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!

Ignoring old friends

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

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.