As many of you know, I have polymyositis, an autoimmune, progressive muscle disease. It qualifies me as "officially disabled" under the ADA, and entitles me to a service dog/mobility assistance dog.
Anyway, I've been toying with making Tito a service dog for a long time, and have been sort of chicken to do it. But Jodie's experiences with Flip made me decide, what the heck, I might as well give it a go.
So Tito is going to be my mobility assist dog.
I ordered the book for training your mobility assist dog, and luckily it was worthless to me because Tito already knows all of the commands they "teach", and many more. He already picks up anything I drop, pushes doors open, and lets me lean on him for balance when I need to. He retrieves anything he's told to go get. And with his calm, laid back temperament, and totally non-reactive demeanor in public, he's the perfect candidate.
So I just ordered a mobility assist harness for him. Not the cheap version that's really just made for people who are trying to pass off their pets as service dogs, ($70) but the really good one that's designed so that you don't put pressure on the dog's structure in a bad way when they are assisting you ($350).
It will take it over a month to get here. Then we will see what happens from there. I've been chicken, afraid that I will get kicked out of places when I try to take him in.
Anyway, I've been toying with making Tito a service dog for a long time, and have been sort of chicken to do it. But Jodie's experiences with Flip made me decide, what the heck, I might as well give it a go.
So Tito is going to be my mobility assist dog.
I ordered the book for training your mobility assist dog, and luckily it was worthless to me because Tito already knows all of the commands they "teach", and many more. He already picks up anything I drop, pushes doors open, and lets me lean on him for balance when I need to. He retrieves anything he's told to go get. And with his calm, laid back temperament, and totally non-reactive demeanor in public, he's the perfect candidate.
So I just ordered a mobility assist harness for him. Not the cheap version that's really just made for people who are trying to pass off their pets as service dogs, ($70) but the really good one that's designed so that you don't put pressure on the dog's structure in a bad way when they are assisting you ($350).
It will take it over a month to get here. Then we will see what happens from there. I've been chicken, afraid that I will get kicked out of places when I try to take him in.