Ok I just had to. OMD! I can't believe you were told that. 

First, let me welcome you to the community. We are so glad you joined. Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.

Lady Bird is such a lucky girl to have you for her mom! You are doing all the right things for your girl, and with a mom like you she will have such a great, long, healthy and hoppy life. That is clear to see. 

Now about that trainer.

Seriously? I mean what, she could read the minds of every puppy in the class? I have never, ever heard such a whackadoodle comment about a Tripawd in a group setting. I'll bet if you took a poll of all the other parents in the class, they would say their dogs didn't notice a thing.

So it sounds to me like it's a trainer problem, not a Tripawd problem. Perhaps she is afraid of not doing the right things for your puppy, maybe she's scared that her techniques will cause injury, and she's too inexperienced to articulate her concerns. Blame it on the "disability" is easier than looking for ways to work Lady Bird into group activities that will not exhaust her.

When it comes to group classes (and I was just telling a Tripawds Helpline caller about this the other day), my biggest concern for any Tripawd in a group class is that sometimes the activities can be too much for them to physically keep up with, especially if the dog is extremely young and/or new to life on 3. I speak from experience, as our Tripawd Wyatt Ray had a difficult time keeping up with long walks with his class, and outings. So you know what? The trainer just told us to sit it out. She got it. She was cool. She knew it was the right place for him to be.

Based on what you've described, the trainer you chose is not the right one for Lady Bird. She deserves better. Far better. If the trainer is part of a school or larger facility, are there other trainers you can work with? If not, move on. We are happy to help you find one who has the experience and the of a true dog trainer that cares.

Off my soap-box now. Stay tuned for more feedback from the community.

PS In the meantime, have you considered taking her to rehab therapy, just to have her evaluated so you can know what kind of activities are fun, safe and beneficial for you two to do together? A therapist can evaluate her and give you a good idea of ways you can keep her injury-free for a long, long time. We think rehab is DA BOMB and Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit so please take advantage of the program OK? It's super educational.

benny55 said

We have a thread on here somewhere from members who have made spectacular  replies when someone  is rude enough to make an offensive or judgemental comment.  I'll try and SEARCH for it.

Also, we have a member  who has a dog that was a tripawd since birth.  I think he's about nin or so now and, of I recall, was Certified  as a "Good Citozen  Service Dog".   

JERRY, does that ring a bell?  Maybe Buddy is his name???? I think you've done Tripawd news about him.

  

Yep! Got it:

Negative Comments About Tripawds Don’t Have to Be a Bummer

And we've had quite a few Tripawd therapy dogs over the years. I know there's more than I list below but here's a few:

Tripawd Tuesday: Lance, a Greyhound Cancer Fighter Therapy Dog Hero!

Tripawd Tuesday: TriPod Grows Sweeter with Age

Tripawd Tuesday: Maggie is Marvelous Therapy

You are very welcome. Everybody teaches us something here. We learned that there are still people out there who don't get it when it comes to Tripawds! Sheesh.

Yes, weight control is the #1 thing you can do to keep her healthy! You are awesome!!

If you'd like help finding a rehab therapist let us know OK? We can often find them for members when they don't think there is one nearby. It's a wonderful thing to do for her and you.

Let us know what you find out about a trainer! I'd love to turn this into a Tripawds News article at some point, about finding trainers that understand a Tripawd's needs.