That's So Cool!

Today I was at Panera and the young woman behind the counter asked me if my dog was in training.

I said, "No, he's fully trained," which is my standard answer.

She says, with great enthusiasm, "Wow! That is so cool!"

I had no idea what was so cool. Was it cool that my dog was fully trained? I mean, service dogs are supposed to be fully trained.

Was it cool that I had a service dog?

I didn't ask, but I walked away wondering.

He's a Genius!

Isaac got a new toy today.  Well, two new toys, actually, but they go together.

I went to Petco looking for some sort of puzzle toy.  I didn't find what I wanted. 

So then I just looked at all the dog toys and I ended up looking at some of the Kong Genius toys.  These resemble the regular Kongs in that they are durable rubber and brightly colored and you can put treats in them.  However, they come in a couple different shapes and can be connected to make various configurations, to make it more challenging to get the treats out.

So I ended up buying two in different shapes, which ended up costing more than I really planned to spend.  But it turns out to be worth it because Isaac finds them fascinating.

I filled one of of the pieces with kibble for his dinner, then connected it to the other piece and gave it to him.  Only about half his dinner fit in it at a time, so when he finally got all of the kibble out, he was delighted to discover he got a refill.  I should have timed how long it took him to eat his dinner but I didn't think of it.  Maybe I will tomorrow.  But it took quite a while and he was very engaged.

Do You Qualify for a Psychiatric Service Dog?

Service dogs helps people with all kinds of disabilities, including psychiatric disabilities like post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. I have post-traumatic stress disorder and received a service dog, a yellow lab named Isaac, a little over a year ago. Not everyone with a psychiatric condition qualifies for a service dog, however. To qualify for a psychiatric service dog, you must be disabled by your condition and there must be tasks a dog can be trained to do to mitigate your disability.

Are You Disabled?

To qualify for a service dog, you must be disabled according to the definition given in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which says a disability is a condition that significantly limits your ability to perform basic life activities, like seeing, hearing, walking, thinking and communicating. PTSD causes me to have significant difficulty thinking and communicating at times. Note that you might qualify for Society Security disability and still not be disabled according to the ADA. On the other hand, you might be able to work and therefore not qualify for Social Security disability but still be disabled under the ADA definition and therefore still qualify for a psychiatric service dog. Talk to your doctor or therapist if you aren’t sure if you are disabled according to the ADA definition.

Can a Dog Be Trained to Do Tasks to Mitigate Your Disability?

Think about what things you are unable to do for yourself because of your psychiatric condition. Some of the things I was unable to do because of my PTSD included remembering to take my anxiety medication when I have an anxiety attack (normally I am able to take my medication on my own but during an anxiety attack, I can’t think clearly and just forget to take it unless someone reminds me) and walking into a dark room. Your doctor or therapist can help you make a list of things you can’t do on your own.

Once you have a list of things you cannot do for yourself, think about how someone else (human, dog, robot, whatever) could do them for you or help you do them. For instance, my service dog is trained to bring my medication to me when I start to have an anxiety attack (he knows to do that when he sees signs that I am getting increasingly anxious, like crying, rocking back and forth, clenching my fists, and breathing harder than normal) and to turn on lights. If you’re not sure if a dog could be trained to do the things you need done, talk to a dog trainer about that.

Keep in mind the fact that a service dog must be trained to do specific tasks to mitigate your disability. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, providing emotional support or comfort isn’t considered a trained task. For instance, when I feel anxious, petting Isaac makes me feel calmer. That’s not a trained task, though. If he wasn’t trained to do specific tasks to mitigate my disability, like bringing me medication and turning on lights, he would not be a service dog.

Other Things to Consider

In order to qualify for a psychiatric service dog, you need to be able to care for a dog, of course. Can you afford the cost of dog food, toys, veterinary care and other supplies? Does your psychiatric condition make it difficult to handle daily tasks like feeding, walking and grooming a dog? If you need to be hospitalized for a short time, who would take care of your service dog?

If anxiety is part of your condition, how will you feel going out in public with a service dog? People often stare at people with service dogs and sometimes ask personal questions or make rude comments. How will you handle any access disputes? If an employee tells you that you can’t bring your dog into a restaurant or store, will you be able to remain calm? You can discuss these issues with your therapist.

It's a Benign Hemangioma

Got the lab report back today on the mole removed from Isaac's tail.  It was a benign growth called a hemangioma, nothing to worry about.

The incision still looks great.  He can't wait until the staples come out so he can roll in stinky stuff on hikes again.

Would You Benefit from a Psychiatric Service Dog?

Most people are familiar with the concept of a service dog, or guide dog, for the blind. Service dogs can help people with many other types of disabilities, too, including those with psychiatric disabilities.

People with psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety often find that having a pet like a dog makes them feel better, but relying on a dog for comfort or affection doesn’t make it a service dog. That’s usually referred to as an emotional support animal, and emotional support animals can be very beneficial to people with psychiatric disabilities, but they are essentially pets. Service dogs are actually trained to perform tasks to help people with psychiatric disabilities, and the Americans with Disabilities Act grants disabled people the right to take their service dogs into public places where pets are normally not permitted, like stores and restaurants. You cannot take an emotional support animal into most public places, however.

So would you benefit from a psychiatric service dog?

Are You Disabled?

To qualify for a psychiatric service dog, you must be disabled in accordance with the definition of disability given under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). That means you must be substantially limited with regard to at least one major life activity; major life activities include things like seeing, hearing, communicating, walking, breathing and thinking. Many people are diagnosed with things like depression or anxiety but are not disabled according to this definition. Even if you receive disability benefits, you may not meet the ADA definition of disability. Talk to your mental health care provider if you aren’t sure if you are considered disabled or not.

Are There Tasks a Dog Could Be Trained to Do that Would Mitigate Your Disability?

A service dog must be trained to do specific tasks that mitigate your disability. Essentially, the dog must be trained to do things for you that you cannot do for yourself because of your disability. For instance, if you take medication for your condition that sedates you so much that you sleep through an alarm clock, a service dog could be trained to wake you up and make sure you get up when the alarm clock goes off. However, if you are able to get up by yourself when the alarm goes off, you do not need a service dog for that task.

To figure out if there are a tasks a service dog could be trained to do to mitigate your disability, make a list of the things you cannot do for yourself because of your disability. Think about how a dog might be able to do those things for you. Talk to your mental health care provider if you aren’t sure if there are tasks a service dog could do for you.

Are You Able to Care for a Dog?

There are some programs that provide service dogs free of charge to people with disabilities. Other programs charge fees for their services. Even if you work with a program that charges no fees, though, caring for a dog can be costly. You’ll be responsible for food, toys and accessories, veterinary care and other services for your service dog. Insurance companies usually won’t cover the cost of caring for a service dog. If you cannot afford to care for a dog, then a service dog is not a good option for you.

Your service dog will need to be fed and walked daily. He will require regular exercise. It’s important that service dogs be groomed regularly since they will accompany their handlers into various public places. Handlers also need to keep up with their dogs’ training or the dogs’ skills may begin to decline. If you don’t have the time or ability to care for a dog, then a service dog is not a good option for you.