List Only

what is needed for a guide dog to live in an apartment w/ no pet policy?

my dad just went blind and i want to give him my dog to help him around, shes very smart do i have to get some kind of proof or put her through training?? some kind of verification for my dad & my dog? and does anybody know if there are any special harnesses for bling people dogs that i might need thanks

Public Comments

  1. Your dad needs an officially trained guide dog. No matter how smart your dog may be, she needs to go through special training before she can truly be of help to your dad. Contact the people at the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization: http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=contact They'll be able to tell you what your next step should be. Good luck to you and your dad ... and your dog!!!
  2. Hopefully this can help: http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=about_overview_faq
  3. You can't simply buy dad a random puppy. Only a true trained "service animal" is exempt. The organization that provides the animal will train dad in all that is needed. An animal that relieves lonliness is NOT exempt.
  4. rtfm is right, but in addition your father is protected by law. He can not be denied access to a guide dog.
  5. guide dogs, and all service animals for that matter, are allowed in all buildings. The animal must however be a certified service animal. The training that guide dogs receive takes around 1.5 - 2 years. It begins at birth and continues from there. Different individuals take part in the training. for example, one family will accept the puppy at 8 weeks with the sole purpose of housebreaking, beginning stages of socialization and the start of learning the commands. Soon the puppy will be transferred to another family to begin socialization. Basically they are to take the puppy to places where they will encounter tons of people and animals. Basically expose them to the world so they are comfortable in it. The command training continues at this point. Eventually the puppy (or young adult to be more precise) gets into the official school where they will get in depth training to learn what they need to be a proper guide dog. At the end of the training, when they are ready they are introduced to the person whom they will be assigned to. These two then begin training for up to a month to coordinate their efforts. This dog will then receive a certificate that it is an official service animal and will be allowed anywhere that the person is allowed. Apartments, houses, hospitals, buses, taxi's, restaurants, etc.
  6. Your dog can not get certified as a guide dog. They start training as young puppies. No matter how smart your dog is she is still a pet and subject to pet policies.
  7. ADA says that a service animal is NOT a pet. Therefore, none of the pet policies apply. The apartment community will need documentation from his health care provider stating the need for a service animal and/or a REQUEST FOR ACCOMODATION UNDER THE ADA. This form should be completed by the health care provider and submitted to the apartment community. Await written approval from the apartment community. Hopefully this helps for the pet policy part of your question.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers