#service dogs have training

[abirddogmoment]

today's hot take for dog people: management is not the same thing as training.

[luna-loveboop]

Hey shoutout to the guy at the store who started talking about my service dog, and when I looked uncomfortable and couldn't answer, politely said 'have a nice day' and walked off.

I couldn't tell you in that moment how much I appreciate it, but respect and allowing service dog owners to stay silent rather than engaging in conversation with a stranger is a rarity.

Thanks

[fayeandknight]

My 8.5 hour drive turned into 10 and now I'm cranky and out of sorts. 8 is not bad with a break halfway. 9 makes me antsy but 10 as a solo driver is where I start to really hit my limit.

Going to relax with a good book and my faithful companion and hopefully have a good day tomorrow at the seminar.

[x22817]

"the most well behaved dog here!" -five different vendors at the farmers market

[skankhunt44]

Yeah I'm a fucking dick,

But this dick isn't supporting terrorism and isn't sympathetic for people who want to ethnically cleanse the middle East funded by the UN?

Lol yes, Karen, you're totally on the right side of history here, you're quoting antisemetic tropes from both the Nazis and the KKK handbooks, and openly calling for ethnically cleansing Jews from Israel which they call "isn't real" or whatever but it's named over 100 times in the Quran, and I've read the xtian bible it's mentioned probably twice that at least. But it isn't real. Sorry it's hard not to laugh at that logic.

Glad we had this chat.

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

Did you see the part where Meg was annoyed that only dogs can be qualified to be service medical dogs? lol guess she's mad a bird can't be a service cardic arrest animal. Once again pulled up the "people think only DOGS can be trained to do this!!! How dare they!!!" *grumbling about mammalian bias* argument. I'm sorry Meg but your fucking bird or a rabbit cannot be a service animal for the blind or anything that dogs have be bred to do

me when they won’t let my service crocodile into Walmart:

[scandalousscarlet83]

Dumped by phone call out of nowhere after 9 months. I'm completely shocked and absolutely blindsided. I really thought he was the one.

[britt-the-bratt]

Okay, it's time, somebody make me a stay at home dog mom

[elvenferretots]

Maybe the problem isn't more places being dog-friendly. Maybe the problem is that American dogs are chronically ungroomed and unexercised. Maybe the problem is that dogs who are brought in public should be kept in training classes or competitions longterm to maintain their training and emotional wellbeing. Maybe the problem is that dogs need to have trained public access skills to be safe and considerate to bring in public.

The problem is not businesses allowing dogs (grocery stores and indoor restaurants can't legally be dog friendly, so that's a straw man argument); but that dog owners have a huge problem with selecting, caring for, and training their dogs to the standards of the society we live in.

[luna-loveboop]

Yo

I'm gonna not post anything for linktober today or probably tomorrow bc I'm waiting on the right equipment- all my shiny things are dull and I also need new safety gloves- and the last time I cut myself cutting glass it got infected so. I want proper equipment before I continue :) I'll catch up probably! Or just skip a day or two, but the plan is to catch up. I'm having a lot of fun with this and appreciate all the support :P

[fayeandknight]

Just had the cutest interaction while training Forte.

We were working on alternating between casual heeling/llw and fmp with him in harness around the block. We'd come full circle back to the driveway when I spotted a young kid on a bike coming up the road.

I put Forte in a down and planned to reward him as kid and dad passed by. But the kid saw Forte and stopped in front of us while repeatedly pointing out the doggy. (Kid was young, training wheels and dad's hand on the back of his seat.)

I could tell dad was getting uncomfortable because kid would not move on and was very fixated on Forte. So I looked at dad and explained that this dog is learning to be a service dog, which is a special dog who helps people. That this dog loves people but needs to be able to ignore them when he's working so he can focus on the handler. And if they had a few minutes, would they want to help me train him.

Dad relaxed and said yes. So I asked the kid if he could ride around real fast and call to the doggy. If the doggy stayed in his down I'd reward him with a tasty treat. Kid was pumped to do so. After a few minutes I thanked them both for helping me train my dog.

As the kid rode off I could hear him excitedly telling his dad "I helped train a service dog. They're really special dogs ". And dad agreed that he did and that he'd done a good job. Kid proceeded to say "I'm going to tell mom I helped train a service dog. Does she know they're special dogs?" To which dad said mom's going to be impressed because she knows those are special helper dogs and their training is really important.

It was such a wholesome interaction.

[x22817]

We went Places and did Things

Place 1: A farm with lots of puppies and kitties running everywhere. We worked on our down stays with these kittens and a puppy who I didn't get a picture of. Hek was so good that she even let this little guy climb on top of her while she stayed in that spot. I was very impressed, not going to lie.

Place 2: Our favorite cemetery to stop at on our way home. It was so nice out we had a little picnic under the lovely trees. We talked to this really cool, nice guy who fought in the war of 1812

Herz had just "down stayed" very nicely for 3 hours so this was the only time I actually asked her to recall so we could go back to the car. I honestly didn't want to do anything. I thought I should but we just enjoyed the nice weather and good sniffs

[dogtiber]

took Tiber to a pottery class last night and he was so good and well behaved. I worry so much about his behavior in public but man I think I just have unrealistic standards for us in public (hello anxiety) because he really is just so good. did he perfectly settle next to me the whole time? no. but he just wandered around gently at my feet on leash and was quiet and unobtrusive and sweet and gentle to everyone. he only barked once when he got himself tangled around the table. he did go settle on his mat whenever I asked. and that is so good for a one and a half year old puppy. he got lots of treats and pats and I made a cool ring dish.

[jakeowen]

owning a dog that cannot behave appropriately in public spaces absolutely changed the game for me in regards to how i feel about (non-service) dogs in public. excuse me ma'am this dog should NOT be in the grocery store. i love dogs, so i can accept of a dog-friendly bar or brewery or whatever ***that advertises itself as such*** but in normal spaces? some people are allergic or afraid of or hate dogs and those people have more of a right to exist in public than your dog does. and if your dog is not perfectly behaved and totally under your control in public, you are putting yourself, your dog, and everyone in the room at risk (of a law suit, an allergic reaction, god forbid an injury). my dog is a bad dog. i love her very much and it is better for myself, for her, and everyone else (human and canine!) in a space that she stay home and snuggle in her bed with a chew toy while i go to bars, and breweries and grocery stores, and dispensaries, and work, and everywhere else i've seen a dog that had no reason to be there and didn't fucking behave itself. and it's not the dog's fault. it's the owners. and i can tell you from experience. when your dog can't behave itself, it is the easiest thing in the world to simply, leave it at home

[grymmdark]

i have a friend who is a first-time pet owner and got her dog just under a year ago so still is getting the hang of things, and she keeps getting concerned over her dog doing the most basic animal behavior. not full-on takes him to the vet for everything level concerned, but still

"he ignored me :(" yeah sometimes the do that. "he was upset i was leaving this morning :(" yeah thats what animals do. "he doesn't like wearing outfits i keep buying him :(" yeah cus animals are supposed to be naked. "he likes my grandma more than me :(" yeah cus she stays home with him all day.

like, im glad she's concerned about her dog as opposed to being the type to brush everything off even if it is potentially worrying, but cmon.

[d20owlbear]

Angel Cupcakes and Baskerville Corso

"Chiffon!" Aziraphale shouted, worried up to his ears and chasing after the cream-colored Tibetan Spaniel dragging her sparkling leash behind her. She pranced ahead just barely out of reach underneath the feet of unwatchfull by-passers.

She didn't bark back at him, but she did look over her shoulder at him once or twice, as if to ask what the problem was, only to ignore all his recall commands and wind his anxiety up higher and higher as she got closer to the street's crossing corner. He had no idea just what had gotten into her these days and he felt just about ready to cry about it!

Not just a week ago, she'd gone missing for hours on end only to show back up wet and slimy and covered in grass stains looking like she'd had a grand ol' time only seconds before he'd been about to call Madame Tracy in a worked up fit. Then, nearly every day this week she'd disappear from his bookstore at some point for thirty minutes here, an hour or so there, only to come back fit as a fiddle and disgustingly wet.

"Chiffon, you stop right there missy!" Aziraphale shouted again, gearing himself up for a final sprint, terrified she'd try to cross the street. It wasn't overly busy, but cars still occasionally sped through and they certainly weren't watching for little dogs all the way out here in Soho!

"No you don't, cupcake." An alluringly hoarse voice resonated in Aziraphale's head as someone all dressed in black from head to toe scooped up his dear little Chiffon like a seasoned pro. She didn't even bark, the traitor!

"Excus-" Aziraphale wheezed, coming to an abrupt stop in front of the absolutely oppressive-looking creature the man had at his side that Aziraphale hesitated to call a dog at all. It looked like the sort of dog a man who had enemies might have, though one that didn't want to admit it by getting a more classically intimidating rottweiler or doberman...

"Excuse me... sir." He forced out at last, standing straight and pulling down his vest to tidy his appearance as best he could, as if the man hadn't clear as day seen him huffing and puffing up the street with the way his eyebrow went up past the rims of those dark-as-night sunglasses.

"Anything you like, angel." The man replied, leaning his hip into the creat- the dog as his side– Aziraphale noticed the dog leaned back and nudged the man's free hand sloppily until it rest on the dog's head, very delicately petting its face and head. The slightest tremor Aziraphale'd not noticed before stopped the moment the dog did so. He was so fascinated by the interaction he'd almost not realized what the man himself had said.

"I- wh- you-" At that moment, Chiffon chose that point to wag her traitor little tail and bark right in the man's face, making his easy grin (which Aziraphale secretly quite liked the look of) freeze a little. But then the man stiffly held out the small, fluffy dog to Aziraphale and his smile returned to normal in the blink of an eye, so it was almost like he'd imagined it.

"Cupcake's yours, right?" He grinned wider and kneeled down to throw a lazy arm around the beast beside him as if they were the best mates in the world. "She's been popping up in my shop down the street, you know, took a liking to Baskerville over here somehow."

Aziraphale quickly took Chiffon back into his arms and curled her into the biggest hug right up against his neck so he could half-bury his face in her little lion's mane ruff. "Yes, thank- thank you so much, I was so worried!"

The man's smile widened again and he braced a hand on one knee to leverage himself up, and the dog- Baskerville (what a delightful name, Aziraphale was far too charmed already by this mysterious man dressed all in black with a welcoming smile and a voice like melted chocolate even before he found out his naming sense was on point) stood very close and very still as if he were bracing for the man as well in the maneuver.

"My name's Crowley," he said, and produced a simple little business card out of nowhere between two of his fingers and handed it over to Aziraphale. His cheeks had the gall to blush about it, he would have words with them later about embarrassing him in front of fine gentlemen and their gentle beasts of dogs. "You can find me in the café down the street's called Edine." Except when he said it, it sounded a lot like Eden...

" 'S dog-friendly, of course. We make dog-safe foods and drink too, if you'd like to bring Cupcake." Crowley continued, rambling a little now, one of his hands came up to gesticulate and his voice wavered a little on the last line. Baskerville flopped Crowley's hand onto his head again, and Crowley took a deep, subtle breath, smiling again. "This guy's the mascot, helps takes orders, though he sleeps on the job plenty. Awful employee really."

"I'm sure." Aziraphale smiled gently, eyes sparkling. "I'm Aziraphale, Aziraphale Fell. I run the bookstore down that-a-ways... and this is Chiffon." Aziraphale bounced his arms and Chiffon panted happily with a doggy grin for good measure. "We'd love to come by. How late are you open 'till?"

"I dunno, how late're you gonna come?" Crowley practically tripped over his words and Aziraphale laughed at himself for thinking he was suave and mysterious rather than delightfully adorable and entirely too endearing for Aziraphale's own good, oh he could already feel that weightless feeling at the bottom of his stomach, like he'd just stepped off the edge of a cloud and he was 0.5 seconds from free fall.

"Is 7 alright?"

"7's great." Crowley grinned, toothy and with an endearing little snaggle-tooth right at the edge of it that caught his lip just right so it looked a bit like a fang. Oh, there it was. That pesky free fall. He was utterly charmed.