Service Animals

Taiwan has adopted policies similar to those of the European Union. An animal being imported from a rabies infected country, such as the United States, must not only have a rabies certificate, but must also be microchipped and have a rabies titer. It usually takes about six months of preparation for the titer and other paperwork to be able to import an animal from a rabies infected country to a rabies-free country (like Taiwan) without quarantine. Failure to have all the paperwork in order before arrival can result in lengthy and expensive quarantines, refusal of entry to the animal, or euthanasia.

The most unusual service animal is the miniature horse since only dogs and in some cases miniature horses can be service animals.

A person must be legally disabled to use a service dog so the first place one would go is to their dr to document that they have a substantial impairment of one or more major life activities and hopefully get some documentation of this.

They would then decide whether they'd like to apply to an agency to provide them a dog or if they can owner train their own.

If one applies to an agency there are varying requirements as to cost of the dog, retention of ownership with some, and waiting lists. They will want to contact or see proof from the doctor that you qualify for a service dog.

If one owner trains they are responsible themselves from beginning to end for all the costs, the quality of training and even if a dog is not working out. While you will not have an agency checking if you meet legal disability requirements, for your protection you'll want to maintain documentation that you are legally disabled and if possible that you will be using a service dog. This is in the case you have to prove in a court of law that you are legally allowed to do what you are doing. You'll also want to keep documentation as much as you can about the effective training of the dog. Also note that states make the rules about where a dog in training may go. If your state does not allow an owner trainer to take a dog into public places you will need to train only where dogs are allowed until the dog can meet the basic federal requirements for a fully trained service dog. Once these requirements are met, the dog can complete it's training in public places.

The Puppies Behind Bars program trains dogs to assist military veterans with post traumatic stress disorder, visual difficulties, hearing impairments, mental illness, seizures, diabetes, autism, and more.They can be trained to work with people who use power or manual wheelchairs, have balance issues, have various types of autism, need seizure alert or response, need to be alerted to other medical issues like low blood sugar, or have psychiatric disabilities.

Canine officers often use a special leash that can be adjusted to several uses. It can be a six foot tracking leash, a three foot agitation leash, or an over the shoulder hands-free leash. They are usually equipped with a special snap that allows them to release the dog even when the dog is already straining at the leash. Most leash snaps are impossible to release without first making the snap slack.

Assistance dogs are generally broken down into three categories, guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs (which are for disabilities other than blindness or deafness).

Service dogs can be trained to assist people with mobility disabilities by retrieving dropped items, opening and closing doors, and operating light switches.

Service dogs can be trained to assist people with brain-related disabilities, such as seizure disorders, developmental or learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, as well as disabilities caused by brain injuries and strokes.

Just about any type of disability might be mitigated by an appropriately trained service dog.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, "The term service animal includes individually trained animals that do work or perform tasks for the benefit of individuals with disabilities, including psychiatric, cognitive, and mental disabilities." However, "[a]nimals whose sole function is to provide emotional support, comfort, therapy, companionship, therapeutic benefits, or to promote emotional well-being are not service animals."

So yes, there are service animals for people with mental disabilities but like all other types of service dog they must be trained to perform tasks in order to qualify as service animals.

Remember that just having a mental illness doesn't make a person disabled. An impairment such as mental illness must substantially limit a person's ability to function in order to be considered a disability.

According to Service Dog Central, "It is not enough to have a mental illness to qualify as a person with a disability under the ADA. According to the NIMH, 26.2% of adults in the U.S. suffer from a mental illness in any given year, but only 6% are severely mentally ill. So more than three quarters of those with a diagnosed mental illness are not disabled by that illness and would not qualify to use a service animal even if they would benefit from one."

Legally there's no requirement that they must be permitted or that they cannot be permitted. Some local health codes may not permit it and some grocery stores may object to having them in the child seat just as some restaurants would object to having them on the table. Remember that public access laws are about access for the person with a disability. Whether or not the animal is permitted in the cart does not affect the person's access to goods and services. It therefore becomes an issue of reasonableness. The person with the service animal must have some way to manage their dog when in a public accommodation that does not offer shopping carts. (Some examples of accommodations that do not offer shopping carts include restaurants, offices, hospitals, movie theaters, and hotels.) Therefore there must be some reasonable alternative to putting the dog in the shopping cart if the store objects. They can't really perform any tasks from the child seat and aren't safe there, so there's not much point in putting them in a cart anyway.

The most common way is by donating money to the guide dog programs or being a puppy raiser for the programs. Also by leaving the dogs alone while they are working.

Puppies Behind Bars is a prison pet program. This particular program was started in 1997 by a former office worker to mayor Rudy Guilanni. The program gives prison inmates a puppy. The inmates learn how to take care of the puppies via classes etc. and the puppies are trained to be service dogs for the disabled, bomb detection dogs, or companions for people with psychological disorders such as veterans returning with post traumatic stress disorder.

Yes, parrots are exotic animals and not truly domesticated with the possible exception of cockatiels and parakeets. Parrots may become good pets but some never adapt to human companionship. They require a lot of work and interaction as they are quite intelligent. In general, parrots are noisy, destructive and messy. They can also be expensive to feed and many require a specialized diet. Some of the larger birds can easily remove a finger should he not want to be touched. I currently have about 17 parrots so speak from experience.

A talon is simply a "claw" or "fingernail" usually on large birds of prey.
Talons are like claws and are mostly on birds of prey and some lizards

There is no central registration for the Service Dogs or Guide Dogs in the USA.

Based on the number of dogs trained each year and the number of Active Dogs published from each of the schools it's estimated there are between 8,000-20,000 active GUIDE DOGS for the blind in everyday usage. And between 15,000 and 25,000 other Service Dogs in use.

Guide Dogs for the Blind added 343 new dog teams in 2009.

The Seeing Eye Graduated 274 dogs, 74 of which were new dog teams in 2009.

It's estimated that between all the schools in the US, only 1,000 Guide dogs and nearly 2,000 other types of Service Dogs were trained in 2009.

TRACKING THEORY Almost every dog can learn tracking, when the correct method is used. A Schutzhund competition is usually won (or lost) already in the first exercise...Tracking! Therefore, you can understand the importance of this exercise.... Here follows the best "Step by Step" theory. The only thing that you need is a dog that likes to eat! WHAT YOU NEED A bag (to put all your tracking stuff in), a line of ±3 meter, cheese or meat (soft meat that can be eaten very fast) cut this into ±50 cubes of 1cm in size. THE FIRST LESSONS You can start with a puppy that is used to his chain. The little dog will be 3 or 4 months old. Important: Always make sure that the dog is hungry, with a full stomach he has no reason to track! The best tracking conditions are no wind, fresh green grass of ±10cm height, not too hot, not too cold and in the early morning. You always lay the track without the presence of your dog and wait minimum 15 minutes before you get him. FIRST LESSON You take the closed plastic pot that contains the small pieces of cheese or flesh. You step a circle of ±1 m Ø, one-step against the other and you throw the bits everywhere in this circle (Fig A). Then you go and wash your hands (the dog may not make the connection of your hands and the rewards) or at least clean them well with grass. After 15 minutes you get your dog and show him with your hand (the palm of your hand up, otherwise the dog may think the bits are coming out of your hand!) where to search. If the dog is searching with a deep nose on the right place, you say nothing! When the dog puts his head up, or does not look in the right place you show him with your hand the right place and say "Track". Let the puppy eat the rewards as much as possible and then leave the field by telling him he has done well. You do not let him search before he enters the track or after leaving the track! Practice this training two or 3 times after each other, until the puppy understands the word "Track" (associates the word to following the track and finding the rewards). FURTHER LESSONS Take the tracking flag and plastic pot with the cheese or/and flesh bits. Put the tracking flag always on the left side of the beginning of the track (Fig B.), with the flag pointing in the direction of the track. Always make a pre-start of ±2 meters before the flag. This means you step heavily two or three times, over and again on the same pre-track. Then you wait ±1 minute near the flag before starting the definitive track. Then you push the top of your left foot into the ground and pull this foot back ±3cm (now you have a little hole in the top of your footprint, where you put the reward bit in). You then put your right foot the same way into the ground and fill the hole with a bit. Do the rest of the track like this, within every footprint is a reward, between every step (reward) is a distance of ±30cm. The length of these first tracks should be ±8 meter. After 15 minutes you get the dog with his chain on and you put the line (just before the beginning of the pre-start) through his forelegs (not under his back legs). The reason for this is, when the dog pulls, he pulls his head to the ground. You come like this to the beginning of the pre-start and show with your hand (when necessary) the place to search and give the command "Track". When the dog is searching intensely you let him go in the right direction. However, always at your pace! When the dog comes near the flag, he will find the cheese in your footstep and eat his reward. After this one, he will find the next one and so on... He must eat every bit of his rewards (do not let him go too fast and forget footsteps). The dog is searching at your pace! As long as he is doing welt you say nothing. At the end of the track, he will find the closed pot that contains more rewards. When he has found this, you praise him and open his final reward. After eating, you leave the tracking field but do not let the dog pass his track again. When your dog searches intensely and eats all his rewards, you can make the track longer and put the reward only every three steps. When this is done, your dog will have to look in every footstep even when there is not a reward. When you have reached this stage, it is time to lay your bits at random in the footprints of the track. You can lay two or three tracks after each other, best is with every time other type of food rewards. REMINDERS Always track with a dog that is hungry! Always make a pre start! Always track with the wind in your back! Always wait 15 minutes! Always wash your hands after touching the rewards! Always put the closed pot at the end of the track! The dog has to search at your pace, look for every step and eat all his rewards! Do not train with objects or corners before he is tracking perfectly strait! Do not let the dog search before or after the track! Always take small steps! THE PREPARATION FOR SCHUTZHUND 1 In "Part 1", we have seen how to start with tracking. When your dog has reached the level to work out a straight track of about 70 meters, and still searches footprint-by-footprint it's time to begin with the first corner. IMPORTANT: In "tracking training", we always stay close to the first corner. We always do the same ritual: (as in Tracking Theory, Part 1) make a pre-start, Always make sure that the wind is in the back! The reason for this is that the smells of the footprints (and rewards) are not coming into the direction of the dog. By "wind in the back", you teach the dog to seek more intensely and to seek with a "deep nose". Now we put a track of about 50 meters straight ahead (with the needed rewards in the footprints) and at the end, we make a light, round corner. In this "corner", you put more rewards than on the straight, and directly after the "corner", place your plastic pot (Fig. C). When your dog has reached the level to work out a straight track perfectly, he will have no problems with this sort of corner. Therefore, after a few times training like this, you can make the curve smaller and smaller, until you have a real angle of 90 degrees, 3 meters after the angle you put the plastic pot with more rewards. On the first part of the track you lay the rewards at random (how many, is different from dog to dog) but then you mark the point of the angle, by turning 360 degrees, (on this point) and make the angle 90 degrees right or left. After 3 meters, you stop and place the plastic pot. Always make sure that you know exactly where the corner is! Never lay food on the angle point, but about 50cm directly after. The length, after the corner you can make longer, when you see that your "tracker" understands what you want from him. When the dog has difficulties with the angle, you can make it easier by marking your corner "double". This means when you are about 2 meters after the angle, you return on your steps till you are about 1 meter before the angle, and then go further again passing this (double) corner. (Fig. D) After a minimum of 15 to 30 minutes, you get your dog. Make sure that you always know exactly where the track is lying, this is very important! You start the track as usual but when coming on the corner, you stop when needed. Do not let the dog go wrong! At the corner, you stop, and when your dog takes the right direction, you follow immediately! You say nothing; the dog will find his first reward at about 50 cm and will praise himself. When the dog takes the wrong direction, you stay on your place and give the command "Track", when he goes on in the right direction you follow immediately! Do not' let the dog turn around several times. When he is off the track, stay at your place and give the command "Track" when he goes on the right track or direction, say nothing but follow. Now your dog has done one corner, so after several training sessions you can try two, and finally, three corners. Your result must be a track of three corners (in the Schutzhund 1 & 2 trial there are only two corners) of about 120 meters long. It is important that you are no further than 3 meters behind your dog, and that he can make his corners without your help. I am sure that I will have forgotten things, but tracking is a form of practical training that is very difficult to write in theory.

The Super Croc's scientific name is Sarcosuchus imperatorwhich means 'flesh crocodile emperor'.

International Guide Dogs Day is recognized on April 29th.

Meerkat is an animal name that starts with the letters me.

The short answer to this is: no. It would be an Americans with Disability Act Accommodation for the store to alter it's general practice or procedure to allow a small dog to ride in the cart, versus walk on the floor. However it is considered bat etiquette by many service dog handlers to do so. Many small service dogs walk on the floor, just like a big dog.

How would a dog in the child's seating area be any different than a child with a messy diaper in that child's seat?

I would suggest that if your dog is pulling you to fast, that the SD might need some re-training regarding walking nicely alongside of you. Does your SD do it all the time--pull you--or is it only in the grocery store, or when you are in busy places and in a crowd? These answers might give you insight into the area you might want to retrain your dog in.

Your local sign shop can create one for you. Most chain stores get it from their corporate office. A better phrase would be No Pets, Service Animals Only.

The bird is a pink cockatoo, beautiful : )

First and foremost, he must learn to ignore distractions. He must also learn all the things that a dog learns to live among humans, such as where and when to toilet, not to beg or pester, and basic house manners.

Guide dog candidates are intentionally selected from among animals who already have a low prey drive which makes them naturally less likely to chase things like squirrels. They are selected to have calm personalities and sound nerves as well as good physical health

It depends on if the person can show disability status and possibly the state you live in. You may request documentation that the person is legally disabled (but may not pry into the particulars of their disability). If they are legally disabled (substantial impairment of one or more major life activities) they are allowed to have one or more service dogs. Some people actually use two service dogs at the same time. Some people maintain an alternate in case something happens to their main service dog. In some states service dogs in training are allowed anywhere service dogs are and thus must be allowed- it is not uncommon to have one in training while an older one works.

If a medical professional writes a letter that the dogs are needed for a medical reason, under the Fair Housing Act you must allow them even if they aren't service dogs or service dogs in training. These are generally called emotional support animals.

One thing that I do is I have two wooden sticks (broom handles work great) with a wire attached to each that lead to a metal spike at the bottom of each. . When I stick the spike in the ground from one stick and touch the spike on the other stick to the fence it will produce a spark. Have it so that you never have to touch the wire or you will get tagged/shocked. You need to see if it is grounded without you becoming part of the grounding process. Been there, did that, didn't like it.

No. A Muslim person is required to carefully wash and change clothes before praying after contacting a dog's saliva, but a taxi driver should not be exposed to such contact from a service animal, which is highly trained and well-behaved. It is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for a taxi driver to refuse to carry a passenger because they have a service animal.

You may have to let them feed off mom one or 2 at a time while holding the mom so she does not hurt them. Try it with a few pups then with all of them, it should work.