Arlo

Bren, 20, xe/xer or they/them ||| Arlo, 2 years, St. Bernard, Great Pyrenees, Border Collie, ACD

[arlosadventures]

So I realized I haven’t actually mentioned this yet

I’m washing Arlo. There are two main reasons- he’s too social, and I don’t *really* need him as a service dog anymore. I’ve had Arlo for over a year now, and no matter what I do, I think he’s just too social to be a successful service dog. Some dogs are totally fine being focused on their work, and limiting socialization to off duty times, but Arlo is not that kind of dog. He absolutely loves all people and all other animals, and it makes him so sad when he can’t go say hi when he’s out working. It breaks my heart, and I can’t do that to him. He also doesn’t even fully pay attention to me when we’re out because of it, because he just loves to watch the world. A service dog that’s supposed to be preforming alert tasks can’t exactly work if he’s just staring at other people and dogs constantly :P

The second reason is actually a pretty happy reason: I think I’ve made pretty good progress in the last year and a half, and I’m to a point where I’m not sure I need a service dog. This may change in the future, but for now that’s where I’m at. My arthritis is extremely well controlled with medication- my joints are still weak and stiff, but I’m rarely in pain. My mental health is still not great, but it’s a lot better than it has been. I haven’t been working Arlo for the past month, and I’ve been fine at various appointments, running errands, etc. I miss having him with me, because his presence provides a lot of comfort to me, but that’s not what a service dog is supposed to do. I’m still planning on training him in a few more tasks to do at home, because I have 99% of my breakdowns and things at home. I still want him to do DPT and grounding things, and I’m not sure what else. But I really don’t need those tasks while out in public.

I’m sad in a way, but I’m also relieved. It’s taken a lot of stress off of me, especially about feeling like a failure of a trainer because I just haven’t been able to get Arlo to focus on me while out working, so that he can actually preform his tasks. It’s an adjustment, but a good one. 

[arlosadventures]

Hey, I was just thinking about how it would be awesome if Arlo was still able to be a helper dog. What about having Arlo be one of those hospital visit dogs? The ones who visit people who are sick or recovering to boost morale and make people happy so they heal faster. I think they are supposed to be super social because that is their job. Just a thought.

A therapy dog? I’ve thought about that actually! I think I would wait a little longer, until he’s around 3, because he’s currently in his adolescent phase of “I get to choose when I listen to you.” Once he’s older, I think he would be great at it :D

[arlosadventures]

So I realized I haven’t actually mentioned this yet

I’m washing Arlo. There are two main reasons- he’s too social, and I don’t *really* need him as a service dog anymore. I’ve had Arlo for over a year now, and no matter what I do, I think he’s just too social to be a successful service dog. Some dogs are totally fine being focused on their work, and limiting socialization to off duty times, but Arlo is not that kind of dog. He absolutely loves all people and all other animals, and it makes him so sad when he can’t go say hi when he’s out working. It breaks my heart, and I can’t do that to him. He also doesn’t even fully pay attention to me when we’re out because of it, because he just loves to watch the world. A service dog that’s supposed to be preforming alert tasks can’t exactly work if he’s just staring at other people and dogs constantly :P

The second reason is actually a pretty happy reason: I think I’ve made pretty good progress in the last year and a half, and I’m to a point where I’m not sure I need a service dog. This may change in the future, but for now that’s where I’m at. My arthritis is extremely well controlled with medication- my joints are still weak and stiff, but I’m rarely in pain. My mental health is still not great, but it’s a lot better than it has been. I haven’t been working Arlo for the past month, and I’ve been fine at various appointments, running errands, etc. I miss having him with me, because his presence provides a lot of comfort to me, but that’s not what a service dog is supposed to do. I’m still planning on training him in a few more tasks to do at home, because I have 99% of my breakdowns and things at home. I still want him to do DPT and grounding things, and I’m not sure what else. But I really don’t need those tasks while out in public.

I’m sad in a way, but I’m also relieved. It’s taken a lot of stress off of me, especially about feeling like a failure of a trainer because I just haven’t been able to get Arlo to focus on me while out working, so that he can actually preform his tasks. It’s an adjustment, but a good one. 

[arlosadventures]

dogblrpositivity check! happy dogblr days! Which dogblr dogs do you think your dog would get on with? Which do you think it would be frenemies with? Could you write a limerick about your dog?

I have no idea what this is about but its adorable! :PArlo would literally be friends with any dog, he LOVES dogs and wants to play all day long. Unless the dog was aggressive he would want to play and take naps with everyone :)

I could probably write one if I tried, but it would end up really really bad and I hate writing xD

[poodlemonium]

My space giveway is now OPEN!!! :D

All you have to do is follow me on here and reblog this post with which set you’d like (celestial or extraterrestrial), and I’ll write your name down for an entry! This giveaway is international.

Included in this giveaway are:

1 hand-sewn dog bandana (tie-on, velcro, or slip-on) or bow-tie

1 dog toy

1 bag of grain-free hypoallergenic (no chicken, pork, egg product, wheat flour) dog treats

1 watercolour and ink illustration of your pet(s)

1 bag of homemade space-themed dog biscuits (made by me, of course) with a recipe card and list of ingredients

and

1 surprise human goodie

There will be one first-place winner and one runner up. First place will get to choose which theme set they want. You can still gain bonus entries by following me on social media. One bonus entry per follow!

Facebook (it’s still quite barren but you can also friend me! you can PM me if you’d like my name and that will also count toward one bonus entry.)

Etsy (empty, again, but working on stocking the shop over the summer)

Instagram (I am quite active on here!)

I will be offering more bonus entry opportunities up until the giveaway is posted! I am still offering these opportunities Tag me in a picture of your dog(s) or a dog that you think is cute (one time only), and receive one bonus entry, OR commission me (normal commission or pet portrait commission) for three bonus entries! You can also donate to my PayPal at [email protected] for up to five bonus entries if you commission something from me.  

For those of you who have already accumulated bonus entries, I will be posting the lists on here to ensure that I haven’t forgotten anyone. 

I will draw for winners on June 15! 

[arlosadventures]

Celestial! And I followed on both etsy and facebook :) Also, what is the star dog toy? is it a puzzle toy?

[handsomedogs]

Guess the Breed(s)

This is Arlo! He’s 18 months, 83 lbs, and 27" at the shoulder. He loves to play (and “talk” while doing so), hates water, and is very wiggly. He’s very smart and loves his family! Also, his tail wasn’t docked, the DNA test said he had a natural bobtail

[handsomedogs]

Arlo is mixed with 4 breeds. Two are working breeds and two are herding breeds. He is not mixed with Australian Shepherd.

[handsomedogs]

Arlo is…!!!

¼ Saint Bernard, ¼ Great Pyrenees, ¼, Border Collie, 1/8 Australian Cattle dog, and 1/8 unknown (trace evidence of sporting, sighthound, and terrier groups)

[arlosadventures]

Thank you for posting!

[arlosadventures]

I’m a little late, but May 13th marked one year since I adopted Arlo! I can’t believe how much both he and I have changed in a year. He’s grown, matured, and learned so much. I’ve learned so much while training and caring for him, and I’ve grown a lot as a person. 

I’m not gonna lie, it’s been tough. There have been many times when I’ve doubted my ability to train him, and thought I would have to wash him. But we’ve both stuck with it, and when you look back at where he was a year ago, he’s improved a lot. 

I love you so much Arlo- you’ve helped me so much, and I’m so grateful to have you in my life. I hope you’re happy living with me, too. 

Image descriptions: 1- Arlo (tan and white mixed breed dog) as a young puppy, around 6 months old. He’s sitting on a tile floor, wearing a read leash, and looks scared and sad. 

2- Arlo at around a year and a half old, standing outside on a driveway. He’s smiling, looking at the camera, and wearing a light blue and white bandana around his neck.

3- Arlo sitting on a wood floor, in front of a kitchen table. He’s looking at the camera and wearing a rainbow collar with blue tags. In front of him is a small cake with peanut butter on top, and treats spelling out his name.

[arlosadventures]

How early is too early to start training to be SDit? My border collie is 10 wks old and he's really smart and knows how to sit, stay, and lay down but is still potty training.

I’m by no means a training expert, but in my opinion, it’s never too early. As long as neither you nor your pup ate getting burnt out, train away! Some things obviously need to wait, like mobility training. If you’re planning on that, the dog needs to be at least 2 years old, and be evaluated and cleared by a vet. 

Stay away from public access until your dog has had all of his puppy vaccinations, you don’t want him getting sick! And for now, I would stick to only pet-friendly locations, especially because he’s still being potty trained. Personally I would wait until 6 months before taking him to non pet-friendly locations- I’m not sure what others opinions on that are though. I didn’t get Arlo as a young puppy, I got him around 8 months old, and started him on public access around 9 months, once we had a more established relationship and I was confident he wouldn’t have an accident, or cause too much commotion. Also, be sure to check your state laws to see if SDiTs are covered where you live!

[babyanimalgifs]

[encouragemutts]

That Leave It tho 💯💯👌🏻 (These are all dog toys, FYI). @myservicedogadventure

[babyanimalgifs]

Please reblog to signal boost and spread awareness (image via American Red Cross)

[arlosadventures]

[image: arlo (large tan and white dog) eating raw chicken while laying in the grass. His head is turned away from the camera and he's wearing a red plaid bandana around his neck.] I think he’s enjoying himself, what do you guys think? 😂

[arlosadventures]

That was the best walk with arlo ever! He's been having issues with pulling so I tried something I saw on a training video on YouTube, turning around and walking the other way whenever he starts to pull. In the past I've tried just stopping but that never worked with him. After like 3 minutes he wasn't running in front of me anymore! The only times he pulled after that was when I let him have a break and smell things, he tried to pull further into the yard to smell more. Now time for lunch! 😋

[arlosadventures]

[picture: Arlo (large tan and white dog) eating a piece of raw chicken outside. There is snow on the ground, and there are some flower pots in the foreground in front of Arlo.]

I’m transitioning Arlo to a raw diet!

He’s never liked kibble and isn’t food motivated at all, except by “people food” and a youtuber I watch posted about transitioning her dog to it, so I thought I’d try it out! 

So far, Arlo is LOVING it. When we were in the grocery store buying the meat, he kept trying to get underneath the cart and smell when I had my back turned :P

He’s been eating one chicken quarter (full chicken leg, thigh and drumstick) each day, as well as some ground up veggies. I introduced him to liver today!

Honestly I’m still kinda grossed out by it all, but this diet seems to have a lot of benefits for dogs, including longer life span, so I had to try it. I’m sure I’ll be less grossed out about it as time goes on. 

I’ll try to post on this blog more about this, and just in general!

[arlosadventures]

Today on: I hate dealing with people who don’t know about service dogs

I was early to my appointment so I was walking around outside with arlo and someone walked by and took a picture of him. I was too far away by the time I realized what had happened. but seriously? now that person just has a picture of me and my dog on their phone. thats so creepy

My psychiatrist kept talking to Arlo??? she does this every time is see her and I ask her not to and she still does it 

one time she even saw the 3 inch stop sign patch on his vest and went “STOP. what’s that for?” what do you think??? its to get people mainly to stop petting him but also just stop interacting with him

PETCO 

I was nearby, and I used to do training classes there and I needed a few things, so I decided to stop by to get stuff and maybe see my old trainer and say hi

instead, there was a new trainer there, and when I mentioned that Arlo is a SD he told me I had to register him. I told him no, those registries are not real, he told me yes they are. I walked away from him, bought my things, and went to my car

I pulled up the ADA where it says certification is not required nor is there any official government run registration, as well as the terms of service of one of the registrations where it says they’re not affiliated with the government and a registration is not required

I went back in and tried to show the guy, he wouldnt look at what I was showing him and kept saying “oh im sorry if ive upset you!!!”

I was just trying to explain “this is why telling people to register their dogs is harmful” and he kept interrupting me, mansplaining 

I was very upset, shaking and almost crying and so Arlo was very agitated and was pulling. He kept trying to sell me harnesses to make him not pull, as well as training classes

he was saying he’s “such a great trainer” and has “fixed” so many dogs that were aggressive or timid and now theyre great pets

I hate people.

[arlosadventures]

So I’ve reaaaaally been neglecting this blog, but there are cool updates with Arlo- I did a DNA test!!

Arlo is officially:

1/4 St. Bernard

1/4 Great Pyrenees

1/4 Border Collie

1/8 Australian Cattle Dog

1/8 unknown (traces of sporting, terrier, and sighthound groups)

Super super weird to me! Does this look like a border collie to you?? :P

Also, Arlo is now 1 1/2! I don’t know his exact birthday, but it’s September 2015- I made it the 13th because I adopted him on May 13th, 2016

[trainingfaith]

Adorable double paw alert ❤️ Hank you Faith! Off to take my meds I go.