I’m so grateful for my dog. She’s so cuddly and loves to sleep in bed with me. I’ve trained her over the past 3 1/2 years to be my service dog. She learned how to alert to my heart condition, she alerts to my anxiety, she gives deep pressure therapy when I’m having a panic attack or an episode with my heart. I truly do not know how I would function without her.
Yes, I can function on my own, but she gives me so much freedom when we go out in public together. She also knows how to do hallucination discernment, which is so helpful at night alone in my apartment. My paranoia can get bad then my visual hallucinations start. I can ask her “do you see that?” And if truly nothing is there she comes and puts her head on me. We have trained with a real person who will stand in my kitchen and if I said “do you see that?” And I point to the kitchen, then she will bark when someone’s actually there. She turns 4 this year in April.
I can’t believe she’s already 4. She will work with me until she’s 8 provided no health conditions come up. When she’s 8 I will get a new puppy to start training to be my next service dog and I will retire Julia so she can live with me as a pet until she reaches the end of her life.
My dog, Shadow, just turned 6. She’s not a service dog, as she is too shy in public and scared of strangers approaching her, but she is classified as an emotional support animal. She knows me so well and is a well-trained dog. My apartment complex used to screen ESAs before they could move into the building but now they let any dog in whose owner has a letter from a shrink. So now we have about 5 dogs in our building who bark all the time or are aggressive when we just walk by to go outside. I don’t mind other people having ESAs, i just wish they’d train them BEFORE they move into the building.
Shadow has been a wonderful addition to my life. She makes me get up in the morning and helps me socialize when we go to the dog park. I like teaching her new tricks and sending videos of her to my parents, and she just knows when i need to a muzzle to cry on…
Awe Shadow is adorable! I’m so glad you have her to help you through the hard times! ESAs have an important job to do even if they’re not a service dog. What breed is she @WhiteRaven?
My pupper is my bestest friend in the world. She’s 11 now. So I’ve had her for 10 years. She is my ESA as well. Got her labeled as such when I moved into my apartment. She is super smart, goofy and a lazy doggo. Which is perfect for me.
He kind of looks like my Minnie the Pug/weenie that’s what we call her he is handsome. Wish I had pictures of my Minnie if I did you would see the Pug in her eyes and forehead my Minnie has the weenie dog chest but not the legs and she is all Black except for a streak of a little white spot on her chest
