What they can do - well it depends. First thing you have to figure out is what things YOU have problems doing. Such as the doors. The next thing is what size dog it would take to do those things. My dog is only 50 pounds, so she is physically unable to pull me up from the floor, fully pull a loaded shopping cart, balance me if I had to put weight ON her, she could not open heavy entrance doors to stores.

If you need a dog to perform tasks that take physical strength, like the shopping cart, pulling you up from being seated or after falling - your going to need a large, sturdy dog and they should be 2 years old before you even begin to have them do any of those things, so their bodies are mature.

I'd recommend joining a Yahoo Group called "OC-Assist-Dogs" and one called "assistance-dogs" Each one of those groups have owner trainers - but they also have people who train service dogs. I joined them when I was looking into it and they helped me figure out if a dog could learn to help me, given what things I have trouble doing.

The key is, that the tasks the dog knows have to "mitigate" your disability for them to "count" under the law. A dog only needs to do "work or tasks" to help - they don't say they have to do 3 things or 10 things... just "work or tasks" although most people think they should do at least 3 things. Take a diabetic alert dog though - it can be a service dog if all it does is alert to to high or to low blood sugar. However, it's much better if it knows how to bring you medication or snack or a drink if your crashing, bring a phone, even to use a "dog" phone to auto dial 911. A diabetic alert dog could also be trained to go get someone else in the house if you become non-responsive to the dog's alert. Now, if your a diabetic, and you have a dog that knows how to tell you the oven buzzer is going off, yet you have no problem hearing - then that would not be counted as a task.

Another example - my dog alerts me with a nose nudge if I start to become over tired (which will mean my RSD pain will be spiking shortly), or if my muscle spasms are going to get worse. She started to do this all on her own, and then I trained her to do the nose nudge. However, since I have no pain meds or spasm meds that work - her alerts don't really help me. They let me know that I will be getting worse, so I should go home if I am out somewhere - but her alerts will not allow me to do anything to prevent the condition. So they do not "mitigate" the RSD in that instance - so I do not count those as "work or tasks" that she does.

Now, as far as opening doors. Household interior doors most dogs can open as long as they are - say - over 25 pounds - if you change the handles to lever types and tie bandanas on or something so they can reach them. Heavy doors in stores - they make a hook like thing for the person to attach to the handle, then the dog pulls with it's teeth -- but this takes a STRONG dog, and often leads to injury to the dogs teeth, or to it's structure over time. Same with pulling shopping carts (especially if they don't have a proper harness that fits correctly), pulling wheel chairs. Some can do it - but it's not really good for them. My dog knows how to hit the handicapped buttons (anticipating I might be in a chair some day while I still have her). But, you are able to do that yourself right now. An example of a breed of dog used for this type of work would be a Great Pyrenees.

For anyone thinking about training their own dog, the type training that I'd really recommend is Sue Ailsby's Training Levels - Steps to Success. Sue is a service dog user, service dog trainer - and even though I've been training dogs for over 40 years, I learned a lot following her methods. It works on one basic small step at a time. The next step builds on that one. It is very methodical and really a great way to train any dog - not just service dogs. She says after you complete the two books, you can go on to train a dog to do practically anything and I believe that is true. Sue also has a list on Yahoo Groups, called "traininglevels" and if you look her up online, a lot of the info in the books can be found on her website.

The BIGGEST thing if your going to train your own is selecting the right puppy or dog to train. You don't want to get 2 years into training and find out your dog is not going to grow large enough, or has fear issues, or some other problem.

Here is a woman's YouTube channel who does Sue's training method. She is a Service dog trainer in Canada and does some of the best training videos. I learned how to train my dog to do a lot of the things she does by watching Donna's videos. She has a second channel for teaching tricks and other dog stuff, but this one is more for service dog work.

http://www.youtube.com/user/supernat...ow=grid&view=0

This is a blog done by a woman I have met who has now trained her second service dog. She is in a wheelchair, and even competes with the dogs in agility for fun. This blog goes from picking a puppy, training all the way to graduating the dog to "service dog" and would really help you understand all that is involved. I see she has started a second one that takes over where this one left off. I didn't know that, so I know I'll be reading that blog and catching up on her dogs later on tonight.

http://www.frompuppytopublicaccess.b...1_archive.html

Hope that helps!

I just applyed for a service dog 2 weeks ago for my epilepsy but also for my RSD. I have an interview in 3 weeks. We dont know what its going to cost $$$ wise but its important for my well being regarding my epilepsy. I would like to be able to stay home alone again. But the reason we are also counting in the RSD is because when my pain gets to high then it can cause me to have a seizure because thats a trigger.

I hope everything works out and you are able to get a dog. I'm sure it would be nice to get some of your independence back.

Thanks fbodgrl and daylilyfan for the tips. I had not thought about all of that. Daylilyfan you've provided quite a lot of useful information. Seems you are deeply knowledgable and involved in the dog assistance area. Thanks again for the wonderful tips and links. Looks like I've got some interesting reading ahead.

I hadn't thought about all the possible things an assist dog can help with. For instance, the knobs on the doors. Living in a newer condo, we do have the lever handles on all the doors for an assist dog to use. Also, turning the lights on and off. That is another very useful one I hadn't even thought of at all. There is a lot for me to learn and consider before actually getting a pup. Right now my 16 year old dachshund Frank is top dog. He is not an assist dog. He is a bit short height wise to help with the lights, and weighing about 10 pounds, he isn't able to help me with doors either. We are leaning toward a labradoodle but haven't really thought it all out just yet.

Hoping for you the best of days ahead.

I was reading through this thread and really appreciated all the amazing research and information provided. I was wondering do any of you have a spinal stimulator and a service dog? I am getting ready to have a permanent device implanted soon but I know it's not a cure it's just a blocker really. I have balance and walking issues and while the trial helped, bending over and balance still tend to be issues. I was just curious.

Hi! I am new to this forum. I have been diagnosed with RSD/CRPS following BiCep Surgery last December. I have a German Shepherd that I am training (with a trainer) to be an Emotional Support Dog. I could use all the advice out there! Thanks...

i've been wanting to get an emotional support certification for my dog. i would also like to look into getting a service dog to help me when i have trouble walking and bending to pick things up. i also get alot of emotional support from my dog which helps me deal with my rsd and fibromyalgia and endometrisis pains and my panic attacks from all the pain i am constantly in. dogs have a calming effect on me. thanks to everyone for the links. i talked to my pyshciatrist i see to help me deal with my rsd and he didn't seem to understand the benefits of having an emotional and/or service dog. i would like to get a prescription from him for this but need to educate him more on this subject. does anyone know of any other dr who can do this? maybe my pm dr? thanks again for your info and i hope that all of you trying to get a dog succeed! take care.

I've been reading these threads for years and never mentioned this but I co wrote a book with someone who's a well-known author, dog trainer, and who has trained and used service dogs for years. Her name is Carol Lea Benjamin. She has Crohn's disease. She uses the dog for emotional support, to alert her to an oncoming attack, and also to identify the area of pain and lie against it for comfort. She takes the dog with her everywhere. Another pup from the same litter ended up as a service dog for a girl who has panic attacks and diabetes. She alerts her to both the panic attacks ahead of time and low blood sugar, and has allowed her to go out in public with more confidence.

My part of the book was not about training for a service dog. However, the dog I write about, a littermate to Carol's, has ended up being my service dog. Mostly for emotional support. She's very sensitive to my emotional state. I don't take her places. (I rarely leave the house anyway.) She'll also lie against me in areas where I hurt, which is surprisingly comforting as endorphins are released by this interaction along with the comforting heat of her body. If interested, you can search the book on Amazon under her name. You'd probably skip my parts since it doesn't pertain except in early raising of the puppies. I'm only putting the information out there because of her part.

After I needed a service dog, and fortunately had one already that worked for me, I found Carol's insights extremely helpful. Perhaps you will too. One thing that's important to note is not all dogs are suitable for this work. Starting with a puppy can be rewarding if you find the right type but getting a puppy may not always work out.

Denise

hi cd. may i ask the name of this book and if it explains how to get someones dog to become an emotional support dog. not a service dog yet for me, but one that i can take with me to places if i need to go out like to the dr, or apts. thanks for all the great info.

Yes, I think there's a lot of explaination of how to prepare a dog to go out in public as emotional support. It's called do border collies dream of sheep. You can find it at amazon, barnes and noble and iTunes. It's in book or kindle form.