October 20, 2012
October 17, 2012
Chaos loomed large inside so, for the first time since Thomas came home, I left him out on his own. Translated: The Service Dog Project mama-to-be is enormous — 37 pounds more than her usual weight of 140. Her name is Chaos. At this farm full of fabulous Great Danes, a fence surrounds the many acres where they can get exercise and supervised play. Up at the main house, they can get treats, pets, naps and supervised mingling with their canine and human friends. But for now, the house belongs to Chaos. The other Danes are not to disturb her for she has an important job: She ‘s due any moment. I enjoyed the pleasure of laying my hand on her head and stroking her down each round in her belly. Her breath heavy, I watched her eyes drift closed. If I’m lucky, I’ll be on hand to witness those […]
October 11, 2012
Outing #2: Yoga Class How We Did: Sir Thomas, a natural yogi, got into a down-dog pose before class started. He found it difficult to relax into savasana, though. He popped up a few times from his down-stay. I realized that he was listening to me as I guided the class through poses, my voice the same tone as when I cue his commands. He couldn’t rest easy because he kept waiting for a word he knew. I hadn’t anticpated his focus on my voice; he hadn’t experienced being in a down-stay with a string of unfamiliar words. What I Learned: Bring a chew toy not only to keep him busy but to emphasize that during class, he’s on call not on active duty. Pleasant Surprise: He’s a quick learner: By the end of the week I was teaching my third class with Tommy in attendance. He fell sound asleep. […]
October 7, 2012
I was not a wedding planner as a girl. The date the marriage began, I figured, was not the end of a fairy tale we’d live Happily Ever After. It seemed more of a beginning where the reality of quirks and habits and miscommunication meant we’d agree to ‘Hard Work Hereafter.’ Now that Sir Thomas is home, our work is beginning. I’m discovering that, like with a marriage, with each adventure we gain a little understanding, become better partners. The yogi in me is keeping me from judging our actions and letting them be what they are, including added bits of insight and humor. Outing #1: The dentist (exciting, I realize…but, even though pictures of service dogs and their handlers often show them at restaurants, the reality is we more often have mundane errands and appointments). How we did: ST performed admirably. He had to squeeze into a tight spot […]