[@tdennehybc]

Hello!
I am a power wheelchair user who is owner-training a service dog (respiratory alert & response). Due to my medical issues, I can’t bend or lean over very far. I also have limited shoulder mobility. I would like to be able to dispense treats directly to my dog when he is in a down-stay, or if I’m asking him to hold a position that isn’t on my lap. I currently try to either toss treats, or use a short proprietary treat dispenser (where it only dispenses their special treats), but I wind up accidentally flinging treats to the wrong place, encouraging my dog to break position.

What I’m envisioning is a 12-18 inch treat dispenser made out of any material except PVC (contact allergy). It would have a medium-sized easy-use handle (not requiring strong grip strength), a treat reservoir, a length of tube, and an opening that either catches + holds the treat or allows it to be easily directed. The handle would dispense one treat per pull, with the aperture sized for dry dog training treats. (Okay if if it dispensed >1 for very small ones to allow for 1 cm or so treats to be dispensed.) The treat reservoir should hold a decent handful of treats—enough for a training session—but will likely need to balance capacity with bulk. Ideally it could be hung or clipped to my power wheelchair, or placed in a small wheelchair carry bag.

Note: I did see that there is a wheelchair-mounted treat dispenser in the files, but it is extremely bulky and I already have a slightly wider chair. I expect I would break that device attempting to get through doorways.

[@jenniferss]

Hi,

Just checking if this project is still available for a maker. Thanks!

[@tdennehybc]

Not sure why my response from the other day hasn’t posted, but yes—still looking for a maker! Thank you!

[@jenniferss]

This sounds great. We’d love to help. I’ll send more info tomorrow!

[@jenniferss]

Would you be able to meet on Zoom next Monday between 11-11:30 EST?

[@tdennehybc]

I can make it work if there isn’t a later time, but that is 8 am my time and my autoimmune meds take awhile to kick in each AM. Is this a class time?

Thank you! Looking forward to meeting up!

[Author]

Posts