Service Dogs and Weather

[talon]

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/AmazingAnimals/protect-pet-winters-dangers/story?id=10003493

Now that winter is nearly over, this article comes out.

As a handler and partner to a service dog, I already knew about these products and tips for cold care. Service dogs don't get to stay home in bad weather.

Having a service dog means having a lot of stuff for the dog. I know most people who don't have service dogs think it's simple. After all, it's a dog and dogs don't need much, right, just a leash and collar or handler's harness, maybe a neckerchief. But service dogs accompany their handler everywhere and in all weathers. The larger service dogs can wear saddle bags that hold their necessities. Tiny service dogs like Itzl need for the handler to carry their things for them.

I admit, I spoil Itzl, but he's soooo useful he deserves all the spoiling her gets. He works hard and he's very, very attentive to his duties. He loves his work. So, I spoil him.

He has a lot of stuff. He has 2 dressers full of his accessories and supplies (a winter one and a summer one).

For winter, Itzl has snow booties (he hates them but he adjusts after a while. They are kind of big and clunky), mud booties, ice cleat booties, coats, sweaters, and blankets. He has special winter dawgie bags that are windproof, waterproof, insulated, fur lined, and have a weather flap. He has special winter hats that protect his ears from extreme cold. He has special winter inserts for his car seat. I have a portable winter shelter for him when we're outside at events in cold or wet weather. He has paw protectors (http://www.musherssecret.net/ ), paw conditioners, paw cleaners (http://www.pawclean.com/ ), disposable booties (http://www.bramton.com/products/dogs/outdoor.html ), treats, food, dishes, paw and fur de-icer (http://tinyurl.com/yglzm3c ), paw wipes (http://www.happydogsplay.com/products/Earthbath_Hypo_Allergenic_Paw_Wipes-94-62.html ), dental wipes (http://www.allivet.com/Dog-Dental-s/104.htm ), bath wipes (http://tinyurl.com/yanujqg ), snow goggles (http://doggles.com/doggles.html ) a poop bag (just one, I usually pick his poops up with tongs or a tissue and stash them in the poop bag that I later dispose of - his poops are sometimes so small I can't find them, but when I do, I scoop), poop tongs, tissues, treats, comb, ADA cards, ID card, sweater, and spare leash and harness.

I have duplicates of nearly everything at work, and change it out seasonally.

Some of this also goes in a bag that I carry around with us - sweater, wipes, disposable booties, treats and food, ID card, ADA cards, spare leash and harness, patch vest, water, and food dishes.

Now that summer is starting to arrive (spring is merely a pause between arctic blast and inferno), it's time to furbish up his summer gear and switch things out.

For summer, I replace his heavy dawgie bags with mesh ones that have cooling pockets to slide those ice blankets in, add a fabric shade umbrella, switch his winter weight sweaters for t-shirts and vests, and put his mesh cooling insert in the car seat with a sun shade. His portable igloo gets changed out for a summer cabana - shade tent on wheels that lets the wind blow through. I add a small ice chest for storing his ice blankets and water.

As a black dog, he despises direct sunlight, so he also gets lots of portable shade (the umbrella, the cabana, a dog-sized beach tent) and sun shades (http://doggles.com/k9optix.html ). He also has protective eyewear (http://doggles.com/mesh_eyewear.html ) for those times when we have to be in places where his little eyes could be harmed by debris (metal and wood working shops, heavy gardening and lawncare). And because I sometimes go places where there are really loud noises (the shooting range, for instance), he has hearing protectors (http://www.safeandsoundpets.com/onlineshop.html ).

In the summer, I also add his flotation vest (http://doggles.com/swim_vests.html ) for boating and visits to the lake and pools and pet sunscreen (http://www.epi-pet.com/sunscreen.aspx ).

Year round, I keep a fully stocked pet first aid kit (http://www.avma.org/firstaid/supplies.asp ) at home, in the car, at work, and at friends' homes.

As a hearing ear dog, much of his gear is orange or red, so it's a good thing red is his favorite color.

So, yeah, lots of gear but I consider it all essential for a service dog.

Our pet dogs don't have so much - some sweaters and t-shirts, food and water dishes, beds, blankets, toys, treats, food, harnesses and leashes, and my son's dogs have a doghouse in back, and that's about it.

One thing Itzl doesn't really have that the pet dogs have is toys. He has his beloved Beanie Baby Bear and that's his only toy.