Cura's Corner

ADBC: Reactions

2011-04-26T00:43:00.000-06:00

Once again I find myself with no posts since the last ADBC! Things have been very busy and I have lots to share, but today I am going to chat a bit about "reactions". When I heard about the topic this time, a number of ideas came to mind -- many of which I have already blogged about to some degree or another. But, I like to use the carnival themes as a tool for touching on something completely new or at least on something old from a fresh perspective.

To that end, I have decided to talk about reactions that take place while Cura and I are out doing our daily activities. No . . . not Cura's reactions to other people or her surroundings. No . . . not other people's reactions to seeing a Service Dog. Each of these are very diverse and I have actually written several posts on the various situations that we have experienced.

Today, I want to talk about MY reactions to the people I encounter while I am out with Cura. These, too, have been very diverse in the past. However, very recently, it was brought home to me how routine my reactions to others have become as a general rule. Now that is not to say that I am never phased by the excitement, lack of knowledge, down right rudeness, and everything in between that is frequently part of our day out -- of course I am some of the time (usually because I am being faced with something completely new and have not yet worked out the various ways I will respond to that particular question or action depending on my mood). But, I did not realize how automated my responses had become until I traveled to visit a friend that I had not seen in years -- well before Cura became part of my life.

We were out and about and she turned to me and said something along the lines of "Is it always like this?" My response: kind of a blank stare because I had no idea what she was talking about. Apparently, she had been noticing how many times I was asked questions about Cura, she was talked to or pet by strangers (no, I was not asked or even acknowledged most of the time, and how many "Look Mommy, its a DOGGIE!!" were screeched in our vicinity. That doesn't even COUNT the times I avoided situations by either switching Cura to another side so I was between her and strangers or just diverted our path to avoid excited people.

Most of the time I am very patient with people who approach me because I have a Service Dog, but I must admit that there are times when it is very disruptive and inconvenient having to address these constant interruptions to my day. Here I am, trying to navigate through my day and everywhere I go, I am approached by complete strangers to discuss my dog. Now, don't get me wrong . . . I LOVE talking about Cura! But not when I am trying to go to the pharmacy or pick up groceries.

I didn't realize that I had gotten so adept at handling these situations -- I mean I hadn't even really noticed all of the interruptions that day --it was so like a normal day that I was not really phased. I even used to wonder why things always seemed to take such an excessively long time to get done. Well now I know!

Maybe I need to rethink how I deal with strangers approaching me. I certainly do not wish to be rude -- after all, I want people to have positive associations with Service Dogs. I think it makes it easier for others with Assistance Dogs. But, at the same time, I can't just stop and chat every time I am approached. Even if I don't mind being friendly (which is usually the case unless I find that person just plain rude), I don't have the luxury of chatting with everyone who wants to tell me about their dog or wants to know why I need a Service Dog "because you're not blind". I'm thinking of making up some cards that I can just had out to people -- maybe that will help . . .

2011-02-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

First, there is some discussion about whether to make the Assistance Dog Blog Carnival bi-monthly. I have not yet decided how I feel about that, but if you have an opinion, feel free to chime in and leave a comment here.

Which leads me to my latest thoughts, because they were prompted by the same blogger, Sharon at After Gadget. I was reading her post titled Roadwork! (Walkin' and Talkin') and can totally relate! Cura can get pretty bonkers when she doesn't get regular runs. I don't know HOW Sharon has done it with an adolescent and no means to really exercise him!

Some of you may know from previous posts that my method of running the squirrelies out of Cura is to use a golf cart. The darn thing can get up to 20mph -- and Cura hardly breaks a sweat (figuratively speaking) unless it is the height of summer and then it is more the heat than the running that does it. Being in New Mexico, even early morning runs can be toasty in Summer!

I have seen Cura go full out a couple of times and it is a sight to behold! I swear that she can hit speeds in excess of 40 mph! I would LOVE to find a huge field with a really high fence and just let her go! Her running is why I used to think that she had Greyhound in her -- I was very surprised when the DNA test results came back and Greyhound was not in the mix. But, she is still a hound and a runner.

So, when life gets away from me and Nona Ear Rubs and I can't get it together and run Cura regularly (three times a week usually does the trick) Cura lets us know. With her exercise, she has better concentration. She is able to deal with the "down time" more easily and patiently because she is able to move and work out the squirrelies on her runs. Of Cura's needs, this is the one that I find the hardest to accommodate, but it is one of the most important.

Here is hoping that the golf cart stays healthy (anyone following our Tweets knows that it recently had a little glitch -- though it was quickly fixed) and we can keep Cura on her exercise schedule!

Bye for now!

Carnival . . . again!? . . . already!?

2011-01-17T10:38:00.001-07:00

My how time flies! I knew that I had been neglecting Cura's Corner, but I didn't realize that it has literally been MONTHS since I posted. It just illustrates how busy things have been -- and much of it required computer work. I just wasn't up to blogging after spending hours and hours working on the computer. As much as I enjoy using the computer for work, school, and pleasure -- there is such thing as too much of a good thing! I guess I was just computered out.

But, the Assistance Dog Carnival Blog provides a wonderful opportunity to get back into the blogging routine (I don't do New Year's Resolutions, but I do make changes throughout the year. This is the first for 2011: Regular Blog Posts on Cura's Corner.)

Now, the theme for the Assistance Dog Carnival Blog is "Decisions" . . . and it has proved to be a surprisingly difficult one for me. I didn't want to go with a more obvious and monumental decision like actually getting an Assistance Dog -- although that was certainly a big decision fraught with all sorts of challenges. The fact is that having an Assistance Dog requires constant decisions -- at least it does for me. I think one of the most common decisions I have to make is how and when to interact with people who approach me in public.

I know . . . you are thinking "huh?" After all, if someone approaches you, one should be friendly, engaging, blah, blah, blah . . .

Well, what about the person who just wants to tell you all about their beloved dog (who Cura reminds them of) for 20 minutes and you are on number 1 of a long list of errands that need to be done before you go to a scheduled appointment? Or what if they want to pet your Assistance Dog even though you not only have patches asking that they don't -- or you have already asked them not to (because Cura is having a day where she is already slightly distracted and she needs to focus more than usual in order to do her job so added distractions that can be prevented are a no-no)? Or, they are a person that you see frequently and, because they have been allowed to pet your Assistance Dog in the past, they pounce on you as soon as you walk in the door and reach to pet your dog without permission (I'm talking, you have not even taken off your coat, yet)?

These are just a few of the situations I find myself in where I must make a split-second decision and decide how I am going to react. On top of making sure that I make the decision that is best for Cura and me at that moment, I have to do it in a way that doesn't offend or hurt the feelings of the other person or persons involved. Not an easy thing -- I have found that a number of people are offended when asked not to interact with an Assistance Dog! Learning to set boundaries and use subtle body language and placement has really helped. It is always easier when I don't have to say anything directly but am able to be polite while setting boundaries around us that enables us to disengage from the situation while avoiding any hurt feelings.

To be honest, I used to get very frustrated when going out -- constantly having to decide how to approach situations like this. After all, it never happened in a way I was ever prepared for because I just was not used to reading my environment and the people in it. Now, I am pretty good at assessing what is going on around me. I very seldom get surprised by people any more because I have learned to see the signs that a person displays indicating that I am going to be approached. I have more time to decide how to react -- or even if I am going to engage with that person. When I have that warning, I have the option to decide to wander down a different aisle in the store if I am having a bad day (hey, everyone has them! Do you want to sit and chat with a total stranger when you are in a hurry or in pain?).

I want people to walk away from any contact that they have with Cura and me with a positive experience. Sometimes that means deciding to stay and talk and sometimes it means deciding to avoid interacting with them directly and just letting them watch Cura do her job with precision. There are so many variables that come into play on any given day -- how am I doing physically, how is Cura doing, how much time do I have, what kind of mood am I in, etc. Everything can affect the experience that stranger has when s/he interacts with us and can make the difference between a positive outlook toward Assistance Dogs and a negative one. Decisions, decisions, decisions . . .

Daylight Savings Time . . . .

2010-11-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

I don't think dogs get it!

But first, let me apologize for my slow approval to the last couple of comments. I recently changed my comments settings because I learned that the squiggly word verification method can be very difficult to deal with if a person has particular disabilities. In my effort to make Cura's Corner more 'friendly' to those people, I moved to moderated comments. Funnily enough, that means that I have to approve all comments. Something that I knew but, obviously did not manage to truly register in my brain. Until today. So, thank you for your comments and please keep 'em coming. As I get more used this moderated comments thingy, I will get better -- I promise. Meanwhile, if it takes a bit of time for your comment to appear, it is probably just because still have to approve them -- mea culpa!

Now, back to daylight savings time. As some of you know, Cura is the Service Dog in the family, but she has a "sister" -- a lovely Cairn Terrier who is also a rescue. Now, both dogs have a routine and, as much as possible, their routines tend to overlap. To some extent, the routines are constructed, but there are some things that have just developed because they fit out lifestyles. But, I didn't actually realize how MUCH routine we had until the time change yesterday. (I think I didn't notice it in the Spring because the time moves forward instead of back and the previous Fall, Cura and I were still a fairly new team, so I probably just figured any of this behavior I saw was part of the learning process.)

Sunday is one of the two training class days of the week. Most Sundays and Mondays, Cura and I leave the house around 12:30pm to go to class. So, along comes 11:30am yesterday and Cura gets restless. She woke from her morning nap (which she usually takes on those days that I am working on the computer first thing in the morning), started shifting around, looking at me, pricking her ears and wagging her tail when I looked over at her. I made the mistake of getting up to take care of something and she was up and at the door waiting for her gear with her "Let's go, Mom!" expression on her face. She was not a happy camper when it turned out we were not actually leaving.

Then there was Skye and "bed time". Skye is a one woman dog (oh, she tolerates everyone else, but we know who she REALLY loves best). She and Nonna Ear Rubs usually head to "bed" about 8:00 or 8:30 -- well, the process starts at that point anyway with Skye getting her last trip outside for the evening. So, there was Skye last night at 7:15 letting Nonna Ear Rubs know that it was time to let her out so they could go to bed! Good thing Nonna Ear Rubs was tired and thinking of getting ready for bed early!

Just two examples of how dogs just don't get Daylight Savings Time -- I've gotta say, I think I'm with them -- especially in the Spring!

Rights have Responsibilities!

2010-10-31T20:48:00.000-06:00

I recently had an unpleasant experience at a business that allowed pet owners to bring their dogs on the premises. Unfortunately, the person who had elected to bring their dog with them had a dog that was not socialized to being around unfamiliar dogs. Twice, this person's dog became aggressive towards Cura and each time, the owner's reaction was to laugh. Both times, Cura and I were surprised by the dog because my concentration was focused on shopping and not people with thier dogs coming up on us unnoticed. (My fault because I should have been more diligent in an establishment that allowed pets -- especially after the first incident of anti-social behavior -- lesson learned, I hope.) Anyway, this experience got me thinking about the responsibilities that go along with all those rights we hold dear . . .

***gingerly stepping up on soapbox*** (hey,my balance is bad, give me a break!)

Yes, there are places that you have the right to take your dog. Some businesses let you bring your beloved dog in with you as you shop or provide a wonderful outside patio where you can sit with your best four-legged friend and enjoy a meal or coffee. Of course, you have the right to enjoy these facilities! No respectible animal lover would say otherwise and, in my experience, some of the biggest dog-lovers are those of us whose lives have been enhanced by an Assistance Dog.

Now, here is the big ol' BUT . . .

With that right comes responsibility. If you bring your dog into one of these places, you are responsible for controling them and insuring that they do not threaten the safety, wellbeing, or enjoyment of others. Don't let your dog charge, growl, bark, snap, and/or lunge at other dogs or people. If it happens (which it will at some point, no matter how well behaved your fuzzy friend is), get your companion under control immediately and for goodness sake, don't laugh when it happens time after time as if it is all a big joke! This applies whether or not your dog reacts to another pet, a human, or an Assistance Dog. Also, keep in mind that when your dog has an aggressive reaction to an Assistance Dog that it is potentially compromising the safety of another human being. Even if you manage to stop your dog short of making contact with an Assistance Dog, your dog has interfered with the Assistance Dog's ability to concentrate on their job and placed the human half of the team at risk.

Hey, we all know that dogs have quirks and personalities. Sometimes, no matter how well behaved they are usually, they just decide that they don't like something and react. It happens. But it is NOT funny and as the owner, you are responsible for insuring that it doesn't happen again (i.e. don't pass by the trigger repeatedly and then laugh at your dog's anti-social behavior). You may have the right to have your dog with you at these locations, but you also have the responsibility to insure that your dog does not interfer with the ability of others to enjoy these places. Make sure you live up to that responsibility before you bluster about your rights -- or just leave Fido at home, he may be happier if you do.

***thus endeth the soapbox***

It's Carnival! Let's Party!

2010-10-16T22:25:00.000-06:00

Well, here it is . . . Sharon over at After Gadget is sponsoring the first Assistance Dog Blog Carnival and here is my entry! The plan is that the Carnival will take place quarterly with a different theme each time. The theme for this 'edition' is Firsts. My first thought was to tap imto one of the many 'firsts' that I have written about in the past -- there have been a ton of them. But, after what happened the other day, I decided to go ahead and write something just for the Carnival.

Why? You may ask . . . well it is because Saturday we experienced a first in a series of firsts and all of them had to do with Hot Air Balloons. Cura does not really like Hot Air Balloons. Not only does she not like the noise made by the burners, but she does not like seeing them floating in the sky -- near or far. Now, this would not be a problem in many places, but here in New Mexico it is a bit of an issue, especially this time of year with the Balloon Fiesta which just took place.

For those of you who are new to Cura's Corner, Cura is an owner trained Service Dog. Well, owner trained with professional guidance. She came home in March of 2009 and worked very hard together to become the team that we are today. But this is not about Cura's first days with me, it is about her changing attitude toward balloons.

Because she spent so much time in a shelter before being adopted, she had not been socialized to a number of things. The first time we went for a walk when there were balloons in the air, I thought I was going to lose her. She pretty much paniced and it was all I could do to get her home. She literally couldn't think -- all she wanted to do was get away -- to anywhere! She was panting, tail between her legs, ears back, head frantically swiveling from side to side . . . Obviously, this was something that needed some work!

Fast forward several months and we had another balloon first! It was the first time we went for a walk with balloons in the air where she was able to think. She was still not happy, but less frantic. She walked by my side in the proper place and listened to and performed the tasks that I asked of her. But her posture was unchanged . . . still panting, tail between the legs, ears back . . . but not so much head swivelling.

Finally, she got to the point where she could walk down the street with a bit more confidence when the balloons were out. Her tail was still down, but not tucked between her legs, and her body posture was better, but still not happy. Her solution was to go out, do what she had to do, and get back home as quickly as possible. No dallying, doing everything that was asked of her, not rushing, but no messing about. I can't tell you how pleased I was the first time I realized she was becoming better able to cope when there were balloons in the air. I respected her discomfort with the balloons and usually let her choose to walk the short route rather than the longer one on those mornings that they were out.

Then, there came the First that prompted this post. This morning there were several balloons in the air when we went out for our morning walk. Although she was aware of them, she was in quite a perky mood. The entire walk her tail and head were held high and she was obviously having a great time. We came to the point in our walk where, if we were taking the shorter route, she would turn to go home and she just kept on going! For the first time, she wanted to be out and about while the balloons were up in the air! It was a wonderful walk! All of that perseverence seems to have paid off!

So, that is the story of our Balloon firsts . . . like all of our challenges, it looks like one more has been overcome through dedication and perseverence. Having a Service Dog may not be a walk in the park but I think all the hard work is worth it. Cura has changed my life. She is my first Service Dog and I frequently wonder how I managed without her. Before her, so much energy went toward managing my life and now it goes toward living it!

It's Carnival!!!

2010-10-13T18:00:00.001-06:00

How exciting! Here I finally start finding other Service Dog related blogs and I am immediately introduced to the concept of Carnival! I am still a bit unsure about what it entails, but I am looking forward to it because I think it will introduce me to several other Service Dog bloggers out there. If you are interested in finding out more check out After Gadget's post.

Basically, anyone who has a blog can participate by writing a blog about some aspect of training, partnering with, NOT partnering with, etc. a Service Dog. Do you live with or know someone with a Service Dog -- you can blog, too! The theme for this Carnival is "The first . . . " Yep, that's all you get! Take it an run with it! It can be ANY first -- your first dog, your first outing, your first reaction to a Service Dog Team, whatever!

The deadline for submission is midnight on October 19 (so think Monday, October 18). You can write something new or just provide the link to an older, relevant post. Just send in the link to your post before the deadline and then, once Carnival begins, visit everyone who participated and read all about their firsts!

I can hardly wait!

Back into the Routine?

2010-10-10T19:45:00.001-06:00

Well, finger's crossed, anyway! I hope everyone likes the new look. Since Cura graduated in July, I thought it would be wonderful to mark the occassion by redecorating. I owe a BIG thank you to Marie over at The Play of Light and Shadow for the amazing new header. She was increadable. I was one of those people who had a vague idea of what I wanted and a very strong sense of what I DIDN'T want for the new look and she patiently attempted to visually portray intent. Let me know what you think!

August and September were filled with all sorts of time consuming activities. I signed up for some classes (one of many steps on the way toward a teaching license). It has been ages since I have been on that side of the classroom. Cura has taken to the routine very well (big surprise there, I know). But it makes for quite a long day because they are night classes. Both classes require a considerable amount of classroom observation so that, too, has been on the agenda. Since I am interested in K-5, that means that Cura has spent time around lots of little people for the very first time. Apart from the occassional 'greeting' in public, Cura really has no little people in her life, so I was not sure how she would feel being in the classroom. Fortunately, all of the teachers I have worked with have been great. The students were prepped ahead of time and some of the classes got to ask questions. But they all followed the rules and didn't try to interact with Cura at all. So, the whole process has gone very smoothly so far.

I have also been going through an orientation process to teach University courses online. The process has been rather time consuming but I am very prepared for my first class because of it. The past week has been spent reviewing and preparing the online section and some students are already getting started this weekend even though the course technically starts tomorrow.

On top of all that, Cura and I still go to our weekly training classes, only now we are starting to help with the training end of things. It is very challenging and exciting. A Fresh Perspective Dog Training is responsible for the training of the Service Dogs for Paws and Stripes so there are a number of new Service Dog Teams on top of the regular basic training classes that they provide for the community. So, Cura and I are learning the ropes and helping out with the training. At the very least, we get to demonstrate some of the skills that they are working on.

As I said, tons of stuff going on! But, I think I might now have gotten into a bit of a routine again. So, I am going to start posting regularly again. My goal is at least once a week -- but deep down, I'm hoping for twice a week . . . we'll see how it goes!

A few days away . . .

2010-08-18T18:00:00.000-06:00

Well, hopefully the computer issues have been sorted. Meanwhile, even though there were no regular posts, you may notice that I did manage to send out a few Tweets. One of the things Cura and I did during the computer blackout was to go on our first Road Trip without family. Heather and I took Cura and Corey (her Service Dog) and went away for a few days.

Cura has gotten to be an old hand when it comes to travelling in the car. Here she is gazing out the window -- watching the scenary go by. But she is also just as comfortable taking a nap!

She absolutely LOVES her seatbelt because it allows her so much movement and she can get comfortable for those longer rides. The seat extension cushion helps, too, giving her an addition 12-15 inches of space to lay on.

Corey settled in very nicely. Here she is making herself comfortable when we were on our way to dinner one night. (Yes, that IS Cura's tail hanging down on the right). The girls were great the entire trip. They immediately settled in the back seat, side by side.

We stayed with Heather's Mom for a few days and there were three beautiful dogs in the house. Introductions went quite well and the entire visit was virtually uneventful -- at least when it came to interaction between the dogs. In fact, Cura showed a very interesting development -- there were a couple of times that there was a bit of fussiness between the dogs and Cura's reaction was to go to Corey's aid. This was an interesting development because Cura is generally quite aloof when it comes to other dogs. Clearly, there was something about the trip and our attitudes that told Cura and Corey that the four of us were a pack -- so when Cura thought Corey needed help, she was willing to step up and support her. Of course, neither Heather or I allowed the dogs to take the protective role -- that was our job! But still, it was encouraging to see Cura make some ties with other dogs.

There was a funny result of the trip . . . we discovered a new hybrid Service Dog called Curey (or Cora), depending on the situation. Within 24 hours of beginning our trip, both Heather and I were both having trouble with the girls' names -- frequently combining Cura and Corey when addressing either of the girls. The funny thing was, usually they both responded regardless.

The trip was full of interesting experiences and devolopments -- some of which I need to ponder further before sharing (if I ever do share). But, it was an amazing experience and I had a ton of fun. Who knows, maybe in the not too distant future, I will plan a trip with only Cura and I!

FYI

2010-08-08T21:40:00.000-06:00

Cura and I would like to welcome our newer followers. We hope that you enjoy our journey as much as we are.

This is just a short little post to let everyone know that the computer must go in for a checkup so regularly scheduled posts will be suspended for a time. Hopefully, it will be a SHORT time! I believe that it is something quite simple, but probably involves messing about with the registry -- something I avoid at all costs! I have attempted all the fixes I am comfortable with and now it is time to pass the problem on to the professionals. Wish me luck!

I hope to be back online soon!

Another Milestone!

2010-08-01T22:29:00.000-06:00

Well, Cura and I are officially Alumni of A Fresh Perspective Dog Training's Service Dog program! WhoooHooo! It was a wonderful evening. We were fortunate enough to have several people come and help us to celebrate our success. So many people have come together to create our Service Dog Team and all of them were thrilled that Cura and I were graduating.

We received a framed diploma and Rick and Heather had Service Dog patches made -- I can't WAIT to switch them out on Cura's gear. The wording of the diploma is great -- with any form of the word 'certified' conspicuously absent! Yay! (where do you think I get my healthy distain for the whole 'certified Service Dog' myth?)

One of the talented Service Dog Teams in the program presented us with a beautiful painting -- I have no idea how she managed it (the idea -- not the actual painting), but the imagery was perfect and the colors she used were amazing. She is so talented and it was an honor to be gifted with one of her creations.

We received many wonderful gifts and, thanks to the generosity of many of the guests, Cura and I were able to present Paws and Stripes with a small donation to help their cause! (I posted about this great new organization a little over a month ago -- if you are interested in learning more about it, check out the website). The founders are involved in the same Service Dog program as Cura and I so it was a pleasure to be able to donate to a good cause and help a few friends at the same time.

Well, that is the quick and dirty version of graduation . . . I think it will take some time to figure out exactly how I feel about no longer being in training. I imagine it will gradually start to sink in as the weeks pass. Don't worry, I will keep sharing our journey -- after all, it is still ongoing even though we are not 'in training' any longer. Cura and I will still be going to classes -- to keep us from getting lazy -- and I will keep teaching Cura new skills -- to keep her mind working. Plus, there will be the everyday experiences of being a partnership and moving through the world.

Stay tuned for our adventures!

Rewards!

2010-07-28T18:00:00.001-06:00

Whew! Well, recovery took much longer than originally anticipated . . . but it feels like things are pretty much back on track. It is funny how a few days away can just throw everything off kilter.

Well, hard work reaps its rewards, and this week has some big ones! We have had our very last Service Dog private tutoring session . . . while we will still be going to classes, Cura will officially graduate from the Service Dog program on Friday. We will be celebrating with a little gathering of people who are in the Service Dog Program along with Nona Ear Rubs, Fuzzy Face and a few other people who have been involved in Whoopee!!'s transformation into Cura and our development into a smoothly working partnership.

I am VERY excited! It is going to be a lovely evening and it will be the first time all of the Service Dogs in the program will be together in a non-training situation. Okay, yes . . . ALL situations are a training opportunity, but this is a real social event where all the dogs will be working instead of the focus being on practice or learning (but never fear, I am sure there will be at least a few helpful tips passed on during the evening -- Rick and Heather just can't help it and I love them for their dedication. It really helps me to get the guidance 'in the moment' and have the added benefit of them illustrating things if it is needed instead of just explaining a situation after the fact and working on it later. This allows me to really understand what I was doing wrong in the moment -- how was I feeling; what exactly did I do or not do to contribute to the problem; what is going on in the environment that could be (or definitely IS) contributing to the issue -- all of these things and more are important and can easily be overlooked after the fact.

In addition to graduation on Friday, this week is also a Playdate week! Yay! Cura gets to romp around with some of her friends, dig holes, and let her doggie hair down. She really enjoys these sessions -- more so if the weather is not dodgy -- though with it being monsoon season, who knows what the weather will be like. Still, getting out and playing with her friends is an important part of Cura's 'down-time' so we will brave the weather unless it is ridiculous. There will be an added treat this time -- her podmate from the Shelter has been invited. Cura and BB have been in classes together, but this will be the first time since Cura was adopted that they will be able to socialize together off-leash. It should be a wonderful thing to see and I hope that I remember to bring my camera so that I can get some of it on film -- otherwise, you will all be subjected to phone quality images!

Recovering . . .

2010-07-23T18:00:00.003-06:00

Well, today has been all about getting settled back into the daily routine after our trip. First thing we did this morning was take Cura for a short run. It was about half the distance as normal because it was rather warm this morning and it had been a week since Cura had any real exercise. For the most part, our time has been spent stuck in a car or a hotel room.

I think the one thing that struck me about the past week is how well Cura has fallen into her Service Dog role. Last July, only about three and a half months after Cura came home, we also went on a trip for about the same length of time. She did very well on that trip despite the fact that she had recently entered an entirely new life. Both of us were so new to the whole experience. Since that time, both my and Cura's confidence have improved and we have both become much more comfortable with each other as well as the challenges that can face a Service Dog Team.

The differences between that trip and this one were relatively minor, but they made the entire time feel much more relaxed. Cura was much more comfortable about riding in a car and entering areas where the smells, sights, and sounds were different than what she was used to experiencing. She settled right down in the hotel room (as soon as I figured out where to put her bed so that she was most comfortable). She ate every meal she was given, apart from the night of the terrible thunder storm -- which I was not surprised by, at all!

Just these little things made the trip much more relaxed for both of us. Sometimes I wonder if anyone else notices the differences or if it is just an internal thing -- but even if others do notice, it is hard to express the reality of the change that I feel with Cura at my side. She makes all the difference in the world.

A Quickie!

2010-07-22T20:45:00.000-06:00

Just a short little check in. We got home from out trip and everyone is just beat. Cura has been sleeping (apart from her dinner) since we walked in the door. I think we are ALL glad to be home and looking forward to sleeping in our own beds tonight.

While not overly exciting, you should be able to see a few tweets to the right, along with a couple of pictures taken on the trip. I'm not up to it tonight, but I will post in a few days . . .

Hope everyone is doing well.

Separation Anxiety . . . mine!

2010-07-15T20:00:00.001-06:00

The last couple of days have been spent preparing for our trip. We will be hitting the road bright and early tomorrow morning. I will (once again) attempt to tweet periodically on the trip, but we all know how rubbish I can be about that!

Anyway, one of the things that is on the list of things to do was to get Cura be-a-u-ti-fied -- something I try to do for trips or other 'big' events. It's just a good idea to make sure she is looking her best so I supplement my weekly grooming sessions with the occasional professional job. This means that she has to be dropped off at the groomers for a few hours and I am on my own. I may have mentioned that I spend most of this time feeling a bit lost -- think of it like you have left your purse or wallet at home for some reason and have to constantly remind yourself that you are not supposed to have it with you. A brief moment of OMG followed by 'oh, yeah.'

Well, this time it was different. I had a very hard time without Cura. I spent the entire time she was at the groomers battling my anxiety. Since my recent tumble, I have been a bit unsteady on my feet (a bit stiff) and Cura has been particularly attentive. She usually keeps track of me, even in the house, but since the fall she has been right by my side pretty much all the time. Let me tell you, it has been very welcome. Maybe it was the fall, maybe it was the fact that I have been a bit unsteady, maybe my confidence has been a bit shaken from the experience -- whatever the reason, both Cura and I were very relieved when I picked her up from the groomers!

Success when it really matters . . .

2010-07-11T18:00:00.003-06:00

I was going to wait a bit before making the big announcement, but todays blog topic makes more sense if I spill the beans now . . . Cura will graduate at the end of this month! Rick and Heather made the announcement at the beginning of the month. This is our last month as students in the program. I am both excited and proud to have completed the program. But, that is not exactly what this post is about -- though it is relevant.

As I have mentioned, before Cura came into my life, I fell quite often -- at least once a month and sometimes more. But, since I have had Cura with me, I have not fallen . . . well, that is until a couple of days ago. We were having one of our last training sessions and we were working on the 'Get' command. This is the one where either Cura goes and gets someone to help me or someone tells her to get me so that she can lead them to me. This has been a particularly difficult thing for Cura because she does not like to be away from my side. She has also found it distressing to 'Get' me and find me laying on the ground when she gets there. But, she had gotten much better and understands the concept well now. But, practice is the name of the game, so Rick had walked away with Cura and I was moving to a different place (so Cura actually had to find me instead of just return to where I was before -- it keeps her thinking to mix things up a bit and helps insure that she can adjust to circumstances as they arise).

Anyway, there was something on the floor and I managed to step on it, lose my balance, and the next thing I know, I was on the ground. Let me tell you, after over a year of not falling it was a big shock! Heather called to Rick who, once he realized what had happened, told Cura to 'Get' me. Before I knew it, she was at my side protecting me from anyone 'helping' me up before I had a chance to make sure I was unhurt. Then, when I was ready, she helped me get up off the floor, we found a seat, and she sat with me until I had fully recovered from the incident. She was amazing! This was the first time she experienced a true fall (every other time had been simulated so the emotional element and sense of urgency was never really there before). On top of that, we were in close quarters, so she had to adjust the routine to enable her to accomplish what I needed from her in a more confined space (an example of how mixing things up in practice helps Cura to do her job well).

It is interesting that days after Rick and Heather announced that she was ready to graduate, Cura proved it -- I am so lucky! Sure, it has required (and will continue to require) hard work and dedication, but it has definitely been worth it!

A road trip!

2010-07-08T21:37:00.000-06:00

This time next week, we will be making the final preparations for a road trip. We are headed for Kansas City, MO for a few days where Nona Ear Rubs will be taking a class. Plus, we will be doing some antiquing -- at least we hope to find some hidden treasures along the way.

It will be interesting to note any differences between this trip and the one that we took almost exactly a year ago. We will be traveling about the same distance and traveling by car, just like last year. That trip went very well, especially since Cura had been training for such a short period of time. Of course, I was a bit uncomfortable taking her so far from home for fear that she would somehow get away from me and end up lost. I no longer have that fear -- I know that Cura won't go far. Don't get me wrong, I'm not foolish and do take precautions -- but accidentally dropping the leash no longer sends a flash of panic through my body. Now, it is more like . . . oh, oops . . . whereas before it was more like . . . OH NO! WHERE'S THE LEASH! (frantic motion to get my hands on it or to step on it so Cura doesn't get away).

So, I imagine the BIG difference between this trip and the one last year is going to be me! Go figure.

It's flippin' HOT!

2010-07-04T18:00:00.010-06:00

Happy Fourth of July!

Yesterday, Cura and I spent part of the day sitting around and answering questions at a nearby garden shop. Okay, so I answered questions, Cura hung out. We were in a covered area and I made sure that Cura was well fortified against the heat. Her cooling coat was doing wonders -- keeping her core temperature down -- but after a bit, it became clear that her head was a bit warm. This was my solution . . .

She was quite comfortable and I was happy to forego wearing my hat since the sun was not beating down on me directly. I think I may have to look into getting her a hat of her own! (One that fits a bit better and doesn't fall off every time she moves her head!)

With the weather being as hot as it has been, making sure that Cura stays cool when we are out and about has been a big focus for me. I think that I have mentioned that she is usually unwilling to drink while she is out working -- so making sure she doesn't get overheated is important. I always know when I have failed in that mission because the few times she has gotten uncomforatable, she has actually taken a few laps of water when she is offered -- but only a few laps! At least I know if she gets too hot, she WILL drink -- and it is a good gauge of how she is doing!

Still, even with all of the equipment to keep her cool, I am very careful not to have her out too long and we both are looking forward to the monsoons when the temperatures will drop a bit!

Mea Culpa!

2010-06-30T19:00:00.000-06:00

When Cura first came home, due to my inexperience and a desire to 'make my life easier', I went ahead and got one of those Service Dog "certifications" that can be sent away for by just about anyone. I have mentioned having a meaningless certification before. Well, when the certificate came, it included a couple of "Registered Service Dog" patches. I didn't get them put on Cura's daily vest or pack, but they were added onto her Cooling Coat. Now that the weather is warmer, Cura is using her Cooling Coat more often and walking around town flashing the "Registered" patches all over the place.

So what, you may ask . . . what difference does it make? Well, here is the problem . . . by displaying patches that indicate that Cura is registered, it supports and promotes the public's misconception that Service Dogs need to be registered. I am not sure why I did not make this connection earlier, but something that Heather said the other day suddenly clicked. By the next day, the "Registered Service Dog" patches were removed from Cura's Cooling Coat. I have to order another pair of her 'normal' Service Dog patches, but at least I am no longer contributing to the problem.

In reality, initially gettting the certificate and the patches was probably something that I needed to do. I was not ready to deal with access challenges without having some kind backup -- no matter how flimsy I knew them to be. If I could flash a patch, card, or piece of paper that others would see as validating Cura's status as a Service Dog, then I could avoid an unwanted confrontation. Even with that support, for several months I came away from almost every access challenge with my heart pounding, hands shaking, and knees weak. It took me a long time to feel comfortable dealing with such situations without getting overly stressed.

Now after over a year of practice, it is time to stop leaning on these crutches and stop supporting the idea that Service Dogs should be registerd by displaying patches, etc. that indicate Cura is registered. I apologize for buying into the hype. I realize that I potentially made it harder for the Service Dog Team that happened to follow after me without some "registration". Fortunately, one of the benefits of having Cura in my life for the past 15 months is gaining the skills to deal with such conflicts when they arise. I am happy to say that I will not longer be sending out false impressions -- the patches are off!

I have stopped 'making my life easier'. In the long run, it is more effective to do the hard work of educating those who do not know any better. I am now up to performing this task 100% of the time. It may not always be fun, but it will always be worth it. Thanks Heather for persisting and helping me to see the light!

A Party!

2010-06-27T18:00:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned previously, we have been working to improve Cura's performance while around other dogs. Yes, this happens to some extent at her weekly group classes, but that is on neutral ground and we are now working on situations where Cura may be visiting others on their turf. Specifically, we were preparing for an upcoming party that I was going to attend. After the time spent preparing for the gathering, I was fairly confident that all would go smoothly -- little did I know HOW smoothly!

Yes, this is going to be another 'my dog is awsome' story. I try very hard to notice all of Cura's little successes which is very important for the training process. But this time it is not just a little success that I am sharing -- this one is significant! Sure, she and the other dogs did wonderfully togther as anticipated which is always a good thing. On top of that, the party was outside under a covered area and, at one point, Mother Nature decided to up the ante and throw in a short period of rain, lightening, and thunder. For about 30 minutes we had a lovely summer storm. Some of you will remember that lightening and thunder are particular challenges for Cura. She had shown improvement over the last 15 months, but they still bother her. (Though now, instead of heading for the bathroom to cower in a corner, she usually just stays by my side, panting and shaking for awhile until she calms down.) However, this night she was AMAZING!

She had already spent quite some time laying quietly at my side, dozing. When the first lightening flash happened, her head came up, shes stood up, turned around in a circle, and then resettled. Within a couple of minutes, her head was back down and she was dozing again -- that was the extent of her reaction to the storm. On top of that, there were some guests that, after arriving and socializing for 10-15 minutes actually asked me where Cura was. When I showed them that she was laying at my side, they were quite surprised because they had not noticed her until I pointed her out.

So, all in all, it was a VERY successful evening. Many previous efforts came together and contributed to my having a wonderful evening out -- a truly relaxing, enjoyable evening! Thank you, Cura! You're a STAR!

Ignoring, well, almost everything

2010-06-23T18:00:00.000-06:00

But me! That is pretty much what Cura does when we are out. All of that time that we have spent in classes every weekend around all kinds of dogs with all kinds of personalities has really paid off. Just this last weekend was the beginning of another cycle of classes so there were all sorts of new dogs and thier new owners. This time there were several dogs that had poor puppy manners and were pretty fussy. On top of that, apart from one session, the classes were all quite full so pure attendance alone made for very energetic classes.

Cura took naps.

But it isn't just in class that Cura does such a good job of ignoring other people and dogs. When we are out and about and a person tries to engage with her, she usually turns her head. She usually refuses to make eye contact with anyone and if someone reaches for her, she will move her head out of the way. If a dog stares as her, she practically looks through them! She is clearly no making eye contact on purpose. She either stares off in the distance, puts her head down and dozes, or looks up at me.

She knows that just because people or other dogs are around does not mean that it is appropriate for her to interact with them. She has a job to do and she takes that pretty seriously -- gotta love a good work ethic, even in a dog!

A Great Cause!

2010-06-20T18:00:00.001-06:00

Today was the first class of the new training cycle so we had a bunch of new dogs and owners. It is also the class where I had the wonderful opportunity to meet the newest Service Dog Team to benefit from Rick and Heather's training. It is always a happy time when another team joins the program, but this particular team is extremely special. To learn more about this team and the wonderful organization that they have been instrumental in implementing take a few moments and visit Paws and Stripes.

This is a wonderful new organization! It is dedicated to pairing Rescue Dogs and returning Veterans with various disabilities and impairments that are a result of their service to the United States. It then provides for the training of both the four- and two-legged members of that pair until they become a strong Service Dog/Companion Partnership. Regardless of your position on the military activities of this country, these men and women deserve an opportunity to re-enter society. As the website says; "Paws and Stripes strives to bring peace and normalcy to the lives of our nation's heroes and see that homeless dogs not only find a loving home, but a new purpose in life."

This may be a shameless plug, but who cares! Take a look at this great organization. If you have a Disabled Veteran in your family or if you know of someone who does, PLEASE tell them about Paws and Stripes. It may be the best thing that you ever do for them and will be a wonderful way of thanking them for everything that they have sacrificed for their country and its citizens. The cause is awesome and the trainers they are using are fabulous (but then, I admit, I am just a little biased on that front)!

Upping the Challenge (plus our blogaversary!)

2010-06-16T19:00:00.010-06:00

Before I go any further, I have to give a little nod to Cura's and my blogaversary. I completely spaced on Sunday and didn't even remember that, while we began our journey together a few months earlier, the firts post to Cura's Corner went up on June 13, 2009! I knew it was sometime in June but I have a clearer memory of adoption day. I never got around to checking the date of the first post before June began and when June hit, we have been so busy that I forgot all about it again until today! Ah, well . . . we are officially a year old here at the Corner! How far we have come! Thanks to everyone who checks in on us, even if it is just from time to time.

Now -- about upping the Challenge . . .

This should come as no surprise! This whole experience has been one big challenge. When I look back at where Cura and I were just over a year ago (yes, she has been with me for almost 15 months -- it seems like forever AND yesterday all at the same time), I am amazed. Not so much with her, but with me. I am doing things that I have not done for years and if I did, I was VERY uncomfortable and got it over with as soon as possible.

A perfect example is going to the Mall. Could. Not. STAND. Going. To. THE. MALL. Just thinking about it would heighten my anxiety levels. When I had to go, I was in and out as quickly as possible -- no window shopping, no browsing. If I didn't find what I needed quickly, I usually did without it. But, I digress . . .

This post is not about the Mall, at least not specifically. Instead it is about yet another level of training for Cura. She is already very good about not reacting to other dogs while she is working. We have even gone on a few restaurant trips with another team (Crayola and Ginger) but now we are actually having the dogs work next to each other and not just relax side by side under the table. We started off with the dogs on the outside and the two of us walking close enough that we could touch hands if we stretched out our arms -- about 5-6 feet. Now Ginger and Cura walk side by side with only a few inches between then! It only took one session to get them there and now it is all about reinforcement.

To top it off, Cura and I have started working with other Service Dogs in the same way. Saturday we will be either having an initial session with a third dog, or a second session with the second dog that we trained with a couple weeks ago. Either way, it will be interesting to see how we do!

Everyday (non)events

2010-06-13T18:00:00.002-06:00

There has not really been anything spectacular or exceptions that has happened since my last post. In fact, things have been ordinary. I have begun working on a the revisions for my PhD again. This time I have a strict schedule and am diligently sticking to it. What that means is that I have been spending a lot of time with my head in books and in front of the computer and Cura gets to have quite a bit of semi-work time.

Semi-work -- what the heck is THAT, you may ask. Well, even if we are in the house, Cura is aware of my location and if I am out of sight for too long, she will come to check on me. For example, we have one of those alarm systems that make a little beeping noise when doors are opened. If I leave Cura upstairs (usually because she is napping and I plan to be right back) and go downstairs and go out to the garage to get something, by the time I come back inside, she is waiting at the door for me. So much for being asleep!

The few times we have gone out have been fairly uneventful. Well, at least no more than normal. We still get approached by people wanting to touch Cura. Younger people just want to touch her, older people want to touch her AND talk my ear off! There are still waiters who forget that there is a Service Dog under the table or tucked next to my chair. Putting her in a corner doesn't even work all the time. Just the other day I was at a restaurant. When the server came to the table, I made sure that he knew that there was a Service Dog at the table and I pointed to where Cura was so he knew exactly where she was. It was a small table, so she was not completely under the table -- but she was placed out of the walkway and in such a way that the server could access all the settings at the table without having to walk near her. But, the next time he came to the table, he went straight to that area and banged into Cura. She didn't really move, so it must not have been too bad, but still! On top of that, he then proceeded to 'console' Cura by petting her and making a big deal about the fact that he bumped her. THEN (you gotta LUV this . . .) he refilled our coffees -- pouring the hot coffee into our cups OVER Cura's body! Now, I used to be a server and I realize that he was using a technique that insures that a beverage is not accidentally spilled on the table or a patron -- but if he HAD spilled any coffee accidentally, he would have dumped it on Cura!

Sometimes it amazes me how much people just don't think!

More adventures (or non-advenures) next week!

Another Expression of Disbelief (aka: eejits) . . .

2010-06-09T18:38:00.001-06:00

Well, it is time to share another 'desbeliever' experience. This person was more of a disbeliever who challenged Cura's ability to perform her job. Now, let me begin by saying that there are a number of people who, for lack of exposure, do not understand how a dog can help a person with a mobility/balance problem. This lack of understanding is not what landed this particular individual on my rant list. It was this person's refusal to give any consideration to the validity of my points after I explained how Cura was able to help me. This person challenged me about my status as a disabled person (because I "didn't seem to have a disablity" or "appeared to be fine"). I will not even get into the fact that one of the reasons I appear to get around so well is BECAUSE I have a Service Dog -- HELLO. Instead, I will point out the obvious fact that not all people that are legally disabled have a disability that is visible to the casual observer. Just as you can't tell that a person is subject to seizures or panic attacks by looking at them, you can't necessarily tell that I have difficulty with my balance and movement. Just because the casual observer is unable to tell that a person is disabled does not mean that they don't have one!

Even after I pointed out that not all disablities were visible to the naked eye, this person continued to be confrontational, but in a passive aggressive way. Okay, let me be honest here -- this is my personal interpretation of this person's body language and facial expression. So, to be fair, I must acknowledge the possibility that I have misinterpreted things -- it is certainly possible that I was feeling more sensitive than normal and read more into things than was intended. On the other hand, I think it is fair to recognize that this person's reaction to my explanation was less accepting/more resisting and critical than many that I have received in the past, and could very easily be placed in the 'antagonistic' category. I interpreted this person's expression to be one that showed disbelief, and I determined that there was no inclination by this person to consider the validity of my experiences over the past year. (After all, let's look at the facts, prior to Cura coming home, I fell at least once a month -- sometimes twice -- causing continual irritation/damage to my chronic back condition. Since Cura came home I have not fallen ONCE -- when did Cura come home? March 26, 2009 -- you do the math! Even if Cura did NOTHING else, she would be performing a very positive and beneficial service to me by preventing constant and recurring aggravation of a chronic condition. Amazingly enough, she does more than just this simple task -- as many of you who have been following our journey know.

So, forgive me for getting a bit bristly when confronted with various eejits that rear their obnoxious, ill-informed, intolerant, and confrontational ways. Sometimes I wonder why they bother to ask the questions if they are not willing to accept the answers! Ah, well -- at least eejits have become the exception to the rule. Most people who approach me are quite nice!

Cura is a STAR!

2010-06-07T18:20:00.000-06:00

Yeah, yeah . . . I know, you have heard it before. Still, this last week Cura showed, once again, how far she has come since that morning in March of 2009 when she came home. I had to spend the day taking some standardized tests. As is the case with tests like this, the are held only a few times a year and in locations that can handle the volume of test takers. Unfortunately, these locations rarely have comfortable furniture for those with healthy bodies, let alone those with physical disabilities. So, there we were surrounded by what seemed like hundreds of other test takers -- all nervous and figety -- waiting to be let into our assigned rooms to sit at our assigned desks. Cura laid down under the table and calmly waited at my feet.

Each test was four hours long -- one in the morning and one in the afternoon. For each test session, as we settled in our designated area, I put down Cura's neoprene pad under the table at my feet. She immediately laid down on her 'place' and, apart from the occassional shift of position, stayed put without making a sound. Fortunately for both of us (the chairs provided were horrible), I did not require the full four hours to take the tests, but they did take around three hours each. We were both very relieved when the day was over and we could head home. It was a long day -- but also a complete success!

Creatures of Habit . . .

2010-06-03T18:44:00.001-06:00

Cura is a mobility dog, so she needs to have strong, healthy joints. To that end, I try to do everything I can to help keep her joints healthy. For example, I give her joint supplements daily and make sure that she has comfortable surfaces to relax on as much as possible. Another thing that I did very early on was to get her an elevated feeding bowl. She is quite a tall girl, but I was conservative on my first purchase and only got a bowl that was 7" tall. I figured that would be fine, but what I didn't realize was that the height measurement indicated the top of the bowl. Since the bowl was about 2-3 inches deep, it only really raised her dish about 4-5 inches. She still had to hunch when eating. On top of that, her water bowl was still at ground level.

So, I recently purchased a elevated twin bowl set. This one has two bowls, one for food and one for water and stands 18" tall. It is perfect! It puts her bowls as head height so she does not have to bend down at all. There is just one problem . . . she is hesitant to eat and drink from them!

As I mentioned, she is quite tall (which is one of the reasons she is able to do her job). So, with very little effort, her head can reach many tables and at least parts of the kitchen counter. So, from the very beginning, she was taught that she was not allowed to counter/table surf. To be fair, it was never really a problem so it wasn't like it was hard or anything, but we did the work anyway. So, now it is a little confusing to her that she is being asked to eat from bowls that are so elevated. Fortunately, eating is progressing well -- though it has taken some coaxing -- in fact, tonight Cura just hesitated briefly, glanced at me to make sure it was really ok, and then began eating. I think she is finding it rather comfortable.

Unfortunately, we are having a harder time with the water. Part of the problem is that there are other (shorter) animals in the house, so we need to keep water sources at levels that they can reach. Initially, we just put another bowl of water under the elevated dishes with the intention that Cura would use the tall bowl and the other animals would use the one on the floor. Yeah, well, THAT didn't happen! Cura kept trying to use the bowl on the ground (it was actually kind of funny to watch because she not only had to hunch down, but maneuver around the elevated bowls as well) and no one else wanted to drink under the elevated dish. Finally, the humans got a clue and lifted the bowl on the ground (there are other bowls that can be accessed by everyone in different areas of the house -- but Cura tends to mainly drink from one location). Finally, Cura has begun to use the elevate water bowl. I'm going to wait a few days before putting the other water bowl back under the elevated bowls. Hopefully, it will be enough time for Cura to break the habit of drinking from the bowl on the ground and take advantage of the elevated water bowl.

They say that the animals in our lives tend to exhibit our characteristics. I am a creature of habit -- it looks like Cura is too!

Romping in the Garden

2010-05-30T17:53:00.001-06:00

Frequently, I am asked if Cura gets any 'time off' or if she has to work all the time. As you can see below, she can play just as hard as she can work. Watch as she speeds by Nonna Ear Rubs. Then, of course, there is Skye who starts to jump into the fray and then gets camera shy. Enjoy!

Oh, and if you are wondering about those straps you can sometimes see, that is her anti-jump harness -- if all goes well, by the end of the summer, she will no longer be wearing it!

New Experience . . .

2010-05-26T22:30:00.000-06:00

For the past few years, I have been trying to find ways to work around my physical limitations and develop some kind of excercise routine. Since Cura came home, I had kind of given up actively pursuing anything. There were a few reasons, not the least of which was that after a few weeks of adopting Cura I was invovled in a car accident that further restricted my activities for several months. But, finally, about a month ago, I had reached a point where I was ready to try, once again to develop an excersize routine that worked for me.

Since many of the things that I had either considered or actually tried in the past were either unrealistic or ended up putting too much stress on my body, I decided to try swimming. It is a good aerobic excercise that also provides resistance to help develop and tone muscles. On top of that, I could also participate in water resistance excercise classes. Maybe in the future, as I get in better shape, I can try to do some basic, beginners yoga or tai chi -- something that will help me to increase my strength and flexibility a bit and keep things from getting tight and restricted.

But, in order to include swimming in my life, I needed to introduce Cura to a new experience. More often than not, she is within a few feet of me -- even when I am home and she is relaxing. At the very most she is upstairs when I am down or she is in the front of a classroom while I am wandering among students. If I was going to start swimming, she was going to need to lay calmly by the pool while I swam laps in the pool. Since the pool was in a gym, she was going to have to resist any urge that she had to go for a swim herself and she was going to need to learn to come to me when I called -- but not by going through the water. She needed to know that she had to go around the pool rather than take the shortest route to me.

So, a new mission for Cura, myself, and the trainers. We have been going swimming fairly regularly now for a few weeks and things are going quite well. Cura has even gotten so used to the routine that one time she got up and started in the direction of the woman's locker room/sauna/steam room/jacuzzi (they are all in the same direction) after 20 minutes. Up until that point, I had limited my swim time to 20 minutes -- I guess she figured it was time for us to be done! She came back promptly when I called her, but it made me realize that as I extend my swimming time, I am going to have to reiterate the stay after about 20 minutes -- at least for a bit.

I find this development quite interesting. You see, Cura has been trained to hold her stay indefinitley if I am in the room with her -- but if I am out of sight, she is expected to break her stay after about 10-15 minutes and come find me (a safeguard in the event I need her help but was not able to call for her). So, I think Cura might have lost track of me in the water and decided that she needed to go find me! Not an altogether bad thing -- but it means that I need to 'check in' with her every once in awhile so she knows I am still in the pool and that she should stay put!

All in all, the experience has been a good one and my stamina in the water is slowly improving. We still have the occassional training session at the gym -- making sure that Cura can perform a recovery series in the different environment and that she is on the ball with all she needs to know. But, for the most part, she has settled in and is taking the gym in stride.

Crawling out from the Cave!

2010-05-23T18:44:00.026-06:00

Finally, I feel like it has been forever! I apologize to all of you who have patiently been waiting for me to pop my head up and re-enter the blogosphere. To make a long story short, my absence began because I became ill -- for weeks! Yes, I was one of those fortunate souls that got that lingering cold/flu (no N1H1 though -- yay!). After finally recovering, I have spent the last month or so dealing with current activities while playing catch up and getting things back under control. I believe that I am finally to the point where I can resume my blogging on a regular basis. So, here goes!

First, since so many of you probably have four legged fuzzies in your home, or know someone who does, I thought I would pass on an opportunity to lend a helping hand in the Gulf. Some of our local businesses are collecting human and animal hair to be sent to the Gulf so that it can be used to soak up the oil. Apparently, hair has been used effectively in the past to clean up oil spills and some eco-conscious businesses are making it easy for us to gather this easily acquired item and get it to where it can really do some good. Check out Matter of Trust for more information on how collecting all that hair that your dog or cat is spreading around your carpet and furniture can be used to combat the oil gushing into the ecosystem. If you are not aware of any businesses collecting in your area, you can sign up on the website and they can provide a location for you to send your clippings. They are also looking for donations of nylons -- and they don't have to be pristine -- they stuff the nylons with the hair and create a hair boom to gather the oil. Even better . . . do you know a local groomer? Get them involved!

Now, on to a bit of an update . . . well, an update on one thing anyway -- more will follow in later posts. Some of you may remember that Cura and I were scheduled to go to a Conference in April. Despite not being fully recovered, we did go. It was my first with this particular organization so really wanted to go. But on top of that, this going to be a great opportunity to see how Cura handled a Conference situation. There are some major national conferences that I want to eventually attend, so this smaller gathering was a good test run. On top of that, this was the location that had informed me that they required certification for any Service Animals (see Traveling with a Service Dog) and I saw it as both an educational opportunity as well as a sitiuation for me to practice dealing with these types of situations.

We traveled by car and Cura was her usual laid back travel complanion. Though she does get a bit antsy once we have been travelling for about an hour -- looking around, sniffing the air. It is almost as if we hit a point where she realized that she doesn't recognize the sights or smells and she spends about 15-30 minutes trying to record them in case she needs them. Then, she settles down for the rest of the trip until we get close to our destination -- then she gets antsy again, but more expectant, like she knows the trip is about to end.

When we got to the hotel, I just had to show the front desk Cura's Service Dog Tag. I had her certificate, but I was not going to show it unless I had to. Once they had made a copy of the tag, I politely let them know that thier procedures were inappropriate and that, it was possible that they could run into some difficulties if they continued to require people with Service Animals to provide certification when they checked into the hotel since it was against both ADA Federal and New Mexico legistation. I suggested that the clerk inform the manager so that they can avoid problems in the future. I am not sure if he did -- but I did my bit. I was tempted to call and pretend to make a reservation again, just to see if they changed their practices -- but have not gotten around to it. I still may do it . . . just to see if I need to follow up and contact someone higher on the totem pole.

Cura dealt with the crowds well. In fact, she was quite popular. I have run into several people that were at the conference and they all recognize me because they remember Cura. She was a big hit -- everyone commented on how well behaved she was. She still has a bit of trouble with camera flashes -- too much like lightening. But each event we attend where people are taking pictures that require a flash, she gets better.

The conference days were long and full of activity and the trip was followed by over a week of very busy days. By the end of it, Cura was knackered! She even got to the point where she didn't really want to go out a couple of times (more on that, later). But, all in all, it was a successful trip. I think Cura will manage a larger conference quite well!

Expression of Disbelief!

2010-04-06T10:10:00.000-06:00

Apologies for posting delays . . . I finally caught whatever has been going around. Still recovering, but am a bit better so I thought I would have a little rant . . . it has been awhile since I had a little rant about all those 'eejits' out there -- so here goes! (don't know what an eejit is -- google it!!)

As you know, Cura spent 13+ months at a shelter. I have a black and white picture of her from her intake at her last Shelter (Watermelon Mountain Ranch) which shows no grey on her muzzle. You will notice that every picture that I have posted (where you can see her face) shows that she has grey hair on her beautiful face -- and if it doesn't it is a trick of the light. My beloved Cura has been grey since the day we first locked eyes upon each other. Since she is only four and a half (at least based on the records provided to me -- and the vet is happy with that assessment), I, my trainers, and pretty much anyone else that spends any time with Cura, attribute her grey to the stress that is the result of a very social animal spending months in a shelter with very limited social contact. WMR is a good no-kill shelter. They work hard to socialize the animals, house dogs in social pods rather than in isolated kennels so the dogs have companionship, have volunteers that come in to walk and spend time with the dogs, and generally provide the best care possible with limited resources. Of course there is room for improvement (I am one of those people who believe that everything can be improved, no matter how good -- nothing is ever perfect) -- but WMR does a wonderful job for the creatures that are fortunate enough to be placed in their care.

So, where do I get off with the eejit rant intro? Well, I recently had an eejit response to a rather common exchange involving Cura's grey muzzle. The normal exchange goes something like this . . .

Annonymous Person (AP): How old is she?
Me: About four and a half.
AP: Oh, she is so grey . . .
Me: She spent over 13 months in a shelters/pounds. When she went into the last no-kill shelter she was not grey, when I adopted her, she was -- it is probably due to being in a stressful environment for such a long period of time.
AP: How can a no-kill shelter be stressful?
Me: All shelters are stressfull.
and here is where this exchange entered into annoying eejit-land . . .
AP: Well, I suppose that depends on the quality of the shelter . . . .

I chose not to continue this exchange. Why? For a few reasons . . .

1) I believe that, no matter how good a shelter, it will never be equal to a loving and fulfilling home. No shelter can give a dog the same quality of life as a 'forever home', no matter how dedicated the staff or how endless the resources -- in my opinion, any person who is not able to recognize this is not worth the time needed to sway their understanding of the dog/human relationship,

2) This person, again in my opinion, was not interested in learning about Cura's story -- instead this person wanted to challenge my understanding of reality (notice that I recognize that my interpretation is likely subjective -- but, since it coincides with the interpretation of several professionals familiar with Cura's case, it is certainly a valid possibility!), and

3) I have personally witnessed the behavioral differences between shelter resident Whoopee!!! and Service Dog Cura -- not only after adoption, but before she came home. For about a month, Whoopee!!!/Cura switched back and forth from the stressed, energy-buzzing shelter dog to the (relatively) stable, comfortable and engaged, potential Service Dog. On top of that, it is not just me and a small group of professionals that have had these observations . . . everyone who has witnessed her development over the past year has commented on how Cura is clearly much more calm, secure, settled, and confident now than when she was first adopted.

So, annoying person #1 -- next time you think that some shelters could provide a non-stressful environment for a dog, think about this . . . How would you feel if you were confined for over a year to a studio apartment with a small garden and you lived with 1-5 other people in that space? Let's be generous, let's say that once or twice a day somebody came and took you away from that and wheeled you around (in a wheelchair so you could really only go where they decided you were allowed) a small garden where you saw the same things everyday, sniffed the same smells every day, heard the same things everyday, and felt the same things EVERYDAY! Would this not be a stressful and monotonous environment? Hopefully, you understand -- if not, you hopefully never will and there is no point harping on the point.

Enough ranting for one day -- tune in for more 'eejit' stories later.

Officially "ON DUTY"

2010-03-29T20:10:00.001-06:00

Well, it has become very clear that I am not a very good tweeter! I had every intention of providing frequent Twitter updates on Friday to keep everyone posted throughout Cura's midterm and you can see from the sidebar how successful THAT was! LOL!

The day went very well. We rode the train and spent the day wandering around window shopping, had a meal, spent time in a Tavern. A good time was had by all. Previous to the midterm, I had to perform my own evaluation of Cura's skills that Rick and Heather would review after Cura had completed the midterm. Final result? Cura 'exceeded expectations'! Go, Cura!

In addition to passing the midterm, the fact that there were several times that Rick and Heather did not see the communication exchange between Cura and me even though they were paying attention to that type of thing was very satisfying. Sometimes, my signals were very subtle, but there were also times that I didn't actually give a verbal command or even a proper hand signal. There really were times where I just thought that I wanted Cura to do something and she did it! I must admit, when Rick and Heather first introduced the concept to me, I was skeptical. Okay, who am I kidding, I was more than skeptical -- which is why I called it mind meld in the first place. StarTrek, here we come. Now, here we are, a few months later, and mind meld is becoming a reality. Rick, Heather . . . I owe you an apology!

We were out for twelve hours! It was a very long day for both of us. I may be used to very long days, but I am very seldom on the go for twelve hours straight. Saturday, all Cura did was eat, go potty, and change sleeping positions and locations! She was knackered!

So, after such an impressive performance, Cura and I passed the midterm with flying colors. She has been taught all of her absolutely essential skills and can perform them in strange and distracting locations. Her training is not complete because there are some other skills I want her to learn that will be convenient and will probably become essential in years to come. But, with the successful completion of the midterm, Cura can now wear her Service Dog ON DUTY patches instead of her Service Dog IN TRAINING patches. She is now officially ON DUTY!

Just think . . . one year ago, she was considered unmanageable/untrainable! What a great year!

Wandering around without a part of me!

2010-03-24T22:56:00.000-06:00

Initially, this post was probably going to be focused on the upcoming 'midterm' -- potentially deteriorating into some kind of obsessive paranoia about the whole thing while valiently attempting to remain positive about our upcoming 'day out'. Not to mention noting that March 26 is also Cura's adoptiversary! Yes, amazingly enough, on Friday, Cura would have been with me for a full year! In preparation for her one year adoptiversary and our midterm, Cura made at trip to the groomers. She goes about once every two or three months, usually to prepare for a special occassion. I find that taking her to a professional every few months helps me to stay on top of her grooming needs as long as I diligently give her a weekly onceover in between visits -- which leads me to the actual subject of this post . . .

Apart from the time she had her teeth cleaned, grooming trips are the only times that Cura is not with me. The degree to which I have become accustomed to her constant companionship hit me like a sledge hammer for the first time today. Cura was only at the groomers for about two and a half hours, but during that time I must have done, said, or thought something at least 20 times as if she were with me. It began almost immediately after dropping her off this morning. I had decided not to feed her prior to her appointment because it was much earlier than normal, plus there was the stress of being separated from me (and the fact that we were running late!). So, I was planning on feeding her when she got home. As I was driving back from dropping her off, I found myself thinking "I must remember to feed Cura when we get home." After a few minutes I realized that "we" were not going to be home for hours because Cura was NOT in her usual spot in the back seat!

Even though the rest of the time she was at the groomers I was at home, I felt her absence. I kept finding myself glancing at her usual resting spots and thinking "Were's ma dawg?" when I didn't see her -- only to realize that she was still at the groomers. As I would move from place to place in the house, my first thought would be to either tell Cura to 'stay' or be 'with me' -- it was like I had misplaced a piece of myself. The whole experience really drove home how much a part of my moment-to-moment existence Cura has become. Being aware of her -- knowing where she is and how she is at all times -- has become part of my routine. Frequently, people comment on the fact that she is so well behaved that they forget she is there -- today I found out that I forget when she is NOT there!

I'm betting this means we are ready for Friday!

Ignoring old friends

2010-03-21T22:30:00.000-06:00

Cura is a very friendly dog and is very energetic so one of the very early challenges was helping her to learn that she needed to ignore people and dogs that she knew when she was working. I think that this last cycle of classes proved that she has well and truly mastered the whole 'impulse control' concept.

For months now, she has stopped reacting to the arrival of Rick and Heather (something that they both glad and sad about). But, just because Cura doesn't react when they arrive doesn't mean that she doesn't love them anymore -- as soon as I release her to 'Say Hello', she is clearly very pleased to see them. But, the amazing development this time around had to do with Cura's old kennelmate. A few months ago, the dog that Cura lived with at the shelter was also finally adopted and began attending the training classes. Both dogs clearly remembered each other and would make attempts to greet each other and play (sometimes accompanied by wining or barking).

This last round of classes, both dogs behaved beautifully! Cura began treating and responding to him exactly like all of the other dogs in the class -- essentially ignoring him despite the fact that they are old friends. Oh sure, she would look, but no more wiggling and fussyness. And he is doing better as well. They don't attend every cycle, but he is clearly benefitting from the socialization that he is getting (he is on the timid side, so needs exposure to situations outside the home).

I really enjoy attending the classes. Sure, everyone else is learning basic commands -- something that Cura no longer needs, but it is a wonderfully distracting environment that is perfect for reinforcing Cura's advanced skills. By practicing in busy, active environments, Cura's skills become more solidified and she learns to focus despite anything else that is going on around her.

The next cycle of classes start the weekend after Easter -- looks like 'training withdrawals' are in our future . . . but, there is always the upcoming test!

Self vs. Organizational Training

2010-03-17T20:41:00.000-06:00

I am sure that many of you have figured out that I am an advocate of self-training of Service Dogs. I realize that it is not always possible for the person with the disability to train their own Service Dog, but let me finally state what I have probably only illuded to in past posts . . . if you can train your own Service Animal - DO IT!

Let me tell you why I say this . . .

I recently read a short, two page article in a dog magazine about an organization that performs the wonderful service of training Service Animals. The process of this particular organiation was to breed their own dogs (Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and cross-breeds of the two). Puppies from these breedings were evaluated and those deemed to have the right temperment were sent to puppy carers for the first 13-14 months of their lives. These volunteers worked to socialize the puppies, put basic training in place, and expose them to the various situations that they would need to be comfortable with as Service Dogs.

Following this basic training, the dogs are sent to Service Dog Training school which lasts between 6-9 months. During this time, the dog is taught the skill set(s) they need to assist a person with a disability. Some of the skills the article mentioned were turning on lights, picking things up, and pulling a wheelchair. After the dog is deemed fully trained, they are paired with a person (presumably they go through a screening process as well to be eligible to get a Service Dog) and they go through two weeks of training together before being sent home. At this point, the dog is between 19 and 23 months old and their companion has received two weeks of training to teach them how to interact with their new Service Dog and insure that the dog is able to understand their needs and be willing to fulfull them.

Sounds great, doesn't it? Dogs bred specifically for the temperment and intellegence necessary to work as successful Service Dogs . . . An organization dedicated to generating Service Dogs that can help to improve the lives of disabled people. What could be wrong with that? Well, what about a breeding program that produces puppies in a world where an obscene number of dogs are put to death every day? Not all of these puppies produced in the Service Dog programs are deemed eligible for the program -- what happens to those puppies? On top of that, I am constantly hearing of people whose Service Dog was a rescue dog and is some kind of Shelter or Pound Mixed Breed. Of course, I have heard the argument that many Shelter/Pound Dogs would not make good Service Dogs, also. Granted, Shelter/Pound Dots may not meet the selection criteria of an institutional program, but, I also think that there are some problems with these organized programs.

What are my issues? For one (apart fron the whole breeding program addressed earlier), dogs are being sent to programs to learn advanced skills at adolecence rather than waiting until adulthood. (The breeds used in the program discussed above are not considered 'adults' until at least the age of two.) This is especially problematic if the dog needs to be performing any weight bearing or pulling assistance. Dogs should not be asked to brace or pull the weight of their person until they have reached adulthood as it could be damaging to them. Even if they are not going to be expected to perform weight bearing activities, most dogs have different issues in puppyhood than in adolecence and different issues in adolecence than in adulthood. Like humans, each life-stage can present different challenges that need to be addressed and worked with in order to help the dog develop to his/her full potential. What training and problem-solving skills can the disabled person have with only two weeks of training?

This is the another key problem with these kinds of programs. It does not provide the person half of the team with the skills and knowledge that are necessary to address any problem behavior that develops over time. I strongly believe that it increases the success of the pairing if the person half of the team knows what they need to do to enable their dog to continue to perform well. Apart from a few years in my life on this earth, I have always had a dog in my life -- I learned to stand by grabbing handfuls of the family dog's fur and pulling myself up on my feet. Despite this fact, I have learned so many important techniques and a ton of vital information during our Service Dog training that (I feel) are necessary for the success of our (Cura and my) partnership. The program constructed by A Fresh Perspective Dog Training is just as much about training me as it is training Cura. It is an individualized program that focuses on what my personal disability requires of a Service Dog AND what Cura's personal needs require of me to enable her to successfully perform her services.

So, while organized programs certainly perform a good and necessary service, they have their limitations. Personally, as long as I am able, I will be training my own Service Dogs (with the help of my AWSOME trainers). It is what works for me. I not only get a Service Dog that can do exactly what I need but I also learn how to do more than fulfill the basic needs (food, hygiene, etc.) of my Service Dog -- I learn to anticipate my dog's needs and help my dog to develop into the best Service Dog she can be.

Getting Ready for the Midterm . . .

2010-03-14T22:02:00.000-06:00

Ack! Test time is looming! We just recently had our last private training session before the big day. I must say that, for the most part, we are doing well. My really big concern is the complication of being in an environment that I am unfamiliar with while being tested. Cura tends to do better when I am less stressed and new(ish) experiences are stressful to me. Oh, that and being on camera!

Cura has been finding my being on the ground a bit difficult lately. Not so much at home, but when we are out. She wants to lick my face and kind of climb into my lap. So, more practice with the recovery sequence is in order. Hopefully that will help alleviate the stress she is feeling when I am on the ground. Well, that and the fact that it is time to start doing things in the garden -- so I will be sitting on the ground quite a bit.

The whole 'working in the garden' thing is a bit new for her. Sure, she was around last year, but she was either on a lead or relegated to the house for gardening last year because of the fence jumping. This year she has more freedom (but is still in the anit-jump harness). The other day, she frequently came up to me when I was digging in the soil to lick my face. I am sure, like everything else, she will get used to what I do when working in the garden. But for now it is 'new'.

Anyway, our midterm is in less than two weeks. I am not going to spend too much time on the whole 'test' thing here -- I am going to be tense enough without building up my own stress levels by blogging about all the challenges and things that could go wrong. Positive thinking. We have some things to work on between now and then . . . but for the most part, we are ready. Rick and Heather are great that way . . . they are constantly challenging us, but it is always at a good pace for us. We wouldn't be having the midterm if we were not ready -- I truly know and believe that. It is great to have trainers that you can be so sure of!

Hey! That's my spot!

2010-03-10T12:08:00.001-07:00

Cura (a 65 pound dog) being displaced by the kitties!?

This is just too cute! Cura is such a good-natured animal. Even though she is bigger than any of the other animals in the house, she does not go around overtly bullying the three cats and Skye to get her way. Case in point . . . a few months ago, Cura and I headed to bed for the night. Usually, I tell Cura to 'Go to bed' and she heads for her crate that is located by my bed. After only a few months, I was not closing the door on her crate at night (after all, what if I need her in the middle of the night -- she needs to be able to get to me) so I finally just took it off. Well, when I had finished my pre-bed ablutions, this is what I found . . .

And who is the culprit? This is our lovely boy Thai -- you may remember him from the pictures of Skye's adoptiversary. Here you see him comfortably commandeering Cura's night-time bed. And what does Cura do? Lays down and waits for me to come to bed and fix it!

But wait, it does not end there . . .

Just the other day, I was going to spend the day at my desk working so I told Cura to 'Go upstairs' followed by the normal 'On your place' command. Normally, this results in Cura making herself comfortable on her bed that is located by my desk. You have seen it -- it is the blue one that features in many of the blog pictures. Well, instead of settling, she kept coming back. Finally, she stood in the doorway, looking at me, then looking in the direction of her bed . . . looking at me, then looking in the direction of her bed . . . looking at me, then looking in the direction of her bed . . . Well, I couldn't figure out what had gotten into her -- she was usually so good about going to her place. When I entered the room with my desk, I saw this . . .

This time the usurper was Bear (Thai's brother). I just love the look on Cura's face. Translation: "Mo-om! Bear is in my spo-ot! Fix it!" Which, of course, I did. But then, after leaving the room for a moment to get something to drink, I came back to this . . .

I think war may have been declared! Batten down the hatches!

Traveling with a Service Dog . . .

2010-03-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

In April, Nonna Ear Rubs and I will be attending a conference that will require us to stay in a hotel for a couple of nights. Nonna Ear Rubs made the accommodations reservations and, to smooth the waters a bit, informed the hotel that we would have a Service Dog with us. The person on the phone immediately informed her that we would need to provide Service Dog Certification when we arrived. The implication being that if I did not provide a certificate, we would be turned away. This is actually illegal.

First, let me just say that, as a rule, I inform businesses that I have a Service Dog as soon as possible because it tends to head off any negative reactions to my having a dog with me. It is for this same reason that I make sure that Cura has either her vest or pack, complete with patches, on when we are in public. At the VERY least she has a Service Dog tag on her collar. But, NONE of this is required by law. The ADA does not require that Service Dogs be certified or registered. Nor does it require that the animal wear any kind of identifying equipment.

Now, in addition to making sure that Cura wears clear identification that she is a Service Animal, when Cura came home, I did go to the trouble to purchase a "certificate" for her. It took my doctor and a vet filling out a form that I submitted with my fee and the certificate was issued. The fee was minimal -- not one of those companies that charge hundreds of dollars. But, the reality of the situation is that this 'Service Dog Certificate' was issued by an an organization that not only did nothing to train Cura in her skills, but did not personally evaluate her performance as a Service Dog. Anyone who could get their doctor to say that they need a Service Animal and a vet that would say that their animal was not a danger to society could get this certificate. Does this mean that the animal is actually able to act as a Service Animal? -- NO!

Will I take a copy of Cura's certification with us on the trip? Yes, the hotel indicated that it should be brought, so I will bring it, in order to avoid conflict. However, upon check in, I will be having a discussion with the manager (and, depending on how that goes, following up with some kind of written correspondence) about the illegality of their requests. If I run into too much trouble, I will call the appropriate authorities and report them. Do I want it to come to that? Of course not. But, at the same time, they are asking for information that they are not legally permitted to require. I hope that it doesn't escalate, but I have plenty of time to prepare for any eventuality.

Nonna Ear Rubs wanted to know why we bothered to inform them that we would have a Service Dog with us when we made the reservation if we didn't have to. It is all about making things easier. If the organization knows that I will have a Service Dog, when I show up with Cura, there is a good(ish) chance that she will be expected and I will not run into the initial 'No Dogs Allowed' mentality. I am all for avoiding conflict if possible -- but I will not tfacilitate illegal behavior. I plan to inform them that their request was illegal. If they insist on seeing a certificate, I might just get the authorities involved -- not because I do not have a certificate, but because they have no legal grounds to require one.

Well, the conference is not until April so there is time . . . for all I know, I am getting worked up about nothing because as soon as I make it clear that I know the law and my rights, they will back down. Who knows? But I will be sure to let you know what happens.

Challenging comfort zones

2010-03-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

During our last private session, we were working on some of Cura's more advanced skills. Specifically, we were working on things that she needs to know in the event that they are needed, but hopefully will not ever need to be used. They are things she will need to know in case I fall and need her to go for help. Now, since I have not fallen since Cura came home -- amazng how just having her with me all the time has eliminated those monthly/bi-monthly tumbles -- it is possible that I may never fall again. Even if I do fall, it is not likely that she will need to do anything more than her recovery series, designed to keep strangers from yanking me up from the ground before I have assessed whether or not there is any problem and help me get back on my feet. But, she still needs to know what to do in the event that I need human help rather than canine assistance.

So, we have to teach her and then practice -- gradually working her up to being able to find a family member at quite a distance and leading them back to me. This is particularly challenging for Cura because she is uncomfortable when separated from me (can you say that is the understatement of the century -- okay, maybe the decade) let alone when I am not in sight. This is a very stressful exercise for her and training has to tread a very fine line between teaching her the skill (helping her step outside her comfort zone) without pushing her too far, too fast and causing her to either shut down or freak out.

We have begun working with the command that someone would use to get her to take them to me. Generally termed the "Where's Mommy?" command, only we use my name to avoid confusing her since one of the people she is begin trained to find is Nonna Ear Rubs. Now it is time to practice outside the comfort of the house, in places with more distractions, and with me actually not being in Cura's line of sight. We had tried this earlier in the training -- months ago -- but we were moving too fast for her. One time we pushed her comfort zone just a little to much and she didn't find me right away and lost her head a little -- translation, she freaked out and went charging around the library frantically trying to find me (yeah, I DID feel like a big ol' b***head, in case you are wondering). So, a learning experience -- we took a few steps back and focused on working on the command in the home and giving Cura more time to feel safe in her new environment/job -- remember, she has not even been home for a year yet and at that point, it MAY have been six months.

So, how did it go this time? Very well! It was still a bit stressful for her, but the few times we made it more challenging for her and she didn't find me right away, she didn't panic. Instead, she started to use her nose and searched meticulously until she found me. So, what did we do? Yep, you guessed it, we increased the challenge. Instead of her finding me and having me standing, waiting for her -- I laid down on the ground and waited. Cura did a brilliant job of finding me but did not like the fact that I was on the ground. After licking my face like crazy, she managed to go through the entire recovery sequence (with face licks in between), but she clearly was not happy about this new development. After about 5 minutes, we did it again. The second time she barely managed to get through the recovery sequence. Too stressful with attempts made too close together -- but she did do it! So, definite progress. We pushed her comfort zone a bit, but next time she will cope with it better and pretty soon it will not even phase her to find me on the ground because she will know exactly what to do.

Training Withdrawals

2010-02-28T09:35:00.017-07:00

This past week there were no training classes on Sunday and Monday. Rick and Heather have sensibly begun to give themselves a break between class cycles so, no training. Cura and I are clearly going through training withdrawals.

It isn't like we don't train outside class -- if that were the case, Cura would not be ready for her 'mid-term' yet. As it is, after about nine months of training, preparations for Cura's 'midterm' began. This from a dog that had been 'unmanageable' in the shelter! I have said it before but I must say it again -- all she needed was a job. Being cooped up in a kennel all day with no significant outlet or way to expend her energy meant that she had a serious case of cabin fever. Many people in the blogosphere are expressing their pent up frustration about being snow-bound -- imagine being snow-bound for 13+ months! You would probably be so twitchy that you couldn't think straight. That was Whoopee!! So full of pent up energy that she virtually hummed. Then, on March 26, Whoopee!!, the unmanageable buzzing dog, ceased to be and Cura, the diligent, dedicated companion, was born.

But, I digress . . . Cura and I train every day. We practice throughout the day -- five minutes here, five minutes there. The odd command, just because. But, it is the Sunday and Monday Basic Training Classes that really 'feel' like training for us (that and our private sessions, but that is not what this post is about). Plus, the training sessions serve several purposes. First, it gets us out of the house to practice. Practicing in the home only insures that Cura can do her job with no outside distractions. If we don't train in other places, Cura will not learn that commands require a particular response regardless of where she is or what is going on around her.

Both Sunday and Monday training classes provide different, beneficial experiences. Sunday classes tend to have a lot of dogs in them, so Cura is exposed to several dogs at once -- some of which are not exactly 'polite'. These classes tend to have several fussy dogs and/or owners who are learning the ropes. So, these classes are very good for conditioning Cura not to react to other dogs in her environment, regardless of their behavior, and they are perfect for teaching me the techniques that I need to learn to help Cura feel secure and safe in a chaotic environment. Recently, I had a couple of experiences where this was very necessary.

The first one involved a place of business that had a 'resident dog' on site. This dog was not receptive when it came to allowing another dog into its 'territory'. It got up, attempted to approach us (I say attempted because we were with Nonna Ear Rubs and she took it upon herself to set the boundary) and began growling. This was great because the dog got no where near Cura so she did not even flintch and Nonna Ear Rubs got a chance to practice her boundaries -- she is getthing better (and quieter). The second was another Service Dog that decided that he wanted to 'say hi' to Cura -- an action that requiered that it leave its charges side -- a man who was using walking crutches to move. What was his response to his Service Dog leaving his side and pulling. He said, "It's playtime!" My response?: "No, it's worktime!') I am happy to report that Cura performed brilliantly -- any worries about her behavior are needless and this midterm will prove it.

Oh dear! Another tangent. I am sorry my friends, it appears that I need to figure out what is relevant and stop introducing things that, while interesting, do not fall under the topic of the post! So, back to the training classes . . . Monday is 'shoes' day. The classes tend to be smaller and the facility is larger than the one used on Sundays, so this is a great environment for Cura to practice her skills in her shoes. She is getting much better about being able to perform the more advanced skills despite this annoying piece of equipment (while Cura is getting better at wearing and working in the shoes, she rarely happy about it.)

Exposing Cura to these environments and challenging her are an intregal part of her training and success as a Service Dog. Sure, we train outsid of class -- but the classes provide unique environments that play a significant role in Cura's (and my) development. I am looking forward to the first class this weekend and, I have a sneaking suspicion that Cura will be happy to go to class as well.

Spring is coming!

2010-02-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

It is time to prepare the garden for the next growing season . . . which means we get to spend time OUTSIDE! The temperature rose a bit and Nonna Ear Rubs and I decided that it was time to begin making the garden ready to receive all its goodies. Now, it is still way too early to put seeds or plants in the ground, but there is still much to be done.

There are several things on the list such as pruning the trees for the first time and pruning/cutting back various bushes and plants. The trees are now going into their third year -- finally, we will be able to walk under them and only have to bend down a little instead of crouch down almost on all fours! Well, maybe not Fuzzy Face . . .

Then, there are the 'big' projects planned for this year. We have to remove a bunch of gravel from beneath the trees and create planting beds instead so the trees can breath properly; create climbing trellises in beds along the back wall for various squash vines and other climbing vegetables; and this year we are going to build a cold frame (can you say veggies all winter?) I can hardly wait. It will be hard work at first, but the rewards are going to be great!

So, day one in the yard was spent pruning and cutting back. I am happy to report that we managed to complete it all! But, you may ask, what does this have to do with Cura? Ahh . . . be patient my lovely readers -- setting the stage is everything!

Last year, Cura was not allowed in the back yard unless she was on some kind of lead. Being the little fence jumper that she was in her previous life, combined with her single wall vaulting incident over the back wall (the one with a 12-14 foot drop onto a cement sidewalk or the sharp gravel surrounding it) last year relegated her to being leashed at all times. Just before the weather turned last year, I got her an anti-jump harness, but we were only able to use it a few times. Now that we have had our first day in the back yard, I believe Cura will have many more lovely days to wander the back garden off-lead.

Of course, she was wearing her anti-jump harness the entire time, but she spent about three hours outside with Nonna Ear Rubs and me and did nothing but enjoy herself. She laid and rolled around in the Puppy Pad (a little grass bit we installed last year for the dogs) and managed to get all sorts of bits of dry grass on herself. She investigated the various cuttings that Nonna Ear Rubs and I were accumulating as we meticulously made our way from one side of the garden to the other. She selected some of the choice tree branches that were available after pruning to chew on. In fact, she and Skye played the "you walked away from it, now it is mine" game with one particular piece of wood. Neither one ever took it from the other, they just noticed when the stick was sitting alone, all forlorn and unloved, in the middle of the yard and picked it up and chewed on it and/or carried it around for awhile.

Cura was very interested in the occasional rustling noise in the raised bed under the straw (we have four-legged fuzzies wintering over in there -- but now that we are starting to mess around out there, they will likely move on soon, at least they did last year). Both dogs had a blast -- well, except for that moment that Skye got 'bit' by a plant of the prickly variety -- she didn't like that and may never go in that particular flower bed again! Cura made no attempts to go over a fence or a wall. She would look out front through the fence a few times, but just look -- no excitement, just curiosity. Needless to say, when we were finished and came back into the house, Cura and Skye both curled up and slept for the rest of the day (and yes, Cura snored, a lot). On top of all the good fresh air that day, we also ran the dogs that morning so they were done in!

Long story short, if this first day of gardening is any indication, this summer will be filled with lots of relaxing time out in the back garden -- no fence jumping, just fun!

Looks can be deceiving . . .

2010-02-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

One of the things that Cura has to do a lot is lay quietly at my feet (or some other out of the way spot) and wait. This is something that she has become very good at and she can lay quietly for up to two hours, provided she is on a comfortable surface, without needing to get up and stretch. This comes in very handy when I am teaching in a classroom, attending a lecture, in training classes, or in a restaurant. Frequently, Cura just puts down her head, shuts her eyes, and dozes (or the doggie equivalent). To the outside observer, it looks like my beloved companion is out for the count, blissfully sleeping the time away. This is simply not the case, but you would have to know her to realize this.

As I sit here typing, in my comfy chair in front of my laptop, Cura is on her fluffy, round, blue bed . . . snoring. She did budge a little bit when I took this picture, but soon returned to her nap. (I love the way the camera picked up the brown in her fur in this shot!)

Usually she has the sweetest, delicate, little snore (though on one or two occasions it has reached the chainsaw level). Frequently, depending on the surrounding sounds, no one even knows that she is snoring. I appear to be the only one who usually notices. My guess is that there are a couple of reasons for that. First, I am usually the person closest to her; second, I am hyper-aware of her at all times when I am awake and frequently even when I am not; and third, there is something about her that changes when she is truly asleep and snoring -- I just 'know' that she is not keeping tabs on me.

Cura never truly sleeps (or snores) when we are out. Even if she appears to be asleep, the moment I move her eyes are open and she is ready to jump (sometimes literally) into action. Frequently, even if I am just shifting my position, she will look up at me -- waiting for a further signal that we are ready to move. Actually, that is a development in her behavior. Previously, she would just jump up whenever I moved. Now, while she still anticipates my needs, she has learned to double check instead of assume -- it has saved her from getting up for no reason on several occasions because I need to shift my position fairly frequently when sitting for any period of time. I too am starting to develop a new habit as a quiet way to let her know I am ready to move -- just a little tap on her shoulder blades lets her know it is time to go! Of course, she is not always in a place where I can reach her -- but it is an addition to our 'vocabulary'.

I always love to hear Cura snore . . . to me it signals her complete relaxation. It means that she feels that we are in a safe place and she can let her guard down a bit. I also find it comforting when I see her dozing at my feet in public. It means that, although she is still alert to any need I may have, she is sure enough in her abilities and surroundings that she doesn't have to watch everything around her. Instead, she can put her head down, shut her eyes, and doze . . . but don't think she isn't aware of everything that is going on around her -- especially if it pertains to me!

It's all about attitude . . .

2010-02-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

First, an announcement . . . so much has been going on, that I have decided to start trying to post twice a week instead of the usual once a week. I am not sure if it will stick -- but, the goal is to post around mid-week (Wednesday or Thursday) and again at the end of the weekend (probably Sunday). Site traffic, in general, is on the rise and we now have a whopping 8 'official' Google Followers (whoohoo). I also am a firm believer that if one's brain keeps turning to particular (non-damaging) thoughts, it is important to honor them. Ever since the first of the year, my thoughts have returned to the idea of increasing the number of weekly posts -- so it is time to take the plunge and give it a go. I hope you all continue to enjoy! Now, on to the 'good' stuff . . .

In one of our recent sessions, Rick, Heather, and I were talking about some ways to deal with difficulties with access -- it is amazing how creative one can be and how easy it can be to head off most confrontation. The key is to find the right balance that works for you -- I am still working on finding mine in certain situations, but that is another post altogether. During this conversation, I came to a wonderful realization . . . and have decided that, at the risk of tempting the Fates, it would be good to share this moment of enlightenment because it illustrates something that I think is very important -- and something that can frequently be challenging for me and, I am coming to realize , many individuals that wrestle with a disability.

I suddenly became aware of the fact that it has been quite some time since anyone has honestly attempted to deny me access while I was with Cura. Oh sure, there have been a couple of times where someone has either informed me that I had to leave my dog outside, or asked if Cura was a Service Dog, but as soon as her role as my Service Dog was verified, all was well. In fact, those who had told me that I could not bring Cura inside were immediately apologetic. What had previously been a very stressful and uncomfortable situation for me, has become somewhat of a non-event. This is a big difference from my experiences with public access when Cura first came home. In fact, some of my experiences frustrated and unnerved me so much that some of my earlier posts focused on accessibility and its challenges.

Since I tend to be rather self-reflective by nature, once I realized that my reception to places had improved, I took the time to evaluate why that might be. After all it was not just happening in places that we frequented, it was also happening in new places. I think that it is all about attitude . . . both mine and Cura's. I am no longer entering places expecting to be challenged. Instead, I just calmly enter locations with Cura at my side. If someone makes eye contact with me, I just smile and keep on walking. In restaurants, I just make sure that my server knows that there is a Service Dog under the table and ask them to be careful. Before, I think that the tone of my voice and body language was almost apologetic or tentative -- maybe even defensive or confrontational if I was approached in a way that I interpreted as aggressive. Now, I am more comfortable with taking Cura places and I think is shows -- resulting in fewer challenges by others. But it is not just me . . .

I think that just as much as my attitude is contributing to these situations, so is Cura's. We have been training for almost eleven months now (wow, it seems like she had been with me for an eternity and a blink of the eye, at the same time) and she is really settling into her role. Not only is she more comfortable going places, but she is also visibly 'on task'. It is more obvious to others that she is doing a job because she is more focused. She knows what she is supposed to do; I know what I need to do; and we are clearly working as a team. In fact, Cura is getting so good at her non-verbal commands, that frequently people don't even realize that I am asking her to do something - it looks like she is just doing it! To be honest, sometimes that is the case. I (semi) jokingly say that Cura is learning three types of commands: verbal, visual, and mind-meld*. The fact is that she is learning to read my body language and responding -- sometimes before I even realize I want her to perform a particular service.

I am glad that I am having fewer confrontational situations -- certainly it makes things less stressful -- but even more gratifying is that Cura and I are developing an attitude of partnership that others are clearly recognizing.

*mind-meld: Cura and I communicating without verbal or visual cues that can be noticed by the outside observer -- and yes, we really are trying to cultivate this form of communication. In fact, apparently our next private training session is going to work on this particular skill.

Ack . . . BALLOONS!

2010-02-13T22:04:00.000-07:00

The other day, we woke to a wonderfully, clear day. The temperature was lovely and the wind was non-existent. Perfect Hot Air Balloon weather -- and boy were they out in force! Of course, I knew immediately upon waking that there were balloons outside. How, you may ask? Cura knows they are there before she even leaves the bedroom. She doesn't even have to see one out the window . . . she just knows.

When we headed outside for our walk, there were 15+ balloons in the air! If I were to guess, most of them were within a 2-3 mile radius of the house, and many of them were within a mile. Not only that, but they were on the low side so instead of appearing as small objects in the air, they were VERY BIG and we could easily hear the whoosh of the burners as the operators opened the blast valves. They were a beautiful sight to behold (and me without my camera -- yes, again). However, beautiful or not, Cura was having none of it!

Actually, that is not completely true. The fact is, she did very well, considering. We went on our walk without too much difficulty. She was not happy and had a difficult time keeping her head forward and eyes front. But, she was focused on getting up the street and back as soon as possible while trying very hard to stay in place by my side. I wish that I did not have to attend a meeting that morning -- it was a perfect training opportunity if I only had the time to take advantage of it. One of these mornings we are just going to sit outside in the back yard and calmly watch the balloons go by. Like everything else, we will help Cura to work through this . . . she is already showing improvement, it will just take time and patience.

Playdate in the SNOW!!

2010-02-08T17:00:00.002-07:00

First, I want to make sure that everyone checks out the 'technical' post that went up on Sunday -- it is unusual for me to post more than once a week and I want to continue to add to Cura's Blog and Blog Button lists, so please check it out!

Second, I want to take a moment to thank Service Dog Team #1 for letting me use their names in my blog (so much nicer than having to refer to them as 'Team #1'). Like many bloggers, I shy away from using peoples actual names, preferring to come up with some pseudonym instead (my attempt at maintaining some kind of anonymity on the web -- both my own and that of the people in my life, however involved) and will have to spend some time thinking one up for you. If you have any suggestions and/or preferences, let me know! It was good to see you guys in class yesterday . . . Ginger was so cute with her 'down' without her shoes!

Now for this week's fun . . .

If you have been following this blog, you know that Cura is a rescue and she spent at least thirteen months in a shelter. Actually, it was longer than that, she was at her last shelter for thirteen months, but we know she was in a city pound for some time before that -- who knows how long. Because she spent such a long time in shelters, she came home with no understanding of how to play. It took some time for her to figure out what to do with a dog toy and longer to figure out that she could play with other dogs. One of the tools we have been using to help Cura learn how to have doggie fun is the 'playdate'.

Cura's jumping ability combined with her flight response when stressed, meant that early playdates did not involve much in the way of 'play' for her. Instead, we spent a lot of time working on my concern that she would bolt and jump the fence and shifting Cura's response to stress from flight to 'stay by mommy'. It took quite some time, but Cura gradually started reacting to stressful situations by moving closer to me rather than fleeing the situation. I became the 'safe place', which is what we were working toward. On our last regular playdate, we introduced an anti-jump harness which removed my concern that Cura would jump the fence and allowed her to have some real off-lead time without increasing my anxiety levels. It helped that, by that point, Cura's was responding fairly well to her recall command so I was more confident that she would come when I called. (Rick and Heather have always been confident that Cura was not going to go far from me -- I was the one whose confidence was shaky on that issue).

When the weather was warmer, playdate was scheduled for every other week but since it has gotten colder, we have only had a couple of get-togethers. After all, who wants to stand outside in the cold supervising doggie play every other week? Actually, it is not so much the temperature -- it is the wind-chill factor that is the deal breaker for me. So, playdates have been less frequent since the weather has gotten colder (as have, I must admit, Cura's golf cart runs -- though she has not been enthusiastic about being out much, so we are managing). Despite their lower frequency, the playdates we have had have been very fulfilling. The anti-jump harness has given Cura a chance to really engage with both the other dogs and the environment. Plus, I get to practice her recall at greater distances and off-lead by periodically calling her back to me (which, I must admit, I tend to do about every 5 minutes -- or maybe less -- I am sure that everyone gets tired of me constantly calling Cura to me!)

Our most recent playdate was last Thursday. It had snowed the entire day on Wednesday and Rick and Heather's Thursday evening session had cancelled, so they suggested that we take advantage of the snow covered ground and get the dogs together for some fun. Skye (Nona Ear Rubs' Cairn Terrier) LOVES the snow (one of these days I am going to get "Little Miss" on film frolicking in the snow). The first year she came home she was not so keen, but this year is a completely different story. In fact, if there is snow on the ground it is difficult to get her to 'take care of business', if you know what I mean, she just wants to mess about in the cold, fluffy, white stuff. Cura is pretty much in the 'not so keen' stage. But then, prior to this last week, she had not really been given the opportunity to play in snow. Usually, if there is snow on the ground, she is in her boots (about the only time she actually likes her shoes). She, too, has difficulty 'taking care of business' but mainly because she is in her boots -- making such actions challenging -- and because the snow tends to change the way things smell so she can't find 'that perfect spot'. But, for the most part, Cura has reacted as if snow is . . . inconvenient . . . undesirable . . . foreign.

While this did not change completely on Thursday, there was a little ray of hope . . .

Actually, there were a few things that Cura did on the playdate that brought a smile to my face. Yes, there was the usual 'digging for China' and running about investigating the arena (Rick and Heather's name for the area of their land on which the playdates take place), but there were additional things that I saw as 'developments' and/or 'progress'. Actually, one of the things I noticed was that Cura usually returned to me before I called her! This meant that, while I still did call her back to me frequently, she also chose to check back with me frequently -- so, in reality, I was not calling her as much as I normally do. If she happened to be out of sight (there are a few obstacles to line of sight in the arena), she tended to want to 'check in' with me as frequently as I called her back to me -- reinforcing Rick and Heather's stance that Cura would never stray far or be away for long (BIG SURPRISE!! -- btw, you should read a lot of sarcasm/irony in that last bit -- the trainers have it right, go figure!). "Check in" did not just involve seeing me, it required coming up to me and having physical contact.

Cura also discovered that big sticks are a joy to chase and chew. She did not grasp the retrieve aspect of 'mommy' throwing the stick -- but she did run for it and had great fun chewing and generally messing about with said thrown stick (I had intended to bring my camera, but somehow managed to forget it -- hopefully, next time I can provide pictures). Actually, 'stick' is not really an accurate description of what she was chewing . . . more like tree branches and small tree trunks! But she had a blast! In fact, there were situations where she tried to get a bit possessive about some of the sticks. Now, I am not saying that I want to encourage possessiveness in Cura -- that would be counterproductive, and when she attempted to be possessive, I took steps to counter it -- but I am glad that she is showing some interest and passion in 'play' things.

The final amazing thing only happened for a few seconds . . . Cura frolicked in the snow! No other dogs or people were around and she pranced and jumped in a circle, just enjoying the snow. I wish I had managed to film it for you -- it was a beautiful thing to see, however brief. Hopefully, there will be another snow before Spring breaks and there will be an opportunity to get her on film frolicking and just letting go -- being her doggie-self (I must remember my camera if there is a next time this winter!).

Long story, short -- not only is Cura learning how to perform her job, she is learning how to have fun and be a doggie . . . may she continue to excel at both work and play!

Filling a niche?

2010-02-07T22:00:00.001-07:00

Recently, I began to focus some energy towards making some additions to Cura's Corner. I have attempted to add to Cura's Blog List AND embraced the concept of Blog Buttons, creating Cura's Button Exchange. This has resulted in a number of additions to both lists. Apart from the realization that there are a number of people checking in on Cura and I on a regular basis, this process also made me realize that there are very few current Service Dog Blogs out there. I have conducted several searches and most of the hits that come up are at least a year old -- and many posts are older than that. If you find an active blog that I have missed, PLEASE share -- post a comment with the link and I will GLADLY put it on one of Cura's lists! Also, if you have a favorite doggie site or blog, let me know and I will check it out.

So, it makes me wonder why many of the Service Dog Blogs that were out there do not have any recent posts. Based on my statistics (at least as far as I can interpret them -- STILL struggling with Stat Programs), there is an audience out there . . . so why did so many other blogs on the subject fail to thrive? My guess is that the key is to make it more than a 'dry' and 'practical' blog -- while it is important to address issues that Service Dog Teams encounter, I think that it is also important to share the joys, successes, trials, and tribulations that any person with a dog in their life may encounter.

Sure, Service Dog Training requires more precision than the average pet owner finds necessary, but the basic challenges do apply -- one of the main differences is that a pet is not required to get over their challenges because they do not necessarily have to deal with them . . . they can just stay home. I hope that some of the things that Cura and I experience, combined with the guidance that we receive, will prove helpful to many of you, whether you are blessed with a Service Dog or a beloved Canine Companion (both provide vital roles).

It is my hope that I will ultimately include all my followers in at least one of my two lists. If you have a button, please let me know if you are not already included in the banner marque to the left and I will add you! If you don't have a Blog Button, but still follow Cura's Corner, I will be happy to add your URL to Cura's Blog List, just let me know that you are out there! Leave a comment and I will be happy to check out your blog and add you to one of our lists!

Now that the technical post is over, check back later today or tomorrow for Cura's weekly adventures . . .

A night out . . .

2010-02-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Cura and I attended our first Burns Night Dinner together last Saturday. Having been to Burns Dinners in Scotland, I find it interesting how different they can be here in the States. I say this only because there were so many 'new' things for Cura to experience at the dinner we went to the other night that she would not have encountered at a Burn's Dinner in Scotland. The biggest challenge for her appeared to be the Pipe and Drum bands that played. She had dealt with bagpipes before (live, outside or recorded, inside -- but never live, inside) so that was not too much of a challenge -- apart from the volume. The drums, on the other hand . . . Well, I think the Base sounds too much like Thunder for her and she found it a bit upsetting when the first Band played. After the second, she calmed down enough to stop panting and be a bit more relaxed (although she was safely hidden under the table). With this improvement, I decided not to push our luck and we left before the third Band began. We had already been there for three hours, the seats were not comfortable, and it is always better to end on a positive rather than a negative! Besides, I was ready to go home, too. There were a lot of people there and I needed to get away from the crowd.

On the way home, we made a stop to pick up a few things. In the store, we encountered a small family which included a rambunctious young boy that was not only out of control, but fixated on Cura as soon as we entered the row that he was in. I just knew that he was going to attempt to maul her (no, I am not being dramatic -- the child was bouncing up and down, whipping his coat around, racing up and down the aisle, and generally being disruptive). To understand the significance of what happened next, a bit of background is necessary.

A few class cycles ago, when I was trying to find polite, but firm, ways to keep people from petting Cura and distracting her, Rick suggested that we start learning/using a new command. Rick and Heather teach that one of the best and easiest ways to prevent dogs from reacting to their surroundings is to put yourself between them and anything that may trigger a reaction. And yet, since Cura is a Service Dog, she needs to be able to pass by things that may cause a reaction in other dogs without reacting. So, not only was I practicing placing myself in between Cura and triggers by switching her from one side to the other, but we were also practicing walking close to triggers with Cura remaining on her usual side regardless of where the triggers were. We were getting pretty good at both methods. The switching was challenging for me because of my mobility limitations, but my coordination was getting better -- in practice when I was 'ready' for the triggers and the need to switch, not so much in everyday situations. Rick's suggestion essentially addressed both the 'touchy stranger' issue and my difficulties performing the switch manually. He suggested that we teach Cura to move from one side to the other on her own in response to the command, "Switch". We have been working on that consistently for a couple of months now and Cura is starting to respond to the command without leash guidance (about 50% of the time).

Now, back to the out of control child in the store on Saturday . . . poor Cura was within easy reach of this young boy who was bound and determined to 'touch the dog' (I am getting pretty good at reading that intention in people which makes it much easier to deal with it before it even becomes an issue). So, as we got closer I said, "Cura, Switch." and she did it all by herself! No guidance by the leash, no delay. One second she was walking on my left, and then the next she had dropped a step behind me and moved to my right, putting me in between her and the child. This accomplished two goals -- it put me in between Cura and the young boy AND it sent a very clear message to the boy and his parents that he needed to leave Cura alone. The boy's parents called him away from us and I did not have to address either them or the boy directly. It was the first time that we had used that command in a practical situation and it worked wonderfully! A great success! All and all, a great evening.

So many things, so little space . . .

2010-01-25T21:00:00.003-07:00

There are several things to update everyone on this week and therefore it is one of those times that I wonder if I should think about posting more than once a week so that I can keep it short -- thoughts anyone? For now, I will stick with the weekly post and try to be as brief as I can . . . which means the basics and little detail!

Those of you who also follow Cura on Twitter (maybe I should put more stuff there instead of posting more than once a week -- yes, I appear to be getting a bit obsessive about this, it's the Virgo in me, I think!) know that we had the opportunity to be judges at a High School Science Fair this past week. Well, actually, I was the judge -- once Cura got into the swing of things, she spent much of the time napping. She soon learned that, once we had moved to a display and I had started talking with the student, we were going to be there for awhile. By the third or fourth display, she just settled down and went into what I have come to see as her 'half-sleep'. Anyone who has not seen her REALLY sleep would think she was oblivious to everything around her when she is half-sleeping. But, all it takes is a soft word from me, a sudden movement, or sometimes just me thinking it is time to get moving and she is up and ready to go. It can be a bit spooky at times when one moment she is sleeping at my feet and the next she is up, alert, and ready to help me! Spooky but amazing -- she has been 'tuned in' to me from the first time we met and it is always impressive to see that connection in action.

Sundays and Mondays are "Basic Training" Group classes. A Fresh Perspective Dog Training (Rick and Heather) provide free Basic Training courses to people adopting from the no-kill shelters in the area -- provided they enroll and attend the orientation lecture within 30 days of the adoption. Cura and I go to the classes to work on her skills in a more distracting environment (and boy can it be distracting). This last week was the first class of the cycle, so new owners and dogs. Lots of fussy and/or reactive dogs with owners that did not yet have the skills to manage their new charges. After the classes on Sunday, Rick and Heather suggested that Cura and I and another Service Dog in Training Team go to a restaurant for a training session. While Cura and I have been to restaurants several times, this was the other team's first restaurant visit -- it was the first time Cura and I had been to a restaurant under the supervision of our trainers (and certainly the first time that Cura would be sharing under the table with another dog!!!).

The two dogs were laying a mere 3 feet apart -- if that. The only thing that separated them, apart from the human half of each team having our feet over our respective dogs, was Heather's feet. I was so proud of Cura (she hardly moved during the two hours -- three times something caught her attention, but she never tried to get up and a quick verbal correction followed by a reissue of the 'stay' and she immediately relaxed again). I was also thrilled at how well the other team did on their first restaurant outing. Rick and Heather gave us some very helpful pointers on how to go about doing things to insure a pleasant experience when eating out and it was very nice to spend time with the other Service Dog Team (btw, if you are reading this and do not mind me using you and your dog's name, please let me know -- otherwise, I am going to keep your identity protected -- if you prefer your anonymity, once the other teams actually begin the program, you will be Service Dog Team #1 if I reference you in future blogs).

Before our last private training session, I was given some homework -- not the normal "practice these commands" homework, an actual written assignment! In just over a month, Cura and I are going to have our 'midterm'. To prepare for that, I had to sit down and construct two lists: one of all of the things Cura needed to be able to do for me and one of all the things I would like her to learn because it would make things easier but were not vital. Being the good student that I try to be (there is that 'Virgo' thing again), I completed the lists and realized that one of the important elements that I had been neglecting of late was the dreaded 'shoe component'. This is an ongoing challenge (see Cura's first day in shoes). Now, she is much improved, but usually still reluctant to perform most activities -- besides standing and walking -- in her shoes. So, I resolved that Monday Basic Training classes would be spent working with Cura in her shoes. This would insure that she was wearing and working in her shoes at least once a week for a good chunk of time. Today's class brought home a very important point.

Sometimes I know things on a subconscious level, but not on a conscious one -- until something clicks (or is banged into me) . . . like today. Ever since my less than stellar performance as a partner/trainer a couple of weeks ago, I have been doing things to insure that all of my interactions with Cura were balanced and pleasant. Among other things, I have succeeded in being very positive despite any physical pain I was experiencing. This is a significant development for me because frequently when my pain levels rise, my attitude becomes less tolerant and my patience is very thin. Today, my pain levels were a bit on the high side and yet I was quite positive and in a good mood. Interestingly, Cura performed admirably in her boots today, doing everything that I asked of her without my having to place her into the various positions. This is the first time wearing boots, that she has performed this well (apart from the trip to Madrid, where she was only required to stand or walk in her shoes).

Rick graciously pointed out the connection between my state of mind and Cura's performance, turning on a big, bright lightbulb in my head (both he and Heather manage that quite frequently -- I love having such excellent, dedicated, and insightful trainers! -- and no that was not sarcasm) Bottom line, when I stay positive, Cura does better. Seems simple, doesn't it? The difficulty lies in maintaining a positive attitude when you are in high levels of pain, dealing with an anxiety episode, or both -- not so simple then! Maybe now that I know it helps Cura, I will be better able to pull it off no matter how I am faring . . . time will tell.

Well, that is all for this week's post. More adventures to come . . . we are going to a Burn's Dinner this weekend! Should be fun!

Why a Service Dog?

2010-01-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Since just before the first of the year, I have been working on making some adjustments in my life -- not New Year's Resolutions (I think I mentioned before that I don't really do those) -- but focusing my energies in different directions. The process involves several meetings/interviews with various people to determine the best direction to proceed. This past week, I met with a couple of different (new) individuals and spent quite a bit of time answering tons of questions. Not exactly my favorite thing -- carrying on conversations about myself with people who I have just met -- in fact I find these things very uncomfortable. But, I survived and am moving forward with the process.

And why am I sharing this? Well, each time, the conversation inevitably came around to the topic of my having a Service Dog . . . how did I come to have one, what does she do for me, how long have I had her . . . those types of things. All of these are questions that I have encountered on a number of occasions and have gotten pretty good at fielding. I was under the mistaken impression that I had encountered all the different questions that would come up -- maybe worded differently -- but essentially the same thing. Well, I was taken by surprise . . .

When I explained that one of the things that Cura helped me with was my balance, I was asked why I hadn't just gotten a cane . . . or maybe it was had I ever thought of getting a cane instead. I honestly don't really remember the exact wording. It is hard to explain all of the emotions that I felt when I heard the question (and there were a lot of them) -- but it definitely left me speechless. I mean, how does one answer that question in a way that makes sense to a person who would compare Cura's value to me with a cane? I must confess, that when I finally found the words, they sounded very clinical -- pointing out the things that Cura did that I would not be able to accomplish with a cane. But I found the question pretty offensive. Cura may be placed in the same category, legally, as things like canes and wheelchairs, but she is not some inanimate object to be leaned or parked in a corner someplace when not in use! Not to mention that she does so much more for me than any of those things could. ***I realized when re-reading this before posting, that the statement about Cura not being put in a corner "when not in use" was not exactly accurate . . . she is frequently lying nearby, out of the way, when we are out and about - and sometimes it is in a corner. The difference is that she is always on duty in those instances, ready to step up and help when asked (and sometimes without being asked). But hopefully everyone gets the point I was trying to make.***

I honestly thought that the most disturbing question I would ever encounter was some version of "What is wrong with you, why do you need a Service Dog?" You know, the one where some stranger feels they have the right to ask for and receive a run down of my personal medical condition(s). The one where they expect me to justify my need for a Service Dog . . . oh, and then they play the "I didn't mean to offend you" card when I politely inform them that it is not appropriate/polite to ask a person that question (Gotta LOVE that!). Anticipating this invasion of my privacy, I have tried out various responses to date, some more comfortable and successful than others. But, this last week showed me that there were other disturbing questions that could -- and would -- be asked. To date, the most disturbing question that I have been asked infers that a lovely, generous creature, both dedicated to and successful in improving my life, is no different than an inanimate piece of medical equipment!

Please, if you are a person without a Service Dog that is reading this blog, try to remember that not everyone wishes to share their personal medical history with a stranger -- be honest, would you? (very seldom am I offended if someone asks nicely, it is simply none of their business!) More importantly from my perspective, our Service Dogs are both physically and emotionally important to our daily life. That means that -- despite what the law says -- instead of seeing them as a piece of medical equipment, we frequently see them as a new lease on life. They open doors for us that were previously closed or difficult to navigate. No matter how successful I have been in maintaining an outward picture of calm and comfort in many situations, that is all it is -- a picture. The reality was (and, to some extent, still is) very different. But Cura makes all that easier -- respect her, and me, for it.

Please, think before you speak or ask a question -- if you honestly would not mind being spoken to in such a way or asked such a question . . . well, fair enough (though I hope you will be open to the reality that your comfort zone may be different from others), but if you would rather not be spoken to in such a way or would not like to answer such a question -- don't expect another person to be comfortable either.

Imperfection . . . a key to learning

2010-01-10T23:01:00.001-07:00

No . . . I am definitely NOT perfect and Thursday was a clear example of this fact! It was probably the first truly "bad day" of training that I have had since Cura came home.

I am not a morning person . . . whenever possible I avoid setting appointments that require me to be walking out the door before 8:30am. First, for those of you who are sitting there shaking your head and thinking "8:30! I get up at (fill in the blank with an earlier time)", let me point out that I am frequently still awake in the wee hours of the morning, so being out and about by 8:30-9:00 in the morning is pretty darn good. I am trying to adjust my sleep schedule to resemble something more human, but it is definitely a work in progress. Second, this doesn't mean I am not up earlier (though it can), only that I attempt to limit my exposure to the outside world before then. In fact, I try to limit my exposure to the inside world as well (no one should have to deal with me in the morning -- I can be grumpy). Unfortunately, the world sometimes requires me to be up and out of the house earlier than I would like. But, instead of moving forward my rising time so that I still have time to go through my morning routine in a leisurely manner, I usually sleep as late as possible and rush around like a mad woman to get ready and out of the house on time. I share this about myself as an explanation of what contributed to the bad day -- not to excuse it. Thursday was one of those early days -- fortunately, that afternoon was also a training day or I may have never realized what I was doing.

Now, Cura is simply not used to being asked to go through our morning routine so early, let alone while I am rushed. If there is one thing that I have gotten pretty good at during the past nine months (WOW -- it has been that long since Cura came home) it is to make sure to avoid being rushed. Cura just works better that way and my stress levels remain more manageable. Thursday reinforced the need for that -- though I am not sure it would have made much difference since Cura was taken on her walk and given her breakfast about 2-3 hours earlier than normal -- but not being rushed will help to eliminate or lower my frustration levels, at the very least.

I am not going to go through a play by play of the day -- I am still trying to keep posts on the shorter side -- but I will say that my frustration levels continued to climb and, as they did, Cura's behavior became more and more fussy. Fortunately, we had a short break between the commitments of the morning and our training session that afternoon. Cura took a nap and I tried to get some course prep work done. I viewed it as a 'reset' for the day and, by the time we met Rick and Heather, I was convinced that I had successfully released my frustrations from the morning. But, I was mistaken.

Almost as soon as we began working, Rick and Heather were able to point out to me that I was being unusually impatient with Cura. What was I doing? My tone of voice with her was more stern than normal. I was not clearly letting Cura know what I wanted of her -- and would correct her when she got it wrong. My corrections were more harsh than necessary (Cura usually only needs a verbal reminder or a little flick on the leash to get her back on task). The result? Cura was jumpy. She was trying, but (big shock) was not able to read my mind. She didn't understand why she was being corrected -- so the corrections were not only on the harsh side, but completely ineffective. So, to put it simply . . . I was being a HUGE bu**head!

When my behavior was brought to my attention, I was appalled! (By the way, thanks Heather!) I felt like such a heel. I am not sure what I was more upset about . . . the fact that I had been behaving so harshly or that I had not even realized it! I felt horrible! I was allowing my earlier frustrations to affect the way I was interacting with Cura -- NOT acceptable! I was breaking a very important rule of training -- never train in anger/frustration. For the rest of the night, I broke another important rule of training -- don't dwell on the past. I found myself trying to 'make up' for my previous behavior and showered Cura with love and affection. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I actually woke her up a couple of times to do it (not ideal)! Fortunately, by the next morning, I had let it go and we have had some very successful and productive days, training wise.

Now, you may be wondering why I chose to write about something that I claim to have moved on from. After all, if I have truly "let it go", why feel the need to share? I did struggle with this, but decided to post on this experience for a couple of reasons. First, I think it is important to share both "positive" and "negative" experiences. This blog is about the realities of training my own service dog and sharing those experiences with others. So far, the experiences have been on the 'warm fuzzies' side. Oh sure, I have shared our challenges, but they have not been overly difficult to deal with and, consequently, the posts portrayed my overall positive and optimistic approach to every experience. Thursday was not a 'warm fuzzie' day and I think it is important to recognize that the training process is not all sweetness and light. It is hard and there will be days that I make mistakes -- that does not make me a bad person or a bad trainer, it makes me human. It is important to embrace the fact that I will not always do things perfectly, which leads me to the second reason I wrote this post. When I make mistakes, it is important to evaluate them, resolve to avoid the same mistakes in the future, and then MOVE ON! Cura is not holding a grudge. Almost as soon as my behavior changed, her jumpiness subsided and we have made significant progress. Allowing my mistakes to color my behavior with Cura (apart from learning from them) can be just as counterproductive as allowing my frustrations to affect my behavior.

So, when you are training your dog (service or pet) remember . . . you will make mistakes! Recognize them, learn from them, and then move on.

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

First, let me apologize for the long absence. It was not my intention to take a break from blogging for the holidays, it just happened. But, I must admit, I think it was for the best. At first, I just had too much to do and had to make some hard choices about what had to give. But, that would have only resulted in a delay rather than complete silence. However, after completing all the grading for the semester, I began a computer boycott!
I taught several online courses during the Fall and, combined with personal computer use, spent practically all day, everyday on the computer and just couldn't bring myself to turn the darn thing on. I deleted junk email using my phone but, other than that I completely ignored cyberspace . . . no blogs, no twitter, no email. Frankly, I will probably never boycott the computer for more than a couple of days at a time ever again. When I could finally face the computer again, I had LITERALLY hundreds of blogs, emails, and tweets (each) to read. I am finally caught up again.

Now for the update. I will make it short and sweet. I promised some details about our trip to Madrid for the Christmas Parade. Cura was dressed in all her gear and had a wonderful time. For the first time, she was actually happy to be in her boots. The ground was covered in ice and snow and it was pretty cold, so I imagine she was much more comfortable with them and appreciated the protection. There were a number of dogs running around, off-leash and on, and there were plenty of opportunities to practice my boundaries. I was very successful with the dogs that were off-lead. Those on-lead were less responsive to my boundaries. They were more concerned with pulling against the tension on the leash than anything else. The ones that I especially loved were the owners who assured me that their dog was friendly while the pup was dragging them around, excited and bouncing all over the place instead of remaining calm and interacting with other dogs and people politely. But, the important thing is that Cura and I did very well in a new environment with numerous challenges.

Cura in Full Gear!

If you look closely, you can see the Gentle Leader that I mentioned in my last post. While we still use a head collar, it is no longer the Gentle Leader. The rubbing on Cura's muzzle became so bad that there was significant hair loss so I did some serious shopping and switched her to a Halti which, unlike the Gentle Leader, has padding on the muzzle straps. Although Cura tends to grow hair slowly, after almost a month with the new head collar, she is starting to get her hair back on the areas of her muzzle that were affected.

We spent Christmas Eve at home, but had a number of people over for an Italian Feast. Cura was a star! It was the first time that so many people had been in the house, many she had never met. At first, she was a bit excited, so I just kept her at my side on her lead. Since I was in the kitchen, this required that she focus all her attention on my movements and ended up ignoring the guests. While Cura was doing very well, I decided that it would be a good idea to put on her vest shortly after the first guests arrived. I figured that it would keep everyone from distracting her with petting and attention and making it more difficult to do her job. It ended up having the added bonus of focusing her even more. Even with the door opening and closing and the house filled with festive people, Cura was very relaxed; eventually falling asleep once I finally stopped flitting around for the evening.

New Year's Eve fireworks were another challenge during the holidays. However, Cura did much better than she did for Independence Day. She got jumpy, but did not run and hide in a dark corner, quivering. This holiday season gave us plenty of challenges that just reinforced the fact that Cura is growing more and more comfortable in her home and with her duties.

I must admit that, with all the holiday activity, I have not been as diligent with training as I usually am. But, we have returned to a schedule that is more normal in the past couple of days and by the end of the week, I imagine we will be back into our usual routine -- if not a better one! I am not really one for New Year's Resolutions (to often they get broken after a short time), so I will not 'resolve' to increase our training efforts. But, there is always room for improvement and a bit more time spent in training will certainly not go amiss!

Holidays . . . here we come

2009-12-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Time flies when . . .

you have ENTIRELY

too much to do!

The good news is that, at least so far, I appear to be on top of everything -- or at least I am not yet snowed under!

The problem is really that much of what needs to be done involves me NOT going out and about. Things like getting cards out, grading the final papers that were just turned in, attending meetings, finishing up those hand-crafted gifts, Holiday baking -- oh, and writing a Holiday Letter. I just didn't get started on the cards soon enough to individualize them all and it has been a busy year, so rather than have my hand become one huge, ugly, and painful cramp I am opting for that time honored tradition of writing a general letter and then personalizing the card with a short note. (postage be D*%#$D). I am probably leaving out something else that needs to be completed before the end of December -- but I am either not going to think about it or have decided not to share!

Back to 'the problem' . . .

With me working on things that involve a lot of sitting and very little moving, it leaves Cura with very little to do but lounge.

<--- Case in point! --->

So, I am trying to make sure that the times that Cura is working, she is getting a real challenge! We have been doing a lot of off-lead work when we are outside. Frequently, if the situation is right, I am dropping the leash and expecting her to stay by my side. Which she does -- though not always 'in place'. Cura likes to be about 4-5 inches ahead of where I would prefer her to be. But, as Rick and Heather have pointed out, that is probably my fault because where she is tending to place herself is right where she was initially placed before I realized that the position I initially chose was not good if Cura is wearing her pack. So, basically, I am trying to undo what I put into place in the very beginning. Slowly but surely, Cura is repositioning. She just needs to be reminded every once in awhile. The good thing is that the reminder is usually just a verbal correction or me stopping or changing direction -- especially when I am working with her off-lead. That is actually one of the benefits of dropping the leash -- no physical correction is possible so I have to find a way to communicate to Cura what I want without relying on the leash . . . same goes for her, she has to concentrate on me more so that she catches the signals I am giving her -- so she tends to forage less.

We have started using a new piece of equipment -- as well as reintroducing gear that she has worn before, though not for awhile. Now that the weather has turned cold, she is back in a coat (the difference being that this one is to keep her warm rather than keep her cool) and she has to wear her boots again. Most of the time she is less than pleased about the boots (LOVES the coat!) -- apart from our trip up to Madrid last weekend -- she was glad for the boots then! More on that trip later -- there are some pictures running around some place of Cura in 'full' gear that I will share in another post (in the spirit of trying DESPERATELY not to be long-winded in this one).

The new gear is a Gentle Leader. I must admit that I quite like it. It works very well with my physical limitations and Cura and I work together even better than we did before (which is saying something, because if Rick and Heather are to be believed, we are doing pretty darn good -- I chose to believe them, not that there is not room for improvement!).

There are just a few problems that we have to work out . . .

1) When she has the Gentle Leader on, she will sometimes try and rub it off her muzzle. This is a rather significant problem when she decides to use my thigh to rub up against! On a good day it is simply inconvenient -- on a bad day it could be dangerous.

2) After a couple of days with the Gentle Leader on, as directed by the instructions provided in the packaging, Cura started showing signs of wear on her muzzle with a little bit of hair loss. No redness or other irritation, but still . . . We have loosened the Gentle Leader significantly (pretty much ignoring the directions provided -- now, I feel that I must be clear that we are not really using it to prevent pulling or lunging AND this decision is being made in consultation with professional and experienced trainers so the usual disclaimer applies . . . DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME, BOYS AND GIRLS -- if you are not a professional or are not being advised by one, you should follow the directions provided by the manufacturer). We have a play date on Thursday, so we will reassess the Gentle Leader then. If the irritation persists, the plan is to try a Halti, which is another 'head collar' with a slightly different design that will fit differently and may not irritate Cura's muzzle.

3) Regardless of the fact that the 'damage' is hardly noticeable, I feel horrible that this new tool is obviously a physical irritation to Cura. I have even caught her rubbing her muzzle (against the carpet or her bed) when she doesn't have the Gentle Leader on and hasn't had it on for hours -- this is new, since we have loosened it -- or maybe it was happening all along and I just now noticed it (say it isn't so!).

One of the difficult things about Cura and finding gear that works for her is that she tends to fall in between sizes. Frequently, she is right at the edge of a medium and a large -- or between a large and extra-large. So, it is very possible that just changing the size of the gear will solve the problem. Unfortunately, vendors do not give individual's the option of testing the equipment for a realistic period of time to determine if it is successful. They either require that you shoulder the costs of returning the equipment that proves damaging in the long run -- sometimes with a 'restocking fee' added on -- or do not accept the return of a 'used' piece of equipment at all. Fortunately, I have great trainers who are willing to trade things out with me -- if something does not work, they will take it back at no cost! I realize that they can still use it as a training tool, but it is still a perk that I appreciate and feel compelled to call your attention to because it is NOT standard operating procedure (at least in my experience) and if you are in the market for a trainer -- be it for a Service Dog or a Pet -- you may want to ask if your potential trainer is willing to provide you with this kind of service.

Well, despite my attempts, this post is on the long side . . . maybe it is time to start thinking about stepping up the pace a bit and providing bi-weekly posts. (especially since I have not yet managed to share the details of our trip to Madrid last weekend). Your thoughts, my phantom readers -- and those who are NOT phantoms -- on this would be appreciated. Should I keep the posts short, but post more often. . . OR should I stick to once a week and let the posts get longer and take the risk that much of them will not be read? Hey, I follow several blogs . . . I know what I do with long-winded posts -- be HONEST!). I would love your feedback so PLEASE leave comments that will give me some indication of the best way to proceed when developing this blog. Is it time to provide more frequent posts?

Black Friday Adventure

2009-12-01T11:58:00.011-07:00

I guess I should begin by confessing that, for as long as I can remember, I have been very uncomfortable in crowds. I have never been officially diagnosed, but I figure I have some form or combination of demophobia/agoraphobia/claustrophobia because my anxiety tends to flare when I am feeling physically constrained, either by people or space. For example, I can be in a very large room with few people in it, but if they are all clustered by the only door in such a way that I would be unable to exit easily, my anxiety increases. Elevators themselves are not really a problem -- but, if given the chance I will never enter a crowded elevator and I have been known to exit one if it got too full, especially if I got stuck in the back away from the door and had several floors to travel. When my medical issues required that I have an MRI, not only was Valium required to get me into the darn machine, but I also needed a person to stay with me just outside, touching me and speaking to me to get me through the whole process without flipping out. Even then, it was a pretty close call. All of the above described situations were before I had spent any time as a person with a physical disability. Things only got worse when I was injured.

Now, fortunately, I never got to the point where I never left the house, but I have had periods where my anxiety levels (read panic attacks) were unmanageable for periods of time. Even when my anxiety was not unmanageable, for years now I have tended not to go out much unless absolutely necessary and usually not unless I was with another person, meeting another person, or had some kind meeting/class/job to go to. At some points, I did my best to insure that I limited such "commitments" so that I did not have to go out on my own.

So, with that (very) cursory background information, you will hopefully understand the significance of my Black Friday Adventure. I imagine the only reason I actually stepped up and did it AND got through the whole thing relatively unscathed is because it was "training for Cura." Yeah, right -- more like therapy for me! Funny how so much of Cura's training is actually addressing my personal challenges . . .

Originally, the plan was to go shopping with Nonna Ear Rubs with the intention of scoping out a Christmas present for Fuzzy Face. But, due to scheduling issues, Nonna Ear Rubs couldn't go. YIKES!! Well, let me tell you, that was almost the end of the Black Friday Adventure right there! At the very least, the adventure was going to be postponed until Sunday when Nonna Ear Rubs could make it. No way in ____ was I going to face the insane post-Thanksgiving crowds on my own . . . oh, wait . . . I would not BE on my own. Cura would be with me . . .

So, we went -- though I managed to accumulate several errands in addition to "Mall Cruising." For some reason, this helped me to prepare for tackling the insanity of the Mall. Maybe because we were able to do some "normal, everyday" things first . . . who knows! All I know is that it helped me get into a good state of mind before actually stepping foot in the Mall.

For the most part, we did great! Cura was not overly thrilled with the crowds (especially the free-range, loud, rambunctious children that were naturally attracted to her lovely -- frequently curved -- tail . . . a part of me thinks this attraction may sometimes play a part in her lowering her tail when in stressful situations -- maybe not every time, but sometimes) but she stuck close and did everything that I asked her too. Besides, it isn't as if I was thrilled about the crowds, either! I did a bit of shopping for myself and scoped out some things to purchase later for Christmas gifts.

We used the escalators (up and down), wandered in crowded, tight spaces where Cura had to follow me rather than be beside me, stood in lines, and browsed the various counters. With the volume of people, we still managed to either get jostled or "trapped." Still, the jostling I received was drastically reduced -- hardly a brush -- AND I got an apology rather than the person(s) pretending that it didn't happen! As far as getting boxed in . . . it did happen several times -- and I did start to get anxious every time. When I did . . . Cura became VERY deliberate in her motion and, while slowly moving forward, also leaned against me slightly (just brushing my leg). In hindsight, it was as if she was reminding me that she was there with me. Regardless of her intention, the result was that my anxiety remained at manageable levels and we were able to spend a little over an hour in the Mall on Black Friday!

Was there room for improvement . . . of course! But we managed to tackle a difficult situation together -- at the very least it strengthened our bond even more. In reality, Cura managed to help me through a situation that would have been virtually impossible for me (especially in the past seven-plus years) before she came into my life. I would have never contemplated attempting it. Instead, I would have found a perfectly logical and acceptable reason for avoiding it completely. Progress . . . I LOVE it!

Our next private training session is scheduled to take place in the Mall -- a wonderful opportunity for fine tuning! I can't wait!

A Party!

2009-11-29T00:03:00.004-07:00

Yes, this is an 'off-schedule' post. I know I usually only post once a week -- mainly because of time rather than lack of material, but this week is special. Skye became a part of our family last year on the day after Thanksgiving, so this year we had a little adoption day celebration. We even baked a doggie cake.
I found the recipe here.
There are several to choose from, but Skye LOVES Peanut Butter and Carrots, so that was the one we picked.

Peanut Butter Carrot Cake

Naturally sweet, colorful and flavorful, this cake is simple and easy to make. Great for Fall.
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Mix flour and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 8" round cake pan and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Let cool. Puree cottage cheese in blender for icing. Decorate with more peanut butter and carrots.

As you can see . . . the cake was appreciated by all . . . including the kitties!

Only Bear was missing -- he and Skye are still defining their relationship -- most of the time, that means they are not in the same room. But they tolerate each other more than they used to!

One Pooped Pup!

2009-11-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in the last post that Cura's next training session was going to take place on Rick and Heather's property and we were going to be putting her no-jump harness to a serious test by letting her frolic, 'be a dog', and do some off-lead work. With play-dates suspended until warmer weather prevails, it had been awhile since Cura had been given the opportunity to have some free-play. She gets physical and mental exercise almost daily, but it is structured and controlled rather than time that she can just do what she wants. Now, because of her weather reactions and jumping ability, she had only had short periods of time off-lead during play-dates in the past, but at least she was spending time outside. Even though she was on an extend-a-lead, she was the one who got to decide what she did -- if she wanted to dig . . . she could dig, if she wanted to sniff . . . she could sniff. On top of that, she got to interact with other dogs in a safe environment.

Having said all that, last Thursday was the first REAL play session she has had since coming home. For all but the introduction/reunion period in the beginning of the session and the refocusing period at the end, Cura was off-lead. The no-jump harness worked well -- though she never even made a move to jump the fence. It is possible that she just didn't have any desire to jump, but until I see otherwise, I am content that the harness is doing its job. For almost two hours, Cura had the run of the arena. Of course, she did A LOT of sniffing! She also dug for China! I wish I had brought my camera! There were some pretty hilarious moments when all you saw was Cura's backside sticking up from the hole with dirt being flung out behind her -- tail wagging. A couple of Rick and Heather's dogs ended up getting dirt showers courtesy of Cura's enthusiastic excavation. Next time I will bring my camera even if I DO think we will be working. If nothing else, maybe I can get Rick or Heather to take some pics/video of us working as a team.

My 'job' during the training session this last time was to get more comfortable having Cura off-lead (building on the whole 'trust' thing with positive experiences), keeping track of her while carrying on a lively conversation, and working on her recall when she was either out of my sight or messing about in an area that was not a doggie free-play area, like the wood or compost piles. For the most part, I did pretty well. I really enjoyed seeing Cura having fun -- she obviously needed it.

When we got home Cura crashed! Zonked out immediately . . . we had to really work to get her to rouse long enough to eat her dinner -- after which she went right back to sleep. Once we headed off to bed that night, I don't think she moved at all until the morning. When I got up on Friday, I got this bleary eyed look before she dropped back off to sleep. Seriously, the only things that moved were her eyelids! We did go for a run, but she was not as enthusiastic about it as she normally is and had slowed down and was ready to come home much earlier than normal. When we got home, she went straight upstairs to lay on her soft cushy bed -- didn't even wait for breakfast! After calling her back down several times, I finally brought her bed downstairs so that she wouldn't have to lay on the (carpeted) floor, since she obviously wanted some comfort. She ended up sleeping most of the day! I don't mean dozing . . . I mean hard core, snoring, dead to the world, sleeping.

I think she used muscles she didn't know she had! Even with all the exercise she gets, Thursday was not only a day of fun and freedom, it was a great workout! Here is hoping we can do it again when time permits.

Quiet Week -- sort of . . .

2009-11-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

Well, usually after a week there is at least one or two things that REALLY stick out as topics to blog on . . . not so much this week. It was a rather uneventful week, at least a far as big things go. But there have been a lot of little successes that could very easily be overlooked on those weeks where something exceptional happens. So, this week will be about the minor goal posts . . .

The weather has gotten colder and Cura has been ravenous. She just can't seem to get enough food. It must be the cold so, as an experiment, I have upped her food a bit instead of supplementing her diet with various treats. The treats (think doggie junk food -- even if I DO go for the healthier options) combined with a couple of days where she didn't get her run, and Heather noticed that she was looking a little heavier than normal -- still within the healthy range, but not her normal svelte self. We decided that giving her a bit more kibble, returning to a 'normal' treat schedule, and putting her coat on when she was out working might solve the problem. It seems to be working, she isn't looking at me like she is starving so I am back to, at most, one treat per day and she is not looking around for more food. She actually likes her coat when she is out and about.

I am working with Cura off-lead more now -- though always in a fairly controlled environment. She has been working off-lead for some time at the doctor's office and now we are doing the same during evening classes. The building is pretty secure so she is not going to get outside, but she could certainly run me a very merry chase if she chose to -- so far, so good. Also, at Rick's suggestion, I purchased a no-jump harness (the person who invented those things must have a sense of humor -- it is just one big puzzle until you get the hang of how it works -- I would show you a picture, but it is downstairs and I just don't feel like digging out the camera). It allows her freedom of movement but prevents her from jumping by stopping her from fully extending her legs. I have started taking her in the back yard after her run in the morning and letting her spend a bit of time off-lead back there with the harness. Again, so far, so good -- she has not even tried to jump the wall again. At our next training session, we are going to test the true freedom of the harness and work with Cura on Rick and Heather's property. Hopefully, she will want to let go and run full out for a bit so we can verify that the harness does really give her complete freedom except for the jumping. We will also be working off-lead.

Cura is responding well to the recall using the whistle -- provided that she is on the extend-a-lead and distracted. We think we may have worked out why she is not having the same response when off-lead or inside -- only time will tell if our strategy to solve this glitch will work. But, the main reason for the whistle recall is to get her to come back if she is distracted -- and that seems to be pretty solid -- most of the time she is even enthusiastic about returning (thanks to that 'special' spot she LOVES to have scratched).

Mondays are going to be another 'official' training session -- at least on those days that we can make it. The class is smaller and the venue is larger and more varied with additional challenges. Cura is so comfortable at the usual class location that even the noisy heater cycling on for the first time didn't really phase her. She looked up and tilted her head, then went back to sleep! Yes, she is finding the whole thing VERY challenging -- not (at least not until another dog is allowed to get withing a couple of feet -- then she is not happy)! So, it is time to give her other environments to practice in -- though the Sunday classes have more dogs in a smaller place so they are still very good for getting her used to working with other dogs around.

We had a bit of a surprise this morning -- and Cura did great! We were out for her morning walk/run and while we were in the field, a jack rabbit bolted from cover about 20 feet in front of us. Cura's initial reaction was to take a few bounds after the rabbit (she is on the extend-a-lead for this portion of her morning activities). But she immediately stopped moving forward at my command, pranced in place, and came right back to my side when I called. Despite the fact that she clearly wanted to 'play' with the bunny, she stuck with me. She may have been a bit bouncy and barked a couple of times -- but she did what I told her. When she was released to continue walking, she was obviously working hard at ignoring the direction that the jack rabbit had gone. Excellent self-restraint -- well done!

Sometimes, I think that the little successes are the best successes!

Setting Boundaries

2009-11-10T22:48:00.002-07:00

About two and a half months ago, Rick and Heather took me to Watermelon Mountain Ranch Kennels for a training session. It was a session that focused on training me rather than Cura. Now, if you have been following this blog, you may be thinking something along the lines of "Aren't ALL the training sessions about training you?" To some extent, you would be right. This whole process has been quite a learning curve, even for someone who has lived with dogs much of my life, been involved in the training of some of them, and 'in charge' and 'responsible' for several of them. But, this particular training session was very different since Cura was not involved at all. It was all about learning to control other dogs in my environment.

The whole thing started because Cura and I had gotten charged by two different dogs in a very short period of time and both Cura and I were not doing so well with the prospect of other dogs in our vicinity. I am sure that it was more me than Cura -- she was most likely responding more to my reaction than to the fact that another dog was near. Hey, what can I say, getting bitten, no matter how minor it turned out to be, is rather traumatic. I wasn't really afraid of getting bit again (well, I wasn't looking forward to it, either!), I was more concerned that, next time, I would not be able to stop Cura from getting hurt. I had been successful so far but, to me, it felt that I had managed to keep Cura safe more out of luck than any kind of real control over the situation. So, my lovely training team came up with a solution . . . go into the kennels and set boundaries for dogs that I had never met.

WHAT!!?? Don't worry, I didn't go in by myself. Rick and Heather were with me to give me pointers and to step in if things got dicey. Turns out I didn't really need it (quite possibly because I knew that they had my back) -- things never got out of hand at all. Sure, it took some time for me to get the hang of setting boundaries, but at the end of the session I had managed to create not only calm, but set a circle boundary around myself that the five dogs in the pod did not attempt to cross. Well, let me tell you, that was a serious confidence builder!

Since then I have been more or less successful at boundaries with other dogs. I am beginning to notice that my success (or lack thereof) is reflective of my mental/emotional state at the time. Big surprise! (she says in a voice dripping with sarcasm) I am also noticing that my mental/emotional state is frequently influenced by the actions and attitudes of those around me. I seem to have encountered a number of 'negative' people lately and it has taken its toll. Hmmm . . . boundaries may come in handy for more than just the uncontrolled dogs that I encounter -- I am going to have to try it on the next negative person that comes my way!

Warning!! I am NOT a poet! :P

2009-11-03T14:28:00.003-07:00

Two eyes that watch for signs of distress

A nose, always close at hand

Heart-shaped ears that hear when I call

And paws, so steady, they help me to stand

These are only a few parts of the whole

A lovely creature that nurtures my soul

A curly tail that shares your moods

A mouth that, soon, will fetch and carry

Shoulders -- strong and steady when I am weak

That face,

both serious

and merry

These are only a few parts of the whole
A lovely creature that nurtures my soul
Although you have just begun
Thank you, already, for all you will and have done.

A Little Rusty . . .

2009-10-28T11:50:00.002-06:00

On October 19, Cura and I went back into a face-to-face classroom. It has been about five months since she had to be in class and that first night was certainly a lesson in 'use it or lose it'. Now, I am not saying that Cura was completely out of control, but she had certainly forgotten that when we are in class and I am up front, standing and/or walking around, her job is to lay quietly and pretend she is not there (unless, of course something goes wrong and she needs to perform some of her more active duties). Instead, every time I moved -- and sometimes when I didn't -- Cura stood up and came by my side. So, she was quite fidgety that night.

The whole experience gave me great multi-tasking practice. By that, I mean it gave me an opportunity to practice getting Cura to behave in a desired way while having much of my attention directed at something else. If I am honest, I would say I was only moderately successful on Monday, but the next class was much better.

One of the things that I try to do, no matter how successful we are in the situation, is to reflect on different experiences. I try to figure out what may have affect both my and Cura's behavior in that situation and what I can try next time to help things to go more smoothly. As I was driving home that night, I did just that. I guess I had gotten a bit spoiled since Cura was doing so well in the classroom at such an early stage (after all, by the end of the term, she had not even been going to class for two months). So, I suppose I figured that if she had mastered that so quickly, going back to class would be a piece of cake for her -- like riding a bike . . .

But, as I was reflecting, I realized a few things. First, one of the people in the classroom is on oxygen. The noise from the tank was not only new but, as Rick and Heather later pointed out, it sounds very similar to the noise made by Hot Air Balloons (although much shorter and not as loud). Cura still dislikes Air Balloons -- need I say more? That person was absent the next class and she was much better (I don't think that was the whole challenge because she did well when that person returned in class 3 -- but it probably had something to do with it.)

Second, it had been months since I stood in front of a classroom and I believe I reverted back to pre-Cura techniques. What are those, you ask? Well, it was kind of like revving up a car engine. In order to keep things interesting and energetic, I tended to increase my internal energy levels. But, I soon learned that this only caused Cura to behave as if she expected something to happen -- that we were going to 'do' something. Well, I was -- I was going to teach -- but SHE wasn't. Here I was projecting all of this 'let's get ready to do something' attitude and she was responding in kind. So, I had to develop ways to keep that energy going for teaching purposes while conveying to Cura that we were not getting ready to move. Since I had only been doing that for a short time before the term ended -- I slid into old habits that first class back. Ooops!

Actually, when you think about it, 2.5 hours is a pretty long time for her to just lay quietly in one place -- even if she gets up a couple of times, that is excellent (provided she is not completely disrupting the class) -- after all, I have to move around once in awhile or I start to get stiff and uncomfortable . . .

Finally, regardless of how hard one tries, a Service Dog is still a novelty and I am sure that she was getting more attention from students that first night than she was comfortable with. As I mentioned, days two and three were much more in keeping with her stellar performances toward the end of Spring semester -- but since I am doing so much teaching online lately, I need to keep in mind that entering the classroom after a significant break may just involve a bit of a refresher course.

So, What IS Cura's Recipe??

2009-10-21T13:21:00.062-06:00

IT'S ABOUT TIME!, you say? Well, yes . . . that last post was a bit of a teaser. But, at long last I am posting Cura's DNA Test results. I debated about whether to explain the test and THEN give the results but decided that everyone has waited long enough so, first the results (then the explanation). Anyone who read the last post, has some idea of what Cura is NOT . . . here is what she IS!

Primary Breeds: None

Secondary Breeds:

English Coonhound

Viszla

In the Mix:

Golden Retriever

Chow Chow

Clumber Spaniel

and Bloodhound (trace)

So, apparently most mixes will have nothing listed in the primary breed category unless one of their parents was a purebred. So, Cura is a product of mixes on both sides. Secondary breeds are the ones that are present in high enough quantities that they will likely 'show' in the dog by manifesting as either physical or behavioral characteristics. In this case, Cura just has two. Nona Ear Rubs was pretty close when she picked Plott Hound -- they are very similar to Coonhounds. Finally, the In The Mix category lists those breeds that have contributed to the DNA recipe, but probably do not obviously manifest in the dog begin tested.

So, the suspense is over -- when people ask if Cura is a black lab I can -- with certainty -- say 'No, she is an English Coonhound/Viszla mix! I have been reading up on the two breeds -- in many ways, I can definitely see it!
Bye for now!

DNA Test Has Arrived!

2009-10-15T07:27:00.000-06:00

The wait has ended! Tuesday the long awaited DNA test results came in the mail. But, before I spill the beans, I would like to share some of the breeds that some people thought might be in Cura's make-up. All of the guesses come from people who have frequent contact with Cura so they have quite a bit more to go on than just pictures. Unfortunately, there were no guesses from anyone who was only going by the pictures -- or maybe I should say fortunately, because you would have been at a SERIOUS disadvantage given the results of the tests.

Watermelon Mountain Ranch listed Cura as a Black Labrador Retriever Mix. I suspect that this was not their determination, but the classification that came with her from the City Animal Shelter that she was (fortunately for us both) whisked away from in February of 2008 -- thank you AGAIN Lady Liberator! And, she certainly IS Black -- well sort of (more on that later). She has the folded/V-shaped ears that are associated with Black Labrador Retriever, webbing between her toes, short, straight and wiry fur, and a tail that could beat the living daylights out of you if it didn't curl. If her tail was straight, I might have welts on my thighs -- as it is, it tends to move in the canine equivalent of the traditional 'Float Wave' (elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist) when she gets particularly happy. Even so, she did manage to knock over a wine glass at a recent dinner party we had -- fortunately, the glass was mostly empty AND she knocked it over onto a tray, making clean up VERY easy! My Sychic Syster was one of those lovely souls who voted for the Black Lab -- well, to get to the point -- according to the DNA test NO Black Labrador Retriever (or Yellow Labrador either)! Am I surprised -- nope! Why? She is too tall and slim and the characteristics that were being identified with Black Labs were not UNIQUE to that breed -- though I will admit that I also would not have been surprised if Cura DID have Black Lab in her make-up, I just had a hunch that that was not what was giving her the characteristics that were associated with Black Labs. Now, take a look at some of Cura's pics (sorry, blogspot is being persnickety - you will have to check out various photos that have been posted on the site and in past blogs) -- while I do not yet have a picture of her in a similar pose without her equipment -- she is simply not as 'compact' and 'bulky' as a Black Labrador Retriever tends to be.

So, what were some of the other attempts at identification? Greyhound (that was me because of the way she runs), Plott Hound -- this actually was a pretty good guess -- take a look (photo to the left)! Cura's tail is more curled and her ears are not quite as long, but she has the long legs, deep chest, and general facial features of a Plott -- but, there was no Plott Hound listed in the Cura Recipe (BTW: Plotts also have the long toes and webbed feet that Cura has -- though you can't see it in this photo).

Doberman Pincher was also put forward as a possibility -- you can't tell from the pictures, but Cura has a brown undertone to her Black fur -- especially on her legs (hey, and notice that the above shown Plott has a kind of Black and Tan coat -- how deliciously CELTIC is THAT!?). Another suggestion was a Boxer -- again with the whole Black and Tan motif combined with Cura's tendancy to use her front paws when playing/wrestling (no, she doesn't wrestle with me). Surprise, surprise -- neither of these were identified by the DNA test either!

SO WHAT IS CURA, you ask!? Well, as annoying as it may be, I have it on good authority of someone who has managed to have a successful blog that brevity is the key -- so, tune in later for Cura's ACTUAL results!

Luv to you -- official, unofficial and frequent, AND occasional visitors ALL!

Check back soon! You will be amazed at the way genetics can blend!

Fur Ball 2009

2009-10-11T11:26:00.008-06:00

What a great night! And what made it so great? Funnily enough it was the normalcy of the entire evening and the fact that I was actually out and about 'on my own' socially (and by that I mean just Cura and myself) for the first time in YEARS! Cura and I have been building towards this activity since she came home and it has actually happened!

In the spirit of honesty, this was not a completely unsupported venture and not everyone was a complete stranger -- but it was a good compromise . . . considering. Rick and Heather (our trainers for those who are new to the blog) were there -- they were providing pet sitting services for those who chose to bring their animal companions to the animal blessing before the event and stay for the fundraiser. Also, since it was a fundraiser for Watermelon Mountain Ranch No-Kill Shelter, there were a few people from the Ranch that I 'knew' to some extent because they have either been involved in Cura's care (when she was Whoopee!!) in some way or have taken an interest in Cura's post-adoption life. But I was seated with none of these people so, to some extent for at least part of the evening, we were on our own (though we had the option of fleeing to familiar shores, if needed).

Before I go much further, I feel compelled to call your attention to a couple of the first pictures of both Cura and me taken that night -- some of the first pictures of the two of us out and about together. I believe the pictures should be credited to Heather -- though both she and Rick took photos that evening. It is nice to have some photos of both of us together -- doesn't Cura look great?! Smiling and cheerful in one and seriously working in the other . . . What you don't see is the numerous other dogs that were either in crates or on leash around her at the time -- what a star (yes, I am biased -- so sue me!).

Now, back to the lovely evening . . .

I have had about a week to digest the experience and I am still just as happy about the evening as I was when I got home that night -- which, by the way was rather early by many people's standards. But since our day out began with several errands before a morning committee meeting (another 'new' thing since Cura's arrival), followed immediately by more errands and a dash home to change and make it to the animal blessing at 4pm -- I think that 9:30pm was a very respectable time to get home. Besides, we stuck around until the dancing and loud music got underway. I figured if the music was a bit too loud for me, it must be BLARING for Cura and decided that it was a good time to excuse ourselves.

I mentioned that one of the best things about the night was how normal it was . . . let me explain. We got to the blessing just a bit early but it did not start anywhere NEAR on time! When I tried to check in, no one could find me on the list. Once I was found -- 30-40 minutes later -- I was seated at a table that ended up being over-booked and was asked if I minded being moved to another table. Having been involved in the planning of things like this on a MUCH smaller scale, I know that things like this always happen -- I was the lucky one at this event, so I just took it all in stride.

I ended up being moved to the same table as the Mayor and a 'local' celebrity, both of which were very friendly and were enjoying the evening immensely. That was a treat, of course, but was even more amazing for me was the fact that I finally got to meet another of the wonderful people whose actions enabled Cura to come into my life and I found out a little more of her back-story. So, it is story time . . .

Rick and Heather introduced me to Lady Liberator at the beginning of the evening and I was able to speak with her on several occasions during the evening. Apparently, she had been involved in a Pet Adoption and Cura (a.k.a. Whoopee!!) was one of two dogs that had not been adopted by the end of the event and would be returning to the City Animal Welfare Shelter (YIKES!). Fortunately for both Cura and me, Lady Liberator took a liking to this lovely black dog that reminded her of one of her own and called up Watermelon Mountain Ranch to see if they could take her (as she told me the story, Lady Liberator admitted that she was tempted to take Cura home, but there was no room with all her other four-legged friends). Ultimately, the Ranch agreed to take her (the exact events leading to this decision vary depending on the storyteller -- but the result is the same) and Lady Liberator whisked Whoopee!! off to the Ranch, rescuing her from what was possibly an early death since the City Shelters are not live-exit organizations (though that is their goal according to the advertising). So, without the efforts of Lady Liberator, Whoopee!! would never have been at Watermelon Mountain Ranch to adopt in the first place. Of course, the willingness of WMR to take on another animal should not be overlooked in this series of happy circumstances -- thank you, thank you, thank you!

Lady Liberator was thrilled to see Cura, just as most everyone who had a hand in her care and adoption was. The only difficult thing about the evening for me was that everyone kept referring to her as Whoopee!! So much so that by the end of the night, I was occasionally using her pre-adoption name -- and not always intentionally!

One final thing to note -- since this is getting a bit long winded -- by the end of the evening, Cura was doing great around the crowds of people. I have mentioned before that she does not particularly have patience with meaningless drilling of commands but, instead, does much better when I incorporate what she needs to learn into everyday activities. It is almost as if she needs to understand that there is a reason she is being asked to do things -- once she does, she is much more likely to perform the tasks when asked. One of the things we have been working on is the 'Behind Me' command -- meant for narrow spaces where we can't walk side-by-side. By the end of the night, she was automatically falling back every time we had to wind ourselves through the crowds. It was as if this intense environment helped her to focus more clearly on the job at hand. This concentration appears to have lasted beyond that evening so it looks like we may have taken another step toward eliminating Cura's tendency to forage . . . more improvement . . . YAY!

And how did I do? Hmm . . . my first response to that question is 'pretty well'. But for an honest assessment, I will have to give it some further thought. I have long been thinking that it was time to reveal some of the internal ways that I have benefited by having Cura as my Service Animal -- maybe it is time to go below the surface elements of this experience -- then again, maybe it is a bit too soon for THAT little rollercoaster . . . stay tuned to see if I suck it up and spill some emotional beans!

2009-10-02T21:56:00.002-06:00

Time flies . . . again!

I promise that there will be a more lengthy post at some point in the next week. For now, just a brief announcement . . .

Watermelon Mountain Ranch is hosting a Fur Ball tomorrow night and Cura and I will be there. If anyone is interested in meeting Cura and me (okay, all you dog lovers, mainly Cura), please come to this wonderful fundraiser. If you are not able to purchase a ticket to the function, please stop by for the Pet Blessing that will take place at 4pm. To find out where, just (Google) search for Fur Ball 2009 Watermelon and you will find the location. Hope to see some of you there!

And for those of you unable to stop by . . . watch this space for news of our first independent social engagement since Cura's homecoming!

Bye for now!

Silence is Golden . . .

2009-09-20T20:08:00.014-06:00

It is, once again, time to step up the training. Cura is doing very well and, apparently, Rick and Heather are ready to challenge us again! Latest Homework? Focus on non-verbal commands. Ultimately, the goal is for Cura to practically be able to read my mind and not require verbal guidance, though still be able to respond to verbal commands in the event that they are needed. Actually, my body will naturally develop subtle signs, motions, expressions, and combinations of these that Cura will ultimately learn to identify as commands. So, our Homework for the next little while is to start developing that mega-fine tuning to our communication. What exactly does that mean?

For Cura, it means having to pay more attention and figuring out what I want without relying on my voice to tell her. She still gets distracted and has to be reminded to focus. While those 'corrections' are less frequent, they are still too plentiful. After almost six months, usually the only corrections required are a very soft noise or a light pat on my thigh and Cura is back on task -- very subtle in comparison to our early days together. It also takes quite a bit more now to distract her -- although weather is still VERY stressful for her. Using more subtle physical commands rather than words should help Cura keep her focus because she has to pay closer attention to me in order to catch the signals telling her what to do. She just keeps improving in leaps and bounds so I anticipate success on her part with this next challenge -- particularly if I can manage to take care of MY end of the Homework!

What is my Homework?! As usual, it is focusing on a change in attitude that will promote a change in energy that will enable Cura to be clearer about her job. Those of you who have been following our journey for some time will remember that in late May/early July, I stopped carrying any kind of bag -- instead, Cura would be responsible for carrying the items that I needed to have with me, with the exception of one or two items in my pockets when I had them (see Changing Habits posted on July 23, 2009). One of the big effects of this change was my attitude -- it is hard to describe the change because Cura was important to me from Day 1, but with the elimination of my bag, she was responsible for things like my identification, keys, and other essentials. From my perspective, it was a very important element of her job and she reacted to the change in my attitude accordingly by being much less distracted. Now, my Homework is to work on changing my attitude to only focus on the moment. Easier said than done, believe me!

Instead of focusing on what I want Cura to do so that I/we can then accomplish x, y, z. I have to learn how to just focus on one thing at a time. It is a subtle difference. The difference between 'Cura, sit and wait.' and 'Cura. Sit. Wait.' The idea is that, by focusing on only one thing at a time, it will focus Cura's attention. Attempting to anticipate the several steps that are going on in my head is contributing to Cura's distractions -- so, my job is to stop thinking ahead so much and just focus on the now. Wish me luck!

On an aside, Cura is relaxing into her new home more and more as time goes by. When she first came home, she had no concept of 'play'. That has gradually been changing. This afternoon, I was able to catch Cura and Skye playing Merry Go Round in the Family Room. Don't blink or you might miss them!

Ah, Genetics!

2009-09-08T22:00:00.002-06:00

Much has happened since my last post -- but then, how could it not considering how long it has been! It is amazing how something as simple as the semester beginning can throw things off kilter! Over the years, I have gotten used to my schedule shifting every 4-6 months depending on whether I was involved in a semester or quarter system. It doesn't matter if I am on the teaching end or the learning end of things, the change in the term always dictates a schedule shift and requires a bit of schedule shuffling. It is interesting to see Cura adjust to the shifting schedule. But, that is not what I really want to write about this time . . . I have something much more exciting and fun to share.

I recently had a birthday (no, that is NOT the exciting OR the fun bit)! It wasn't a 'landmark' year, at least not apart from the fact that this is the year that Cura entered my life, but I still got a great gift! Fuzzy Face and Nonna Ear Rubs presented me with one of those genetic tests for dogs. One of the questions that comes up at least once a week is "What kind of dog is he?" No, that was not a typo, Cura is almost always identified as a 'he' by people that we meet. My response is usually something like: "According to the rescue shelter, she is a Black Lab mix -- we don't know what she is mixed with." After a surreptitious glance in the appropriate direction to verify that Cura IS a 'she' rather than a 'he', the conversation usually moves on to talking about a Black Lab or Black Lab mix they once had or knew. But, in closer circles, Cura's genetic make-up is an underlying topic of debate. We all have our own theories. So, when I was asked what I wanted for my birthday -- yes, we do that, it makes gift shopping so much easier and reminds me of making lists to Santa as a child -- a doggie genetic test was number one on the list.

As soon as the test arrived, the swab was done and the sample was in the mail for testing the very next day! So, in about 4-6 weeks, we will know! Meanwhile, the debate continues! Everyone is taking their picks. Personally, I would not be surprised if the test comes back showing that Cura has no Black Lab in her, and I am not the only one who thinks this is a real possibility -- after all, there are tons breeds that have black fur and folded ears (she does have webbed feet, but several breeds have those -- including Plott Hounds, which is Nonna Ear Rubs' primary breed of choice). Some of the breeds that have come up in conversation are based on behavior rather than looks (Fuzzy Face thinks she has Boxer in her because of the way she uses her paws when she plays -- as you know, I don't really have direct experience with the paw maneuvers being referred to since Cura isn't allowed to play rough with me). In many ways, it really doesn't matter what Cura's genetics end up being -- she is so much more than the sum of her 'parts' -- but I am SO curious. Plus I would love to be able to answer that inevitable question with certainty rather than what really amounts to a guess, since no one really knows anything about her dam or sire. The test results come with a certificate that can have Cura's picture on it -- once I have narrowed it down to 3-5 choices, I will post them and let everyone vote on their favorite so watch this space because I am going to have to upload my choice soon.

I have my own thoughts about what breeds may have combined to create my wonderful companion but I want to hear what others think . . .

So, take a look at the many pictures already provided and post your guesses as comments. Periodically, over the next few weeks, I will provide more pictures and tidbits of information -- you can always modify your choices as you get more information. Happy guessing!

Puppy Plunge!

2009-08-24T19:23:00.000-06:00

Our local pool did a WONDERFUL thing for the residents and their dogs . . .

With the pool closing for the season, they invited local residents to bring their canine companions with them to enjoy the facilities. Below is a short video of the puppy antics that ensued. Both Cura and Skye proved to be quite good swimmers. This is not really surprising since Cura is supposed to have Black Lab in her -- can you say 'webbed feet'? -- and Cairn Terriers are also quite capable of swimming, though not all of them are thrilled with the prospect. (It appears that Skye currently falls into the NOT thrilled category!)

The day after their swimming adventure, poor puppies in this household were still recovering! They were clearly feeling the effects of exerting muscles that they were not even aware that they had! They not only slept well the night of their swim, but were happy to be quite lazy the next day. I have never seen Cura tire so quickly on a run! She only managed full speed for a few minutes -- usually she is maxing out the golf car speed and trying to pull it down the road! This time she paced it at full speed on the way out, but soon slowed. By the time we were pulling back into the driveway (a relatively short time later), she was barely trotting! Apart from Training Class later that day, all she did was sleep. Have you ever been so tired that eating and other necessary functions are just too much effort -- well, that was Cura after the Puppy Plunge. But she has recovered now and is, once again, eager to go for her morning run!

The Puppy Plunge was actually a great opportunity for Cura and me on several levels. First, it gave me a chance to find out just how much of the Lab's love for water Cura had inherited. Up until now, her exposure to water consisted of rinsing the dirt out of her from her play dates, cooling her feet in the kiddy pool out back and getting misted after a run (MUST get that little ritual on film!), rain, and the groomer -- no full body immersion! And, while Cura definitely has the webbing between her toes that would make it easier for her to make good time in the water, that doesn't mean she can swim. As an example -- there were a couple of dogs in the pool that LOOKED like they had some Lab in them and would take to water well, but the reality of their situation was just the opposite (there is one in the background of the video). Go ahead, give in to the urge . . . replay the video -- I'll wait!

As you can see in the clip, Cura swims just fine (though, as I noted, she is not overly thrilled about the lack of solid ground under her feet!) I am going to have to look into finding a place that she can swim more frequently. Hmmm -- can dog's read your mind? I'd swear she just gave me a 'look' -- not actually a 'dirty look' but not exactly a thrilled one either!

Anyway -- back to the opportunities . . .

It also gave Cura practice at not reacting to other dogs. I decided not to let Cura off the lead for several reasons. First, the fences were not very tall and there is still the jumping issue which is certainly improving but not yet resolved. Second, I want to be more comfortable about my 'introduction' skills before I handle something like that without backup. Third, it wasn't a 'bad' day physically, but it wasn't a good one either. Finally, the fourth, and most important reason is because running should not be allowed around a pool! If Cura had been off-lead, she would have joined in on the numerous games of chase that were taking place around the pool.

I am sure everyone who has spent time at a pool remembers hearing the LifeGuard's whistle blow followed by the clear bellow 'NO RUNNING!' Now, there is a reason for this. For some reason, the concrete surrounding any pool I have EVER been to becomes slippery enough to have a Curling contest! (I didn't know what this was until I went to Scotland -- check out the next Winter Olympics, it is an ice sport.) Suffice it to say, one could severely damage themselves by slipping on the surfaces around a public pool! This applies to EVERYONE -- four-footed fuzzies or two-legged youngsters. I saw at least three dogs come barreling around the pool only to lose their footing and slide for a foot or two on their face or chest! Fortunately, they all appeared to be none the worse for wear, but I didn't want to chance it with Cura. The visual of a dog sliding along the ground on its face may seem cartoonishly funny in theory, but the reality is very different even if the dog isn't yours!

So, Cura got to swim when she was in the pool and quietly sit and watch but not react to the other dogs when she was out of the pool. My job . . . practice setting boundaries! It was my job to keep all the other dogs from coming up to Cura and bothering her. I am getting better at this -- my confidence is returning, thanks to the persistence, understanding, and creative guidance I get from Rick and Heather. I still need some work, but at least now I am more confident about practicing on my own!

Final verdict? The Puppy Plunge was a great success! We are looking forward to next year!

All Work and No Play . . . NOT

2009-08-20T00:19:00.004-06:00

Yikes! How time flies when you are swamped! I must apologize for the posting delay. Being in education, the lead up to the start of the academic year becomes a bit insane. Before I knew it, over a week had gone by with no new installment! While there are a number of things that have taken place in the past month or so that I would LOVE to share -- I have not finished writing on them. Besides, a wonderful development has occurred that I simply MUST share . . .

Up until now, Cura's response to toys and play in general was either tentative or non-existent. The last 48 hours has seen a significant change in that behavior. Two nights in a row now, she has whole-heartedly engaged in play. She does play with me, but because of my disability, there are games that we simply can not play together -- our play needs to be more sedate. Since she is not overly keen to play fetch (after a few throws, she loses interest), there is really no form of play that I have come up with where she can just let go. However, Cura appears to have found a solution -- she plays with Fuzzy Face! There are no 'rambunctious' limits with him (at least not yet).

It was very funny the first time Cura really engaged Fuzzy Face in a game. After only a few days of being home, Cura began welcoming Fuzzy Face home enthusiastically (at least once he addressed her -- she is good about not bouncing around like a crazy puppy when people come home). You could tell that she was happy to see him. This particular time, Cura greeted him with a stuffed toy, nudging it into his hands and encouraging him to play -- he promptly obliged with a huge smile on his face and laughter in his voice.

Now, it is important to know that Fuzzy Face has never met a dog that didn't bit him . . . Okay, that is an exaggeration, but not a huge one. He has managed to get bitten on a number of occasions, and not always by strange dogs. So, here is Cura, stuffed toy in mouth, mouth VERY close to Fuzzy Face's hands -- the two of them merrily playing. Then, all of a sudden, Cura began making play noises . . . anyone who has owned a dog knows what I mean. A non-dog person would consider this noise a growl, and in some ways it is but not a menacing one. But, that first Fuzzy Face observing that Cura had 'big teeth' and, given the fact that they were very close to his hands, he was not prepared to 'risk it'. Despite reassurances that Cura was not vocalizing a menacing warning (I have heard Cura's warning growl and that wasn't it), Fuzzy Face stopped playing. Poor Cura watched him as he ascended the stairs, stuffed toy in mouth . . . (Cura's mouth, not Fuzzy Face's)

But, the next time Fuzzy Face was prepared and was not daunted by Cura's play noises. In fact, he appeared to take pleasure in them. I think this is going to be kind of his own little thing with her -- as I said, Cura just can't play like that with me. At a certain point, I have to stop the game if she does not drop her level of play enthusiasm. But with Fuzzy Face she can be much more bouncy and rambunctious. It gives her another outlet for her energy. Although her golf car runs, play dates, lessons, and work keep her very busy and constantly releasing any pent up energy, it is a different release than pure, unadulterated play. I really enjoy seeing Cura play with puppy enthusiasm. Prior to a couple of days ago, she didn't. But now it appears that, after 21 weeks, Cura is no longer all work and no play! May the games continue . . .

Getting Back on the Horse . . .

2009-08-12T17:00:00.000-06:00

Those of you who have been following our activities know that Cura and I had a couple of negative experiences with 'strange' dogs in the month of July. While Cura was not hurt on either occasion, for several weeks she was jumpy and distracted when we were out and about, especially if we were outside. On top of everything, my confidence had been shaken which was certainly not doing Cura any good!

By the end of July, I came to the realization that I was going out of my way to avoid other dogs when we were out on a walk or running Cura alongside the golf cart. Definitely NOT the best approach! After all, we can't go through life avoiding every other dog in the world and I definitely didn't want Cura to begin reacting negatively to every dog she met. Since Cura arrived I have had a few opportunities to be around other people with service dogs and was rather surprised at the reaction of these dogs to other animals when they were supposed to be working. The fact that some of their charges were actually visually impared surprised me further . . . these were fully trained service animals and they were lunging, pulling, whining, and/or simply ignoring their partners when faced with another animal. With only a few months training, Cura was better focused, and she was anything but non-reactive! That last bit is very important -- of course I am proud of the fact that Cura was so well behaved given her relative inexperience, but it is important to keep things in perspective and not get complacent -- or cocky. The last thing I wanted was for Cura to begin to take on such behaviors when meeting other dogs, and my reactions were ultimately going to result in negative reactions to other animals that could seriously interfere with Cura's ability to do her job. So, I made a conscious effort to deal with my own fears and stop playing the avoidance card.

Only a single day after I made this resolution, my resolve was tested. It was time to pick up some dog and cat food (yes, we have cats too -- a good friend of mine recently sent me a card and signed off by saying 'Give my love to . . . and the zoo!'). The most convenient place, based on my outing that day was a rather local mercantile that had a couple of shop dogs; both of which have been very friendly in the past. However, I had not been there since Cura had come home. I spent the entire time in the car debating with myself about whether or not I should bring Cura into the mercantile with me. After all, it was just a quick stop . . .

But, as I pulled into the parking lot, I realized that to leave Cura in the car was, once again, practicing avoidance rather than stepping up and working through the whole issue. As soon as I made my decision, I was overcome with a sense of calm and confidence. It has been quite awhile since I had felt so 'centered'. Taking full advantage of the 'calm, assertive' state -- yeah, I know, Dog Whisperer speak but Rick and Heather use it too --I boldly entered the mercantile with my trusty partner at my side. Now, I don't mean to imply that this was an overly challenging situation. As I already mentioned, the dogs at the mercantile are very friendly. On top of that, one is about 15lbs while the other may be 40lbs (if it is lucky). But, at this point, size and temperament didn't really matter -- I had been reacting nervously to almost all dogs and this was a relatively safe environment to start climbing my way out of that hole. Very shortly after our entrance, the little one came to see what was going on. I am happy to report one of those little successes that require celebrating. After coming around the corner and getting a peek, the little bundle of joy backed off and left us alone for the rest of our visit. We never even saw the other pup.

Funnily enough, this small success did wonders for me. Last Sunday we were in a room full of people with new adoptions. Some were puppies, others were adults . . . some were reactive to other dogs, others were not . . . some were fussy, others just curious. In all of the commotion, I once again had that calm, assertive feeling. Cura and I were placed in the middle of the circle (our new place so that Cura experiences more of a challenge) and I was quite comfortable, a fact that was illustrated by the fact that Cura stretched out and took a nap!

So, while there is still some work to be done, we are back in the saddle and ready to go!

Things Floating in the Air

2009-08-06T20:15:00.002-06:00

Successful trip to the Aquarium! You may ask why the excitement over such a simple thing . . . after all, it is just a matter of walking around and looking in the tanks, right? It is, in fact, just wandering around and looking at all the different fish swimming around in their tanks -- and I if I had not been accompanied by my trusty sidekick, you would be correct in thinking that this was no big deal -- just another touristy event to take the visiting relative to for one of the many tastes of New Mexico.

But, let us take a step back for a moment and try to see this lovely excursion from Cura's perspective . . .

First, there are quite a large number of people milling around. After all, it is still summer and parents are desperately trying to find things to occupy their, by now, bored youngsters in the few days left before they return to days filled with lessons and homework. Ah, wait! Not just people, but little people . . . not just little people, but little people who spontaneously decide that the walking is not a fast enough way to get from A to B and that said travel must be accompanied by high pitched screeches or other similar sound effects. Now from our perspective, this is SOP for places of this nature. Children are understandably excited about what they are seeing and thrilled to be sharing these experiences with one or both parents -- naturally there will be the appropriate movements and sounds. But remember, dogs naturally have a prey drive -- if it runs, it not only usually attracts the dog's attention, but also sparks a merry game of chase (hence the reason that a great way to get your dog to 'come' is to run away from it). On top of that, as a rule, they have much better hearing than we do -- in fact, the only sense that is stronger in a dog is their sense of smell. So you can bet your bottom dollar that if that screaming and chatter is getting to be a bit much for your ears -- they have long passed the point of comfort for a dog. On top of that, since they can hear in frequencies that humans can not, Cura was likely dealing with additional sounds from machinery and possibly even the creatures in the tanks! (though I didn't see any whales or dolphins, so who knows.)

Puppy perspective number two: the smell! Naturally, an aquarium smells a bit like . . . well . . . fish. Not in a 'sitting out on the counter for three days' kind of way, but any of you who have owned an aquarium in your home or has known someone with one are very aware that fish tanks have a particular odor no matter how well they are maintained. It is not necessarily an unpleasant smell -- just a fishy one. My brother had an aquarium in his bedroom for several years when he was younger and when you entered his room, there was a decidedly damp and organic smell to everything -- think of freshly tilled earth or freshly cut grass and translate that into aquatic fragrances and that is what an aquarium smells like to me. Well, let's look at this from a doggie perspective, shall we? Dogs have 220 million olfactory receptors in their nose and we inferior humans have only 5 million! So, if I can register the smells of an aquarium can you imagine what smells Cura was identifying (even if she may not really know WHAT they are, she certainly recognizes that they are there!)?

Now, in some ways, I already covered sight with the flitting little people -- but there is an added visual challenge . . . the actual fish! First and foremost, just a little reminder that Cura is not overly fond of things in the sky/air . . . balloons, clouds, statues, tall signs, ceiling decorations, recessed lighting, smoke detectors -- all of these things and more have triggered a negative response from Cura at some point and some of them still do. Her reaction is increased if the object in question MOVES! Well, when you think about it, that is pretty much the definition of an aquarium -- a place where lots of things move around and float in the air.

On top of all this, Cura's dedicated owner (yes, that would be me) added to her stress in two very distinct ways. First, I made a mistake . . . that morning, we had gone for a run and I had switched Cura's slip collar to reflect the fact that in the run she is on my right instead of my left (most of the time, I don't drive). This allows the collar to release from any correction when she is running instead of pinching her neck (we are trying to reduce her 'enthusiasm' in the beginning of the run since, if I am having a bad day, her exuberance may be too much for me to handle -- I would not be surprised if she has the ability to dislocate a shoulder on some days!). Well, rocket scientist here forgot to switch the slip collar back to reflect the fact that Cura would be walking on her usual left side when we were out and about. So, what do I do? Here we are, going into the Aquarium and, because Cura is out of place, I quickly turn -- tightening the collar. Imagine my surprise (and guilt) when Cura yelps! The collar had tightened and pinched her because I had neglected to switch it after our run. That certainly did not help the situation -- though I waited until she had calmed before actually entering the aquarium.

The other contribution is a little harder to avoid. I have always been claustrophobic. This not only manifests in a discomfort -- that is an understatement -- when in small spaces, but also in tight quarters of any kind. For example, being in a crowded room where my access to an exit is blocked or I feel my movement is restricted is problematic for me. Combine this with an increased nervousness in places where I can be jostled which is a direct result of my disability and you have a person who does not react to crowds well. While I have noticed that, generally, people give me more space since I have Cura with me, I do still get quite nervous in such situations. When I am nervous, Cura reads that and tends to become nervous as well. Substitute pretty much any emotion or state of mind into that sentence and it will be true -- trainers will try to explain this and frequently people don't believe it, but dogs DO pick up on the energy of your emotions and state of mind.

Having grown up with dogs almost all of my life, I 'knew' this on some level, but until I was constantly being accompanied by a dog everywhere I went, I don't think it really sunk in. After all, a pet is not with you 100% of the time. If you are having a stressful day, you don't necessarily have to be around your pet (in fact, I would venture to say that some of the major stresses occur away from pets). But, a service dog is there all the time -- every spike or dip in your energy, they react to. Now, Cura did absolutely brilliantly all the way through the Aquarium despite the smells, floating objects, flitting and exuberant children, etc. She really only started to 'get twitchy' in the last room. This is the room where everyone had congregated because it was the location of one of the larger tanks, had several viewing points, and was the last glimpse of this amazing environment before leaving the aquarium. Naturally, the body density increased and so did both the noise and unpredictable movement. I became very aware of the close quarters.

Regardless of whether Cura was only picking up on my discomfort or if she was experiencing her own discomfort in addition to mine, her solution was just what we (Heather, Rick, and I) are looking for. Cura's flight response is clearly diminishing if not completely disappearing. Eighty to ninety percent of the time, when she is stressed, she moves closer to me rather than trying to bolt and get away from the situation. Even when she does 'bolt', it is usually only far enough to put me in between her and whatever has spooked her. On top of that, even if she is overwhelmed and stressed, she is now able to perform her obedience skills. This is a rather new development -- as little as five or six weeks ago, Cura had trouble performing a sit, down, stay, stand, etc. if she was stressed. Now, she is still stressed, but able to focus on her job despite it. I am sure that as I get better at managing my responses to situations and Cura has more experiences to draw from, she will just keep getting better and better.

So, now you may understand the excitement that I have because Cura had such a positive and successful experience at what would be a very mundane activity for you or I. She has been with me for just over four months and is constantly reinforcing the fact that all she needed was a job -- she was not unmanageable or untrainable, just bored. Thankfully, Heather and Rick saw her potential and introduced us. I will repeat an observation of another member of our household . . . "What did we do without you?" The training may require dedication from both of us (me especially), but ultimately it is worth it! All concerned benefit -- I see that on the rare occasions that I look at Cura sleeping deeply and contentedly (snoring, by the way) despite the thunder and lightening outside -- or because she has had a busy and challenging day filled with new experiences. I know that I find great comfort in knowing that I have helped to provide a fulfilling and active life for a beautiful and loving creature such as Cura. I hope that she finds a comparable comfort in providing me with a fuller and more independent life. I hope that, from her perspective, I manage to honor our bond as much as I believe that she honors it. Some of you may think that this is giving Cura too much credit. To you I say that, until you have been chosen by such a dedicated creature as my blessed Cura -- one who trusts you completely and is dedicated to, not only following your lead, but insuring you safety above their own -- you should take a step back and reserve judgment. Despite my mistakes and inner demons as well as the sensory challenges the aquarium presented, Cura was with me the entire time -- she did not bolt, instead she stayed by my side. In my opinion, there is no greater praise -- I am not the perfect leader; I have and will continue to make mistakes -- but Cura trusts me to take care of her as I trust her to take care of me. Heather and Rick have taught us that practice and persistence will only increase our success -- I believe that and Cura's progress is a testament to this philosophy.

Distractions

2009-08-03T17:00:00.005-06:00

Sometimes I get frustrated and want to ask . . . "Exactly what about 'Please do not pet me, I am working' is difficult to understand???" Now, I realize that part of my shock and surprise is caused by the fact that I was taught to ALWAYS ask before approaching, let alone petting, a strange dog. I also know that such a negative reaction to those gushing dog-lovers who simply MUST pet Cura would be a perfect example of what it means to be counterproductive . . . but still!

Very early on, I realized that there is virtually nothing that will prevent those intent on petting Cura from doing so, but I also realized that I really needed to do something to curb that reaction whenever possible. So, I invested in some of those lovely patches which have been placed on her vest, cooling coat, and pack in strategic locations for maximum visibility. This has significantly cut down on the spontaneous petting, but there are still those who are not able to help themselves! I think the time that I found most humorous was the time that someone was gushing over Cura, reached out and pet her -- right on the 'please do not pet' patch located on her vest! She was so enthusiastic that she didn't even notice! I still smile when I think about it and it happened over a month ago (at least I am no longer laughing out loud about it).

Now, frequently the attention from the public is, at worst, slightly inconvenient and, at best, down right amusing. But, there are times where it can be very inconvenient and potentially dangerous. For example, there are the times where I am simply trying to complete necessary errands in a very short period of time -- it is during these times that, being stopped by a person who wants to know everything there is to know about Cura in addition to petting her in a way that gets her all excited and decidedly NOT concentrating on her job is very counterproductive to my purpose of getting a bunch of things taken care of as quickly as possible. After all, Cura is still in training and I still have to make sure that -- no matter what my schedule -- I deal with any challenges that come up regarding her working behavior. This alone can make errands take more time than planned and has resulted in things on the list not getting done as anticipated -- so adding petting distractions into the mix can throw a real spanner in the works.

Sometimes, people get so enthusiastic when petting Cura, they get her all excited, playful, and jumpy, pulling her well and truly out of 'work mode'. Many times, this is not a serious problem because usually I can refocus Cura and we are able to continue with our activities with only a rather short delay -- though, sometimes it takes a bit more time for her to get completely back on task as she is easily distracted by random things for a period of time afterward. However, there are times when Cura becomes so distracted that it is difficult for me to get her to refocus on the job at hand -- annoying, but only time consuming rather than dangerous. What truly concerns me is when Cura is distracted by others when I am having a particularly difficult day physically -- this does have the potential to be dangerous because it is during these days in particular that it is necessary for Cura to be very focused. While Cura frequently is very focused on these days instinctively, it IS possible to distract her and that could lead to some unpleasant results.

Then, there is the other side of the coin -- something that always brings a smile to my face. First, there are those who just stop and watch us go about our business. It is clear that they are dog lover's and would LOVE to pet Cura, but they restrain themselves. Then there are those who just can't help themselves and must say something, but they limit themselves to something akin to commenting on either what a beautiful dog Cura is (she really is lovely, even if I do say so myself) or how well behaved she is. Then there are the parents of young children -- who are GREAT! Usually, I am alerted to them by some type of childhood squeal, sometimes just an unidentifiable squeak and sometimes a recognizable word like 'Doooooggggiiiieeee!' This is quickly followed by the parents patiently explaining that they can't touch or bother the dog because it is doing a very important job and that it is a dog that helps people. Of course the wording is adjusted to reflect the age of the child or children involved, but the result is the same. I love this particular reaction (both the children's and the parent's) -- it is very encouraging because not only is it proof that there are a number of people out there that know they should not distract a service dog when it is working, but young people are also being taught how to react around an assistance animal.

All-in-all, every excursion is an adventure -- one where I am always learning and frequently pleasantly surprised. Now, I enjoy my outings much more -- even if Cura gets distracted -- because I am less anxious about being out and about. Even if my plans get waylaid by curious and enthusiastic dog lovers, it beats spending the entire time worried about falling, tripping, being bumped or otherwise running into problems while out.

Welcoming Access

2009-08-01T23:33:00.005-06:00

I have alluded to the fact that Cura and I are frequently warmly welcomed by most businesses. There are a couple of incidences that I would like to highlight at this point -- particularly since I have posted on my difficulties in this area before (without identifying the businesses, of course, given our litigious society). Some information will be very specific while others will be less detailed. However, unlike my posts dealing with negative experiences -- I will happily provide specific information about those businesses that, in my experience, have either welcomed or encouraged my patronage as a person with a service animal.

I have frequently been met with smiles and compliments at the Walmart on Unser in Rio Rancho as well as the one on Coors in Albuquerque -- there was one incident of a challenge, but most times I was welcomed right off the bat. I frequent both of these locations often and have almost always been welcomed warmly initially and am convinced that the only 'challenge' that I experienced was either an innocent or a legitimate concern by an employee that had not registered Cura's vest (I still find this a baffling, but legitimate reaction) or was overly exuberant about their responsibilities since, once it was brought to the employee's attention, we were welcomed without further protest.

Hello Deli on Jefferson NE in Albuquerque on Monday 27 July: We descended upon them with several challenges: a grandmother using a walker, a service dog (Cura), AND a pet dog (Skye). They not only welcomed us all to their patio, they graciously volunteered to bring the dogs a bowl of water! After the initial offer, at least two other members of the staff came out and asked if anyone had brought the dogs water -- this was a rather hot day (somewhere in the 90's) so this attention was very appreciated. While I always attempt to insure that I have Cura's needs taken care of to the best of my ability (yes, I manage to forget things once in a while), it is VERY pleasing when a business is willing to provide for my service dog while they are providing a service to me. Hello Deli certainly managed to do this when we were there -- thank you very much!

Scalo on Central SE in Albuquerque 28 July: OH MY GOODNESS! What a lovely experience! Once again, we were on the Patio, but only because the person who arrived first thought that Skye would be with us in addition to Cura. But, because of our plans for the day, Skye was not with us -- while there is a possibility that Skye will, eventually, become an assistance animal, that decision has not yet been made and she is not in a training program as of yet, so does not have the same access as Cura. First, I would like to compliment Scalo on the patio environment that they provide -- despite rather high temperatures, the patio is quite pleasant. On top of that, our waiter graciously asked if he could provide Cura with some water. Unfortunately, I neglected to note the name of our server (something that I have now vowed to remedy when I am out and about from now on because I want to give credit to individuals when it is warranted -- and this server DEFINITELY warranted it!). All I can do is try to give as much information as possible in the hopes that this individual will be recognized by his employer for his excellence. Prior to my disability, I was a server at a restaurant and I am both sympathetic to the stresses of the job and I also have very clear expectations of what warrants exceptional service, and what we received that day was, without a doubt, exceptional (even my father of Scottish descent, who frequently conforms to the monetary stereotype, loosened his purse to acknowledge the service we received this day). As I am sure you have already figured out -- our server was male. In addition, he sported a closely shaven/bald head and a crucifix around his neck. We were the only party on the patio at the time. There were four of us in the party along with Cura -- one of which was my grandmother who, while physically challenged, is very decisive and alert. In addition to making sure that Cura's needs were taken care of, our server also gave me ample opportunities to reinforce Cura's training. Not only is she supposed to be friendly in public when given permission, but she is also supposed to avoid contact and distraction. Our dog-loving server gave me the opportunity to reinforce both responses to public overtures. Thank you!

Satellite on Alameda in Albuquerque (several instances): While there is nothing overly exceptional here -- it is just as important to me to have a 'normal', 'uneventful' experience as it is to have an exceptional one. Every time I have gone to Satellite, I have had a very calm, normal, unstressful, experience. We have always been on the patio because Skye has been with us, but I have always been the one to go in and order and not once has anyone reacted to Cura's presence. Thank you, Satellite, for helping me to feel just like any other customer!

Flying Star in Bernallio on Saturday 25 July: Very similar to my Satellite experiences, this breakfast at the Flying Star was very mundane. But it is VERY important to realize -- from my perspective, having a rather mundane experience is actually desired. Ultimately, I wish to have the same service as any other customer at a restaurant -- the difference is that "I" includes both myself AND Cura. So, making sure we both have a comfortable experience goes a long way in my book. Flying Star managed to provide a pleasant experience for both Cura and I when we visited. While it was not an exceptional experience, it WAS a normal one and, in my life, normalcy is warmly embraced!

These are some of the local businesses that are providing me with normal or exceptional experiences. Thank you so much. Regardless of whether it is a "normal" or an "exceptional" experience -- BOTH are greatly appreciated. I will gladly recognize future positive experiences with details and share less than positive experiences by providing ambiguous details -- just stay tuned!

Denying Access

2009-07-30T11:30:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I feel that I must preface this post with a disclaimer . . . the majority of the time I do not run into this problem AT ALL -- frequently I am equally amazed at the positive and welcoming reactions that I encounter. In fact, several reactions in particular have impressed me recently so I am confident that a number of future posts will concentrate on more positive experiences . . . I promise. But for now, I want to address the issue of individuals and businesses attempting to thwart (either overtly or subtly) many state laws and the federal law by attempting to deny service dogs and their handlers or charges access to public areas.

It is amazing to me how many people come up to me and tell me that I can't bring Cura into a particular place. But what amazes me even more is that when I inform them that she is a service dog, their response is some version of 'Oh, she is? I didn't know . . . ' Now, I realize that I have not put up any pictures of Cura when she is in her working gear (after all, usually when she is working I am not in a position to be snapping pictures). I will now remedy that . . .

Cura 'off-duty'

In her vest

In her pack

In her cooling coat

As you can see, Cura is VERY clearly identified as a service dog at all times, particularly when she is working. When she is not working she only has a badge attached to her collar that identifies her but when she is working she is either in a vest, a pack, or a cooling coat (or some combination of the three) ALL of which have SEVERAL patches identifying her as a service dog AND asking that people not pet her (they don't always work, but that will probably be a whole other blog).

As you can see, her vest and pack are red -- very noticeable against her black coat -- and her cooling coat is silver -- again, anything but invisible! I am baffled that so many people apparently do not realize that Cura is a service dog. I can only imagine what people that don't put clear identification on their dogs go through -- after all, it is my understanding that legally it is not necessary for a service dog to wear anything that identifies them as a working animal (though it certainly makes things easier if they ARE identified). In fact, it can get down right expensive to get the equipment -- even for a person like me who is bargain shopping and buying less costly items.

As baffled as I am about people attempting to deny us access directly despite Cura being clearly identified as a service dog, there is a more passive aggressive response that I find even more disconcerting, probably because I have not figured out a consistant method for dealing with it yet. This passive aggressive response does not involve any direct contact with the individual in question. Instead of coming forward and telling me that I can't bring Cura inside the establishment, they just follow us around 'keeping and eye on us'. I have come to think of these people as 'lurkers'. Lurkers are different from the people who leave us alone but are fascinated by the whole service dog concept and watch us with a smile on their face, some form of positive expression, and a sparkle in their eyes. Instead, lurkers are hanging around with a sour look. I believe that they are just WAITING for Cura to do something that will allow them to make us leave. After all, Cura may be legally allowed to be there, but if they can make a case that she is being disruptive to the business or customers, legally she can be asked to leave -- and even can be banned from the premises permanently.

Unfortunately, the two most obvious occurrences of this happened in a national department store -- a rather surprising situation for me. I must admit to being naive and assuming that any national department store would train their employees on the proper way of dealing with service animals and, to be fair, most of the stores, department or otherwise, have been very supportive and respectful of the fact that I had an assistance animal. This particular store, on two separate occasions, resulted in two different members of staff 'trailing' me. I felt as if I was followed throughout the store, but I must admit that I am not 100% sure that was actually the case -- I may have only been shadowed through that particular employee's department.

Why is this more disturbing to me than a person coming up to me and trying to get me to leave? Well, for one I feel like I am being stalked by a person that does not have positive intentions toward me -- disconcerting, to say the least. Also, in such situations, I am not given an opportunity to counter what I see as their aggression. But, more importantly, the whole situation tends to make Cura a bit jumpy and distracted (ironically increasing the chances that the lurker could claim she is disrupting business). I have not yet worked out whether Cura is reacting to the lurker directly or if she is reacting to my discomfort over the situation. In a way, I hope it is the latter because, from a training perspective, that is simpler to deal with because to solve Cura's discomfort, I just need to control my reaction to the lurker which will likely just be a matter of figuring out how to deal with the situation. If Cura is being affected by the lurker directly, that becomes more complicated to deal with -- though not impossible.

I am very divided about how to deal with lurkers. A part of me wants to go up to them and ask if I can help them -- meanwhile, potentially informing them that they are affecting Cura's ability to do her job by shadowing us and, therefore, breaking the law (this is the more practical and assertive part). Another part of me just wants to ignore the situation and get out of there as soon as possible (the non-confrontational part). Still another part wants to go up to them and tell them to bugger off and leave us alone (definitely a confrontational part, influenced by my stay in Scotland)! These are only the three most prominent reactions, there have been others. So, I am not sure (yet) how to deal with lurkers, but I know that I must figure it out for both Cura and my sakes. Note to self: Remember to have a chat with Rick and Heather about this one!

Interestingly enough, one of the local papers recently ran an article directed at individuals with service animals suggesting that, if any business challenged their right to access, they should not only inform the representative of the business of the fact that they are breaking the law, but that they should call the police and report the incident so that the business could be cited for the violation (presumably to prevent the business from attempting to deny access to future service animals and their charges who would not be inclined to assert their rights and insist on being allowed access). Now, while there are already one or two businesses that I would be more than happy report if they give me a hard time one more time (personally, I find this a bit disturbing since I have only had a service animal for four months), I am not sure that calling the cops would be my first reaction if I ran into any resistance by a particular business. After all, my gut tells me that, usually, it is more a case of individual employee ignorance of the law than overt discrimination (I DO know that employees at one business believe that they are acting on the instructions of the owner, but my optimism prompts me to also believe that they have misunderstood or missed the clarification that there is a difference between 'dogs' and 'service dogs'). Therefore, I personally am more inclined to give both businesses and individuals the benefit of the doubt. So, as frustrating as direct challenges and lurkers can be, I think that I will only pick up the phone for repeated or exceptional offenses. Some may see that as overly generous, but I see it as being flexible and understanding -- maybe it is because I am a teacher by profession, but I tend to see these situations as opportunities to educate. Like a teacher, I believe that if the lesson is learned there is no need to penalize the student -- however, if the student repeatedly 'fails the test' then they must suffer the consequences of their actions (or lack thereof). So, businesses be warned -- while it may not be my FIRST reaction, I do have former students that will attest to the fact that I am not shy about failing those who consistently show an inability to grasp the facts and act accordingly.

Don't laugh -- even if it IS funny

2009-07-28T23:30:00.003-06:00

There are some things about training a service dog that can be rather amusing. I was reminded of this over the weekend when we went to the Herb and Lavender Festival that was held in Santa Fe. The reaction is not unique to Cura, apparently it is one that many dogs have -- and when you think about it, understandably so.

Imagine if you will, being a dog and walking along, doing y0ur job and minding your own (and your charge's) business -- suddenly you encounter a life sized statue of a person or -- as happened this weekend -- of a mule! In both cases, here is a figure that looks like a living creature but does not smell or move like one! Figure out how to process THAT! Now -- think about the mannequins that are popular in the shops. Since working with Cura, I have noticed that many of them are the size of a normal adult or child human being, but they lack important body parts -- like heads, hands, and/or feet. Combine that with the fact that they don't SMELL like the humans that they look like and you can be dealing with anything from a slightly wary to a completely FREAKED OUT dog!

While this is not a new challenge in our training, it is one that took on a new dimension this weekend since, prior to this, it was primarily humanoid shapes that bothered Cura. I find the whole situation very funny. Not just because Cura is spooked by a statue (though that is rather humorous in a baffling kind of way) but because it frequently takes me at least 30-60 seconds for me to figure out WHY Cura is all of a sudden unwilling to walk at her place beside me -- and there have been a few times where it has taken someone else pointing out the trigger to me for me to 'get it'. I am sure that my utter confusion during these moments is hilarious! They certainly are to me once I solve the mystery, work the trigger, and then have a chance to reflect on it -- so I can only imagine an observer's take on the whole thing!

Let me explain . . .

For the most part, when we are out and about, Cura behaves in certain ways. Either she is doing just what she is supposed to be doing -- kind of 'floating' at my side -- 0r she is slightly out of place, just ahead of where she should be, putting a little bit of pressure on the lead. But, when she notices a life-like, non-live statue/mannequin she moves as far away from the trigger as she can get, given the slack in the lead. Most of the time, this means shifting to my right side, behind me. This is because Cura usually walks on my left side and she rarely reacts strongly to 'strange' things on my right. Instead, it is the things on the left that she reacts to -- it is almost as if she doesn't notice things on the right, but I know this is not accurate because, frequently if there is something or someone on the right, she will either turn her head or prick her ears briefly in that direction (not the ideal reaction -- but she IS still in training). But, her reaction to things on the left is VERY different.

Rick and Heather have provided insight into why this is the case . . . if you are between your dog and the item in question, the dog's reaction is more subdued or nonexistent . . . if the dog is between you and the item in question, the dog's reaction is enhanced. So, if you find yourself in a situation where you have to pass another dog or person that your dog (pet or service) will not be comfortable with -- put yourself between your dog and the trigger, your dog's reaction will be much less fussy. (I have seen and experienced this so it is not something that magically only trainers can do -- though it may seem that way at times -- it really works!)

So, back to this weekend . . .

Here we are at this festival and we have been near this particular mule statue several times throughout the day, but we have either walked by it so that I was between Cura and the mule OR we were near the statue but not directly passing it -- focused on another destination. Up to this particular point, Cura didn't react in any way to the statue -- it was like she didn't notice it -- and (I am sorry to say) I didn't even register its presence.

In an effort to gather our party together, Cura and I were on a mission to track down members of our group that were in the museum and, to get there, we had to pass this particular mule statue on my left hand side (translate: Cura was between me and the statue). There I was, walking toward the museum door and, all of a sudden, Cura was no longer floating by my left side, but had swung back and to the right and balked against moving forward. I was baffled because I just had not registered the mule statue. Both the person who pointed out the trigger to me and myself found Cura's reaction humorous -- it was all I could do to keep from laughing! But, that does not provide Cura with the assurance to deal with such encounters, so it is a less than productive response to these kinds of situations. Instead, Cura has to be 'worked through' the trigger. This means that she has to be passed by the statue and asked to perform her service skills near it until she performs them without a severe reaction to the statue. This does not necessarily mean NO reaction, although that is the ultimate goal. Instead, this has to be seen as a process where improvements are seen as successes -- ultimately, continued improvements will result in the ideal reaction to the situation. Perfection is not usually the first success so it is not realistic to expect it. (This is related to Cura's 'storm triggers' which, I am sure, will be discussed in other posts.) Instead, the key is to diminish the reaction each time. Eventually, the result will be no initial reaction at all. Challenge met and overcome!

I wish I had some footage of Cura's reaction -- but it was quite hot so I limited what she was carrying to her cooling coat (to keep her from getting overheated) and vest with my absolute essentials in it rather than her pack -- which, admittedly does not usually include my camera (though maybe a rethink on the 'essentials' required in her pack). So, no humorous pictures or video (sigh).

I was able to work Cura through the more severe reaction to the mule -- with a combination of obedience commands and a few passes, she was walking by the statue with0ut balking. She may not have been happy about it and would still glance warily in the direction of the statue, but she walked by it staying in place by my side. Whooohoooo! (remember -- celebrate the little successes!) So, while the challenge has not yet been overcome completely, we are meeting the challenge and managing to improve our results.

Changing Habits

2009-07-23T23:00:00.000-06:00

Habits can be insidious things! Sometimes I think that both Cura and I are struggling to recondition previous habits that are not helpful to our partnership. I say struggling only to convey the 'unnatural' nature of our efforts. Because of previous conditioning, we both have things that we do naturally that are counterproductive to our relationship.

Since returning from our Road Trip, I have been dealing with a particular habit and making some progress -- though there is still work to be done. I have mentioned before that in order for Cura to know where she is supposed to be (physically and mentally) when we are on the move, I have to make it clear to her using a combination of corrections that involve very specific timing. Well, a number of things came together just before and during the Road Trip that made it clear that this particular 'skill' needed some serious attention.

I knew before the trip that Cura was not placed where I wanted her -- she was about 3-5 inches forward of that point. However, just before the trip Rick made it clear that I needed to make a particular lifestyle change . . . I had to give up carrying my purse. Instead, it was Cura's responsibility to carry anything that I needed. This effectively served three purposes. The first was to relieve the stress and imbalance that carrying the purse caused physically. The second was to eliminate one of the things I had to handle when I was out and about. Instead of dealing with a bag of some kind that was potentially always having to be repositioned and Cura's lead, I only had to worry about Cura's lead. The third, and potentially most important, was psychological . . . having carried a purse of some kind since my early teens, it had essentially become an extension of myself -- carrying very important items that formed a part of my identity in some way. This fact was very clear to Rick, who promptly pointed out that my reluctance to give up my purse was precisely WHY I needed to. If I began to view Cura in the same way as I viewed my purse -- as an extension of myself -- it would positively influence our relationship because she would pick up on that attitude and react accordingly. Hence the rather quirky mantra was born -- Cura is my purse!

Well, dutifully I went home that night and evaluated the contents of my purse, determined what was absolutely necessary, and began working out where they would go so that Cura could carry them. It is all still a work in progress, but essentially the absolutely necessary things go into the pockets of Cura's vest (her most frequently worn item) and my usually necessary things and her important supplies go into her pack -- frequently with us but not necessarily being worn by Cura unless we are out for the day without the car. So far, this method appears to be working. With only one problematic development . . .

When Cura is wearing her pack, and she is walking beside me -- even if she were placed where I initially thought I wanted her -- the pack hits my leg. On a bad day, this could potentially throw me off balance and it almost always causes the pack to become unbalanced. This became very obvious during the Road Trip because Cura was using the pack more frequently than normal because she needed her equipment with her and I needed more than just the absolute essentials. So, it soon became clear to me that Cura's placement was a serious issue that needed to be dealt with. Which I presented to Rick and Heather as a priority issue at our first training session upon our return. Not only was I not managing to get Cura placed where I HAD wanted her (an ongoing issue that I had been trying to resolve without success despite Rick and Heather's efforts), she now needed to be even further back to avoid interference with or by the pack when she was wearing it.

So, the Thursday after our return from the Road Trip, we had the good fortune of having a two hour training session. This was combined with the long awaited arrival of custom made slip collars that Rick and Heather had commissioned. Cura has always responded well when her slip collar is set high on her neck (picture where handlers have the slip lead on the dog in dog shows), but I can't seem to keep the slip collar there because my correction timing is a bit late so my corrections actually cause the collar to slip down Cura's neck. This new collar is constructed in a way to counter that -- Whooooohoooooo!! So far, it appears to be working well.

It was while working with this collar that Rick and Heather helped me to realize that I had a habit that needed to be broken . . . I am used to 'feeling' a dog at the end of a leash! While I have never tolerated any of my pet dogs dragging me down the street -- they have always put slight pressure on the leash so I am used to feeling minor tension on the leash. Cura, as a service dog -- and particularly as a mobility dog, must 'float' beside me, putting absolutely no pressure on the lead. Why is my habit a problem? It means that I need to be reconditioned to correct Cura's placement before there is even slight pressure on the lead. Because I was used to feeling slight pressure on the lead, I did not correct until the pressure exceeded the pull that I was habitually used to. So, now I am not only working on changing Cura's placement drastically to compensate for her pack, but I am also learning how to keep the lead completely slack with absolutely NO pressure. As usual, my success varies, but we are both improving and now she is placed in a better position much of the time.