Thank you! A perfect heel is definitely not needed! Loose leash walking is helpful, but isn't even required in the US for a dog to be a service dog. I find loose leash walking to meet my needs and be more comfortable for my dog than a formal heel all the time. Just do what works best for you and your dog, so long as you're not disruptive.

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris Thank you! I struggle with anxiety and the fake spotting videos really scare me. I feel so much better seeing these types of videos. It shows me that real service dogs don't need a heel 100% of the time and it's okay. And my dog is small like yours. He's a Chinese Crested

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris My puppy is still in training too. He makes mistakes and when someone tries and distract him, he gets all excited to meet someone. He does sniff in the pet section or really strong scent areas but I'm correcting him as we go.

@@xXxKatelynxXx22 The fake spotting videos are terrible! I refuse to watch them! I don't even like calling dogs "fakes" because often the person really does have a disability and the dog helps their person, but just doesn't have the public access training or is having a bad day. My dogs (I've had 4 SDs) have all had bad days and done things like barked, pooped, or something like that in a store. Even when fully trained! Our dogs are not robots and they should not be expected to be! They can make mistakes. It's all about how we handle our dogs' mistakes. For minor mistakes we should be training them in the moment. For major mistakes, we should apologize, leave, work on training for that situation elsewhere, and then return to that situation prepared to train. There's a really nice FB group for small SD handlers that you might like to join. Most everyone there is in the same mindset. Here's the link: facebook.com/groups/1082072372405020 . It's really nice to surround yourself with like minded positive people instead of those who pounce on every mistake to make you feel horrible! You might also like to follow my blog at www.doctorv.xyz to see what we get up to on a regular basis :)

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris thank you very much ❤️ Hearing this really helps. I'm very insecure so the reassurance is really helpful I'm going to look at the links. Thank you once again 🙏

Thanks!

Thanks!

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps

@ Thanks. Learn something new everyday. Didn’t know they changed it from food stamps.

@@ibukunsworld3981 The term food stamps has a negative connotation so it's been changed to SNAP. Also, you don't get stamps anymore. It used to be you would get stamps and each stamp would be for a particular product. Like you'd get 4 bread stamps a month, 2 butter stamps a month, etc, and you would hand over the paper stamp for each product you got. But nowadays it's all done by EBT or electronic balance transfer. So you get a credit card looking thing that has the SNAP money on it in electronic form and you can spend it on whatever food items you want. So often you'll see signs that say "EBT accepted here" if they accept SNAP. In my state (South Carolina) you can only buy cold food with your EBT card. So like I can go to Publix and get a sub from their deli if it is a cold sub. But if they toast the sub, then suddenly it's not eligible for EBT anymore. Papa Murphy's take and bake pizza accepts EBT for the unbaked pizza. But if you have them bake the pizza for you (which they will do for free), then EBT doesn't cover it. It's a really weird system. In other states you can get hot food with EBT and some fast food restaurants accept EBT. This is actually super helpful as many disabled people have a hard time cooking and preparing food. So it would be nice if there were a way to get a hot meal with EBT instead of just ingredients or frozen meals that you pop in the microwave. Just because we're poor doesn't mean we don't deserve to eat out every once in a while!

Thanks! He's actually the perfect size for me! I need him to provide pressure on my chest when I have anxiety attacks, and he's small enough that I can carry him and he can provide pressure and I can go about my day with no one the wiser. Help on the go! But before I got small service dogs, I tried it out with bags of flour and cans and such to see what minimum weight I need to assist me with my anxiety. For me, 5 lbs is enough. But for other people, they may need more weight. So it really depends on the person.

My Chin all eat a homemade diet.

Thanks!

Visit is a hard one. With Felix it's hard becuase he wants to jump up on the person's leg to better say hi LOL!

@VeronicaAndBradMorris milo backs away

Thanks!

Oh also that dogs doing amazing! We haven't even started milo on full PA training but we are planning a trip! I don't really count the one store we go to because thats the only one as of now

Thanks for the compliments! One store is still one store, more than no stores! A friend of ours made the vest. She's not a commercial vest maker so only makes vests for herself and now for Felix. Felix needs a different style than the ones she uses for her dog, so she's going through and making prototypes. I think this one is a winner!

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris is she on etsy?

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris and if not would she or you mind if I have someone make me a round service dog patch in that style? Its lovely

@@Rescuedogtoworkingdog-gm7hf She is on etsy, though not as a service dog gear seller. Let me ask her about the patch.

Oh, and what’s the benefit of mustard for the dogs?

My dogs are tiny and the chunks of veggies and meat are so large they either choke on them or just leave them and don't eat them.

@@gh_007 My vet's recipe says that mustard "removes stagnation" (my vet is integrative, and practices both conventional medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and this recipe is developed in a Traditional Chinese Medicine friendly way)

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris Interesting! I have a 10 lb dog and he eats tiny kibble. I was asking because I make a chicken-rice sometimes veggies food as a topper to induce him to eat his kibble every day, and I’ve never had to blend anything for him. I do chop things smaller before I cook it.

No, he's my fourth owner-trained service dog.

@VeronicaAndBradMorris You're doing good with him! Milos my first

@@Rescuedogtoworkingdog-gm7hf Thanks!

Thanks! Japanese Chin are prone to collapsing trachea, so you're never supposed to use a leash on a collar with them. So I always use a harness/vest leash attachment.

@VeronicaAndBradMorris alright, thanks for explaining!

Thanks! Now if I can only get him to do it when I want him to instead of just when he does!

@VeronicaAndBradMorris I have to treat my dog everytime he holds something for me because he is just starting to learn

Sure! I help lots of people as part of Psychiatric Service Dog Partners. Check out our website at www.psych.dog There are lots of articles on there to help all types of service dogs. You can also reach me through PSDPs number 805-876-4256 or fill out a contact request on our website and I’ll call you back.

Thanks!

I'm glad you have him!

A witch!

@VeronicaAndBradMorris thank u.

Actually its all up to the handler and the dog

@@Rescuedogtoworkingdog-gm7hf it can be up to the handler

I know! It was super fast!!!!!

He recognizes my medical episodes and responds with pressure on my chest for an extended period of time.

Thanks! I love dressing my wheelchair up all year round with fairy wings!

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris that’s awesome!! I love a personal touch on things lol

Yes, he is!

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris I love that! I love to see little dogs with jobs. ❤️

@@nickit7655 Thanks, he loves having a job!

Thanks! I was worried about posting this video because he was so scared at first, but I was proud of how he recovered!

Thank you!

LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!

Two types of arthritis.

Yup! He's my fourth owner trained service dog.

So happy you liked it! Service dogs definitely have their own side effects, too!

Thanks, you're so kind! He's a Japanese Chin. He's actually my second Japanese Chin service dog. My first one is the one you hear barking in the background LOL.

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris Aww, I love dogs! I’ve been looking into adopting one in the future, do you have any tips or advice for caring for Japanese Chins? I want to make sure I don’t accidentally do anything that would harm or hurt them if I do have one.

@@sapphiregemstone3675 It's hard to find Japanese Chin in rescue, so you'll likely have to go through a breeder. Make sure they're a responsible breeder and are registering their health test results on ofa.org to prevent heritable diseases. In terms of caring for them, they're pretty low energy dogs so pretty easy to care for. They do need their teeth brushed as they tend towards dental disease. They should only be walked on harnesses as they tend to have collapsing tracheas. They also don't do well in the heat. If it's about about 85 out, I have my dogs in cooling coats, and above the low 90s, we just don't spend time outside other than a quick potty break.

I'm sorry to hear that. Have you tried talking with a therapist or psychiatrist? Both of mine are very helpful, and I take meds every day to help with my anxiety.

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris I also take meds too (I was exaggerating)

You're so welcome! I'm glad I was able to help!

Yes, they really are! I have three of them!

No, it was pretty chilly! I think the high for the day was like 64 or something. So I had my blanket on the whole time and a sweatshirt on in the morning!

In 2023, 30 wheelchairs were damaged PER DAY in the US by airlines. So it is very common that they get damaged and destroyed when we fly with our mobility devices.

The last time I flew, my wheelchair was damaged but more importantly my night feeder/breather equipt.was smashed completely, I had to immediately fly home. It took over a year to get BA to pay for damage.

@@riakendall8610 Oh wow, that's terrible!!!!!!!

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris it's criminal that they take such little care with medical equipment, I don't think I will ever fly again, I was terrified I might fall asleep in flight, I also had to stay at a hospital until I could get new equipment delivered to my address. It wass a drama I don't want to repeat!

@@riakendall8610 That's so terrible!!!! I would have been so upset and scared!

Thanks! He's two years old. He's not perfect, but he and I are settling into a nice rhythm.

She's not looking for an issue - she's shopping at a pharmacy.

@@lindsayswarthout9227 whenever you walk into a place & immediately begin pointing out the ADA violations, your not just "shopping"...unless it's for "issues".

Yes! We got the Novavax one as recommended by his ME specialist since it usually has lower side effects and lasts longer. We also both got flu shots as recommended by his ME specialist.

@@VeronicaAndBradMorris I’ll have to ask about that one next time! Hope you both are tolerating it well so far.

@@avery-brown Zero side effects except Brad had a sore arm. But none of that fluey feeling we usually get from COVID vaccinations!

Oh man, I'm sorry

Why not both?