need some help

[cfgirl83]

I'm 16 almost 17 and i have breathing problems that require me to wear oxygen and it is too heavy for me to carry and i have a anxiety disorder. i would like a SD but I need help to convince my dad the benefits. I hear it helps people be more social and feel comfortable but i need some back up to help convince my dad so can i get some suggestions on what to tell my dad to help him come around.
 

[Keldrena]

You're about the age I was when I started looking into a service dog.

The first thing you need to figure out is if you meet the ADA definition of disabled. This is something you should talk to your doctor about.

Secondly, a service dos have to do tasks or work and making you feel better isn't work. My service dog in training does make me feel better, but to be a service dog, your dog needs to do more than that. Also, for some people, a service dog is just going to increase their anxiety.

Third, having the support of your parents is really important as minor. No none is going to place a service dog with minor with unwilling parents and you need to be able to pay the costs of upkeep. Things people can skimp on with pet dogs aren't things you can skimp on with service dogs.

I'm sure the others will be along with more advice, and good luck.

[fledchen]

Welcome! I'm afraid I don't know much about cystic fibrosis or portable oxygen therapy, but I'm eager to learn! One thing I've found this group very helpful for is finding creative solutions to problems. I think it's important to remember that a service dog is not necessarily the best or most appropriate solution to every problem--sometimes they can create an even bigger hassle than the original issue you're trying to solve.
I have seen rigs intended to allow a dog to carry oxygen therapy tanks, but I didn't like what I saw. They looked very uncomfortable and restricted the dog's available movements. Any time a dog is carrying something, it's important for the dog to have full mobility, otherwise you increase the risk of injury to the dog. I'm also concerned that if a tank is too heavy for a human to carry, it would be even more difficult for a dog.
Can the type of oxygen you use be attached to a cart? I have a regular customer at work who uses an oxygen tank, but I don't know if different health problems need different kinds of equipment (she is an elderly woman who probably has COPD, not CF).
When thinking about service dogs, I think it is a good idea to make a list of all the things you cannot do for yourself because of your disability, especially the things that require you to ask other people for help. Then, next to each of those items, list the ways you have tried to find solutions to do these things yourself. Are there mechanical devices that can do the things you need done? How portable and durable are they? Some disability organizations have lending libraries of adaptive equipment that you can test drive (I know United Cerebral Palsy has these, and they help people with disabilities other than Cerebral Palsy, so don't worry about that).
If a technological solution doesn't exist, pretend that one does. An example that Kirsten likes to use is a "friendly robot". Imagine that this robot can see and hear, has a grabbing arm, and can be programmed to follow instructions. It's not a super-computer, but it can understand things at the level of the average 3-year-old human child (the cognitive capacity of most of the dogs that do well in service work). I like the robot example because it removes the emotional/cute/cuddly aspects of the dog that can interfere with early planning and practicality. It's perfectly fine to be best pals with your service dog, but the emotional and comfort aspects shouldn't be the top priority.

[Kirsten]

A service dog may do the opposite of what you seek, especially in light of the anxiety issue.  It doesn't really help a person become more social so much as it thrusts unwanted attention upon the person by the public.  Where once you were ignored as uninteresting, or avoided because of the oxygen, with a service dog total strangers would be approaching you, possibly touching you to gain your attention, almost certainly touching and distracting your dog, and asking invasive questions.  "What's wrong with you?"  "Why do you have a service dog?"  "Don't you know dogs aren't allowed in here?"  Usually they don't mean any harm, but sometimes they are angry and shout.

Is it all horrible?  No.  If it was, no one would want a service dog.  But it isn't all rosy either, nor is it a panacea.  For some people the invasive interactions with the public aren't as bad as not being able to do whatever it is the dog does for them.  I personally hate being noticed and approached by strangers.  I hate getting lost in the cold without a coat and no clue how to find home or call for help even more.  I have seizures and become disoriented.  I've spent hours wandering around confused, which isn't as horrible in good weather, but is life threatening when I do it in the snow with no shoes or coat.  If a hundred people accost me because I'm novel looking with a dog I'll tolerate it for just one time he safely guides me home.  That thing (or more accurately "those things") I cannot do for myself and can be the difference between life and death, makes the public tolerable.

Don't apply for a service dog to make you feel more social or more comfortable.  Apply for one if you need help doing something you cannot do for yourself or with other ordinary means.

"Animals whose sole function is to provide emotional support, comfort, therapy, companionship, therapeutic benefits, or to promote emotional well-being are not service animals."  -- U.S. Department of Justice, the government agency charged with regulating and enforcing the ADA, and the agency which literally wrote the definition of "service animal" under the ADA

[hopesclan]

It's also important to weigh the health risks of having a dog.  Have you spent much time around animals?  Would your CF get triggered by inhaling fur?  No matter how well groomed, owning a dog means breathing dog fur.  I'm not at all sure how that will affect you but I know my friend who had CF couldn't really be around animals, so that's something important to discuss with your doctors.  Are you always on oxygen?  How much do the canisters weigh?  Are there other things you need assistance in doing?  Different people are affected by their medical conditions in different ways, so I am just trying to get a picture of you and your lifestyle and so forth and what you really need assistance in to gain more independance (like who carries your oxygen now)?

[Roxie]

 

Hi girl!!!!  Welcome... I am so glad you are here!!

Roxie