#assistance dogs

[shibitct]

Assistance Dogs Save Lives Poster 1

You wouldn't distract a paramedic, don't distract assistance dogs

I felt like it would be odd to create a profile just for CATE UK but wanted to share some of the graphics I've created for it

[cassolotl]

I'm sick of autistic people not being understood

I'm feeling very sad about the contents of this article, where a charity that was set up specifically to work one-on-one with and support autistic people (by training assistance dogs for them) fails to ask about or listen to requests for autistic-friendly and autistic-aware family training.

"My experience with Autism Dogs Charity", posted 21st February 2023.

There's a lot of other really terrible stuff in there, but I think the bit that hits me the hardest is just the part where autistic people are made to feel like their individual needs (which are actually not that difficult to meet??) are too much work and a burden on everyone else.

You EXIST to connect with, understand and support autistic people! You had one job, my guys! COME ONNNNN

[assistancedogmischa]

i often see people telling those who are thinking about getting an assistance animal that it should be the absolute last form of support / treatment that you consider. and while i see where they're coming from, i disagree.

yes, of course people need to think carefully about if they are able to care for an animal that could live for 15+ years. they need to know if they can afford the cost of getting the animal and training it if necessary, food, bedding, gear, annual vet fees, emergency vet fees, etc.. they need to have a plan in place if the animal can no longer do its job, either for behavioural or health reasons or just when it gets old. and they also need to think about if what they want / need the animal to do can be done more easily by something or someone else. maybe a cane is enough. maybe an animal wouldn't be enough and they need a live-in carer.

but that's not to say that an assistance animal wouldn't benefit them. assistance animals aren't perfect machines, but they are medical / disability aids. they are trained to an incredibly high standard and they do a necessary and beneficial job for their handler. a person can benefit from a cane or a carer and an assistance animal.

you deserve an aid if it would benefit you, and an assistance animal is an aid. with some unique obligations, yes, but an aid nonetheless.

[mangedog]

mischa and i did our first public access trip today! considering it was his first time ever in that kind of environment i was so impressed with him!

[image description: two photos of a large white shepherd dog who is lying down on a half concrete, half grassed area. end ID]

things i expected and did happen:

2 people asked for pats

2 people asked questions ("what is he training for?", "what breed is he?" etc)

1 person took a photo (without asking me)

lots of stares! i expected that but not as many as i got!

things i expected but didnt happen:

access issues - no one said anything, and mischa only had a "in training" bandana on, no identification as an AD

mischa was nervous but very well behaved! i didn't expect him to behave badly of course, but given it was his first time in PA work and in a shopping centre i was prepared for him to not want to even go inside lol

things i didn't expect:

another assistance dog was there and mischa was like 👀 but didn't try to go say hello which was good

mischa... takes up a lot of space. i knew that of course but its one thing at home and another in a crowded shopping centre!

mischa did mark 2 or 3 times but only outside on the bushes, he didnt even try inside which was good cuz i was nervous about that 😅

i think i was more nervous than he was!

i didnt ask him for any tasks since this was just about him getting acclimated.

things to work on:

keeping him close - his loose leash walking needs work in new areas, and in the shopping centre he was a bit too distracted to listen

focusing on me (he sniffed a lady who was next to us a bit too much)

keeping a down-stay (he stays down for a while then sits up again)

bring treats next time! i forgot them today because this was an unplanned trip lol

[mrswatermelon]

Take a shot every time someone interacts with an assistance dog when they’re not supposed to

[miffyxl]

Now I'm autistic, with high anxiety, clinical depression.

I have an assistance dog.

My girlfriend is at her family Christmas lunch without me, because her room mate has cats and will only allow an assistance dogs with papers in her house for the safety of her cats.

The main reason my 5 year old dog doesn't have her papers is a financial one. I'd be pissed about it but let's be real, it's a private home and it's the cats house not Brook's.

But still I don't think that it's the papers that stop Brook from chasing cats but her.... Hmm... What is word? Oh yeah, training.

That's the only reason I find this a touch weird.

I had a similar thing with a friend's wedding, he tried to say that Brook couldn't come because the venue said no, but I called the venue they said it was fine which he backpedaled saying he and his finance wouldn't be comfortable because they'd be worried about her being a distraction or bark.

Dude she sat through Harry Potter and the Cursed Child I think she can sit through your quiet wedding.

It just baffles me, like I'm not angry, because if I was I'd make a deal about it to the people trying to seperate Brook and I. I am just legitimately confused as to what they think an assistance "is"

[canisalbus]

*carefully picks you up and peeks into your conch snail shell*

Ehm... Sorry to bother, but... Could we, maybe, possibly... see Vasco's wife and her lover pictured by your hand? Sorry again, thank you for listening. Take care.

*delicately lays you back into the water to prevent any stress or dehydration*

Unfortunately I don't have her lover figured out yet, but I think Ludovica looks something like this:

[pochiyaki]

Help Pochi Get Their Service Dog Trained

I am seeking assistance in getting Sata my psychiatric service dog trained and initially set up with a vet and supplies! This will be a huge help in improving my health and wellness. Please share or support if you can! https://gofund.me/2a4aef13

[lotus-pear]

HIII SORRY FOR NO NEW ART have some concept sketches for the fic i'm working on instead

[serpentface]

A braithuvi horse at rest under the close protection and watchful, scary, pale-eyed gaze of her herd's guardian, a dírgrahdain. Both are landraces developed within the Highlands. The ancestors of braithuvi (and other Highlands native horses) were brought overseas by the ancestors of the Hill Tribes, while the dogs were obtained from native livestock guardian landraces used by proto-Wardi tribes. Each have become distinct over their centuries of living in the Highlands, and dírgrahdain are have a particularly unique place in the cultural schema.

Braithuvi are a woolly horse breed (and one of many, wool horses are widespread, second only to camala in value for textiles) that are also somewhat specialized for milk production. Their meat is relatively poor (other horses are preferred), but they produce high yields of milk and thick, continuous growths of wool.

Horses are not as culturally significant as cattle to most in the Highlands, but are still highly valued animals that are critical to subsistence. Few plant-based textiles can be produced in the Highlands, and almost all in the region are made with braithuvi wool. They can eat a greater variety of forage than cattle, more efficiently converting energy intake from pastures into milk and wool. Their milk is considered to be the very best of all livestock, and is usually what is used to make the prized murre beverage.

Dogs have a very small specific place in the cultures of the Hill Tribes as utilitarian working animals (specifically for livestock and occasionally as home/village guardians), and rarely ever fill other functions. The practice of keeping dogs purely for companionship is virtually nonexistent (though affectionate bonds between people and their herding or household guard dogs will be fairly common), and their meat is considered worthless. Most dogs are not elevated within the cultural schema, and tend to be merely appreciated as useful, loyal animals. Livestock guardian dogs are an exception to this, and tend to be of more significant cultural import. They are animals that exist to protect the herds on which all subsistence depends, and thus have an elevated cultural status and roles in religion and folklore as uniquely protective entities.

Dírgrahdain are the key livestock guardian dogs in the region, and the only natively developed LGD. Their name means 'lion dog', both in reference to their maned appearance and their ability to fend off and even kill the largest of predators. The dogs are characterized by tall, long-legged builds, deep chests, a curly tail, thick hair (and a thicker winter coat), and a shaggy mane. Their bodies tend to be thinner and lankier than their fur coat suggests, but still well-muscled and powerful. Their coloration can vary wildly, but a black mask with a brown or reddish body like this is most typical. Unnerving, pale eyes are prized in these dogs, with the belief that they not only intimidate predators but are uniquely potent at fending off malicious spirits.

The dog's exclusive function is to protect livestock. They are used primarily for the defense of horses, which are small and very vulnerable to predators (lions, hyenas, king hyena, wild dogs, jackals, nechoi, and even eagles can be threats), though some dogs will usually be posted up with cattle herds to deter raiders.

Pups are most commonly born in the field among their herds. They will be carried in their master's coat while still nursing, but will be allowed to join their mother in her duties from the moment they are strong enough to follow. Dírgrahdain live with their herds day and night. Most will never see the inside of a home, and most seem to prefer it that way. They form close and protective bonds with their charges, and will thoroughly integrate themselves into the social fabric of the herd.

These dogs are not human-oriented, and will usually only form bonds with people that they have imprinted on as puppies (and will merely be cool and polite to those met later in life). They are highly aggressive towards strangers, and introductions must be done incrementally and with great care. This is desirable, as this trait makes them an excellent line of defense against livestock raids. Their loud, booming barks can alert of intruders from a great distance, and they can often successfully intimidate khait, causing some mounted raids to end in humiliating failure. Dírgrahdain are often killed in raids, either to fend off the attacking dog or to silence it before its master can be alerted. This is not outright dishonorable, but not something one will be commended for. Cattle raiding culture here values swiftness, stealth, and strategy- such smash and grab tactics are seen as brutish (and will often result in harsher retribution).

Like most LGDs, they primarily defend their herds by displays of aggression and power, using their loud bark, fearsome growl, and powerful bodies to chase and intimidate predators away without physical contact. Even so, it is necessary for all working dírgrahdain to be willing and able to physically confront predators when necessary. A well-trained, well-bonded dog will defend their herds with their very life, and is often effective in combat against even very large wild predators. Their dense ‘manes’ offer a degree of protection from wounds to the throat, and may be supplemented with spiked collars.

If a mother dog kills a predator, it is often customary to open the carcass and lead her puppies to feed on it. This is thought to teach the pups to be fearless against their enemies, and that they will grow up to be uniquely powerful and brave adults. Pups are given names upon reaching adult size, and ones who have consumed the flesh of predators will get unique names related to their mother's kill, or epithets as supplements to a given name (the exact details of this practice culturally varies). One might encounter dogs in the Highlands named things like Lionsbane, Hyena-killer, She Who Bites Jackals, Lion-Fed Shaggy (Lion-Fed being the honorable epithet, Shaggy being the dog's name, possibly given by a very small child)

The mere gaze of a dírgrahdain is said to fend off malicious spirits, and their thundering bark can scare away even the most dangerous of mountain devils. Their shed hair is needle felted into little dolls (usually into the form of dogs themselves) and placed into the cradles of infants and worn as charms by children to protect them from harm (both mundane and supernatural). Manes taken from dead dírgrahdain have uses among some of the Hill Tribes, and are typically only allowed to be used by their masters (unless recieved as a gift). The most prominent usages are being worn to fend off evil spirits and predators while traveling alone, and some traditions involve placing the manes around the necks or across the bellies of women in labor as a means of spiritual protection for mother and child during birth.

The Hill Tribes and Wardi both identify the same constellation along the ecliptic as a dog. In the case of the former, this stellar dog is identified as Mak-Urudain, a gigantic dírgrahdain with fur the color of flame and eyes as bright as stars, who is the eternal guardian of the Celestial Fields. He allows the souls of the worthy dead to pass into the afterlife and for esteemed ancestors to descend back to the land to guide the living, while preventing malicious spirits, devils, and the dishonored dead from entry.

One Bernike tale describes her attempting to fly into the Celestial Fields to steal the heavenly cattle who graze there. She took the form of a golden eagle, pretending to be an ancestor returning from a sojourn to the world of the living in order to get past the guardian hound. Mak-Urudain was not fooled for long, and led her on a long chase through the night sky before capturing her and hurling her out of the Celestial Fields.

She was never able to even touch the ground of the Fields (much less take any cattle), but had just enough time to take a single seed of heavenly grass in her beak. She returned to her mountain (missing most of her tail feathers and much of her pride) and planted the grass in her then-barren slopes. This is why the grass on Bernike's mountain is so tall and abundant and why cattle there grow so fat and healthy, like all cattle will in the afterlife. The howling winds heard from the mountaintops are playfully suggested to be the barks and howls of Mak-Urudain, calling down from the heavens to keep the witch grounded in the world of the living.

[assistancedogmischa]

hi, this is Mischa!

about mischa

mischa is a maremma sheepdog x white swiss shepherd. he was born on the 5th of February 2021. he and i are working towards being an assistance / service dog team!

we live in australia and in a state that doesnt have assistance animal specific legislation, so our rights as an AD team are covered by federal law under the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) (the DDA).

mischa is training to be a psychiatric and mobility assistance dog. we have only just started to work on AD tasks and Public Access, and we aren't with an organisation, we work with a private dog trainer who has experience with (psych) assistance dogs.

here is some more information about mischa as well as links on assistance dogs and the DDA.

about me

I'm Crow, my pronouns are it/its & ze/hir. I'm autistic, have C-PTSD, and CFS/ME. I've grown up with dogs, but mischa is my first dog that I've been the primary carer for. my main blog is @mangedog. this blog also doubles as a bit of a health diary for me, since that goes hand in hand with assistance animals and disability!

[bramblethebambi]

Introducing Bramble!

Her hobbies include: biting, crying, grumbling, sleeping, biting, and snuggling

She's a 4 month 5 month 6 month old lurcher (greyhound, deerhound, and collie), so she's gonna be a big girl!

And if all goes well, when she grows up she's going to be a working assistance dog!

But thats a long way away. For now its all about living her best life as a beautiful girl!

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Advanced Interrogation Technique: Dog

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[ky-landfill]

Insp

[wonx2]

Meaning behind Dazais bandages

Ok so I've noticed something in the anime that could potentially give a clue about the meaning of Dazai's bandages or at least he wore those over his eye during his days with mafia so bear with me.

In prison arc of the anime there have been moments when Dazai was mad/suprised and consequentially reverted back to his way of thinking when he was a member of Port Mafia: using and manipulating people, employing similar tactics to Fyodor.

And in all these moments there was something else that could be observed: his hair concealing one of his eyes, almost like it was used as a makeshift bandage.

Second thing I'd like to point out is in the finale when Dazai shows his plan was based on trust in other people and how he didn't control them or use them. His eyes specifically are in the clear view here, with his hair blown out of his face.

In this scene in particular he even holds the hair out of his eyes.

It reminded me of when he first started "living for others" back in season 2 when he first listened to an advice of someone else and received help from another person, moment where his world view changed forever.

So this is where the actual theory starts, I believe his bandages never had an actual use because in the scene above we can see his eye is healthy, but that they were always meant to showcase how much of the world he saw/was able to see. In all the moments he had something obstructing his vision he could see an incomplete version of the world and relationships: only way he knew how to interact with people was to use them and to manipulate them into furthering his own goals. But once that "obstruction" was gone he could actually see those subordinates looked like allies and people he could trust. So they weren't put on him by his own hand but by Asagiri as a way to show us how Dazai thought about people and relationships and how he was blind to the proper way of handling them.

I'd like to touch on Beast Dazai as well: I think he wore the bandages because he himself decided to limit his world view and how he perceives people around him- choosing to always make them his tools instead of allies. Even though he knows he can trust other people from the knowledge of canon Dazai he received from the book, he never had his own Oda to take off his bandages and show him how to live for others like canon Dazai had. The best he can do is to die for someone else.

In conclusion: All bandages ever were was a symbol of his limited world view, how he could only see people as tools, as things he can only control and manipulate but never receive help from or trust in them. When Oda took them off and made him live for others Dazai himself started trusting more and in the end got to where he is now: blindly believing that someone else would solve a problem he couldn't alone without any of his input. And having something he never could when he didnt see clearly: allies.