Comments on: Day 2

By: Carrie Link

Carrie Link — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:43:04 +0000

KILLING ME!

By: GoMama

GoMama — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:45:39 +0000

Love the pix of Seth. Poor patient boy! This is a big coupla weeks for all of you guys! Love following this story….

By: Kathi

Kathi — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:14:03 +0000

Hi guys, following along with you when I can, recovering from FLU – I love Jingle. It looks like it is going great. You are handling Seth’s needs so well, too. He is a trooper. I am loving the pictures. I also must have one of those tshirts.

By: Michelle O'Neil

Michelle O'Neil — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:40:23 +0000

Nae,

An old skinny dog? How funny! Leave it to Adam. I’m rooting for him to get old Mr. Bones.

By: Naomi

Naomi — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:11:02 +0000

I love the pictures! This must be so overwhelming at times for Riley but yet, in the end, it will be another successful experience for her – with big rewards. The idea of bringing Jingle to school is wonderful.
Seth is a sweet and patient boy. If I could hug him I would.
Adam said very seriously this morning “Mom,I’m saving up for a dog. An old and skinny dog.” I’m not ready for an old and skinny dog yet, but seeing your family with Jingle…perhaps.

By: Georgia Peach 311

Georgia Peach 311 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:41:34 +0000

Sorry. My posting was interrupted by a little girl and her dog.

That does make sense.

However, Jingle was in a room, sleeping with her people, not in a busy classroom with Riley and students. Does that make sense?

I can’t remember but I think they do understand situational specificity.

Yes. I just looked in the manual:

“Dogs associate behaviors with situational specifity.”

I’m sorry if I have overstepped. I am just trying to help, only 5 months into this service dog thing.

By: Georgia Peach 311

Georgia Peach 311 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:17:28 +0000

That makes sense.

By: fullsoul

fullsoul — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:16:15 +0000

As for us, if we want the dog in the school, she can’t be barking at every new person who walks in the class room or knocks on the classroom door, or who walks by the classroom. Riley is capable of communicating, so we do not need Jingle to bark to communicate with us for Riley’s needs.

The dogs for the hearing impaired, or non verbal kids are being trained differently.

By: Georgia Peach 311

Georgia Peach 311 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:24:53 +0000

The service dog providers sure do have different theories about barking and correcting barking. Maybe it has something to do with the difference in dogs that are raised from birth in the service dog facility (sheltered) vs. dogs that are not? I don’t know.

We were told that barking is a very important way that a dog communicates with its people. For example, we were told that if a stranger comes to the door – makes noise outside – the barking dog is trying to warn us that there could be danger – someone she doesn’t know is a friend. We were told to tell the dog something like “I know. I hear it, too. It’s OK. It’s OK. Thank you for letting us know someone is outside. Good girl!” And give her a treat if you want the dog to continue to warn you of something dangerous or atypical. I think what you did, Michelle, was appropriate. You acknowledged that the dog was trying to tell you something she felt was important for your safety but you did not treat her. You didn’t scold her for trying to tell you something important.

Barking is a way they can communicate to you. I guess one would have to determine if what they are trying to tell you is important of if they are just yapping. And how you respond should depend on if you want them to communicate things that are not specifically Riley centric.

Our dog is a service dog for Miss B but I appreciate knowing that she has her eyes and ears on at all times, looking out for us as dogs do, too. The security (barking) is an added bonus for us. She has done it only 3 times, very appropriately, and I praised her and treated her each time.

It just depends on what you guys as a family want Jingle to be. But I don’t agree with silencing a dog who is trying to warn you of danger. That seems like something that would be very hard for the dog to deal with.

Just my two cents, ok?

By: -e-

-e- — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:22:37 +0000

Wow, that is a tricky spot the boy is in, not being allowed to vie for the attention of such a cool new addition to the family. It is a testament to your parenting that he understands Riley’s needs are being met, and trusts that his will be too. Perhaps a weekend trip honoring a particularly Sethly desire should be in the works soon…

-e-