Dogs at Disney!

[nicksterhbk]

Hey i'm new to disboards but not at all new to disneyland resort. I've been an AP for over 5 years and have had my service dog Tena by my side for most of thoes years. I just wanted to say hey! and if anyone has questions about SDs at DLR, we go a few times a week! Take care! Nicki and Tena (SD)

[Lillypug]

HI! And welcome to the Dis! I would love to know about your eperiences with your service dog ESPECIALLY at DL. My son is in the process of applying for a sd/ skilled companion dog through cci and plan on taking the dog everywhere with him provided she will have certification to be in public places. WE don't go to DL but love WDW and have wondered how things would go after he gets his sd.
I know this sounds silly, but can your dog ride calm rides (nothing rough, etc) with you or do you have someone sit with him/her outside of the ride while you ride?

[kaytieeldr]

I do know service dogs can ride in a Doom Buggy at the Haunted Mansion.

Check the disABILITIES FAQ for the link to the WDW disabilities 'handbook'. It may state which attractions the SD can't ride. I know the Universal/IOA one does.

[pezter]

The following link deals with service dogs at Walt Disney World

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/common/Plain?id=PlainHomePage#serviceanimals

Walt Disney does an excellent job with accommodations for service dogs. Just stop by guest relations and pick up a disability guide book. Service dgos are page seven

[dclfun]

For the person applying for a skilled companion dog through CCI, please read the recent thread regarding access for SD's vs. companion dogs...just so you will know what you are getting into as far as your access rights if your son does get a companion dog vs. a SD. ---Kathy

[Lillypug]

For the person applying for a skilled companion dog through CCI, please read the recent thread regarding access for SD's vs. companion dogs...just so you will know what you are getting into as far as your access rights if your son does get a companion dog vs. a SD. ---Kathy


It is my understanding that we are applying for a SKILLED COMPANION dog which we will have to take a test at the end of our course to be certified to take the dog out in public. Granted our dog and we will be certified so we (as in the dog, me and my son) will have the same accessibility rights as any other "service dog."
Do you happen to have any experience with skilled companion dogs and /or cci? Can you please send me the link to the thread you are referring to because I can't seem to find it and would love to read it :)

[Lillypug]

Thanks guys for the advice, but I have the individual guidebooks for people with disabilities for all of the parks and have seen the warnings about the rides that aren't suitable for service animals, etc. I am looking for some real life experiences. We (Noah and I) are so looking forward to getting our sd and would love to hear some real life stories. ;)

[dclfun]

I go to WDW all the time with my service dog. I would ask CCI to provide you with information. Currently a companion dog is not the same as a service animal and therefore does not have public access rights. Actually it is the "person" who has the access rights and then must have a dog that performs specific tasks to mitigate their disability- tasks that they cannot perform themselves. Just having a dog that is a companion or a social therapy dog is not the same. We had a thread about this not too long ago...but I can't remember the title. Hope this helps! Just to mention I am not questioning your child's disability or need for a dog, but just to let you know that the laws are different for each type.---Kathy

[Lillypug]

We have a phone interview scheduled with CCI in October then hopefully we will be invited for an interview "in person" in Orlando. I will definitely question them about public access rights for a skilled companion dog. [Just a note, I don't know if there is confusion on my end or your end, but a skilled companion is trained to open doors, carry things and pick up things for the recipient (among other things) They are not merely a "pet." If that were the case we have a pug that is a companion dog, LOL ;) ]
To quote from a part of our phone interview paperwork-"Skilled Companion Teams: Public certification means that the 3 - part team of recipient, facilitator (s) and dog can go into public places together. The recipient is not allowed to handle the dog without the facilitator's supervision. The facilitator is not permitted to take the dog into public without the recipient. "

[dclfun]

It does sound like CCI needs to clarify with you. I know they list two types of dogs they will place- service and companion. Their waitlist for service dogs ( for people who will be handling the dog themselves and thus using the dog for independence vs. needing a facilitator also) is horrendous and quite possibly closed. They do say that they will place companion dogs with children. As long as the dog is trained to do tasks that a client ( adult or child) cannot do for themselves then they should be called a service dog, not just a companion. You're right- any dog can be a companion but it takes special training for a service dog. I have to wonder why they use that terminology?---Kathy

[Lillypug]

It does sound like CCI needs to clarify with you. I know they list two types of dogs they will place- service and companion. Their waitlist for service dogs (for people who will be handling the dog themselves and thus using the dog for independence vs. needing a facilitator also) is horrendous and quite possibly closed. They do say that they will place companion dogs with children. As long as the dog is trained to do tasks that a client ( adult or child) cannot do for themselves then they should be called a service dog, not just a companion. You're right- any dog can be a companion but it takes special training for a service dog. I have to wonder why they use that terminology?---Kathy
Thanks for giving me the heads up about this because I will call them next week and inquire about the differences etc about what we will be getting and what they are "advertising." :thumbsup2
Did you get your dog through CCI?

[Mike Bartenhagen]

Sorry this is a little off topic but could a service dog be of use to a child with cognative delays? My son will be 5 in January and functions at about 12 months cognativly. He walks well altough not quite age approprate. He has 50 plus seizures a day and one of our biggest concerns is safety. Is this something a service dog could help with, possibly alerting us if Broc is doing something dangerous? How else might a service dog help my son? On occasion I see people post on various SN forums about the dogs and also about the wait so I thought it may be a good idea to start thinking about this now. Another thought I had (which is somewhat selfish) is that as my son progresses through the school system a service dog may help him to "fit in", how cool would kids think Broc was if he got to bring his dog to school.

Sorry to keep rambling but another question; can a service dog also be a pet? Could my older girls (who are really wanting a dog) also enjoy the dog or would he\she be all about business?

BTW I had to smile at the thought of someone getting off of the buggies and turing around to see a dog sitting in the car behind them.

Mike

[dclfun]

I got my dog through Paws with a Cause after checking out many different organizations. Most required you to go to their site for a two week "training" period. Paws places the trained dog with you and you work with a trainer ( for you...dog already knows what to do!) in your own community. At the time I was looking ( 1 1/2 years ago) CCI was no longer placing service dogs and was only placing companion dogs. Paws does not place dogs with children under 16 though- their emphasis is on adults needing to have a dog to maintain independence- either for mobility, hearing, seizure alert, etc. but not for teams where someone other than the client handles the dog. If I were to need someone else to handle my dog then that person could do the tasks I need my dog to do, if that makes sense. :-) Another good organization that does place with children is called Canine Assistants. They are in Georgia.---Kathy

[rags156]

My son has a skilled companion dog from CCI. They have been together for 8 years. As long as the facilitator is with the team they follow the same laws as a service dog. You will take the same public access test as the service dogs, and as long as you pass you will recieve a public access ID. Call disney and ask them to send you the infor regarding service animals before you go. They are very accomodating. We went with CCI because they are the only ones that I know of that provide the testing for companions dogs so that they can go out in public.

Terry :)

[Lillypug]

Mike,
Check out www.cci.org You don't have to use them but I am sure they can answer your questions. This is the program we are going with and their site explains alot about skilled companion dogs and service dogs. They are VERY helpful if you call them, also. Your son sounds like a good candidate for a skilled companion dog like we are applying for. The minimun age is 5 to apply with CCI for skilled companion and I think 12 or 15 (don't quote me on this but it is around this age) for a service dog. We heard about CCI before Noah was 5 but actually held off because our youngest used to be quite rough with animals and thought it better to wait until he was older. Brady, our youngest son, would have probably spent days on end in the "naughty spot" if we had gotten a dog for his brother at that time, LOL. Now that he is 3 he listens and understands not to hurt or touch Noah's dog.
About being a pet- service dogs (including skilled companions) are working dogs BUT they all need a break just like working humans. They all need playtime and time to just be a dog so I am sure your other children would be able to play with the dog during playtime. BUT I do know when the dog is "working" it is all business.
Maybe one of the other posters here that have experience with sd's can answer your questions :D



Sorry this is a little off topic but could a service dog be of use to a child with cognative delays? My son will be 5 in January and functions at about 12 months cognativly. He walks well altough not quite age approprate. He has 50 plus seizures a day and one of our biggest concerns is safety. Is this something a service dog could help with, possibly alerting us if Broc is doing something dangerous? How else might a service dog help my son? On occasion I see people post on various SN forums about the dogs and also about the wait so I thought it may be a good idea to start thinking about this now. Another thought I had (which is somewhat selfish) is that as my son progresses through the school system a service dog may help him to "fit in", how cool would kids think Broc was if he got to bring his dog to school.

Sorry to keep rambling but another question; can a service dog also be a pet? Could my older girls (who are really wanting a dog) also enjoy the dog or would he\she be all about business?

BTW I had to smile at the thought of someone getting off of the buggies and turing around to see a dog sitting in the car behind them.

Mike

[SAGE]

My son (autistic) has a special skills dogs and she goes to school with him everyday.
I took him to WDW at the end of August, without his dog and am so glad we didn't bring her!

The heat was unbearable and I can't imagine her walking around on the hot pavement. I understand people need to have the dog with them for assistance however I hope everyone picks cooler times to take their animals.
She had a much better time for 6 days in the loving care of family.

S

[dclfun]

Since I need my dog with me, she goes everywhere including to WDW. I would agree though about leaving a dog at home if you are not dependent on them for assistance. A dog can overheat and die very quickly, the pavement is scorching in the sun, and you will spend most of your day explaining to people what your SD does for you and telling people not to pet her/him. It is not reasonable to expect a dog to have the stamina to be in the parks all day either so a rest break is necessary. I always tell people it is like travelling with an infant and that my main responsibility is to my SD, not to myself having "fun". Being a service dog team is a real partnership of taking care of each other. ---Kathy ( and Skye)

[taximomfor4]

my family was at Epcot in August, and saw a service dog there. My dd special needs herself) age 8 has a TERRIBLE dog phobia. The kind lady sitting with the dog at the time answered questions about the dog, and even showed dd how the dog picked things up off the floor when told to. DD, of course, still has a dog phobia, and stayed far away during this interaction, but really was interested. I thought it was neat that the woman was generous enough to answer any and all questions for us. Neat, what those dogs are trained to do!

[nicksterhbk]

I always take my dog to Disneyland (DLR) with me, I'm 100% dependent on her. If she isn't with me i need to be sure there is someone there who could assist me with what she does, and then i kinda have to put my life in their hands. We go to DLR a few times a week. She has shoes from RuffWear that help keep her paws cool. If its really hot out I'll soak her vest in some ice water or just take her vest off completely and wet her down. Actually for the past 3 months she hasn't had her vest on at disneyland or DCA during the day time just because it's hot! I know some oranizations require that their trained dogs be in vest while in public, so wetting down the vest could be an option. My friend has a vest kinda like the CCI vest, she'll take the papers out of the pockets and put ice in there insted, her dog seems to cool off and doesn't mind the ice. My dog is owner trained so as far as a vest goes there are no rules about her having to be in one. I've only been asked to show "proof" of her being a service dog 3 times in about 4-5 years. I first tell them that legaly i do not have to show "proof" and they can't ask for that but i'll tell them what my dog is trained to do for me with out sharing the nature of my disability.

As far as cute stories I have one from last saturday. It was a fun day at the park and the next ride was supose to be pirates (my dogs fav. ride!) So we are waiting in the accessible line when we find out that the ride broke down. We waited for a few min then decided to just comeback the next day to ride. Tena had her mind set on pirates when i told her come on lets go she just stared at me like, but, but uhh with sad eyes. I said it's closed we have to go, so reluctantly she got up and walked out. I told her ok lets go Dumbo, and she started heading to mainstreet. She put up a bit of a fuss because of it, but once we got to fantacy land she was over it. She's a great dog and she loves her pirates. We actually have to spell it if we don't want her to get excited. Anyways take care all! Nicki and Tena (SD)

[nicksterhbk]

I go to WDW all the time with my service dog. I would ask CCI to provide you with information. Currently a companion dog is not the same as a service animal and therefore does not have public access rights. Actually it is the "person" who has the access rights and then must have a dog that performs specific tasks to mitigate their disability- tasks that they cannot perform themselves. Just having a dog that is a companion or a social therapy dog is not the same. We had a thread about this not too long ago...but I can't remember the title. Hope this helps! Just to mention I am not questioning your child's disability or need for a dog, but just to let you know that the laws are different for each type.---Kathy

So are you saying that if an programs decided to call all their service dogs, "helper dogs", they wouldn't have public access. Even if they did everything a service dog did to help the PWD? From my understanding cci's kids can get skilled companions if they are over 5 y/o but have to be 15 y/o for a service dog. They are trained to assist the child with their disability. She was saying that the dog is trained to open doors and picked up droped items if that's what her son needs help with they get public access. At least in the state of CA they do. The dog must be trained to assist the person with their disablility. My friend has a psyc SD, he has been trained to help her with her disability. He alerts her when she zones out and by him nudging her she is able to reconnet and focus on what she's supose to be doing. He also lets her know if she drops something and he'll find objects for her that she can't find (like her keys, cell phone, the car). He is not trained to open doors she doesn't need him do do that, he is also not trained to be a guide dog. He's been trained what his owner needed assistance with, and that's what matters. And as far a public access testing it's not equired by federal law, it's a way that programs test their own dogs and to certify them (which is also not required by federal law). Hope that helps a bit. Nicki and Tena (SD)

[nicksterhbk]

I know this sounds silly, but can your dog ride calm rides (nothing rough, etc) with you or do you have someone sit with him/her outside of the ride while you ride?

My dog LOVES the rides she can go on! I've acutally written up a little guide about all the rides at disneyland. Her fav. ride is pirates, i can tell her lets go "pirates" and she'll lead me right to it. ( she also does the same with the first aid center, which is pretty cool, she thinks first aid is full of treats, water and affection). She knows where other rides are at the park but her fav. by far is pirates, although latley the astro orbetor gets her all excited. My friends dog, Lucky's fav. ride is Dumbo, my other friend's dog's fav. ride is peter pan, but i heard that dogs cant ride that at WDW. On some rides like Space, Thunder, Gadgets Go Coaster, Splash, Materhorn, Star Tours, and Indy, we do what i call a Dog Swap. We'll all go to the exit of the ride and 1/2 of us will ride and the other 1/2 will watch the dogs, then we swap. It does look kinda funny when there are only 3 people and 3 dogs, one person sits there with 3 dogs, while the other 2 ride. Generally on some rides at disney like POTC, there is a 2-3 dog max due to weight issues, but we fit 3 dogs (45, 50, 65 lbs) and 3 people in the front of the boat. Also on rides like HM there is a 3 dog/chair max at a time. Because our HM is actaully an elevator, they have a max of 3 dogs or 3 chairs at a time which really stinks when you have 3 + dogs and 2 chairs. So we have to split up, at WDW it could be different but as for now that's how it is at DLR. Feel free to ask more questions reg, rides and dogs i'll ask a friend of mine from one of my yahoo groups if you can contact her she knows CM's just like we do and knows how to go to WDW with a dog as well. She's actaully been asked by other SD users to write up a like Guide Book kinda like I was asked by friends about DLP. Anyways Take care and Congrads on getting the pup! Welcome to the SD community! Nicki and Tena (SD) pirate: :dog2:

[pezter]

She knows where other rides are at the park but her fav. by far is pirates, although latley the astro orbetor gets her all excited. My friends dog, Lucky's fav. ride is Dumbo, my other friend's dog's fav. ride is peter pan, but i heard that dogs cant ride that at WDW. Also on rides like HM there is a 3 dog/chair max at a time. Because our HM is actaully an elevator, they have a max of 3 dogs or 3 chairs at a time which really stinks when you have 3 + dogs and 2 chairs. So we have to split up, at WDW it could be different but as for now that's how it is at DLR.

At WDW
For pirate they place the dog up in the front of the boat (biggest area of the boat) and two people

For Peter Pan no dogs are allowed

At the Haunted Mansion they request that you skip the streching room due to many people in a small room in semi-darkness often mean stepped on dog, You can get on at the exit of the attraction and see about 15 feet of track that regular guests do not see or they have an alternative entrance that rejoins the line just after the stretching room.

[dclfun]

We were at DL last year in the summer. The weather is very different in Florida which is much more humid/hot. We were told not to put water on the dog as if it does not evaporate quickly it acts like a "steam oven". Instead, splashing water on the underbelly where there is no hair is helpful. As for the comments about what is considered a SD and what is not, that's a discussion for a SD board. California laws are also very different( and much more lenient)so anyone getting a SD needs to know the laws of their state and the state(s) to which they are travelling so there are no challenges with public access. Also, some dogs do not like the attractions. I know mine would not enjoy being on Pirates or Dumbo, etc. I am only mentioning this as any family or person considering bringing their dog to a theme park needs to determine their own dog's level of comfort with everything- crowds, queue lines, fireworks, heat, etc. and level of stamina. I expect my SD to deal with whatever situations I need her to deal with but also would not needlessly subject her to stress unless I have to, but each dog is different in that realm. Again, each SD partnership as a team needs to decide what works for them. ---Kathy

[SueM in MN]

Some general information about organizations that provide service dogs to people with disabilities:We looked into getting a service animal at one point for my DD, but because she would not be able to control it herself (and can't speak), we were not considered to be a good 'fit' to be a team with a dog. I have also seen presentations about service animals because I work in a rehab hospital.
I do know that different organizations have different rules about what 'skills' the person needs in order to be granted a dog by that organization. A friend of my DD's was on a waiting list for a service dog for a few years. When she got to the top of the list, they decided she did not have clear enough speech to control the dog and (since she would not always have the same person with her), they would not give her a dog.
Most of the organizations I am aware of are non-profit organizations. Paws with a Cause (http://www.pawswithacause.org/) is a well known organization.
CCI - Canine Companions for Independence is another. (http://www.cci.org) There are others, but those are the 2 I know most about.

Some general info about Service Animals and rights to access:
The US Department of Justice is the official place to get information on how the ADA works. Individual states can be more lenient (allow more things), but they can't be more stringent (allow less things).

This is the FAQs from the US Department of Justice about Service Animals. Since it is meant to answer questions from businesses about service animals, it is pretty complete about what is/is not allowed:
link to Service Animal FAQs (http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/animal.htm)
Here are 2 of the questions that are pertinent:
Q: What is a service animal?

A: The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.

Service animals perform some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform for him or herself. "Seeing eye dogs" are one type of service animal, used by some individuals who are blind. This is the type of service animal with which most people are familiar. But there are service animals that assist persons with other kinds of disabilities in their day-to-day activities. Some examples include:

_____Alerting persons with hearing impairments to sounds.

_____ Pulling wheelchairs or carrying and picking up things for persons with mobility impairments.

_____Assisting persons with mobility impairments with balance.


Q: How can I tell if an animal is really a service animal and not just a pet?

A: Some, but not all, service animals wear special collars and harnesses. Some, but not all, are licensed or certified and have identification papers. If you are not certain that an animal is a service animal, you may ask the person who has the animal if it is a service animal required because of a disability. However, an individual who is going to a restaurant or theater is not likely to be carrying documentation of his or her medical condition or disability. Therefore, such documentation generally may not be required as a condition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal. Although a number of states have programs to certify service animals, you may not insist on proof of state certification before permitting the service animal to accompany the person with a disability.

Here is a good factsheet about Service Animals, also from the Department of Justice. (http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/svcabrs3.pdf) It gives this definition of Service Animals:
Service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities – such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets.
I would like this to end discussion of what qualifies as a Service Animal and I hope this thread will go on to discuss helpful information about how to make a trip with a service animal pleasant/successful for the animal and the user.

[dclfun]

Thank you Sue! I was concerned that the discussion was heading in the wrong direction vs. being helpful to people with service dogs or considering getting one in light of bringing them to WDW, etc. Any other discussion other than that pertaining to a visit to the parks should be taken up on a SD board if people have questions/concerns in that area. It's nice to hear about everyone's experiences and esp. to hear from someone who frequently goes to DL with their SD. Most of my experience has been in Florida.---Kathy

[nicksterhbk]

Hey everyone, I was wondering if people have traveled with more than 3 dogs to disneyworld? In 2009 our disneyland group is planning a trip to disneyworld. We will have around 8 people and 4-5 service dogs. We would all want to travel together, and i was wondering if there is a restriction on the airlines as to how many dogs can travel in the plane. I know 2009 is a long time away but I was just wondering. Thanks, Take care, Nicki pirate: and Tena(SD) pluto:

[dclfun]

Nicki- I would contact the airline you are using. Would everyone be taking the same flight? I got my SD from Paws with a Cause and every year in December they host a foster puppy outing at one of the parks, so there are usually around 10-15 dogs and their handlers/families. I attended last year and it was great to see the puppies and for the raisers to see how well a trained dog helps it's client. A funny story- we didn't realize it but the day of our outing they were taping the Christmas parade. We raised a few eyebrows from the managers who were frantically looking at all of us and using their walkie-talkies but no one in our group had any challenges. We all met up for lunch but everyone went their own way during the day. I'm sure the castmembers all wondered why there were so many dogs in the park that day, esp. so many training puppies.---Kathy ( and Skye)