Contact Arizonahugs, she can tell you all about it.

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Narcolepsy/forum/7283770-introducing-myself-and-one

I think this link will take you to the essay Arizonahugs wrote about her service dog Olivia. I had sent it to Paul Trembray who wrote, "The Little Sleep" which is a detective novel about a Narcolesptic detective. I think it would be way cool if his main character would get a service dog! The seocnd book has gone to print, but maybe the third? = - D

Well, Xyremhappy,
I sure do envy you your happiness with Xyrem. Tried it for 18 months and couldn't deal with the multitude of side effects I had.

Service dogs for narcoleptics - a subject I know well. A big high five to you to be able to train obedience and agility dogs. If you can do that then you have a good start as you know that you must be the Alpha member of your little 'pack' because that is absolutely essential.

However, there are many differences between an obedient dog or a dog you jump hurdles, etc. And before you do anything, you must examine exactly what you would want your service dog to do for you.

Did you read my article in the Talk About Sleep newsletter that came out in February? I have worked now with several people helping them to decide if a service dog is right for them. Some had expectations that just were not realistic nor was their need beyond anything other than to have a loving companion as many of us lead isolated lives. And in the dog world, a companion dog is just another name for a pet dog.

Service dogs cannot predict cataplexy attacks like many who predict epileptic seizures. Epileptics brains actually give off signals ahead of an actual seizure, and a seizure alert dog senses those signals and is taught to tug on their owner (or exhibit some kind of sign) to warn them. Cataplexy does not cause the brain to give off any kind of warning signs.

Of course, if laughter or some very specific things trigger your attacks, in time you can teach your dog to recognize that whenever you laugh, you'll have an attack. Not really all that helpful, though, because for most of us an attack comes immediately after or during the triggering event.

And no, your service dog doesn't keep you awake while driving. Especially since they belong in the back seat of your car, and have no way to even know if you are falling asleep. On the other hand, an animal communicator (trust me they really exist) talked with my Olivia and Olivia told her she's not too sure I should be driving and sometimes she is reluctant to get in the car with me.

We worked that out as I told the communicator to convey to Olivia that I drive only when necessary and even at that will only drive if I'm feeling on top of my game.

I would imagine the only way you can get a dog to wake you when you're sleeping (I'm assuming you mean when you need to get up for work, etc), you could train it to wake you when your alarm goes off and you don't awaken to that. The dog would hear the alarm and pull the covers off you. But that in itself would not a service dog make.

I got my service dog because I live alone, do errands alone, go to appts. alone. My cataplexy attacks had morphed from ones that lasted just moments or as long as 10 min. Now I experience some that last an hour and a half. While there is nothing that can be done to warn me, or to bring me out of it, my dog lies right next to me, licking every part of me that isn't covered by clothing. I'm not sure if she is trying to make me 'wake up' or if she is trying to comfort me. And that is exactly what I need. I need her comforting presence to reduce the anxiety I have during those lengthy attacks because anxiety only makes them last longer.

When I am in public, should I have a cataplexy attack, she becomes a medical alert dog, meaning that if I'm found collapsed and unresponsive, with her lying by my side, I am easily identified as having a medical condition and she wears a medical alert laminated card that hangs from her vest (along with her certification) that explains what is happening to me, and what to do, and more importantly, what not to do.

Over the years as my narcolepsy got worse, when I take walks with Olivia, I have had times when I've gone into a narcoleptic fog or when I quite literally cannot keep my eyes open and all I have to say to Olivia is 'take us home.' She knows exactly what to do because whereas she would want to stop and sniff at each shrub or rock on our walk, if I tell her to take us home, she gets right down to business and leads me right home, with no stopping to smell the roses. LOL

Now for those of you who do not experience long cataplexy attacks, who do not live alone, whose N is not so severe that you will literally get lost taking a walk, there isn't a whole lot a service dog will do for you. Although, Olivia brings me great comfort not to mention company, which is somewhat helpful in keeping cataplexy at bay.

Olivia was what a refer to as cross-trained, meaning she is trained to do a multitude of things because she came from an organization that does nothing but train service dogs, so every dog is trained to obey almost a hundred commands. When a recipient gets their dog, they use the commands that are specific to their disability.

So, Olivia opens and closes doors, flips light switches on and off, retrieves dropped items, pushes the button on an elevator with her nose, can pull me should I be in a wheelchair (which I was for a time), and heck, I can't even remember what all she does. It has become such a natural part of our lives.

Oh, one of her favorite things to do is to go get the newspaper from the driveway. Of course, I don't really need her to do any of those things, but since the nature of my disability doesn't require a whole lot, I have her do them anyway because from the time she was born, she was trained to care for whatever owner she would be paired with. And service dogs are happiest when they are doing their 'job.'

Also, I do not treat her as a pet, though she gets a ton of loving from me. I have to be diligent in not allowing others to pet her or even speak to her when we are in public. Those things would be distractions for her and to allow them would make her less effective and not as well behaved as she is going through the grocery store, or airport or in a doctor's office. Her focus, her job, is to take care of me. If I am in a situation where I would allow someone to pet her, I give her the command that she can approach that person and be petted.

A service dog must maintain a mellow demeanor, meaning she does not react to situations, or loud unexpected noises, but takes them in stride. I know I can be confident that she will not react badly upon meeting another dog. She will pass up food (such as a cookie a child may have dropped and is lying on the floor in a store) just by me giving her the command to 'leave it.'

She will not jump on anyone unless she has been 'invited' to 'up' on them. I can go into a restaurant and as I slide into a booth, have her go under the table and lie down and stay there until I'm ready to leave. She would never beg for food, though imagine all the wonderful food smells she is picking up.

I have slipped out of a booth in a restaurant, and to see the looks on people's faces who perhaps were seated after me, when they see that there has been a dog in there all the time they were there and they never had a clue. Managers come up to me and tell me my dog is better behaved than any child they've ever had in there.

Olivia must obey a command before she is fed or given a treat. She is not allowed to go through a doorway ahead of me without me telling her it's okay. I am the only one allowed to feed her, give treats, give her commands, etc. All of these things show her that I am the 'alpha' in our little pack and this maintains the good behavior and my control.

Another difference in a service dog as opposed to a well trained obedient dog is that she is not allowed to interact with anyone, even my own family, the way she can interact with me. Nobody else is allowed to heap the love on her. At home we relax the rules somewhat, and my kids (and grandkids) can pet her without her waiting for the 'visit' command.

She has a command when I need her to go potty right away, as opposed to the times she is allowed to sniff all around for THE perfect spot to go. (Can you imagine people sniffing around for the right bathroom to use. LOL)

Olivia is a certified service dog, but her certification was done before I received her. She wears a license on her vest. A service dog's training is very intense and necessarily so. By law the only places she cannot go is an operating room or delivery room. Recently I had a stent put in to alleviate blockage in my heart, and she was at my side in pre-op and again in recovery. She stayed in my hospital room, even shared that tiny hospital bed with me.

I received my dog from an organization that does nothing but breed, raise and train dogs for service. This is done on a farm with certified trainers and an army of volunteers. The dogs are bred to be very mellow, extremely intelligent and have as few pre-dispositions to illnesses/conditions that may be common for their breed. A lot of work goes into training a service dog and that is why they cost around $20,000.

Applications for service dogs are long and comprehensive to determine whether someone truly needs a service dog, or if a well trained pet would be enough to fulfill someone's needs.

That is the first thing I do with someone who desires a service dog - meaning together we determine their needs and expectations, because sometimes all they need is a loving pet. Sometimes they expect far too much of a service dog and we assess expectations vs. realistic needs.

Gosh, I feel like I've just written a novel, but that's because I'm a little foggy today and that's when I tend to ramble in the hopes that somewhere in my ramblings, I've gotten my point across.

Oh, once you have a service dog, you must prepare yourself to deal with the public in all kinds of ways, from having them keep their 'paws' to themselves to answering a myriad of questions, and dealing with people who are actually rude to you. There are times I want to really go off on people who feel for some reason they have the right to question my need for a dog, or the no petting rule or want to know just exactly is my disability because I 'look just fine). However I am always aware that Olivia and I may be the first service dog team they've encountered and I become representative of all service dog teams in their minds. If I am rude or unpleasant, that is going to stick in their minds.

Well, if I've left something out, or you have questions, I'm happy to answer them.

Andrea
I'm in charge today. My service dog gave me permission.

Arizonahugs,

Thank you for all the info.

There is still a gary area for me. Since I am training my dog without a dog training school can I still gain access to public buildings with my dog? Like the seeing eye puppy raisers

Do I need some type of paper work?

So many sites suggest to train your own dog but this part is missing.

Is there a final test for the dog to make it official?

I found a book for the training it is "teamwork" maybe the book will have information that I need.

thanks

Getting a service dog certified is somewhat complicated at first glance. The paradox is that there is no national standard. However, the ADA does require a certain standard. It is lengthy and I am in the process of preparing a list of what is expected by the ADA that is lengthy but a relatively easy read.

When that is completed, I'll let you know and I will email it to you. It is too lengthy to put in a post in a forum like this.

I live alone and am considering xyrem. Some people recommend service dogs for this, although as was pointed out, I don't think I so much need a service dog, but would perhaps need a well trained dog.

Do people on xyrem have any issues with living along while on the drug?

I dont really want to get a dog (although I love them). I live downtown in an apartment building, and don't feel that I can offer a dog a great environment to live in. With the size of my apartment, and all of my time spent working in the lab or sleeping, I don't think I could offer a dog a happy home.

Any thought on assistance from well trained cats?

As a lover of both dogs and cats (I have my service dog, a Golden Retriever and 4 cats), I have to chuckle at the thought of a well-trained cat. After all they do give the impression that we are not their owners, companions, or anything other than their own personal assistants who do their bidding. I've also had cats that considered me more of a play thing than anything else. However, trained cats do exist, but I've only seen them at cat shows.

To Gillian, having been on Xyrem for 18 months, I can't imagine why you would need a service dog for that. Now would that qualify you for one if you were to put in applications to service dog organizations. These are $20,000 dogs we're talking about. Also, there are waiting lists, many lengthy (as in 2-7 years), for a well trained service dog. Where you are on the list is not determined by when you apply, but by how urgent your need is.

However, whatever your concerns are about Xyrem, you can certainly get yourself a dog, perhaps one from a breed that is known for its desire to please its owner, etc. and train it or ask the help from a certified trainer to do whatever task you feel you need at night when you've taken your Xyrem.

You might even want to consider getting a rescue dog at your area's humane society and ask the folks there if they have any dogs that kind of stand out for intelligence, the desire to please and one that seems to catch on easily to commands, etc.

Ah, but you did say you don't really want a dog at this time, nor can you offer it a good environment.

If this is all about any qualms you have about Xyrem, it's probably a good idea that you get a lot of feedback from folks that are on Xyrem to answer your questions and to ease any concerns about it. Obviously getting as much info from your doctor is important, but the practical experiences from other pwn's would go a long way to making you more comfortable about it.

I know that service dogs are very expensive to train and are in short demand. I use my own dog to hlep me on walks. Not that he can "do" anything when i collapse, but just being there right next to me when I am on the ground i feel would help me, that a car would not run me over not thinking "hey, that's a person laying there" and not mistake me for a bag of trash that fell off a truck, i live in a rural area.