Postings by Link's Family

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Link Hero of Hyrule     Barked: Mon May 20, '13 1:30am PST  I've been researching dog foods as I'm switching from feeding raw. Link is very active, he's my service dog, exercises outside multiple times a day, runs on the treadmill, and I'm also training him to pull a dog powered scooter which we will be using as our main transport. On raw he hasn't been conditioning as well as I like. He's not thin or anything, but he's kind of plateaued physically. When he was boarding with his sheepdog trainer he was on kibble and came back really built so I know it's possible. So, I've got it narrowed down to two brands which are very different. The first is Orijen, I know it's a very good food and I'd feel comfortable feeding it coming off of raw. The thing that worries me is that they tout low carbs, which pets don't really need, but working dogs do need the carbs for sustained energy. I can always add carbs myself, but I don't like the idea of spending $80 on a bag of food that isn't complete for what I need. The other food I'm looking at is Redpaw X-Series (2-3). I've heard good things from numerous working border collie people, and I know sled doggers really like it as well. The quality of ingredients isn't anywhere near Orijen, but I don't think it's too bad. Redpaw makes their food in Fromm facilities too so that is a plus. Here is the ingredients for X-Series 3 since it's less known that Orijen. Chicken, menhaden fish meal, chicken meal, oatmeal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), pearled barley, beet pulp, pork blood meal, chicken liver, pork meat meal, dried whey, fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, salt, sodium selenite, folic acid, Vitamins [vitamin A acetate, Vitamin D3 supplement, Vitamin E supplement, Vitamin B12 supplement, choline bitartrate, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, L-Ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin], Minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganous sulfate, magnesium sulfate, copper sulfate, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, sorbic acid (preservative), ferrous proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, magnesium proteinate, manganese proteinate, cobalt proteinate], dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium longum fermentation product, dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product. Input on Redpaw would be very much appreciated. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Link Hero of Hyrule     Barked: Thu May 16, '13 1:52am PST  My family has reunions each year, and when a certain uncle is in charge of planning them there are always numerous WWR expeditions. A few people have been thrown out, and things like the raft flipping are always a possibility. I choose to pass on rafting, I can't bring Link in good conscious, just too dangerous. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Service & Therapy Dogs > Teaching a scent alert.

Link Hero of Hyrule     Barked: Sun Apr 21, '13 8:13pm PST  He can and does do a great medical response. He knows many signs that I am having problems, like leg shaking, teeth grinding, "spacing off," getting twitchy, rocking, etc. he has always had a strong natural tendency to notice and respond, which I strengthened through training. I am talking about an alert, which is being notified before you experience illness, to try to prevent it (by taking meds, doing cognitive behavioral work), rather than doing damage control. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Service & Therapy Dogs > Access Denied at the County Jail

Link Hero of Hyrule     Barked: Thu Apr 18, '13 2:46am PST  Otto, please refer to subtitle (g) of Title II of the ADA: (g) Access to areas of a public entity. Individuals with disabilities shall be permitted to be accompanied by their service animals in all areas of a public entity's facilities where members of the public, participants in services, programs or activities, or invitees, as relevant, are allowed to go. A public entity is any local or state government. Offering visitation is a service or program, and therefore must be made accessible to the disabled, including those with service animals. This was confirmed twice when I talked to two different Department of Justice's ADA information line. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Service & Therapy Dogs > Teaching a scent alert.

Link Hero of Hyrule     Barked: Wed Apr 17, '13 12:31am PST  I probably used blood sugar as a bad example for an alert, although my little brother has brittle diabetes and I can see if being very useful to get an alert when blood sugar is dropping while not yet in dangerous levels, because when his drops, it goes fast, and with that kind of alert he could eat a piece of candy or drink some juice. A better example would be a seizure alert. Just as a person can have a different scent due to chemical changes in their body before a seizure that dogs can sense, I'd imagine I would smell differently before having a severe panic attack (this would just be for severe, usually out of the blue ones). my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Link Hero of Hyrule     Barked: Tue Apr 16, '13 2:38pm PST  Link does very well and is very consistent with his response, and he sometimes alerts, but I'd like to make his alerts more consistent. When I'm about to have a severe panic attack or flashback I always sweat just in my armpits. I've heard of people teaching diabetic alert dogs to alert to blood sugar levels by putting their scent on a cotton ball or tissue from when they are experiencing low or high blood sugar. I'm wondering if anyone has done this with PSDs. I'm also wondering if something like my deodorant would be too overpowering, or how I would get a scent sample without it... besides the obvious, but I can't predict when I'm going to have an attack. Any advice or information is greatly appreciated. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Service & Therapy Dogs > Access Denied at the County Jail

Link Hero of Hyrule     Barked: Tue Apr 16, '13 1:58am PST  Sadie, while I understand where you are coming from, I will not allow discrimination and violations of my federal rights. If they want to say allow a very well behaved, quiet dog into their visiting rooms is an unreasonable accommodation, fine, I have plenty of documentation that they would allow a guide dog, so obviously it's my disability that is the problem, not the dog. I would simply have more documentation of their discrimination. And while I know I need to keep my health in mind especially considering I'm just gaining weight back from the 88 lbs I wasted away to while dealing with divorce court and the same sheriff being completely ignorant of the law, it is a fundamental belief of mine that no one is above the law, I don't care what uniform you wear or who supplies your paychecks. And I do not want another SD team to have to go through what I went through, no one should be subjected to that, and I have a feeling they're just quietly allowing me access and won't change anything else about their policy. Anyway, I received calls from a sergeant and the sheriff today. The seargeant said I would be allowed to visit my friend with my service dog, but I should call in advance (as I mentioned previously I already did that), he said I shouldn't have issues again. The sheriff called me back later, ee have dealt with each other before regarding service dog issues (when my ex stole my SD equipment), and I remember him as having the typical incredibly demeaning cop personality. He was also ignorant of the law. This was all reaffirmed as I tried to talk reasonably with him. I was not rude, but I was firm, I don't allow myself to be intimidated like he especially tries to do. I was constantly having to talk or wait through his, "Listen Autumn, Autumn, Autumn, Autumn!" interruptions similar to how one talks down to a dog or child. I asked what his facility's policy was on admitting service animals, turns out they don't even have one (besides from what I gleaned from my earlier phone calls, only guide dogs and no pit bulls). I asked what he was going to do to do his best to make sure this didn't happen to me or another service dog team, he said he doesn't make promises that he can't keep! He can't even guarantee his underlings will follow federal law... I asked him if he would make sure there was education and proper disciplinary action taken, and I explained how severely his officers aggravated my disability, and told him that during the first phone calls his officers committed many violations of the ADA, most notably they continued to ask me what my disability was in spite of me telling them that was my private medical info (and also in violation of the ADA), and demanding certification. He said he handed out some info, and that was all he would do, he wouldn't tell me what information he gave his officers. I voiced my concern that he and his officers needed to know that what they did was discrimination on the basis of my disability, and in violation of the ADA because I did not want this to happen to me or anyone else, and he laughed, and said that they could kick me out at any time and never had to give a reason. That may be true, but I was given a reason, and also businesses have the right to refuse service to anyone too, but under the ADA they CAN NOT discriminate on the basis of my disability, and that applied to them too. I was getting far past done with him by this point, he was rude, demeaning, and refused to apologize or even admit any wrong doings. He would not back down on his commander being perfectly in the right about denying me access. I informed him I was not satisfied with how he has handled this, and that I will be following through on my complaint to the DOJ. So that was that. I may be calling the human resources office again to file an official complaint because I do not like how this was handled at all. The least he could have done was apologize for his officers making me extreming ill. I have been having continuing full body shaking panic attacks just talking to these people on the phone about it, and I had a doctor's appointment, Link's first time at this office, and was sick with anxiety over the possibility of another access challenge. I had to ask my boyfriend to come in and sit in the waiting room with me, which I haven't needed since Link coming back to public access work, because I was so anxious about being challenged again. I wasn't challenged and Link did great, though I did put off a blood draw due to my anxiety levels main it pretty impossible to focus on Link since that would be another first experience. Anyway if I do call it will be at my therapy appointment tomorrow so my therapist can be there to support me. She's going to have a cow when she hears about it. This has been my first real access refusal, and I'm really shaken by it, probably doesn't help that it was at a police station. Do these happen fairly often, or only every once in a while? I'll keep you guys updated on what happens with the complaint, I'm going to write my friend a letter and focus on being able to see him at the next visit. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Service & Therapy Dogs > Access Denied at the County Jail

Link Hero of Hyrule     Barked: Mon Apr 15, '13 3:12pm PST  No I don't think they were on duty. I think the department is just very confused and ignorant of laws applicable to service dogs, this isn't the first time I've had problems with them. The last time their ignorance resulted in the washing out of a previous service dog. Luckily I had Link and he had matured or I would be without a service dog, even though state law would have put the cost of a new SD or training at the feet of my ex husband and his mother. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Service & Therapy Dogs > Access Denied at the County Jail

Link Hero of Hyrule     Barked: Mon Apr 15, '13 12:18pm PST  That information was given to me by contacting the Department of Justice's ADA information line. They also allow guide dogs in, so that is discrimination based on my disability plain and simple. If they can accommodate a typical guide breed which are bigger than my SD, they can accommodate Link, who was quiet, well behaved, and not causing a disturbance in any way. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Link Hero of Hyrule     Barked: Mon Apr 15, '13 12:15pm PST  Dogster isn't allowing me to post my original message because there are not appropriate words (there aren't?). County jails are required to make the services and programs they offer accessible to those with disabilities, including service dog handlers. I asked for them to mail me a complaint form, and I am waiting calls back from the county's human resource office as well as the Sheriff who apparently wants to talk to me about "admitting" my service dog. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

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