Postings by Lady's Family

Weimaraner > Winter Coats/Jackets

Lady 971579     Barked: Wed Dec 9, '09 10:59am PST  Well, my pup is only half-Weim, but she's built like one, so I figured I'd see if any Weim owners had the same problem. I'm trying to find a good winter coat/jacket for Lady, but she's so hard to size! She has a 28" girth and a 27" topline, so anything sized just on her girth is too short, and most everything that's long enough is too big around the chest. Without going for a custom coat, does anybody know some good places to look for unusual size coats? Failing that, does anyone have a custom coat maker they recommend? my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Cinnamon 408133     Barked: Sat Mar 21, '09 4:14am PST  I'm really hoping Lady will have the right temperament and drive to be a PSD, but I know it may not work out. My fear is that I may not be able to get another dog to train if Lady doesn't work out, for a few years at least. I live with my parents still, and I doubt they'll want three dogs in the house, especially if there's no guarantee that the third dog will definitely be suited for PSD work. I just wish I'd known about PSDs and how one could benefit me earlier, so that I could have trained Cinnamon. I know that the federal law trumps state law with regards to SDs, I just would feel very uncomfortable (read: probable panic attack) during an access challenge if I didn't have both federal and state law to back me up. I'm not very good at being my own advocate, since I tend to break down during confrontations. In other news, since there is only one other pup signed up for Lady's basic obedience course, we're also going to be working toward the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certification (CGC for puppies). My friend, the trainer doing the course, knows a CGC evaluator who would be willing to come administer the test at the end of the classes. Does anyone have advice as to what I should and should not do with Lady while she's still a puppy? I know she needs lots of socialization and a good foundation in obedience and general manners. We were thinking of dong agility when she's old enough, since she's very energetic and loves to run and jump over obstacles. She is currently doing some beginning tracking exercises on the weekends, which she seems to enjoy. Lure coursing was also suggested, but since I *won't* want her chasing things on the job, I don't think that's a good idea, right? my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Service & Therapy Dogs > Thinking about a PSD

Cinnamon 408133     Barked: Fri Mar 20, '09 2:49pm PST  That's what I figured about Cinnamon. I may just train her in a couple tasks that would be useful around the house, and leave the bulk of the training for Lady. I have looked at ESA vs PSD. Since I live at home (not likely to move out anytime soon), and I doubt I'd be capable of flying alone even with a dog, I don't think an ESA would really help me much. I've been to the PSDS site, but thanks for the other link! On that note, I found this funny: "It's wonderful to live down the block from an excellent clicker instructor who has room in her classes for your dog and plenty of time to coach you and give you advice and assistance in your training. Unfortunately very few of us live in Perfect..." Apparently I live in Perfect! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Service & Therapy Dogs > Thinking about a PSD

Cinnamon 408133     Barked: Fri Mar 20, '09 11:20am PST  Hi all. I just found out about psychiatric service dogs recently, and I've been trying to do my homework on them. I have Aspergers Syndrome and Social Anxiety Disorder, among other diagnoses. Even with therapy and medications, my symptoms have been getting worse, particularly with respect to social interactions. I think a PSD would help a lot in my case. I currently have two dogs, and am considering training one or both of them as PSDs, with the help of my friend, who is a professional dog trainer. Lady is just 4 months old, and obviously wouldn't be ready for that type of training for a while. She's been through "puppy playgroup", and starts beginning obedience next week. She's a Lab/Weimaraner/something mix, and is very smart, but needs to calm down quite a bit before she'd be ready for public access. But she's young, so I'm hoping she'll mellow out sufficiently. My other dog, Cinnamon, is the very definition of mellow. She's a purebred Golden Retriever, smart and eager to please. Public access training for her would be relatively easy. However, she's 9 years old. Would it be worth training her? My state does have the same rights for SDITs as SDs, so she could just be an SDIT indefinitely. Also, my state only recognizes SDs used by blind, deaf, and otherwise *physically* disabled people. Aside from writing to my state senator, is there anything I can do about this? I live in a fairly disability-friendly town, so I doubt I would get many access challenges, but I would feel very uncomfortable if I were challenged and didn't have state law to back me up. I think those were all my main questions/concerns... other than that, I'm just looking for general beginner advice. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

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