Service Dogs

Sep 20, 2010

“I’m So Proud Of That American Flag… That’s Why I Was Serving My Country.”

Al , , , , , , Service Dogs

“I’m So Proud Of That American Flag… That’s Why I Was Serving My Country.”

CBS broadcast a PGA special called “Playing With A Purpose” last month about the charity efforts some of the top professional golfers are involved in.

The first segment featured Phil Mickelson and his involvement with Homes For Our Troops and was all about my friends Matt and Tracy Keil who live out here in Parker, Colorado. I’ve written about Matt before – he was shot in the neck by a sniper in Ramadi in 2007, is paralyzed from the chest down other than a little movement in his left arm, … Read More

Sep 15, 2010

What Do You Do When It’s Time For Your Service Dog To Retire?

Al , Service Dogs

Canine Companions for Independence graduate Buddy Hayes has just written a great post on her site about planning for her service dog Ellie’s retirement.  A must-read, especially if you’re even remotely considering getting an assistance dog or know anyone who is: “The big “R” word…“


Probably the most overlooked subject I see with people looking for a service dog, and one of the major advantages a first-class service dog organization offers, is support – it’s just not something most people normally think about in the overall scheme of … Read More

Sep 10, 2010

Canine Companions for Independence Veteran Graduate In Airman Magazine

Al , , , , , Service Dogs, Veterans

Canine Companions for Independence Veteran Graduate In Airman Magazine

How about something great and a lot more fun after all that stuff I’ve been writing about lately? (Still haven’t seen any word on Cesar Millan’s disability, BTW.)

The new September/October Airman Magazine, the official magazine of the US Air Force, went online a couple days ago, and Canine Companions for Independence graduate (and my friend) Jason Morgan is on the cover.


The Airman article was put together when Jason and his service dog Napal were here in Colorado Springs competing at the first-ever Warrior Games in May.

Some … Read More

Sep 7, 2010

Cesar’s Way Wrong About Service Dogs: Part 4 – Registries

Al , , Service Dogs

I’ve been writing about Cesar Millan’s recent “Junior gets his Service Dog certification!” post the last few days, including how it was so wrong,  a classic example of misplaced priorities, and didn’t address the law.  The page that started this has been taken down, but there’s a cached version here, and you can also click on the photo for a larger screen capture image of the article.

Next up, service dog registries, but first, here’s a very pertinent late breaking update. Yesterday I found this … Read More

Sep 6, 2010

Cesar’s Way Wrong About Service Dogs: Part 3 – The Law

Al , , Service Dogs

So far in my series about Cesar Millan’s recent “Junior gets his Service Dog certification!” post, I’ve talked about how it was so wrong and how it’s a classic example of misplaced priorities.  Please review those if you haven’t read them already.  And, again, the page that started this controversy has been taken down, but you can read a cached version here, and you can click on the photo for a larger screen capture image of the article as well.

Next let’s talk about the law, or, more … Read More

Sep 5, 2010

Cesar’s Way Wrong About Service Dogs: Part 2 – Priorities

Al Service Dogs

Last time I talked about Cesar Millan’s recent “Junior gets his Service Dog certification!” post, how it was so wrong, and said I’d point out specifically what the major problems were in my next few posts. As mentioned, the page has been taken down, but you can read a cached version here, and you can click on the photo for a larger screen capture image of the article as well.

Let’s start with what’s probably the biggest one because it drives so many things in the service dog world … Read More

Sep 4, 2010

Cesar’s Way Wrong About Service Dogs: Part 1 – Overview

Al Service Dogs

When I saw this picture and the accompanying article (“Junior gets his Service Dog certification!”) yesterday, I immediately understood what all the uproar was about.  Talk about a picture being worth the proverbial 10,000 words!

(Note that the offending page has now been taken down, but you can read a cached version here.  And, if that doesn’t work, click on the photo for a larger screen capture image of the article.)

My first reaction was “OK, can we stop the nonsense now?”  Because Cesar managed to capture in one … Read More

Sep 2, 2010

Why Pretending Your Pet Is A Service Dog Is So Wrong

Al Service Dogs

I haven’t seen anybody address the subject of why pretending your pet is a service dog is so wrong and the damage that it causes better than Casey Lomonaco does in “My Thoughts on “Fake” Service Dogs”.

Really nothing else I need to say here – just go read the whole thing (it’s not that long) and give the link to anybody you think might be “unclear on the concept”.

… Read More

Aug 25, 2010

Over $400 Million In Insurance Claims Paid For Dog Bites Last Year

Al Service Dogs

I’ve been surprised to hear from my friends with service dogs just how often they are lunged at or even attacked by other dogs, including some other “service dogs” – it’s a lot bigger problem than I realized. Pretty much everybody I know has had it happen at least once, and seems like every time I turn around there’s another story.

Even so, this article a few days ago was still a big surprise to me, and I’ll bet I’m not alone – another one I didn’t see a lot … Read More

Aug 22, 2010

You’ve Seen All The Rest, Now Get The Best

Al , , , Service Dogs

Lotta times I think of that old Billy Mays line “You’ve seen all the rest, now get the best.”

(Hey, I liked Billy – he was a true “Pittsburgh guy”, and he loved dogs, too).

Certainly applies with service dog organizations, especially when it comes to their names. For example:

There are a lotta places with “Canine” in their name, but only ONE Canine Companions for Independence.

There are also a bunch with “Paws” in their name, but only ONE Paws With A Cause.

And some with “Assistance … Read More

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