Alaya Not Attending School This Week

[ILGHAUS]

A serious hurdle ... Alaya is in heat!

Quote:
Jon Sabin, president of Seizure Alert Dogs for Life, said that Alaya is one of the top dogs in seizure response in the world, and that she has tremendous pedigree. Her official name is Oleah Grams Von Ajaye.

"She comes from world champion bloodline," Sabin said.

Oleah Grams Von Ajaye - German shepherd dog


Quote and link above from an article
Once-Banned Service Dog in Heat, Not is School
Updated 4:59 PM EST, Tue, Jan 11, 2011
Once-Banned Service Dog in Heat, Not in School | NBC Washington


Original thread on Alaya and Andrew is found here
School Denies Student's Service Dog (GSD)

[AbbyK9]

I am a little curious as to whether Service Dogs are usually male (not female) or whether they are usually spayed or neutered to prevent something like this from happening. I would assume that a disabled person needs their dog with them at all times, and that dogs who are not altered may not be usable at all times - wouldn't it make sense for them to be altered?

[Jax08]

I'm a bit surprised she isn't spayed as well unless they want a litter from her hoping her abilities are also found in her offspring?

[ILGHAUS]

Everyone in the SD community that I have spoken to so far are very surprised that an intact female was trained and given to a handler especially a 12 year old boy.

Someone posting as the trainer has told some on a SD forum that I am a member of that it wasn't his responsibility and that the family should have had her spayed. He said that having her spayed during training would have taken 10 days away from her training.

He said that she was not spayed before because of her coming from champion lines.

I have two problems with the supposed trainer.
~ He seems to be throwing the family under the train as he is putting the blame on them that Alaya is not spayed.
~ He has threatened a couple of people with not only physical but mental disabilities that he has already notified his lawyer and will sue them if they do not cease speaking about his program in a negative manner. The only things they are talking about are items that have been in the paper from his interviews.

[Rerun]

That seems really odd. Was this a dog the family purchased privately or previously owned and had specially trained, or did the trainer select (or even breed), train, and then place the dog?

If the former, the family should be responsible for spaying her. If the latter, he should've spayed her IMHO prior to placement. The organizations I've worked with hold off on altering puppies so they can access breeding stock potential, but they are ALWAYS altered before placement or when it's determined they aren't breeding stock material.

[AbbyK9]

This is getting to be very confusing. I found a different article online that was posted today and claims that Andrew and Alaya went to school today. It is located here --> Epileptic boy returns to school with aide of dog and dad | TBD.com

So, did they go to school today or didn't they? Who's got it right?

Was this a dog the family purchased privately or previously owned and had specially trained, or did the trainer select (or even breed), train, and then place the dog?

From what I understand from what was posted before, the family paid close to $20,000 for the dog and its training from a school / trainer in New York called "Seizure Alert Dogs for Life." From what I can tell, the organization does not have a website but does have a blog.

Two things that I find confusing on the website are the statement that all dogs will be "licensed as Service Animals in NY prior to delivery" and that they do not guarantee that their dogs will alert to any seizures at any point.

I also live in New York and I am not aware of any "NY Service Animal License" excepting the license you get from your local town clerk showing that your animal is licensed in your town/county. These are free for Service Dogs, but I don't understand how this would be relevant for a dog who is going to be working in Virginia or any other state, as the dog would have to be licensed there as required by state law.

[ILGHAUS]

It is all getting very confusing and what started out as a force for a 12 year old boy is now being turned into a mass marketing commercial. The trainer has said that he has received 40,000 emails from people around the world interested in getting one of his dogs.

And from his blog is this quote:
San Diego- Mark Viera, owner Von Viera German Shepherds, has joined forces with Seizure Alert Dogs for Life, Inc. to provide Schutzhund BH training and breeding for our seizure alert/response dog program.

Viera has bred and trained some of the best West German Show Line German Shepherds in the world. Viera only breeds from the best dogs in the world.

Viera most recently trained shepherds that won the 2008 and 2009 North American Sieger Show championships

Seizure Alert Dogs for Life: World Renowned Schutzhund Trainer Joins Seizure Alert Dogs for Life

Along with the breeding "from the best dogs" in the world is the equipment that the trainer's business has designed. The whole thing is getting too commercial for me.

[Zoeys mom]

How old is Alaya? She sure didn't look like a puppy to me one would think the family would have been aware she wasn't spayed and do so themselves if she was purchased before her first heat. Why would being in heat prevent her from going to school anyway that makes no sense to me?

[Rerun]

It wouldn't necessarily prevent I suppose, but she would have to wear a diaper. First heat is usually around 6 mo old for LBD's, so they would've had to purchase her as a puppy to have her spayed prior to her first heat. It sounds like she was an adult when they purchased her.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by AbbyK9

they do not guarantee that their dogs will alert to any seizures at any point.

I would imagine that is a liability clause....do guide dog organizations and assistance dog organizations guarantee the dog will always 100% do as asked/trained? Honest question here! I would imagine they don't, because it's an animal and not a machine, so I think the above statement is probably just a CYA thing.