Nina the Wonder Dog

05/08/2023

13/07/2023

This is magnificent.

Puss in Boots South Asian Edition 😻
The artwork by an Indian artist Jayesh Sachdev

10/07/2023

Nina is dreaming the day away. Her beard is really turning gray these days.

30/01/2023

STANLEY — Incarcerated individuals at Stanley Correctional Institution and Jackson Correctional Institution have been training canines since 2016.

27/01/2023

Service dogs.
Probably one of the most unpopular topics for any pet dog trainer.
I cannot begin to count the amount of service dog training requests I receive.
“Can your online courses train my dog to be a service dog?”
“I need to make my dog a service dog so he can ride on the bus with me” (Yes, someone seriously asked me this)
“Do you certify service dogs?”
No - no - no - and more no.
Service dog training is completely different from pet dog training.
If your dog is trained to walk nicely on a leash and sit and stay, they are a pet dog.
If your dog comes up to you and nuzzles you when you are sad - they are still a pet dog.
If you want your dog to accompany you into stores or fly in-cabin on planes … they’re still only a pet dog and these privileges are not for them.
Service dogs are task-trained.
They are specifically taught to work for people with disabilities.
A dog that solely provides comfort is not a service dog.
I see a lot of people acquiring dogs, labeling them as “my service dog” and *then* going about training them.
This is not how that works.
You cannot just select a dog, put a service dog harness on them and figure the rest out as you go.
We regularly receive requests from dog owners who tell us that their “service dog” pulled them over on leash or has always been highly reactive.
That their service dog relentlessly chases wildlife on walks or has anxiety in social settings.
One time I got a request from a lady who told me that she got a dog from the shelter to be her son’s service dog, but that “service dog” was now biting the son and could I please fix it.
I’m sorry - none of those dogs are not service dogs then. And they likely won’t be service dogs in the future either.
Please be honest about the dog you own.
Unless you worked diligently to train them as a service animal with specific tasks, they are a pet.
A beloved, (hopefully) well-behaved, wonderful pet.
But not a working dog, and you should not demand the privileges that are reserved for true service dogs.
Staying clear with this distinction protects the actual service dogs and their owners :)

01/12/2022

Just incase you thought online service dog registries were real....

15/10/2022

Happy birthday, to Buddy, The first Seeing Eye dog! Buddy was born on October 15, 1926, in Switzerland. About 16 months later she was matched with Morris Frank, a 20-year-old college student and insurance salesman who had traveled from America to be matched with a dog who could guide a blind person. He promptly renamed the German shepherd Buddy. This historic photo shows Morris Frank being guided around a tricycle on a sidewalk by Buddy.
Morris and Buddy traveled the country demonstrating that it really was possible for a dog to work as a guide. But soon they had another challenge: public access. Many stores, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses had a strict "no dogs allowed" policy, and there were no exceptions for service dogs -- after all, they had just been invented! Morris and Buddy campaigned tirelessly for the right to go anywhere that any other member of the public can go. While giving a speech in Washington, D.C., someone had the bright idea of having Morris give a demonstration of Buddy's abilities -- without telling Morris about it. The route Morris had taken to the stage to give his talk was quietly blocked with chairs. When Morris gave Buddy the command to leave the stage the way they'd come, she refused. "She had watched the whole proceeding from the platform and had seen the complicated series of impediments set up for us," Morris wrote in "First Lady of The Seeing Eye". "Without a second's hesitation she simply took me the quickest, safest way to our destination."
Rather than navigating through the obstacle course, Buddy led Morris across the stage and to a different, unblocked aisle. Problem solved! "The audience went wild with applause. By taking the commonsense way out of our predicament, Buddy had given a far more remarkable demonstration of her prowess than they had ever anticipated," Morris wrote.

03/07/2022

17/05/2022

It is important to be courteous when you see a working dog in public. Read these service dog do’s and don’ts to ensure you are being respectful to service dog teams!

04/04/2022

Nerf is a good nurse and the bestest boi.

21-year-old Leigh Dittman will graduate from the University of Tampa nursing program on May 7 with honors. Her service dog, Nerf, will walk alongside her.

22/09/2021

Ignoring a service dog and letting it do it’s job: Cool.

Trying to distract a service dog and it resulting in missing an important trigger from its disabled handler: Not cool.

Thank you to my fellow Air Force vet sister for sharing her story with me about a woman in Trader Joe’s following her around trying to get Dixon’s attention.

04/08/2021

Let's hear three barks for International Assistance Dog Week!

02/08/2021

New SD comic inspired by a sign I saw in town...
PTSDog
The TRUTH About Service Dogs


https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html

11/07/2021

I alerted you, where’s my cheese?

27/05/2021

Happy birthday to my siblings in the N litter.

12/05/2021

02/05/2021

Campaign to mark charity's 90th anniversary also includes audio ad voiced by Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page.

20/01/2021

I was having a panic attack & Atlas was tasking. Even w/people boarding & kids squealing out “doggie!” Atlas was focused. Then came a boy with a puppy straining on the end of a flexi-leash. Its eyes were huge with fear searching for shelter in the chaos. He saw Atlas & attacked, lunging, barking, & snapping. The handler & parents did nothing: no comfort for the terrified pup; no apology; no concern to see if their dog had injured mine. Atlas ignored it but the attack shook him. A few minutes later he missed a seizure alert for the first time in months. I starting seizing out of my seat & hit my head on the window.

This is an increasingly familiar experience for service dog (SD) handlers as more people violate the boundaries of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Non-disabled people tell us:

“No one complains about my dog in stores!”
•
“She’s my baby, I can’t leave her!”
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“It’s not like I’m hurting anyone!”
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“He gets scared alone so I bought him a vest.”
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“I got a doctors note online!”
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“I bought a certificate & ID so my pet can go everywhere!”
•
Whether ignorance or arrogance many people are convinced that it’s their right to use ESA & SD laws to manipulate the system, break the rules, & avoid federal prosecution. But the reality is most dogs aren’t equipped to handle stressful public situations & can behave unpredictably when they are thrown into an environment they aren’t trained to handle.

Faking a SD is not a victimless crime. It puts disabled people & their medical equiptment at risk. It causes us to be harassed, refused service, & illegally barred from resources non-disabled people enjoy. Businesses that have bad experiences with pets illegally bar disabled handlers from Ubers, hotels, restaurants, stores, & housing. Every year people lose their SDs because of attacks, harassment, & injuries. Many handlers become afraid to risk leaving their homes.

It‘s exciting to bring your dog with you to pet-friendly stores, restaurants, & hotels! But bringing your dog into spaces illegally has far-reaching ramifications that you can’t always see. Help protect disabled people’s lives. If a business isn’t pet-friendly leave your pet at home.

31/12/2020

Here I am Wednesday morning, after our first big snow of the season. I love 💕 snow ❄️

31/10/2020

Here is a costume idea for you, Nina.

A chocolate Labrador s’more.

22/10/2020

I voted today. Vote early, vote often, vote Labrador!

04/10/2020

Waldo decided he wanted to sit on my pillow. But he still has to have a few inches between us.

28/09/2020

Home from camping and snuggling on the sofa with my favorite kitty.

27/08/2020

Happy National Dog Day to all my sister and brother pups.

22/08/2020

A good boy and a good girl playing ball.

02/07/2020

Out for a walk with my humans at Pike Lake 💕

27/05/2020

Happy 7th Birthday (a day early) to my siblings in the N litter.

25/05/2020

Poor Nina. No bratwurst dinner.

20/04/2020

I went for a little walk in my woods today, stopped to smell the flowers , saw some deer.

18/04/2020

I’m a sleepy girl