Service Dogs in the parks

[dclfun]

Yes, I also use "Musher's Secret" which is a paw wax. I usually order Skye's Innova ( dog food) online and include the paw wax from the same company. At first I wondered about it since it absorbs into the paws and thus I wasn't sure how it would protect them from heat. It's mainly used by "mushers" in the snow. It does seem to help though as there's a noticeable difference in her behavior when she has had the wax applied- less "dancing" on the pavement to avoid the heat. Skye doesn't like the booties either and I can't put them on independently anyway. The gel neck wraps look like they would be pretty easy to make and they've really been a relief to her too. I once tried putting the ice packs in her vest but then they added what I felt was too much weight. Now we stick with the neck wraps on hotter days. ---Kathy

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Sorry for coming in late on this; I haven't been around the boards recently.

Just wanted to say that I have an SD and have been to Disney with her. It's really not much different than going anywhere else - the only difference is there are only a few certain potty spots you can use. But I have the PassPorter special needs book (a new edition is coming out soon and just opened for pre-order on their site - the new one is called "Open Mouse" and once you pre-order it, you get a .PDF copy to download so you can even use it before it starts shipping in September) and that tells you where all the potty spots are. They have a great map that tells you how much time it takes to walk from place to place, too. I took the map (the colored version from their regular book) and placed stickers on all the potty spots and then laminated the map. I did this for each park. It worked great!

If you want, Zuke's makes energy treats for dogs. They're all-natural. I got my girl the peanut butter ones (but they have other kinds, too). I don't normally feed her in public, due to service dog etiquette and all, but throughout the day sometimes I'd slip her an energy treat.

My dog loved Disney. Her favorite ride was Pirates - I think 'cause now Captain Jack is in it! Yup, he is EVERY girl's dream! Haha!

We had no access problems. We didn't have too many problems with the general public, either. Just be warned that ppl may take your dog's photo, with or without asking you first!

We went in May, so didn't have to deal with burning hot pavement. I did put boots on her, but she hates things on her feet and "complains" about it by sitting any chance she gets (naughty girl!), so I eventually took them off her for my safety's sake as well as sanity's sake (it was driving me crazy!). One CM we came across inside a ride commended me big-time for having boots on her, though. He must've been a big animal lover!

So, anyway, if you haven't travelled with your dog before, then there will be some new things to you. But going to Disney is like going anywhere else ... except it is more fun, of course!

 

[pcparamedics01]

service dogs for kids with autism are teathered to them so basically there is a nylon strap that contect a special belt on my son to the dog's harness. Each kid w/autism is different and therefor the dogs help in different ways, but using the dog as a calming effect during tantrums in a huge one. Also the dogs prevents (or at least makes it harder) for these kids to run off. Theses kids usually have no sense of danger from cars, strangers, getting lost in the store etc. and they can't comprehend that no matter how many times you tell them. You can check out autismservicedogsofamerica.com if you want to rread more.

dog

My son hates dogs. He is a HFA. He begs me not to have a dog in him home. Is there other ASD children that do not want a dog?

 

[dclfun]

I would think that there are people, whether HFA or otherwise who don't like dogs for different reasons. For your son it could be a sensory issue, an issue of feeling intimidated or afraid, or something else. Not everyone can benefit from a SD, but you're wise to take your cues from your child and not force a dog on someone who generally doesn't want to be around them. ---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

I would think that there are people, whether HFA or otherwise who don't like dogs for different reasons. For your son it could be a sensory issue, an issue of feeling intimidated or afraid, or something else. Not everyone can benefit from a SD, but you're wise to take your cues from your child and not force a dog on someone who generally doesn't want to be around them. ---Kathy

Even for people who like dogs, a SD might not be the right choice for everyone.

 

[dclfun]

Sue- thanks for pointing that out too! Having a SD is having responsibility for another life and you have to consider the dog's well-being including it's feelings, stamina, etc. and providing for all needs. I'm sure as she ages, I'll have more vet bills to contend with for Skye....and even a young dog requires sometimes expensive care and attention. A handler must be able to bond with a dog and issue commands that the dog will follow, plus respect the relationship. I know of someone who was given a SD but left it outdoors most of the time ( only wanted the dog when it was convenient ), didn't provide toys and mental stimulation, and treated the dog as a "servant" and expected a response a robot would give. Needless to say they failed as a team. You have to be willing to provide for your dog just as you would a child or any loved family member and not everyone is willing or physically and mentally able to be part of a SD team. ---Kathy

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I don't have a service dog, but I was just wondering if anyone had tried putting some kind of sign on their dog (written on their harness / jacket that is, I'm not expecting anyone to put a Post-It on them!) asking people not to touch them? I know I've seen a number of dogs around town wearing jackets that say something like "Please do not touch me, I'm working". Do these actually work, or do the people who want to pet your dog just ignore them?

Also, just a quick tip, try to manage your arrivals to and departures from the parks so that you're not travelling when everyone else is. After fireworks / parades are particularly busy times to travel. If you want to stay for night time entertainment, just take your time getting to the buses, go in a few stores, admire the view, whatever it takes so that by the time you get to the bus stop, the queues will have gone down. Traveling on an overcrowded bus is difficult and stressful at the best of times; for your family's situation, I imagine it wouldn't be a barrel of laughs.

Anyway, good luck and have a great holiday!

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't have a service dog, but I was just wondering if anyone had tried putting some kind of sign on their dog (written on their harness / jacket that is, I'm not expecting anyone to put a Post-It on them!) asking people not to touch them? I know I've seen a number of dogs around town wearing jackets that say something like "Please do not touch me, I'm working". Do these actually work, or do the people who want to pet your dog just ignore them?

I don't have a service animal either, but the ones I have seen usually do have something on them that identifies them as a working dog.
It doesn't seem to stop people from what I have seen or read. People see the dog and don't think that their petting or interacting with it will cause any 'problem', so they pet and talk to the dog even if they see the sign.

 

[freckles and boo]

dog

My son hates dogs. He is a HFA. He begs me not to have a dog in him home. Is there other ASD children that do not want a dog?

My daughter has HFA is terrified of dogs, too. My sister-in-law was watching my child about three years ago and allowed a hyper pug puppy to jump all over my daughter, disregarding my her cries and thinking it was cute and harmless. That was all it took - she is now horribly afraid of all dogs. HOWEVER, I am so grateful that there are wonderful people and animals out there working so hard to improve lives. I wish it was an option for us.

 

[pezter]

I don't have a service dog, but I was just wondering if anyone had tried putting some kind of sign on their dog (written on their harness / jacket that is, I'm not expecting anyone to put a Post-It on them!) asking people not to touch them? I know I've seen a number of dogs around town wearing jackets that say something like "Please do not touch me, I'm working". Do these actually work, or do the people who want to pet your dog just ignore them?

Often somebody will just read the patch that says do not pet I am working and say something like "I know I am not supposed to pet the dog but I can not help my self". It can really be frustrating and dangerous when someone distracts the dog from doing what it is supposed to be doing.

 

[TwitterMouse]

I don't have a service dog, but I was just wondering if anyone had tried putting some kind of sign on their dog (written on their harness / jacket that is, I'm not expecting anyone to put a Post-It on them!) asking people not to touch them? I know I've seen a number of dogs around town wearing jackets that say something like "Please do not touch me, I'm working". Do these actually work, or do the people who want to pet your dog just ignore them.

My dog has a patch on his vest that says "Please do not pet me, I'm working."
However, some people will still try and pet him, or worse try to pick him up! It's one thing when it a little kid, I can understand that a little better (I still tell them to stop, but I'm much nicer about it), but the vast majority of the time it's adults. It's the worst when I'm at work, I'm trying to help a customer and some other person starts trying to play with my dog.
Well... that turned into a rant, didn't it!

 

[dclfun]

I agree...the "do not pet me, I'm working" patch that my SD wears is virtually ignored and thus worthless. Usually children know better than adults although I had one boy at AK, around age 10-12 actually slap my dog on her rump very forcefully as we passed by. I turned around to confront him and told him it's a good thing that SD's don't bite, how dare he hit my dog, etc. He just laughed and his parents, who were right next to him did nothing to correct him or ask him to apologize. In the theme parks it's sometimes exhausting to deal with people touching her or attempting to distract her all day long, plus constantly having to explain why she can't be petted. I often wonder about those who are blind-for their dogs to be distracted could be a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation.---Kathy

 

[TwitterMouse]

I agree...the "do not pet me, I'm working" patch that my SD wears is virtually ignored and thus worthless. Usually children know better than adults although I had one boy at AK, around age 10-12 actually slap my dog on her rump very forcefully as we passed by. I turned around to confront him and told him it's a good thing that SD's don't bite, how dare he hit my dog, etc. He just laughed and his parents, who were right next to him did nothing to correct him or ask him to apologize.

I can't believe someone hit your SD! That's horrible, and the stupid parents didn't even correct the kid. That makes me so mad to hear about. I think I would have smacked the kid right back.

 

[Talking Hands]

I often wonder about those who are blind-for their dogs to be distracted could be a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation.---Kathy

We have 2 deaf-blind members at our church and one of them also works at the Christian school. They have an assembly at the beginning of the year and the children are told about the dog and how it is to be treated. While it is done because of one dog they are told that all service dogs are not to be touched without permission of the owner. The lady is taking sign language with me and at the beginning we explained to all that the dog is not to be touched. And I will be going with my friend to her son's school to introduce her dog her son's class and show them how to deal with the dog.
It is really hard when we go out together because I am always telling people not to touch her dog.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

I don't have a service dog, but I was just wondering if anyone had tried putting some kind of sign on their dog (written on their harness / jacket that is, I'm not expecting anyone to put a Post-It on them!) asking people not to touch them? I know I've seen a number of dogs around town wearing jackets that say something like "Please do not touch me, I'm working". Do these actually work, or do the people who want to pet your dog just ignore them?

I have "DO NOT TOUCH" embroidered (in large, white, plain, all-caps letters) on my service dog's pack (worn behind her harness). Some ppl don't see it - my favorites of those are the ones whose friends see it and get on him about having touched the dog. I'll get an occassional drive-by petter (somebody who pets the dog while they're walking by or stops just for a second to pet the dog and then goes on their merry little way), which I hate. Every now and again I'll get a real idiot who barks at her. Most ppl, though, either ask to touch my dog (which I usually answer something like, "No, sorry, she's working,") or say they know they're not s'posed to touch her or start touching her but then see the "DO NOT TOUCH" and stop and apologize.

The thread is glow-in-the-dark thread, too. So is the pink "SERVICE DOG" thread. So they have no excuses in the dark!!

 

[momtimesone]

We where at POP in July and saw a lady in the food court with a SD and my son just smiled and said" look mommy".The lady looked at me and started to say how the dog is working when I stopped her and said to my son " Shawn why don't we pet these dogs?" He looked at me and right in front of the lady said" because mom there working and its not right to bother them while at work". The lady looked happy and smiled at me. We got our food and sat down to eat. Its up too the parents to teach there kids respect for working dogs and I'm shocked adults would want to pet SD's. I for one would never ever even ask to pet SD's. If I get the urge to pet a dog I go home and cuddle up to my mastiffs.Heres hoping All your SD's get a little more respect and Know that this is one mom and son that will not ask to pet your dog

 

[disneynewman]

We where at POP in July and saw a lady in the food court with a SD and my son just smiled and said" look mommy".The lady looked at me and started to say how the dog is working when I stopped her and said to my son " Shawn why don't we pet these dogs?" He looked at me and right in front of the lady said" because mom there working and its not right to bother them while at work". The lady looked happy and smiled at me. We got our food and sat down to eat. Its up too the parents to teach there kids respect for working dogs and I'm shocked adults would want to pet SD's. I for one would never ever even ask to pet SD's. If I get the urge to pet a dog I go home and cuddle up to my mastiffs.Heres hoping All your SD's get a little more respect and Know that this is one mom and son that will not ask to pet your dog

Kudos to you for teaching your son respect of SDs!

 

[dclfun]

Yes, THANK YOU for teaching your son and thus making the world a better and safer place for SD's and their handlers. Kudos, indeed!---Kathy ( and Skye)

 

[TwitterMouse]

Kudos again! I wish more parents taught their children to respect SD's.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Thank you!

Yeah, I think there are some adults out there who just don't "get it". That, and perhaps they have run into one of the very few "teams" out there that lets anybody and everybody pet their dog while it is working, arrgh! (I put "teams" in quotes because some may be ppl just passing their pets off while others who are really disabled with real SDs are taking away the team aspect by untraining their dogs by allowing them to be so distracted. I've seen it happen and have heard of it happening to a dog somebody I know trained for someone else and I have heard of it happening to others.)