[nagdu] Service dog helps control anxiety attacks

[Julie J]

Nicole,

You are right on both points.  Tags or even a vest or harness is not a 
condition of access.  But I think it's rather stupid not to put something on 
your dog to identify it and then wonder why you get asked so many questions.

And I have absolutely no clue why she thinks that she can take the dog into 
a grocery store but not a restaurant or theater.  It makes no sense to me. 
Owner trained dog's handlers have the same public access rights as any other 
service dog handler.

It sounds like she did a good job of training the dog.  I do have a hard 
time with pit bulls as service dogs though.  It's just my own perceptions 
about the breed, I know.  I'd think for someone with anxiety and panic 
attacks that severe though, you'd want to use a dog that wouldn't have the 
potential for provoking added access challenges, which would most likely 
increase your anxiety and panic attacks.

I don't know.
Julie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nicole B. Torcolini" <ntorcolini at wavecable.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 11:29 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service dog helps control anxiety attacks


> Good article.  Two things that seem wrong, though:
> 1. Although the dog does not wear any kind of other identification, the 
> tags should not be necessary.
> 2. Shouldn't the dog be allowed everywhere?  Are the laws about 
> self-trained service dogs different from those about self-trained guide 
> dogs?
>
> Nicole
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ginger Kutsch" <gingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 6:35 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] Service dog helps control anxiety attacks
>
>
>> This service dog helps control anxiety attacks
>> By Steve Lathrop, Albany Democrat-Herald
>> Posted: Monday, May 24, 2010 4:00 pm |
>>
>> Desiree Carlson holds her 2-year-old son Neo near her emotional
>> support dog Bramma Love. (Mark Ylen/Democrat-Herald) .
>> ..When Bramma Love detects the signals, she doesn't hesitate to
>> go into action. And that's what Desiree "Dezi" Carlson counts on.
>>
>> Bramma Love, a 5-year-old American Staffordshire terrier, alerts
>> Carlson to oncoming anxiety and panic attacks, which she has had
>> since she was 10.
>>
>> "She's more to me than a service dog. I don't know what I'd do
>> without her," said Carlson, 23. "I totally love her."
>>
>> Carlson, a single mother who lives in Albany with her 2-year-old
>> son and trains dogs part time, trained Bramma herself after
>> realizing the dog reacted to the approaching attacks.
>>
>> "She knew what was coming," Carlson said. "She instinctively knew
>> how to calm me and when it was done."
>>
>> It took several years to fully train Bramma and get her service
>> tags. Carlson has trained dogs and been around animals most of
>> her life. She didn't know much about Bramma's breed except that
>> it didn't have a good reputation.
>>
>> "It was a challenge I wanted to take and I found out that the
>> breed is really considered very human-oriented and affectionate,"
>> she said, noting that her son, Neo, and Bramma are best of
>> friends.
>>
>> Claustrophobia, particularly in stores, contributes to the
>> attacks, which may last five minutes or half an hour. Carlson
>> says Bramma reflects attention.
>>
>> "I get anxious in stores and try to get in and out as quickly as
>> I can. She keeps me focused on doing that," Carlson said. "She
>> interacts well with people and other dogs and puts the pressure
>> on her and not me."
>>
>> The attacks can be severe. Labored breathing, shaking and even
>> the possibility of blacking out are symptoms. Bramma controls the
>> situation by isolating Carlson, which lets her know she needs to
>> relax.
>>
>> She said that Bramma's temperament helped in the training
>> process. Carlson made socializing a priority.
>>
>> "That wasn't hard because she interacts so well with everyone,"
>> said Carlson.
>>
>> Bramma wears tags indicating her designation as a service dog
>> because the typical halters irritate her chest. Carlson also
>> carries an ID tag for Bramma in her purse.
>>
>> Most stores, including Safeway and Fred Meyer, have accepted
>> Bramma once they know she's a service animal, Carlson said.
>> Shanna Chess, assistant manager at Safeway, said she did not know
>> of any complaints and added that any animal with tags or a vest
>> identifying it as a service animal is welcome.
>>
>> "I can't take her into restaurants and movie theaters and I
>> understand that," Carlson said. "But she's with me everywhere
>> else. She's the diary I don't carry. She knows all my secrets."
>>
>> Source:
>> http://www.democratherald.com/news/local/article_f57030c4-6770-11
>> df-9d86-001cc4c03286.html
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