Thanksgiving...... in a Whole New Light

I hope everyone had a restful and, yes,............delicious Thanksgiving! I am so thankful this year, not only for my family but for the three other recipients that I met at NEADS this month and how NEADS has helped them as well. How blessed we all are to have the opportunity to improve our quality of life with a new partner by our side. Alli was with me at our family's celebration and I really enjoyed our time together. We had a smaller, more intimate group this year. It was just the Fosters and it once again felt like time to be "home for the holidays"!

I am continuously amazed at how Alli is able to help me in all aspects of my life. For the first time in several years, I was able to sit on the floor and enjoy the appetizers in a more relaxed manner. My daughter, Em, tried to tell me not to since I have been unable to get up myself lately. But I sat none the less, enjoyed the company of all and Alli helped me up when dinner was served. She lay very quiet and still under the table by my feet during the meal and joined us all in the living room following. She was so well behaved and didn't hesitate when given any commands. I can't remember the last time I was comfortable enough to enjoy the holidays.

Today I did some running around w/ my daughter. It started with a "get to know you" visit to the vet. I have been using this practice since 1967! (maybe '68) Each of the doctors is so kind and caring with your animal. The one we saw today is my favorite as he was so good with our dog before Alli. When we put Simba down in February they put a large quilt on the floor of the exam room for him to lay on and so that we could be as close as possible as he passed. I haven't heard that too many vets look to your comfort as well as your pet at times like that. As expected, the doctor told us that Alli was in great shape, healthy, good weight and a beautiful lab. She's lost just under half a pound since coming home Friday but the stress of another new event/place is probably the culprit. She always seems very happy and content so I'm not too concerned. We made some other stops before hitting a fast food restaurant for lunch. And, though I was told that it would happen from time to time, the manager approached me at the counter and said; "You probably noticed the sign on the door as you came in that says 'No Dogs Allowed'''. When I informed him that Alli is a service dog he still looked unsure and I began to explain the "Americans with Disabilities Act", one of the workers said that yes, service dogs can go into any restaurant. While he still looked like he doubted it, he let it go. My daughter suggested that next time I should explain it a bit more calmly! It was the first time I was presented with the problem and I guess I was caught off guard. I was polite, but I guess I just made it seem a bit urgent! In any case Alli slept through the whole meal........as usual!

Apparently it was a little too much running. I ended up with a migraine and prepared myself to spend the next half day or so in the dark. I'm usually only able to handle an hour or two out providing I'm not standing too much of the time. In any case, after Em left for work, I lay in my room in the dark. I gave Alli the command to "jump" and she lay by my feet on the bed. The next thing I knew she had her head resting on my legs and was just looking at me. I felt so relaxed and calm that I suddenly realized that although I still had the headache, the Motrin had been all that was necessary no need for the Rx's! I'll still feel spent tomorrow but that's okay. Like I said, it's amazing how the dogs can comfort emotionally as well as aid physically.

It suddenly dawned on me that with all of the "spewing" I've done I've neglected to post the most important link yet.....the NEADS site. And, for now, I'll leave it below and say "Good Night"

www.neads.org

"Stop & Shop and Beyond!"

Well, another day, another doctors' visit. Aside from the fact that I didn't plan properly so instead of meeting the other dog ahead of time, Alli met him as he ran to her outside! Well, when they tell us that these dogs are able to pull us right over.........they're right! Believe me, that won't happen again!!!!

Back to Stop & Shop! When we went to Stop & Shop the first time, as a field trip, we walked through the aisles, and practiced "down/stay" as we looked at items on both sides. We once again had the dogs do "under" a clearance table. As they go under they turn, down and stay. I think I've already said that I've already used this several times and Alli does it perfect every time........on our test, although she did go under, I forgot to lengthen the assistance leash and had to bend over to give her enough lead to do as she knew she needed to. And, since she barely had enough lead, I needed to correct her in order for her to go down. Of course, this kind of defeats the purpose of having a partner to help if you can't make it possible for her to succeed! Back to the field trip. We also had the dogs "jump" on the bench by the pharmacy, and then told them "off". All along, I've needed to try to make the corrections equal across the board. My biggest problem has been when telling All to "leave it!" and she chooses not to, or to turn her head quickly and then look back again. I tend to give the leash a tug instead of a quick hard jerk up. A throw back to training Simba, I guess. The last few days I've really been working hard on it, and it definitely shows in how Alli is responding. So, back at S&S, since I had my car I had to show that I could get Alli in and out safely. Of course, once again, I choked when I was being tested. I always have her sit and stay by my side as I open the door, lengthen the lead, and straighten the pad that she jumps on to protect the back seat. I then tell her to jump, she jumps, turns and sits, I say stay, and hook up the lead. Well, I did everything except "sit" before opening the door to put her in! Oh, well, everything went fine despite my errors, she did as she was told and we passed just fine. For the exam, we were back at Stop&Shop walking the isles. Brian, one of our trainers, walked behind us at the onset and dropped something making a loud noise. The dogs were able to be momentarily distracted but had to quickly forge ahead. All went well. We did Recall Level I again and continued our walk. Brian also put food down on the floor and we had to walk w/in a few inches of it without the dog lunging at it or trying to sneak a taste. Erin, the other trainer, asked a woman if her daughter would walk by the dogs and pat them on the head. Everyone passed and we were glad we were done. It was so great to be with a group that got along so well, the dogs too, but it was definitely time to go home. I didn't realize it, but I weighed myself at home the morning I left, and again the morning after I returned and I lost 6 lbs. over the 2 weeks I was at NEADS! The trainers will call us in 2 weeks, Erin will be calling me, to ask how we're doing, how the dogs are doing and how things are working out. Also, they will be asking about the dogs' weight, amount of food we're giving them, any new commands or behaviors they've learned and/or any questions or concerns we may have. We then need to fill out a paper w/ similar questions and mail it in both in December and January......can't remember if it's February too........and graduation is in March. Then, in one year, we will be contacted by a trainer who will also contact other teams and have us meet them at a centrally located site. It will probably be a mall or similar location. We will then be required to take the practical test again and the our dogs along w/ us must pass the test again. This is all necessary for us to remain a certified assistance dog team. I'm sure people don't realize all that must be done to be a recognized assistance dog team.


I signed up, offering to speak about NEADS if/when asked as well as go with Alli to help out others who may be looking for sponsorship. They may be asked to speak to a group and if they don't have their dog yet and the group would like to see exactly what a service dog is able to do Alli and I can go and show and explain.

I definitely count myself as blessed at this time of Thanksgiving. WOW, what an experience!

I plan on continuing this blog and I hope others will join in on the conversations. I will include links as often as I am able to help get the word out about service dogs and all the freedom and sense of power they can provide their partner!

Lets Give It Another Try!

It feels so good to be back home. Today Alli went with me to my neurologist's appointment. It was the first time! She did amazing! It's kind of neat that while she may get a little crazy at times, she fell right into step when she knew she was working. She was in down/stay in the waiting room and in the office, and as I stood and said; "Alli, side", she was right there! I can't believe the self-confidence and feeling empowered while Alli is with me.

Getting back to the training....... We went to Walmart after learning "up" with the dogs and "off" once again. We walked through the store and practiced "sit/stay", "down/stay", Level I recall, "up/off", and "under" once again. With Level I recall, you put the dog in "down/stay" while the gentle leader is still on. You walk about 6 feet away and call the dogs' name followed by "come". You can clap, say "good girl" anything except "come" or "come on" to encourage the dog to come to you. When she does come, you grab the flat collar while you say "sit" and give them a special treat right away as they do so. They learn to come and sit in front of you when they hear "come". We practiced "up" on....of all things.......stacks of dry dog food bags(I think they were the 20-30 lbs. bags). When we said "up", they were to put their two front paws on the top of the stack, about our waist high(maybe more). Then we would say "stay", praise them for following the command followed by "off" adding praise again. The dogs all did a great job! I am so glad I had my car up there because I was able to drive to the field trips and at the same time learn how to put Alli in the car and get her out safely.

Tomorrow.....Stop & Shop.........and Level II recall.

Back In the Swing of Things

I am finally home with Alli......at last.......for good! I was not able to keep up the blog as planned since I am unable to hold my arms up long enough to use a desktop pc keyboard, and it turns out that something internally with my laptop was shut off and unable to accept any other IP addresses. I am too tired after the busy 2 weeks at NEADS, however, we PASSED the ADI test to become a certified Service Dog Team!!!!!

I will try to start at the beginning tomorrow and carry out the blog as intended.

Welcome Alli! aka "Ain't She Sweet"

Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words..........I think this is what "they" had in mind!!!! look This picture actually makes Alli look kind of small.......but that's a laugh! She's huge! I took this picture on our first "field trip". We went to a Walmart to get the dogs familiar with our routine when shopping. We worked on "down/stay" and "up". When the dogs are on down/stay, we are able to look at items on shelves, on either side of the isle if need be. We used the up and up/stay so that she can put her front 2 feet on something waist to shoulder(mine) to make it easier to get things out of her backpack. We also worked on "under" in which she goes under the table or other "thing" turns around and in the case of a restaurant then lies down and stays quietly until asked to join me as I leave. I was actually able to utilize this as my close friend came to stay Friday night to drive me home Saturday after the "meet and greet". We stopped at a Friendly's for a late lunch and Alli went right under the table in our booth and waited very patiently until we were ready to leave. Yesterday, Friday the 13th, we worked on retrieving and stand/stay. Alli very nicely retrieves my cane and brings it to me if it has fallen. She will also retrieve my keys or other dropped items. I was also able to practice stand/stay so that if I fall, she will stand where I direct her and stay still/firm and when I place my right hand squarely on her back at her shoulder blades and use my cane in my left I am able to get up albeit slowly. Maybe I should have labeled this post "Liberation Day". It's amazing how empowering it can be just knowing that Alli can help me with my needs......and we're only halfway through w/ the training! I really will be able to claim back a part of my life.

I was unable to post anything after the first couple of nights at NEADS due to a glitch in my wireless connection with their network. It's difficult for me to use a desktop PC even if I put the keyboard on my lap since my arms tire too quickly. With my laptop, I can lay on my bed, relax my arms and just have my hands working. I will attempt to connect when I return to NEADS tomorrow, Sunday, and continue to post. If unsuccessful I'll try the desktop again otherwise I'll get back to posting when I come home for good following completion of training and "passing" the necessary test. Because I will be certified to have my service dog with me at all times and be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act I have to be proficient in several skills with Alli. And, after one year, I will be contacted by examiners and along with others we will meet at a mall convenient to all to be "tested" on several skills which we will be practicing daily for the life of the service dog. Both NEADS and the examiners need to be sure a) that we are safe, b) that the dog is safe and c) that we continue to reinforce the service dogs' skills through regular practice and real life use so that we can remain an effective team.

I'm looking forward to next week as we will not only work on new skills, and review those which we have covered, but our afternoon sessions will mostly be spent in the conference room. We will have days devoted to; health and first-aid for the service dog, all aspects of the ADA, specifics of vaccinations, grooming any questions we may have on any of the learned topics/skills.

I had hoped to write more tonight, but the week has take a toll on me and the second half of my days are quite uncomfortable and just this week my balance has become much more unsteady. I'm hoping it is just because I am no longer used to a daily routine with training classes usually running from 10:00 am to around 4:30-5:00 pm (with 45 mins. to an hour for lunch). And that doesn't include getting up at 6:00am to take the dog out first thing, exercise her for 1/2 hour, wait an hour then feed her, and, somewhere in there I have to shower and have my breakfast. Then, figure in the fact that there are four of us and we can only go one at a time in the exercise room, and, oh yeah, get them to go to the bathroom again after exercising and eating and get all four of us to class by 10:00!!!! Then after the day of training we have to exercise, feed, take them out at least 2 more times before bedtime and figure out how we can have dinner and a bit of down time.

Okay, I really have to stop now.........I'm tired and I'm watching Alli who is sound asleep curled up on her bed and snoring occasionally..........I guess I'm envious of her! Good night, talk to you soon!

I'M IN LOVE.......OH....MY....GOSH!!!!!

Well, she was definitely worth the wait! Alli is absolutely amazing!!!!! She's big, she's got the sweetest face, and........she loves to give kisses!!!!! Of course, that means accepting all the "slobber" that comes with the kisses. We didn't meet our dogs until after lunch, but all 4 of them are amazing. Despite being trained by several people. to whom the dogs must give their undivided attention, they had great eye contact and followed the commands we gave almost w/out questioning. And talk about personality!!! Two of the dogs are brother and sister, Houdini and MagPie, and are both very laid back and easy going. The other male, Lucky, is quite the character enjoying his time on his back getting tummy rubs when not working! Alli is VERY boisterous and loves to push herself in as close to you as she can all the while being her happy frisky self! But, when it's time to work and the dogs are given the command it is straight back to business and they keep their adoring eyes on their "pack leader" ready to please!!!! Alli and Lucky are the largest, with Alli only slightly shorter at the shoulders. Houdini is next in size, but boy does he adore his "partner"........he probably maintained the best eye contact of any of the dogs today. MagPie is the smallest @ about 45 lbs, up to Alli and Lucky at 70 lbs each. The trainers, Brian and Erin, really seemed to hit the nail on the head when matching the dogs and their personalities with their partner. And......we all fell madly in love with our new found partner at first site.

We worked on "heel",(those of us who need the dog on the right side say "side" instead of "heel", though all the dogs are trained to follow both commands), "sit", "sit and stay" "under", "jump", "off" and "down"and "down stay". Tomorrow I believe we are going to a grocery store to learn how to maneuver and control the dog w/ commands so he can help with our needs.

The staff her at NEADS says the wireless is not working properly but someone is supposed to come tomorrow to do any repairs. Hopefully I'll be able to be on my own laptop tomorrow night so I can process my thoughts a bit more clearly.......I haven't had to sit at a wired computer in months so I find myself having to be very deliberate writing each post, and that's just not how I write. I tend to write like I'm speaking to someone........it didn't work so well at good old GHS, but it was a definite plus for me in college. I hope everyone has a great night.....perhaps I've helped to put you to sleep.........talk to you tomorrow!!!(I hope to be able to include a picture of Alli w/ tomorrow's post!)

NEADS AT LAST!!!!!!

Well, I'm actually here. There are 3 others in my class; 2 other women, and a gentleman. We are all very anxious to meet our dogs! We have a house "dad" who lives upstairs. He runs the kennel here during the day, and is available for emergencies during the night. He is a riot. His name is Dan and he's a big guy, a professional wrestler......no really, a professional wrestler. He would so fit in my family, the one-liners and sarcasm are right up there. Tomorrow we meet across the lot @ about 10:00 am and we'll meet the trainers, have a class or two, and after lunch we'll meet our new partners!!! This is going to be a very short post as there really isn't much else to talk about and I'm soooooo beat. I drove up w/ Mark following behind but I had to stop once, and probably should have stopped earlier as well. Not sure I'll be able to drive up by myself on Sunday as I had planned. Hope to think of someone available to spend a night or two so that they can drive up behind me. Now my daughter, Emily, isn't sure she can come up on the 19th because it's too close to the Thanksgiving break at URI. Oh, well, it will work out somehow, it always does!!!!! I've got to remember to keep smiling.....think positive.......have faith! Good Night! Wendy

"Anticipation........." Carly Simon said it so well........

Wow!!!! Tomorrow's the 8th, that means Princeton, MA and NEADS!!!! In less than 48 hours I'll meet Alli! It seems that as the time nears I find more and more ways she will be able to help me and see the future a bit clearer. When I went to pick up prescriptions today I dropped my keys while shopping and again just before I left S&S. The second time I fell into the carts when I was trying to pick them up. I also dropped my cane as I was paying(both happen at least once every time I'm out) and thought how I'd soon have help in retrieving it.

Although I'm driving my car up tomorrow, Mark is following me since I am not usually able to drive any distance by myself. I want to have my car so that I can drive it home for the night on the 14th when I'll have Alli with me. I'm hoping to be able to drive a little bit more when she's with me. My daughter said that it's not like Alli will be able to drive for me, but I know I'll have a bit more confidence knowing I'll have the help I need when out. I let the NEADS people know that I will be having "helpers" off and on to help w/ meal prep so I'll either have an extra bed in my room, or another room will be available. My close friend Debbie will be coming up on the 13th to stay over and follow me home the next day. On the 19th or 20th my daughter, Emily, will come up from URI to follow me home on the 21st.

I had my bags packed last night, and just had to do meds and toiletries today. I've really had to space out any activities even at home or I can't complete anything. Tomorrow I'll go to church in the morning and then pack up dry goods and cold foods just before leaving around 4:00. We have a "meeting" @ 7:00 tomorrow night at the house and then we start our training at 10:00 am. Our day goes from 10:00 - 4:00 w/ and hour for lunch. **(This all actually reminds me of when I was readying to leave for college........just Willimantic......but it was a first and so is this!!) We have one "field trip" to a mall and food court or a small restaurant to see how our dogs handle it and of course how we will handle it as well. I'm also excited that I'll be going to meet the inmate who helped to raise Alli in the "Prison Pup" program.

Before I go for the night, I want to include a link for an article that a friend from high school sent to our "contact" classmate(He does an amazing job keeping everyone up to date on anything that we may find relevent!). It's an article that appeared in the New York Times on the 1st of November. It's an article discussing whether a dogs' brain is capable of learning how to react/follow commands or whether it's really just trained to perform in a certain manner. Well, it's actually explained much better and is quite thought provoking. Well, it's past my bedtime and I have an exciting day tomorrow. I'll bet back to the blog when I have some down time.
Good Night!

The link is:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/weekinreview/01kershaw.html

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