A Service Dog and Training for Josie Steinauer

For those of you that don't know, the dog in my lap is Oliver. Unfortunately, he doesn't exactly fit the bill for the kind of service dog I need. Because of a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and the many other conditions that accompany EDS I am finding myself in need of more assistance in my daily life. There is no cure for EDS and it is a degenerative condition, but I do my best to manage my symptoms. I have chronic pain in the forms of muscular, skeletal, and nerve. I also have an irregular heartbeat and blood perfusion, which can cause me to lose consciousness. Food and environmental allergies dictate what I can eat and where I can go. Chronic fatigue can make me sleep so long and hard that I miss alarms and important medical appointments that can be hard to come by. There are times that the pain is so severe that I need the use of mobility aids like a walker or a wheelchair to get around the house. Unfortunately, our home is not handicapped accessible so I find it very difficult to get around or up and down the stairs. 

Luckily, I have found a wonderful trainer that will guide me, my service dog, our house dog, and the rest of my family through service dog training and then remain available after training is complete. By working as a team we will be able to customize my service dog's training to my needs. For example, my dog will be able to sense my food and environmental allergies and alert me to either avoid them or leave for my safety. It will also be able to alarm me of an unhealthy heart rate and oncoming loss of consciousness so that I can get myself to a safe place or use preventative action. Once the dog is fully grown it will also be able to break my falls, provide support while walking or taking stairs, pull my wheelchair, and I will be able to brace on it to bring myself to a standing position or transferring to and from my wheelchair. 

This is all just a really long way to say that this dog could give me a lot more confidence and independence. 

Although it is hard to ask for help, I think that this dog could be life changing for me. Please do not feel any pressure to donate. I would just be happy if you have read this far! Feel free to ask any questions or share the link. Thanks for your time!