I had an interesting discussion with a person interested in getting a diabetic alert dog. Normally people do not ask me about the down sides of having but only want to know the positive. I know their are things i wish I knew before I got Duchess. I try to give both sides because I think when you are venturing down the road to getting a diabetic alert dog you need to be really informed. I know I did try to learn as much as I could and now their is much more information available online to learn more. I do recommend diabeticalertdog.com as a great resource to interact ask questions with other in search of a diabetic alert dog or to just learn more from current service dog teams. Their is also a group on Facebook as well. I know the down sides or tough things for me to deal with is that when I am out with Duchess I have a hands free leash which is really great but I am also tethered to Duchess. It really took me a while to get used to that. I know at first it almost felt claustrophobic because Duchess wanted to be on top of me when we were first paired. She is always close by my side but now she gives me a little space which I appreciate. Their was also the comments from the general public which honestly I don't think I will ever get used to that. I have heard rude comments quite a bit because people do not understand hidden disabilities.
The stares when I go places really bothered me at first now I am finally adjusting to that part of it. It can be difficult to realize that every time you go some where you will draw attention. I know I have been followed around in stores because some person told management that a person has their dog in the store. The stores are always nice once they notice Duchess vest and her behavior in the store. I find most see her vest and never even talk to us which is nice. I know that when I go places it now takes me longer because of the questions, I need to walk slower for Duchess and I find maneuvering around places with a service dog plus a cart can be difficult at times. I know where I live their is not many service dogs so my presence tends to get big reactions. I have experienced enough kids running around the store screaming dog to everyone near bye. I do miss the days where I could just go to the store and be a normal person but having Duchess in my book out weighs all the above. I know each person considering needs to look at all aspects not just the good but also the not so great.
The stares when I go places really bothered me at first now I am finally adjusting to that part of it. It can be difficult to realize that every time you go some where you will draw attention. I know I have been followed around in stores because some person told management that a person has their dog in the store. The stores are always nice once they notice Duchess vest and her behavior in the store. I find most see her vest and never even talk to us which is nice. I know that when I go places it now takes me longer because of the questions, I need to walk slower for Duchess and I find maneuvering around places with a service dog plus a cart can be difficult at times. I know where I live their is not many service dogs so my presence tends to get big reactions. I have experienced enough kids running around the store screaming dog to everyone near bye. I do miss the days where I could just go to the store and be a normal person but having Duchess in my book out weighs all the above. I know each person considering needs to look at all aspects not just the good but also the not so great.
I've been enjoying reading your blog and learning about your diabetic service dog. I have a black lab whom I love and a Dexcom G4 CGM which I love, but believe me, the dog has never noticed a low! It's incredible what dogs can be trained to do and I'm so glad that you're able to benefit from your dog.
ReplyDeleteI know some dogs are more observant and better suited for this type of work than others. I feel so blessed to have such a smart girl. I am glad you are enjoying reading my blog.
ReplyDeleteI think it's good of you to share both sides - I think people get pretty excited about the idea of bringing a dog everywhere, but they don't think about what that actually means. It's a huge responsibility!
ReplyDeleteThanks for telling your story.
Thanks Scott. I like everyone to know some things that I did not know going in and hopefully I am accomplishing that.
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