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Service & Therapy Dogs > Service Dog b/c you feel guilty for the Dog?

♥Emma- CSD♥

Will work for- biscuits

Barked: Thu Oct 16, '08 10:38am PST


	Hi everyone. I have been following this discussion with interest. There are lots of great comments here and I always learn from reading what you have written. I wanted to respond to Otto, Harley and Dori. They have raised a good point about the need for meaningful certification, and the availablility of testing and certification within a reasonable drive from home. The newsletter that was sent out yesterday about that certification for a fee- sight unseen for profit company has apparently left a lot of people frustrated and disappointed, and rightly so. Last Fall, a group of individuals who met here on Dogster and several professionals in AZ banded together to devise a system that would combat these for profit companies who were preying on individuals with SDs who needed certification (in addition to other things). This concept of "check a box on a form, mail us money and get certified" is pretty ghastly and must be stopped. We set about the begin the work of building a national network of trainers and evaluators who were willing to provide low cost testing to SD teams for the purpose of certification. The reality of our world is that these predators exist because such a system does not exist. Once reliable alternatives are made possible and accessible, these other places will go away. Such a system would also provide services to those areas that are presently underserved, and in some cases simply un-served, beause if the system were nationwide, then ultimately services would be available to those who currently live in remote areas, as Harley has pointed out. SD certification is not required under law, but many of us still do face daily challenges with access issues, and know that certification helps. It is also a matter of pride for some of us. We work hard, and spend countless hours to train our dogs and want the same opportunity to earn recognition as others. The result of the input of many was the formation of a SD Foundation designed to address issues that were presently not being addressed boy other programs. Input of SD teams of all types is assured, and credentials and names of individuals are clearly posted. The Foundation is building the system of evaluators that has been requested by many of you in response to these scam companies, in the hope that one day we will be ale to shut these predators down. There is a fee for evaluators, which is seen as a form of insurance policy for payment. The money they pay to sign on as evaluators is put into a fund, and funneled back to them ultimately in the way of payment vouchers for their services that are given to clients who can not afford the $50. They are not allowed to charge more than $50 for the comprehensive evaluation and test. That is what a properly run non-profit (501c3) does, they couple programs and services to use the money from one service to support services to individuals who are unable to afford them. That is but one function, we are also partnered with a large school district to start a puppy raising program housed on the HS campus, and it has been approved by the district as a recognized course for students, and has been awarded 4 HS credits for participants. By utilizing the facilities and resources of this school, we are able to train the dogs for a fraction of the cost of other programs, and then make these dogs available to members of the community who need service dogs. We are at work fund raising to help subsidize this final cost for those individuals who can not afford dogs. You can find out more on: http://www.sdsupport.org If you have suggestions on additional services you feel need to be put in place, we are listening. There is a contact form on the page. There is also a link on the main page for a free newsletter...do not pay for a newsletter from places such as those advertised yesterday...you can get one for free. You can also download manuals for free...this way, even if you do not want to certify, but want to know more about what the standards for testing are, and how to prepare for each station, you can get these answers at no cost. Many of us do not like the current rules, bu we can get involved in making positive changes. Sorry for the long post, but these "certification in a box" places really bother me! Thanks for listening. If the access to the information you can get on this site helps even one of you, it was worth the time it took to type this message. CJ and Emma

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» There has since been 58 posts. Last posting by Mordecai-SD, Jul 2 8:15 am
Service & Therapy Dogs > Dogster, I am ashamed of your mailing!

♥Emma- CSD♥

Will work for- biscuits

Barked: Wed Oct 15, '08 1:33pm PST


	We are in agreement that this is highly inappropriate, but urge everyone to remember that complaints are only a part of the response. The rest is that we all need to work together to help Dogster creatively brainstorm solution to this. If they are not informed about SD issues, perhaps several of us could offer to review articles or site for them to provide feedback prior to them issuing these bulletins. Resources are available to Dogster, and sometimes it is good to remind them of this and offer to help out. I will let them know I am not in agreement with the mailing they sent out, but I will offer to help them in the future if needed. CJ and Emma

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» There has since been 82 posts. Last posting by Sachiko, Nov 3 2:09 pm

Service & Therapy Dogs > SD for soldiers that have returned home

♥Emma- CSD♥

Will work for- biscuits

Barked: Tue Oct 7, '08 3:14pm PST


	I saw this story as well, and it was very well done. Kudos to the news station for airing this.

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» There has since been 2 posts. Last posting by Josephine, Oct 7 7:42 pm

Service & Therapy Dogs > He's a "clear and present danger" to 7th graders?

♥Emma- CSD♥

Will work for- biscuits

Barked: Fri Oct 3, '08 11:20am PST


	We substitute teach in an elementary school, and the principal is fantastic. She has been so supportive of us, and even had us do a school assembly so we could teach SD etiquette to the students. There has never been a problem. We have had the most wonderful experience there. It did help that Emma and I are certified, it gave the school board added confidence. This is a k-8 school so we have the younger students as well. The kids are great about following the rules...we have made "Team Emma" and told the kids that they are all team members, and are teaching her good scohol behavior when they behave well around her. Now, even when we meet the students in the stores outside of school, they are always telling everyone that they are part of our team and when an adult tries to pet her, often a student will intervene and tell the adult the rules of how to behave. I guess that this is part of the perks of living and working in a small town... everyone takes part. Hang in there. Get the principal on your side. Remember that though guide dogs have been aorund longer, other types of SDs are still a newer thing and many people are just not aware. There is always a lag time between the adoption of new practices and the ability of the community to rally. Emma and CJ

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» There has since been 0 posts. Last posting by Harley, SD, CGC, TDI, Oct 4 8:43 am

Service & Therapy Dogs > The strangest problem..

♥Emma- CSD♥

Will work for- biscuits

Barked: Fri Oct 3, '08 11:12am PST


	There will always be problems with the public, and you can not possibly train a dog (or yourself) for every possibility. The best bet is to train for the majority of problems and insist on consistent responses from your dog and y oruself. Like Laura, I had a weird experience at a food store. I do have some visual disabilities, but am not blind. I have an awful problem with glare and must wear my dark glasses even when indoors. Ialso have mobility problems and Emma wears a balance and support harness, so you can just imagine the confusion that creates. At the food store one day, a woman walked up from behind and waved her hand right in front of my face (about 6 inches from my nose)...then before I could say or do anything she called to another woman, "Don't even bother to ask her anything, she is one of those deaf people and she wouldn't hear you anyhow!" I almost fell over laughing! Now- how does that work? If you wave your hand in front of someones face and they do not SEE you then that means they can not HEAR!!!!!! Best to have a sense of humor about that sort of thing. As for the traffic, I do need Emma's help in parking lots, and I have her trained not to allow me in a cross walk if an approaching car has its wheels in motion. Those cars that slow down and honk and yell, I just ignore. Emma just stands her ground and the bottom line is safety. As long as we are safe, I have learned to ignore the rude behavior of others. It only becomes my problem if I engage in an argument with them. For those who are standing around me, I have learned to just explain to them about the wheels moving, and over time the public is becoming more informed. This is just a public education issue. As for issues of bumping in a store, Emma has learned to block for me when necessary, and she is really good about letting me know when anyone gets too close. She also knows that if someone reaches their hand out to pet her seh turns her head away, or if I am standing still somewhere she will back up a step. People get the message. The longer we are together, the more intuitive she is. Some of this you can not teach a dog, they figure out for themselves. Hang in there Sati- given enough time things get better. Don't allow these things to annoy you. Emma and CJ

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» There has since been 6 posts. Last posting by Taser, Oct 11 1:20 pm
Service & Therapy Dogs > Disruptive? Eh?

♥Emma- CSD♥

Will work for- biscuits

Barked: Sat Sep 27, '08 9:50am PST


	Don't hold your breath waiting for anyone to comply with section 504. I have been fighting with the IRS for 2 years to get large print editions of documents. I finally filed a complaint with the DOJ Civil Rights Division based on the information that the IRS was mandated to provide a reasonable accommodation for my disability based on section 504 of the Rehab Act, and was told that though this was true, I might die waiting for that to happen. The DOJ never even responded to my complaint (2 months have gone by) and any State agency insists that htey have no jurisdiction. The State Office for Americans with Disabilities offered to send me a brochure though describign their services...and they sent it in small print!!!! I feel your pain also, good luck. Individuals with disabilities are treated like second class citizens, and worse.

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» There has since been 14 posts. Last posting by Titus, Sep 30 5:07 am

Service & Therapy Dogs > certification

♥Emma- CSD♥

Will work for- biscuits

Barked: Tue Sep 23, '08 10:28am PST


	We substitute teach in an elementary school and I did find it very helpful to have proof of certification to give to the principal. This helped her when she went to the school board and parents to clear the way for su to work there. It put to rest a lot of questions about how she was trained and made the process pretty easy for us. Good luck to you.

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» There has since been 3 posts. Last posting by Dragon, May 31 7:10 am

Service & Therapy Dogs > Quick question

♥Emma- CSD♥

Will work for- biscuits

Barked: Mon Sep 22, '08 10:07am PST


	This is an excellent discussion and all comments are appreciated. The FSDS is a young organization and this outreach program is but one of several long range goals. There are several other programs that are in the works, and not running yet. They are therefore not up on the site yet. The SD Certfication programs that was just started seeks to provide cost effective evaluations to those privately trained teams who desire certification. The focus of the program is to promote proper training and evaluations, with certification as a by-product of the program. We are at work developing Canine Safety materials to help reduce the number of preventable injuries in SDs. Poisoning emergencies are a particular concern fo ruus. Once we are on more solid financial grounds, we hope to be able to offer some limited financial assistance to those teams who are struggling. This assistance will be to help the handlers provide for essential care of their dogs. So many who are wither newly on disability, or still fighting for their disability are withoug medical insurance. We hear from many who are making decisions to forego some of their needed medications in order to be able to provide for their SDs. There are few paces at the present time where an individual can turn to for assistance. Again- this is a long range goal. We are working with a local school disterict to start a puppy raising program. This will put CGC certified, obedience trained dogs out there and make them available to individuals who wish to complete the training privately. Havign an obedience trained dog to work with will be safer for those with mobility issues, such as poor balance. So- there are a good many things that the Foundation has planned, and we are always looking at new ideas. As stated, we are new though, and have to start somewhere, we can not put all services in place from the start. We will build as time goes on, and hopefully emerge as a strong resource center to those with SD teams. We do have a strong interest in outreach services, which means that the "rules" we will put around us will have to differ from the rules of those local programs who are not set up to do outreach work. So- thank you to all of you who have expressed interest. Please do visit back at our web site periodically and keep in touch with us as we grow. Remember, growth is a slow process, we appreciate your patience. Best wishes everyone! Emma and CJ

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» There has since been 0 posts. Last posting by ♥Emma CSD♥, Sep 22 10:07 am

Behavior & Training > Service Dog Foundation

♥Emma- CSD♥

Will work for- biscuits

Barked: Sun Sep 14, '08 9:38am PST


	This information is being posted with the permission of Dogster HQ: The Foundation for Service Dog Support, Inc. is an Arizona based 501(c)(3) organization. We currently are staffed 100% by volunteers. This organization was started by a group of professionals and service dog teams in response to concerns over some gaps in existing services for SD teams. Among our current projects, is the development of a nationwide network of trainers and evaluators who will be able to assist in the certificatin of privately trained SD teams. This will place cost effective certification within the reach of many teams who were previously denied the opportunity to certify. In order to provide this service, we must first build a network. If you are a SD team who has been certified for at least a year, or a trainer who wants to learn more about this program, please visit our site at: http://www.sdsupport.org Thank you. CJ and Emma CSD

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» There has since been 1 post. Last posting by Montecristo (Monte), Sep 14 10:46 am
Service & Therapy Dogs > Service Dog Foundation

♥Emma- CSD♥

Will work for- biscuits

Barked: Sun Sep 14, '08 9:35am PST


	The Foundation for Service Dog Support, Inc. is an Arizona based 501(c)(3) organization. We currently are staffed 100% by volunteers. This organization was started by a group of professionals and service dog teams in response to concerns over some gaps in existing services for SD teams. Among our current projects, is the development of a nationwide network of trainers and evaluators who will be able to assist in the certificatin of privately trained SD teams. This will place cost effective certification within the reach of many teams who were previously denied the opportunity to certify. In order to provide this service, we must first build a network. If you are a SD team who has been certified for at least a year, or a trainer who wants to learn more about this program, please visit our site at: http://www.sdsupport.org Thank you. CJ and Emma CSD

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» There has since been 1 post. Last posting by SHADOW, Certified Service Dog, Sep 14 11:37 am

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