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Working Scaling Wall
Edward Working Wall
Future Service Dog
Newest Trainee
About Me
- Activedogs
- Weyerhaeuser, Wisconsin, United States
- We are a small manufacturing company located in Northern Wisconsin. We specialize in high quality dog equipment for dog and handler.
What an AWESOME foundation it will be too! Looking forward to seeing the new site go up! Wonderful.......
ReplyDeleteHonored to be an Active Dogs, client and blogger.
Dragon1
I had to retire my service dog 6 months ago and excited to hear that you will be starting your foundation soon. I am lost without my companion! Duke had given back my independence. So have lost alot. I will be watching your blog. Will you be doing a waiting list?
ReplyDeleteYes, I will have a very smart female German Shepherd ready to place by spring, early summer, depending what will be required of her. She is 1.5 and is training very fast. I will be publishing a application but if you want to send me your facts I will consider them. I want to know the dog is placed into a good environment and the person who gets her will be able to support her with proper food and care. Things like vet costs etc. One never knows when an accident may happen. I will also consider a person on limited income if they have a statement from their vet that the vet will do pro bono work.
ReplyDeleteLH
I have had my Labradoodle,Pixie, since she was 8 weeks old. She began training as my service dog within the first year. I have had arthritis since birth and it is decreasing my abilities as I get older. Without Pixie I could not enjoy a happy healthy life for myself and my son. Active dogs has helped supply Pixie with everything she needs to help me. I think it is wonderful you are giving of yourselves to help others. Keep up the great work!!!
ReplyDeleteAs a long time customer of Activedogs.com products for my GSD service dogs, I'm very excited about your new service dog program using GSD's, they are an incredible breed and they are wonderful workers, as you know I have had 2 GSD's service dogs for my seizure's and help w/ my other disabilities as well, besides being my protectors. I can't wait to see more photos of the puppies... will you be sending more puppy photos? I wished that I had photos of Woody when he was a puppy he would have been an incredibly cute puppy, with BIG paws!
ReplyDeleteAmando was my first GSD service dog for 8 yrs and passed away in May '06 and then I got Woody just days before Amando passed on and I believe that Amando's spirit was Woody's Guardian Angel, as that fateful day when Amando passed on, I had 3 really bad seizures and I had just received Woody from the Czech Republic and he wasn't trained yet for seizure work, but he was my saving grace, as when I awoke from my seizures, I was laying across his back! As Woody was not in the room w/ me on all three seizure episodes and he innately sensed my seizures and came to my rescue and did what he was going to be trained to do! GSD's are so incredible. Tho, I have had shelties for over 45 yrs and love them dearly, I will always have GSD's as my service dogs!!!
Your SD program is very unique and I hope that I will one day be able to receive a trained GSD service dog when Woody is unable to fulfill his duty, as I can't repeat what happened to me w/ Amando, as I was trying to find a replacement trained service dog BEFORE Amando passed on, and I looked for over 1.5 yrs and was unsuccessful, as I was put on many waiting lists and most of those programs were not for GSD's, tho one was specifically for GSD's seizure dogs but there was a 4 yr waiting list... that would mean that I would have to submit my application now, as Woody is already 4 yrs old, and he would be 8 yrs by the time they had a dog for me on their waiting list...
Please keep me informed on ALL of your updates and progress of your new SD program, and I would like to be put on your waiting list.
PAWSitively yours; KDM and Woody, CSD
I will send you my info by email. Thanks for answering my 1/19/2009 post.
ReplyDeleteDJ
I think it's a good thing that you are taking into account the ability of the new owners of your service dogs to treat them medically. I know all too well what happens when an owner can't afford emergency care as I work in an emergency vet hospital. Just recently we had a guide dog come in who's owner could not afford life-saving surgery to remove a foreign body. While all people with disabilities that need dogs should be able to have them, we must take into account what happens when money runs short.
ReplyDeleteActive Dogs are wonderful people and manufacture top quality equipment. I am very pleased they are now producing dogs for service dogs. I live in Canada and am severely disabled. I tried to get a service dog in my province. I was told I was too disabled. I tried to get one in Ontario. I was told I lived too far away. No matter where I looked I could not find a service dog for me in Canada. So, my service dog Pippi is an American. She is an medical alert dog and without question is why I have lived as long as I have. Through her efforts my health even improved, which the all the doctors thought would be impossible. I congratulate Active Dogs on their new venture to help people. Service dogs change lives! They can do more than simple chores. Like Pippi they can serve to stabilize health and even participate in rehabilitation. Thank you Active Dogs! J. Christian
ReplyDeleteHello, does anyone have experience with an English Mastiff as a service or therapy dog. I have an exceedingly bright Eng. Mastiff that I really would consider further training with him. I never see them used as such, so there must be a reason. thanks.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the use of the English Mastiff it does not matter the breed per se. It comes down to whether the individual dog can provide the required services/tasks required of it. PLEASE NOTE: SERVICE DOGS AND THERAPY DOGS A NOT NECESSARILLY THE SAME.
ReplyDeleteA service dog is a broad term but if it is one to be used under the ADA it is different than a therapy dog which is not protected by the ADA.
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ReplyDeleteOld English Mastiffs as service dogs are hard to do. They don't fit under tables very well in resteraunts, and getting them on a plane....well....not easy! Plus, as a rule, they have no drive to retrieve, and work.
ReplyDeleteAll that coupled with a relatively short life span, and possible health issues.
Have you had his hips/elbows exrayed yet?
That is the biggest issue. Without good hips/elbows and complete medical workup...well, it isn't fair if the dog isn't in condition to work well.
Personally, I won't train a dog that will not OFA prelim good or excellent as a service dog.
Anonymous
There are many factors that go into the working ability of dogs, or for that matter, animals for service work, as there are other animals that do service work, ie: miniature horses (like the program in NY), monkey's, etc...; physical capabilities and temperament/mental soundness... I do believe that dogs should have good hips and eyes, as both of my GSD's have good OFA ratings and eyes... as a GSD that has the rear sloping hips are not built for the stresses that a SD has to do daily, like getting up and down and the amount of walking , etc... and of wearing harnesses and supporting the weight of a person that needs helps w/ bracing and balancing work, a GSD w/ the sloping hips will not last very long as a working SD, in my opinion...
ReplyDeleteIn regards to size, there are many different sizes, shapes, of working service dogs out there and it depends on the service that the dog is to perform... now, I have a large GSD from the Czech Republic, which does fit under the booths at restaurants, I back him up under the table like a "bus" but he is well trained and doesn't move and may stick out a bit w/ his front legs, but he knows to curl in and tuck his tail under his back legs so as to keep himself out of the way...
Now, if you compared his size to a mini horse, and me not really knowing the exact size of a mini horse, like the program in NY, my GSD is almost the same size, tho, unlike the horses, my GSD can fold his body into tight spaces and etc, and mini horses cannot do that and have to stand on airplanes, so having an Old English Mastiff that is sound and passes the OFA and is capable physically and mentally/emotionally, and can do the work that is asked , then why not...? He may not be able to be able to be a working dog as long say as a smaller breed as the larger breeds tend not to have as long as a life span, and develop health issues later in life...
But, if it were me, I wouldn't select such a large breed for a SD for reasons above but, as I also heard that the FAA may be instituting a fee for another seat for a large service dog as cuz they take up so much room as they take up an extra seat that the airlines cannot fill cuz trhe SD is too large... but, I don't like this ruling and I don't know if this is come to pass to law as of yet, either.
PLus, I would pick a breed that has as little of health issues as it gets older, and the temperament must be very sound!
I'm VERY partial to GSD's as service dogs, I think they are the best breed for the job, tho, I'm being very biased, but I also know of very good Border Collies and Shelties, Labs and Golden Retrievers that great service dogs, as well! :-) Think PAWSitive! KDM and Woody