# Service Dog In-Training Intuition



## kburrow11 (Jan 31, 2014)

So Vida (5.5 month old female GSD) is in training with me to serve as my service dog. I suffer from chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, insomnia, and migraines, not to mention GAD, depression, claustrophobia, and PTSD.

I've had Vida for several months, but something happened the other night that cemented my belief that she's the best dog for me and my needs.

I was laying on the couch, Vida asleep across the room. I suddenly got a massive migraine (they can happen within seconds for me  ). Before I could move or even make a sound, Vida bolted awake, started whining, and ran over to me. She began sniffing me all over, then started licking my temples before crawling onto the couch and pressing herself against my body, laying her head next to mine. I don't know how she knew something had happened.

Also, when I move, I'll groan or let out a partial breath in pain a lot of times. When this happens, she comes running over and starts smothering me in kisses and worried looks. This is even when her vest is off (for her, no vest = off duty, can do what she wants). If my roommate tries to talk to her and pet her when this happens, she kinda glares at him and growls a little like, "Mom's hurt. I have to work and help her. Back off now, and let me do my job."

She's already made my life so much more bearable, and I can't imagine it without her.


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## Gib_laut (Jul 25, 2014)

A service dog that growls. Good luck with that!


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

She sounds like a lovely puppy. Have fun with her!


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## kburrow11 (Jan 31, 2014)

Gib_laut said:


> A service dog that growls. Good luck with that!


The only time she growls is when she's out of vest (not working) and when someone is distracting her/trying to keep her from me when I have a problem. When she's in vest, she's perfect.


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## Sowlhowl (Aug 4, 2014)

As a service dog handler I am a little skeptical of a dog that growls for any reason. I would stop that immediately. What if you need emergency care and she won't let the emts get to you? That would cause some big problems. Especially since service dog and handler are not to be separated from each other. They cannot possibly bring the dog on the ambulance with you if she's growling at them. In fact it's likely they wouldn't be able to help you at all. I had to make the decision to "wash out" a dog due to this exact behavior. She was unfit for service, she was to protective. Be careful.


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## kburrow11 (Jan 31, 2014)

Yeah, we're working on not growling. Right now she knows she's not supposed to growl or bark when her vest is on. Now to get the idea over to when she's not wearing her vest. Do you have any tips on training her? She's wickedly smart, and extremely intuitive, as shown by picking up on the onset of my migraine.


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## Sowlhowl (Aug 4, 2014)

Unfortunately I can't advise when it comes to growling. We never could get my Doberman to stop. If I had a panic attack she would bark and snarl at anyone who came near me. The trainer tried many different methods to try to help and in the end she could not be my service dog because she was a liability and unstable during crisis.


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## kburrow11 (Jan 31, 2014)

Ok. She doesn't growl at people if they come to help me. She only growls (again, only when she doesn't have her vest on), if people try to touch and play with her when I'm having a problem


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## BrandyGalos (Aug 4, 2014)

I don't know about training service dogs but I do know that it is much easier to teach a dog to DO something rather than not to do something. Perhaps you could teach her to put herself in a long down while you are in trouble? Although something more active that would allow her to communicate her stress would be better. Maybe she should go get a squeaky toy and smash the **** out of it.


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