Addressing common misconceptions and raising awareness about service dogs.
I have lost count of the number of times that my service dog, Eilish, and I have been scolded by strangers at national parks, often to the tune of, “Dogs aren’t allowed here!” In my more generous moments, I can make sense of this: pet dogs are not allowed on most trails at most national … Read more
[Credits: Featured image is “Rainbow Bridge” by Stella Violano] The emotional complexity of losing a service dog partner remains largely unspoken, yet it’s one of the most challenging aspects of working with these remarkable animals. Making decisions about your service dog can come with a lot of emotional weight and often isn’t linear. Handlers often … Read more
This article is the third in a three part series. Part one and two can be found here respectively. Often, people find that others do not respect the boundaries in their lives. This could be for several reasons, and it can feel very frustrating, leading some to retract boundaries altogether. One reason boundaries don’t seem … Read more
This article is part two in a three part series on boundaries. Part one can be found here. Part three can be found here. Everyday Boundaries for Service Dog Handlers In the last blog post, we established what boundaries are and explored the different types: physical, emotional, time-based, and relational. We also looked at the … Read more
This article is the first in a three part series. Part two can be found here. Part three can be found here. “Burnout is overwhelming, and boundaries are the cure,” is the wisdom written by Nedra Glover Tawwab, MSW, LCSW, in her book called Set Boundaries, Find Peace. It sounds simple, but implementing boundaries can be … Read more
June is National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month —an opportunity to highlight the impact of trauma and offer support to those affected. Trauma has become a key term in the mental health field, and for good reason: research continues to shed light on how traumatic experiences reshape the brain and influence behavior. This has … Read more
As September is both National Service Dog Awareness Month and Deaf Awareness Month, we want to take advantage of this time to spotlight a special type of service dog: Hearing assistance dogs, also known as hearing alert or hearing dogs. Hearing assistance dogs are a type of service dog that help individuals with hearing loss. … Read more
A service dog can play a crucial role in the life of a disabled person, and there are many incredible tasks that a dog can be trained to do that will enable their handler to live a more independent and safer life. But what does it take to become a service dog? And what does … Read more
If you are a service dog handler, trainer, or part of the disability community, this may be a no brainer for you. But if you have never truly seen the impact(s) that a service dog can have, you might wonder why service dogs matter. Many people are familiar with guide dogs and their ability to … Read more
