20+ Holiday Dog Movies to Watch With Your Working or Service Dog
The holiday season is a perfect excuse to grab some hot chocolate and snuggle up on the couch with your Service Dog, Working Dog or pet! Here are some of our favorites that are sure to get you in the holiday spirit. 1. A Dog Named Christmas A Dog Named Christmas tells the story of Todd, a developmentally delayed 20 year old, who loves animals. When Todd hears that the local animal shelter wants to adopt dogs out for Christmas, Todd is right on board, much to the dismay of his father George. With persistence Todd is eventually given permission to bring home a yellow lab he names Christmas. Little does the family know that Christmas will change their life forever. Check out the trailer here. Rating: PG Length: 1:35 Year: 2009 2. Beethoven's Christmas Adventure Photo Credit: IMBdOur favorite Saint Bernard is back in Beethoven's Christmas Adventure. When Santa's sleigh crashes in a small town and the magic toy bag is stolen, it's up to Beethoven to find the bag and return it to Santa in time for Christmas. Sure to be a family favorite. Watch the trailer here. Rating: PG Length: 1:30 Year: 2011 3. The 12 Dogs of Christmas The 12 Dogs of Christmas takes place in 1931 in Maine during the Depression and tells the story of a young girl named Emma who uses 12 special dogs to show everyone the true meaning of Christmas. Watch the trailer here. Rating: G Length: 1:42 Year: 2005 4. 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue The 12 Dogs of Christmas was followed by a sequel titled 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue. Emma is back again, but this time follows her quest to save a local puppy orphanage, by putting on a big holiday event. Watch the trailer here. Rating: PG Length: 1:42 Year: 2012 5. Buddies Movies As a follow up to the classic Air Bud movies, Disney released three different buddies movies that the kids will love! The titles are: Santa Buddies (2009), The Search for Santa Paws (2010) and Santa Paws 2 (2012). Click on each of the titles to watch the trailer for each of these movies. Rating: G Length: Varies Year: 2010 6. The Dog Who Saved Christmas When the Bannister's welcome a new dog named Zeus into their home, he doesn't appear to be the guard dog that the family is looking for. But when two burglars break into their house when they are away for the holidays, Zeus sets out to
Brace and Mobility Support Dogs: Everything You Need To Know
Brace and Mobility Support Dogs are a type of Service Dog trained to provide their disabled handler with assistance moving from place to place. This invaluable service is matched only by these dogs’ ability to also help with other chores and tasks, like opening doors or retrieving dropped items. Due to the unique nature of their work, though, Brace and Mobility Support Dogs have special needs. Read on to learn more!
The Benefit of Service Dogs
According to various experts, it has been confirmed that keeping service dogs has incredible benefits for the owner. After all, they help you combat post-traumatic stress and can also be helpful in reuniting broken families. According to the data extracted from the National Institute of Health, around 30% of the military veterans in the US experience stress when they come back home. Secondly, not many of them seek help because they fear social taboo and ostracization. Because the service dogs are highly applauded for so many benefits, the designated dogs will help one to de-clutter their mind from stress.in this feature, we will shed light on the incredible benefits of service dogs. They’re More than a Companion Unless you have been living under the rock, you will know that service dogs are trained in a way that can improve the quality of life of military veterans. Check out an online pet shop that has service dogs. No wonder, such dogs offer more than just conventional companionship throughout one’s life. Especially those veterans who suffer from an anxiety disorder or mental health issues, they can bring a cute service dog home. They will help declutter the mind, reduce social anxiety, provide additional security and paddle unconditional love. Up to The Task If you don’t know, like the conventional service members out there, the service dogs are trained in a way that they will help with all the tasks at home. For instance, when it comes to opening doors or turning on the lights, service dogs will be highly beneficial in this regard. Furthermore, they will also help in retrieving lost items and help you with medication. If you have reservations about your security, they will ensure that you’re always protected. If you haven't seen the videos of service dogs, go through YouTube and you'll find a plethora of options. Additionally, the service dogs will also help in keeping the veterans up to date with their routine activities. Staying Constantly Alert When veterans are experiencing a certain medical crisis, the service dogs will keep everyone alarmed. For instance, if a person has anxiety issues, the service dogs will help in catering to a panic attack. This way, the owner will be better prepared about everything. Furthermore, they will be mentally prepared to have a safety net to rely on. However, if a person is alone and all by themselves, it will be hard to rest assured about their health. Aiding Mobility Service dogs
2021 Updated Service Dog Air Travel Guidelines
In early 2021, the Department of Transportation (DOT) updated Service Dog travel rules for Service Dog travel by air. In a nutshell, the new DOT Service Dog rules ban Emotional Support Animals on planes and require all Service Dog handlers to fill out two forms at least 48 hours prior to traveling. One of the new DOT Service Animal forms concerns training and behavior and the other health and wellness. For dogs joining their partner on flights longer than 8 hours, an elimination habits form will also be required. The new updates also change the definition of "Service Animal," for the purposes of flying, to include only dogs. No other species of animal, including miniature horses, will be recognized. Ideally, the new DOT rules will ensure dogs traveling in the passenger compartment of the plane are well-behaved and trained for public access. While there's a little more work required on the part of Service Dog handlers prior to flying, overall, the new process is more streamlined. All airlines will utilize the standardized DOT forms. Owner-trained teams, teams which trained under an individual trainer or organization are all treated the same Owner-trainers (people who have trained their own dog), those who have worked with a private trainer or organization-trained dogs will utilize the same form. The forms do require the name of a trainer, however if you've trained your dog yourself or if you no longer have contact with the trainer who originally worked with you (which is extremely common) you may use your own name or that of another trainer as long as you and your animal can meet Service Dog Standards. Some airlines, like American Airlines, allow electronic submission of the forms, whereas others require the forms to be emailed or brought to the desk. Copies of the 2021 Service Dog travel forms can be downloaded here. The new updates also address and standardize a few other common Service Dog travel concerns. Per the DOT, the 2021 Service Animal Final Rule: Defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained by an owner-trainer, individual trainer or training organization to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability; No longer considers an emotional support animal to be a service animal; Requires airlines to treat psychiatric service animals the same as other service animals; Allows airlines to require forms developed by DOT attesting to a service animal’s
Why is so hard to admit you have PTSD?
What is PTSD? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is most often associated with soldiers, however they're only a small segment of the population who suffer from it. PTSD is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event or series of events — either by experiencing them or witnessing them. In popular culture, PTSD is brought on a single event however for most people it's multiple events or even a pattern of events that feels inescapable. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about what happened. Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD. Memories or flashbacks trigger PTSD Another mundane day in the office; stocking patient rooms, prepping a few IV lines because our intel is that we had 75/25 chance of getting rocketed tonight, sweeping the Iraqi dust out of our makeshift aid station, when suddenly my heart starts pounding, tears spring to my eyes and I feel out of control. I had been having difficulty sleeping, plagued with nightmares but just chalked it up to being homesick and missing my son. This is different…I can’t function and it’s affecting my ability to do my job. Something was wrong. I tried to Skype with my parents about it and they just chalked it up to combat stress and told me to “suck it up.” I continued to experience these anxiety attacks that appeared unprovoked. It progressed to flashbacks. A certain smell would send me over the edge. Or a touch… That night in April 2010, when everything began spiraling downhill, something inside of me snapped. I couldn’t sit with my back to the door when I went to the DFAC (cafeteria) because I had to see the escape route and watch those that were coming or going. . PTSD makes you feel alone even when people are there to help Hello, my name is Shawna and I have PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Turned out that all those years of repressing the emotional baggage for all those “life altering events” finally came back to bite me in the butt and emerged as PTSD. I worked with my psychologist for about six months when she asked me if I had thought about a
A Comprehensive Guide to Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks
Service Dogs work for people who have physical, psychiatric, or developmental disabilities. These highly trained and specialized dogs undergo thousands of hours of schooling so they can perform their work safely and reliably. They learn tasks to help reduce the impact of their handler's disability. These tasks fill in gaps in the handler's capabilities. By partnering with a Service Dog, disabled individuals often gain peace of mind, independence, and increased confidence. Since they commonly work in public, Service Dogs must be free of temperament flaws, focused, unobtrusive, and well-trained. Furthermore, the Americans With Disabilities Act specifies that they must be individually task trained to do work specifically for their handler. The types of tasks a Service Dog performs varies depending on the dog's job. Mobility Assistance Dogs might pull a wheelchair, help their partner stand up after a fall, or provide counterbalance. Hearing Dogs alert to sounds in the environment so their handler can respond appropriately. Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSDs) increase their handler's day to day functioning by helping to manage chronic and acute episodes of mental illness and related symptoms. What are Psychiatric Service Dogs? Psychiatric Service Dogs work for people who have psychiatric disabilities. Typically defined as "a spectrum of mental disorders or conditions that influence our emotions, cognitions, and/or behaviors," psychiatric disabilities primarily affect the brain and brain chemistry. Many mental illnesses cause physical signs and symptoms, too. Examples in the U.S. government's Psychiatric Enforcement Guidance document include anxiety disorders (which include panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, and personality disorders. Other examples include phobias such as agoraphobia, eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and dissociative disorders such as dissociative identity disorder and depersonalization disorder. Like all Service Dogs, Psychiatric Service Dogs perform specific tasks and work for their handler. These tasks vary widely depending on the nature of their handler's disability and exact needs. It's important that tasks be trained behaviors that reliably occur on verbal, physical, or environmental cue(s). Behaviors that any dog can do, like sit for petting or provide companionship, do not qualify as Psychiatric Service Dog tasks. In order to be a Psychiatric Service Dog, a dog must be trained as a Service Dog and partnered with someone who has a psychiatric disability. Merely having a disability and a dog does not make that dog a Service Dog -- only task training and the proper temperament can do that. In addition to task training,
Dog Bites: Seven Things You Need to Know
If you partnered with a service dog, one of your concerns likely involves what would happen should you encounter an off-leash or out-of-control dog. Most of the time the other dogs you encounter are generally well-behaved. However, there's always a risk that another dog could distract your canine partner from doing their job — or worse. But what happens if a dog bites you or your dog? Here are seven things you need to know about dog bites. 1. All dogs need to be socialized Of course, an extremely important key to reducing incidents is training, specifically exhaustive socialization with your dog. The more situations your dog is exposed to the better and safer they will perform. That being said, accidents do happen. 2. Evaluate the dog bite and the seriousness of the incident Fortunately, most dog are not serious. However, if blood is drawn it's important to get appropriate medical attention quickly in order to avoid infection which lead to complications later. If a dog bites you, take these steps right away: Wash the wound. Use mild soap, and run warm tap water over it for five to 10 minutes. Slow the bleeding with a clean cloth. Apply over-the counter antibiotic cream if you have it. Wrap the wound in a sterile bandage. Keep the wound bandaged and see your doctor. Change the bandage several times a day once your doctor has examined the wound. Watch for signs of infection, including redness, swelling, increased pain and fever. Depending on the situation, you may also want to collect the information from owner of the dog who bit and witness information if applicable. Don’t forget to collect the dog owner’s insurance details too. Photos of any injuries and other documentation may prove helpful in the future. 3. You may be entitled to dog bite compensation Depending on the severity of the incident, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages due to the injuries sustained, and the pain and suffering you underwent. Hire a dog bite lawyer in Oklahoma City or a city near you to help with your compensation case. 4. Understand about liability Every dog owner is strictly liable for any bites if they knew or ought to have known of the dog's vicious or dangerous nature as experienced in past occurrences. The burden of proof lies with the victim as it's their responsibility to prove that the dog owner knew or should have known of the dog's
Service Dog Standards Launches Powerful, Free Tools for Service Dog Trainers and Handlers
Service Dog Standards (SDS) launches a suite of powerful new tools — specifically built for those who want to become partnered with a service dog and those who are currently service dog trainers or handlers — with the goal of making the process more straightforward, responsible and fun! Responsible service dog partnership. There are a lot of documents, tests and tools that responsible Service Dog trainers and handlers use as part of their training regimen. While absolutely none of these things on their own make a dog a Service Dog — and are strictly not required for Service Dog ownership under federal law — many handlers find them helpful as part of documenting their training. Service Dog Standards allows clients to share the fact that they have these documents in their possession without violating their privacy. Robust tools for handlers, trainers and training organizations At Service Dog Standards, trainers and training organizations can promote their businesses with free, robust, professional listings, manage, track and organize their human and canine clients and much more. Service dog handlers can create their own secure team Profile Page where they can safely share their training resume, complete with photos, training accomplishments and more. SDS also includes templates for physicians and walks people through the often complicated process of owning and training a service dog. See this example of a Service Dog Handler profile page on Service Dog Standards Based on over a decade of input from experienced service dog trainers and handlers, Service Dog Standards clearly lays out what is expected in terms of training, public behavior and more. Service Dog Standards aims to encourage adherence to the ADA and increase public trust through technology and education. Example of a Service Dog Trainer profile page on Service Dog Standards Service Dog Standards features: · Free for trainers and handlers forever · Public profile page for service dog handlers with a secure resume · Business listings for dog trainers and breeders · Robust tools to manage service dog puppy candidates, graduates, washouts and more · Manage multiple service animals and their status · Secure training and ownership history · Clear explanation of expectations for service dog trainers and handlers · Service Dog Standards Public Access Test · Service Dog Standards Training and Behavior Standards · Template and guidance for getting a physician letter · Information to help the public better understand the complexities of Service Dogs A service dog training resume may include: · Passing a Public Access Test · A trained task list · Detailed digital or
Celebrate Smart this 4th: Fireworks, Veterans, Dogs and PTSD
In America, parades, fireworks, food and fun-filled gatherings on the 4th of July are a time-honored tradition. For some Americans, particularly combat veterans, Independence Day is anything but fun. When deciding how to celebrate America's birthday this year, keep our veterans and active military members in mind.
What Is A Service Animal
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a Service Animal as: any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, developmental, psychiatric, intellectual, or other disability. Per U.S. federal law, the Service Animal and Service Dog definition is clear cut. It includes any dog trained to assist a person with a disability overcome obstacles affecting their day to day life that directly result from their disability. As such, Service Animals are skilled and highly trained dogs who partner with people with disabilities. Service Animals are also known as Assistance Animals, Assistance Dogs, and Service Dogs. These unique working dogs utilize their specialized training to mitigate their partner’s specific disability and the difficulties caused by the disability. They perform some of the functions and tasks that an individual with a disability cannot perform easily for him or herself. In order to be a Service Dog, a dog must be partnered with a person with a disability that hinders their ability to function independently. Furthermore, the dog must have specific task training or work that directly lessens or reduces the impact of the handler’s disability. Without both of these pieces, a dog, no matter how well trained, is not legally a Service Dog. Service Dogs can be trained to assist with tasks and work related to a wide range of disabilities, including — but not limited to — deafness, blindness, autism, epilepsy, severely limiting psychiatric conditions, life-threatening allergies, diabetes, mobility issues, neuromuscular diseases, and many others, such as endocrine system, circulatory, or pulmonary irregularities. Some disabilities, like many neurological disorders or the cardiac condition POTS, are invisible and may not be apparent to others. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a Service Animal as: any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, developmental, psychiatric, intellectual, or other disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability. Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to: Assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks Alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the