Eve and Finn hold a special place in my heart and I am excited to get to share a bit of their story!

Eve was born with O.I (Osteogenesis imperfecta) also known as "brittle bone disease". Finn is Eve's mobility dog. He helps her with her mobility needs, i.e. transferring from the floor to her chair, but his large size also keeps Eve safe in busy environments. Because Eve is fragile it can be dangerous for her to be in a crowd where she could easily get bumped into. Finn, however, is hard to ignore in the busiest of crowds. People are sure to give Eve plenty of room when Finn is at her side. 
Finn has become more than a service dog to Eve. Together the two explore new places and meet new people. They read and snuggle. And, they have been making waves preforming together!

​Most recently, Even and Finn preformed in a musical side by side. Long before that, Finn has been supporting Eve from the sidelines while Eve dances. 

Eve loves having Finn in her life, and Finn knew Eve was the girl for him from the first time he saw her. When I asked Eve what their least favorite thing to do together was she said, "...that's a bit of a hard one because we're always so happy when we are together..." Though, apparently, Finn is not too found of playing fetch so that game is out! 
One of Eves fondest memories of Finn is when they first met at Service Dog Project and instantly connected. They also had an adventure involving monkey's at the Omaha zoo but I'll leave the rest of the story up to your imagination.

This is one incredible team! I have loved getting to know Eve and Finn and cannot wait to see what the future holds for them. Although Eve and Finn were not featured in "Our Service Dogs" we will definitely be seeing more of them soon!
​...well, Finn might have snuck in as a cameo in "Our Service Dogs"...

Special Thanks to Finn's Trainers at Service Dog Project 
Learn more about inclusive dance groups and see some stunning photos of Eve dancing at Dance Knows no Boundaries 
​Watch Eve Dance in an international competition on This Facebook Post (she came in 4th!!)
Follow Eve and Finn on Facebook: Chronicles of Eve and Finn @onegoodthing1

Kaylee is the main character of "Our Service Dogs" and my daughter. She has so much energy and spunk! Riley has brought a lot of wonderful things to our lives.
Kaylee was born with cerebral palsy and diagnosed at age 3. She took her first successful un-aided steps at around 4 years old and still needs a bit of help to get around.  When we got Kaylee's first walker (age 4), we took her to Costco and let her loose. It was her first time ever getting to walk around in a store and she absolutely LOVED it!! It was a freedom she had never experienced before. 
However, it did not take long to realize that the walker and wheelchair had some pretty major limitations. 
That summer, we went to a rocky beach with a group of friends. As all of the kids ran around playing, Kaylee crawled around after them trying to keep up and her knees started to bleed. I watched her struggling, thinking to myself that there had to be a better way. That is when Riley's story started. But I'll go more into that on another post. 
Riley is trained to walk next to Kaylee and give her mobility support.
As of right now, we mostly use Riley at home and other places where wheels don't make sense, but we occasionally take her to the store or public gatherings if Kaylee feels like walking off the beaten path. 
Riley has brought a lot of confidence, companionship, and peace into Kaylee's day to day.
The two of them love to play outside together, train, and just be silly.

I love watching these two learn and grow together and cant wait to see what the future brings!

Find Kaylee and Riley in "Our Service Dogs" available now!

I'm super excited to introduce you all to our littlest service dog and her amazing person, Sarah. 
Most of the service dogs in my book do work for people with disabilities that are recognizable from the outside. Bella's work involves helping Sarah with her invisible disability. 
Sarah has debilitating depression and anxiety. People with mental illnesses often opt for an emotional support animal (ESA), but Sarah trained Bella to do more than give her support. Bella is trained to take specific action to help Sarah with her disability, making Bella a psychiatric service dog.
Bella alerts Sarah when her heartrate begins to elevate. She also interrupts anxious behaviors. If Sarah starts nervously shaking her legs, Bella gently paws Sarah.  Bella is trained to find and alert Sarah's mom, if Sarah needs her. Bella's most common task is to apply light pressure therapy, which sends calming signals throughout Sarah's body. 
Bella, has made a crucial difference in Sarah's life. Mental illness can be just as debilitating as any other disability. When I interviewed Sarah for my book, she said, "My favorite thing about Bella is how loving and caring she is. Bella has improved my life a lot. I wouldn’t be here without her..." 

Not only does Bella help Sarah using the tasks she knows, she has also helped Sarah in giving her a fulfilling hobby: dog training! Sarah did all of Bella's service dog training and the two have been hard at work learning agility, tricks, stunts, exercising, and passing many training tests, winning certificates.  

I really enjoyed getting to know Bella and Sarah for "Our Service Dogs". Not only is Bella one of the cutest dogs I've ever seen, she is also an incredible asset to Sarah's life, and I bet if we could ask her, Bella would say the same of Sarah. 

Find Sarah and Bella on Instagram @theservicespaniel
See Sarah and Bella in "Our Service Dogs" Available now on Amazon.

A really common question I get is, "What breed of dog can be a service dog?"
So I made another infographic all about service dog breeds. 

Scroll through and comment with your favorite dog breed!

Quinn does a lot of amazing things to help Olivia. But one of his greatest accomplishments is being her partner is clever costumes. Check them out! they have won contests: 

Aside from crushing it at costumes. Olivia, with Quinn at her side, won the county wide Quiz bowl without any teammates!
Olivia is unstoppable! She has done some pretty amazing things. However, before having Quinn, it was really difficult for her to interact with other people. Because of her invisible disabilities, she was on reduced hours at school and avoided crowds and other people. Now she is back to almost a full day in school and winning competitions!
Lets talk about Quinn's tasks:
Migraine Alert: Some dogs have the naturally ability to detect when a person is about to have a migraine, Quinn is one of those dogs! He can give Olivia a warning before a migraine so she can prepare as needed. Most dogs alert this by licking their handlers hand or arm. 
DPT: also known as Deep Pressure Therapy, is when a dog lays on, or applies pressure to their handler's body. This is used for a variety of health problems, but for Olivia it is to help her body calm down before, after, and during an anxiety attack. Quinn may sense Olivia's high anxiety and apply DPT on his own, or Olivia can ask for DPT when she feels a panic attack coming on. 
Blocking: For people with high social anxiety, like Olivia, having a barrier between them and strangers can make all the difference. Quinn provides this for Olivia by stepping in between her and other people if they are making her nervous. This is another task Quinn can do on his own if he senses that Olivia needs it. 
Nut detection: Olivia is allergic to nuts, so Quinn is trained to smell them out and warn her if there are any near by. Allergy detection can be done one of two ways. In Quinn's case, he is trained to smell for the allergen--nuts. Other dogs, who's handler has many allergies, are trained to smell for the release of histamine from their handler's body. This can be especially helpful for people with conditions like Mast cell activation syndrome.
Interruption: When Olivia get anxious, she may start picking at or itching her skin. Quinn is trained to stop these behaviors by nudging her hand. 
Believe it or not, there are many other things Quinn does for Olivia. He really is her hero. You can read more about what amazing dogs to for people with invisible disabilities here. 
​
​There is no question that Olivia and Quinn are better together. Quinn gives Olivia the freedom to go out and be a part of her family and community without having to worry about her medical conditions. 

I hope you all enjoyed getting to know Olivia and Quinn as much as I did. I am excited to see what amazing things these two do next!

Here is a sneak peek of Olivia and Quinn in my book "Our Service Dogs" available now on Amazon.

Today is the day!!!!!
"Our Service Dogs" is officially released!
I plan to celebrate with some tacos and lots of napping ;) 
Not only am I officially announcing the release of "Our Service Dogs" paperback, which you can purchase on Amazon for $10.35 Here, but I am also here to announce that pre-orders for the hardcover are live!
I originally planned to release the hardcover in the summer, but so many people were wanting it for their home and school libraries that I thought I'd work really hard and make it available asap!
Pre-orders will be shipped by April 15th, Just a little over a month away!! 

So here are the 3 ways you can buy "Our Service Dogs" (all prices include shipping):

The softcover/ paperback copy is available on Amazon right now for $10.35. It includes free "Prime" shipping and only takes a couple of days to arrive at your doorstep. I was really happy with the print quality and price! 
How it is different: Softcover with "perfect binding". No text on the spine. Copyright page is in the back of the book. 

Starting on April 15th the hardcover will be available on multiple platforms including Amazon and my website for $21. Until then, you can pre-order it on my website. These books will ship by April 15th 2021. I have not been given my proof yet, (I will do a video post when I do) but I have heard really good things about the printer. Libraries commonly purchase their books through them so I think we can expect excellent quality hardcovers. 
How it is different: High-quality hardcover with matte finish. Ships April 15th. Will be available on multiple platforms including Amazon. 

Starting today you can pre-order the premium hardcover of "Our Service Dogs". These will be printed by a world class printing company that just so happens to be local to me! Each copy will be signed by myself as well as Kaylee and Riley. I expect these to be shipped no later then April 15th. 
​How it is different: Premium Hardcover with gloss finish. Signed by Amber, Kaylee, and Riley. Only available on my website. 

Well there you have it, I am officially a published author... self published... but it totally counts! Thank you all so much for your support and feedback! I have learned so much and created something that I am really proud of and cannot wait to share with the world. 
Get a peek and learn more about "Our Service Dogs" here. 

Want to stay updated on "Our Service Dog" news, events, and such? put your email in the form below called "Stay in the Loop" I will email you when anything exciting happens with my books!

I am so excited to introduce you all to Luke of Ruff (pronounced roof)!
Last year, when I began my search for service dog teams to include in my book, Luke and Ruff were the first to reach out, and I just about melted!
Check out this dodo video of them:

Luke has Downs syndrome. He can easily get scared, confused, or feel the need to run away. Not to fear, Ruff is there for him. Aside from Ruffs presence calming Luke, Ruffs vest also has a handle on it for Luke to hold on to, which helps him to stay close to mom in new and crowded places. He also inspires Luke to try new things. If Roof gets a taste of new food first, Luke is happy to take a bite too. 

Ruff is an independence assistance service dog, also known as autism or downs syndrome dogs. Ruff was trained by Linda Donnelly with CCI dogs(Canine Companions For Independence). CCI dogs like Ruff are becoming more and more popular for kids with behavioral and cognitive disabilities. They  help children in many ways, but also offer a priceless companionship. 

I asked Luke's mom what the best thing about having Ruff was. She said, "Ruff has changed our lives as a family by making it easier for public outings. Less stress for all of us. 
What a delight he has been!"
​
Luke and Ruffs page was one of the most fun to illustrate. Take a sneak peak at it here, and don't miss seeing them in "Our Service Dogs" coming to Amazon March 1st 2021.

Can you spot the celebrity cameo? it was an accident at first, but then it was just too funny to not include. Comment below if you see anyone familiar :)

TRAINER CREDIT:
 Ruff was trained by Linda Donnelly with CCI dogs(Canine Companions For Independence). 
Amber Diane Hill does not officially endorse or support CCI dogs training company. Please do your own research when choosing a trainer. 

7 Facts from ADA.gov about service dogs. These facts apply to the United States. Other countries have different terminology and laws. Click the button below to download the images to print or share to social media.  
Leave a comment with any questions you may have about service dogs.

Seeing eye dogs are known for being some of the most disciplined of service dogs. The training they undergo is especially rigorous and only certain types of dogs are cut out for it. Seeing eye dogs like Quigley, need to be obedient but at the same time, have the ability to discern what is best for their handler even if it goes against what the handler is asking them to do. Quigley will lead Lindsay around a poll, or construction sites, but he will also ignore Lindsay's commands if they leave her in a dangerous situation. If Lindsay tries to walk forward, Quigley will stop if there is a car coming and will not let her go until it is safe. 
It can be difficult for a blind person to feel independent. They are unable to drive, or even walk in unfamiliar places alone. Having a guide dog at their side gives them their independence back. Lindsay says that is her favorite thing about Quigley, that and “the fact that he’s really snuggly”.

“Quigley has been my partner in crime for eight years now and still going strong.”

Don't miss Lindsay and Quigley in "Our Service Dogs" paperback coming to amazon March 1st 2021.

Before our experience with Riley and the service dog world, I thought the general rule to service dogs was "ask before you pet". I think that is the common understanding. Yes, you should definitely ask before you pet someone's service dog, and be prepared for a "no". But should we even be asking to pet someone's service dog in the first place?
I posted a poll on my favorite service dog community Facebook group asking them how they feel about being approached with their service dog in the grocery store. Here are the results of 300 service dog handlers:

56% said they prefer to be completely ignored. 
25% said that they did not mind being respectfully approached and asked questions, but did not want to be asked if their service dog could be pet.
13% said they enjoyed passing compliments but nothing more
4% said they liked being asked questions by disabled people who are considering a service dog. 
2%, yes, just 2% said they like it when people ask to pet their service dog. 

Now, keep in mind I only asked 300 of the roughly 80 million service dog handlers in America. But I think these numbers give the right message: Most service dog handlers don't want their service dogs to be pet, especially not while they are out running errands. 

Here are some of the comments that were left on the poll that I think will help people to understand why they answered the way they did. 
 
"I have a [traumatic brain injury] that makes it hard to remember and process things, and I'm blind. So if I'm trying to just get my shopping done, I really just want to be ignored. I know my dog is cute and is a good boy but he's just doing his job and I'm trying to run errands."

"I would love to be completely ignored, but if someone is to interact with us, I want them to ONLY talk to me, not my dog. she just started public access training and LOVES people, so it can be difficult..."

"It depends on my mood and what I need to get done. 99% of the time I want to be left alone but sometimes if I'm just out with no agenda, I don't mind when people ask questions."

The take away:
People with service dogs have them for a reason. Often that reason makes it hard for them to interact with strangers. So lets change the social norm and stop asking people if you can pet their service dog. Most owners are happy to answer respectful, sincere questions. If they are okay with you petting their service dog, they will most likely offer. 

Download the files to print and share. Be sure to tag me if you share them on social media!
​