Daylight Savings Time . . . .

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!

Recovering . . .

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.

Creatures of Habit . . .

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!

Wandering around without a part of me!

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!

Hey! That's my spot!

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!

Training Withdrawals

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. 

Looks can be deceiving . . .

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!

Black Friday Adventure

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!

Fur Ball 2009

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!

All Work and No Play . . . NOT

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 . . .

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!

Changing Habits

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.