4 Days and Counting!

I had a change of internet providers, finally, so this is a bit later than I had hoped.

As the 8th nears, the anticipation of new found(or better yet "returning") activities has become the best "mood stabilizer"! How can I be down in the dumps when I am about to receive a new companion and confidant. The letter I received from the trainer instructed me to have several items at home for when she arrives. It reminds me of readying the house for a new baby in that I needed to get a new bed, rawhide chews/bones, balls, bowls and of course.....food. Okay, so we probably didn't need the chews/bones/balls when bringing baby home..... And the food!!! I remember thinking I was glad that I breast fed my children as the cost of formula was usually outrageous. Well, I have to have a supply of the food that Alli is on for when she comes home. She is on "By Nature Adult Formula" and it is not cheap! Only one store in the shoreline area carries it and the others will "special order" it.........another way of saying, "ching-ching, ching-ching"! Simba, my last companion whom we rescued from the Humane Society, was allergic to everything and could only have Iams Lamb and Rice(including bones). I thought that was a bit pricey, but an 8 lbs bag of By Nature runs about $23.00!!!! I've already got an appointment with my vet to choose a comparably nutritious food that may not be quite so expensive. Of course, we'll have to slowly wean one out while introducing the other. I just have to be very mindful of the differing needs of the assistance dog in general. Getting ready for Alli makes me think, with a smile and warm feeling, of Simba. He was a Samoyed/Shepherd mix and looked just like a white Arctic Wolf. He was my constant companion though not an assistance dog. He walked where I walked, sat when I sat, laid down when I was not well putting his muzzle on the edge of my bed until I told him that I was okay and then he'd lay alongside the bed. You don't realize how much you come to depend on your canine companions until they're suddenly taken from you. The decision to put Simba down was a tough one. He was nearly 14 yrs and was losing his sight, arthritic in all joints and almost certainly had cancer. But you know......he never complained. When we made the decision, we were able to lay on top of the quilt the vet put on the floor with Simba and he went very peacefully.

This brings me to one of my early concerns. How do you know when your assistance dog is ready for "retirement"? I tossed the question around in my mind periodically until I got the latest issue of "Quest", the magazine put out by MDA and for those who are resistered with the MDA. Lo and behold, there it was! An entire article about the aging service dog. It discusses how you can help your partner stay healthy longer, (including supplements), recognizing the decline in his/her abilities, and options for the retired assistance dog when a new partner is needed and you can't care for 2 dogs. I'll tackle these topics along the way, begining with the issue of food and supplements after the first vet appointment.

I hope to be able to post while at my training and I'm looking forward to my visit while there w/ the inmate who raised Alli in the "Prison Pup Program". What a great program. You can find some information about the program on the NEADS site www.neads.org