How My Service Dog Transformed My Life with COPD

Teddy, my Yorkie, is trained to retrieve and bring me my COPD medicine, among other tasks. Here’s how I got my service dog and how one might help you.

I had a dog when I was a child, but I didn’t know I was allergic, and constant asthma attacks forced my parents to keep Andi out of my lap and room as much as possible. It was terrible to have to stay away from the dog I wanted to have for so long.

I never thought I’d be able to have a dog again. Then, a friend came to stay with me a few years ago and brought her Yorkie. I was hesitant at first, but the dog didn’t shed, and I didn’t experience any wheezing.

I learned that Yorkies didn’t bother my allergies, which can aggravate my asthma and COPD. However, that’s not the case for everyone.

I decided to get a Yorkie. Since my health was declining, I thought a service dog would be helpful. It has been wonderful to have Teddy join my life. Training a service dog while I have a chronic illness has also been quite a learning experience!

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What exactly is a service dog?

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), “Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.“ This information pertains to service animals in the United States or anyone bringing a service animal into the United States from another country.

Teddy is trained to retrieve and bring me pills, an inhaler, and an EpiPen. I’ve also taught him to pick up the remote I’m constantly dropping! He can respond when I’m coughing and having difficulty breathing.

He comes over to my chest to see if I need him to bring me something. He was also trained to sense my blood sugar and blood pressure dropping.

You might’ve also heard the term “emotional support dog.” Before the airlines cracked down, people brought all sorts of animals on planes and said they were for emotional support.

That’s no longer allowed. The ADA has adjusted its wording to include, “Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”

Airlines, hotels, and other places only allow service dogs, not emotional support dogs. If you want to bring an emotional support dog on a plane, for example, you would have to pay for his cost and fit him in a carrier under the seat — just like bringing a pet.

How do you get a service dog?

Teddy was born on a farm in Moscow, Ohio, from a breeder. His parents are both AKC-registered. That didn’t matter to me, and I’ve never bothered to register him. What was important for me was that I got a 100% Yorkie since I learned they didn’t trigger my allergies.

The first thing you need to consider when getting a service dog is the breed you want. Almost every breed can be a service dog, and I’m not going to get into all the different types, but you do want to consider what you need the dog for.

A Yorkie is fine for what I need, but it wouldn’t work for someone who needs to be steadied or helped to turn over. You’d need a big dog for that.

There are a few options for getting a service dog:

1. You can go to a training company and purchase a dog fully trained with the specifications you need.
2. You can get a dog and have it trained by a reputable trainer in your area who specializes in service dogs.
3. You can get a dog and train it yourself.

I did a combination of the last two. I got Teddy on my own and mostly trained him, but I called in professional trainers when I had trouble with specific tasks.

What does it cost to get a service dog?

A trained service dog can cost approximately $10,000. That’s an average number and will differ depending on the dog, age, and where you live.

Many people set up a GoFundMe page to help with the expense. Some nonprofits will give you a trained dog, but there’s a lengthy application process and a waitlist of a few years.

The ADA rules do not prohibit you from training a service dog yourself, which can offer big savings.

I only called in trainers experienced in service dogs about a half dozen times when I had trouble getting Teddy to do specific tasks. The trainers I used were between $60 to $80 an hour. That’s a lot less than $10,000.

How much time you need a trainer depends on how much you can do by yourself. I found a lot of help and information on the Owner-Trained Service Dog Facebook group.

Takeaway

Teddy has been my savior during all my illnesses, treatments, and surgeries. He has improved my mood and comforted me. It’s also very helpful when he retrieves things I’ve dropped (which happens often these days) and alerts me to a potential health crisis.

If I had to do it all over again, I probably wouldn’t have gotten a small puppy. They have many needs that can be difficult for someone with multiple chronic illnesses. It’s also been a challenge to keep up the consistency of his training when I’m recovering from a hospital stay or bad flare.

We’re going on our first plane ride together soon, and I’m quite nervous to see if Teddy will do his “job” in a strange place, but we’ll get through it and always have each other.