u/Working_Witness_6156

hi all! i'm looking into getting an e-collar for my 11 month old standard poodle to help with off leash reliability, as well as general obedience. im a bit overwhelmed by all of the options, and i don't know which one to choose!

about my dog: 50 pound standard poodle. i shave her body and neck short with a #5 blade, so she doesn't have a thick coat to push through. she has sensitive skin and has gotten a hotspot from biothane before, so i'm super careful about what i put on her.

what im looking for: something i can use with a custom strap and hypoallergenic/more gentle contact points. something that has a tone and vibrate function as well as the stim would be nice. my girl is on the sensitive side, so i would want something with a bit of a duller stim. a remote that can fit in my pocket or be added to a holster would be a nice touch! i'd also like something that doesn't break the bank.

thanks!

i have a 9 month old standard poodle that i'm training as a service dog for my autism, PTSD, OCD, and a slew of other issues. we're starting to work on shaping alerts and task training before doing serious public access training, and she's coming along really well! i've seen a few sites talking about cortisol alert dogs and how beneficial they are in managing stress, and it seems like this would be a task that could help me. earlier last year, my stress got to such an unmanageable level that i developed bells palsy which paralyzed the right side of my face. it has sense mostly gone back to normal, but i can feel the muscles on my right side twitch or stiffen up if im really stressed. my doctor has advised me to keep stress levels low so it doesn't come back. i don't always notice when im stressed, so training things like behavior interruption to alert me to unconscious stress behaviors has been helpful for me. i think something like cortisol alert would be super helpful in preventing this, and i was wondering if anyone here has trained this before and how to go about it. is it similar to training something like heart rate scent alert? how reliable is it? any tips would be helpful!

im an sp5, and a tritype 584, 5w4. a lot of the enneagram traits i have are very closely tied in with my autism. i am very reclusive, i rarely leave my apartment and i go out with friends maybe 5 times a year, if that. i hang out with one person (my boyfriend) but i need space by myself even from him. social interaction drains my energy entirely and after a social outing, i often need days or even weeks to recover. i love to research things that interest me, and i have gone days without eating and pulled all nighters because i was so invested in a topic. i get very passionate about and very attached to my research on these topics, and i become very defensive about what i've discovered, i feel this is where the 8 confrontation comes in. i am introverted, but i'm not shy. i dont like to hang out with people in the general sense, but if i hear someone say something incorrect about one of the many topics i am well versed in, i get extremely defensive and feel the need to correct them. i will stop at nothing to win the argument, and i cope very poorly when i turn out to be wrong. i often feel the need to control the discussion and have the final say, which leads to me interrupting or talking over others. i speak confidently and can be described as arrogant or insensitive at times because of how strongly i defend my beliefs. my research and knowledge is an integral part of me and to disagree with my beliefs is to disagree with me as a person. i also feel a sense of pride in my individualism and feeling "different" due to my hobbies, appearance, and interests. i tend to get frustrated quickly with, or look down on people i feel i'm better than. i get frustrated with others very easily if they don't comprehend things similarly to me, and have little patience for people who know less about something than i do. i feel negative emotions strongly, and im very quick to anger and frustration, but it takes a lot more for me to feel genuine joy or excitement.

i'm more than aware some of these are negative traits, and it's something i'm (attempting) to work on.

a group project is probably my worst nightmare. i dislike collaborating with people, and i'd rather do all the work by myself. i am usually put into groups with people who are less intelligent or less well versed in the subject than i am, so i find myself very frustrated with them for knowing less than me. i usually end up taking control of the entire group project and either doing it myself, or very strictly overseeing the process. i find in small groups i tend to fall into a leadership role, at least when it comes to something that interests me. not because i particularly like working with others, but because i can't trust them to operate to my standards.

a lot of these are traits of autism (low threshold for frustration, reclusiveness, black and white thinking), but a lot are also very typically 5, 8, and 4 traits. do people with autism tend to represent these types more, or is it just a me thing?

i'm so tired of drivers seeing my service dog (who the app informs them of btw) and driving away. the other day i had to uber to a medical appointment and ended up 20 minutes late because i was denied 3 TIMES IN A ROW by uber for having a service dog. the first driver screamed at me when i opened the car door that there were no dogs, and even when i explained that she's a service dog and will lay on the floor of the car while politely explaining that uber drivers are obligated to accept service dogs, he screamed at me until i closed the door. i was already humiliated and sobbing at this point, and the next 2 uber drivers saw me and sped away as i approached with my service dog. my conditions are aggravated by stress, which caused me to have an episode to which my service dog had to help me outside on the street while everyone stared. ive never felt so humiliated in my life before. the next uber i called who did accept me was very kind and i ended up tipping her $20 on a ride that cost $30.

for everyone who will tell me not to use uber, i cannot drive due to my disability. i try and walk and take public transit when i can, but when im having a flair up or its too hot outside it's unsafe for me to do so. my dog is a standard poodle, so she does not shed and is hypoallergenic because she has hair instead of fur. she gets bathed once a week, so she's incredibly clean. she's incredibly well trained and well behaved, and it's apparent from how she acts that she is a real service dog. im just so sick of being treated like im subhuman because im disabled and rely on a service dog.

what can be done about this? is it a lack of education on uber's part, or just individual drivers being assholes? i reported the drivers, but im not sure what can be done.

adding in that uber pet is not available where i am, before anyone tells me to "just use uber pet." even if it was available here, service animals do not have to use uber pet.

i'm so tired of drivers seeing my service dog (who the app informs them of btw) and driving away. the other day i had to uber to a medical appointment and ended up 20 minutes late because i was denied 3 TIMES IN A ROW by uber for having a service dog. the first driver screamed at me when i opened the car door that there were no dogs, and even when i explained that she's a service dog and will lay on the floor of the car while politely explaining that uber drivers are obligated to accept service dogs, he screamed at me until i closed the door. i was already humiliated and sobbing at this point, and the next 2 uber drivers saw me and sped away as i approached with my service dog. my conditions are aggravated by stress, which caused me to have an episode to which my service dog had to help me outside on the street while everyone stared. ive never felt so humiliated in my life before. the next uber i called who did accept me was very kind and i ended up tipping her $20 on a ride that cost $30.

for everyone who will tell me not to use uber, i cannot drive due to my disability. i try and walk and take public transit when i can, but when im having a flair up or its too hot outside it's unsafe for me to do so. my dog is a standard poodle, so she does not shed and is hypoallergenic because she has hair instead of fur. she gets bathed once a week, so she's incredibly clean. she's incredibly well trained and well behaved, and it's apparent from how she acts that she is a real service dog. im just so sick of being treated like im subhuman because im disabled and rely on a service dog.

what can be done about this? is it a lack of education on uber's part, or just individual drivers being assholes? i reported the drivers, but im not sure what can be done.

adding in that uber pet is not available where i am, before anyone tells me to "just use uber pet." even if it was available here, service animals do not have to use uber pet.

hi all! i'm planning to take my first LSAT in either december of this year or in january 2027. i have 2 years left until i graduate, and i'll be a k-jd. i've heard that LSAC has made the accommodations process harder, so i wanted to ask about it for anyone with experience getting accommodations.

i have autism, ADHD, OCD, c-PTSD, anxiety, and a slow processing learning disorder (yes i know, i was nerfed by genetics). i also have a service dog, and i'm not too sure about the rules for one in LSAT testing since it could be considered distracting. i have had documented accommodations in school since i was in elementary school, and my needs have stayed relatively the same throughout my school career. i get time and a half on tests (so for a 2 hour exam, i'd have 3 hours), a distraction free testing enviornment, i get to wear headphones not connected to anything, and 15 minute breaks throughout the test. these accommodations have been present since middle school and i've continued using them in college.

i was wondering if for the LSAC accommodations, do i need to get entirely new testing done to prove my disabilities and why i need my accommodations, or can i use the same document i used to get my accommodations approved for my undergrad? is it like disney accommodations where i need to call with an LSAC representative and explain my disabilties, or just paperwork? i'm also unsure if they're still allowing virtual and if not, if an accommodation for virtual test taking would be allowed as it covers the distraction free enviornment and having my service dog there.

thanks!

hi all,

i'm planning for getting my next dog in 3-5 years time (yes i know its a big time frame) and i've landed on a black russian terrier. while i still have time if i decide on another breed, the BRT checks every single one of my boxes, and the community is amazing and very welcoming. i would like to try out PSA and possibly IGP in the lower levels with my next dog! my current dog is a standard poodle who is definitley not fit for bite sports. i was wondering if anyone here had experience with an offbreed in PSA and if they could share their experience! i know PSA is a bit friendlier for offbreeds than IGP is, but i wouldn't be opposed to trying either. im a complete beginner to the sport, and ive been reaching out to local clubs to ask them about their experience and if they accept offbreeds, but certain clubs are so hard to contact :(

the breeder im most likely going with had a foundation stud who did well in the lower levels of IGP and protection tests. they also breed to european dogs who have sharper temperaments and do better in sports! i'm very excited to see where it goes with my future puppy :)

ETA: i'm also looking at giant schnauzers and bouvier des flandres!

hi all! this is a bit of a random post, but i was wondering if anyone here happened to have a dog that they show in IGP (schutzund) or PSA? im looking for local clubs since im in the market for a black russian terrier and want to get into protection work. thanks!

i am beyond frustrated with USPS.

on june 8th i ordered a super nice, custom made item off of a reputable seller on shopify. it was $85. i waited patiently, only for USPS to recycle the tracking number for every label created on that date, and my package never arrived. USPS lost it. i am currently having it remade by the seller.

because the item is something i need sooner rather than later, i ordered a cheap, $35 used one on facebook marketplace on july 3rd, also shipped with USPS. low and behold, it shows the tracking as "tracking label made, USPS still awaiting item" despite the seller giving me proof via a receipt that they shipped it. so USPS just didn't bother scanning my item, and its floating in transit somewhere.

i've called USPS customer service, and because they fucked up the tracking number, there's nothing they can do and they can't tell me where my stuff is. im pissed. this has never happened to me with fedex. i never want to order ANYTHING via USPS again if i can help it.

i know the WebMasterTMS is updated, but for some reason DrexelOne's schedule ahead feature shows every class as "not offered for this term." does anyone know when this will be fixed? it's kinda troubling that it's not with early registration being so close

i have a 9 month old standard poodle puppy i'm training to be my service dog. shes doing well, and so far we've been using mostly positive reinforcement or negative punishment to train. the problem is, we live in the middle of a very busy city and her pulling or going to sniff something she shouldn't can be dangerous. there are e-bikes and scooters zooming down the sidewalk, cars, homeless people minding their own business that my dog has decided she must sniff, cigarette butts, etc. her engagement with me is fine, but if she gets over threshold or excited she'll pull on her martingale and not care about it choking her. i was wondering if a prong could be helpful for solidifying our leash training and keeping her safe when we're walking down a busy street or passing something dangerous. if so, when do you start your dogs on a prong? herm-sprenger says to start at 7-9 month minimum. im looking at a 2.25mm herm sprenger for her.

i have a 9 month old standard poodle puppy i'm training to be my service dog. shes doing well, and so far we've been using mostly positive reinforcement or negative punishment to train. the problem is, we live in the middle of a very busy city and her pulling or going to sniff something she shouldn't can be dangerous. there are e-bikes and scooters zooming down the sidewalk, cars, homeless people minding their own business that my dog has decided she must sniff, cigarette butts, etc. her engagement with me is fine, but if she gets over threshold or excited she'll pull on her martingale and not care about it choking her. i was wondering if a prong could be helpful for solidifying our leash training and keeping her safe when we're walking down a busy street or passing something dangerous. if so, when do you start your dogs on a prong? herm-sprenger says to start at 7-9 month minimum. im looking at a 2.25mm herm sprenger for her.

hi all! so i have a 9 month old standard poodle puppy as my SDIT. she's doing awesome so far and has a truly amazing temperament for service work! i've been training her to learn that vest on = work time, and vest off = playtime. i was recommended this by a few different people and it seems to be working pretty well. but i mentioned this recently to someone else with a service dog and they said that the method im using to train her that vest on = working creates an unreliable service dog that can only work in certain conditions, and that they use a verbal command with their dog to signal working. this is a little confusing to me, since it seems like one verbal command at the start of the day is a lot for a dog to remember, and less consistent than them knowing the vest on means they're working. i was wondering how everyone signals to their dog when they're working/training and when they can be a dog and go play?

TW for sensitive subject:

i have PTSD due to sexual abuse in my past. after the abuse i had to get a rape kit, which traumatized me further. due to this, the gynecologist is really hard for me. i don't think i've ever gotten through an appointment without a panic attack. i have a 9 month old standard poodle puppy from a breeder and have been training her as my service dog since she got home. she's doing really well and is very well behaved, though she does have some slip ups here and there. i have permission from my doctor to bring her to my regular appointments, but my doctor doesn't do gyno visits, so i have to go to a new place, which is only adding to my stress. i have to get a pap smear soon and im terrified. i was wondering if anyone has brought their service dog to the gynecologist with them before, and what the protocol for it would be. i know she probably wouldn't be able to task during the procedure, but her just being there is comforting to me. does anyone have any advice? thank you.