What did you do? How did you do this?” It made me realize that there is a need out there for awareness, for the disabilities I have, and for service dogs. I have the same disability as you, it’s nice to know I’m not alone. Meredith told me, “When you get Harlow you should make her an Instagram to track her training.” So that’s originally what I got the Instagram for, purely to track her training because when you’re an owner/trainer you need to be able to track your dog’s training somehow.īut, when I was tracking her training, people were messaging me saying, “I love your story, thank you for sharing. So I was training two of his dogs and we got a volunteer named Meredith, who made the dogs an Instagram, and that’s how I learned to use Instagram because I had no idea how to use it. I did a lot of research for breeders and found Eagle Ridge, and I told Dennis “I’m going to get a dog from you in a few months, after my boyfriend deploys.” He said, “OK, well can you train two dogs, two of my puppies, to be service dogs and we’ll place them with someone?” ![]() When I first started Instagram, I was training two dogs for Eagle Ridge. ![]() Why did you decide to share your story and Harlow’s training on Instagram and YouTube? Now I feel unstoppable with both of them.Ī photo posted by A service pup in training! ♿�� on at 2:26pm PDT Now that my boyfriend is back home from deployment, things are infinitely easier because he’s a service human. It’s hard to do that when your blood pressure is deciding to drop all day, or a migraine kicks in, or a cyclic vomiting syndrome episode happens. She needs to be exposed to different situations, fireworks, busy streets, socialized. The whole aspect of my medical issues is also very hard because she needs to get out. I want to be independent without a dog.īut for now, I do need Harlow, and I will use her, and I will train her. And I’m putting so much effort into training this dog, but she’s still medical equipment that I have to bring with me. I want to be independent like every other person on the street. Yes, Harlow gives me independence, but I’m still tethered to her in a way. And I tell people that and they look at me like I’m crazy “Why would you not want a dog with you all the time?” Because I want independence. My biggest goal is to one day not need Harlow. And… putting so much effort into something you don’t necessarily want to have. The hardest part has to be pushing through all of the chronic illnesses. What do you think is the hardest part about training Harlow to be your service dog? I’ve been about five or six years, and now I’m just training on my own after learning what I have from trainers I’ve worked with in the past. So we and I decided I was going to train myself. We paid a couple of thousand dollars for a dog that tried to bite me, would try and bite my teachers, and walk away when I passed out. From there, we were looking into organizations and unfortunately we got scammed. And I started learning about service dogs. I started doing research because I’m the type of person that if I don’t like the situation, I’m going to change it. I had to be escorted to and from my classes it just wasn’t a way to live. You can’t drive anymore, and I had just gotten my license because I had just turned 15. I couldn’t be left unattended imagine having your parents having to sit right outside your bathroom, while you’re taking a shower, because now the shower is one of the most dangerous places. Then I also started having seizures, and it completely, put a stop in my life. So I’d completely collapse on the floor and be conscious, but I can’t move. We know now it is cataplexy, which is where heightened emotions trigger a neurological response, and my muscles give out. I was in my sophomore year of high school, and it started with me collapsing. ![]() ![]() Jaquie Blake: When I first started getting sick, it came out of nowhere. Since then, she has trained a dog for a young girl with epilepsy and another for a boy who is hearing impaired, among others.ĪKC spoke with Jaquie about Harlow, service dog training, and their Instagram account, Read the interview below.ĪKC: Why did you decide to train your own service dog? Jaquie has been working with and training service dogs since she was 15. Jaquie works just as hard as Harlow, not only to cope with her conditions, but also to train her own service dog. Jaquie suffers from epilepsy and narcolepsy, among other invisible illnesses. A photo posted by A service pup in training! ♿�� on at 1:55pm PDT
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