I will try to not be too redundant in my questions

[Kellynbobellen]

Hi I am new to the site and just wrote and introduction post about myself.  I have looked at this site quite a bit but haven't read everything so I aplogize if some of my questions that been discussed before.  But, I know that I am going to apply to get a SD but I do have some questions.

So, this is the tenitive list that I have made as to what I would like my service dog to do.  I have to walk with a cane because I have numbness, tingling, and weakness in both legs because of degenerative disk disease.  I have 6 bulging disks and multiple pinched nerves all down my back.  I also have optic neurtis in my right eye and thoracic outlet syndrome on my right side which causes signifigant pain and numbness down my right arm.  So I need help with:

Picking things up off the ground
carrying items
helping me get up from a chair
helping me get up from the floor if I fall
opening doors, cabinets, drawers
help me with laundry
and of course be my companion

seeing as I cannot bend over, well I can if I ABSOLUTELY have to but its very painful, how do I deal with things like picking up poo?  Or can you train a SD to go in a toilet or...clean up after itself?  I know in my own yard I can use a pooper-scooper type of tool but what about when we are out?

I have seen on this site that constant grooming has been mentioned as a burden for SDs.  Does this just mean dogs with long coats?  Because I just dont really get how you would need to constantly groom a dog with a short coat so I am a little confused about that....

Does anyone know of good places in Denver for a SD that I should apply for?  I cannot afford a SD either so I am really only looking at the programs that do not have fee's for their dogs.  Or....what about good places in Michigan?  I currently am in Michigan but plan to move back to Denver when I am feeling a little more independant.

Can you visit a local taining facility before applying to just learn more about what it is like to live with a service dog?  I am about 98% sure that this is something I am going to apply for but I am one of thoes people that researches a subject to death before making any final decisions!

Thanks!

[Kirsten]

The main reasons for grooming are to remove dead coat and dirt.  Dogs accumulate both regardless of coat length.  Those dogs that shed need to be brushed daily to remove the dead hair and those that do not (such as poodles) need to be brushed daily to prevent mats from forming (non-shedding dogs also require monthly professional grooming).

Labs, which are one of the most popular breeds for service dog work, one of the most popular breeds in the world, and a short coated breed, are among the worst shedders.

I wouldn't want to get a dog from a program that would not allow me to visit the facilities.  I'd want to know how the dogs are cared for and treated during training because this can have a significant impact on how well and how long they can work.  I'd want to know that staff are knowledgeable about dealing with the challenges of various disabilities and that they are good at communicating with clients and answering questions, regardless of disability.

[state_of_nowhere]

You mentioned you cannot afford a service dog. This is something you need to take into careful consideration and start planning for NOW. Service dogs require a higher level of care and while many people fundraise the initial amount, you need to make sure you have money each month to pay for the dog's needs, as well as money for emergency vet visits.

[Roxie]

My SD's have never had to poop when we are out. I have always had them poop before we go and aafter we get back.  I feed an extremely good dog kibble and they have small compact poop, and nothing that would give them irritable bowels or frequent poops.... also very rare gas.

How does one pick up the dog poop when one is out? Just do it.... painful or not - that's just part of the job!

When we are at hotels for meetings, the same regime. 

My SD Tay has cost me a fortune (around $1,800) in emergency vet bills and ICU in the last 2 years plus the routine stuff. My SD Sara on the other hand had 1 ear ache, and 1 emergency assessment, and euthanasia in 13+ years... plus routine care.  I do my own vax (except rabies), and use our mobile vet for exams, rabies shots, and lab work (1/3 the cost of an office vet)

One really can't predict vet expenditures.  I know there is pet insurance.... but I feel there are way too many loup holes for the pet ins to weasel out of coverage..... plus the older a dog is the higher the premiums and less coverage!

Roxie

[Kellynbobellen]

Thanks Kristin, I know plenty about grooming a dog but I just wasnt sure if a few people had mentioned it that there was a special type of grooming that had to be done because it is a SD and not just a pet.  I havent had a dog in years but I have had angora rabbits...long thin fur, that I had to groom each day if not twice! 

State_of_nowhere, its not that I cant afford to keep a dog its just that I do not have the $5,000 and up fees that some places have to just get a dog in the first place, sorry I guess I didnt explain that very well.  I certainly know that having a dog of any kind is expensive and I am working on saving up for emergencies etc.  Is it true that you are allowed to claim some expenses for a SD?

Roxie, thanks for the input on poo duty.  Perhaps I can rig something once I have a dog that I can use to pick up poo without having to bend over.  Could you tell me what you average each month on everything?  I have read a post saying that some people spend about $100 a month and that just seem so low to me!! 

[Kirsten]

You know, dogs actually can be taught to poop straight into the bag if one is willing to have some, erm, "yukky" experiences during training.  Ruby is getting pretty good at it, if I'm paying attention.

[fledchen]

There is someone who makes a harness that goes around the dog's hindquarters and holds a plastic grocery bag that catches the poop, but I can't remember who the manufacturer is at the moment.

[Ketreva]

I think it was pawpower creations.

[Stag]

There's also a thing I saw once on TV-- it's a telescoping pole with a disposable flip-top container at the end. When the dog goes, you hold the stick out and it poos into the container, then you re-collapse the pole and dump the little plastic thing at the end of your walk.

HERE IT IS! I found it! http://www.theshapoopie.com/

[Dazzler]

I use a folding grabber for getting things off the floor and higher up...maybe you could use a grabber with a plastic bag over the ends and then invert the bag, trapping the poop inside.  Unless it's really loose poop this ought to work.  The grabber is only about 14 inches or so folded up, and it's lightweight. 

[Nianhel]

There's also a thing I saw once on TV-- it's a telescoping pole with a disposable flip-top container at the end. When the dog goes, you hold the stick out and it poos into the container, then you re-collapse the pole and dump the little plastic thing at the end of your walk.

HERE IT IS! I found it! http://www.theshapoopie.com/

omg that's hilarious! I love it! I would so get one of those!

[Kirsten]

So I had to go and look at this Sha-poopie.  Be sure to look at the video of Tony Shaloob, whose brother invented the thing.

They say it works for dogs up to 70 pounds.   I have my doubts about that.

[Nianhel]

That's the only thing I wondered...how large the containers are. Overflow would be naaaaasty.

The video's what made it so funny!

[Ketreva]

Just what everyone wants to carry.. a poop spoon.

 

[Stag]

  It is a giant poop spoon, isn't it?