Welcome!

Hello! James says we need a gathering spot for my (Snuffie's) ever increasing fan club, so this is it. This will be a place to discuss service dog selection and training, to laugh about the challenges of life with a service animal (much like having a toddler in tow!), to celebrate accomplishments, brainstorm solutions, and highlight other animals who make a difference to the lives of others around them.


Mom had been having health issues since August of 2011 (or earlier- depending on how you define it) and decided to get a service dog to help her. It takes a special kind of dog and lots of training to be a service dog! It was a bit more complicated than it could have been because James and Aunt Lisa are allergic to most dogs, so she needed a dog that wouldn't make them sick. We want to go play with Aria and Evan-and their dogs- lots. (Did you know Evan wrote a book about service dogs when he was only 7? He did! My Seizure Dog- you can get it here! That's how he raised the money to get his own special partner.) There is a great organization nearby that trains service dogs, but they couldn't promise Mom any specific breed. Another organization only trains poodles but that was going to require driving several hours each way for lots of trips for training before the dog could come home with Mom. While checking out the training organizations, Mom was also watching for a rescue dog that could be trained to be her service partner.

I, Snuffie, am a two-year-old (or so) doodle (poodle mix) of unknown origin. Early in 2012 I was found wandering the streets of western GA. The little girl who found me thought I looked like Mr. Snuffleupagus, Big Bird's friend, so I got my new name. Her parents spent a couple of weeks trying to find my old family, and then turned me over to Miss Gail at Posey Shelter Pet Promoters. Miss Gail listed me on Petfinders, Miss Susan saw that and posted it on Oodles of Doodles, and Mom sent Miss Gail an email as soon as she saw it. Miss Gail thought I was such a special gentleman and needed a special job to do. Mom's trainer friend, Miss Terry, sent Miss Gail a temperament test to give me. I passed with flying colors. (Why did she pop open the umbrella when it wasn't raining?) Then I went to the vet for x-rays. (I think they did something else while I was asleep. It hurt "down there" when I woke up.) Then I got to take a long ride in a truck with lots of other dogs and the folks at PETS LLC took great care of me. I was so happy to meet Mom, but not so happy to have to get in the car for more driving.

I'm glad to be here. We eat and take long walks and eat and play ball and eat and learn things and eat and go for rides and mostly I sleep while Mom works on the computer.