Fakers Affect Us

Do you think that your fake doctor's note hurts no one? Do you think that you should be entitled to take your precious pet everywhere?


Well here is where I say, you affect me. Personally, and you did today.

In the post office there is a sign:



This sign was put up after a dog came into the post office and snapped at someone, it was a pet, probably not a service dog.

Let's break down the sign

"No pets allowed" fine. That makes sense.
"Except for those assisting blind people."

A seeing eye dog, a dog assisting a blind person is not a pet, it is a working dog, and a service dog.

Dixon is not a pet, he is a working service dog.

I was told they would help me today but my service dog would not be admitted in the future.

What this is, is simple. It's discrimination based on the type of disability you have, my disability is invisible to the naked eye and as the employee pointed out, I am not blind.

Was on hold with the postmaster general HR for over 15 minutes before I gave up and went to the postal service website and got a phone number and someone from customer service is finishing the complaint.

Training update

Dixon is working towards his public access test which I want to take a practice of soon and then continue working with him until June before I take it again and decide to graduate him. I hope he will have around 50 hours of public access training, 275 hours of in home training, 12 hours of formal agility class, 7 hours of formal obedience class.


I did decide to continue with Dixon's agility class because during his last class he did three perfect runs, he hasn't fallen off anything since but he did jump off the a frame and stand on a tunnel for like 5 minutes.

My boss came to class with me yesterday and she said he was one of the best, if not the best dog in the class, and she's not just being biased! He definitely has a mastery of all of the equipment!

He got his Therapy dog International id card and I am thrilled to announce that we are going to try and start a reading with Rover program at the local library!

I also want to go through the disaster training with him, so that when things like 9/11 and katrina happen we can go assist with the therapy aspect.

Dixon is doing good in obedience, it's competition obedience, and I seem to always get it wrong, but he always knows whats going on, I may or may not continue with it, I think we're both enjoying the agility aspect more...

In other news Moxie successfully alerted to an asthma attack the other night. She is now my "in home" service dog rather than my "in public" service dog. It's nice to have her in some sort of capacity still working. Dixon is doing great in public alerts. And I do like obedience and agility because he needs to be looking to me for the alerts.

Dixon's last agility class

In June he did his first feature Film (Titled "Francine") which releases this year.

He was well...wild. The most notable scene is a trashed house of an animal hoarder. Dixon and his work buddies are "creating chaos", Dixon was so expert at this they couldn't hear the actors lines over him.

The American Humane Association rep on hand during filming agreed that I really really hand my hands full, but it had only been a month Dixon and I were together so he excepted LOTS of progress.

In November Dixon did a commercial for a big cell brand. It was the same AHA rep, he was nervous remembering Dixon and how admittedly out of control he was not 5 months before. Well Dixon was a rock star, he chased the ball maybe 500 times and brought it back for the talent every time, it was...amazing...

We decided to get his CGC and TDI after that and once he had that I signed him up for agility.

He was great at agility, unfortunately he was so happy to be there and so happy he forgot himself and would actually fall off the equipment (dog walk and teeter especially).

His fifth class he had his worse two runs, one he pooped on the dog walk, the other he went off course in search of water.

So I was determined, just determined that his last class would be good.

He had three perfect runs, almost completely off leash.
He was amazing at the weave poles the teacher was completely stunned, "oh my god! He found his feet!"

They're bright white! It's about time!

We'll be taking his public access training in about three months, and he will then be considered a fully qualified service dog. Just...wow, a year to go from nervous, and untrained, to a qualified service dog. I'm so proud of him.
_________________

My sincerest apologies

I have really failed at keeping this updated, but I feel an update is in order.

Dixon started his training as an animal model and did his first job back in June or July. It was basic sit/stay stuff and he was amazing at it. Around that time he did a feature film that comes out this year, he did this with the other office dogs and seemed to enjoy it greatly.

In September/October he did a shoot for AT&T a commercial where he had to fetch a ball, which he is now an expert at, he did it for almost 3 hours straight. After that my boss and I felt it was time for him to get SDIT status, we obtained that by him passing his AKC canine good Citizen and his therapy dog international test.

To put this to the test I took him to South Carolina with me for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. He flew like a pro.

There were a few notable experiences, one was on the first flight we were going through security and a small purse dog had eluded it's owner. Dixon did sniff the dog that came barreling at him but did not react when the dog "snarked" at him. I was most impressed with that.

When we landed in Charleston at Christmas time, Dixon executed a perfect off leash heel as i wrestled with my bags. He stayed by my side as we entered the airport and noticed another purse dog out of it's case and a german shepherd on leash ( think it was a guide dog), Dixon did a perfect paws up to I could grasp his handle and leash as we left. The shepherd barked at him and Dixon ignored it, he even ignored when the purse dog came up and sniffed his butt, an area he has been sensitive in.

He was great throughout the holidays and certainly minded his manners.

At Thanksgiving we went to my old dorm and I put Dixon in a downstay using a tennis ball to keep his attention, I purposefully put him the in the middle of the floor and watched as people stepped over him and walked around him, his eyes never left mine.

For the past weeks Dixon and I have been doing an agility class together, he is very happy and determined, but unfortunately his feet are about 5 minutes faster than his brain.

He doesn't slow down too well and regularly falls off the equipment, I am fearful that not only will he get injured but he will become fearful of the equipment.

With that in mind I have decided not to continue with his agility training at this time, we have instead enrolled in obedience training which starts 3/7.

I want as a reminder to teach him the following things:
1. Pick up the leash when I drop it.
2. Find "Help" (Or a specific person, I will teach him "mom" which will be my own mother, as well as my boss, and also teach him to find Anthony.)
3. Find the car.
4. Him to get over his fear of his butt being touched (he only flinches but I don't want him to flinch anymore)

The biggest challenge I have encountered is giving Dixon enough exercise with all the snow we have, it certainly has been a challenge.

Dixon Update

Well it has been a week since Dixon was neutered and now I feel I can actually start working with him. He is still bull headed and full of testosterone, but boy is he eager to learn. He hasn't figured out the "game" yet so he gives up easily, and as a 2 year old full of testosterone he is still a bit "puppy ADD".

We have started with discipline as the first and foremost with simple things.

My boyfriend Anthony, taught him how to sit. Which has been a big help. Dixon is now fed outside of his crate and must sit and leave his food until the "okay" is given. This is called a wait, and is different than a leave it, in a leave it...he never gets the object he desires, in a wait he must simply how patience and the ability to show some self control.

Next we will work on a stay, especially with distractions, the cat is the biggest distraction he constantly wants to play with Flash, and flash really wants nothing to do with him!

Well I don't blame Flash, if I were a 10 lb cat I would not want a 29 lb puppy in my face batting his paws at me.

When I first got Dixon he really was craving love, attention, and exercise. As much as I want him to be loose in the house I realize how unnerving it can be for him, there are all these smells and sights that he has simply never experienced before.

He just recently learned how to go up and down stairs and has been doing better in the house in a contained room with people, he likes to snuggle but isn't like Moxie where he will "find a spot" and settle down.

So tomorrow we start with the following:
1. Leave it.
2. Stay.

Day before pick up.

Tomorrow I pick up my new service dog in training from the breeder.

We have decided to name him

Redfeather's Lucky Gold Coin

with the call name or common name of "Dixon"

The crate I ordered was WAY too big, comically so...Moxie has a 24'' crate and is 20lb tollers are ~40lbs so I figured twice the weight, twice the crate size right? So I ordered a 48'' crate...

Well I could barely fit the beastly crate into my brother's PATHFINDER! So luckily I was able to find someone with a more suitable crate (they had a 30'' crate) and we were able to do a swap! Since I got such a good deal on the 48'' crate (only cost me $50, which included shipping) I actually ended up getting the 30'' crate for a real deal!

Tomorrow I will leave early to pick Dixon up around 2 pm then I will possibly caravan back home with my brother around 3pm!

Before the dog comes home.

What to do before your new dog comes home.

1. Make sure you have all the necessary supplies:
Toys, grooming supplies, crate, bed, food, leashes, collars
I have obtained all of these things (waiting for the crate to arrive until then I have borrowed one from a friend)

2. Clear ti with where you live. Are you allowed to have more than one dog? What are the laws pertaining to Service dogs in training in your state? Do they have fair housing rights? Dow they have public access rights? My service dog in training has been accepted into my university as such and not as an ESA because...the SDIT in South Carolina gets public access rights, the ESA does not.

3. Make a task list. What do you want your dog to learn?
Coming up in the next blog.

4. Make sure you get all of the dogs paper work.
Including but not limited to: registration papers, vet records, note of sale/adoption, health guarantee etc.
REquest for this is in with the breeder waiting for a response.

I pick up my new service dog in training from the breeder on May 2, just 6 days, we are so excited!

Service Dog in Training Public access laws by state