# Ask your service dog, public access, ADA, ESA questions here!



## service dog vera (Sep 14, 2021)

I want to help educate people about service dogs and access rights and also dispel any misconceptions about service dogs, public access, and ESAs. 
Ask away! I will not be offended.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

The following link will take you to my thread :"Help Me" command worked in crisis
Click n Treat and others clearly explain ESA and SD. Filled with tons of information. You might take a look.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Would love to hear about your experience with poodle service dogs!


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## service dog vera (Sep 14, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Would love to hear about your experience with poodle service dogs!


Could you ask a specific question? Sorry. I’m autistic and struggle with general things. But if you have specific questions or talking points I’m more than happy to answer!!!


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Do you have a service dog? If yes, what breed, and what does he do for you?


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Welcome, Vera. We always like to hear from people with experience.

Did you train your dog yourself?


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## service dog vera (Sep 14, 2021)

94Magna_Tom said:


> Do you have a service dog? If yes, what breed, and what does he do for you?


Hi! Yes I do! She is a cream standard poodle with tan points. She is a multipurpose service dog. She mainly does psychiatric, mobility, and medical response work. 
For psych, she alerts to panic attacks or high emotion episodes and jumps on me and licks me to ground me and make sure I don’t do anything stupid. She also does DPT. For mobility, she helps me stand up by bracing, she helps catch me when I start to fall, and she provides proprioceptive input. For example, when going up or down stairs or ramps, I struggle to tell what the incline/ slope is and this can cause me to step wrong or fall. By holding on to her, I can feel how I should step. It’s almost like guide work except I can see. I say she does medical response work because we are still working on teaching her to alert. Right now, when I have a medical episode, I verbally or with hand signs, tell her what I need or what I need her to do. Usually it’s having her lay on my chest to regulate my breathing and heart rate. Hope this answers your questions!!


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## service dog vera (Sep 14, 2021)

Dianaleez said:


> Welcome, Vera. We always like to hear from people with experience.
> 
> Did you train your dog yourself?


For the psych work, I co-trained her, meaning we went to classes once a week and did our hw. The rest I did myself.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

service dog vera said:


> Could you ask a specific question? Sorry. I’m autistic and struggle with general things. But if you have specific questions or talking points I’m more than happy to answer!!!


Sure! I’ve got lots of questions. Only answer the ones you feel comfortable answering. 

Is she your first service dog?
How old is she? 
Have you had her since she was a puppy?
How was she chosen for this work?


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## service dog vera (Sep 14, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Sure! I’ve got lots of questions. Only answer the ones you feel comfortable answering.
> 
> Is she your first service dog?
> How old is she?
> ...


She is my first service dog (and my first dog since I was a toddler). 
She is almost 3.
I have not had her since she was a puppy. I got her at 18mo.
She was chosen by the trainer of the company I did the co-train program with. The company tends to use “unwanted” dogs.
Vera’s story is interesting, at least to me. All I know is that the trainer found her via a classifieds ad or something similar. Basically, a couple had her, I believe they got her from a breeder as a puppy, and didn’t realize how much work she was/ didn’t have the time for such a high-energy dog. I was told by the trainer that she was kept crated a lot and her diet wasn’t well monitored, because the couple couldn’t handle her. As such, she was 20-30lbs overweight with no tuck and she looked like a sausage, about an 8 on the body condition scale. She was also intact and didn’t know much basic obedience or respond to her name, so I got to rename her.
I would love to be able to track down her breeder so I can learn more about her. I only recently learned she’s a full poodle. I thought she was a goldendoodle but I did the wisdom panel on her.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

service dog vera said:


> She is my first service dog (and my first dog since I was a toddler).
> She is almost 3.
> I have not had her since she was a puppy. I got her at 18mo.
> She was chosen by the trainer of the company I did the co-train program with. The company tends to use “unwanted” dogs.
> ...


She is so lucky to have found you, and you are so lucky to have found her! 

We love pictures, particularly pictures of awesome working poodles 

If you don't feel like making a new thread, this month's just-for-fun contest is pictures of your dog 'working'. 









September 2021 Photo Contest


Hello Poodle Lovers and happy Labor/Labour Day! It is celebrated today both in the US and in Canada. This is annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers and has its origins in the labor union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work...




www.poodleforum.com


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## Footprints&pawmarks (Mar 8, 2021)

Thank you for posting the pictures of Vera. She has a beautiful smile.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Vera is adorable. I’m glad you joined poodle forum.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Vera is so good looking and I am glad that she helps you so much!


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