Service Dog Questions
I have been seriously considering getting a service dog as of late and I was wondering if anyone could try and answer a few questions. I have hEDS which essentially makes all the collagen in my body super weak, this causes all kinds of problems. The dog would be primarily for bracing me when getting up or walking as I have very weak joints that like to dislocate, helping me get things from the ground, and alerting me if my blood pressure plummets or skyrockets. I know that a big factor in getting a service dog is price, which I have considered. I also know to expect people rudely coming up and petting the dog without asking and other such occurrences as well. My questions are:
What else should I expect while trying to get the dog?
What else should I expect while out with the dog?
What should I expect at home?
In general, is there anything that I should look out for?
Are there any tips or peices of information that I should know before getting the dog?
Thank you in advance for even taking the time to read this and thank you for any and all answers or information you can give.
@WorriedWolf
I do not have a service dog but I go to a store where a worker has one and it wears a vest that clearly tells you to not pet the dog while it is working. I hope you can find answers to all your questions, maybe the people that provide service dogs could answer some of them.
So I am 15 and I have a heart condition that could kill me at any moment and I was thinking about getting a service dog for alert but i don
@WorriedWolf
@WorriedWolf I would recommend that you do a short search on YouTube for "service dog" and watch some of those videos. I don't have one myself (might in the future) but having a service dog is a HUGE thing. No more quick run into the store to pick something up... You have to get the dog out of the car, dressed, go inside, deal with everyone wanting to pet the dog, etc...
There is a community online, Service Dog Central that has a HUGE amount of info. They're kind of prickly, but they have great info, even if some of the people there are rough around the edges. They get a lot of people who think that they want service dogs, but don't understand how much work and effort they are. IF they think you're not looking at the whole picture, they WILL let you know. Most of the people are good-hearted, though.