Training a service animal in sorority house?

[BlueCarnation]

Thanks everyone! I've taken all of this to our board and I think we have a plan in motion. Ugh...I'll let you know what happens!

[CutiePie2000]

I would also say that you can bring up allergies as a strong point as well. Things like a "medical note" tend to trump all. Talk to orgs like the American Lung Association or whatever....

If my roommate had a dog or a cat, I could not live there, due to my allergies.

I think this is best summed up here:

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I get the feeling that this might be a "I want this dog, so I'l just say it's a service dog so maybe they'll make an exception for me and let me keep it" kind of thing.

And see, this is just friggin' RUDE:

Originally Posted by BlueCarnation

The 5 week old puppy showed up today, a week after she moved in. She didn't tell anyone in advance, including her highly allergic roommate.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by minDyG

No fish?

I've heard of DGs training seeing eye dogs for Service for Sight, but if they're not allowed to live in the house, wouldn't that impede their training? I've heard that seeing eye dogs have to be kept on a really, really strict regimen (i.e. no special treats, restricted diet, etc.) and I would think that having visitors at random intervals might throw that off. Maybe not. Do you have any experience with this Titchou?

No fish either. Policy says "no pets." Even House Directors have to get a Pet Waiver. There is even a form for it.

And if DGs are training them, they aren't living in the DG house with the animal. And yes, I do have experience denying such requests...we have never approved one of these.

[minDyG]

Originally Posted by Titchou

No fish either. Policy says "no pets." Even House Directors have to get a Pet Waiver. There is even a form for it.

And if DGs are training them, they aren't living in the DG house with the animal. And yes, I do have experience denying such requests...we have never approved one of these.

Wow. That is eye-opening news for me regarding the no pets thing (can't exactly say why though! )

[Titchou]

Go to the DG website, sign into myDG and look for the full list of policies topic. Click on it and scroll down to "housing/Pets" and you'll see: There shall be no pets in Delta Gamma housing."

[BlueCarnation]

Yeah, I don't know why our house corps didn't just get in touch with our headquarters as soon as this became an issue...It's finally there and we're awaiting the final verdict. The dog--and the sister--are currently not living in the house.

[ThetaDancer]

I just want to wish you luck in dealing with this, BlueCarnation. It sounds like a real headache.

[bostongreek]

i feel bad for the poor dog!

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by bostongreek

i feel bad for the poor dog!

Same! I think it's really tragic when people are completely thoughtless and careless about getting pets. This girl really should have known better...

[annabella]

The terrible part is that most shelters won't take pit bulls.

What a thoughtless little brat.

If she ends up giving up the dog, please pass this along: http://www.pbrc.net

[MaggieXi]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I get the feeling that this might be a "I want this dog, so I'l just say it's a service dog so maybe they'll make an exception for me and let me keep it" kind of thing.

Hijack:

My mother in law does this. She has a yorkie she carries around with her with fraudulent papers stating that its a service dog just so she can take it anywhere she wants.

Oh and she does this with a disabled vehicle blackard too.

And she wonders why we have a strained relationship?!

End Hijack.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by MaggieXi

Hijack:

My mother in law does this. She has a yorkie she carries around with her with fraudulent papers stating that its a service dog just so she can take it anywhere she wants.

Oh and she does this with a disabled vehicle blackard too.

And she wonders why we have a strained relationship?!

End Hijack.

Wow. She sounds like a real winner.

I think you should share that story in this thread, lol:

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...d.php?t=106746

[PeppyGPhiB]

OK, I have raised three dogs for Canine Companions for Independence, the largest non-sight service dog organization. I can tell you for a fact that...

- Reputable service dog organizations do not release five-week-old puppies to puppy raisers. That is too young for them to be taken away from their mom and littermates. CCI turns over puppies at 8 weeks of age.

- All service dog organizations I know (CCI, Guide Dogs for the Blind, The Seeing Eye) have official vests their puppies in training must wear. Usually they're a different color than the graduate dogs. For example, CCI's puppy vests are yellow; graduates wear blue vests. There is also a patch on the vest that usually reads something like "assistance dog in training."

- A reputable service dog organization interviews each potential puppy raiser and performs a home visit of where the puppy will be raised. In CCI, if you have a yard it must be fenced, though you do not have to have a yard to get a dog. If you don't have a yard, you must commit to taking the dog on good walks and toileting it on leash always. After all, not every graduate dog will go to someone living in a house with a yard; some go to people who live in apartments or condos and therefore all dogs must get used to exercising on leash and toileting on leash.

I know of one young lady in our puppy raising club who took a puppy about a year old to college with her. She had been training him since he was 8 weeks old, and she had raised a puppy in high school who went on to graduate. She also did 4-H and was extremely responsible. She did not live in a sorority house, but the dog was permitted to live in the dorm with her.

- No organization I know of uses pit bulls as service dogs in training. They are simply too aggressive. A service dog must be confident but very at ease with following direction from its handler, and must never growl, bark or show any signs of distraction or aggression toward other dogs or people. Particularly children. I know of no organization that would ever train a pit bull. Most use labs, golden retrievers, standard poodles, german shephards, belgian tervurens, labradoodles/golendoodles. Hearing dog organizations may use these dogs but also use corgis, as corgis are herding dogs with very confident/stubborn personalities. All of the big service dog organizations have their own breeding programs, and I'm telling you they do not breed pit bulls. There are a few small organizations that I think use pound dogs or donations, but if they accept a pit bull into the program I promise you it is not a reputable or large organization.

- If the dog was a service dog being used for a disability - and btw she would not need paperwork in order to prove to you it was a "real" service dog - it would be illegal for you to keep the dog out of the house. Against Americans with Disabilities Act. But there is no such law protecting service animals in training; you do not HAVE to allow a service dog in training into any facility. It's for that reason I HATE chicks like this one who ruin the training opportunities for LEGITIMATE service dogs in training who do need to learn to go places like the supermarket, a movie theatre, church, and anywhere else where people go. We rely on the kindness and understanding of the owners/managers of properties to allow us to bring our dog in, and we are on our best manners when we go into such places. People who claim their tiny dog with a homemade vest as a service dog just so he can fly on airplanes with them, or a woman who thinks it's ok for her to bring her dog into the grocery store just because it can fit in her purse, also piss me off.

- If this was a real service dog in training, she likely wouldn't have any official "documentation" other than a contract. People used to ask me to show my documentation when I was out and about with my CCI puppies, and I had to tell them I didn't have any. Um, the perfectly behaved dog and the very official vest were my documentation. I don't carry contracts around with me.

I encourage you to question this young lady, because I think she's full of BS. And if it does turn out she's full of it, give her a smack on the behind for me and tell her those of us who REALLY go through the tremendous effort to raise service dogs don't appreciate efforts like hers.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by MaggieXi

Hijack:

My mother in law does this. She has a yorkie she carries around with her with fraudulent papers stating that its a service dog just so she can take it anywhere she wants.

Oh and she does this with a disabled vehicle blackard too.

And she wonders why we have a strained relationship?!

End Hijack.

OK, this sounds like a Seinfeld episode. A Yorkie as a service dog? It weighs a pound. What service does it provide? I would love to see the looks she gets.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by 33girl

OK, this sounds like a Seinfeld episode. A Yorkie as a service dog? It weighs a pound. What service does it provide? I would love to see the looks she gets.

A lot of people are claiming these days that their dog, pig, whatever-animal-they-choose, calms their anxieties. They basically claim that it comforts them. Well boooo-hoooo, that's the primary purpose of PETS. I once saw a woman get on one of my flights with a potbellied pig who she claimed kept her from having panic attacks on planes. This bothers me because there's a big difference between situations like these, which could be addressed with medication or counseling, and ones like epilepsy (some dogs are being trained for this now), autism, paraplegia, and vision or hearing loss. I think it's horrible some people are so selfish as to fake an illness or try to place themselves into the same category as people who have the conditions I just listed in the second group. You won't find a reputable service dog organization training dogs to simply "comfort" people; they are in the business of providing highly and specially trained dogs for people who otherwise have truly not-so-great quality of life. Not dogs for lonely people...that's what pets are for.