Just back Autism and a Service Dog...

[disneynewman]

I have a question that has to do with Service Dogs at WDW.
How did your dog do with all the walking?
What about all the walking on concrete?
I know sometimes when we go to the pool, the concrete is so hot on our feet. How did the dog do with walking on hot concrete?

She was fine with all the walking, the temp never got above 85 and the pavement was never too hot. I wore flip flops most days so that I could check. If it wasn't too hot for me to walk on I knew she would be okay. Anytime my DS went on a ride and she didn't we found teh closest shady are to wait. She also has a collapsable drinking bowl so we offered her water several times a day. Also there are plenty of inside times with character meet and greets and shows. My DS couldn't hadle more than 4 hours in the park so she got a hotel break everyday but I imagine even if we didn't go back to the hotel all the other little breaks would be enough.
And she did very well with teh characters who all seemed very excited to see her. The photopass photographers also thought it was neat. Here is one of many shots of her and Pluto

 

[mykidsintow]

We have booties for Lucas as well. When we went to Pigeon Forge we stayed in a cabin that typically does not allow pets. I used the booties to ensure the safety of their pine flooring. Lucas hates booties, btw.

We have not encountered the "too hot" thing. I need to consider that for June. Hmm....

Lucas goes all day long. He is thrilled to be right by DD to go to sleep too . He breaks when we break. I imagine he has much more endurance than mom!

Another thing to note.... a SD is not a "typical" dog. Lucas gets weekly baths. If we are traveling he is bathed right before we leave. I have a special brush to get rid of all the extra hair (I don't want a vehicle or room of hair and dander either, my DD has resiptory issues). When I walk him in the mornings and night during travel I use the brush on him outside. He *loves* it. Its a nice break for him as well. At home I brush him outside every evening. If its rainy or snowy we do it in the bathroom and then I immediately clean it all the best I can.

I am thrilled you had such a good trip! We use a gentle leader on Lucas and Julia puts it on him every morning and drags him around the house all day long. It kinda reminds me of the tether, but she tethers herself to him, hehehe. He is so patient laying where he is instructed to play kitchen and dolls. Sometimes I feel sorry for him. I wouldn't want to lay there with her kitchen all day and have fake food and bowls in front of me to eat and dine, but he doesn't seem to mind.

 

[LauraVV]

I have a question that has to do with Service Dogs at WDW.
How did your dog do with all the walking?
What about all the walking on concrete?
I know sometimes when we go to the pool, the concrete is so hot on our feet. How did the dog do with walking on hot concrete?

Sue, we took our dogs in late January, early February. They did wonderfully. We don't really have a lot of problem with the hot concrete. We are careful about hot concrete. If they find that a surface is too hot we go somewhere else. Grass or dirt walking may be preferable to hot sidewalks. We are in IL and it gets hot and humid in the summer but it's not like living in Florida. You can purchase boots/shoes for dogs if you need them to walk where it's really hot.

 

[SueM in MN]

We got a puppy in January that is going to be trained to be a Service Dog for my youngest DD. He's only 6 months old now, so it's going to be a while before he is ready for a WDW trip, but I'm getting information right now.

 

[dclfun]

Living here in Central Florida we face the issue of hot pavement with my SD all the time. Many dogs, including mine, are uncomfortable in the booties, which we've tried. I've also used Musher's Secret. It needs to be applied and allowed to dry before you hit the trail. That said, I am always looking down at the pavement surface. If it's black, Skye will be doing a little dance meaning her feet are burning. We don't stand still on black pavement and I usually bring a little throw blanket for times when we must remain in one area, such as during an afternoon parade. Dogs can overheat very quickly. I was warned to constantly hydrate my SD when out in the heat, give ice, splash water under her belly, etc. Once overheated dogs can die in an instant- there's no time to save them. So not only is comfort a concern but also their safety. In the summer we aren't out all day and I'd not suggest, unless you're someone like me who cannot travel without your SD, to bring them to the theme parks during the summer and expect you'll get much touring done.---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the info.
Our dog is black, which means he's going to 'attract' heat, so we're already thinking about what we'll do just to take him out in Minnesota in the summer. Our winters may be super cold, but our summers can be hot and humid.

 

[7165red]

I so glad you had a nice trip. I have great love and respect for service dogs. Thank God for the good trainers. Sometimes when I see them they bring tears to my eyes.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

To me that isn't sad. Most of the time allergies are just a nuisance. When they rise to the point of a disability accommodations are required. For example, I have lots of allergies. These are things I have to deal with. I get anaphylaxis when exposed to a particular antibiotic. Exposure would cause me to have breathing difficulty and could cause death. That's a disability.

Good way of explaining it, LauraVV!

The DOT is coming out with a rewording of the ACAA. In it will be clearer regulations on dealing with ppl with allergies and who claim religious or cultural reasons to not want to travel with a dog. Those ppl will be seated away from the dog on the plane. If somebody has a dog allergy that is so severe it is legally a disability (most dog allergies are not), both parties will be seated on opposite ends of the plane from each other (i.e. if both were near the middle of the plane, both will be moved; since many SD handlers sit in bulkhead, this means disabled-allergics will be seated in the back of the plane for flights with such folks). In extreme cases, one person may be bumped off the plane WITHOUT either disability taking precedence over the other (i.e. using reasonable ways of deciding who takes the next flight), but that is not expected to happen hardly ever and the disabled-allergic person should carry on them a medical certificate about their allergy in such situation (i.e. if they MUST change planes if there is a dog on the plane).

So, for the person on here who said their child goes into anaphylactic shock if he is near anybody with dander on their clothes, you prob'ly should get a medical certificate from the doctor if your child needs to fly, just in case there should be a service animal (or pet - but I don't know the rules for that) on the flight. If you're not going anywhere time-specific (i.e. business meeting, wedding, etc.), please be reasonable and consider the needs of the disabled handler (meds, their condition, etc.) and their service animal (pottying, feeding [most ppl don't feed them that morning but plan to feed them first thing upon arrival home/to hotel], etc.).

I just heard about this future rule change today. Thankfully, it also REQUIRES airports in the U.S. to have service animal relief (potty) areas AND if you request somebody to take you to it, they must provide such a person!

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

How did your dog do with all the walking?
What about all the walking on concrete?

Dogs are a bit better at it than we are, perhaps because they are always on their bare paws and they have a slightly higher body temperature than we do.

You can try doggy boots, but be sure to train your dog to wear and work in them well before the trip. (It is okay to laugh at your dog the first time he tries walking in them - it is a stinkin' hilarious sight to behold!!!!! ) Even then, he may not like the boots. My SD doesn't, but I put them on for Disney and ended up having to take them off partway through the trip because she wouldn't stop throwing a "tantrum", or maybe "protest" is a better word, by sitting every time we stopped walking for more than a few seconds. (For a balance dog like her, this is NOT a good thing!!) As soon as those evil booties were off, she behaved just fine!

It was funny, though, 'cause one of the ride operators of a ride we went on while she was still in boots actually THANKED me for putting her in boots! He must've been a real animal lover 'cause he said too many ppl don't think about the pavement and their paws. I got a kick out of that.

Do be aware that the way dogs cool themselves is sweating through their paws as well as panting.

Anyway, my girl is unaffected by pavement (or sand) that I find very hot. She has never done a hot-surface dance and is perfectly fine standing and sitting (sometimes her choice) on hot surfaces. (I do recommend an umbrella for the beach because of the heat of the son bearing down on the dog, who is wearing a fur coat on the beach, though!)

I did sometimes use the pump mister on my dog at Disney. I don't know if it helped at all, since it prob'ly couldn't get through her thick hair to her skin, but I sure enjoyed whenever I used it on myself! When we sat in the sun (accessible section) at Lights, Motors, Action! I also put the fan mister on the ground in front of her with the fan turned on for the whole show. (Mine made noise when it was flat on the ground for some reason, so I had to shove something under it to tilt it up just a bit. Then it was silent.)

If the dog wears pannier packs, some ppl like to put frozen bottles of water in the packs to help cool the dog.

Also, RuffWear just came out with a product called the "Swamp Cooler", which is a body-long vest for dogs made to cool them down. So, if your dog doesn't use a special harness to help you, you could turn that vest into an SD vest for those super hot days. There are also mesh SD vests that you can purchase.

SDs can go-go-go all day long, so I wouldn't worry too much about the dog not being able to keep up.

 

[dclfun]

Actually SD's should not be pushed to go-go-go all day long in the heat. If they look tired, keep sitting down, etc. then realize that like a child, they're your responsibility and your plans may need to be altered. That said it doesn't mean you're finished with touring. You can go to First Aid for a rest in the a/c or an indoor attraction for awhile so they can rest and cool off. All dogs aren't the same either, just like people. Some have more stamina and energy than others. Pushing a dog beyond their limits can be dangerous. ---Kathy

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Actually SD's should not be pushed to go-go-go all day long in the heat. If they look tired, keep sitting down, etc. then realize that like a child, they're your responsibility and your plans may need to be altered. That said it doesn't mean you're finished with touring. You can go to First Aid for a rest in the a/c or an indoor attraction for awhile so they can rest and cool off. All dogs aren't the same either, just like people. Some have more stamina and energy than others. Pushing a dog beyond their limits can be dangerous. ---Kathy

Well, of course if the dog is actually tired you need to stop. But just stopping because you think the dog might get tired eventually is silly. Somebody with a tiny dog (i.e. a small alert dog) might have to take a break for their dog, since the dog walks more than larger dogs (shorter legs = more steps taken). Somebody with a large dog most likely won't have a problem and it is NOT pushing a dog at all.

A person needs to know how to read their dog, though. Dogs could start sitting down or whatnot for a variety of reasons (crossed signals, pain, their tack is misaligned/catching on them, a tantrum [like my dog and her booties ], boredom, tiredness, needing to potty, needing water, etc.).

 

[dclfun]

Yes, I agree that we all have to read our SD's. The problem comes in when people expect to just keep their schedules without regard for their SD and forget that WDW can be an overwhelming stressful place. I can tell you I've been approached many times at WDW by CM's offering water which I appreciate. When they see that I have a bowl they comment that not everyone remembers about their dog and a few have seen dogs foaming at the mouth and overheating, trudging behind their partner. At WDW a dog is subjected to things they aren't used to at home ( at least for most dogs)- crowds, more physical work, unwanted petting, a lack of routine, etc. My SD is one who doesn't have the stamina for a full day at the parks and she's a Labrador, not a small dog. She was chosen for me by the SD organization to be a calmer, more low-key dog since I'm not able to be hugely active and my job is a desk job. If she'd been a high-energy dog then it wouldn't have been fair for her not to be able to release the energy. People who are more active, have more active jobs, etc. are given dogs with a very high energy level so there's a good match. Forcing a dog whose temperament is laid-back to push through the parks with little rest just isn't fair to them. Just like humans don't all have the same energy levels and stamina in the parks, neither do SD's. I'm sure this is why the family I met with the autism SD gave their dog a resort day and left her behind. They particularly noted trouble with the unwanted petting and their dog was acting stressed and unable to do it's job. Another friend felt her dog was getting overheated in July so placed her in a kennel during the afternoon for some rest and a/c. So yes, read your dog as they are our responsibilities first and foremost. I'm sure those of us who cannot function without a SD are quite in-tune with our partners and know the limits of their stamina. Those with new SD's and a new partnership might not realize some of the above and it's best to be prepared vs. disappointed or even have a tragedy occur. ---Kathy ( and Skye who appreciates her nap)

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

A dog's temperament is not the same as how long he can go for. A dog can be low-key and still be able to work all day long and enjoy it.

That is terrible that some ppl are so darn selfish as to forget their dogs. I don't think too many ppl on this board are like that, though - at least not the ones asking questions.

Somebody with a brand-new partnership wouldn't be ready to tackle Disney yet. They need a few months to get used to their new role and the dog to get used to his new role.

I don't know if you live in the country or what, but Disney isn't much different from regular life in the suburbs or city. There aren't usually rides in regular life but there are crowds of people, noise, different things, and some idiot drive-by petters (the latter of which I didn't really come across at Disney - but most ppl do read "DO NOT TOUCH" on my dog, which I highly recommend adding to one's pack/harness/vest!).

Since we're onto ppl who may not think enough about their dogs' wellbeing, make sure the dog is healthy before you go. I highly recommend doing blood wellness reports (CBC et al) at your dog's annual exam to check for any hidden problems. Sending a thyroid blood test to Dr. Dodds is a good idea, too - apparently, dogs with otherwise normal blood levels can show to have thyroid problems (which can account for lack of energy, strange personality changes, etc.) which the regular vet doesn't always pick up on their test. Treatment fixes those problems.

 

[vafarmmom]

My friend's dad's dog (a large black lab) had some sort of pad issue (lifelong) and he took the dog to a leather shop where they made the dog leather sandel type boots. They let the pads breathe, but gave him protection. I seem to recall some sheepskin lined ones too.

I bought my dog the gel boots to protect her paws from who knows what on the street. I also used them when we lived in an appt with white carpet on rainy/muddy days.

So ds has a sd for asd. First major outing I have never answered so many questions in my life. I am all for educating, but sometimes you just want to be. The dog is fanatastic, and her services are fantastic as well.

Misinformation abounds, even ds's pt asked if we had all the necessary "paperwork".

Now with our dog, petting is encouraged, as it gives ds social opportunities. I was really surprised/impressed at most folks though - when we were at a convention almost all the children were told not to stop or touch the dog because it was working.

I was also detained at the same convention by security when walking the dog because someone forgot to transfer our info???

We did leave our dog in the room for water activities. (in the pop crate). On one day we did take her to the indoor waterpark, but the humidity was unpleasant for her.

So we have left her with grandma for our wdw trips. We do avoid the summer months, but I worry about her handling the heat/humidity. I also wonder about her handling the rides. I am a single parent, so it is usually just ds and me, and ds needs me too, I didn't know how to handle the dog at wdw.

She would be much happier at grandma's then a kennel, but we miss her and she misses us.

 

[dclfun]

For the attractions that a dog can't ride then you'd probably have a challenge since someone then needs to remain with the dog. If there were another adult or responsible person with you then you can do a rider switch but CM's aren't allowed to handle or watch a SD. I'm glad to hear most people didn't reach out to pet your dog. When they're working they lose their focus. Perhaps your SD needs a patch that says, "Please pet me" like some that I"ve seen for dogs in training that need to have the learning opportunity- otherwise it's confusing for people. Like yourself I get very tired of answering the same questions over and over and we just want to get on with our lives. As to the petting I've often had children cry when I tell them "no" after they've asked politely even though of course I am also polite and thank them for asking. Some adults tell me that "well,other people with SD's let me pet THEIR dog" like I'm being stingy and mean. Social therapy dogs are becoming more prevalent and are quite useful yet they don't have public access unless their partner needs to have specific tasks performed by the dog, like nudging to stop an OCD behavior as one example. In that case the dog is an SD and shouldn't be petted as it distracts them from watching their partner for behavioral clues. They are truly working all the time whether we realize it or not and it's not fair to them to be given conflicting messages about their role. As to the heat, my SD will do whatever I need her to do but she just doesn't perform as well outdoors in the summer. I can sense that she's tired, hot, and miserable yet her alliance to me is such that she'd push herself to the death to be by my side plus she loves to help. When we visit the parks in the summer I plan lots of indoor a/c stops and rest for both of us. For those who don't visit often like we do and have a greater need to visit more attractions in one day then it's tough. It's just like having a baby whose needs have to be put first.---Kathy

 

[SAGE]

My son's SD will also stay home for the week we are away.

She would have a very hard time in the Florida heat and would be safer and happier with a week of love & spoiling by grandpa!

Last August I saw a small dog in Epcot (wearing a uniform) and being pulled to keep up with it's owner. It was HOT that day (100 +)and I felt so bad for the little cutie.

OT- My son's SD ripped her cruciate ligament (ACL) and the surgery was 6 weeks ago. A steel plate was put in her knee and she is slowing using her leg. 2x week for water treadmill therapy, massage etc. but since she has put so much weight on her other leg, they now think there is a partial tear in the good leg.

She may not work again - but that's ok. If she wants to hang out in the garden and relax for the rest of her days, she deserves it.

 

[vafarmmom]

SAGE - I hope your dog heals and is doing well soon. Water therapy is great.

Kathy, I worried about telling folks it was ok to pet our dog, since it is not ok for other dogs. I did try and explain that in her work it was ok, and thanked people for asking.

I am glad to see other people appreciate their dogs so much and recognize and respect their needs. WDW is definaetly a place where ds and I would really benefit from having his dog, but in our particular sitiation, with our dog, it is not in her best interest. Our dog is older, and in her third career, and we are greatful for all that she does for us.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

So sorry to hear about the hurt dog!!! I hope he heals quickly and doesn't have a problem with his other leg.

Yeah, it can be annoying answering the same questions over and over, especially when you're clearly in the middle of trying to do something (like shop or eat or in the middle of a conversation with somebody else). One solution is to make up a little flyer about your SD/SDs in general that answer the FAQs ppl ask you. Hand them too ppl who ask questions as you let them know you don't have time to talk or are in the middle of something or are trying to get things done on time, etc. Another idea is to put up a Web site and hand out business cards to the site to ppl who ask questions. I have the latter, although it is difficult for me to remember to hand out the cards, LOL, so that doesn't happen too often.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Just got back Tuesday from 6 nights at OKW. We LOVED OKW. Had a 2 bedroom for myself, DH, DS 5 w/ autism, DD 3 my parents and DS's Service Dog. We are thinking our next trip will be the Disney Cruise in Oct of 2010. If anyone has gone on the cruise with an ASD child or a service dog, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Hi! We don't have a service dog (we are currently researching options here), but our 2 sons with autism had a great time on the Disney cruise! The kids clubs were amazing! I thought the cruise was just perfect for our sons!

 

[dclfun]

Just remember that if a guest has a SD on the cruise then they must be able to independently handle the dog themselves. This would include a child participating in Children's Programming. The counselors there aren't allowed to take care of the dog...so the child would have to know the commands and be mentally and physically able to do the handling. I've taken my SD on the ship several times. It has limited me in some ways from enjoying the ports- Barbados, for instance does not allow SD's, and there are requirements for the dog in each port including, for some, a rabies titre and international health certificate- both very costly. For some cruise ports though there isn't as much paperwork or need for health documentation and a rabies certificate and health cert. is all we've needed. She's done fine on the ship. They place a kiddy pool either on your verandah if you have one or on an open deck if you don't ( usually aft on deck 7) for a break station and other than that it's just like being anywhere else.---Kathy