Hi everyone
I was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and the early stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 21. I’ve tried different things: light exercise and prescription medicines, but even with both, I still have days where they do not work. I have recently started tossing around the idea of starting to work with one of our Australian Shepherds as a Service Dog. She is very bonded to me - when I was severely sick right before being diagnosed, she never left my side and I truly feel… read more
She is adorable.
Hope this works out.
I don't know much about service dogs.
Our dog has been like a service dog at times.
Now that she's older not so much.
But I do give her commands which she still seems to understand like help Mama up the steeper path or slow down.
She is a lab & isvery sweet.
Service dogs can be so helpful for so many people.
Dogs are very smart and often do tune into what is happening. They have dogs that can tell if you have cancer. It's like your body gives off a specific smell. So glad you are training her. She will be a great help.
Thank you! :) They really can! I just want to make sure I stay in line with regulations and figure out where to start mainly. Like you said, they’re very smart - Ellie knows: “slow,” “wait,” “help me up,” and just automatically knows when my feet or hands are cold! It’s crazy how much in-tune they can be with you!
I want to wish the very best for you and getting your beautiful dog certified as a service dog. I don't presently need one myself, but that could change in the future.
Warm wishes, ❤
As far as keeping proof of your disability, it is not necessary. As outlined in the ADA, propieters are only allowed to ask two questions. 1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and 2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Your answers can be as simple as one word; Yes & Mobility. They are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person's disability.
Here’s a link to the relevant ADA section from a federal website.
https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa....
*sorry had to post in three sections, the site glitched and wouldn’t let me post.