I recently started doing some research trying to understand the legal difference between Emotional Support Animals and Psychiatric Support Animals. In the description of the use of crowd control for someone with PTSD, the author mentioned how the same technique has been used for RSD patients to keep people away! Here's the link: http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html

I've become a bit of a hermit and because I'm so sensitive to environmental stimuli like noise, lights, and vibration, I'm not sure that having a Service Dog would make me terribly more functional, but there might be some of you out there that it would. Certainly for issues like with balance or learning to retrieve certain items, there are many ways in which a Service Dog might be life changing!

More info on Service Animals:

http://servicedogcentral.org/content/

If anyone is interested, I have posted a few times here about my service dog.

I recommend people look at the website for the International Association of Service Dog Partners. http://www.iaadp.org

My dog is not trained to keep people away. However, she is trained to "work" on both sides of me. My left side has more sensitivity, and by having her on that side, she automatically creates a barrier to being bumped by people.

She does many, many tasks for me. I drop a lot of things, as I also have some neuropathy. She picks them up. She steadies me walking, like you could use a cane (but pushing down hurts me to much so I can't use a cane). Helps me with clothing, puts laundry in the basket, pulls it to the washer, hands the clothes up to me. Even knows how to find the car for me if I forget where it is.

It's not all peaches and cream having a service dog. You MUST take the dogs health and safety into account at all times. Be careful of hot pavement, salted sidewalks in winter, always having fresh water to drink. And then the employees in stores can be a real hassle, and the public can be downright rude. I have been asked really prying physical questions "what exactly is wrong with you that you think you need that (bad word) dog in this grocery store?" "you look just fine. What is wrong with you?" "if you would lose some weight you wouldn't need that dog in here. Your as bad as the people riding scooters"...and they often won't take simple answers. I have been followed by weird people, my dog has been tackled and taken to the floor by a toddler that I never did see parents for, people have thrown food at her, all kinds of things.

The expense is another thing. Service dogs are usually big dogs if used for mobility. The food I buy is $50 for 30 pounds and lasts about 6 weeks. Add in treats, harness and other equipment, flea and heartworm treatment, license, vaccinations. The IAADP has sponsors that help with some of the medications and give discounts on equipment if you become a member.

However, I do a lot more with my dog than I used to, especially on bad days.

I've been training my dog to act as my service dog. I haven't had any issues when I have taken him out (yet) as I expected because he is a pit bull. There have been quite a few stories of stores refusing to allow service dogs that were pit bulls access.

He has an in training badge on his vest as he is still learning that when he is working he needs to 100% focus on my needs and not try and get attention from everyone wherever we are!

This week I am going to bring him to the grocery store. Normally I have to have someone take me to push the cart. He has been to other stores with me and pulled the cart... so time to try the grocery store. I really need to shop and no one has had the time to help.

If you want to PM me, I can put you in touch with others who have Pit or Pit mixes as Service dogs. I can also point you to some excellent resources for owner trainers.

It's not legal for them to question specifics about your disability, and if it's random customers being rude, I wouldn't respond. If it's cOming from store employees, then their putting their employers at risk for a lawsuit.

If anyone would like specifics on the law, please let me know and I'll post later. I'm headed out into the jungle myself shortly...

I know the laws. But, people are people. I'm working with one grocery now to educate their employees. Two other stores in town I have never had a single issue with. But one store - the employees are always asking me things. The public has no idea, generally, about the laws about service dogs.

Not responding is one way to handle it - but I see myself as part of the overall service dog partners community. Sort of an ambassador - most service dog users feel this way too. If I am rude to them - it sets the tone for other service dog users they might meet other times. Sometimes a few words of explanation can change someone from skeptical to amazed that a dog can do all the things they can to help people with disabilities. I try hard not to be rude to people, even when I am in a lot of pain. If I am really short on time, I just say she was trained to help me, and I don't know what I would do without her help.

I was just pointing out that having a dog out in public can be - umm - difficult.

Most people are just curious or are dog lovers. They don't think about what they are asking.

I stopped in the local grocery the other day for milk, OJ and bananas. Sounds like a quick stop, right? I was stopped by 4 employees wanting to pet, talk to, ask about my dog, and 7 customers. One of the employees wanted to give my dog a tootsie roll from her pocket. And, I try hard not to make eye contact or encourage people to come up and chat.

Just wanted to make people aware that although it sounds good to "be able to take your dog with you everywhere you go" - that there are responsibilities and challenges that come with this.

I have been at this for 4 years now. Just when I think I have heard every comment or question, someone out in public comes up with something new.

The ADA gives the disabled the right to use a service dog, and gives many specifics. Each state has laws too. The US laws "trump" the state laws, but the state can add to the US law. For instance, the US law does not recognize dogs that are in training, yet some states do allow for dogs in training to be taken into places dogs are not normally allowed.

To make things even more complicated, housing and air travel are not covered under the ADA, but under separate laws. It can be tricky to understand the laws for different situations, different states etc. It's a hot topic on many of the service dog forums I belong to, and I've been to many service dog seminars where understanding laws and access were a big part of the event.

The IAADP that I referenced above helps members with access issues and with knowing and understanding laws.

LitLove, if your considering using a service dog, there might be things it could be trained to do to help you with your individual issues. For instance, mine learned on her own to alert me to muscle spasms, also when I am starting to become tired, and am pushing myself, my pain goes up and she alerts (nags me, really) till I stop and rest. They can do all sorts of things.

It's one thing to speak to employees, but I personally have a problem with people feeling they're entitled to my medical history because I pre-board a plane for example.

I understand that having a service animal brings attention as well as expense, and a whole host of other issues. It might help some become more functional.

I've considered it for various reasons over the years, and don't think it makes sense for me at this time. But when I was forced to spend more time in public years ago when I was raising my son, it would have helped...

Interesting post. I am considering getting an assist dog. My family would like me to have one now. I think I would train my own starting with a pup. Still wondering, as one with CRPS, what benefits a service dog would have for me? I have read the assists above. I especially like the help with balance issues since I too have that difficulty. I usually use my electric wheelchair when I go out. I do find many doors that are difficult to open because they do not have the automatic openers installed on them.

Thanks!

How many on this forum have assist animals?

They can carry items, pick up things that you drop, open and close doors, cupboards, etc. Turn on and off lights.