Why? Because I can!

I often get asked these questions:
Why don't I get a Service Dog from an organization instead of training my own?

Why use 2 years (per dog) of my life to train my own Service Dogs? Why hassle with all the time involved, the housebreaking, the socialization, and everything else?

I actually have a very simple answer for that: because I can.

But the other answer is because I work my Service Dogs only a few times a month. I would rather see an organization dog go to a person who's working full-time, or to a kid who needs the dog at school every day.

This weekend I was at our local grocery store and I met a girl in a motorized wheelchair. As I wheeled by her, I said "nice wheels".

She and her mom asked what Frankie's name was and where I got him. I told them my hubby and I trained him ourselves because the waiting lists are so long. And because we were dog trainers and could do the training required.

The mom said her daughter was on a waiting list for an organization dog.

I warned her, beware, you are going to fall in love and get very attached.

Now that kid is the prime example of who really needs and deserves a $15,000 donated, organization-trained Service Dog. Good luck to her!


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