Psychiatric dogs

[ladylaw203]

I am working with some folks with PTSD and their dogs. I am understanding that there are new laws with regard to granting access to these psychiatric dogs to public places. True? This is fascinating to me. I am doing a bit of a research project on this. The dogs are helping these folks "predict" the onset of debilitating panic attacks.

[ILGHAUS]

Because of "fakers" claiming their dog is a PSD the airlines have tightened up their requirements. Most now require not only the regular assurance of other types of SDs but they also require a note (on letterhead) from the handler's doctor.

The DOJ does not seperate different types of Service Dogs but since the airlines are under a different regulatory agency their rules are different.

The DOJ is putting in stronger language that will do away with many "PSDs". There is a large organization that says the trained task needed is covered by the dog calming the handler by passively allowing the handler to hug or kiss it or stroking it. But the new language says this is not what was ever intended and is pretty clear on this point. The dog must be trained to do something to mitigate the handler's disability. A PSD is a true SD and some will alert to the beginning of a panic attack which has already started but before the handler or other people around the individual are aware of the attack. This alert in itself is almost impossible to teach a dog to do with any continuing reliance but something that a large segment of dogs will do naturally but in many many cases the owner is not aware of the dog doing.

Some of these dogs will try to alert by barking, nipping, jumping on the handler, or other inappropriate behavior. Once it is known that the dog is alerting than the style of alerting should be worked on. I had a family member whose dog began nipping him before a seizure. Once it was realized that the dog was alerting instead of just acting up, the dog was then trained to *kiss* (lick the palm) instead of nip. I know other people who train their dog to do a gentle nose bump to the knee or place their paw on the handler's foot or some other type of acceptable alert sign.

After the alert to a beginning panic attack most dogs are then trained to do some type of task. Some are trained to go notify a family member, retrieve a cell phone so the handler can call for help, lead a person to a quiet place, give balance to someone who may be having a problem walking to a safe place, retrieve a bottle of water and meds, or some other task. At this point it is then comforting to many to cuddle with their dog, but this cuddle in itself is not to be considered the task but only a bonus.

Some PSDs are also trained to do tasks for handlers seperate from an actual panic attack. I know people who can not enter their own home after being away and so the dog has been trained to go into the house and do a quick search and return to the handler letting them know that there is no one inside. These dogs may also be trained to turn on lights in various locations before the handler approaches the room.

At this point I would like to say that the dog is not being sent into a house where the returning owner sees a door ajar or something else that would tell a person not to enter and to call law enforcement. These are searches for people who may have only gone out to their mailbox or to their driveway to pick up their paper and are then afraid to go back into their home. One woman who I have heard of had been brutally attacked and tortured for a great length of time by someone who had hidden in wait for her in her bathroom. This person could not enter any bathroom without her dog first going in to let her know that all was safe.

Some people who have gone through a fire will believe they smell smoke and will check their house dozens of times during the day and night only to sit and worry that they have missed seeing smoke or flames. Their dogs are trained to alert to the smell of smoke and so when the handler begins to worry about fire they just need to glance at their dog and are reassured that what they are smelling is a phantom smell only. They can then relax and continue what they were doing or even during the night just go back to sleep.

People in the public many times don't understand the concept behind a PSD and fake PSDs have not helped. The group who believes in cuddles vrs real tasks also have done much harm. People who use unbalanced dogs who themselves panic (vomit, urinate, jump and snap at passing people) when the owner is having a panic attack have also harmed PSDs in the eyes of the general public.

Quote:I am working with some folks with PTSD and their dogs.

This is so good to hear as we need more level headed and dog knowledgeable people like you working with PSDs.

[ILGHAUS]

<u>Old definition of a SD:</u>

"Service animal means any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling awheelchair, or fetching dropped items."


<u>New DOJ definition of a SD which is slated to be officially put into the regs this year:</u> (Bolding is mine)

"Service animal means any dog or other common domestic animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals who are blind or have low vision, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, fetching items, assisting an individual during a seizure, retrieving medicine or the telephone, providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities, and assisting individuals, including those with cognitive disabilities, with navigation. The term service animal includes individually trained animals that do work or perform tasks for the benefit of individuals with disabilities, including psychiatric, cognitive, and mental disabilities. The term service animal does not include wild animals (including nonhuman primates born in captivity), reptiles, rabbits, farm animals (including any breed of horse, miniature horse, pony, pig, or goat), ferrets, amphibians, and rodents. Animals whose sole function is to provide emotional support, comfort, therapy, companionship, therapeutic benefits, or to promote emotional well-being are not service animals."


*In follow up letters and reports, the term "that do work" is meant to mean a chain of tasks such as a guide dog does leading its handler down a busy sidewalk. This is to take the place of saying the dog is trained to walk a certain speed in a certain placement to the handler, pausing at changes in walking surface, going around objects, and not walking the handler into overhanging objects. But since the DOJ did not spell this out there are already people looking for the loopholes in this part of the definition.

[jmincy]

Even under the current law, PSDs are technically covered. Many jump up and say that this is not true that a SD only covers Physical disabilities. Here is the kicker, and likely the reason for the DOJ change in definition...we now know for certain that psyciatric conditions are indead a physical ailment, albeit the ailment is at a microscopic level, it is a physical change in cellular chemistry and therefore IS a physical disability. I'll have to find the case law, but the psychiatrists have swayed judges already to rule this as true.

[ladylaw203]

I am soooooo happy right now that I wanted to share. I am getting involved in providing service dogs to folks free of charge. Just starting out. I placed an 18month old lab with a young lady with PTSD. I evaluated my lab and thought she might have the temperament to bond with a person and maybe,just maybe.... I just spoke with the young lady and not only did the dog alert to her impending panic attack but added bonus, she alerted her 3 times that her blood sugar had dropped below 60
I am giving her the dog of course and I am going to have her spayed for her too. The young lady is thrilled because the dog I gave her, alerted way before the one she already had that she paid for and the one that she bought has never reacted to her low blood sugar. After she has finished training this one, I am going to put the dog's littermate with her and see if she will alert as well. If so, we will place that one with someone who needs the dog and on to the next one.

[Metalsmith]

Quote: I just spoke with the young lady and not only did the dog alert to her impending panic attack but added bonus, she alerted her 3 times that her blood sugar had dropped below 60

Wow, that's impressive! I'm amazed that these dogs can be so in tune with their people. Very cool.

[ladylaw203]

Well, I am hooked up with a major college who is interested in doing some research. Thing is,we do not know why the dogs alert. I have a theory and this is what the project is about. Generally, it is a trial and error situation as to whether or not the dog will exhibit a definitive change of behavior for the person. IF the dog does, then the dog can be trained. This is an inefficient way to train a dog. Soooo, if we can figure out what causes the dog to alert to the person, then we can start training these dogs for folks. The fact that people are having to pay a ridiculous amount of money for service dogs in this country is unacceptable to me. I am on a mission....

[ILGHAUS]

Sounds like you are moving right along. Glad to hear that the first dog has worked out already.

[IliamnasQuest]

Impressive mission, Renee - hope it continues to go well!

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

[Xeph]

Congrats Renee! People like me appreciate people like you!