I am considering getting a note from my husband’s dr. to have our little Havanese designated as a “service dog” -
The reason, my husband has Parkinsons, and is very depressed and anxious. All of the meds tried so far have not relieved his distress, and this is a man who was never depressed one day in his life before this terrible disease started destroying his nervous system.
Walking our little dog is the only activity he regularly enjoys, and he doesn’t want to leave our senior apt. without the dog.
I would take the dog in a proper carrier, and never let the dog out of it in a restaurant or public location. The dog is well-behaved, doesn’t bark, and is not at all a nuisance.
What is your opinion on this? Some of you seems to find the idea of service animals annoying, but are there any circumstances that you would find acceptable?
I don’t have an issue except for one question. How is your Havanese with children, other animals and adults? The reason I ask if every service dog that I have encountered has gone through “training”. I have never seen one bark or make a disturbance at all. I believe part of the training is human interaction. Since Service Dogs are out in the public, children (being friendly) tend to run up to them and pet them. (not my kids since I have trained them to always ask the adult first before ever getting close to a dog they don’t know). However, I have witnessed little ones literally running up to some and putting their hands on them in the blink of an eye.
Havanese are one of the best breeds for anxiety disorders, imo. Love them.
You’d fit right in out here. I can’t tell you how many people seem to take their little dogs in those little covered strollers everywhere. I don’t particularly care, if they would leave them inside the stroller with the cover zipped, altho most of them don’t. I’m surprised we don’t have more kids bitten (maybe we do and no one talks about it) since most of the little dogs seem yappy and snippy with strangers. For the record, I love dogs and I don’t dislike small dogs, I simply don’t understand this new trend in which people think their dogs cannot spend one second alone at home.
Most of these small dogs seem quite stressed out in crowded stores, shaking and barking and cowering away from nosey children who try to approach them.
Your case seems a little different. BTW have you looked into some sort of service dog organization? Surely there is something like that (similar to Therapy Dog orgs)?
I say go for it! Your dog sounds like a delight.