Join me on This New Path!

Hey, Friends!

So… I’m moving into a new stage in life, as are a lot of 18-year-olds this year. And last year. And pretty much every year. While many of my friends’ paths are heading toward that mysterious enigma called college, mine is going another way.

Service Dog Training.

Ooo, boy.

I invite you to join me on this path, to learn alongside me what exactly a Service Dog entails. Finding one of these things would’ve been a great help when this path was first inspected. Would’ve come in handy.

When we first brought up the thought? All I saw in my mind’s eye were Golden Retrievers, Labs, German Shepherds. Seeing-eye dogs. While those definitely are Service Dogs, they’re not the only kinds. Diabetes Response dogs, Diabetes Alert Dogs, Seizure Response dogs, Mobility Dogs, PTSD dogs, and so many more also fall under this label.

Due to all of the above, I figured this… diary, for lack of a better term, would be helpful. Me, my friends, family, and maybe some strangers lead to this can all learn what’s what together! Plus, who doesn’t want to see a bunch of puppy dog pictures? …Trust me, there will be a lot. Those who know me won’t be surprised.

As I thought more about it, I grew more and more excited!

…aaaand I saw the cost.  Not just the monetary cost, mind you, but the whole picture.   We’re talking commitment–as long as I’m able, I will never leave your side, kind of thing.

Getting a ready-trained dog?

First, sign up for a waiting list longer than any you’ve ever been on. The wait for that latest book (or movie) that will finally answer the questions left from the last cliff-hanger? Barely a blink compared to the wait of a service dog that will allow you to be independent.

Next, fork over $20-50K.  Not exactly pocket change.

If you don’t bond with the dog? Your loss.

Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. Not for an 18-year-old who doesn’t earn nearly that much in a year without counting taxes, tithing, savings, or anything.

So, how about an owner-trained dog?

This cost is slightly different.

Instead of getting put on a waiting list, you have to commit to training your dog yourself. This means being assertive. Oof. Two to three sessions a day of about 15-30 minutes of training, with several outings a week in order to get used to being out in public. For a puppy. Training never truly stops; this is a lifetime commitment, people! Like marriage. Or death.

Only c. $5k. For the training. Still, my don’t-buy-it-unless-you-need-it self cringes. Then there’s finding the right dog. For the situation I am training for (light mobility/seizure response) is pretty imperative.  It would be inhumane to train a dog with potential health or joint issues themselves.  Therefore my hopes of rescuing and adopting a dog in need of a new forever home went out the window.  So, a breeder it is.  There’s another $2-3k.  Then the vet bills.  I love the organization we are considering.  They require us to have x-rays of growth plates and later spaying/neutering for proper growth and development for my perfect companion.  And that’s after they have scoured the puppy and its parents’ health history for me!

Feels like I’m adopting a child, here.  This life is going to depend on me. *gulp*  I’ve lived this long without a service dog, right?  I don’t want to be whiny… then I’m reminded that, in this next stage in life, my family can no longer be my service humans.

In an owner-trained situation, the dog is with you from the beginning. There’s none of the doggy depression that comes from having been torn away from two–sometimes three–different trainers in the above situation.  Before the dog even meets its handler.

The dog learns whose voice is final. The dog learns who needs to have its attention constantly, and the way its handler works from puppyhood. This makes the pairing as close to seamless as possible.

Okay, this… this I can do. I have landed a couple of work situations that allow me to work from home. I live with my amazing family who is supportive. This just makes the most sense.  Plus, I never did like to wait 2+ years for something I wanted (books, mainly). So this could work!

IF I learn how to be assertive.

IF I can come to grips with the fact that my ability to blend into any crowd–despite the beacon of lighthouse-yness I have atop my head (I’m a redhead)–will no longer work. Ever.

IF I can learn how to say ‘no’ when people ask to pet or play with the dog.

IF I can learn that I will never be the one seen first–that claim is the dog’s alone.

But that’s all in my mind, so I can work on that… absolutely…!

This said, that Handicrafts Business (aka Econ credit) I started in High School? (check out the ‘support us’ tab!) Hooks and needles… START. YOUR. ENGINES!

The gigs I’ve landed as an audio-book reader don’t hurt either.

Good news? We’ve found an organization we’re excited to work with. Scout’s Legacy Service Dogs. We’ve had a conversation with them on the phone, and I sing their praises! They’ve helped me come up with an accurate budget of merely 12K. And that total includes a nice little emergency-stash of uh-oh money amounting to 2K. Just in case.

Not only that! They’re a go-at-your-own-pace group. If your team is having trouble with something, you don’t need to rush ahead. Or, on the flip side, you don’t have to keep covering something you were able to get in the first class.

Wishing you all a blessed day!

–Lauryn