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The Training of Heart, My Psychiatric Service Dog
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Deborahmichelle
  - Joined on 04-03-2007
- San Francisco
- Posts 8,680
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Re: The Training of Heart, My Psychiatric Service Dog
Dear All, Regarding crate traiiing, Heart has improved markedly since Thurs. Then, she was terrified when I left the house f a moooemnt to take the trash to the bin 2 doors down the hall.. Every hair on her was raised when I came back. In contrast, today, I was able to leave for 90 seconds with the crate door closed. Later I barred the crate door, staying by it/her. Later when I had to go into the hallway for about 90 seconds, she did not complain at all (that I could hear, I had gone to the other end of the hall), & was just excited to see me, not showing terror at the absence. SO we are making progress!Ana, oour Trainer, had suggested that we play in the hallway so that Heart would haave someplace ot safely run. But she got so excited that she peed, & I had to cover up the scent with vinegar (I only had apple cider viiinegar at hand. Tomorrow morning, when I am sure that the building manager won’t be up (Heart is getting me up at 3; 45AM many days!), I’m going to cover the spot with white vinegar, which I poured into a dissspenser for this purpose.We started to work on “taking a bathj” today. I had previously deseenssitized her to beign brushed & combed, & did both in a hurried manner today. I then got her into a tub 1/3 full of warm water. I used a wet washcloth with a tad of shampoo to wash her. Then I dried her with a Turrkish towel. She did not protest at anything except getting into the tub. I plan to repeat the sequence every day this week, washing more thoroooughly each dday.Her service vest was sized for an extra-small dog. I hadn’t realized that the company also manufacturers a “tiny” size. ZEven with my alterations, the vest I have now is enormous & hard to get into becaussse I haad to sew the back straps shut, meaning that she has to step into it! (The poor, patient, good doggie.) Also, I don’t like the bright orange against her black hair. Also, her status s a service-dog-in-training is only labeled on the left side of this extra-small vest. SO, I ordered a itiny vest, in blue, with labels on top & on each side. I certainly hope that IT fits her!I am still medicating her ears, even though the vet had said that I could sstop yesterday. I want to use up all of the cleansiign sollutiiooon, & medicate each t ime that I cleanse (I think that there is more dosage of meds left than of solution, as our Trainer Ana had urged me to really saturate the cotton ball with solution.I ended her bland diet of baby food yesterday, but still will use it as a treat. She gets normal beef lliver treats, plus pieces of hot dogs or pieces of thawed chicken nuggets as jackpot/crate training treats as well.I have returned to the Psychiatric Service Dog lllist-serv as of Thursday, & have already been pushed into lurk-only status as I’ve been criticized for vest ing Heart before she is thoroooughly trained. (I don’t see hwo I can train her if she doesn’t go out & about, being vested. I only take her to Walgreens, Cala/Ralphs/Krogers & the Post Office. All 3 places haave made her welcome. She did whine a bit at Walgreens today – I’ll have to ask Ana our Trainer about that.) I did learn sooomething intriguing there today – one of the doggies has Diabetes Insipidus, juss like me!She finally ate her full morning ration of kibble today. I learned to feed it right afer we return from our 1st walk of the day. I finally realized that she wanted to go out again for scavenging of food on the ground, that she was just hungry, not needing to eliminate at that time! After she ate, she slept & did not want another wallk for a couple of hours!
Yours in Him, Deb
Proud trainer of Heart, a black female Miniature Poodle, as a Psychiatric Service Dog Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name. (Psalm 100) Yours in thrift, Deb
Officially Recognized Stretchpert in Government & Charity Assistance, Kosher Living and Prayer Circle
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JustMe
 - Joined on 04-02-2009
- Posts 122
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Re: The Training of Heart, My Psychiatric Service Dog
DeborahMichelle
I don't have much time to read your entire entry, but first, I think vinegar is not right? I've been told that vinegar and club soda only make the owners happy ~ it doesn't cover the scent and the dog will return to the same spot, time and again. We always used Nature's Miracle. It can be found in Pet Stores and on-line. You might want to google it?
Also, over at Delphi is a forum with members that have a vast amount of good information. It's called DOG BYTES. It can probably be done through a delphiforums or google search.
I'll be back later.
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Deborahmichelle
- Joined on 04-03-2007
- San Francisco
- Posts 8,680
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Re: The Training of Heart, My Psychiatric Service Dog
Dear LynnSwedluv, You've touched my heart with your gentle words about your beloved Cocoa. IIi can only iimagine what he meant to you, with what Heart means to me aafter jussst 17 days of really having her in my life (no doubt influenced bythe months of longing for her, though). I am so honored that I am able to ease the pain a bit vicariously for you. Love in Hiiim, Deb
Proud trainer of Heart, a black female Miniature Poodle, as a Psychiatric Service Dog Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name. (Psalm 100) Yours in thrift, Deb
Officially Recognized Stretchpert in Government & Charity Assistance, Kosher Living and Prayer Circle
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Deborahmichelle
- Joined on 04-03-2007
- San Francisco
- Posts 8,680
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Re: The Training of Heart, My Psychiatric Service Dog
Dear JustMe, The next timee that I'm at Pet Foods Unlimited (the only trust-worthy pets store iiin SF, so far as I've been able to find), I'll check out Nature's Miracle; thanks for the heads-up. Love in Him, Deb
Proud trainer of Heart, a black female Miniature Poodle, as a Psychiatric Service Dog Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name. (Psalm 100) Yours in thrift, Deb
Officially Recognized Stretchpert in Government & Charity Assistance, Kosher Living and Prayer Circle
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Deborahmichelle
- Joined on 04-03-2007
- San Francisco
- Posts 8,680
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Re: The Training of Heart, My Psychiatric Service Dog
More from my Journal: Sunday, October 25, 2009:Heart has had a terrible morning, & it’s only 10AM. I tried to do a successive shampoo. Well, I don’t know what I did wrong, but she threw a fit, wouldn’t even eat lliver treats. The worst part to her was being towel-dried, so next time I’ll just let her shake herself ddry. I finally got her to eat 4-5 treats & then she started retching, I was sure that shes’d vomit, but no. Thereafter, she was lying around in different places iin the apt, per usual. NOW SHE HAS DONE THE MOSST UNUSUAL THING! She went into the crat e voluntarily! And not just ooce but twice, as I got her Kong (rubber toy stuffed with liver treats covered by PB) & put it in. Naturally, I am neither closing the door of the crate nor leaving the house. I am just OVERJOYED that she’s gone into her “den” voluntarily. T hat’s what it ‘s supposed to be, a voluntary personal space. (Indeed, I won’t get up from this desk chair, a foot away from the crate, for 15 minutes or until she leaves the crate, whichever is later. This is one happy Mommy!!!She did let me do her ears after her shampoo, with one of her favorite treats, a turkey hot dog, Inter est ingly, she did not roll over & massage her ears against the carpet this time. I guess she figured that she had done enough flailing around after the toweling! Ah, now, after 5 minutes, she has left the crate, but what a peak exper ience for me!
Yours in Him, Deb
Proud trainer of Heart, a black female Miniature Poodle, as a Psychiatric Service Dog Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name. (Psalm 100) Yours in thrift, Deb
Officially Recognized Stretchpert in Government & Charity Assistance, Kosher Living and Prayer Circle
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JustMe
- Joined on 04-02-2009
- Posts 122
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Re: The Training of Heart, My Psychiatric Service Dog
Again, just a quickie....
Be careful about too many baths ~ Heart's skin could become dried out, and then you would have another problem. Also, it's my understanding that all dogs are only awake about 4 hours out of each day and they lounge and sleep the other 20 hours. I'm no expert, only make suggestions for you to question your professional.
Love,
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Deborahmichelle
- Joined on 04-03-2007
- San Francisco
- Posts 8,680
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Re: The Training of Heart, My Psychiatric Service Dog
Thanks, Just Me. I won't try again with a bath for another 2 weeks (when it's due), then. I appreciaet all of yur advice.
Heart seems to be awake about 6 hours a day total, it seeeems.
Love in Him, Deb & Heart
Proud trainer of Heart, a black female Miniature Poodle, as a Psychiatric Service Dog Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name. (Psalm 100) Yours in thrift, Deb
Officially Recognized Stretchpert in Government & Charity Assistance, Kosher Living and Prayer Circle
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Deborahmichelle
- Joined on 04-03-2007
- San Francisco
- Posts 8,680
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Re: The Training of Heart, My Psychiatric Service Dog
Dear JustMe, Heart does NOT brkk "a lot," just once or twice at a time that I notice (sometimes she wakes me up, & then I don't know how many times she hs barked.). She stops when I say, "That's ENOUGH" or just "ENOUGH!" & move my right index finger in close towards her snout.
Dogs can be trained to search & rescue anything, so I'm not surprised tht they can flush out bedbugs! And,yes, it was I who had a problem with bedbugs.
Love in Hiiim, Deb
Proud trainer of Heart, a black female Miniature Poodle, as a Psychiatric Service Dog Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name. (Psalm 100) Yours in thrift, Deb
Officially Recognized Stretchpert in Government & Charity Assistance, Kosher Living and Prayer Circle
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