Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 5:16 pm Post subject: Training Mikey help Disabled owner
Hello, my name is Carla. I'm 33 years old and live in Milton Keynes. I have a new 9 week old male lab puppy called Mikey. He lives here with me and my German Shepherd Molly who is 7, and my 2 cats Charlie and Keira. I've trained Molly to assist me with everyday tasks like opening and closing doors, taking my coat off, picking things up, shepherding the cats in and out, pulling the duvet off me and putting it back on when I need it. She is also an excellent and very loyal guard dog. I want the same loyalty in Mikey. I'm very worried about him not knowing that I'm his mum because I'm disabled so my carers feed him. With Molly, I used to carry her around everywhere til she was too big to fit in my coat, but now she has very bad anxiety when I leave her because of that. I try not to cuddle Mikey as much but then I'm worried he won't be able to recognise that I'm his mum and be as loyal to me as Molly is. I don't want him to be a guard dog cause I understand Shepherds and labradors are totally different breeds. Anyone got any good advice for me? And does anyone know what a labrador is capable of with regards to being trained to help me like Molly does? I look forward to hearing from you all x
whilst i don't have any practical advice for you.... will leave that to the experts!!! but Labradors make wonderful assistance dogs and several people on here are dogs for the disabled /guide dog puppy trainers/foster parents so there will be lots of advice.
i live near MK too
Samx
____________ Sam, Coal & Finn
It�s never too late to be what you might have been
All photographs remain copyrighted to me with al
Hi and Welcome - I'm sure Becs will be along soon to tell you exactly what a lab can achieve (puts me to shame!)
I'm sure Mikey will know you're his mum - i had the same worries when Pud was a pup as he spends days at my parents house whilst i'm at work - my worries were unfounded - he knows exactly who i am - i get a welcome like nobody else! x
Hi and welcome . Your Pup is a beauty.
He'll know as he grows who comes and who stay's, he'll get use to you and know who's he's mum and learn your routine,in time.
I'd not worry yet enjoy your baby.
I spent a year in a wheel chair when I badly broke my leg. then I only had Troy. I thought many things in that time, worried myself silly and in the end I worried for nothing. Troy was understanding wouldn't leave my side she helped me to recover, infact I tried to hurry myself more. I owe my recovery to Troy, then she went back again visiting old people homes again. She was a Pets a Therapy dog.
Becs is the girl to ask and she will see this post and help you enormously but in the meantime welcome to LF. We love pics here so when you have a mo would love to see more of your two xx
You have one of the best breeds there in order to train them to help their owners, you'll find labs and lab crosses are used hugley in guide dogs for the blind and also dogs for the disabled, their so smart and loyal to people its the perfect breed for such jobs.
there are many tips and tricks you can teach your lab, such as what you discribed your other dog does, and you'll find alot of such advice in the forums so skim through the behavious section, also a member on here Becs, puppy socilises for the dogs for the disabled and can recently taught her new addition Ida to open the washing machine, take her jacket off etc
Hi Carla and welcome to LF - im sure Becs will be along to give you plenty of advice with regards to how dogs can be trained to help the disabled but I would like to tell you our story.
My daughter Steph, who's 10 has Cerebral Palsy Left-sided hemiplegic and would normally spend most of the time outdoors in her wheelchair - we decided to get our boy Kimmy for her to try and give her some confidence and the encouragement to go out and be more confident. We picked Kimmy up when he was 10 weeks old and I went through the same as you I didnt want him getting more connected to me and not her but for some reason Kimmy just knew that she was special - it was something that we just couldnt train him - it came naturally he would lick her left hand and whenever she falls over he goes and sits with her. We've had Kimmy for two years and Steph has completely changed. She is now a member of a heelwork to music team who display at fetes and fun days, she and Kimmy are members of Pats As Therapy and joined them at Crufts this year and is also a member of the Young Kennel Club and had taken Kimmy into the show ring all by herself - without Kimmy Steph would be a totally different young lady.
I suppose what Im trying to say is - be patient Mikey will became the perfect dog for you because you are the perfect mum for him and he will know that - its just something they feel.
Oh and by the way - he's sooooo gorgeous.
All the Best
Ann, Steph and Kimmy
Last edited by annj on Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:58 pm; edited 1 time in total
____________ Kimmy you will always be our superstar, we love you
Hi Carla and welcome to LF, Mikey looks a gorgeous pup, as the others have said Becs is the one in the know as she puppy walks DftD dogs, there`s a video on the forum of her training her latest Ida to take off a jacket, at 14 weeks she can already do it
You`ll probably find that Mikey will learn a lot from watching how Molly helps you with day to day things and will want to help out as well
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
