And, where to buy it!

It is called "Wet Bone" (how cute is that?!) and I found it on PetFoodDirect's Web site. They are $2.49 each before the service dog discount (20%). I didn't look them up on any other site to see price differences since I was already buying other items from PFD.

I don't normally bring water for my dog when I travel, but I figure it is best to do so on a cruise ship and being in Mexico (especially the latter!). I know this dog water is much more expensive than regular bottled water, but it looks to be pretty handy for when we're not in the cabin since the bowl is built in and the pouch doesn't take up as much room as a Handi-Drink 2 bottle (plus I wouldn't have to try transferring bottled water into the Handi-Drink bottle).

I wouldn't buy these pouch waters for everyday use because of the cost, but I think it may be a good thing for the cruise.

Oh - and Wet Bone has their own Web site, too: http://www.wetbonecompany.com - please do NOT go to the site without "company" in its name ... I just did by accident, thinking that was the site, and, uh, well, it is XXX.... :eek:

 

We may not be able to attend the conference with IAADP, in London, the timing may be off....That being said we will be going to Switzerland (Zurich), renting a car; driving through Switzerland; Italy; Germany; France and then flying home out of Heathrow. I'm not sure how much time we'll have in England....It's really Switzerland that is the draw for this trip......

That's too bad that you'll miss the first-ever IAADP conference outside of the US, especially since you'll have just been or will be just going to London! Sounds like you'll have a wonderful trip, though! When we did Italy, we rented a car and drove all around and stayed in different places and such.

 

We just got back from a Seminar at CCI, in Santa Rosa. There's so much to learn. Hearing Dogs are being trained differently than when we were in school (2002) and the learning process is challenging my learning curve!

 

Hearing Dogs are now being trained to ride on escalators....they were a "no-no", in the past. I'm still not sure I want to try it.....And, the dogs are being trained to take their partners to the person whose calling their name, instead of just laying down at their feet. And, they're being trained to "alert" to smoke alarms and on and on.

Sounds like it was an interesting conference! I use escalators and moving sidewalks all the time - they're safe so long as your dog has been trained to use them. It's a good idea for you two to know how to use them in case you come across a broken elevator or something (that has happened to me before - actually, the elevator broke just as we were about to step into it! It opened like normal and I was about to command "forward" to step into it, but suddenly there was a strange steady beep and the doors closed and both elevators wouldn't open again ... so glad we didn't make it inside!!). Anyway, yeah, my dog has long hair on her paws/legs and escalators/moving sidewalks are safe for her. She has a tiny hop in her step to get on and she takes a hop off at the right time (I give her a warning that it is ending soon and give her a little command at the time she should hop off - on moving sidewalks I also leave a bit extra space in between me and the person in front of us and don't allow anybody to pass us too close to the end so she can get prepared). At one particular airport I frequent, I would never be able to go to where they almost always put my gate - a half-mile walk underground from elevator to elevator - without using the moving sidewalks (standing on them, not walking on them, of course).

 

Taking you to the person calling your name sounds like a good idea. :) Brenda doesn't alert to smoke alarms? I thought hearing dogs have been doing that for quite some time already.

 

 

When Brenda retires, I will need a degree from Yale to go back to "Team Training", with another dog. Hopefull, "Miss B" has a few more good years in her, to work and I won't have to worry about all the new stuff until then.

 

We are inundated, here in So. Cal. with all these fires....today seems to be a better day for all. Of course, there are so many who are homeless and the flora and fawna will not be the same for many years.

 

We are lucky, the fires were all around us; the smells; the sounds; watcing the animals run for safety and the looks of our brave firemen and fellow homeowners are enough to keep us up at night!

 

I say a prayer for all of them to find their inner strength and prevail.

 

Take care.....

 

YIKES!!!!!! :eek: Do stay safe!!!!!!!!!! I have seen the video footage of the fires and their aftermath on the news. I can't imagine how surreal it must be to see it in real life!

[wizard-of-roz]

Thanks for the info. on the water.

The hair in-between the pads of the feet is the culprit, that can get caught on the elevators.....the hair must be kept short so not to get caught! One of our dogs had this happen and had the pad torn open....it was a bloody mess and the dog refused to re-visit escalators.

You don't want the dog to take you to the origin of the sound of a smoke alarm......that can be very dangerous (think about it), the smoke alarm may be back in the bedroom, when you want the dog to take you to the front door to escape...it can be pretty tricky to teach this. It takes 3 people to complete the training technique, properly! Some people have lighting devices attached to the alarm and don't expect the dog to "alert" to this.....we'll see! It's going to be interesting.....

These dogs are so much fun to teach new things to! They take on the new task like "army soldiers!" They're not really happy unless they complete it and we always allow them to end on a very positive note!!!!

[Quampapetet]

Haha, yeah, I didn't mean she takes you to the fire. Just meant alerting you to it (incl. waking you up if you're sleeping when it happens). :)

[wizard-of-roz]

I meant the hair on their pads gets caught on escalators not elevators.

Acutally, the dogs have been known to go back to where the sound is coming from...i.e. the alarm (even if it's the room where the fire is)......and, it can be a harmful place for all concerned....This sound work can be very daunting and confusing for the dogs....it must be well thought out!

You know how dogs think.....their process is not as sophisticated as ours....so, our concern is to always keep them safe.....even if we're not.....

[MCDW]

Hi All:

 

Oz is a Canadian Hearing Ear Guide Dog. His training included multiple trips on the elevator, escalator and walking sidewalks. The teachers trained him to get up and start walking four steps before the top or bottom. So he is already in motion, when it is time to get off.

 

He alerts to someone calling me from far away. He takes me to the person. He does the same with the other sounds, except for the fire alarm. In that case, he alerts and drops at my feet.

 

What a Guy:) If I could figure out how to put his picture on messages, you would be able to see a picture of him. Alas, I haven't figured out how to do that.

[Quampapetet]

Oz is a Canadian Hearing Ear Guide Dog. His training included multiple trips on the elevator, escalator and walking sidewalks. The teachers trained him to get up and start walking four steps before the top or bottom. So he is already in motion, when it is time to get off.

 

For moving sidewalks we usually start walking a few steps forward before the end and then she hops off. For escalators, she just hops off. I warn her before the end each time. Walking on is easy.

 

He alerts to someone calling me from far away. He takes me to the person. He does the same with the other sounds, except for the fire alarm. In that case, he alerts and drops at my feet.

 

That's so great! :)

 

What a Guy:) If I could figure out how to put his picture on messages, you would be able to see a picture of him. Alas, I haven't figured out how to do that.

 

I'd love to see a pic! If you have the photo hosted elsewhere on the Web (i.e. another Web site), you can either post the link to the page it is on (i.e. WebShots) or you can click on the "Insert Image" icon at the top of the "Advanced" reply screen - it is the icon that is mountains with a little square above them - and paste the URL of the actual image (will prob'ly end in ".jpg") in the box that pops up.

 

Otherwise, you can attach the image to your reply (good if you don't have the photo elsewhere on the Web). In "Advanced" reply mode, scroll down past the icons and "Save Changes" button to the "Additional Options" section. The second sub-section down says "Attach Files". Click the button in that section and in the window that pops up hit "Browse...". Find your file on your computer, select it, hit "Open", and then hit "Upload" in the CC popped-up window.

[wizard-of-roz]

MCDW: Thanks for the great information!

I'd love to see a picture of OZ....as soon as you've got it down how to post it.....I can't want to see that beautiful face.....

[MCDW]

I think I might have been able to attach a picture. But if you don't see it, I will need to start again.

[wizard-of-roz]

What a cutie........

[Quampapetet]

Awww, what a great photo!!! :)

[MCDW]

We were in Waterloo NY for the last two days............doing major shopping. Oz was so excited as I walked from Store to Store. But alas, he flaked out. Towards the end of the days, I would walk into the store, and he would curl up on the floor and go to sleep.

 

He has been doing some major sleeping, since we got home...........poor little guy.

[Quampapetet]

Wow, sounds like you did major shopping indeed!!! :eek: LOL! :p I hope you found some good sales and such. And, of course, hopefully Oz got some extra cuddles for bein' so good. :)

 

If this was Christmas shopping you were doing, you are WAY ahead of me! I haven't gotten gifts for anybody yet (except my dog, but that doesn't count 'cause I always get her b-day and Christmas gifts at the same time/from the same place each year and she already had her b-day a few days ago). My brother is always the hardest to shop for - I have no clue what to get him!

[wizard-of-roz]

MC: That's interesting about the shopping "poop out!" Brenda can run, run, run, chasing a ball and never get tired. But, I just have to take her on one shopping trip to the mall or wherever and she's ready to drop!:(

What's up with that? I think it's their coping mechanism that is so "off" when it comes to getting up, laying down and then getting up again to only walk a short distance and to keep repeating this is very tiring to them.......She's worse than dragging my DH along! :p

Well, were in preparation mode for our November 24th cruise. I'm pretty much set....we have gotten together a wonderful group of people from Cruise Critic....we're calling ourselves "Wallies/Kampkid's" (a combo of names from two of lovely people from the group) and we're all meeting on Sunday, Nov. 25th for "schmoozing/drinks and a "pat down", with Brenny!"

Stay well,

[Quampapetet]

That's interesting about the shopping "poop out!" Brenda can run, run, run, chasing a ball and never get tired. But, I just have to take her on one shopping trip to the mall or wherever and she's ready to drop!:(

 

What's up with that? I think it's their coping mechanism that is so "off" when it comes to getting up, laying down and then getting up again to only walk a short distance and to keep repeating this is very tiring to them.......She's worse than dragging my DH along! :p

LOL about her being worse than dragging your DH along!!!!! :D

Remember that when dogs are working in public places like a busy shopping mall, they are involved with lots of things beyond their tasks that we don't see, such as mental exercises. Also make sure you're not mixing up "tired" with "bored" in her actions. However, it wouldn't hurt you to run your dog's issue by your trainer(s) to make sure she's not getting sick of working, since she shouldn't be tired after just one shopping trip.

Have a great next cruise!

[MCDW]

Just booked the next cruise. Holland America Ryndam, leaving San Diego for Mexico, back to San Diego and then north to Victoria and Vancouver BC. A 12 day cruise

 

We will be in San Diego for the month of February again, so it will be nice to know I am going back so soon after.

 

Hope all is well in your world.

[wizard-of-roz]

MCDW: Your Ryndam cruise sounds so interesting......is the last port Vancouver? And, when is it?

[MCDW]

The cruise leaves San Diego on 25 April 2008 and arrives in Vancouver 12 days later, via Mexico....:) Yes, the cruise ends in Vancouver.

[wizard-of-roz]

We're leaving this Saturday.....Counting the minutes....Brenda has to go to the Beauty Shop (groomer) on Friday (not one of her favorite places).....

It's so funny to watch this amazingly/highly skilled/highly trained/service dog...turn into a dribbling/jumping/out of control moron, when I take her to the groomers.......I'm always amazed at her behavior, in this venue....

It's probably my fault....since, I'm the one who suffers with the "separation anxiety" thing....I've probably passed it on to her!

She doesn't go there often enough for me to make an issue out of it...but, it is funny to watch!!!!