# Isa, my psychiatric service dog



## mjbgsd

I turned 18 last year, but for a year, I have trained Isa to be my serivce dog. All of my "disabilities" are in the inside compared to a blind person, this is why I have Isa trained as a psychiatric SD. Isa is trained to do: help me up stairs since I have bad knees, wake me up in the morning, assist me out of a room when I have a panic attack, remind me to take my medicine, assist me when I stand up from the floor, and keep me "there" when my mind wanders off by jumping on my lap. 
I have been discriminated against many times from my school to restuarants becuase people can't "see" my disabilities. At school, a teacher wouldn't let me into the dance room to watch a performance becuase she was afriad Isa's nails would ruin the floor. The principle wasn't to happy about this... Another time I was at subway and a lady wanted me to stand 20ft away becuase she didn't want Isa's hair in the food. We told her manager and she got fired right then and there. 
Having a Service Dog is'nt all a bag of roses but at the same time, it makes it easier to talk with people and go out to places.
I hope my story enspired people to get a PSD to help them with there abilities.









Isa at the mall, I took a picture of her









Isa at the store









Isa holds her leash for me so I don't have to bend down









Sleeping at Fred Myers while I'm waiting for my mom









Isa in my math class









Isa helps me make more friends









Isa's vest rearrange so people can see it better


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## LUV_GSDs

I would just bet all your friends love to see your pup. I hope you two can break that barrier for all handicapped people and their helper pups. My son is hard of hearing so I know exactly what you are talking about with a non visible handicap.


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## ILGHAUS

Very pretty dog. I have a question for you though. Why did you choose to put a "Ask To Pet Me" patch on a working PSD? And I'm only asking as petting is usually a concern while working any type of Assistance Dog. As a rule, we only encourage limited interaction with the general public and the dog from time to time. 

Discrimination against PSDs is a major problem. And the discrimination doesn't only come from the general public but from many other PWDs. Many states also discriminate against a PSD in that they are excluded from mention in protection under those State Statutes.


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## ILGHAUS

As an example with State Law, currently in FL there is no mention of PSDs, but ...

there is a General Bill SB1496 that is at this time in the Community Affairs Committee (updated from original House version) to include the following:

_"Individual with a disability" means a person who has a
physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or
more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment,
or is regarded as having such an impairment_

The intent on this is to make it more in line with the ADA of 1990. If passed it is to go into effect July 1, 2008.

This part of the bill I like, but I do not like several other points as I am reading them and plan on contacting the Senators working on this bill and asking for clarification.


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## Brightelf

I wondered about the 'ask to pet me' patch as well. Isa is a beautiful dog!







She really displays wonderful downs in distractions-- look at that, quite solid! I am envious and impressed.







How old is Isa?

Nodding to TJ's mentioning that sometimes not all PWD may be in favor of all PSD situations. Any disability that may make a handler unaware at times, or in a fog, makes many anxious for the SD's safety in public as well as at home. Fortunately many with a PSD are clear, aware, and able to protect and advocate for their dogs when amoung the impulsive public and it's unpredictable hazards.









Isa is BEAUTIFUL!!


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## dd

I think the "ask to pet me" patch is to encourage people to ask permission BEFORE they pet.

dd


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## ILGHAUS

> Quote:I think the "ask to pet me" patch is to encourage people to ask permission BEFORE they pet.


That is one way to look at it but it tends to make the general public think that it is usually acceptable to pet a working dog *so then if the owner says no* then a) the owner is not friendly or b) the dog is not friendly ie. safe to be petted. 

We deal with many many people who think a dog in public is there for their benefit and many believe that they have a right to pet or talk to any dog they see in public. 

On the other hand, I have seen handlers that allowed anyone to pet their dog believing that it was good PR for Assistance Dogs and then before long the dog would actively look for attention in a crowd. I followed behind a guide dog about a year ago that was walking her handler into objects while she pulled to walk close to someone that she thought would give her attention. 

I don't want anyone to think I'm coming down on the OP for putting this patch on her girl -- who looks like a big sweetie by the way and one that I would love to pet -- but that she be prepared to explain to people that while it is okay to pet her dog while working that it is not something that they should always expect with other teams they see. 

I work with SD teams and two of my very best friends have PSDs. I spend the weekend with one of my friends from time to time and we go shopping, out to eat, visit amusement areas and shows. From the moment that her dog is put into her working equipment I no longer speak to the dog (other than to open the car door and unsnap her safety belt or such) nor pet her and the dog doesn't expect me to. When the working day is over and the equipment comes off then the situation changes and it is hugs, kisses, and belly rubs and hey move over on the couch and let me have some room.


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## ILGHAUS

Hey, mjbgsd...

I just tried to send you a PM but your box is full. I wanted to make sure that you understood that I was not trying to be critical of your decision to put an Ask to Pet Me patch on a working dog. I was only asking why you choose to do so as it is rare to see a patch like that on a dog once they go from SD Candidate (puppy) to a SDIT and ever rarer to see on a working SD. 

And I also wanted to say it looks like you did a wonderful job working on your girl's manners. She is a real beauty. You will find a supporter and advocate in me for PSDs.

And I'm glad that you mentioned that her trained tasks included helping you walk up stairs and getting up from the floor as we deal so many times with people who confuse an ESA with a PSD.


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## mjbgsd

I know what you mean ILGHAUS, I put that patch on her because she CAN work through distractions whether people are petting her or not. She likes people touching her but it's not a must. I tell people that most SD or Guide Dogs aren't alowd to be petted but she is an exception because she can work while people are petting her. When she wears the vest, she turns into another dog, it's hilarious. 

She is almost 3 years. I have her age on my signature.


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## scannergirl

What an awesome dog. You must be very proud of her. 
Will somebody explain what all of those letters mean- PSD, etc? I'm fascinated by all of this- I know nothing at all about service dogs other than I think they are wonderful.


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## mjbgsd

PSD means Phsychiatric Service Dog








Here's the website: PSD


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## ILGHAUS

A site that I like to explain PSDs, tasks, and minimum training is the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP). 
IAADP 


For some explanations of strong tasks and for "bonus jobs" of a PSD
PSD Tasks


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## Cooper&me

Can you fly with PSD dogs?


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## 4dognight

I am hoping you have her certified through a service dog org. I believe that if you represent a dog to be certified or a service dog that is not there are problems. My certified therapy dog is insured for a million dollars should there be a problem. He wears a vest that states therapy dog and the patch ask to pet me I am friendly. I cannot fly with him in the cabin nor take him into places that are not OKed for my services.... Just a thought


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## ILGHAUS

<span style="color: #FF6666">*This post deals only with dogs in the jurisdiction of the U.S.*</span>



> Quote:Can you fly with PSD dogs?


*PSDs are Service Dogs.* _PSDs are not the same as ESAs._ And since a PSD is in fact a type of Service Dog they must meet the same guidelines as any other type of Assistance Dog. 

_Under the ADA, disabled Americans have the right to be accompanied by their assistance dogs in all places of public accommodation. Three elements define this right: 

1. The disabling condition must be severe enough to substantially limit one or more major life activities, such as the ability to see or hear, speak, breathe, learn, work, think or take care of oneself. 

2. The dog must be individually trained to do work or perform tasks which serve to mitigate the disabling condition. (Seventh Circuit decision, Federal Court of Appeals in Bronk v Iniechen) 

3. The dog must be well behaved and under control. Business owners and other representatives of places of public accommodation have the legal right to exclude any dog who displays aggressive behavior or is out of control. They may also exclude any dog whose behavior disrupts the provision of goods or services, such as a dog barking in a movie theater. _

IADDP Link 


To read (and bookmark) a very good source of information go to Service Dog Central and you will find information on flying. This particular page has excerpts from 14 CFR Part 382 with a link to the whole of _regulatory law _14 CFR Part 382. 

Link to excerpts of 14 CFR Part 382


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## ILGHAUS

To make sure there is no confusion on this point --

A PSD is a Service Dog. It is a *P*sychiatric *S*ervice *D*og. A PSD is not the same as an ESA.

For guidelines allowing an ESA to fly on a U.S. air carrier again on the Service Dog Central Website is information addressing this point.

Info link for flying with an ESA


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## AbbyK9

> Quote:I am hoping you have her certified through a service dog org. I believe that if you represent a dog to be certified or a service dog that is not there are problems. My certified therapy dog is insured for a million dollars should there be a problem.


Therapy Dogs and Service Dogs are two extremely different things.

The majority of states do not require service dogs to be certified and make no provisions for certifying service dogs through the state or any organization. They can be owner / handler trained or trained at a facility. Some have CGC's or other titles, but it is not a requirement.

You're assuming that because Missy trained Isa herself, rather than getting her already trained from an organization or working with a service dog organization, that this means Isa is not a service dog and she is misrepresenting her. This is not the case. 

Missy, as well as other owners with disabilities, can train their own dogs. An owner / handler trained service dog is just as much a service dog when he/she is out in public with their person than a dog trained or certified by an organization. The ADA requires no certification, registration, or special ID to prove either in order for a service dog to be accepted as a service dog.


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## 4dognight

I said I believed ...sorry I was wrong so any one could have a dog that helps them and be considered a service dog if they have a disability so to speak.? I find that amazing so that is probably how show dogs get passed off as service dogs and get to fly in cabin. So interesting. Just did not want a problem with her beautiful dog. So I have a question do you need to present to anyone in order to get paper work to have your dog go into stores etc. Or just a vest.? I am very curious I need to look at the service dog sites posted here. Thanks


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## ILGHAUS

> Quote: do you need to present to anyone in order to get paper work to have your dog go into stores etc. Or just a vest.?


Neither. Documentation or wearing of special equipement is not required currently in the U.S. for Service / Assistance Dogs. Some states require special IDs and/or equipement for dogs in training. 

Store owners, management, or employees are allowed to ask

1). Are you disabled? *Yes* or *No* answer.
2). Is that your Service / Assistance Dog? *Yes* or *No* answer.
and 
3). What was you dog trained to do for you? ***

*** The answer here can be a little hard for some people to answer as they go into too much detail. And the answer is not to tell everything the dog does but one *trained* task is all that is necessary. 

Also, the answer does not tell the person asking what the disability is. The answer is to tell a trained task period. 

<u>But now we come to the big On The Other Hand ....</u>

If you are ever taken to court you must answer all personal questions asked of you ... you must submit documentation from your doctor or medical team stating what your disability is ... you must submit proof of your dog's training ... and you will be asked to demonstrate with a command what your dog was trained to do for you. Here is where it is necessary for Owner/Trainers to submit detailed training manuals and other sources of documentation attesting to the fact that their dog meets the requirements to be a SD.


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## AbbyK9

> Quote:Any one could have a dog that helps them and be considered a service dog if they have a disability so to speak?


I know that's how a lot of people look at it.

However, in order for someone to have a real Service Dog, there is a bit more to it. They need to have a disability that seriously impairs their ability to be independent in daily life without the help of their dog. 

For example, someone who is physically disabled may need a dog to help them balance and walk, to pick things up for them, open doors for them and the like. If that person did not have the dog, they would not be able to do these things and would have to rely on other people to help them throughout the day.

Psychiatric Service Dogs are harder to define because, like Missy said in her post, it's difficult for people to tell exactly what the human's disability is. The general public often thinks that Service Dogs only help people with physical disabilities - such as guiding the blind or opening doors for someone in a wheelchair - and they don't consider that "invisible" disabilities could be so disabling that a person would need to rely on a dog to live independently.

On top of having a real need for the dog, the dog also absolutely must be trained to do tasks specifically designed to help their human live independently with their disability. Like I said above, those tasks can be things like opening doors, picking up items, acting as a brace for the person to gain their balance or stand up from the ground, holding a person having a panic attack, bringing medication, using a special phone to call 911 in the house, and the like.

If those requirements are met - person has a real need for the dog and the dog is trained to do specific tasks for this person - then the dog is a Service Dog, regardless of whether it came from a service dog organization, or the person trained the dog himself.

Like TJ said, the dogs are not required to wear any type of vest, harness, ID collar, or ID badge in order to be considered Service Dogs, but it helps in a public setting, of course. A dog wearing an orange vest that says "Service Dog - Do not Pet", is well groomed, and behaves like a service dog (is quiet, attentive to its owner and not distracted by its surroundings) is less likely to get challenged by a store than a dog that wears no identifying marks. 

Of course, most stores don't see a lot of service dogs, so dog teams do get challenged by store owners frequently. Even though it is not required under the ADA, it's a good idea for handlers to have their dogs identified and to also have the information with the ADA rules at hand to hand out to people asking them questions. That information includes the questions stores are allowed to ask that TJ posted above.

To make things more confusing, some states allow the same public access rights to SDITs (Service Dogs in Training) with their disabled handler OR with their non-disabled trainer as they allow to working, fully trained Service Dogs. Virginia (my state) recently passed a law allowing trainers the same access rights as the disabled handler, for example.

YES, there absolutely is a lot of room for abuse in the system as it is now. No argument there.


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## mjbgsd

> Originally Posted By: 4dognightI said I believed ...sorry I was wrong so any one could have a dog that helps them and be considered a service dog if they have a disability so to speak.? I find that amazing so that is probably how show dogs get passed off as service dogs and get to fly in cabin. So interesting. Just did not want a problem with her beautiful dog. So I have a question do you need to present to anyone in order to get paper work to have your dog go into stores etc. Or just a vest.? I am very curious I need to look at the service dog sites posted here. Thanks


"Disability so to speak?"
My dog is niether a show dog nor am I "trying" to pass her off as a fake SD. I have a special note from my physiatrist if people are questioning my service dog. And she does wear a vest that clearly states that she's a SD. And if you didn't read in my OP post, I clearly stated many of the commands she is trained to do.
She sleeps through anything and is very calm. One time I went to the theatre and wathced the Resident Evil 3 movie and I screamed in one of the parts and she slept through the whole thing. At restaurants, she sleeps under the table in tight ball under my feet. She's polite and does her job very well.


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## AbbyK9

Missy, I don't think that post was directed at you, it was more of a general question about how someone could "get away with" passing a dog off with how the laws are written now.

The show dogs comment is in reference to another post in this section of the board, about dog show people who have been passing their show dogs off as service dogs so they could take them in the cabin during plane trips to shows.


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## kelso

Missy,

Looks like you have done a great job with Isa, and she does a great job for you, she is beautiful as well







Congrats!


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## 4dognight

It is interesting that sdit are not allowed in the same places as SD's because I would think (I am thinking) that they would need the same exposure to be able to perform certain tasks. My therapy dog is often mistaken as a SD and folks won't approach him. I do have a therapy dog vest now (which he hates) but it has stopped parents from saying no you cannot see the doggie he is working


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## ILGHAUS

> Quote: I would think (I am thinking) that they would need the same exposure to be able to perform certain tasks.


A dog does not need to have "Public Access" in order to learn its trained tasks. There are three basic steps in the training of a SD.
1) Obedience
2 & 3) Public Access & Tasks

When taking a dog out into the community (such as a shopping mall or other store) is not the time to train a task. You train the dog in a quiet area and then when it knows what you want in your home, in your yard, etc. then you begin what is known as proofing in places such as a parking lot or on a walk. 

Unless your state acknowleges SDITs you can not take your dog anywhere that any pet dog is not allowed. Even with this people still manage to OT their dogs. A dog does not need to walk through a grocery store to keep it from sniffing at food. You work with it in your home, you take it to a friend's house, you have people help you out in the community. 

Florida allows OT and also gives trainers of SDs public access rights to take a dog _while training_ into any place that a SD is allowed to go. But you don't go to this level until the dog already knows his stuff







.

Before that, I like working in places like parking lots where we practice getting in and out of a car properly, standing nicely while equipment is being put on, walking nicely up to the sidewalk, and walking around people without requesting attention. 

The last pup that I took we also had the opportunity to stop and listen to a young girl sitting on a stool in front of a store playing a saxaphone. We went to the fire station and checked out the equipment and firefighters. We went to a daytrip to a farm where the dog saw goats, horses, cows, pigs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, etc. This dog was then made to walk nicely by everything and to "leave it". Good proofing. 

When training a SD at home, you spend many meals with the dog curled up under the table while you eat, you then visit a friend for lunch, and then work your way up eating somewhere outside. Walking into a restaurant is not the place to train a dog to go "under", to lay nice, and not to eat any food dropped on the floor. 

By the time a SDIT does start going into priviledged places it should have perfect manners. If the dog acts up in the least little bit you must be ready to leave at that instant not 5 minutes later. You then go back and work on what the dog did incorrectly and proof it and make sure the problem is taken care of before you ever try again. 

Many groups and organizations have tests to take before a dog starts with Public Access. The dog is tested on walking up and down stairs, walking across various surfaces, walking through and around traffic, coming when called off-leash, ignoring food dropped on the dog, staying in place while different types of distractions are going on, having strange people approach the dog and touch it, having a stranger approach the handler in a loud manner, and many other things that a dog will come across while out and about. 

Before a dog goes out in the community under the handler's Public Access rights, it should have passed (or able to pass) a CGC and a temperament test such as the ATTS and this is in addition to the Public Access test that I had just spoke about.


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## mjbgsd

I didn't really think it was directed towards me, but I wasn't sure... We had Isa get her CGC before I started training her, around when she was a year. We also went through the test for SD to make sure she had good manners.


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## 4dognight

Thank you for the information. This is so interesting. I have done many of these things with my therapy dog ( he is not a GSD but a herding breed also) I have had some issues with him trying to finish breakfast ( especially scrambled eggs) if left in a residents lap when he is told to put his head in their lap so they can pet him. I use a leave it command but would like him just to ignore it. We are working on that so this info is useful to me. Because he is bred to herd we had a hard time getting him to focus on me when there were dozens of kids running all around but he does well at that now. I suppose there are many similarities in SD and TD. There is abuse in both areas We now have to have dates on our ID and wear the id badges at all times because folks were taking un registered dogs in to places claiming to be a TD but indeed were not. So that is why I wondered what ID etc was needed for a SD.


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## Skye'sMom

Generally, partners of therapy dogs are trained not to go into dining rooms or client's/resident's rooms when while meals are being eaten. If that training is followed, your therapy dog won't be able to eat anyone's eggs.










OP -
Isa is a gorgeous dog and you've done a great job training her. Skye would never had such good manners and attention at 3. 

Thanks for the pictures of her working - I'm glad your hard work paid off and you have more independance now that you get out with Isa.


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## ILGHAUS

> Quote: Generally, partners of therapy dogs are trained not to go into dining rooms or client's/resident's rooms when while meals are being eaten.


I read it differently, more like maybe the person had breakfast and had dropped some eggs in their lap that had gone unnoticed before the dog came in. (Like maybe the person was in a wheelchair).

I know there were times when I would take Karl visiting and people had food hidden in their hands, in their pockets, or in some things they were carrying around with them. 

Seems like there was always something to keep you on your toes.


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## Skye'sMom

TJ-

You are right. I went back and re-read the post. For some reason, I read it as a small dog that was on someone's lap. Now I see the dog's head was in the lap and food probably dropped earlier from breakfast.

My apology to the poster. Thank you for pointing that out.


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## 4dognight

Yes it is food from breakfast







We are not allowed in dining areas or when meals are being served. He is a 92 lb OES. Most of the time a leave it command is good but when he puts his head in someones lap and there are eggs etc it is just too good to miss. No apology needed. I need to work with him more he passed testing fine and does a wonderful job.

Isa is a beautiful dog and I have learned a lot from your posting. Good thoughts to you both. Thank you


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## mjbgsd

Thank you to.


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