In this post, you’ll learn about why its okay to be picky about what dogs your service dog socializes with, how to choose those friends, how playtime can aid in training overall, and a quick bit about dog parks, though that topic will be discussed in more detail in another post. ​

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is a severe pain condition that affects the nervous system. It is recorded as the worst form of chronic pain possible. It has many different names, including Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and Hand-Shoulder Syndrome. No matter the name, it is the same condition. People think it is rare, but it is rare only because doctors are not educated about it. ​

Emergencies are bound to happen, and rarely at a good time.
 
Maybe you get in a car accident or your dog eats something toxic. You are away from home, and away from pertinent medical records for you and your dog. What do you do? You are so flustered you can't remember the contact information for your primary care doctor or your dog's vet. Your dog can't stay in the hospital with you — do you know your dog trainer's number by heart? Do you know anyone's number by heart? Can you explain why emergency personnel can't take your service dog to the pound? So much is going on. Too much is going on. That's where an emergency portfolio comes in handy. ​

November is CRPS Awareness Month. November 7th is Color the World Orange day, where anyone and everyone is encouraged to boldly represent & draw attention to CRPS by wearing orange, casting orange lights on buildings, and really anything with the color orange. Every year, I post on social media about CRPS to raise awareness, and educate about the potential a service dog can have for someone disabled by CRPS. This year, I want to start the month by sharing all of the past articles I've personally written about CRPS and CRPS service dogs for anyone new to learning about this option. 

On October 16, the Disabled Advantage team attended our 1st Dogtoberfest in Blue Springs, MO. 

Although Disabled Advantage has been in business since 2021, this has been the first year I've attended any business events, mainly because I had no idea how to find them, let alone how to sign up as a vendor! This year, I've made new connections in my local business community, and this has enabled me to expand my reach, learn new things, and get inside knowledge into business community events. Dogtoberfest was, actually, the very first event I signed up for, but the 3rd one we attended, because their sign up opened so early in the year. 

At this event, I was joined by my husband, Adam, and my best friend, Maddie, with her dog, Max. Austin was there, too, of course, being my service dog. Maddie and Max, were my first clients. Max is almost done with Therapy Dog training. 

We set up two tables up front with information about Disabled Advantage, flyers about types of working dogs for adults and kids alike, stickers of Robbie with my "Let's Do This" mantra for working through pain, free training tip guides for socialization & confidence building, a video of what it looks like to train with me, signs with my new Patreon page info, and a memorial to Robbie with his photo and vest. I had wanted him to be with us, and this way, he could be. 

It was a long day for all of us. Austin started out off duty for a walk with my husband and Max's team, then moved to on-duty for me, bracing, giving counter-balance assistance as needed, and helping to stabilize my body temp. He got a few breaks during the day, where I'd take his gear off and we'd play tug in our tent or do fun training. It was a nice day, or would have been for someone without CRPS! As it was, we had a hard time keeping me warm in 60F with light wind. I was wrapped in blankets, with hand warmers, fingerless gloves, and a heated blanket. I almost dipped into shock over lunch, but Austin stabilized me and this enabled me to keep going. 

I hope I reached the people who needed to connect with me. Several people stopped by throughout the day to take information, ask questions, or remark on Donut's eerie ability to hold a Sit all day. I was able to walk through the event for a little bit, which was good for both of us. Events are a strain on my CRPS due to the sitting, smiling, talking, and remaining in a heightened cognitive state for answering questions and helping people effectively for long stretches of time. They typically take 2-3 days for me to recover. If you're at an event and see us present, I'd love for you to stop by and ask questions! When I can help even one person, it's worth it for me to be there. Dogtoberfest was a fun event to be a part of, and I hope to attend again in future years!

Disabled Advantage was created for people with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome to have access to finding answers for those questions, and more, from someone who has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. 

Hi, my name is Sally. I'm the owner & trainer for Disabled Advantage. 

First of all, You Are Worthy of receiving help for your CRPS/RSD. Without question. 

Second, if you're disabled by CRPS/RSD, and you want to know if a service dog is a good fit for you, I want to help you figure this out. 

Third, if you aren't sure if your CRPS/RSD is a disability or not, I want to try to help you determine this answer, as well. You don't have to be on government disability for your disability to count as a real disability. Not everyone with CRPS/RSD is disabled by it, but you might be one who is and may not know it. The second my accident happened, I was effectively disabled by the CRPS/RSD, but it took me 4 years to realize it. 

Life with CRPS/RSD is a hard road. I've got a plan for you that helps getting answers to some of your questions a little easier!

Step 1: Book a FREE 30-minute consult with me. We'll talk about your CRPS, how it started, and I'll give you a chance to share some of your questions. 

Step 2: In your consult, we'll decide together if signing up for in-depth coaching sessions with me is a good path for you, to help answer more questions about CRPS, how a service dog might help you specifically, how to find a program to help you, or if you want to consider training your own through Disabled Advantage. 

All too often, we're left to question our worthiness with CRPS because of how the system treats us. Let's see if we can bring you a little clarity and confidence moving forward. 

My wish for every client I work with, is for you to come out of training knowing what you're capable of with your dog. I want your dog to be calm and responsive to you. I want you to feel like You've Got This, whether you have CRPS/RSD and need a service dog, or you simply want a gentle, calm, and reliable companion by your side. 

Maybe you already have a dog who's a bit rough around the edges or you're looking for a new dog to bring into your life. You don't know what's possible with training until you try. Book a free, 30-minute consultation with me to learn what I can offer you!

I am lots of things. 

Did you know that when you commit to training your dog, you're also signing up to learn a brand new language with that dog?

​A language that will be the basis of your relationship, will create a reliable connection for listening & learning between the two of you, and that will make it possible for your team to do other activities together such as going on relaxing walks, competing in agility, working a job, and more. It's a language that may look very similar to other dog-owner teams, but every teams has their own unique aspects that make it like a secret language between BFFs. After all, haven't you always wanted to be able to talk to your dog, have them understand, & be able to understand them as well?