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Service Dogs / Dogs for the Visually
Impaired are usually sized according
to their Master's Size. So the breeds
including mixed breeds are very varied.

Size and Height DOES matter when it
comes to matching; for you do not want
a dog too big or too little..

I am sure Umbro will be with you for a
very, very long time! He's quite a young
dog right now and you've got lots of
loving ahead of you!

:)


------------------------------------

PS: The reason why the Guide Dog Service
I had went under was due to lack of sponsors.
Many people did not understand what a
"Hearing Guide Dog" is or was. There were
not very many of them around back then in
those days, but today they have quite a few,
but since Star passed away - I just never can
get another replacement for over a decade
and a half. I've put in applications repetitiously,
many want $$$$ and that I do not have.
 
What schools have you applied for? Some school don't charge you for a service dog or guide dog. You would have to be legally blind in order to get a guide dog which is different from a service dog for the deaf or hard of hearing. Umbro was a unique case at my guide dog school since he was trained while i was there for seizure work/modifications. He is a good boy.
Why is it that you are not able to get a service dog now? You've applied for services for a long time now- why are they not allowing you to get a service dog? What kind of dog are you wanting to get and from which service dog school? My twin just retired her second guide dog due to a behavior problem with the last one Mica. He was a great guide dog but had to be replaced with a family and become retired. We miss him a lot as well as Dell her first guide dog. Neither of her doggies were aware of seizures like Umbro is. Talk to you soon-
 
I have applied all over the place in
United States from Paws for a Cause
to For-Profit (I had a sponsor back then)
Agencies ...

The main reason I get rejected are
typically to these reasons:

  • I had 2 Guide Dogs before for a short time (as if it was my fault that they passed away?)
  • Being on SSDI and SSI - limited income, they do not see me as eligible to sustain a dog (but I have 2 cats and I do just fine with them, one is getting old now and is going blind, the other I have no problems in finding a new home for her if I have to give her up)
  • They put me on the "waiting list", but yet, when I follow up on it - they don't have me 'there anymore' and keep sending me the applications to fill out all over again. *sigh* My Physicians are tired of having to fill out the forms and sending them back. I have sent them via Delivery Confirmation with Return Receipt requested; and even when some of them had denied they've ever received such applications ---> I proved it to them. It just was not worth fighting over it.
  • Other Agencies expected me to fly over there for several weeks at a time, and I do not have the money to fly; and flying is dangerous for me. So they've marked me as "ineligible" - I have to go via ground.
  • "For-Profit" Agencies, they expect huge sums of money upfront; costing me an arm, leg, and blood - not worth it.
  • I do not have the financial resources for Vet Care
  • And it's yadda, yadda, yadda from there...

Originally the applications was just for
another Certified Hearing Guide Dog;
but now I need a Certified Service Dog
that is both a Hearing Guide Dog AND
a Service Dog, so that when I have a
seizure, the dog can help me up or move
me to the side. Since my son has to work
and cannot be home all the time. I already
not too long ago, was in a critical situation
and if it were not for my son, I would have
been most likely deceased from the notorious
SUDEP!

The Dog would have most likely would have
saved my life by pushing me over to the side
when I had the seizure preventing the
aspiration and choking, because I was asleep
and unconscious during that time.

Because I am profoundly (legally) deaf, I cannot
hear anything. Moreover, I also have a cardiac
problem as well. But of course I can take care
of the dog, I have a backyard. All of my dogs
I have owned have been medium to mostly
large dogs - even a Timberwolf. So I can handle
them quite well.

At this present time, I have pretty much given
up because after having spoken with many on
the phone; they have rejected me to the fact
I do not drive.

So it is somewhat "discriminating" there. I am
stuck between a rock and a hard place. Purina
once was sponsoring me, but then backed off
after too much time lapsed and no Guide Dog.

It's been nothing but sheer frustrations on my
end - especially for the type of dog I need. My
Doctors had made it clear they are no longer
going to waste anymore of their time filling out
the applications anymore because they had filled
it out so many times and it has become absurd.
(I agree with them wholeheartedly.)

:giveup:

In addition, I was offered a Seizure Response Dog
for free - but the Dog would not fulfill my entire
needs, for I will need a Dog that would be my "ears"
too ... I thanked them for their offer but I needed
more than that.

*sigh*

 
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Hello again-
It's interesting how much trouble it's been for you to get a dog! If you need a guide dog/seeying eye dog for the blind, it would not matter if you can drive or not- if you BLIND then you can't drive. If your deaf then you CAN drive and that would not even matter in applying. That is so strange you can't seem to get anything done as far as a dog goes. I have never heard of any agency or organization requiring you to pay so much money that you can't apply for a doggie- the most i've hear, and this is from guide dog schools for the blind, is $100, otherwise it's free. Some schools might charge a thousand or so for a dog but usually there is a assistance program usually.
The trainer that came to get Mica, my twin's retired guide dog/seeying eye dog trained seizure responce dogs for many years and I'm sure they have worked with deaf people with epilepsy that would require a service dog that does both jobs. It's not that hard to do. It's kinda sad that you can't seem to get what you want here.
Take care, be safe.
-Crystal
 
Hi Brain. I have been reading this thread and so i figured I would make a post here...I am sorry about your experiences in trying to get a dog, but I was quite amazed when you said that you were rejected because you could not drive...My best friend (Crystal11) has a guide dog Umbro, and she obviously can not drive due to her blindness, etc...It doesnt make sense that they would want you to be able to drive to get one, because if you could drive why would you need a dog? Doesn't make sense to me, but anyways...Hope that you will figure things out soon and everything...Have a good night.
 
Brain?? Did I see you're going to give up? NAhhhhh cant be. I must have misread : )

What may make it easier is be sure to keep copies of all your medical reports. When you apply use a copy of those reports rather than bother the Dr. Many places will understand. AND DONT GIVE UP!! You only need 1 dog and there alot of hope and help out there. Keep plugging at it and ya never know, sometimes, good things happen. From what I also understand there are several folks in fla or close that are very successful with their dogs. At least you are in a great area. And remember the squeeky wheel gets the oil. I was looking into a dog for my son. Hed like to finish his last 2 years of college away from home. But after investigating, I felt, he wasnt a candidate. ANd it would be selfish to take one of these few rare dogs.

I am : ) considering on trying it on my own. Ive been snooping around looking for info. Ive raised rottweilers since 1980 and am very successful in reg and agility training. Im wondering if I could raise it a knotch and Im trying to hype myself up that MAYBE I could train a dog to help my son... I know I am optimistic but thats what keeps me putting one foot in front of the other. I figure worst that could happen? I wind up with a great dog, if nothing else.

Brain hang in there and Im adding your needs to my prayers list. ANd if I come across any info from fla, Ill pass it to you.

joan*
 
I thought I would respond to Joan hehe- There is no real way to train a seizure responce dog or a seizure alert dog, they are both different. The dog has to have the ability to be more aware than a regular dog to begin with, then they can modify or train the dog to do certin tasks either before during or after the seizure depending on what would be most usful. My guide dog happen to be one of those dogs and received training while I was at the training center- a few trainers used to traing at service dog school. Anyways, I would still try to find a school but its extremly unusual for a school to deny someone on those circumstances Brain mentioned- I have no idea why they would even consider some of those things such as driving etc.
Take care :)
 
Also for Brain, a "guide dog" is only for blind people and the dog will do curb checks, people checks, approach stairs and allow you to find it with your right foot, slow and walk you around people, follow verbal and non-verbal command such as "forward, left, right, halt/wait, steady-up" etc. The doggies your talking about are either a hearing "service dog" or a seizure responce "service dog" not a guide dog- I would still try to apply for a dog if you feel its necessary- there are lots of school here in America and I'm sure at least one of them could let you know what you need to do in order to get a dog, Take care everyone.
 
I chatted with a woman who I think was from the Carolinas. I asked her how she picked her dogs and she said she went to the pound, prayed for God to help her pick the right ones, and she had been very successful. Im not sure that will work for me : ) Im trying to get a clearer picture of what she is looking for. Im not fooling myself that I could train a seizure alert dog but with the right help? Id certainly give it a go.

Enjoy your night*
joan*
 
Hello, Crystal here-
Hi Joan, I think it's a good idea to get doggies from the pound as in finding a good home for them. Usually with service dogs, guide dog, hearing dogs and seizure alert/responce dogs they have to be trained while a puppy- like with my dog Umbro. He was raised in the breeding center at Guiding Eyes in NY, sent to live with a puppy raising family for one year to be socialized, trained for indoors and get basic obedience, then sent back to GEB for formal guide dog evaluations and training/testing etc. Then they are placed with an applicant after you arrive at the training center for one month residential/facility training time. I arrived in NY in June to get my dog and they told me which dog i would get, what breed and size the day i got him which was three days after i got to the center.
Anyways, the training and evaluation process would have to start when they are real small puppies- but I wish you luck with everyone, same for Brain too.
Take care-
 
Crystal11 said:
Also for Brain, a "guide dog" is only for blind people....
Click to expand...

Correction:

Hearing Guide Dog is a Guide Dog:

Under the United States Federal Law:

You have:

Seeing Eye Guide Dogs
Hearing Guide Dogs
Service Guide Dogs
Assistance Guide Dogs
Seizure Response Service Dogs*
(*not yet classified as Guide Dogs)

USDA GOV Service Dog Federal Laws & Info

I was also on the news several
times on the Hearing Guide Dog
as well; it's on VHS. If I had the
VHS Player, I could have converted
it to DVD and then upload it to YouTube
and you would have seen it and it
would have clearly shown you ...
"Hearing Guide Dog" broadcasted
LIVE on the news - not once, but
several times ... At least 4 or 5
different times on different major
stations.
 
Last edited:
joan said:
I am : ) considering on trying it on my own. Ive been snooping around looking for info.

joan*
Click to expand...

See the information link below the post I had
just posted - all the information is there.
 
Thank you for the corrections but I don't think they are necessary. I have been through residential guide dog school training of course to get Umbro a "guide dog" with additional training in seizure work.
A guide dog is exactly that, a guide dog or seeying eye dog. A hearing dog doesn't guide you at all, doesn't lead you around things or follow comands like a guide dog would. Hearing or deafness doesn't require a dog that guides you. A hearing SERVICE DOG would alert to sounds.. Sorry if it seems I'm agitated here but I'm a guide dog user and all of us guide dog users do not like for people to call service dogs a guide dog, because they are not. Guide dogs also have the hardest most stressful job in the service dog category- also a guide dog has a harness in which the person holds on to.
Anyways, I would still consider looking into a real serivce dog school and seeing what they can do for you if you feel you would be helped by a seizure alert/responce service dog. It is also strange for the news to mess up in calling a serivce dog a guide dog when it doesnt even have that job...
Take care and be safe..
 
Hello again- we went to your website and found that its contradicting what your saying here- now,
"While guide dogs for the blind are the most commonly identified companions for people with disabilities, a number of other partnerships have been initiated. In 1975, Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) pioneered the concept of the service dog, a highly trained canine used to assist people who have disabilities with specialized services. CCI classifies specific types of service dogs by function. Service dogs perform tasks such as operating light switches, retrieving items, pulling wheelchairs, and opening doors. Hearing dogs assist people who are deaf or hearing impaired by alerting them to sounds such as telephone rings, crying infants, alarms, and people calling them by name.

Ok- this whole thing says "service dogs" not guide dog. I can provide information about guide dogs if you like, but i would go ahead and re-read your artical you provided for me. It seems that your mixing up the info here- a hearing dog doesn't guide you in any way, it alerts you. Umbro, a guide dog is trained by a highly qualified school, Guiding Eyes for the Blind in NY as a Guide dog, not a serivce dog.
Anyways....
 
fyi dogs that help those with disabitly are serivice dogs guide dogs r just vfor vissuly iompared so the correct statement would be that a seziure alert dog has yet to be classifyed as service dog. and personly i think other animals could be trained to do things dogs can not saying all animals but anything cat size and bigger probly could be trained if they had a decent temperment.
 
Welcome Majormana-
I am glad someone else understands about service dogs and guide dogs- I am not mad with Brain about anything just frustrated cause as a guide dog user, we are very against calling our dogs a service dog when they are $70,000 guide dog. Service dogs do work such as hearing alerting, tasks such as assisting people in wheelchairs and all sort of other things, but guide dog work is the most stressful work a dog can do but they select dogs based on their willingness to work and abilities. If a puppy shows no interest and doesn't pass the tests and evaluations then they are released into service dog work, or sent to live with a puppy rasing family again or with someone who pays $2000 for the puppy.
Anyways- you are absolutly correct about the terminology. :)
 
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