Another Milestone!

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!

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 . . .

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.