Psychiatric Service Dog

[milos_mommy]

So, this is looking more and more like something that would be perfect for me.

I suffer from severe depressive disorder, anxiety, and depersonalization disorder. Right now it's all pretty under control, but on bad days (or weeks), I think having a PSD would really, really, really help.

I know some of you have PSDs...what's it like? What tasks do they do, did you train them yourselves, what kind of problems do you encounter in public, etc.? Please PM me if you don't feel comfortable posting about your disorders on the forum.

I *think* I want to get a young puppy and train it myself (maybe with the help of a trainer), probably from a shelter or rescue. I'm trying to narrow down the breed, but keep thinking of new ones that would be good.

The dog's tasks would be:
-wake me up if I sleep through an alarm...by whining, pawing, and licking me until I got up
-reminding me to take my medication, probably by bringing it to me
-bracing me and making me feel more stable when i experience dizziness or vertigo (ie a large breed...I am 5'9" and want a dog that comes nearly waist height)
-licking, nosing, and pawing or snuggling me to bring me back to "reality" when I'm having a sort of out-of-body experience
-again...I'd like a breed who I can feel is protecting me. As a 19 year old white female wandering around sometimes extremely sketchy parts of manhattan, brooklyn, and the bronx, going home late is an anxiety attack in itself.
-I would like a dog who could realize (via olfactory cues) that I am going to have an anxiety/panic attack beforehand and let me know it's coming.


The dog will be living with me (and roommates/eventually Zach) in an apartment. The dog would need to be able to ride the subway every day. I want a dog that can "look" scary and will know when someone's trouble and tell them off, but I also need a dog that can walk seamlessly around crazy screaming homeless people waving things, nannies with six shouting running jumping children, and who will be okay with my weird friends coming over and wrestling with each other and dressing in odd costumes and making weird sounds (often without invitation).

As far as energy...I need a dog who can walk around a city all day, but who isn't going to freak out during a blizzard when all we get to do is go potty.

Breeds I'm considering:

German Shepherd
Doberman
Boxer

^ top choices. I'm probably going to ex out boxer because of it's size and I've heard bachycephelic breeds aren't good for service work

also:
Bernese mountain dog - too big I think
Lab or golden - they're so common om service work but I don't think for me
Rottie...A LOT of dog. I'd honestly be a little nervous handling one.
Collie - too vocal for an apartment? Same with Standard Poodle.
Borzoi - Romy, I'm looking at you here. What's working with Stryder like?
Pit Bull Terrier - I'm looking for something a little more reliably dog friendly, I think.

Anyway, imput please, thanks.

[Zoom]

I don't know about cueing for an impending panic attack, but the first few things Virgo would do to me every morning, LOL! I got to hit the snooze alarm twice and then she would come whap me in the face to get up and present me with a pair of socks. Sometimes they were even matched She was a big black lab with wolfamber eyes, which threw a lot of people off, especially since she had more of the field style body instead of that blocky whale body most people are used to seeing.

Big black dogs in general, even if they are the sweetest things on earth, will tend to scare people off. Heck, you could get a hound mix and just by virtue of having the "shepherd" markings, would scare people into thinking they were a dobe or rottie.

[PoodleMommy]

One thing you need to consider, is what kind of paperwork, etc. you will need to prove this dog is legit.

Because every apartment I have ever lived in here has had breed restrictions that get rid of most of your top choices.

[milos_mommy]

This is true...I'm thinking any big dark dog will dissauade impending doom, even a poodle.

[milos_mommy]

Originally Posted by PoodleMommy

One thing you need to consider, is what kind of paperwork, etc. you will need to prove this dog is legit.

Because every apartment I have ever lived in here has had breed restrictions that get rid of most of your top choices.

This isn't a problem. I can get a letter from my doctor.

[PoodleMommy]

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

This is true...I'm thinking any big dark dog will dissauade impending doom, even a poodle.

I dont know why, but I have this image of a standard poodle cut with balls on its feet and tail walking the streets of harlem.

[Fran101]

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

I know some of you have PSDs...what's it like? What tasks do they do, did you train them yourselves, what kind of problems do you encounter in public, etc.? Please PM me if you don't feel comfortable posting about your disorders on the forum.

The dog whisperer had an episode about a lady with a dog specialized in that kind of thing disorders.
I think practicing the early signs of panic attack and having the dog respond to that would be easy to teach. (heavy breathing, shaking etc..)

they have special vests that say "medical alert dog" nobody would NEED to know exactly what the dog is for, there are laws in place for that and its none of their business.


I *think* I want to get a young puppy and train it myself (maybe with the help of a trainer), probably from a shelter or rescue. I'm trying to narrow down the breed, but keep thinking of new ones that would be good.

I think getting a puppy or young dog might be a great option for you, the thing is, it takes a SPECIAL dog to be a service dog, not so much for learning the commands but for being able to be comfortable and calm during the many aspects of their work, walking in crowds, loud noises, etc.. its a lot of responsibility and socialization

The dog's tasks would be:
-wake me up if I sleep through an alarm...by whining, pawing, and licking me until I got up

that would be pretty easy to teach. just a lot of practice and praise when the dog reacts to the alarm by getting your attention


-reminding me to take my medication, probably by bringing it to me

Im not sure how the dog would be able to know WHEN you need to take your medication. you could easily teach a dog to bring it to you, but im not sure a dog would be able to know when unless it was before/after a specific task such as waking up, sleeping, eating

-bracing me and making me feel more stable when i experience dizziness or vertigo (ie a large breed...I am 5'9" and want a dog that comes nearly waist height)

Ive seen dogs being taught to do this. it seems pretty simple, just again, patience. teaching the command "stand" and then slowly praising and putting pressure on the dogs back while they stand. using a command like "wooh" or something would be useful

-again...I'd like a breed who I can feel is protecting me. As a 19 year old white female wandering around sometimes extremely sketchy parts of manhattan, brooklyn, and the bronx, going home late is an anxiety attack in itself.

any large dog would do the trick. maybe black lab? a golden might not be the best choice tho, only because they are easy to recognize and known to be very very friendly

-I would like a dog who could realize (via olfactory cues) that I am going to have an anxiety/panic attack beforehand and let me know it's coming.

thats the thing. dogs are in tune to their owners, but not all pick up that kind of thing. many do though, but theres no way to be 100% sure. a dog could learn to recognize the signs tho..


The dog will be living with me (and roommates/eventually Zach) in an apartment. The dog would need to be able to ride the subway every day. I want a dog that can "look" scary and will know when someone's trouble and tell them off, but I also need a dog that can walk seamlessly around crazy screaming homeless people waving things, nannies with six shouting running jumping children, and who will be okay with my weird friends coming over and wrestling with each other and dressing in odd costumes and making weird sounds (often without invitation).

most of that is about socialization. getting a young dog used to all that stuff lots of praise for walking in public, popping open umbrellas, shopping carts being slammed. its all about getting a dog used to these things


As far as energy...I need a dog who can walk around a city all day, but who isn't going to freak out during a blizzard when all we get to do is go potty

Breeds I'm considering:

German Shepherd
Doberman
Boxer


I think the GSD would be a good idea. they are great to train, easy to please, but need a lot of exercise and stimulation. I don't know about the others, i dont have personal experience with them.

but a young GSD puppy that you would be able to shape, train and socalize sounds like a good fit

but do consider the shedding lol but be sure to find a WELL BRED GSD. the slope would make it hard to lean on plus the frequency of hip dyplasia

[Vintage Boxers]

I have boxers and they do service work, don't rule out the boxer because of the mushy face...check out our website and drop me an email. My dogs all alert to panic attacks and anxiety attacks, they have flown with me and travel Everywhere, my oldest can alert for low blood sugar, panic attacks and also mobility assistance.

The younger dogs do panic/anxiety and mobility assistance, i have taught them myself and I am VERY luck that my dogs are so bonded with me that they can read me and they were easy to teach!

[Whisper]

Millie is my PSD. The thing is, the medical alerts she does by herself (though I've shaped the way she does her responses to be more subtle). There's no guarantee that any dog will do that, even dogs who are bred and raised to be guide dogs often don't make the cut. Of course I don't mean it's impossible. You just have to be careful choosing a dog and since this is your first service dog and the dog most likely won't already alert on its own an experienced trainer who has trained PSDs (like Vintage Boxers!) would be wise.
If you want to know more about my disabilities and disorders and what Millie does to help me with them, PM me. Feel free to message me with any other questions you have, too.

[Romy]

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

So, this is looking more and more like something that would be perfect for me.

I suffer from severe depressive disorder, anxiety, and depersonalization disorder. Right now it's all pretty under control, but on bad days (or weeks), I think having a PSD would really, really, really help.

I know some of you have PSDs...what's it like? What tasks do they do, did you train them yourselves, what kind of problems do you encounter in public, etc.? Please PM me if you don't feel comfortable posting about your disorders on the forum.

I *think* I want to get a young puppy and train it myself (maybe with the help of a trainer), probably from a shelter or rescue. I'm trying to narrow down the breed, but keep thinking of new ones that would be good.

Honestly, if you are going to invest all the time and money into training a service dog prospect, I would go with one from health tested parents if possible. Especially with any breed that is prone to orthopedic problems. It would be heartbreaking to put in 1-2 years worth of training, only to have the dog's hips go out at 4 years old. Not that a shelter dog won't work, and many people have success with them. That's just my individual approach. Maybe Lizzy has some input about any health screenings her organization might do before pulling prospects?

The dog's tasks would be:
-wake me up if I sleep through an alarm...by whining, pawing, and licking me until I got up
-reminding me to take my medication, probably by bringing it to me
-bracing me and making me feel more stable when i experience dizziness or vertigo (ie a large breed...I am 5'9" and want a dog that comes nearly waist height)
-licking, nosing, and pawing or snuggling me to bring me back to "reality" when I'm having a sort of out-of-body experience
-again...I'd like a breed who I can feel is protecting me. As a 19 year old white female wandering around sometimes extremely sketchy parts of manhattan, brooklyn, and the bronx, going home late is an anxiety attack in itself.
-I would like a dog who could realize (via olfactory cues) that I am going to have an anxiety/panic attack beforehand and let me know it's coming.

Cueing for seizures and other types of medical episodes isn't considered trainable, because nobody knows what cue the dog is picking up. It could be behavioral, olfactory, electrical, etc. and probably varies from dog to dog. You just have to train them for everything else, and if they alert that is icing on the cake. Strider's dad alerts to seizures, and he began alerting to my medical episodes by three months old. That "ability" is thought to run in families.

The dog will be living with me (and roommates/eventually Zach) in an apartment. The dog would need to be able to ride the subway every day. I want a dog that can "look" scary and will know when someone's trouble and tell them off, but I also need a dog that can walk seamlessly around crazy screaming homeless people waving things, nannies with six shouting running jumping children, and who will be okay with my weird friends coming over and wrestling with each other and dressing in odd costumes and making weird sounds (often without invitation).

This will come mainly through training and socialization
-
As far as energy...I need a dog who can walk around a city all day, but who isn't going to freak out during a blizzard when all we get to do is go potty.

Breeds I'm considering:

German Shepherd
Doberman
Boxer

^ top choices. I'm probably going to ex out boxer because of it's size and I've heard bachycephelic breeds aren't good for service work

also:
Bernese mountain dog - too big I think
Lab or golden - they're so common om service work but I don't think for me
Rottie...A LOT of dog. I'd honestly be a little nervous handling one.
Collie - too vocal for an apartment? Same with Standard Poodle.
Borzoi - Romy, I'm looking at you here. What's working with Stryder like?
Pit Bull Terrier - I'm looking for something a little more reliably dog friendly, I think.

Collies can be taught to be quiet, and would be a good choice. They come in tricolor which many uneducated people think looks like a rottie or a doberman.

The right borzoi would work. The main issue with a borzoi puppy is that they need a yard area and preferably a dog friend for free play, otherwise their bodies don't develop properly and they can get narrow and easty westy. It's not really an issue if you take that into account and make sure they get those things. We only had Strider so babysat friend's dogs while they were at work so he would have a friend to wrestle with. Fostering another puppy at the same time might work as well.

With borzoi especially, you need to find a very special dog to do service work. They must be handler oriented, intelligent, confident, and healthy. Too many borzois out there have incorrect weak fearful temperaments, and those dogs would not work as service dogs.

I will say that Strider is a good deterrent when walking. People are drawn to his unusual appearance, but at the same time I am never bothered by gross people or criminals. I love that his back comes up to my waist, it makes it possible for him to brace me without a special harness. He is very quiet and sensitive, and good at just chilling out inside when he needs to, and going for a 10 mile hike/run when he needs to. If you put any weight directly onto a borzoi's shoulders they naturally brace back. Not sure how that works with other breeds.

One thing to keep in mind when using brace as a task, the dog can NOT brace until after the growth plates have closed, usually after 1 year old. Doing it too early will cause damage to their joints.

Anyway, imput please, thanks

One of the most important traits specific to a psychiatric service dog is the dog's own mental health. You need a dog that is handler oriented and wants to please you, but at the same time is emotionally independent of your emotions.

We fostered a german shepherd who had anxiety. Marvelous lovely wonderful girl. Looking back at her, she would have made a terrible psychiatric service dog because her emotions were so intertwined with mine, and she fed off everything I went through. If I had an episode, she would flip out and run around trying to figure out why I was so freaked out so she could make the Bad Thing go away. Because I was in flashback land and the Bad Thing wasn't really there, she ended up becoming reactive to random things that she thought was causing my distress. That made my anxiety even worse.

In Strider's case, he is very biddable and handler oriented. He is also very independent. When I go to flashback land, he just looks at me like "I'll be here when you get back," and he will block and brace to keep other people away and out of my way until it's over. Just having him there helps prevent a lot of those episodes anyway, because he's like a reality anchor. When I'm home alone and think the house settling is a psycho murderer rapist coming in the back door, I can look at Strider and know from his behavior cues that in the REAL reality, nobody is actually there and it is safe. That helps me come down out of it. Actually, one of his tasks is a cued "perimeter check", where he goes and sniffs each window and door in all the rooms and then returns to me. He's not a territorial attack dog by any means, but he behaves differently when people are around/in the house. With the german shepherd, she would have freaked out along with me and been barking and snarling at all the windows and doors, feeding into the episode.

That is something I've noticed about GSDs. They are very in tune to their handlers emotions, but tend to mirror those emotions at the same time. For a breed that also tends to be driven and reactive toward perceived threats, reactive behavior could escalate to become a liability. There are individuals out there who would probably work fine for psychiatric work, but it wouldn't be my first breed of choice. Collies are a great choice for that trait, as they tend to be very handler oriented while maintaining that emotional independence.

If you think of anything else or anything I missed let me know.

ETA: Try looking into gordon setters also. I've only met one but he has the right sort of temperament for this work.