Out and About!

We're on a roll! As the lectures and commands get completed, more and more time is been spent on practical exercises. While all class topics are important, Daily Life on Saturday (yes, we had class on Saturday) was critical in giving us an understanding of life with an Assistance Dog. Yes, they are dogs, but they are not "pets".

Pets don't go to restaurants, the movies or the library but Assistance Dog International certified dogs go every where we go, no questions asked and at no added cost. This Thursday, we take the ADI certification test at a Mall. If we don't pass, we can still take our dogs home (assuming we pass the 2 or so hour CCI Final Exam that morning) but we are not certified to take our dogs into public settings.

Thus, we spent a lot of time these past few days learning the commands for loading and unloading our dogs (car, wait, jump; off, wait, off), practicing that and going on field trips. You should have seen us at Target and Loews!

We were 10 students plus an additional eight family members here with us for training, a handful of trainers plus all our assorted mobility equipment. Of course, we took all the handicapped parking spots! Except me: I couldn't get one so I had to take a regular spot. It was quite a challenge to do the unloading and loading back up, as I brought my travel scooter to practice with so I had that as well as my dog, crutch and pocket book (decided to leave the crutch in the van).

In the stores, we got into a processional line, just like in grammar school, and followed our trainers as we traveled down various aisles. The goal was to make our dogs invisible. Think of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - all they do is look straight ahead while at the same time, know everything that's going on around them.

Just as kids act silly to make such guards lose their composure, our trainers did their best to make our dogs act out. They dropped products with a clunk, stepped right over them and made loud noises. That's Mark in the photo with his dog as Lisa does her best to cause a distraction. Mark's right on top of the situation, just as he is on his life. Despite a paralyzing truck accident, he rides an ATV and flying glider and goes snow mobiling and kayaking.

They also play acted like store customers enamored of our dogs - running up to them, cooing and asking if they could pet them. We learned to command our dogs to remain seated, explain that our dogs are working and offer to allow them to Shake. We keep CCI brochures in the pockets of our dog's Assistance Dog vests that we can hand out.

Whew! Upcoming Field Trips this week are to a Mall, grocery store and Pet Smart. At Pet Smart, we'll finally be allowed to do real shopping.

Life Around Dog Campus

Ah yes, life goes on for us and our dogs outside of class. A big, fenced in area gives us the opportunity to let our dogs run. It was fun to see them go a bit nuts. I need to run off some energy myself! Unfortunately, it's been too hectic to go to the YMCA as often as I had planned. I got there one night last week to swim and hope to get there tonight again as I have a hair appointment on Wednesday.

As the earliest riser, I'm first in the community kitchen to make the coffee. That's followed by taking Fido out. Oops, this morning I forgot my key and was standing outside in my morning sweats, flip flops and crazy hair hoping someone would get up soon and let us in. We all came here as strangers just a week ago and now we're hanging out as family - sharing a cup of coffee and funny stories, going out for dinner, finding someone's lost sock in the dryer and getting annoyed at something or other.

Without cell phone service in the facility, we have to go outside for phone calls. Here's John catching up on emails with his fiance Cindy and their dog. Like Mark, John (who was in a motorcycle accident at age 24) is non-stop. He's a special ed teacher, has been in the Boston Marathon - twice - and is an avid skier. See him on this Youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4O4xY02k5I

Speaking of cell phones, I need to get outside to check for VMs and then get us to class!