Re: [PyrNet-L] Service Dog for a person with MS

["Mary Staudinger" <pyr4@junct.com>]

Just wanted to put a comment in here:

You don't have to have any serious disease for a pyr to be able to help you.
They instinctively know when you need assistance except when you train them
for something specific like MS or whatever.

I trained Shylo to do a stand-stay when I patted his shoulderblades to
assist me in getting up from bed, sofa or recliner.  Two years later if he
is close when I need to get up and pat his shoulders, he goes stiff and will
stand-stay till I tell him to move.

That is why this surgery was scaring me silly--wondering if I would lose my
"rock" but he home.  Yiiipppiiieee!!!

Mary and Shylo
pyr4@junct.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Xerri, Tania (2318)" <txerri@baycrest.org>
To: <pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 9:01 AM
Subject: RE: [PyrNet-L] Service Dog for a person with MS


> Hello June, would you mind if I forwarded this on the person I am
inquiring
> for?
>
> Tania
>
>
> <<<<Hi Tania,
>
> I can pass along some training resources, though I do not know how
> applicable they will be for Pyrs. I know a woman, Samantha Burton,
> who is
> training her Leonberger Fergus to be her service dog. (Leonbergers
> in
> general are more easily trainable than Pyrs.) Samantha has severe
> fibromyalgia and on some days is forced to rely on a wheelchair. She
> is
> training her Leo to do all sorts of wonderful things: he can pull
> her
> wheelchair, help with laundry, pick up small dropped items--do all
> sorts of
> fetching and carrying and pulling, as well as providing support when
> she is
> having trouble walking or falls and can't get up. She has a very
> useful web
> page, which should be a good place for this woman with MS to start.
>
> I tried accessing it this afternoon, but couldn't connect, so I sent
> Samantha an e-mail and received this reply:
>
> >I just checked.  The server was down for about an hour, but it
> should be
> >back up again.
> >>
> >Please direct this person to Fergus's website, specifically to the
> "working"
> >pages.  http://fergus.fogg.net/working.htm
> >
> >Also, let her know that these pages are in dire need of updating.
> They'll
> >be new and improved by Fall.  She can e-mail me at this address
> >sburton@mail.wesleyan.edu, and I will respond more quickly than I
> generally
> >do to Fergus's e-mail.  (I still likely won't get a chance to
> respond in
> >depth until end of May.) [Reason: Samantha is getting married in 4
> weeks]
> >
> >In addition there are some great mailing lists out there.  The
> service dog
> >list is good for information about laws and policy, but you must be
> prepared
> >for some strongly worded debates.  I don't have the list
> information here,
> >but the address I use to send mail there is
> >service-dogs@acpub.duke.edu   I've got the sign up information at
> home.
> [Until the wedding, she is several states away from her home,
> staying with
> her parents.]
> >
> >The other list, which is excellent, is OC-Assist@onelist.com.  She
> can sign
> >up through onelist.  The OC stands for operant conditioning, and
> this list
> >is for people clicker training service dogs.  I love this list,
> BUT, if she
> >really doesn't want to use operant conditioning, this might not be
> the best
> >place for her to go.  On the other hand, if she is open to learning
> about
> >OC, than there are some terrific people here (including Morgan
> Spector whose
> >recent book is up for the Dog Writers Award, and Debi Davis who,
> with her
> >service dog Peek, was named Service Dog Partner of the Year by the
> Delta
> >Society).
>
> Tania, I hope this information will at least will show the woman
> that
> training is doable. Samantha has done all of Fergus's training
> herself, and
> is very willing to share whatever she has learned along the way.
>
> Best wishes to her,
> --June Campbell, with Amos the obedient Leonberger and Star the less
> obedient, but absolutely adorable, Pyr >>>>>
>
>
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