Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Happy 21st ADA!

Happy 21st to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)!
Find out what the ADA Does and it's history at ADA Anniversary Resources.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

New Mobility Magazine:Service Dogs: Making the Grade

Making the Grade
Many people don’t realize that not all dogs have the calm attentive temperament it takes to become a service dog. “If the dog doesn’t have the basic personality and hardwiring, it just won’t work,” says Jeanine Konopelski, director of marketing for Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa, Calif.  “To increase our success rate here at CCI we have our own breeding program of golden and Labrador retrievers.”

Even with CCI’s selective breeding and training, only about 35 to 40 percent of their dogs graduate to become full-fledged service dogs. Dogs “wash out” for a variety of reasons, including “typical dog behavior” — like being distracted by cats or birds, or whining or barking in public. “I have a dog that was released from the program even though his obedience is perfect,” Konopelski says. “He picks stuff up for me, he grabs the paper for me, but he barks out in public and that is unacceptable.”  Read More

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Tails of Seattle | Veterinary Q&A: A killer called 'bloat ' | Seattle Times Newspaper

I stumbled across this great article on bloat complete with video detailed diagrams and explanations. Many of the  common breeds for service dogs can be deep chested and as such prone to bloat. Knowing the signs couls save your partner's life!
Tails of Seattle | Veterinary Q&A: A killer called 'bloat ' | Seattle Times Newspaper