Santino the Service Corgi

My name is Alyx. I suffer from PTSD, BPD, and debilitating migraines. Since September 2016, I have been raising and slowly training my service dog, Santino (alternatively Santi). Santino is a fluffy-coated Pembroke Welsh Corgi. This blog contains information that lead to my decisions as they stand, as well as my experiences with training and living with a service dog. About Santi Santi's Gallery

[servicecorgisanti]

07/08/2018 - Unfortunate UPDATE

Hello everyone. I know it’s been about a month since I’ve updated. This will be my last on this blog.

Santino has developed extreme anxiety when working in public. I’m not sure why or if there is a cause. I’ve tried to address things I could think of, but nothing is improving. So unfortunately I have decided to pull Santi from public access and that he has washed. I intend to keep him as a in-home service dog, and am now actively working to find my new prospect, one that can also help with my physical ailments that I neglected to take into account when I was first searching for a service dog. 

I will be returning to @servicedogforalyx as I begin to search for my next prospect. Santi, before developing this anxiety, had given me so much freedom, and I’m heartbroken to not only have my independence taken away but also that our partnership is not going to work out. I am thankful that I’m able to keep him in my home, but it is still devastating.

[servicecorgisanti]

05/24/2018 - UPDATE!

Hello again! It’s been a couple months since we updated. 

We’ve been really focusing on Santi’s settle and distractions. Both are doing well. We’ve been going to PetSmart, Walmart, Target, the mall, restaurants, just about anywhere we can think of. Working in food aisles, dog aisles, cleaning aisles, with children nearby, other dogs nearby, cats nearby, squealing grown adults, etc. Occasionally something will surprise him for a moment and then he’ll calm down and be unfazed. So all and all I think he and I are doing really good as a team and things are looking like he will be ready to go when he’s 2 or just a month or so after. 

Image of Santino under a table when out to eat at a restaurant.

On a more exciting note, however, Santi is currently in the process of having a new vest made by River Dog Gear and some new patches by PatienceandLove143. We also recently invested in a new leash by Bold Lead Designs! I’ll make a more detailed post about all of his gear in the near future, but we’re honestly just settling into being a team more and more each day and I couldn’t be happier or feel more fortunate with how well he’s doing.

[servicecorgisanti]

03/14/2018 - UPDATE!

Hello to our followers! It has nearly been a YEAR since I’ve updated this blog. I’m terribly sorry for that. A lot has happened since then.

Moving, attempting to adopt a second dog (which didn’t end well), new vests (and switching back with a different patch orientation), new equipment (different head collars, dog boots, harnesses), not training, lots of personal things, re-training what was forgotten, and finally back to where we were, and possibly better for it.

Santi is nearly a year and nine months old, which means two years is rapidly approaching. He is beginning to go out with me publicly everywhere except for work (which he can’t because of it being a restaurant job right now). He has his off days but for the most part he settles right into whatever is happening. We haven’t had any issues with entering spaces as of yet, but many people don’t notice him at all until we are leaving (probably because he’s short, but I’ve heard there are several teams in the area so that might also play a part).

At the moment, he knows to:

“alert” me to my anxiety so that I can re-center myself, or remove myself should it be necessary

provide “pressure” therapy (not sure if it would qualify for DPT, but he digs his elbows into my legs or he will stand on me entirely if I’m laying down until I tell him to get off and it helps me ground)

alert me to nearly daily migraines, which started on his own accord but has been since shaped into a task and is fairly reliable (using his old medication “remind”er command that is no longer in use) and when I ignore it, thinking he might just want attention, I find I regret it

“close” doors, drawers, or other close-able things if I leave them open (for when my knee is inflamed)

“block” behind me to prevent people from getting too close when I’m facing a wall, or something similar

and “cover” the front of me so that there is a barrier so people have to keep space from me when my back is to a wall.

We still have a few tasks to learn together and we’re doing a little bit of distraction training to perfect his public access. But I don’t anticipate him taking much longer before his patches get the upgrade from “in training” to full blown “service dog”.  Let me know if there is anything you’d be interested in hearing about and I’ll do my best to make some posts happen. Otherwise, I have some things I’m putting together that should be ready soon, so keep your eyes open for those!

[servicecorgisanti]

Is it okay to carry a SD to the door of an establishment?

Santi is a corgi, so he had stubby legs and is close to the ground. On top of that, he has the fluffy gene so he has a long coat.

I totally get four on the floor, and I abide by that pretty much all the time (I don’t think I’ve ever had to carry him.) However, it’s frustrating for me when it’s raining because his belly picks up a ton of water and gets gross but his tasks require him to touch me, which would inadvertently get me wet.

Is it appropriate for me to carry him to the door of public spaces, since I am able to carry him, and then set him down to eliminate as much belly wetness as possible when it’s raining/snowing? I wouldn’t be carrying him in the building, he’d be on the floor in a heel, but just up the the door. I’m just wondering because it’s gross when he soaks my lap.

[servicecorgisanti]

03/19/2017 - UPDATE

Just thought I’d drop in a quick update. 

I stopped taking Santi to classes with me because one of my professors decided to start bringing her (untrained) emotional support dog to class and, despite me telling her that her dog growled at Santi and nearly bit him, she refused to stop bringing him, and my school wasn’t much help either since there was no one else to prove my claims. 

Needless to say, it was a very scary moment for me in class, though Santi handled it well and mostly just looked offended when the dog did such. I was terrified this dog was going to hurt Santi and that he wouldn’t be able to recover from the event and would wash out. So I decided it would be best for Santi if he stopped coming for the time being.  Besides that, however, Santi’s training is going very well! He reminds me to take my medicine insistently until I give him a treat when my reminder alarm goes off (which never works on its own), so I’m taking my medicine. He also has the Block command down pat, even down to a nonverbal command, but we’re still working on the Cover command, but that’s almost perfect too. 

[servicecorgisanti]

Halti Head Collar?

To all dog people (especially SD users who use them) is the Halti a good option for a head collar/harness?

I got a basic head collar for Santi (it was on clearance) to see if I liked it for feedback reasons when I was in public, based on a post by another SD user. I absolutely love how I can tell where his head is looking even without looking down at him (though I still look down to see how he’s doing). However, because I like it so much, I thought I would invest in a higher quality one that might be more comfortable and a nose strap that shifts around less.

I keep seeing Halti everywhere, and I know I don’t want the basic Gentle Leader, so I was wondering what other people had to say on it. I would be getting the Halti OPTIFIT if I do go with the Halti. Also open to other recommendations if people have them.

Thanks!

[adventureswithshadowsd]

I used the halti on my service dog and he found it very aversive and shut down when wearing it and rubbed constantly despite so much counterconditioning. Many dogs find this style of head collar uncomfortable and they can be dangerous if the dog were to jump to the end of it’s lead for any reason and get whipped around. It often results in serious whiplash. However, there are other types of head collars! Figure right styles that clip behind the head tend to be a much better option, and I know my boy worked excellently on it. Bold lead designs has an awesome one called the perfect pace!

[servicecorgisanti]

Thank you for the recommendation of Perfect Pace! The one I have now hooks behind the head and I really liked that and I was concerned about the Halti being under the chin, but (somehow) I hadn't come across the Perfect Pace in my research before making the post. I think I'm going to be going with this head collar now. I like that it hooks behind the head, and that it comes in a leather option. It also looks more comfortable in the photos. @adventureswithshadowsd

[servicecorgisanti]

Halti Head Collar?

To all dog people (especially SD users who use them) is the Halti a good option for a head collar/harness?

I got a basic head collar for Santi (it was on clearance) to see if I liked it for feedback reasons when I was in public, based on a post by another SD user. I absolutely love how I can tell where his head is looking even without looking down at him (though I still look down to see how he’s doing). However, because I like it so much, I thought I would invest in a higher quality one that might be more comfortable and a nose strap that shifts around less.

I keep seeing Halti everywhere, and I know I don’t want the basic Gentle Leader, so I was wondering what other people had to say on it. I would be getting the Halti OPTIFIT if I do go with the Halti. Also open to other recommendations if people have them.

Thanks!

[adventureswithshadowsd]

I used the halti on my service dog and he found it very aversive and shut down when wearing it and rubbed constantly despite so much counterconditioning. Many dogs find this style of head collar uncomfortable and they can be dangerous if the dog were to jump to the end of it’s lead for any reason and get whipped around. It often results in serious whiplash. However, there are other types of head collars! Figure right styles that clip behind the head tend to be a much better option, and I know my boy worked excellently on it. Bold lead designs has an awesome one called the perfect pace!

[callmedogmom]

I really want my dog to be an emotional support dog, because I have anxiety and depression; but she has social anxiety, and I wouldn’t want to stress her out bringing her places with me.

[servicecorgisanti]

Emotional support animals do not have public access rights. Only service dogs have public access. Emotional support animals require a prescription by a licensed health professional and only are able to live in pet-free housing, and fly on planes, with that prescription. Service animals do not require anything beyond the user being disabled, but they must go through rigorous training to get to that level, and be task trained to mitigate that disability. But you are correct, a dog with social anxiety would not be able to be a service dog. However, they could still be an emotional support animal because they do not go into public like a service animal and provide emotional support for their person at home. @callmedogmom

[servicecorgisanti]

Halti Head Collar?

To all dog people (especially SD users who use them) is the Halti a good option for a head collar/harness? I got a basic head collar for Santi (it was on clearance) to see if I liked it for feedback reasons when I was in public, based on a post by another SD user. I absolutely love how I can tell where his head is looking even without looking down at him (though I still look down to see how he's doing). However, because I like it so much, I thought I would invest in a higher quality one that might be more comfortable and a nose strap that shifts around less. I keep seeing Halti everywhere, and I know I don't want the basic Gentle Leader, so I was wondering what other people had to say on it. I would be getting the Halti OPTIFIT if I do go with the Halti. Also open to other recommendations if people have them. Thanks!

[servicecorgisanti]

Hello! I’ve been struggling to come up with more content that I should include on this blog, so I thought I would reach out to get the opinion of my followers, or people that might follow me. It will only take a moment and the feedback would be really appreciated!

Thanks!

[servicecorgisanti]

Hello! I have a few (slightly) nosey questions. How much was your pup? Also who is the breeder? Curious to know for future reference

This was a question I received through message a little bit ago, and I decided it would probably be a good idea to share it.

For the first question, Santi ended up costing $1800 before shipping, vet costs, bedding, food, toys, etc. He is purebred and from a reputable breeder, so this was honestly a very fair price and pretty much about the same across the market if its a reputable corgi breeder.

As for the second question, I will not be disclosing who Santi’s breeder was for their safety. However, if someone has questions about finding a reputable breeder, I am more than willing to help. Just send me a message!

[servicecorgisanti]

Why do you need a cane?

Hello anon! That’s a good question.

I use a cane because I partially tore my ACL and MCL in my left knee several years ago and, being in the US, my mother was not able to afford taking me to the hospital so my knee went untreated and healed incorrectly. 

For the most part I’m able to go about without my cane but especially when its cold and/or wet I end up in a huge amount of pain. So my doctor recommended I use a cane on bad pain days to help keep weight off of my knee. On especially bad pain days I also wear a knee brace along with using my cane.

And, I suppose to make things clear, I do have the option to undergo surgery, but, according to my doctor, I would probably have to have surgery more than once. I already have a terrible fear of surgery and surgery is expensive, so unless the pain becomes unbearable or the chances of repeated surgery decrease, I will not be going this route.

[servicecorgisanti]

02/15/2017 - UPDATE

Santi is doing so good coming to classes with me thus far. We go to school a little early than I normally would (which would have never happened prior to having him) to practice in the hallways where people are moving about. He pays idle attention to the things going on (I want this, to be clear, I trained him to “Watch Me”, which means he looks around as opposed to looking solely towards me.) but always stops the moment I get anxious to alert me. We’re developing the “Pressure” command to work a bit better when in public (so he just rests with his front on my lap when I’m in class-- unless its a bad attack and I just pick him up and put him on my lap). 

We have attracted a lot of attention from people around campus. I’ve had to tell people to delete photos, that they can’t pet him, that corgis can be service dogs, that my leg (since I sometimes walk with a cane) is not why I have him (this was a professor who was confused), explain that me holding him in my lap is not because he’s in trouble (again, a professor). I’ve had a lot of people ask who I was training him for and, after explaining he is for me, what he did for me. Since they were passerby, and not employees, I simply explained he helped me with my disability. But, especially thanks to tumblr, I was already expecting all of this and was able to come up with valid responses before any of it happened so I was able to handle it better than I would of if I hadn’t been expecting it. So, thank you other service dog users of tumblr for being there when I was doing research and to support me without knowing it. 

But overall, he has been such a great help and has given me my freedom back. I have been able to go to campus, on my own, without worrying. It’s a wonderful thing that I am so grateful for.

[servicecorgisanti]

02/06/2017 - UPDATE

The picture isn’t the best, but Santi attended classes with me this past week for the first time. He did great. Alerted me when I started to get overly anxious and applied DPT. He got a little restless towards the end of a couple of my classes (people were making kissy noises at him) but calmed down quickly after I told him no and told him to focus. All-in-all, I think he did amazing considering he is 7 months old. So happy and proud of my little fluff.

[servicecorgisanti]

01/31/2017 - UPDATE

So, this update is a bit overdue. So I’ll try to cover everything up until now that has occurred in Santino’s training and development. (And include a few pictures.)

I picked Santi up from the airport on September 2, 2016 and brought him home. I took him to the vet and got an affirmative on a clean bill of health. 

For several reasons, I enrolled Santi in the Puppy Class at my local PETsMART. Primarily because I thought the trainer might have some insight into training a dog that I didn’t, but also because I knew Santi would continue to need socialization with other puppies, dogs, and people as he grew up. I’d also read and heard some great reviews for the training classes there, so I thought that they might be a good foundation. 

The PETsMART Puppy Class was fantastic for Santi, but also for me and my partner. The class made it a lot easier to interpret the information I had read and already known into more effective techniques. Before the session we were in ended, we were able to upgrade to one of their package options so that Santi could continue into the Intermediate and Advanced classes at a discounted price. Using the training classes has greatly reduced my stress regarding training with a structure that is already in place and allowed me to focus on teaching him tasks on my own.

Getting his dog license with my city was an annoying process. It took nearly 2 months for his registration to go through completely because he is a service dog in training and I had to write several letters to the City Clerk’s office informing them about ADA laws, State laws, and City laws regarding service dogs (in NYS service dogs include those that are in training). Luckily I know the laws or this would have been a very upsetting process. It’s amazing how much people don’t pay attention to details on paperwork and how little people know about service dog laws, and this is only the beginning. But he did get his license and everything is good there.

Santi is now currently in the Intermediate Class at PETsMART where we are focusing on Heel and working with distractions. We had already been working with distractions so he is doing exceedingly well in the class. I’m very proud of him. :) I have already taught him to apply Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) and he is already starting to Alert me when I’m starting to have an anxiety/panic attack so that I can get into a different position (if necessary) so he can apply DPT.

As of right now it looks as though Santi will be able to start attending classes with me on occasion towards the second half of the Spring 2016 semester. He is so smart and I am so, so proud of him for picking up on what I needed of him so quickly and being so well behaved.

I feel so fortunate that my little corgi has been so able to help me even at this point in time and that he is learning so quickly.

[servicecorgisanti]

I wanted to donate to your cause but I've been short of money. I see you got little Santi anyway. I've been looking into service dogs and fundraising and I was wondering how much of the total cost you got in donations? Sorry if it's too personal ^.^'

Hello anon! I know how tough it can be being short on money but wanting to support, so I very much appreciate that you wanted to help. Just the thought means a lot to me.

As for how much I raised, I don’t feel it’s too personal. (Too personal would be asking who supported and such.) I felt so fortunate that I was able to raise about $225 between my GoFundMe (which is still open at www.gofundme.com/psdforalyx because I still can use all the help I can get since I’m on my own) and my Booster campaign. I received $100 through my GoFundMe and the other $125 through my Booster campaign (selling shirts with my design on them). Even this small amount was incredibly helpful. (It essentially paid for his transportation costs.) I was so touched with the support I received, even from people I didn’t know.

To everyone else, please feel to ask me questions! I’m working on a big post to update on everything since I’ve been busy with training and raising a puppy. After this post I will be more consistently active. :)

[servicecorgisanti]

UPDATE! - 8/31/2016 The balance remaining on Santino has been paid! He will be arriving this upcoming Friday 9/2/2016! Very exciting. I have attached the most recent photos of him, his ears in these photos are not totally upright in these. But he is totally adorable none-the-less. :)

[servicecorgisanti]

UPDATE - 08/11/2016 Hello everyone! I want you all to meet my service dog candidate, Santino! He is a red tri-color, fluffy-coated Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He will get longer fur as he continues to grow! He is only a puppy right now, but so far he passes all the tests needed for a service dog candidate and my breeder continues to work with him and should something come up where he will not be a good fit after all, I will have the opportunity to wait for the next litter or to select one of his litter mates. The images above range from 3 weeks to 6 weeks, and in about 2 weeks he will be coming home to live with me and I'm so fortunate that I will have several days to work hard on potty training and that my professors have given me the okay to bring him with me to classes so I can work with teaching him how to behave in public (and so he won't have to stay home alone). In addition, if you want to donate any additional funds to Santino and his training before he comes home, please feel free to donate to my GoFundMe @ www.GoFundMe.com/psdforalyx! Thank you!