Charlie's Clues: How to Make a Dog Sleeping Bag

Today's Charlie's Clues includes a fun DIY project, a dog sleeping bag.  Since Charlie is a service dog and goes with me everywhere I have to bring a blanket for him with me for 2 reasons.

1.  The dog training organization said it is important to bring a blanket to a place of business such as a restaurant so that the dog hair stays contained on your mat and you bring the dog hair with you when you leave the business.

2. Charlie doesn't have an undercoat so he is always freezing.

Charlie loves my puffy coat and like to crawl inside and I had a genius idea, what if Charlie had his own sleeping bag to crawl into when we go places.

I found this children's coat size XL at Old Navy for only $10 (good time to buy as all coats are on clearance right now).  I imagine using a puffy vest would even be more genius.

First I turned the coat inside out and sewed the bottom shut like so

Then I sewed the arms shut about one to two inches off of the seem where the sleeve meets the body of the coat

Cut off the left over sleeve

Flipped it right side out and Voila!

Charlie's new Dog Sleeping Bag.  I decided to keep the hood on so Charlie can lay his sweet little head on it.

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Travel Time:Service Dogs Disneyland or Disneyworld

I have been to Disneyland twice with Charlie the amazing seizure-alert service dog.  Both times have been brilliant experiences.  Disneyland has phenomenal customer service and employee training and I am thrilled to report that every interaction with a Disney employee was amazing.  I was never discriminated against because I had a service dog. I actually saw about 5 or 6 other service dogs in the park during the 4 days we were there.

What do I do when I get to Disneyland?
When going to Disneyland with a service animal it is very important to check in at Guest Services (at Disneyland I believe Guest Services is in California Adventure on the left hand side right when you enter the park).  The park likes to know you are there and gives you a special pass to assist with waiting in lines.  Disney doesn't want the dogs to have to wait in the lines so you get to enter through the handicap line to ride the rides. Brilliant.  This pass allows you and 5 other people access onto the ride.

Click on the following link for more info
Services for Disneyland Guests with Service Animals

What do you do with your service dog while riding the ride?
Well someone in your party has to stay with the dog while you ride the ride.  When you get back that person can then ride the ride. 

On some rides you can bring your service dog with you.  Charlie rode almost all children rides (Small World, Peter Pan, Wild Toad, Sleeping Beauty, etc) and he even was allowed on the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean.  So fun.  The service dog has to lay down at your feet while riding the ride.

Overall, Disneyland was a blast with my family. We rang in the New Year at Disney and just had an amazing time.

One of our trips to Disneyland was during the horrendously busy Christmas time. For Christmas my parents gave the whole family a trip to Disneyland! Charlie and I met my family at the Long Beach airport and were so excited to see all of them. Counting myself and nieces and nephews and in-laws I believe there was 16 of us total (2 were MIA as they couldn't get work off, my bro-in-law Aaron and my hubby Paul--sad for them). How do you get 16 people from the airport to the hotel if the hotel doesn't offer a shuttle from the airport and you don't need to or want to rent lots of cars? By traveling in a quadruple stretched hummer limo---that's how!

Charlie wasn't so sure about the Disney Characters.

Check out the other photos on my Picasa page!

http://picasaweb.google.com/leahstone17

Charlie Pants Looking Regal

Love this photo.

Happy Tuesday.

Christmas Weddings

It seems like there are a lot of weddings this time of year.  Charlie Pants is a pro at going to weddings and being the talk of the show (don't worry he tries real hard to not up show the bride).  Check Charlie out at this wedding and this wedding and here stealing ice cream at this wedding.

I wanted to show you how I made Charlie's bow-tie for his weddings in case you are going to be getting married this month and want your dog to be a part of the ceremony.

PS. I love this Pug in a bow-tie

Little Girl's Seizure Alert Dog, Jack

 

This is such a cute video about the loving bond between dog and little girl. Jack was found in a dumpster by the humane society and later adopted by this family in the video. Click on the link to watch the video and see how Jack has changed the life of one little girl. It made me cry.

http://www.godvine.com/Thrown-Away-Dog-Saves-a-Little-Girl-from-Death-671.html

Bikes and Dogs

Peopleforbikes.org blogged about how the dog lover/ bike lover uses the bike to tote around their best friend. Charlie and I made the post.

Man’s best friends

Posted on Jun 16, 2011

While it has traditionally been posed that the dog is man’s best friend, we know many of you also reserve that honor for your two-wheeled companion—your bicycle. Like a good dog, a good bicycle is quiet, a provider of comfort during rough times, and easy on your carpet. But for those who have both a special canine and a special bicycle in their life, a common dilemma is how to give both of them attention at the same time. We’ve experimented with this extensively at the peopleforbikes.org office; here’s what we’ve learned.
There are a number of ways to include your dog in a bike ride, whether it’s for utilitarian or recreational reasons. It’s possible to tote small, well-behaved dogs in a basket or a messenger bag. One of our Twitter followers, Zak, sent us this photo of his dog riding in his rear bike basket. Another follower, P.J., has a photo of his adorable pup riding in a front bike basket set as his profile image. PFB supporter Timbuk2 even makes a backpack designed to carry dogs called the Muttmover.

PFB dog Churro liked riding in a basket as a puppy.

Angela won a PFB messenger bag and used it for her Yorkie.
For larger canines or for those who can’t be trusted to sit contentedly in an open basket, you can use a bike trailer like a Chariot or a Burley. Again, there are dog-specific options on the market—the Tail Wagon and the Croozer Dog are two examples. These enclosed trailers keep frisky dogs safe while you’re biking and can haul larger mutts (and groceries too!).

PFB dogs Sadie and Ryleigh getting ready for a spin in Denver.

After PFB dog Churro outgrew his basket, he moved to a Burley Tail Wagon.
Cargo bikes are another option. There are bakfiets for carrying children by bike; why not “barkfiets” for dogs? Blogger Leah Stone carries her therapy dog, Charlie, in a Madsen cargo bike. Below, PFB dog Wylie tries to hitch a ride in our office cargo bike.


Read full article HERE.

Service Dogs Helping Heal Vets

Service dogs healing vets - Our Kiran Chetry gets a big wet kiss from a dog who ultimately saved his master from the mental and physical anguish of coming home from war.

Dogs of War

I found this article on CNN

Gotta Watch: Dogs of war

Jacko is honored for his military service.

May 6th, 2011

11:43 AMET

The recent mission to capture and kill Osama bin Laden has only underscored the need for military canine units. It was recently revealed that part of the SEAL team included a dog , who was choppered in to help identify possible threats to his team. These videos highlight stories of heroic military dogs during times of peace and war.

Deployed canines honored - A dog who survives six IED explosions surely deserves a war monument. Jacko is just one of many dogs to be honored at the F. Walton working dog memorial.

'The dog saved his life' - Family members of a fallen Marine express their deep gratitude for a dog named Bingo, who sacrificed his life to save his master.

Watch American Morning weekdays 6am to 9am ET. For the latest from American Morning click here.

Flying with a Service Dog- Airport Potty Stations

I love flying out of Dulles Airport in Washington DC because they have 2 service dog potty stations right in the terminals. The one Charlie used was by gate D1 (between gate D and C) and I believe there is another one between gates A and B.

This potty station really helps out when we have a long flight ahead of us. Recently we went to Anaheim to go to Disneyland and the flight was 5 1/2 hours so it was great to potty Charlie right before we boarded the plane. I wish more airports would design a room like this for those traveling with a service dog.

Sign Petition

Doctor's Service Dog Taken Away by Canine Companions for Independence

(Pic:) - CEO of Canine Companions for Independence Corey Hudson. Mr. Hudson is also the North America President of Assistants Dogs International. Mr. Hudson ordered the wrongful repossession of a service dog from Dr. Gael Yonnet.

Salt Lake City, Utah - Dr. Gael Yonnet was severely injured in a snow boarding accident that left him paralyzed. Dr. Yonnet sought the independence that a service dog could give him and he applied for a service dog with Canine Companions for Independence. He was partnered with Elon.

Dr. Yonnet is a very active individual and he enjoys going on trails in the Rocky Mountains with Elon after long days working in a hospital.

Dr. Yonnet's service dog was taken from him a week ago by Canine Companions for Independence because Elon was not on a leash in examine rooms or on trails in the Rockies. All the time Elon stayed by Dr. Yonnet's side.

Corey Hudson nor has any person from Canine Companions for Independence returned phone calls to Dr. Yonnet or his thousands of supporters. Dr. Yonnet wants Elon back working for him.

To sign the petition to return Elon to Dr. Yonnet click the link below:Return Elon to his Home with Gael

On Facebook

Return Service Dog "Elon" to Dr. Yonnet

New Update on February 25, 2011
Dr. Yonnet was denied the return of his dog Elon.  Click HERE to read the article and  letter sent to Yonnet, from CCI.  After reading this letter I can see reasons why CCI would be concerned about Elon.  I am not a fan of shock collars to get dogs to obey.  Additionally,  in the letter is says that...


Despite my conclusion that CCI staff had good reason to seek the return of Elon, based on statements in your written appeal indicating that you were willing to work with CCI staff to address CCI’s concerns and make the placement of Elon successful, I decided that it would be helpful to meet with you so I could determine personally whether there was a way to make the placement successful. On Friday February 18, 2011 I called you in the morning to offer to meet directly with you here in Santa Rosa at the CCI Campus with me and the CCI managers responsible for Elon. I suggested we could utilize a facilitator to attempt to understand each other’s position on the issue of managing your working relationship with Elon. I further offered to have CCI pay your travel expense and stay at the Schulz Campus dormitory. In that conversation, you declined to meet with me or anyone from CCI saying that you had told a CCI staff member that you would create a “public relations nightmare” for CCI and that now you were going to continue to do just that. Similarly, you said you would “destroy CCI” and that you would “bury CCI.” You further stated that you had no respect or trust for CCI’s staff and that you had told a CCI staff person you would bring a “reign of terror” to CCI.

This is a very unfortunate situation.  I am a big believer in mediation and believe that it may have been a way to help resolve this situation.  Dr. Yonnet I am sorry for your loss.  Don't stop fighting.

Great Store Highlight - lululemnon

lululemon

Sometimes when I am out and about with Charlie I become a bit self conscious. Mostly because lots of people stare at us and whisper about us and sometimes just talk about us really loud, and this helps create my feelings of freakazoid-ism. So when a store goes above and beyond making sure I know that Charlie and I are welcome in their store, I am always so happy and I want to post about them on my blog.

Today we went to lululemon Athletica in Clarendon (Arlington), Virginia. This cute girl working there was so enthralled with Charlie and thought he was the coolest and cutest thing. She asked if it was okay to give him a dog treat and talked to me for a while about Charlie and I explained to her how he is a seizure-alert dog for my seizures and she was very professional and instantly I felt really comfortable in the store.


I know that when I need athletic apparel I will be going here, because she made Charlie and I feel welcome, and also because they have way cute clothes.



Check out there site....lululemon.com

Here are some of my favorites:

Run:Revitalize Skirt


Run:Cross Train Pullover


Express Yourself Wrap

Thank You!

Life&Story: Amazing Service Dog Highlight

I found this video of Ricochet, a trained service dog, who had to be released from the service dog program because of his love for chasing birds. He became a different type of service dog, a unique yet beneficial service to those he came in contact with.

Ricochet was trained to surf and helped those with disabilities raise money so they could receive necessary physical training.

This story is so great. You have to watch this video--the parts where Ricochet is surfing with the quadriplegic boy is so sweet--you will be amazed.



You can check out Ricochet at http://www.surfdogricochet.com/Welcome.htm

Maybe I should teach Charlie to surf. Too bad he hates the water.

the introduction

 

Hello lovely readers. I find that where ever I go with Charlie I get stopped because either

A. Charlie is "soooo cute"
B. People have a million questions about what he does
C. I am being interrogated that Charlie can not enter a place of business
D. People think I am faking it

I figure that someone out there obviously is interested in this little guy and our story, so I have decided 'what the hey' maybe I will write about us and someone out there will read about our adventures and smile, cry, laugh, or become informed.

Here is the short and skinny about Charlie Pants and me.

Me. Name, Leah Stone. Wife. Dog Lover. Grad Student. 28 years old. No Kids, 2 dogs Jack and Charlie. Entrepreneur. Musician. Artist. Lover of beautiful things like interior design, outdoors, music, art, a good book, anything vintage and old, and animals. I started having seizures at 24 years of age.

Charlie. Full name Charlie Pants. 5 years old. Trained Seizure Alert Service Dog. 15 pounds and slightly pudgy. Protector of all things around Leah. Big brother to "little brother" Jack, a 90 pound doberman. Smart. World Traveler. Lover of stuffed animals, stealing human food, barking at people outside, dog treats, and clicker training. Dead on of alerting me of a seizure about 5-10 minutes before it happens. Holder of the name to my music business Charlie Pants Music www.charliepantsmusic.com

People always ask me, "How does Charlie know that is seizure is coming?"

I usually reply by saying that how dogs detect an oncoming seizure in a human is a mystery. Some trainers and researchers think they detect subtle changes in human behavior or scent before an episode occurs. There is no scientific studies, however, to prove these theories. Trainers also believe the behavior is not breed, age or gender specific in dogs. Charlie was just born with this remarkable ability, as are other seizure alert dogs. This sets them apart from other types of service animals.

The next question I usually get is "Well how do you know he is telling you?"

Charlie, as well as other seizure alert dogs, exhibit attention-getting behaviors such as whining, pawing, licking, or anxious barking. Charlie's behavior is to lick my face very erratically and if he can't get to my face he whines and acts crazy until he gets my attention. Once he gets my attention, he locks eyes with me and wont stop until I lie down. Once I lie down, Charlie lays next to me. My husband says that when I am seizing Charlie tries to lick my mouth and nose and we have heard from trainers that this is his way of making sure I am still breathing.

How did he learn how to do this?

Well it is natural, but his alerting behavior was and is rewarded with food usually by someone other that me cause I am having a seizure. Charlie is trained to stay with me during a seizure or to press a button on the phone that dials 911.

This is a study that shows you just how special a dog like Charlie is.

A study in 1998 involved questionnaires completed by 29 dog owners who had seizures at least once a month. Of the 29 subjects, nine reported that their dog responded to a seizure. These dogs remained close to their human companions either standing or lying alongside them, sometimes licking the person's face or hands during and immediately after the seizure. Of the nine dogs reported to respond, three were said to also alert their owners to an impending seizure about three minutes in advance.


So there it is. What Charlie does, how he does it, and why he is so special. Charlie wasn't always a service dog. He started out as a family dog. He was actually a year and a half when he started his training, but because he was already alerting me of my seizures he was able to get certified as a service dog as long as he could become obedient in public.

All I know is that Charlie is the most amazing dog in the world. Thanks to him I have my freedom back and am not afraid to go anywhere because I know he will take care of me.

We would love your comments on this blog so we know someone is listening.

love,
leah and charlie pants




Jo, Me and Charlie in Chicago



















Charlie and Me at Fountain Head Lake