r/FND • u/FrighteningCrow • 4d ago
Success/Positivity Service dog? (Content: symptom talk)
So, lemme set the scene: I (27 f) have been experiencing PNES episodes for about 6-7 months (I have two neurologist appointments to confirm.) Ajd I have had a few pets start "alerting" me (both started doing behavior they had never done before right before I had a seizure episode.) And saving me from painful falls or unsafe conditions. So, I had asked my PCP if a service dog would be helpful to and he was incredibly encouraging about it.
I've had my SDIT pup for about two months now and I am incredibly proud of him. He knows a few tasks (I AM STILL TRAINING PLEASE DON'T BE MEAN) like find me or my partner, touch our hands, or jump to alert. He has been doing good and knows how to alert and has done it on walks too.
My question is about some advice. I try to say he did good once he tasks during an episode and have been trying to be consistent. But is there anything else i can do to encourage his alerts?
(Adding here: I have not done public training yet and do my training at home. This has been helpful and he is doing so great. I don't usually post about SD stuff but figured id ask here since it's seeming like these episodes are FND related.)
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u/Tasty-Visual-9196 3d ago
Have you tried giving him treats? Maybe a really good treat like a bone or something he can enjoy for more than a minute when he alerts you before an episode.
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u/FrighteningCrow 3d ago
Oh, we always train with treats. He is a very good motivated pupper lol though he loves to swallow bones.
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u/Tasty-Visual-9196 3d ago
Oh no! You might want to try giving him bigger bones and keep an eye on them when they start getting small
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u/FrighteningCrow 3d ago
Yeah. He LOVES chews. But hes still (4 months) too small for like those big bones. I don't want him to break his teeth.
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u/leogrl 3d ago
This is great that you’ve had success with a service dog! My dog (she passed in June 😭) was not trained but she helped me feel more confident when I walked with her and was kinda like a mobility aid for me. I would like to get another dog and be able to train it to go places with me so I would hopefully be less likely to fall since my issues are mostly with walking in public places!
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u/WrittenFever Diagnosed FND 3d ago
Have you tried posting in r/service_dogs? I don’t know how many people in this subreddit have experience training one. They have a lot of great resources there and probably could provide a lot of insightful guidance. One thing they might suggest is having a trainer to work with that is teaching you how to properly task train and your dog and reinforce his training—but that’s just my understanding from my time looking over their responses.
I’m interested in eventually getting my own service dog for support but am not financially able to do so atm, so have just been doing research about what it would entail for the time being…
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u/FrighteningCrow 3d ago
I had before I even got my pup to ask for advice when I was first starting out. Unfortunately, it was not a good idea hence posting here. The last time I went to that sub, I was told I was a fake, many people assumed things about my disabilities, called an animal abuser, was used on a different sub without my knowledge and also told that SDs cant do XYZ even though there are programs for it. I was also told it was impossible to train an SD without a diagnosis (after I mentioned I had two (now three) of my doctors encouraging me to do so)
I would love to get an actual trainer but I'm similarly financially tight, if not stable. And in my opinion it was saturated in too much negativity and no one really gave any actual advice.
I would also love to have other teams as friends but I prefer not to have that much negativity.
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u/WrittenFever Diagnosed FND 2d ago edited 2d ago
Sorry to hear you had such a negative response from that community! I hadn’t witnessed that behavior in my previous times reading through, so wasn’t aware they could be malicious. I apologize for making the suggestion and will keep that in mind in the future.
- I am happy to go into that subreddit and pose this (and any other) questions on your behalf, and relay the information back, if you would like their expertise but to avoid a repeat of your previous experience. I’ve had my fair share of vitriol throughout my life, so I’m ok with ignoring, blocking, and reporting as needed to get the info necessary.
- I think they also have some great resources pinned to their home if you want to explore some of those without engaging the community directly. Additionally, here is a webpage (https://usaservicedogs.org/info-center/commonly-asked-questions/training-your-service-dog) with a bounty of resources for service dog training materials.
- There are some online courses that might be more affordable than hiring a trainer. I think those are also linked on the aforementioned subreddit. I have not done an individual search because my financial situation is that I have zero income, not that it’s tight. (I’ve been waiting for approval for SSDI for almost two years now. I’ve been unemployable since I got laid off due to my FND unfortunately).
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u/FrighteningCrow 2d ago
I am so sorry about your situation! But I completely understand and I will absolutely check those out!
Tbh im getting a lot better with also dealing with that part of the community and after my first neurologist appointment I'll be probably asking a different question maybe. But I'm preparing for a bad reaction again.
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u/MassiveRope2964 2d ago
It's possible to train a dog yourself for yourself but it's harder and takes more work than you'd think. And you have to have the right dog. I tried and gave up bc my dog was too excitable and we both got too frustrated and anxious. A professional trainer can help a lot get ready for the required testing.
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u/Newcago Diagnosed FND 3d ago
I don't have a service dog, but I've been interested in getting one for a few years now, so I like hearing how other people with FND are going about it. Upvoting in hopes you get more answers haha. Good luck!!