Autism Service Dogs

While I recently posted about my speech in Sacramento, it's always good to get alternative perspectives from other people. Arielle and her husband were my hosts during the visit to U.C. Davis, and so I thought her comments on the presentation were noteworthy. I appreciated her kind words, and was also glad to hear that some things I'd mentioned over dinner made a positive impact on her personally.

On a side note, her blog entry also contains a photo of Glindy and I with the Buddy System hands-free reflective leash. Since the picture was taken with a flash, you can get a pretty good idea of how useful this leash could be in low-light situations.

This other photo shows Glindy wearing her chest strap cover from The Raspberry Field. As you can see, the cover makes her "service dog" markings visible from the front, which makes it easier for people to identify her as a service animal when she's sitting or lying down. I've found this to be important when store clerks are peering over their counters, or when waitresses peek under the table at restaurants. YMMV.

I just blogged about some pet stairs. I made some comments about tread height and depth, but wanted to fill in some hard numbers for all the folks at home.

I whipped out my measuring tape, and came up with the following measurements:

• PetStairz
• • Total Height: 26 inches
  • Total Depth: 34 inches
  • Tread Height: 3.5 inches
  • Tread Depth: 6 inches
  • Tread Width: 16.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10 pounds
• HelpYourPets
• • Total Height: 25 inches
  • Total Depth: 32 inches
  • Tread Height: 6 inches
  • Tread Depth: 9 inches
  • Tread Width: 16 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 45 pounds

So, as you can see, the PetStairz offer a slightly higher rise with a gentler slope, but each step is definitely more shallow--which only makes sense, if you stop and think about it.

Hopefully, a few real-world numbers will help others who may be trying to decide between the two products. Or, you could just do what I typically do: buy both, and leave the decision to your dog. *grin*

I recently bought a new bed which is 29 inches high. Poor little Spencer had trouble getting up on the old bed, which was a lot lower, so there was no way he would be able to get up on the new one without help.

So, I recently bought two sets of doggy stairs to help. They're very different in design, but both are good options for people who may need something similar.

The first set I got was the Heavy Duty Four Step from HelpYourPets.com. It's 26 inches tall, and built to support 200 pounds. Another nice feature of this product is that you can get them built with lidded storage, so that you can put stuff inside and out of the way. If you hate giving up floor space to a large set of stairs like this, that's a really nice option!

The second set I got was the Six Step Foam with Shearling Cover from PetStairz. What's nice about this product is that it's a bit taller than the other one at 27 inches (and the cover itself seems to add another half inch), and much lighter since it's made of foam rather than plywood. Also, with more steps to cover roughly the same vertical distance, I think this set might be easier for dogs with stubby legs to climb because of the smaller tread height--but be aware that the tread depth is smaller, too, which may be a problem for some dogs. The manufacturer didn't provide me with a weight limit, but said the high-density foam would certainly support Glindy's 65 pound frame without damage.

It's also worth noting that the PetStairz are cheaper, and free shipping is included in the price. Because of their heavier weight, shipping costs might be a factor when considering the HelpYourPets units--especially the larger models.

Personally, I like the foam PetStairz better because they're lighter, softer, and the cover is removable. I threw my back out lugging the heavy duty wooden steps upstairs the other day, and have stubbed my toe on the hard wood more than once in the middle of the night. And of course, the carpet is tacked onto the wooden frame, so one has to clean them the same way you do real stairs, rather than just tossing a removable cover into the washing machine.

However, Spencer seems to like the the model from HelpYourPets a little better, even though he has to leap higher to reach each step. I think it's because he likes to get both sets of legs on the same step before attempting the next one, and the deeper tread depth of this unit seems to suit him a bit better.

It's hard to say whether one product is really better than the other. A lot of it probably depends on your needs, and those of your dog. I'd recommend both products without hesitation, though, as they are both great products with excellent customer service behind them.

One final note about the HelpYourPets stairs: my first set of stairs arrived with shipping damage. If you order the unit with lids, make sure you check inside the stairs for cracked or split wood, as the heaviness of the stairs tends to get the package thumped around and dropped a lot in transit. However, I received excellent customer service from the HelpYourPets folks, and they sent a replacement out to me right away. The second unit arrived in good shape, so it was probably a one-off thing. Despite the initial problem, I've been happy with the product, and really pleased with their responsiveness.

Glindy and I are preparing for another trip this week. We're going to Los Angeles for six-day security conference. As always, I hate traveling, but am glad that Glindy is coming along to keep me company.

Since I won't be able to get my Har-Vest in time for the conference, I thought I'd try the SENSE-ible no-pull harness under Glindy's vest as a temporary alternative to the Buddy System Leash + Lungebuster + Pinch Collar arrangement we use now. I couldn't find anyone in town who sold the medium-large size, so I had to pay extra for overnight shipping with Saturday delivery. *sigh*

The SENSE-ible harness comes highly recommend by several trainers in the area, but I have three small concerns about it.

First of all, I'm not sure whether the chest strap on her vest will interfere with the chest strap on the harness. I'm planning to put the vest on over the harness, and will have to see if the straps catch on each other, or whether the leash--which gets attached to the front of the harness--will then catch on the vest. I guess I'll just have to try it and see.

My second concern is the metal sliders. I've learned through experience that the metal double-clasp of the Buddy System Leash attached to the single metal D-ring on the Ruffwear Palisades Pack II (with pack detached from the webbing) is insufficient to set of the metal detectors in the airport. However, the the SENSE-ible harness (and most probably the Har-Vest, too) have more metal, and might be a bit more troublesome in that regard.

Softouch Concepts also sells a different model, called the SENSE-ation harness. That model uses plastic sliders, but since it costs more, comes in fewer sizes, and still has the metal O-rings, it didn't seem worth it in this case.

And finally, my third objection is to non-transferable training tools. It's been my experience, and supported by anecdotal evidence from others, that collar-alternatives like no-pull harnesses and Haltis/Gentle Leaders aren't generalized by the dog to equate to flat-buckle obedience. When the training tool comes off and the flat collar goes on, we're right back to the forging and pulling that made the training tool necessary in the first place. Of course, this is true of the pinch collar, English lead, and other things we're using now anyway, so I'm not really convinced it's a valid practical concern--just a philosophical one.

It's probably worth saying at this point that my inability to completely prevent forging on a flat-buckle collar in high-distraction environments is probably a trainer problem (e.g. it's my own darned fault for not working on it more). However, I belong to the school of practical thought that says that it's the results that matter; if I need to keep Glindy wearing a pinch collar or no-pull harness forever, it's not really a big deal except insofar as I've failed to meet my own expectations.

Perfectionism sucks. Let's just hope the SENSE-ible harness doesn't.

The RuffWear Beacon strobe that I mentioned in yesterday's entry didn't even make it two hours without getting lost. At one point, I'd attached it to my leash with the tension clip, and the next time I checked it had vanished without a trace.

RuffWear makes good stuff, so I think my mistake was relying on the tension clip instead of the notched D-ring clip. I am considering getting a vest with a D-ring from The Raspberry Field, and seeing if that works a bit better.

Meanwhile, I've found that the Bling Bling Blinkers fit nicely on the pull-tabs of Glindy's vest pockets, so I've bought enough to put one on each side, and one on her collar. Short of shining a spotlight on her, I'm not sure how I can make her any more visible.

I've been working with Glindy to get her more comfortable with her Furminator. Glindy sheds a lot, so I need to get her to tolerate longer sessions with a shedding tool so that we can strip out all that loose hair before going out in public.

Glindy has traditionally avoiding grooming like it was a punishment of some sort. So, I needed to modify her associations a bit, so that she'd look forward to grooming instead of running off to her crate every time I showed up with a brush.

What I've been doing for the past week or so is clicking and treating for grooming. I started out with one reward per brush stroke, but am now up to 4-6 strokes per treat. My goal is to eventually get her to sit still for a full five minutes while I groom her uninterrupted, but we're nowhere close to that yet.

Still, thanks to her newly-changed associations, I can usually get at the worst of her loose fur now. Progress comes from little steps like this.

I just ordered a pair of ClickStick II collapsible target sticks from Karen Pryor's website. Basically, it's a target stick with a built-in clicker on the handle.

It extends out to the full length of a standard target stick (~26"), and actually collapses a bit shorter (~7") than the typical folding stick (~9.5"). The fact that the clicker is built into the handle is a terrific reason to try this stick; anyone who's tried to juggle clicker, target stick, and treats all at the same time knows how difficult this can be.

I wouldn't exactly call the ClickStick II a pocket-sized tool, but then neither is a standard target stick. The ClickStick II does come with a handy plastic belt clip built into the handle, though, which is another good reason to prefer it.

Anyway, I'll be working with the new stick over the next few weeks. I hope the new ease of use will translate to more efficient training.

Glindy killed another ball today. Thinking that the skin of the inflatable tennis ball had simply been too thin, I went out to the local sports superstore yesterday and bought a regulation-sized soccer ball.

If you've ever played soccer, and especially if you've ever "headed" a soccer ball, you know how heavy and tough they are. Nonetheless, within 20 minutes Glindy had bitten through the tough outer shell, and punctured the inner air-bladder.

Glindy always seems to lose interest shortly after the ball deflates. I think the herding dog in her prefers her inflatable quarry to be "on the run," and once it no longer rolls interactively when she pounces on it, she picks it up, shakes it hard, and then loses interest since her "mission" is accomplished.

I'm just glad the ball didn't pop in her face, or blow out explosively. No dog needs that kind of trauma.

Maybe a solid plastic ball should be our next try. I'll have to see what I can turn up.

Glindy apparently likes kickball. I bought an inflatable "tennis ball" from Petco that's about 14-16" in diameter, and we spent some time outside today chasing it around the yard. Glindy got an excellent workout!

She spent a lot of time batting it around and pouncing on it. At some point, though, she must have punctured it, because it started to deflate. The game changed a bit then, as I'd punt the ball, she'd go chase it and shake it into submission, and then bring it back for another go.

I'm considering getting a rubber playground ball, under the theory that it might be a bit tougher, but am worried about having it pop; I don't ever want her traumatized by her new toy.

I guess I have a bit of research to do.

Tennis balls, as I've mentioned before, are of only cursory interest to Glindy. Imagine my surprise when I learned that giant, inflatable balls are a delight to her!

Yesterday, I went to Petco, and got a 16-inch inflatable "tennis ball" for her to play with. I rolled it towards her, and told her "get it!" Boy, she was all *over* it, growling and chasing and batting at it, and even looked a bit sad when I put it away afterwards.

So, maybe she'll never be a prize-winning retriever, but perhaps she'll get a bit more exercise in future from attacking her inflatable ball.

I went to the video store with Glindy again this evening. Poor little Spencer was barking piteously at being left alone again, though. I wish I could take him with us, too. *sigh*

Tonight, we used the new Reflective Buddy System Hands-Free Leash with attached Lunge Buster. It works a whole lot better than the Ruff Wear Roamer Leash, which provides too much slack for proper control. The five additional feet of stretch in the Roamer also tends to get us wrapped up in things, and I'm forever untangling both Glindy and myself. The Buddy System, on the other hand, keeps Glindy much closer (2-4 feet), and the Lunge Buster attachment only has about 5 inches of stretch. Overall, I felt it gave us a better experience, especially when moving through narrow aisles and around other people.

I just ordered a new set of Service Dog in Training capes from Nu-Capes. While I'm pretty happy with my service dog vest from SitStay, the patches never get sewn on perfectly straight by the local tailors, which drives me crazy. And, perhaps more importantly, when Glindy lays down while wearing her vest, her leg sometimes can draw up inside the vest, and her paw will get stuck. This is primarily a sizing issue, as Glindy doesn't quite meet any of the normal sizing expectations, so I'm hoping that a different style of cape will fit her better.