Yooper Service Dogs

01/29/2025

Due to unforeseen circumstances, YSD will not be able to open training for new applications this winter. We do anticipate being able to open them this spring as normal. If you have an urgent situation or questions, feel free to call or text us at 906-553-2347 or email [email protected].

05/28/2024

NEW PHONE NUMBER
YSD's phone number has recently changed to 906-553-2347. You can delete the previous number.

05/23/2024

APPLICATIONS OPENING - Applications will be opening for new clients on June 3rd. You do NOT need a dog to apply, and we do not recommend that you get a dog on your own before applying. Go to the Application Process link below to learn more about our training and the application process.

TO APPLY: On June 3, go to the Application Process link below and follow the steps. The application form within the link will not work before applications open.

Please feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments (public), by private messaging, calling 906-553-2347, or emailing [email protected]. You can also join our Facebook group for current and future service dog handlers to network and get early access to the application.

Application Process: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XNyKO49XKJ_efstTlUjkENCO6NAO2HPfRMpuVqfwsvI/edit?usp=sharing
Early Access: https://www.facebook.com/groups/YSDHandlers

05/07/2024

ABOUT YOOPER SERVICE DOGS
Yooper Service Dogs (YSD) is a Michigan non-profit organization owned and operated by a Marine Corps combat veteran and is staffed entirely by volunteers. YSD assists the U.P. with most things related to dogs and disabilities. We primarily train dogs to assist one person with their disability in public (service dogs), but sometimes we also train dogs to help one person with a disability only in their home (skilled companions). We will train for any disability that the trainer feels can be trained safely. We do not train guide/leader dogs (for blindness) or therapy dogs (for groups of people). Please see or respectively. Both of these organizations are available to Yoopers.

03/26/2024

A good news report from a few years ago. I really get a kick out of training a dog to pull a wheelchair, partially because the dog gets such a kick out of it! I don't get to do it often.

Yooper Service Dogs in Rapid River is the only service dog organization in the U.P. They put dogs through a three level training before they are allowed to work in public.

03/06/2024

WHAT IS A SKILLED COMPANION?
Skilled companions help someone in their home by obeying commands or responding to situations that assist with the person's disability, such as waking from a nightmare, picking up dropped items, or retrieving a cane or walker. They may assist with trouble walking, PTSD, depression, anxiety, autism, diabetes, seizure disorders, deafness, and much more. "Skilled companion" is not a firmly established term, so you may hear other organizations use a different term. The things a skilled companion does would sometimes meet the definition of a task (like service dogs). However, without intentionally trained tasks and the proper public access training, they are not legally protected in public, no-pets areas. Since they require less training, these animals are sometimes a great benefit for someone who is unable to get a service dog due to practical or financial limitations. Or, people sometimes choose a skilled companion because their disability primarily requires assistance in the home and not as much away from home. They can be multiple species, but dogs are most common.

Skilled companion is not a legal term, but it would fall under the definition of "assistance animal". Under the Fair Housing Act, assistance animals are allowed to live in the permanent residence of the person with a disability, even if the residence does not allow pets. However, these animals are no longer legally protected in the passenger area of a plane, and neither Michigan law or federal law protects them in public, no-pets areas. Only service animals are legally protected in air travel and in public.

More on Housing:
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/assistance_animals

More on Air Travel:
https://www.facebook.com/YSDRapid/posts/pfbid0uKoEpG6JvL4o36m16DKNBda65bxerJ1unniXfab1k2ZZ88SKpLUmUnzbDWMqcrC7l

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The videos below are not necessarily of skilled companions, but they do give you an idea of how a dog could help at home. Note: Sharing a video does not mean that YSD recommends the organization or the author of the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWwOVA3W1gQ
https://youtu.be/0T59mT38FWw?si=lG6AQJcFlipStHwN&t=25
Psychiatric: https://youtu.be/iXm0hinvs7U?si=XYHahAlKqw9einZe&t=153

02/20/2024

NEW APPLICATIONS - Applications opened in January and will be open until the end of February or until space fills. You do not need a dog to apply, and we do not recommend that you get a dog on your own before applying. To apply, go to the Application Process link below and follow the steps. Applications usually reopen each Spring.

Please feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments (public), by messaging YSD, by calling 906-233-7519, or by emailing [email protected]. More information about training and the application process can be found below.

Application Process: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XNyKO49XKJ_efstTlUjkENCO6NAO2HPfRMpuVqfwsvI/

Group for Yoopers with disabilities who have or are interested in a dog to assist them: https://www.facebook.com/groups/YSDHandlers

02/13/2024

WHAT IS AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL?
Emotional Support Animals (ESA) are common domestic animals, such as dogs or cats, that assist a person with a disability instinctively through comfort and companionship. You may also hear them referred to as comfort or companion animals. They may assist with PTSD, anxiety, depression, autism, and more. They are not legally required to be trained, but YSD highly recommends obedience training to ensure their behavior isn't causing you stress, anxiety, or an added financial burden.

ESA is not a legal term, but it would fall under the definition of an "assistance animal". Under the Fair Housing Act, assistance animals are allowed to live in the permanent residence of the person with a disability, even if the residence does not allow pets. However, these animals are no longer legally protected in the passenger area of a plane, and neither Michigan law or federal law protects them in public. Businesses have a right not to permit ESA's. Only service animals are legally protected in air travel and in public. Because ESA's do not have intentionally-trained work or tasks that assist with a disability and they are not trained for public access, ESA's do not qualify as service animals and are only protected in the home of the person with a disability.

More on Housing:
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/assistance_animals

More on Air Travel:
https://www.facebook.com/YSDRapid/posts/pfbid0uKoEpG6JvL4o36m16DKNBda65bxerJ1unniXfab1k2ZZ88SKpLUmUnzbDWMqcrC7l

02/06/2024

UPDATE ON TOKEN'S MOM
If you've been following our page, you've seen the fundraiser for Token's Mom, a client of ours that escaped domestic violence and had been struggling to get on her feet. She received a variety of love and support: monetary donations, businesses hosting donation jars or giving gift cards, groomers offering their services for free, people buying dog food and medicine, and many of you who shared our posts to get word to those who could help... Now a year later, all of your work has paid off! You sustained her long enough for her to get a reliable vehicle and move to be with family who can help her in the long term. Her struggle is not over, but your hard work got her through that initial hardship. She's been overwhelmed with the love and community that came around her, shining hope into her life at a time where all hope seemed lost. There is so much light at the end of this tunnel! Please be in prayer for her as she continues this difficult journey.

"We couldn't have done this without you! Ruff!"
- Token 🐾

Many thanks to the following businesses that helped:
- Tractor Supply Company, Escanaba
- Nan Lamb at Nantastic Grooming, Gladstone
- Meijer, Escanaba
- Mel's Lawn & Garden, Escanaba
- Rosy's Diner, Escanaba
- Salon Three-One, Escanaba
- Studio di Capelli, Escanaba
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063785463470
- Pam's Petals, Escanaba
- Attitudes Luxury Salon & Spa, Escanaba
- Bobaloon's Cafe, Escanaba
- D&M Subs, Escanaba
- Jack's Restaurant, Rapid River
- Smith & Sons Lumber, Rapid River
- And several individuals and anonymous donors

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YSD will be keeping the Domestic Violence Fund open so it's ready to assist the next client in need. Unfortunately, PTSD from domestic violence is the most common thing we train dogs for so it's guaranteed that the fund will eventually be needed again. To donate at any time, you can mail a check or money order to us at the address below. Be sure to designate DV Fund or General Fund somewhere on the check or on a note with the check. If you know Katie (YSD's trainer), you can also give donations to her in person.

Yooper Service Dogs
PO Box 105
Rapid River MI 49878

01/30/2024

DISTRACTED SERVICE DOG - Common Example
Here's a lesser known but common example of what can happen when people distract service dogs. A veteran, James, and his PTSD service dog, Zulu, walk into a store to get some last minute items for his son's birthday party. As they shop, Zulu is blocking to ensure James has the personal space he needs to keep his anxiety low. She posts so she’s ready to alert to people walking up behind him and prevent him from being startled. She's also paying close attention to James so she can detect a flashback or anxiety attack, alert him before it happens, and even guide him out of the store if he gets disoriented. These things drastically reduce the anxiety and hypervigilance James feels in public. Before getting Zulu, he rarely left home.

Then a customer starts to pet Zulu. James asks him not to. He apologizes and instead asks a few polite questions. Zulu is a little excited about the attention, so James gives her a few commands to help her refocus on her job. As they continue shopping, another customer sees Zulu and starts talking to her about how cute she is and what a great job she’s doing. Zulu recognizes the baby talk and becomes focused on her, wagging her tail and hoping to play. The veteran explains that the dog is working and asks her not to distract her. The customer seems offended and exclaims: "If nobody can even talk to your dog, then it shouldn’t be in public!" (Yes, we do get comments like this.) Now James is flustered in addition to dealing with hypervigilance and social anxiety. To make things worse, Zulu is no longer doing her job. She’s distracted. Because of his anxiety, James doesn’t think to refocus her and she remains distracted. The added anxiety makes his fear triggers louder - every noise, every angry voice. The past is becoming too real. James fears the shame and additional anxiety of possibly breaking down in public. The customers are long gone, but the consequences of their actions aren't. Within minutes, he's in a panic and must abandon his shopping cart and rush out of the store. James sits in his truck trying to calm down enough to drive. He's trapped in the parking lot until he can drive. He makes it home where he descends into a full blown panic attack that may last for hours or even days. Zulu has refocused herself by now, but her best function is to prevent these attacks. While she can help in the middle of a panic attack, she can't instantly stop it once it's started. To some degree, she has to wait it out with him.

His wife had to go back to the store to get the items for their son's party. James feels guilty that he let his family down in what most people think is a simple task. Worse, he feels like he's ruined his son's special day. The shame of all that only adds to his panic attack. His wife and son try to celebrate without him while he locks himself in the bedroom trying to get through it. While eating birthday cake, his son keeps asking about daddy. "Is daddy going to be okay? I'm worried about daddy!" It wasn't much of a party for his boy who couldn't understand what dad was going through.

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The most common thing YSD trains dogs for is PTSD (men & women), and this kind of scenario is far too common. It was already a miracle in his healing that James could go shopping at all. Do you think he's likely to try again soon? Please don't distract service dogs. You may never know the harm done.

01/23/2024

DO NOT DISTRACT
It's becoming more common to know not to pet a service dog. Really, you shouldn't pet any dog without the owner's permission, because you don't know if the dog is friendly. But any form of distraction, not just petting, has the potential to bring great harm to a person with a disability. Service dogs have an important job to do. A distraction might cause a service dog to miss alerting that their handler's about to have a seizure, that their blood sugar is dropping, that a life-threatening allergen is nearby, or that they're about to have a panic attack. This can be so serious that in 2016, the state of Michigan passed a law making it a crime to maliciously harass, impede, or interfere with a service animal (MCL 750.50a).

Never assume it's okay to talk to, distract, pet, or even try to get a service dog to look at you. Treat the team as though the dog isn't there. It may seem harmless in the moment, but it has the potential to be very serious. As handlers, we train our dogs to ignore distractions, but they're still animals and can't do this perfectly. Also, the handler's disability can sometimes make this training difficult to maintain. Please help us out. Don't distract our four-legged super heroes!

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MCL 750.50a: http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-750-50a

If you're a service dog handler or you're considering getting a dog for a disability, check out our group for information more specific to you: Facebook.com/groups/YSDHandlers

01/19/2024

APPLICATIONS OPENING - Applications will be opening for new clients on January 29th. You do NOT need a dog to apply, and we do not recommend that you get a dog on your own before applying. To apply, go to the Application Process link below on January 29th and follow the steps.

Please feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments (public), by messaging, calling 906-233-7519, or emailing [email protected]. More information about training and the application process can be found below.

Application Process: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XNyKO49XKJ_efstTlUjkENCO6NAO2HPfRMpuVqfwsvI/
Early Access: https://www.facebook.com/groups/YSDHandlers

01/09/2024

WHAT IS A SERVICE DOG?
Legally, a service dog is specifically and intentionally trained to assist a person with a disability. They do so by being trained to perform tasks or work that are directly-related to the person's disability(s). They must also be trained for public access to ensure their behavior is reasonable to businesses and the general public. As such, service animals are the only assistance animal a person has a legally protected right to bring with them in most public, no-pets areas. Service dog legalities are primarily covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Service dogs can be trained to assist people with autism, PTSD and other anxiety conditions, diabetes, trouble walking (mobility), severe allergies, deafness or difficulty hearing, seizure disorders, blindness, various medical emergencies, and much more!

01/05/2024

NEW APPLICATIONS - Applications will be opening for new clients this winter as there will be room in training for new people. Please watch this page to know when applications open or join the Facebook group below to get early access to the application.

You do NOT need a dog to apply, and we do not recommend that you get a dog on your own before applying.

Please feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments (public), by messaging, calling 906-233-7519, or emailing [email protected]. More information about training and the application process can be found below.

Application Process (preview below): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XNyKO49XKJ_efstTlUjkENCO6NAO2HPfRMpuVqfwsvI/
Early Access: https://www.facebook.com/groups/YSDHandlers

07/17/2023

ALERT - PET OWNERS WITH NEW VEHICLES
If you have a newer vehicle with a fob, there may be a hidden danger for your pet.

These vehicles are often programmed to shut down automatically when the fob has been out of range for a certain period of time. This has resulted in responsible pet owners leaving their dog in the car with the AC on while they run into a store. While they're gone, the vehicle shuts down automatically cutting off the AC. All the windows are up, and the pet is trapped in a heat box! The owner has no way of knowing this and continues shopping. Please research or test how your vehicle is programmed and take precautions to prevent a tragedy.

Please share this. You may save a dog's life and an owner's heartbreak.

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More info from Ch 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YhIDytIv84&t=103s