(Rain in her official High Plains Service Dog vest with AKC CGC patches and HPSD program reflective patches. Photo taken 03/06)
Rain is a Service Dog
06/01/05 Rain took and passed her AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test Rain has learned everything I need her to learn and more, at this stage of our life together as a team. Besides the obedience training, Rain has learned tasks that help mitigate my disability and reliably performs these tasks: whether I am using my rollator walker, scooter or Canadian crutches; Rain pushes the electronic door openers for me and retrieves dropped items; she removes my socks each night as my knees are too swollen to bend. Additionally, Rain has learned to brace for curbs; on stairs either up or down Rain braces for each step until I tell her to take another step; Rain counter balances my walking; Rain "steadies" over uneven terrain; Rain walks very slowly when I direct her; out of harness Rain will upon command brace long the side of my leg to help steady me and to help me walk; Rain braces while standing still. These tasks are done reliably, though I do not put much if any weight on her mobility harness handle as she is still young.
At the age of 24 months Rain will have her hips and elbows x-rayed and then will learn to help me up off the ground when I fall and learn to help me up or down into a sitting position on the chair. I will also be able to apply more weight to her mobility handle regular. As I become more disabled my need will change and Rain will be taught additional tasks. Rain is rock solid on her obedience. Rain is professional, calm, quiet, focused, obedient and a problem solver.
Although Rain is 18 months old, she is mature in her thinking. She is able to do intelligent disobedience - she refused to work when she is sick, I haven't known she wasn't feeling well the times this has happened; she will insist I take a piece of dropped clothing from her mouth knowing it is already washed and needs to go in the dryer with the other just washed clothes even though I've had her drop it in the dirty clothes pile; she will refuse to come inside to be harnessed for work if she has not completely emptied her bladder or bowels no matter what the weather conditions are outside, etc.
Many weeks ago my Volunteer Trainer told me that Rain is not a SDIT any more, that in fact Rain is a Service Dog (SD). This is something that I wasn't willing or able to accept, despite all Rain's training. I had one more thing to do to make Rain's promotion to Service Dog valid in my own mind, tangible proof for me, taking and passing the AKC CGC.
On 06/10/05 we took the AKC CGC test with accommodations (Rain wore her mobility harness for the test) and passed. This had been my goal to achieve this award since we left the local service dog program. That service dog program's trained service dogs do not take the AKC CGC test; they are all trained wearing Gentle Leaders, which are prohibited when taking the AKC CGC test. I needed to prove to me and to them (that service dog program) that it could be done by Rain, a Doberman, and me. This was the validation I needed to promote Rain to Service Dog.
Rain is a SERVICE DOG! I applied to a service dog program, High Plains Service Dogs, seeking certification as a Mobility Service Dog Team, as the on line program thru which I had trained reneged on certification of all its graduates. After submitting all the weekly training journals, proof of liability insurance, clean bill of health and proof Rain was up to date on all her vaccinations etc we received certification as a Mobility Service Dog Team.
I would like to mention that the ADA of 1990 covers only public access for Service Dogs, not service dogs in training; the ADA of 1990 does not require certification of Service Dogs; the ADA of 1990 does not require service dogs be trained by or thru a service dog program. The ADA is a Federal civil rights act and is enforceable by the Feds, not local law enforcement.
Rain is an Owner Trained mobility Service Dog, we are certified by a service dog program as a Mobility Service Dog Team because the State in which we resides provides for police enforcement of public access issues involving SDITs and SDs training thru or certified by a recognized service dog program.
o6/01/05 Rain and I were certified as a Mobility Service Dog Team by High Plains-Service Dogs!
High Plains-Service Dogs (HP-SD) is a division of a not for profit service dog agency, "High Plains Association of Service Dog Advocates." HP-SD directly assists with the training, guidance, education and certification of Human-Canine Teams.
At the time of this writing HP-SD is offering assistance to Mobility Service Dog Teams ONLY. The human partner must be a qualified mobility disabled person in accordance with the guidelines and description under the "American with Disabilities Act" (ADA) as well as the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and District Court decisions. The number of persons who actually qualify for this protection is quite limited and due to on going Federal Court rulings those limitations are even more severe than Congress intended when it passed this Civil Rights Law in 1992.
quick link: High Plains Service Dogs
