Astrid the Service Husky

24/08/2022

Practicing for our upcoming flight next month for the 2022 Conference!

This will be Astrid's first flight.

04/07/2022

This shouldn't work as well as it does. 🙃

From: https://twitter.com/_Page_Turner/status/1543269978807439361

30/03/2022

Heads up!

Heads up: this is the PAWS Act in action. These are the five facilities chosen to provide a total of 400 dogs over a five year period for the price of $10 million, effectively price fixing Service Dogs at $25k a piece.

This may seem like a good thing, but the reality is, this is an attempt by the Association of Service Dog Providers for Military Veterans to become the sole "legitimate" source of Service Dogs in the US.

Neither the PAWS Act, the VA, or the Association has the legal or moral authority to determine the legitimacy of a Service Dog. The ADA defines a Service Dog in the United States, and according to VHA Directive 1188, the VA recognizes the ADA's definition. Fulfilling the requirements of the ADA is what makes a Service Dog legitimate. Nothing else.

Let me be very clear: the ADA DOES NOT require that a Service Dog be professionally trained - it requires that it be trained. The VA cannot require that a Service Dog be "certified," nor can the VA require that only program trained dogs be allowed access to VA property.

When VAs start trying to claim that non program dogs are not allowed, point them to VHA Directive 1188 - it HAS NOT CHANGED!

The media is playing directly into the Association's hand - they want to corner the market and ultimately change VA policy (and the ADA) so that Veterans can ONLY go through them to get a Service Dog. Their ultimate goal is to strip your right as a disabled person to train your own Service Dog, a right protected by, not granted by the ADA.

Although, on the surface, this seems like a good thing, the reality underneath is nowhere near as altruistic as the publicity materials make it seem. This is the gift horse in whose mouth you should be looking!

03/03/2022

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📷: https://alex2xander.tumblr.com/post/674336685770883072/i-dont-know-who-needs-to-hear-this-but-i-sure

29/06/2021

Some good tips!

With Independence Day coming up, there's some important tips you should know and actions to take to ensure that your dogs are safe.

🎆 More pets go missing on July 4th than any other day of the year; update your dog's ID with your current address and contact information and make sure their collar is properly fitted before the holiday.

🎆 It's a good idea to update your dog's microchip information and ensure it is registered and active, too. Sometimes collars can break or dogs slip out of them, so having your dog microchipped adds an extra layer of safety.

🎆 If you think that your dog may need medication to help get through any firework celebrations, be sure to get any calming medications from your vet now, not the day before.

🎆 You can play music or use a white noise machine to help your dog with the fireworks or other loud sounds.

🎆 Close all windows, doors, and other escape routes and make sure your dog has a safe crate if you must go out and leave them home alone.

🎆 Consider staying home instead to help your dog, especially if they are anxious with loud sounds or if this is their first Fourth of July.

After the holiday, be sure to reach out to your preferred trainer to get assistance with Sound Desensitization for your best friend, to help them through their fears and give you an enjoyable Fourth of July for years to come.

-Brittany Dunbeck,
Constellation Canine 🐾

06/05/2021

She makes the DMV a lot more tolerable.

The Security Guard just complimented us as well on her behavior and had to tell the staff about her, and now they're all coming over to look at her and compliment us.

06/05/2021

Astrid got Ice Cream for a reward after a great day accompanying me to appointments and errands.

04/04/2021

What's wrong with this picture?

This dog is off-leash in our local Home Depot. Now, we have a leash law here, but I personally don't care as long as your dog is well behaved.

This dog is NOT.

Yesterday, while picking something up for my husband, I had Astrid with me. We were walking down the main aisle way when I heard the click-clack of nails on concrete... I turned around and this dog had left his owner and came over to me and Astrid.

I threw Astrid in front of me and was about to yell for the owner to come grab his dog when another patron intervened and called the dog to them instead; luckily the dog went to them and left Astrid and I alone.

The dog's owner never once noticed (or did and just didn't care) that his dog wasn't with him anymore.

Now, imagine my surprise when my husband and I saw this same dog here at Home Depot this morning!

His owner let him run through the parking lot without as much as a glance back at him. He let him wander around while he stood in line at the rental desk, and as I type this, he is wandering around the store several feet behind his owner.

I will NEVER understand entitled dog owners like this man.

If your dog can't stay by your side and ignore other dogs, and if you can't be assed to pay attention to your dog, your dog should NOT be off-leash, period.

29/03/2021

Everyone presents differently, and it isn't only Combat Veterans that experience PTSD.

It's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, not Combat Stress Disorder.

Mine looks different on different days, but I struggle with a lot more than I let on.

Astrid helps me in so many ways, and I am so thankful for her.

29/03/2021

Well said!

This is a long article that I felt needed to be written. I am in contact with many professional trainers around the world. I speak with and hear from trainers all the time that have to deal with serious issues from people. People who are ignorant of laws, who don’t care, and who misuse situations.

The photo below is Bosch with us at lunch today. At just 9 months old, and only 14 days into training to become a Mobility Assistance Service Dog, Bosch is a very smart, perfectly suited dog for a Service animal. He has given me good placement, on his own accord, and I have given my approval for each step he gives me more correctly. I am taking him through step by step training.

There were many people moving past and circling around us. He did very well even with people who tried to get his attention on them. Some of those people didn’t initially see the training vest on him, and shyly backed off or stopped once they realized it. Others didn’t care for whatever reason, but all reasons of not caring boil down to selfishness of some sort. At one point there was a group of 8 people moving past, just behind Bosch. Most were trying to goad Bosch to notice them. He made it past the first 6 but felt uncomfortable enough for the last two that he did get up and moved into me. He still ignored them, but knew he needed me to assure him. Those people should not have caused this action, even though I use it as a training opportunity for him.

If I had not spent the past 8 months developing the proper relationship with Bosch, it would be a much more difficult process requiring much more input and some compulsion to get the results required for a professional result. As it is, my development with Bosch has been a textbook case of RBBM methodology. He looks to work with and for me because he wishes to. I am honored to have been able to have Bosch. He is always studying and solving problems the way we have developed things together. He is always experimenting with improving and searching for approvals. As he makes better details in decisions he gets my approval each time. That is the guidance I provide.

A couple of days ago I went in to a Grocery Store I frequent. Bosch was with me. And, as usual, perfectly placed next to me and perfect demeanor. A little way behind me, a mother and two small daughters entered the store with a small dog in the arms of one of the young girls. It was obvious, by the way the kids, mother and dog were behaving, that the dog did not service a function for any purpose that allowed legal access to a business or public building, much less where food is sold or prepared. I approached one of the people that worked there and spoke with her about the situation. She said she would tell the manager but she stated that they have had to tell people all the time to not bring their dogs in, sometimes multiple times (visits), to no avail! It is a constant and huge problem.

In the convenience store I go to, almost daily, I have seen people bring out of control pet dogs on long lines in. I have spoken with the staff and managers many times, and they are aware of me, Bosch and all of the ADA and other aspects I have helped them with. They have been told by their company that they are not even allowed to ask anymore!! Bad press or being sued, liability and the culture for asking is worse than someone getting bit by an out of control dog. I am seeing many more locations not even question whether a dog is a service dog or not. They are being inundated by “fakes” and overly emotional and entitled people.

I have seen people carry their tiny dogs into stores, tiny pet dogs on leashes, that are not under control of the people or their own accord, out of control dogs, all in places they are not allow access. I have heard from trainers that have seen dogs pulled off of airplanes that were supposedly “service” dogs, but were obviously not trained or well behaved. So called service dogs that are simply pets that people want with them. I heard from a trainer friend, earlier today, that was working with a beautiful young dog in training for service that was attacked and killed by an out of control “ESA” dog while both were on leash!! Heartbreaking.

Why do people do this? because they feel entitled? Because they have no honor? Because they want to? Because they do not respect the reasons for allowing service dogs access to places? Because they feel like it? Because they are selfish and self centered? I don’t care why. It is wrong on every level.

This causes a problem for people who require ADA allowed and highly trained service dogs. Lots of problems. Including service dogs being attacked by pet or “ESA” dogs that are not trained and actually have zero right to have access to most places. There is a reason for the Federal Laws.

There are many sources for information about who and where you are allowed access and with what type of dog. Pet dogs have zero access rights. ESA dogs have no requirement to be trained for anything, they also have very limited rights, and can be asked to leave those places as well. Services dogs must perform a trained function for a defined disability. Please look it up. It is easy to do so, and there are quick graphics that you can print out and have on you that give the information.

I have a background working with and developing both Service and Working dogs. We are talking life and death assistance in many cases (SAR, Diabetic Alert, etc.). It takes innumerable hours and hard work to develop these special dogs. They are athletes, brilliant, special animals.

A Working Dog or Service Dog are professionally trained animals that take 1 to 2.5 years to train for a specific or multiple purposes. This is daily work, many hours per day. These animals are $20,000.00 to $50,000.00 animals due to the demeanor, temperament, physical and mental characteristics that are bred and selected in to the dog. You are looking at some top professional trainers with the top line dogs in the world. Not everyone is capable of training to this level, and there are few dogs that qualify for this work. So you are looking at the art and science of a tiny percentage of dogs being legitimate service or working dogs.

If you take your pet dog where it isn’t allowed, you are making it more difficult for others to accept and understand what a Service or Working animal is all about. Just because you feel like it, doesn’t make it right. You are being dishonorable. Please don’t do that. I can spot a real service dog, or one in training, and so can many many trainers. There is no need for anyone to bring their pets dogs with them to places they are not allowed. There are, depending upon where you live, many places you can and are allowed to bring them with you, but please check and be aware of where you can and cannot.

11/02/2021

This summarizes all of the major airlines' current stance on Service Dogs and Service Dogs in Training.

Please pay attention to these changes if you're planning on flying with your SD or SDiT soon!

https://uproxx.com/life/every-airlines-service-emotional-support-animal-policy/

*Note: "Certified" here means the Handler can prove the dog has had training on the Department of Transportation Form. "Certified Service Dogs" are a misnomer and certification is not required nor recognized under the ADA. Any website offering certification for Service Dogs or Service Animals is a fraudulent scam site. This applies to Emotional Support Animals as well.*

The era of free rides for unqualified pets is over.

02/02/2021

My anxiety has been through the roof for weeks now, with frequent panic attacks and sometimes multiple within a day.

I have an appointment for next week with my doctors to see what our action plan is.

In the meantime, I've been teaching Astrid a new task- Item Retrieval. We started on this a while ago but she never quite showed the motivation for it... lately she has been and I've been harnessing that drive of hers and we practiced with pens, the remote, a collar, the leash, my stylus, a hairtie, a treat bag, credit cards, a dollar bill, food items (wrapped), a pill bottle, my inhaler, and my wallet, all with great success.

After our most recent training session, she offered to bring me my wallet without me asking... I call that a win.

27/01/2021

If someone is having a panic attack and their Service Dog is actively tasking, DON'T FU***NG STARE AT THEM.

Had a panic attack today in the grocery store and found a somewhat secluded area for Astrid to task in and had this woman crane her neck around and just stare at us, even after I yelled at her to stop staring.

Later, I had several people try to distract her and pet her, including one lady who reached through a gap between my cart and the encap to try to touch her. I yelled at her, too.

Video of Astrid tasking for me after the lady that was staring finally went away.

06/01/2021

Happy New Year!

Astrid came to work with me the other day. She helps me train other dogs to not be dog-reactive and is quite good at it.

03/12/2020

This is huge!

Ruff news, animal lovers.

02/12/2020

Um, excuse me Astrid... I'm trying to take a bath here....

Apparently she decided to come check on me.

07/11/2020

To some, this may look like just cuddling with my dog. In reality, she's performing Deep Pressure Therapy on me as I'm dealing with a high pain day from an active Fibromyalgia flare-up.

Deep Pressure Therapy soothes the nervous system and promotes an overall feeling of calm and well-being. This can help ease pain and the mental stress associated with fibromyalgia and other disabilities and conditions.

Astrid is trained to lay across my body in a specific way to perform this task.

01/11/2020

Just don't do it.

Michy Balk thank you for this.

27/10/2020

From PTSDog:
"I am not posting this for controversy. I am sharing the actual Department of Justice ruling on bite training Service Dogs. Arguing with me or anyone else on this page will not change the law. Neither will your feelings.

PTSDog DOES NOT endorse ANY aggression training for Service Dogs as it is in violation of DOJ policy regarding enforcement of the ADA. Please see the reference below. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, ANY form of aggression (bite) training disqualifies a dog as a Service Dog.

TL/DR: dogs that are aggression trained DO NOT qualify as Service Dogs under the ADA and their use as a Service Dog IS NOT protected by the law. Reference below.

Edit because people seem to be unable to understand plain English: this includes shutzhund and any other bite sports.

"The Department recognizes that despite its best efforts to provide clarification, the "minimal protection" language appears to have been misinterpreted. While the Department maintains that protection from danger is one of the key functions that service animals perform for the benefit of persons with disabilities, the Department recognizes that an animal individually trained to provide aggressive protection, such as an attack dog, is not appropriately considered a service animal. Therefore, the Department has decided to modify the "minimal protection" language to read "non-violent protection," thereby excluding so-called "attack dogs" or dogs with traditional "protection training" as service animals. The Department believes that this modification to the service animal definition will eliminate confusion, without restricting unnecessarily the type of work or tasks that service animals may perform. The Department´s modification also clarifies that the crime-deterrent effect of a dog´s presence, by itself, does not qualify as work or tasks for purposes of the service animal definition."

Source: https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/titleIII_2010/reg3_2010.html

This is an unofficial version of the revised ADA regulations. The official text will be published in the Federal Register.

09/10/2020

Astrid the Service Bat 🦇🐾🖤

She wore her Bat Wings today as we ran errands 😊

05/10/2020

I had a procedure done this morning and my girl stayed home, since my Service Husband came with me for support.

Once I got home, she insisted on being by my side, or at my feet (where she is now).

She has really been sticking close and being very snuggly, which is abnormal for her, as of late. I am not complaining at all, though.

My special girl 💙

19/09/2020

Dog Chow has launched their 3rd annual Service Dog Salute campaign, which donates to organizations dedicated to providing trained service dogs to veterans free of charge.

18/09/2020

To demonstrate how ineffective and fraudulent service dog registries are, I have registered a stick of deodorant (Sweat Pea) as my service dog.

Why not? It provides “extra effective protection” for 24 hours, and I can’t leave the house without it. (Protection dogs aren’t service dogs, this is just for demonstration purposes.)

There is no authentic nationally recognized service dog registry or licensing in the United States, a fact well known to legitimate teams. If you encounter a service dog with an ID card they’re more than likely a fraud.

As you can see, anyone can go to a website and answer a few questions to register their dog as a service animal. It only takes a few minutes and it’s free! 🙄 These scam sites are not regulated and there’s no way to authenticate the dogs training, or lack thereof.

True service dogs go through intense training to help their handlers mitigate a disability. These “registered” dogs belong to people who think it’s “cool” to take their dog everywhere with them. Don’t fall for the “my dog is a registered service dog” nonsense, because in reality it’s just that...nonsense.

(Some service dog training programs offer a certificate of completion showing they were trained at that particular facility. None are legally recognized.)

15/09/2020

I can't sleep.

My chest feels like I have a cinder block on it... and I just had a coughing fit that caused me to grab my inhaler.

Is this what asthma can be like? Serious question.

My doors and windows are closed, I'm limiting outside time to animal chores only, and I'm doing all I can to protect myself.

I just made tea to try to help soothe my respiratory system... hoping it helps..

The current Air Quality where I'm at is over 400 thanks to wildfire smoke coming from California into Nevada.

Doc is worried about Adult-Onset Asthma brought on by the horrendous AQI from the smoke that's persisted for over a month, with no end in sight, and it keeps getting worse.

I just want to breathe nornally again.

14/09/2020

So this happened today!

Since I've been given an inhaler to carry with me, I thought it best to teach Astrid how to retrieve a med pouch.

She has practically zero drive for retrieving, so we had our work cut out for us.

This was a short clip from a 30 minute training session- she has the basics down and we can work on fine-tuning everything in subsequent training sessions. 🐾

13/09/2020

So true...

08/09/2020

Seriously.

This happened to me at least 8 times in every store we went to today...

Then there were the kids that wanted to pet the puppy... and the adults that wanted to baby-talk to her... and the cashier that got yelled at for reaching down to grab her face as she put her face closer to Astrid's, who then proceeded to argue with me that she didn't know she was a Service Dog because she wasn't vested or marked.... THAT was a fun argument.

SERVICE DOGS DO NOT HAVE TO BE VESTED TO BE SERVICE DOGS. Also, you work in a store that has a No Pets Policy (which is a joke because you don't enforce it at all), so perhaps you should assume that the dog is a Service Dog and not there for your goddamn entertainment!

//rant over.

Imagine being so entitled that when actual Service Dog handlers tell you that the constant comments we get while out with our life saving medical equipment are burdensome, you argue that it can't possibly be so because you're "just being nice."

The truth is, we've heard how beautiful, well behaved, much like this dog I had as a kid that died, and amazing our Service Dogs are 5000 times already, and you stopping us to tell us yet again isn't kind, it's a pain in the ass.

You don't know why that person has a Service Dog - just that they must be disabled, by law, in order to have a Service Dog. Their disability is as much your business as the last time you had a re**al exam is their business.

You don't know what kind of day that handler is having - or if you're the first or fiftieth, or five-hundredth person to make a comment, and you have no idea how tired that handler is by the time you just have to stop them to tell them how amazing their dog is.

You don't know anything but that you have to say something out loud to satisfy YOURSELF.

Please, if you want to be considerate and kind to a Service Dog handler? Just stop. Admire from afar, silently.

26/08/2020

Being the Best Girl 🖤

She's been sticking close to me today.... and I'm grateful for it. She knows I need her today.

15/08/2020

How's everyone doing?

11/06/2020

09/06/2020

With the Covid-19 restrictions, we've had limited chances for Public Access work. I've been taking Astrid with me to grocery shop to help keep up her skills, and especially on days where I need to go out but my anxiety or other issues are elevated.

One thing we've been working hard on is cart work. She's gotten a lot better at heeling alongside me with a cart, which is an important skill for a Service Dog to have and know.

She was a bit distracted today, but a verbal correction got her focus back and she did well overall.

09/05/2020

It's that time of year for me... 🥵🥵🥵🥵

26/04/2020

This is amazing

16/04/2020

This is gold 😂🦖

15/04/2020

We haven't worked publicly as a team in a while due to the current Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions, but today was a day that I needed her by my side.

Lately, I've been leaving her home (yes, I *CAN* function without her, but on days where my anxiety flares badly, or my Fibro flares up, it gets bad) when I run out to get groceries. She runs to the door and wants to come, but I haven't wanted to deal with people trying to pet her or distract her, or possibly have her trampled because people are crazy. Now that things have calmed down a little in terms of the panic-buying, I felt safe enough to bring her along today to grab some things from my local grocery store.

She rocked it.

Auto-sits on point. Her heel work was pretty good. Only a few reminders to not be sniffy. Ignored people like a champ.

She hasn't been out in over a month.

Today has been more than a little overwhelming, but she helped me stay focused and grounded to complete my grocery shopping without losing my mind despite all I've got going on today.

I love her so much.

-----

How are you all holding up? Hanging in there ok? Remember, one day at a time... 1% of progress is still progress... we will get through this. 💜

07/03/2020

This dog never ceases to amaze me. I've phased out her treat pouch (though still carry some treats in my bag, if needed) and she has done wonderfully.

We went to the mall yesterday- her first trip. Immediately, there were kids running and screaming and playing with a large ball right at the entrance- she wasn't phased. Inside, we rode the elevator twice without issue. She wasn't perfect, as she broke a few Sit Stays in the stores, but she received a correction and we carried on.

From the mall, I had to go to a craft store. I spent a very long time in there, going aisle by aisle for what I was looking for. She was calm, relaxed, and responsive. There was a large metal rolling staircase blocking access to a shelf I needed a basket from, so I put her in a dropped-leash Down Stay and couldn't have been more proud...or so I thought. Twice, she had objects fall around her in the aisles... and she didn't move or break at all.

I ran into a father and daughter in one aisle, and the daughter was excited to see Astrid. The father told her not to touch, and to keep walking. I heard the girl exclaim "That's a Service Dog!" to which the father told her that it was indeed a Service Dog, and that meant it had a very important job to do, so it couldn't be distracted. I looked back at the father and thanked him, and he smiled, nodded, and we both carried on.

A few hours and more stores later, I finished with my shopping and we went home.

I love my girl so much 💜

05/03/2020

Sometimes, a girl just wants some chocolate cake! So Astrid came with me to the store so I could get my damn cake 😅

I normally don't work her without her vest, but I was in pain, in a hurry, and had a mission. Cue her bandana we got from San Diego Zoo that says "Service Dog" on it to the rescue...

She did amazing. She walked nicely next to me, heeling with me and the cart, and her auto-sits were on point tonight. I haven't taken her out in a while as I haven't needed to, but tonight I needed her. She ended up alerting while I was in line waiting to check out.

My good girl 💜

03/03/2020

It's been a hot minute since I've posted here; Life has been extremely crazy and busy lately and I'm doing a million things at once.

This past week has been extremely stressful, as my kitten went to the vet and ultimately needed emergency surgery to remove a blockage. He's recovering amazingly well, thankfully, but the toll that amount of stress (and other stressors this week) took on my body sent me into the worst flare I've had in a while.

That's the funny thing about Fibro and Anxiety... they never truly go away, but they aren't always a 10/10 either. I had been doing really well for a while... alas, all good things come to an end at some point.

After pushing through my flare symptoms today to get things done, I decided to take the dogs out for exposure purposes and training as I got them Bladder Sticks (like Bully Sticks, only dehydrated bladders) at PetSmart. I was hurting, but I did it... and Astrid was right there letting me know she had me 💜

02/03/2020

So very true...