Medi-Dogs

10/21/2024

Service dogs and Emotional Support dogs serve distinct purposes, yet their roles are sometimes misunderstood

Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks to assist their handlers with their disabilities. On the other hand, Emotional Support dogs provide comfort to individuals, offering therapeutic benefits through their presence. Understanding these distinctions helps appreciate the invaluable roles that both play in enhancing the quality of life for their owners.
By clarifying some of the unique functions of Service dogs and Emotional Support dogs, we aim to help others gain awareness and appreciation for the vital contributions that these animals make to the well-being of individuals 🩵🐾

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09/27/2024

Always so proud to have been part of this team’s journey! Technology and Diabetic Alert Dogs go hand in hand to keep people with T1D safe. Choosing which tools you want in your toolbox should always be up to you!

07/19/2024

It’s Dex’s final day in training before heading to his forever home🥹🩵
A big huge thank you to Shelter from the storm for rescuing him, Charlotte and Kelly for fostering him, and Green Acres for giving him the best care! We enjoyed every bit of being apart of his journey in Wisconsin, and now to Boston! It's always bittersweet as we prep for placement but knowing he has a wonderful family waiting for him makes all the difference 🩵

07/19/2024

WOW!!
We are so proud of both Team Sheeba and Team Archie who passed their Public Access Tests today🥹

It’s an amazing to see our teams continuing to progress so well! 🩵

06/10/2024

05/30/2024

🩵Maggie and Aaden🩵
Maggie started in the service dog ready program and then upon passing her readiness test entered b&t. She was with us for board & train for January-mid April. The family is from Florida and so we flew her home to practice plane rides. We spent placement working at their home and also going to Disney since it is a place they frequently go! Aaden was a brilliant handler and since he’s still too young to be the primary handler Maggie learned to work for his parents too. She was calm and focused in Disney and handled everything in stride.

Since her drop off a month ago, she’s been getting great reviews!
🩵She accompanied Aaden to the special Olympics where he won 1st place in tennis!
🩵She’s been back to Disney!
🩵Settling back into her house like she never left!
🩵Rocking her behavior interruption task
🩵Offering deep pressure therapy without needing to be cued (thanks scent training!)

05/20/2024

It’s time for the goodest boy to find his placement 🥹 Dex was pulled from Shelter From The Storm in March and has been in training ever since. He’s brilliant, sweet and will make someone a great working dog. He’s a true rags to riches story! We are currently taking applications for him as a started service dog or facility therapy dog. Once his final placement is decided, he begins his task training.

Interested? Read more on his application here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2c9K55yBOrJB3gmYVCFBalrN5_xYfW0yiLn-3GStUcu3Fig/viewform?usp=sf_link
Videos of his current training level in the comments.

03/28/2024

A lovely study from the Canine Olfaction Lab that is worth the read! We always encourage people to train Psychiatric Service Dogs with as little body language cues as possible. Scent training is vital for both the dog and humans success. Early alerts can help the handler notice the changes in their body, allow them to get to a space where they can do healthy coping mechanisms, and so much more. Psychiatric service dogs are just as legit as any other medical alert dog!

IntroductionPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an impairing mental health condition with high prevalence among military and general populations alike. PTSD service dogs are a complementary and alternative intervention needing scientific validation. We investigated whether dogs can detect putat...

03/26/2024

Mac is learning all about the world around him! His handler is doing a great job balancing the need to set him up for success and letting him be a puppy. Can’t wait to see this team continue to grow!

Three-month old puppy report on Mac. We missed National Puppy Day...hope you had a good one! Our latest recruit, 'Mac' is still on track for his future job as a First Responder Therapy Dog. The City of Madison Fire Station No. 5 was kind enough to let Mac sniff the hoses, meet the crew, and drive the big rig.
Exposure is important as the young puppy brain develops: take them places & let them see the world as much as possible. And let them be a puppy too. 🐾💙

Madison Police Department First Responder Therapy Dogs City of Madison Fire Department Medi-Dogs

02/26/2024

Maggie is enjoying a morning snooze on her mat while we work on our Fear Free Trainer Recertification! Multitasking is at its finest when it prepares a B&T dog for real life situations.

02/14/2024

Welcome Mac! So excited for your journey to help our first responders. You’re going to do amazing things!

This Valentine's Day our hearts and minds are with our First Responders throughout the community. With that in mind, we've started a little side project (and he's very little right now!).
Meet 'Mac,' an 8-week old Golden Retriever who is just embarking on his education. His goal is to become a certified facility dog, working with First Responder Therapy Dogs.

FRTD says it best: "Being on the front lines is physically and mentally challenging for first responders. These everyday heroes often face mental health challenges.
Within this population, there is a stigma attached to asking for help. First Responder Therapy Dogs offer a new mental health tool – emotional support from a trained therapy dog—without the stigma.
The emotional support helps first responders deal with what they face everyday...and what they face is often extremely intense."

We at Capital K9s have long wanted to add a Therapy Dog to the pack and this is our beginning. Come meet Mac at Capital K9s events. He cannot be officially certified until he is 18 months old, so right now, he's just puppy therapy! 🐾❤️ We'll keep you updated on his progress. Thank a First Responder today! 💙

Madison Police Department First Responder Therapy Dogs Nicholberrygoldens Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic Keeping K-9s in Kevlar Friends of Madison Mounted Horse Patrol City of Monona Police Department Medi-Dogs

10/24/2023

Some helpful information about Mental Health Service Dogs! It’s always important to remember that these are not the same as Emotional Support Animals.

08/03/2023

And we’re back with more to learn about our diabetic alert service dogs!

06/14/2023

Service dogs for individuals with diabetes are often called “diabetic alert dogs,” and they are an excellent extra layer of safety. Diabetic alert dogs can alert to changes in blood sugar faster than a Continuous Glucose Monitor by up to 15 minutes, let you know if your blood sugar is high or low and offer support through the trials of chronic illness.

If you are interested in training your dog to be a diabetic alert dog, please message us and we will determine if you both are the right fit for our program! We currently have scholarships available to assist with the cost of training specifically for diabetic alert dogs.

06/01/2023

Thank you to Riverside and Great Northern Railway for a great ride today!

We had a special guest today at the railroad! Annie and Summit. Summit is training to be a diabetic alert dog. Thank you Annie for all you do!

04/29/2023

Thanks so much to everyone that joined us tonight! If you couldn’t make it, no worries 😊You’re still able to support us with the code below online through tomorrow!

04/27/2023

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow 5:30-7:30 at Kendra Scott in Hilldale Mall!

How can choosing a Mother's Day gift (or something for yourself!) make a difference in more than one life? Join Medi-Dogs for a special event at Kendra Scott (located at Hilldale Mall) on April 28th, 5:30-7:30!

Proceeds from the event will go straight to our scholarship fund, easing the financial burden of service dog training for those in need.

We love Kendra Scott's jewelry, and we really love the company's intention to "do good first and sell jewelry second." Whether you are buying for someone you love or looking for a little retail therapy, you are also contributing another person's health, safety, and freedom!

P.S. Some of our very cute working dogs will be there to meet their adoring fans!

04/20/2023

How can choosing a Mother's Day gift (or something for yourself!) make a difference in more than one life? Join Medi-Dogs for a special event at Kendra Scott (located at Hilldale Mall) on April 28th, 5:30-7:30!

Proceeds from the event will go straight to our scholarship fund, easing the financial burden of service dog training for those in need.

We love Kendra Scott's jewelry, and we really love the company's intention to "do good first and sell jewelry second." Whether you are buying for someone you love or looking for a little retail therapy, you are also contributing another person's health, safety, and freedom!

P.S. Some of our very cute working dogs will be there to meet their adoring fans!