Service Dogs and Work

[bj2circeleb]

I agree with all that has been said to you already. At home the dog would be doing the same thing, but without getting any attention at all, and without you being there. If the situation is appropriate, I do take a blanket for Brooke to lie on, and when I do voluntary work in an office for one full day a week, Brooke has a foam mat and blanket to lie on, as well as a nyla bone and water bowl. She has touched the nyla bone once in the 6 months we have been there, as she is contented to just lie around there. I think I put it out, as it is OK to do so in that environment, and I feel better that I have at least offered her a toy to paly with!! I think it is more about my needs than her needs!!!

In terms of toileting, the most important thing is that the dog has the vest off, when it is taken outside. Brooke toilets on command, and will never do so when her vest is on. If she was desperate, and she was outside on grass and the vest was off, she would go, but she will not no matter what, if the vest is on. The most important thing is that you offer the dog a chance to relieve. If the dog chooses not to go, that is there choice. They do hold all night without incident and so 6 hours is really not that long.

You may feel better if the situation allows if you could walk/run the dog before you went to work, so the dog would be more tired, and hence more likely to sleep while you are there.

[Linus]

Linus toilets only on command and toilets with his vest on.  It's simply too difficult for many SD users to remove the vest to toilet their dog.

Linus's school doesn't have a problem with this at all.  They teach their dogs to toilet on command, pure and simple.  Vest on or off doesn't matter.  Surface doesn't matter, either, which I'm hearing is an increasing problem for some teams.  Linus will toilet on any surface: grass, cement, or any road surface.

This comes in handy if you fly frequently.  Most airlines I fly will, if I request, let me toilet Linus on the tarmac before we board the plane.  Sure takes the worry out of flights to Europe!

[Kirsten]

On command, Cole toilets when he's told, regardless of whether he is in gear.  If he chooses not to go when I tell him to, then he's SOL until I next offer.  He fully understands this.  Off command, he toilets when he chooses, within reason.  I send them out to the back yard at certain intervals and they have the choice to toilet or not toilet.

I taught the girls differently.  They seem to have smaller, and shyer bladders.  If Cole has urine built up and I point out a tree and say "potty" he'll go.  If he doesn't go, it's because he really doesn't need to.  The girls, on the other hand, will try to hold it sometimes instead of going when given the opportunity.  Luna once held it for 2.5 days because of a shy bladder.  We're long past that now and both girls will pee on command.  Luna poos when given the opportunity, but Ruby will sometimes hyperfocus on something and forget to poo.  So Ruby is being taught to poo on command.  Each dog is different.  But I digress.

I have a funny to tell on Luna.  If I tell her to potty and her bladder is empty, she'll squat with a serious expression on her face and hold that position for about five seconds, then stand up.  If I watch closely, I'll see that there is no stream of urine under her.  So she's actually learned to fake pee!  Ruby is too earnest to learn her mamma's trick.  If I tell her to potty and her bladder is empty, she'll try very hard to squeeze out a few drops.

If I tell my dog to go, he better go regardless of whether he is wearing his cape or other gear, and regardless of what surface we are on.  He prefers dousing a tree, but he'll go in a gutter or on a grate if that's what he's offered.  He still better not think about toileting while he is on command without a release, again, cape or no cape.  He can ask while on command, but he better not take action without permission.

[bj2circeleb]

Brooke prefers grass, but if I command her to go elsewhere she will go, but she will not go with her vest on. If she is not working and she is on grass she will go, but she will not go elsewhere unless she is specifically commanded to go. She was trained very stictly as a pup to never ever go when working, and I would never trust her to understand the difference between the need to go when working, without a command if she was allowed to go with her gear on. She has held in diarahea for four hours before when working, even when outside, and I know that she would never do that when not working, but I am really glad that she did hold it as she was not in a suitable place, even if outside. At least now I know what her cues are as to when she needs to go, and I would never usually expect her to hold for that period of time.

The surface preface is not an issue in Australia as we do have large amounts of grass even in inner city areas, and disabilty accommodations, require places like airports to have grass for the dogs to use. They have a patch of artifical grass outside in the smoking area of the international departure lounges for this purpose. But, it is very very difficult to travel with SD outside of Australia (with the exception of New Zealand) because of the strict quaratine requirements that have to be met, including no matter how many tests and precautions are taking a minimum of a 30 day quaratine period. Dogs from approved programs can be allowed to serve that period in the community, but it is not straight forward or easy and while I do not know of SD users who have travelled, I do know of a number of guide dog users and all have chosen to travel with a cane and sighted guide, rather than the hassles of quaratine. I have flown domestically and they had plenty of grass at all the airports and so Brooke was able to access this, which is what is prefered by the community here, and also what she prefers.

Having said that I do believe that it is important for dogs to be able to go on any surface and Brooke can and does do that she simply prefers not to.

[Spectrum]

I have a funny to tell on Luna.  If I tell her to potty and her bladder is empty, she'll squat with a serious expression on her face and hold that position for about five seconds, then stand up.  If I watch closely, I'll see that there is no stream of urine under her.  So she's actually learned to fake pee!  Ruby is too earnest to learn her mamma's trick.  If I tell her to potty and her bladder is empty, she'll try very hard to squeeze out a few drops.

   That mental picture is hilarious!

[responsiblek9]

   OH yeah and they say DOGS cant LIE?????  UmHmmmHHH...... Wicked laughter....

 

I have a funny to tell on Luna.  If I tell her to potty and her bladder is empty, she'll squat with a serious expression on her face and hold that position for about five seconds, then stand up.  If I watch closely, I'll see that there is no stream of urine under her.  So she's actually learned to fake pee!  Ruby is too earnest to learn her mamma's trick.  If I tell her to potty and her bladder is empty, she'll try very hard to squeeze out a few drops.

[bj2circeleb]

Brooke fakes pee, and has done so since I got her. I thought it was rather normal dog behaviour and her way of saying "i don't need to go, but since you think I do, I will pretend just to please you!!"