THE JOURNEY BEGINS...

Deciding to utilize a service dog for yourself or a loved one is always a major decision and one that is not generally easily undertaken.

There are so many factors involved in deciding what type of dog you might need and how they can help, where to find and choose the right dog, then finding a trainer to help you and deciding whether to do the training yourself (owner training) or have it done for you - it can be overwhelming!

I was contacted by a family needing a service dog for their daughter to be trained to assist with Narcolepsy with Cataplexy complications.  There are many misconceptions about Narcolepsy as a whole but most people are completely unfamiliar with Cataplexy which is basically defined as:

A sudden, brief loss of voluntary muscle tone triggered by strong emotions such as laughter. 

This causes a person to lose muscle control ranging from small facial spasms to full body involvement.  While they are completely aware of what is happening, they are unable to respond until the attack subsides.  Attacks can range in intensity and duration and change from episode to episode. 

It is a highly unpredictable condition tied to many neurological components.  There is no cure but symptoms can sometimes be better managed with the right medication.

If you are interested in learning more about Cataplexy:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307668.php

When the Gainer family contacted me, they had already been looking for some time on their own and were struggling to get clear answers and find a good candidate.  We spent quite some time deciding what type of dog was needed and I contacted over 30 breeders of various dogs ranging from Newfoundlands and Leonbergers to Danes and Mastiffs.

Sire (Dad)     -       Dam (Mom)

In the end, we chose to go with a wonderful breeder of English Daniffs - a mix of English Mastiff x Great Dane for their pup.  This provides a good balance of a little more height to the Mastiff and a little broader physicality to the Danes. 

Temperament of course varies with each individual but the idea is to have a good mix of mellow Mastiff and goofy Dane to work with.  Health issues are the same in both breeds so working with a line of established parentage is important.

The litter is expected in early September and we are hoping for a female pup to meet our criteria.