Service Dogs are Pretty Awesome

[Zombie]

I was reading an article today about a school that's decided an autistic boy can no longer bring his service dog to school with him (that story is here: http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2010/01/dog_helps_stabilize_an_autisic.html argh, rage) which led me to a really in-depth list of all of the things that a service dog can be trained to do for psychiatric issues, and I was really amazed.

I guess I usually think of service dogs as being for blind people, or people with seizures, things like that - but the list of things dogs can do for psychiatric issues is astounding - http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html

How cool is that?

[FMlex]

Service dogs fascinate me as well.

Check out this cute little guy I saw passed out on the streets of Dublin over the summer:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a211/xlexabexax/IMG_3288.jpg

The guy said he was getting him out and about to start getting him used to people petting on him. Apparently the dog could care less, he slept the whole time!

[Zombie]

^^^^^

Eek, so cute! Did he say what they were training the puppy to do?

I saw a woman over the summer at a crowded public place with a tiny dog in a dog stroller. Never saw a dog stroller before, lol. I asked her about it, and she said the dog was a service dog that she couldn't really survive without, so she puts her in a stroller when going to crowded places so doggie doesn't get stomped on. She didn't volunteer why she needed the dog, and I'm not rude enough to ask even when I am terribly curious, lol.