Assistance Work or Tasks for my Psychiatric Disabilities

I. Assistance in a Medical Crisis

1) Summon Help from a Friend, or Family Member Dog taught to "Go Get Help." Dog can find specific person (family/friends)on command.

2) Provide Balance Assistance with walking, stairs and to rise

Goal is to prevent a serious injury from a fall.I experience medication side effects of psychotropic drugs. Also assists me when I experience dizziness or weakness due to not eating because of depression or anorexia that may be caused by antidepressant drug side effects or natural symptoms from my disorder. Also if I become exhausted by prolonged panic attacks. Dog trained to brace (stiffen body) so that I might use him for balance.

3) Arouse From Fear Paralysis or Disassociation ("Going Away") Spell

Dog is trained to nudge me or pat me with his paw during freezing behavior to rouse me from a disassociation state or fear paralysis. Activity becomes more insistant and active until I respond.

4) Backpacking Medical Related Supplies and Personal Articles (ie-wallet)

Dog carries Medication in the backpack in case of a panic attack, other symptoms. Also carries a Cell Phone or Beeper, AND Instructions For Emergency Personnel, such as Who To Call if I am having a Disassociation spell, a flashback, or if serious medication side effects, an injury or other problems deprive the me of the ability to provide important information about us.

5) Water rescue in case of dizziness, disorientation, panic attack, weakness...etc, in a water environment

Dog will rush to the water and swim out if neccesary to offer his body to stabilize me and if neccesary tow me in to shore should I have disability related problems while swimming and need assistance. Incidentally he will, and has rescued one of my children in a similar manner from the water.

II. DAY TO DAY ASSISTANCE FOR EVERYDAY SYMPTOMS

1) Different Kinds of Balance Support Work in Public

Assist to Feet after panic attack, flashback, dizzy spell, other difficulties. · Steady me to walk if panic attack leaves me weak and /or dizzy from medication. · Steady me to safely climb steps or to descend a staircase. · Steady me if I feel nauseous or faint, due to med side effects.

2) Alert Me to a Cry or Someone in Distress- Particularly the Children

Similar to a hearing dog responding to an alarm clock; dog nudges me or does a verbal alarm...particularly with the children

3) Alert Me by Alerting to Doorbell Similar to hearing dog alert.

Dog trained to alert me to doorbell/knock and any persons or strange activity very close by my personal property or actually coming onto the property. Chance once possibly saved me and the kids lives one night by alerting to a man who was drunk/drugged trying to enter our residence thru an unlocked door while we were asleep..he and my sons dog held the man at bay until I could deal with the situation and call the police..without their alert I would not have known the man was there until it was too late..

4) Crowd Control, Panic Prevention In Public

Keeps a pocket of space around me when I need it using his body to block people and by his imposing appearance tends to clear people out of the way. This was used recently at dog class where a rambunctious half grown doberman was being allowed to whirl around on the end of his leash and he slammed into me when I was already not feeling good (migraine) and a dog slamming into my body would only make me worse...Chance stood at the slam into my person and walked between myself and the other dog (without command) about a foot from me and took the slams against his body with head turned away from the other dog in a clearly non aggressive stance until the other dog was pulled away..he then returned to lay where he had been before- next to me.

5) Prevent Loss of Self Control, Assist to Leave the Area

Dog paws my leg on command(verbal or otherwise), providing plausible excuse to leave.

6) Provide Tactile Stimulation (Tasks that will provide a tactile distraction from disorder symptoms are useful in emotional overload situations. In addition these tasks provide a reality affirmation.)

Dog will lay head in lap, then do nudging, till I can respond. Dog will get up on the bed for a hug or cooperatively lie across lap or next to me touching me for as long as needed to permit biofeedback technique to mitigate the emotional overload. Dog is trained to press against my leg (if sitting/standing) or foot/feet (when lying down) to provide reassurance and calming whenever I signal I am in distress or when he senses I need it...can signal for stronger assistance verbally or by body signal. Has the function of helping prevent emotional overload.

7) Assist Me When Emotionally Overwhelmed(These tasks may have an incidental therapeutic benefit, giving a feeling of solace to some handlers, but their primary purpose is to empower the human partner to recover and sustain emotional control in settings where uncontrolled emotional reactions are unacceptable)

Dog lays head in my lap or on my knee, on hand, foot or verbal signal. Will also spontaneously come to me if I seem agitated and need calming. And remain there as long as needed. Nudging occasionally to keep focus and concentration.

8) Provide Focal Point. Serving as Coping Mechanism in Public. During School/Other Meeting -

dog trained to assist me by unobtrusively maintaining a Sit/down Stay for 20 minutes or longer. I begin stroking the dog's body- biofeedback technique, to calm self, focus and continue to take part in the meeting rather then beginning to cry and bolting from the room in a panic attack Dog is taught to Stand/Sit/Down Stay, permit Hug / contact, for up to twenty minutes and "proofed" against distractions.

9) Assistance Distinguishing Reality from Hallucination (thus maintaining emotional/mental balance) and Assisting to a "Safe Place" if Overwhelmed By Fear.

Dog is taught a scanning and pinpointing behavior to look for anything unusual and out of the ordinary then pinpoint ordinary things..if he returns a perplexed response the stimulus is not real if he pinpoints I can give a command to resume ("no, thats not it")or release him (Ok, good boy"). What is that (auditory) Who is that (visual) Will come and nudge his nose under my outstretched hand(in case of dark or closed eyes) and makes me feel safe enough to move and will take me to a safe place (living room usually) where I can engage myself in distractive activities and will lay touching me until I relax and am ok again.

10) Assistance Managing Stress in Driving Situations

Dog is trained to remain in front seat next to me and sit quietly and be available for touch and make extensive eye contact which reduces stress levels...during extreme stress he is trained to carefully nudge me occasionally while not disturbing my driving to maintain concentration and focus until I can get somewhere safe.

11) Assistance Going to Sleep

Dog is trained to get up on the bed and stretch out full length next to me and remain still and allow me to cuddle up to him (which provides solace and has the effect of relaxing me) until I fall asleep at which time he immediately removes himself from the bed so as not to waken me with his weight shifting on the bed and goes to lay at my side on the floor.

12) Assists in Watching the Small Children and Keeping Me With My "Party"or Companion.

Has been trained to keep the "pack" together...if a child wanders out of sight but not far when I am having a bad spell and I don't notice and try to leave the immediate area, he will resist and alert me and look back for the child and will not proceed until we find the child. If the child gets out of a certian radius he will immediately become agitated and alert me immediately If I start to wander from my companion or "Party" in a store or at an event he will only let me go so far before hesitating, alerting me...and verifying this is what I want to do and am fully aware. Can search and lead me back to my companion or party if I suddenly need them and cannot pull myself together enough to find them...I just hold on and follow my dog.

III. SECURITY ENHANCEMENT TASKS

1) Fear of Hidden Intruders in the Home

I ask the dog, "Who is That?" in excited tone of voice. The tone of voice and body language will encourage the dog to listen and to alert if need be. If nothing is there, the dog's initial interest will wane, he will relax Dog is trained to go thru a residence/backyard/garage and check for intruders and return to me when he has determined a particular area is safe.

2) Reducing Hyper-vigilance Through Teamwork

Like guide dog and hearing dog handlers who rely on their dogs' body language to enhance their ability to safely navigate their environment, I have impressive gains in my ability to function outside the home, relying on my dog's training and body language to compensate for the mental impairment I must contend with.

3) Keep Suspicious Strangers Away

Dog rises from a Down/Sit-stay position to assume a Stand-stay position next to or in front of me. Dog taught to place himself bodily between threat and myself and look intimidating. Dog taught to issue a threat on command ONLY (never used in places of public accomodation)as a last resort in the face of iminent physical danger.

4) Reduce Risk of Mugging, Purse Snatching by Backpacking

Carries valuable and important articles in his pack as people are generally wary about even getting too close to him...close enough to open his packs.

The whole effect of all these behaviors is that I go out and socialize more then I did before...then I would usually not go out alone and only ran neccesary errands (maybe) therefore I met no people and had no friends and no outside activities/hobbies. My unusually high fear is reduced. I can drive now- enough to get around locally and when doing well maybe a small out of town trip...while it is a stressor still I know if that I get lost and in a bad area I will be safe till I find my way out. Instead of looking for the emotional support from other people...particularly men.....I am self sufficient in that area...which allows me to make valid decisions about the men I have around me and not have people that are not the best around me or in my home around my kids. I don't live in abject fear anymore. His behaviors tend to reduce the symptoms that come up before they even start, making life easier on me and the whole family. I get more sleep now then I did before which makes me a better mom and more able to cope with what comes. I have had big leaps in fuctioning since I started using him on a 24/7 basis. I am able to see to life's business much more dependably and efficiently which as a result lessens problems in my life from things not being taken care of when they should be and makes life run smoother.