[anderson]

I wanted to say Hi to everyone here.
Plus to ask if others have found safety with a service dog.
I/we got a service dog almost a year ago.
during that time me and my alters have learned to trust her with our safety and her ability to judge people around us.
I look back to when we first came here and we had no physcal safety at all.
It was a time of pure heck for us. we are still gaining the courage to stand up for our selfs.
As Sasha grows and becomes more skilled, we are only truma switching near those that were serverly abusive towards us.
instead of running we are grabing sasha closer and depending on how the person approaches us she lets them know she is taking care of us.

because of the amount of safety we know have we have an increased amount of time sharing too.

just wanted to know if others felt the same about their services dogs?
thanks from anika and sasha

[Wysteria]

Hi Anika and Hi Sasha,

Wow, what an incredibly wonderful idea and team you guys make. I'm sorry I'm ignorant and didn't know that service dogs were trained for this, but I can instantly see the benefits and wisdom in it. I'm just so very happy for you to have found each other and to have that security and safety in your world. What a blessing and gift you have in each other...there's an angel with wings tucked in for sure..mmmm.

So very glad you posted and can't wait to hear more. Any chance you can post a picture of Sasha if you don't mind? How inspiring...

Gentle and very safe huggles and a doggie treat for you to give Sasha when she is not working...

Wysteria Blue

[CantExplain]

This sounds really wonderful! What is Sasha trained to do?

I can understand how such a dog would be a useful reality check, eg: "I'm scared and I don't know why but Sasha isn't scared so maybe it's all right, and I don't need to be scared."

But I've also read that service dogs "remind you to take your medication." Can they really do that?!

[Bmee2]

Hi Anderson, please write and tell many of us more about your service dog, Sasha. Where did you get her? What agency did you use or did you train Sasha yourselves with help? Is,was, Sasha expensive? How much space is needed for Sasha? What happens if you all get sick with the flu and you all are bed ridden? What kind of dog is Sasha?

Hello Anderson, we would like to get a service dog for diabetes but it is so very expensive and we do not live on the West Coast so there are fewer places that train service dogs. Sasha sounds wonderful.

[Hunny]

Anderson, a year!!!!? My oh my how time moves. Seems like just a bit ago you were making arrangements for her to come into your home. I'm so happy for you! Imagine how much greater a relationship you will have with her in one more year and another...! It truly is a blessing for you both.

[missbelle]

anika and sasha:

How wonderful!!! They are training dogs now to do all sorts of wonderful things and be great companions. Lots of prisons have programs where the inmate will train the puppy. These programs have served of value for the prisoners and the people getting the animals

I would also be so interested in seeing a pic of Sasha and finding out all the things she does. You are very, very blessed to have found each other!!!!

[anderson]

Wysteria,
We got sasha as a puppy and training her ourselfs. we tried going through an agency but the wait was so long.
Im still trying to learn how to post personal pics. Im trying to get my son to help us.


CantExplain,
service dogs can be trained to remind u to take your meds and many more things as well.
Sasha helps us out a lot by her reality checks for us. We call her our evaluator. when we see or feel unsafe by something, we ask her to check. then see looks around. she will either pull us out of the place or bark to make others look at us. So we no longer feel so scared.
She even started to go to people that she liked to let us know we be safe with them.
We call them pup approved!
many of the things she does for us, we shaped and rewarded the skills that we needed from her. To help us relearn to be safe again both inside with each other and those around us.
She also wears a vest with pockets so she carries the things that we tend to loose alot. now we all put those things in one place.

Bmee2,
The first year was hard we live by ourselfs so we had to find ways to take care of her and us at the same time. We got Sasha as a 2 months old from a second chance center. she is a mixed breed so we dont relly know what she is for sure. We spent almost 2 weeks visiting her to make sure that we could work together. There are places online that can help you to train a service dog. The hardest thing for us was getting the doctor note that said that having a service would help us with our invisiable disability.
have there been times we felt lost yes, but in truth sasha has become our friend and our protector. In truth it is just like any other relationship it strengthen with trail and errar. and learn to comunicate with each other.


Hunny,
This last year has been so eventful for us. right now sasha is playing with us as we are typing. she puts her toy on the key board so we can throw it for her. She is the one being that accepts us no matter who is out and the tasks she performs are based on the alters that are out to. It is a very rare human being that can and will do that for someone with DID.
Miss u and hope to be able to talk in chat soon!

missbelle,
Thanks for the response we still post here to see if we can talk with outher with service dogs cause we would like to know how they work for them. for us we find it easier to trust animals then humans.
animals when they are ground they will help each other to heal. Humans can learn from them to when they are open to them.

[Wysteria]

Anderson,
Thank you all so much for answering all of our questions! You did a beautiful job and you have a done a great job training Sasha to be a wonderful service dog and friend and helpmate and playmate and security team for you all wrapped up in one. Dogs and children have such keen intuitions and are so freely open to let us know who is safe and who they are uncomfortable around because they have no need to play nice by society's rules or to conform. I would trust my boys' or my dog's instincts in a heartbeat. You were so very wise to train Sasha and reward her good intuition on who is safe and who is maybe not the greatest of choices. I'm so glad that your pdoc wrote the letters to get the center to help you to get Sasha and help you to learn to work with her. I hope you can get the help you need to post some pictures soon so we can all ooh and ahhh over this wonderful friend of yours.

Thanks again for sharing such a wonderful gift with us!!
Many huggles to you all and Sasha too!

Wysteria Blue

[kasva]

hi anderson! i remember when you were first thinking about a service dog and when you got sasha. im so glad she and you have such a wonderful relationship. you must have put a lot of work into training her.
I have a dog that is considered a companion dog. hes allowed to live in my apartment only because he is a companion dog. his name is nanuk and he is my best friend. he is so faithful to me. he helps me with anxiety and he helps us when the littles are out and he comforts them. he makes me feel safe (hes 110 lbs). he goes with me almost everywhere. Anyways good to hear from you anderson.im happy that you and sasha are so happy....kasva

Wow! I am so glad you're writing about this. Currently my dog is a ESA (emotiontional support animal). My team would like me to train her into a service dog to help me with things. Like my memory. Currently she knows how to open my deadbolt for me, because I misplace my keys on a constant basis, but they need to know three things correct?

I do need help with a lot of memory and grounding issues. Especially when I get confused and walk wherever I want to go. I got her at a rescue. She's a doberman mix and is INCREDIBLY smart, loyal and loving. She's three, but she has plenty to learn.

What were some resources you used online to help you?

[likewater]

My dog isnt even a service dog, but i found her on the street. She's a standard poodle so haveno idea anyone would abandon her but vet determined she had been on her own at least 4 mos. Standard poodles are very smart and sensitive. Now im not saying she is necessarily right breed 4 everyone because they are high energy and expensive to groom, but for emotional support wow!!! I found her when they thought she was about a year. My grandma was still alive and was diagnosed with cancer shortly after. Penny helped her all through hospice. Grandma's last words were to, Penny the poodle. Penny is 13 now and stiill acts like a puppy. She clowns around and ministers to me with her big dark eyes. Gives me smiles and kisses. Also being resonsible for her kept me tied to this earth

[monarch_butterfly]

I have a service dpg and according to the ADA one task is all that is necissary but most people with disabilkties need more then one task. A dog also must be trained punlic access stuff like socialisatio with all types of people. Elevators stores ect. And basic obedience and potty trained. Starting fromcq puppy this can take 18 months since dlogs go through fear stages. A bark is a bit disruptive as a signal. How about shapinng it to a pawing on your leg or a nose touch on your hand?

It's also important to remember a dog that is there oonly for comfort and does not do tasks to help with disabilities are not considered service dogs. Neither are dogs that do aggressive protection work or are growly or bite.

I would say Lydia your dog is at least an in home service dog. I am sure youvcan teach it somectasks related to dissociateisation. and comgrats Anderson! I know how hard is to train your own. Sophie is my fifth but the first i trained on my own

I love having Sophie. She does some deep preassure stuff for me. Alongwith stuff for my physical disabilities. Yes i do feel safer with her as we are a team. It is a nice bonus!

[ThisWayOut]

Wow, I'm glad you are having such a great experience with Sasha. I have been thinking about training one of my dogs as a service dog, but my state is rarely one that allows me to follow-through on appropriate training. I'm really in awe that you were able to do that yourself. That is amazing and takes great dedication and strength. I really admire that you were able to do that.

[avlady]

I am not a very good dog lover I like to look at them but I'm afraid of them. I do have a Beagle, his name is Homer, he is our family dog and we got him when he was bout a month old. The only reason we got him was because my husbands dog died, so I gave in and got another one. Now you probably couldn't drag me away from him, as I love him so much. The only thing i don't like is the barking, he sings when i play my piano, probably because it hurts his ears.

[possum220]

Hi anderson. Its lovely to know that you have Sasha and that she is a help to you. Many service dogs are now being trained for people with PTSD. I read a book called 'Until Tuesday'. Its a biography about how a service dog was placed with an Ex Army officer Luis Montalvan.

Sasha must be an amazing help to you in many aspects of your life. I am just so glad you have Sasha.

Bet you make a great team. Happy Happy Joy Joy.

[Meisjes]

anderson, that is great. I often think about getting a dog for company. But I can see how much more meaningful this could be for me and ours. I hesitate to get a dog cuz I'm afraid wouldn't take good care of him/her but visiting a shelter for a while might help me decide. I live in an apartment where dogs and cats are not allowed but in a few years hope to find my own place. you are so lucky

[CantExplain]

I know that guide dogs are exempt from "no dogs allowed". I wonder if that applies to other service dogs.

[ShaggyChic_1201]

Originally Posted by CantExplain

I know that guide dogs are exempt from "no dogs allowed". I wonder if that applies to other service dogs.

In the U.S. at least, Disabled owners of service dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 which generally gives them the right to be accompanied by their service animal anywhere the general public is allowed.

[LeafLace]

Originally Posted by avlady

I am not a very good dog lover I like to look at them but I'm afraid of them. I do have a Beagle, his name is Homer, he is our family dog and we got him when he was bout a month old. The only reason we got him was because my husbands dog died, so I gave in and got another one. Now you probably couldn't drag me away from him, as I love him so much. The only thing i don't like is the barking, he sings when i play my piano, probably because it hurts his ears.

Beagles love to sing. My grandparents had a beagle when I was a kid and she had lots of different noises she made, some yowly singing and little squeaky whimpers. It could be bothersome but she was really nice and good company.

[beadlady29]

hiya.....it is so funny that u talk about beagles singing................beads has a service dog that she trained from a puppy i think we posted a pic. of her in one of our beadwork albums............anyways she is a mini border collei/beagle mix and is she ever vocal! too funny!! she also tends to be hyper iffen she dont get enuf walks whitch ios sometime hard far beds in the winter in MI but we does uor goodest to keep her happy she is 5 or 6 yrs. old now we kinda lost track a her birthdays.............she performs quite a few taks which include evrything from helping beads go to teh bathroom to helpiong her stay acclimated to teh 'present'. she is our very best freind in teh world too! our life has def. changed far the better since we has had her. Boo is teh greqtest!