Thanks to puppies...

This post is my submission for the 14th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC), hosted by L-Squared on her website: l-squared.org. The theme this go-round is OPPORTUNITY.

 

Hi. My name is patti. I am a puppy-raising addict.

Because of my addiction, I spend two days a month in prison.

I can explain...

Back in 2002, Leader Dogs for the Blind started a ground breaking puppy-raising program in the Iowa prison system - with one puppy. After several years and even more puppies, it was evident that the puppies coming out of the prison system had a higher graduation percentage (65-70+%) than puppies raised on the outside (40-45%). 

Simultaneously, the recidivism rate of puppy-raising inmates (13-15%) ran well below the national average (50%). Soon, other prisons joined the program - two more facilities in Iowa, one in Wisconsin, and most recently one in Minnesota and two in Michigan (plus one more on the docket).

After 11 years, over 300 Future Leader Dog puppies have been raised in the prison system. To top things off, Leader Dogs for the Blind has received the 2013 Mutual of America Community Partnership Award. (Visit the following link to watch a video about the program: Inside to Outside Initiative - Prison Puppy Raising Program.)

A serendipitous series of events in 2013 led to the puppy-raising program being replicated in Leader Dogs for the Blind's home state of Michigan.

Three years ago my puppy-counselor Tammy asked me to help her with puppy outings in the eastern U.P. A handful of her puppy-raisers were spread out around the area and in the Canadian Soo.

Once a month Tammy and I would drive north. Typically we'd meet for dinner with the raisers and their pups and then gather at a school or park for a training session. Sometimes we did other things, like attend a hockey game at Lake Superior State University, or represent Leader Dogs at the Snowsfest in Lex Cheneaux. 

On a side note, these trips were another step in my growing addiction. I ended up a puppy counselor myself; I assist distance raisers that live from Maine to Florida.

Paula and Dave, a couple from the U.P. group, raised a golden retriever puppy they named Alphie. He ended up being pulled for breeding and eventually sired my FLD Dutch. Paula kept taps on Dutch through this blog. She read about the Iowa prison puppy-raising program and as they say, the rest is history. Catch up on that story by visiting my other blog puppies inside.

So now our monthly northern trips include visits to the Chippewa Correctional Facility in Kincheloe in the eastern U.P. and the Baraga Correctional Facility in Baraga, a half-day's drive to the western side of the U.P.

PUPPIES IN PRISON - A WIN-WIN SITUATION

Leader Dogs for the Blind gets puppies that are well prepared for formal guide dog training. These days some clients even ask for a prison-raised puppy.

Inmate raisers get a chance to give something back to society. They learn empathy and gain hope. And when they give their grown puppies back to Leader Dogs, they learn something about loss and what they took away from the victims of their crimes.

Prison officials get calmer units with less fighting. They get respectful relationships between inmates and guards. And they get inmates that have a better chance of staying out, once they get out.

And I get a monthly puppy fix, working with the inmate raisers and their pups. Oftentimes I get to spring a pup for dinner "furlough." And just after Christmas (2013) my home was a half-way house for FLD Bear, a seven-week-old black Lab that was destined for the Baraga Correctional Facility. (See posts about FLD Bear here: puppiesinside - FLD Bear.)

Getting a puppy-fix with FLD Bear.

Yes, he can.

Down to the wire, even after an extended deadline for submissions to the 11th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC). This edition is being hosted by Frida Writes. If you don't have a clue what the ADBC is, visit the ADBC home page to find out, and to catch up on past carnivals.

This post is my submission for the 11th ADBC, the theme of which is Resources and Tools.

We settled at our place behind one of the long tables in the conference room at Leader Dogs for the Blind. Or rather, we tried to settle. My back and/or hip screamed at me in a knot for some unknown reason, and FLD Dutch was up to his new tricks.

I had placed his "mat" next to my chair on the right side, to give a bit of distance between Dutch and Cheri's petite Chocolate Lab puppy on my left, and asked him to settle. He slid into a down, and rested his chin on his front left paw.

For one second.

He popped up. I ignored him.

He lay back down, chin to the floor. I dropped a piece of kibble next to his snout, which he snarfed up like a great white shark.

He looked up at me. BARK! I flinched.

Quiet, I whispered. His head dropped. I waited. He looked back at me but put his head back down when a treat was not forthcoming.

I dropped a piece of kibble. SHARK ATTACK.

Pretty much it went like this for Dutch and me most of the morning--the first of three days of on-campus "Puppy Counselor Training" at Leader Dogs. It was a good thing I only fed him half of his breakfast.

I was part of a team of over 40 volunteer puppy counselors that act as liaisons between the 450 volunteer puppy raisers and Leader Dogs for the Blind. Our responsibilities are to assist the raisers in the training of their puppies and to organize monthly outings to practice specific skills.

This was our yearly training intensive to become better counselors. Deb Donnelly, the new Puppy Development Supervisor that Leader Dogs hired just over a year ago, is a Karen Pryor Academy certified clicker trainer, and she brings the same positive reinforcement techniques to her people training. Deb had asked us for specific issues that she could address during our three days. I was ready--I couldn't get Dutch to settle and suspected that my reinforcement timing was off.

After lunch another counselor, who happened to be puppy-less, offered to take Dutch. My back needed the break.

Dutch played his same tricks with her as I watched from across the room.

FLD Dutch looks up for a reward.

Here Dutch has turned around and is in his typical "settle" position--just before he vocalizes...

At last, Dutch was about to become the class demo. Deb talked to us about products to help calm anxious puppies. Thundershirts. Rescue Remedy. Lavender oils. As she spoke she nonchalantly meandered over to Dutch and lightly spritzed lavender over his back. He leapt up, snorting, and jumped away from his mat. He cautiously sniffed the mat, but backed up to the end of his leash.

Eventually, he slid down. Not on the mat.

Deb moved a chair to the center of the room and asked to take Dutch. She picked up his mat, walked him to the chair and sat down. She never said a word to him, just held his leash and placed the mat next to her chair. She continued her lecture.

Meanwhile, Dutch barked and whined and pulled and sat down, lied down, jumped up, and walked from one end of his leash to the other. Deb continued to calmly hold the other end of his leash, ignoring him, but very aware of his antics.

At one point, Dutch seemed to "give it up" and lied down on his mat. Shortly after, Deb dropped a bit of kibble near his belly, so he had to curl around to get it. He looked up at her, but she was focused on the rest of us.

He fussed. She ignored.

He lied down again. She waited. As she reached behind to her treat bag, Dutch's head whipped up in anticipation. She drew her hand away and held it open to show him there was nothing there. He dropped his head to the floor.

FLD Dutch anticipates the treat from Deb.

She waited. He sighed. Another piece of kibble dropped out of the sky between his belly and his rear legs. He shifted position. She waited and eventually rewarded in the same manner. Finally, Dutch rolled over onto his side and fell asleep.

FLD Dutch has rolled over onto his side and is gazing across the room at me. Deb is relaxed and explaining lots of great things to us.

Deb only used about four treats during the entire session. "Of course, he is very tired," she said. Without saying a word about my behavior, Deb made it obvious that a couple of things I did, and didn't do, contributed to Dutch's superstitious bark and the difficulty in adding duration to his settle.

By the end of the second day of counselor training, more than one person asked me if I had a new puppy. Dutch was a different dog, no doubt. And I was learning to wait for the reward-able moment, and to place the reward where it would encourage the behavior I wanted.

I am grateful to have Deb as a resource, not only for guiding the training of my Future Leader Dog, but also when I need help in advising the puppy raisers in my group. Thank you Deb, for all you do!

11th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival--call for submissions

Just found out that the deadline for the 11th ADBC has been extended until May 4. That's good for me, because I hope to have a post up before then!

In the meantime, if you are a blogger and are interested in participating, check out Sharon Wachsler's blog to learn more about how to submit a post. Wachsler is the founder of the ADBC.

This edition of the ADBC is hosted by Frida Writes. The theme she selected is Resources and Tools.

Stay tuned.....

Ten weeks

Announcing the 10th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC)! Sharon Wachsler, founder of the ADBC, is hosting this edition over at her blog, After Gadget. The theme this round is "Perfect 10."

The following is my submission.

Ten weeks ago a blond bundle of Golden Retriever puppy bounded into our lives and stole my heart. Future Leader Dog (FLD) "Dutch."

When strangers ask me, "How can you give them up?" I've taken to answering, If I didn't give up my last one, I wouldn't have this one!

In keeping with Sharon's "Perfect 10" theme, here are 10 "snapshots" from the last ten weeks of raising Dutch, even if they aren't "perfect."

1. Sweetie-pie

I relish that first scent of puppy-breath when he is handed over to me and I press my face to his. I know that sleepless nights are in my near future, but right now I don't care. I'm glad we live three hours from Leader Dogs for the Blind. This will be the only time I'll allow Dutch to sit on my lap in the van instead of on the floorboard of the passenger seat where he belongs.

But Dutch doesn't snuggle. He is a wiggly almost-13 pound wire-bale of fuzz. After our third rest stop on I-75 north, he conks out in my arms. An hour later, when we pull safely into our garage, my arms are dead.

FLD Dutch looks up at me as if he's wondering, "Where are we going?" We are in the van heading home after picking him up from Leader Dogs for the Blind.

2. Mr. Peabody

He can't be trusted. What goes in must come out. Even when you take him out to "park," if he's been slurping water, he'll pee again in what seems like seconds. "I just took him out!" my husband exclaims as Dutch relieves himself on the living room carpet with no warning. We think we should buy stock in Nature's Miracle. And paper towels.

Dutch rolls over on his back. Mr. Innocent.

3. Rocketman

In the beginning, I think I'll never get mister-springs-for-legs to "sit" for longer than a millisecond when it's mealtime. Morning, noon and evening, I balance his puppy-chow bowl over my head in my left hand and hold his collar with my right. Dutch, sit, I say. He does, but as soon as his bowl loses elevation his feather paws scrabble on the kitchen laminate and he's the roadrunner on ice. Up goes the bowl. Down goes his butt. I spread my right fingers to support his back in the "sit" position and set the bowl down. Left hand now free, I snap my finters to break his stare-down with the kibble. We have eye contact. Blast off at my command. OK!

Dutch sits on the mat with Gus while waiting for breakfast. Gypsy reluctantly sits too. Dutch had gained seconds on his "sit" every mealtime. After a week of feeding in his x-pen, we decide to let him eat with the big dogs. The first two days, Andy holds him while I feed Gypsy and Gus. Then it is his turn. I am amazed how quickly he figures this out. In spite of being a whirling dervish when I get the food buckets out of the clostet, Dutch wiggles his butt onto the mat with Gus and waits his turn. No more holding!

4. Dutcherino

It takes FLD Dutch about 30 minutes to settle under our table at Randy's Restaurant. We've been working on "down" so I give him the cue and he drops to the carpeted floor. He pops up and plops his snout in my lap. I reposition him so his nose is poking out from under the table and he is lying down behind my legs. He squirms around until he is facing me from the aisle. I scoot him back under the table. Our coffee hasn't even come yet.

FLD Dutch stares up at the table as if he has x-ray vision.

5. Mr. Awwwwwwwsome

I take FLD Dutch and Andy to a Christmas concert at the Rose City Middle School. Unfortunately, the concert is actually at the high school, five miles away. When we arrive right at curtain time, we see a crowd at the entrance to the auditorium. Someone fell and EMS was called; the concertgoer's bad luck delayed the performance. We weren't late after all.

With the doors blocked by the paramedics and a gurney, our only choice was to enter by the stage. As I coaxed my golden fur ball past the front row seats a harmonic "awwwww" rolled out ahead of us. The "awwwwws" resonated to the back of the room like a wave as we turned up the main aisle to find two empty seats. I doubt that anyone minded that the choir started singing late.

FLD Dutch poses next to a Christmas toy colletction box, courtesy of the Rose City Lions Club.

 

6. Dutcher

It is early evening. Dutch paces through the living room, his pads slap the kitchen floor, he slurps a bit of water and returns. He wanders into my writing room and pauses at the x-pen section that is blocking off our bedroom. He tries to slip under the footrest of the couch where Andy has the recliner raised, but he's getting too big to fit. He squeezes behind the couch and bumps against the end table as he squeezes out the other end. I take him out to "park" but once back inside he still paces. I have him do a few rounds of puppy push-ups (a series of quick sit, down, sit, down, sit, down, etc.). He paces. I sit on the floor with him to encourage a "settle" but he squirms away. I get up and move the x-pen from our bedrooom doorway. He races inside. His crate is in there. When I open the crate door, he zips in and whips around for the bit of kibble I always toss in behind him. I latch the door. He's down for the night (although I take him out for a last "park" when we head for bed).

A sweet Dutch catches some Zs in his crate.

 

7. Dutch-man

On assignment at the Ogemaw Hills Snowmobile Club's 45th Anniversary Open House, I take Dutch out back to "park." He dives into the snow with a vengeance. With a ferocious wrinkled nose, he take offense to whatever it is he senses under the snow.

FLD Dutch sniffs in the fluffy snow with a wrinkly nose, one which he usually reserves for when he is playing with our career-changed Lab, Gus.

8. Buddy

Gus is twice his size, but that doesn't stop Dutch from scrunching his snout, ducking his shoulder and barreling into the gentle black Lab. "He's a tuck and roll kind of wrestler," Andy says. Dutch is relentless. He bites at Gus's back legs. He stands up on his hind legs and grabs a mouthful of Gus's neck fur. One day I notice Dutch chewing on something black as he lay on the floor near Gus. What do you have? I ask as I walk over to take it away. Dutch looks up. He has Gus's tail between his front paws. When they wrestle, more times than not it's Gus who yips "too much" when things get rough. By evening, Gus takes refuge on the couch, where Dutch is not allowed.

Dutch and Gus take a break under Andy's desk. Light and dark, they are still best buds.

9. FLD Dutch

We arrive about 15 minutes early. FLD Dutch and I check out the cafeteria at Surline Elementary School where we'll be presenting to three of five classes of second-graders. We'll be back tomorrow to talk to the others. Dutch is happy the janitor hasn't  mopped the floors yet. We work on "leave it." I lay his mat out at the far end of the room and practice obedience while we wait. Before long the kids file in. Dutch lets rip a golden "whooooo, whooooo, whooooo." The kids giggle.

FLD Dutch holds a stay on his mat while I talk about Leader Dogs for the Blind and the important job that Dutch is being raised to do. I ask for a volunteer to demonstrate "Juno" training. When blind or visually impaired clients come to Leader Dogs, the trainers work with them for a couple of days before the dogs are issued. In "Juno" training, the Leader Dog trainers act as the dog, guiding the clients with a harness. They evaluate how the clients react if the dog misbehaves; this helps to verify the match.

Arms fly up, the kids can hardly hold their butts to the floor. I pick one little girl who seems a little shy, but still had the courage to raise her hand. I ask her to take hold of the harness handle and close her eyes. As I slowly guide her I whisper to the other kids, Now I'm going to be a BAD dog. I jerk the harness to the side. The little girl screams, but doesn't drop the handle. Dutch jumps up from his mat and bounds over to us. The kids can't contain themselves.

FLD Dutch doesn't take his eyes off of me as we pose with three classes of second-graders at Surline Elementary.

 

10. Mr. Bigfoot

FLD Dutch gains 11 pounds in one month. I'm raising a golden bigfoot! When I picked him up 10 weeks ago, he weighed 12.8 pounds. During training this past weekend at Leader Dogs for the Blind, I tried to get him to settle on their old-style scale with a gigantic dial. The wobbly pointer was difficult to read, but I'm guessing he weighed in at about 34 pounds! Do the math. He's growing at more than double the typical rate of one pound per week.

A relaxed FLD Dutch hangs out on his mat in the training room at Leader Dogs for the Blind. It is the end of our weekend seminar, and he is tired. Yay!

Ten weeks down. About 40 more weeks to go...

 

A moment when anything is possible.

The 9th Assistant Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC) is on!

Martha, at her blog Believe in Who You Are, is hosting this quarter.

Her topic:  MOMENTS.

Being puppy-less at the moment, I've been getting my puppy-fix at a friend's house. Read my submission to the ABDC below to find out how...

WARNING, SOME LANGUAGE AND PHOTOS ARE EXPLICIT!

 

There are three tiny black Lab puppies piled warm on a heating pad in a blue bin when I arrive at the home of my friends, Dick and Phyllis. They host Leader Dog "mom" Amber in their cozy country house located just north of town.

Amber paces around the dining room and pants; her sides bulge and heave. According to a recent x-ray, there should be five more puppies to come. This is Amber's third litter born here.

"They're coming much faster this time," Phyllis says.

The mid-afternoon sun shining in the bay window augments the heat-lamp that is attached above the whelping box. A scale sits on the kitchen counter, ready for weigh in. This will be my first litter-assist and I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'm anxious to witness the wonder.

Amber steps into the warm whelping box, easing onto her side. Contractions rack her belly. She struggles up, curls her head around and before we know it, a slick black sack plops onto the towel. Amber teethes away the membrane and bites at the umbilical cord. Phyllis leans in to help extract the puppy from the sack. She gives Amber some time to lick the pup clean. Another female.

Dick is disappointed. So far there is only one male. He notes the time of birth on a record sheet.

Phyllis cradles the puppy with a clean towel and brings her to the table where Dick is waiting with string to bind off the cord. He snips the excess and drips a bit of medicine on it to prevent infection. Phyllis ties a bit of orange ribbon around the puppy's neck. The puppy will wear orange until her return to Leader Dogs for the Blind six weeks hence. A quick check to make sure the puppy's palate is not cleft and she is weighed in. Then, it's back to momma, who is now at rest in the whelping box.

Phyllis places Miss Orange near Amber's tit. The puppy's pink tongue forms a perfect suction seal and she sets to suckling.

When the next puppy comes, I tie the cord with my smaller fingers. Maybe I will be of use after all. By the end of the evening there are seven healthy puppies. Dick is pleased that there are two males.

There is a moment in time when anything is possible. Prince Fielder waves off his teammates and catches the pop fly that sends the Detroit Tigers to the World Series.

Leader Dog "mom" Amber births seven black Labs with a destiny.

Leader Dog "mom" Amber gazes up with her melted chocolate eyes.

Phyllis lends a hand in removing the sack from another one of Amber's puppies. It is amazing to see the tiny nails on each paw trying to poke through.

Miss Orange latches on and gets to suckling next to her sister.

Mr. Blue matches the soft blue blanket where he snoozes between feedings.

Amber cleans off Miss Yellow while she and four of her siblings have dinner.

Phyllis cuddles a newborn.

Chain reaction. Amber sits up. Five puppies lose suction. Two hang on.

Seven Future Leader Dog puppies keep warm in a pile.

Stay tuned...more to come on Amber's puppies!

Announcing...the 9th ADBC!

How time flies! Martha, over at Believe in Who You Are, has called for submissions for the 9th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival.

Martha's theme is MOMENTS. What a wonderful theme. As she suggests, participants can write a blog post about a single moment in time...

• The moment when your puppy or dog learned a task
• The moment you and your dog felt like a team for the first time
• Last moments working with or being with your dog
• Favorite moments, funny moments, embarrassing moments, ETC

Anyone who is involved with raising, training, using, or otherwise involved with an assistance dog can participate.

The deadline is October 31.

To enter the 9th ABDC visit Martha's blog post here, and comment with:

1. Name of your blog: E.G. Believe in Who You Are
2. The title of your post: E.G. My Favorite Moments
3. The link to your post: E.G. http://learninbabysteps.blogspot.com/my-favorite-moments.html

I am excited, not only to read all the submissions, but...I already have an idea!

Stay tuned...

 

The 8th ADBC--Marchin' to Your Own Drum

This is my post for the 8th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival, hosted by Brooke over at ruled by paws. Brooke creatively selected the topic "Marchin' to Your Own Drum." I decided to take her literally. Here's a poem about my Future Leader Dog "Scout" and our wonderful morning routine.

furry twister

when the sun peaks

around my blind in the morning,

a muttered whine drifts in

from the other room, my future

leader dog puppy Scout is ready

to bring on the day

my sweetie, like a gallant knight, arises

to grant me a few moments more

in bed

he dresses,

goes into the other room and clips open her crate

Scout sits, exhibiting

some semblance of self-control

he releases her

with a snap of her collar

I hear the tingle of her tag

and a rhythmic pat-a-pat-pat of her pads

as she waggles around to my side of the bed

with a castanet clap of her teeth

her tail drums

Good Morning! against my Teak wood dresser

the beat, beat, beat travels through her feet

and spirals out her bobble-head

a dancing furry twister

she can barely get a lick in

I doubt that anyone

could carry a crabby through the day

with a wake up like this

FLD Scout, my morning wake-up call!

For  more information about the ADBC, visit Sharon Waschler's blog post About the ADBC. Spread the word, participate, read and enjoy!

ADBC--it cometh again!

The 8th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC) has just been announced by Brooke, at her blog "ruled by paws".  (For background information about the ADBC, and links to past issues, visit this link: About the ADBC.)

Brooke works with a guide dog and her blog is about her adventures with all of her pups. She is hosting this edition of the ADBC and her choice of topic is...drum roll please...

"Marchin' to Your Own Drum"

Brooke listed some examples on her post to help us get started. Here they are!

• Does your assistance dog fit the traditional mold? (does he or she have any special quirks or behaviors?)
• Does your dog do things differently from past partners (or the partners of friends)?
• Why did you choose to go with a program dog after your owner-trained one retired? (or vice versa)
• Why did you choose a non-traditional breed for your partner?
• Did you have to overcome any sort of resistance from family, friends or employers when deciding to partner with an assistance dog?
• Have you witnessed any unique or special assistance dogs in action? (what made them stand out?)
• Did you have preconceived notions of what an assistance dog should look like, only to have them changed by witnessing one in action or reading about one?

As a puppy-raiser, and not an assistance-dog handler, I might add a few more ideas:

• If you've raised multiple puppies, how have they been different?
• Are there "required" techniques that you struggle with? (For example, loose-leash walking.)
• Have you ever experienced a conflict for your decision to raise puppies (either within yourself, family members, or at work?) How did you handle it?

Visit Brooke's post (ADBC Call for Submissions) to submit your entry to the Carnival. You will need to comment on her post with the name of your blog, your name, the name of your post, and a URL to your post. Deadline is "7:47 pm" on July 29, 2012. Brooke will compile and "publish" the 8th edition on July 31st.

Thank you Brooke, for hosting!

Stay tuned for my entry!

It's here! The 7th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival!

As promised, here is an overview of the 7th ADBC. For those of you not keen on the ADBC, check out Sharon Waschler's post, "About the ADBC" on her blog, "After Gadget."

 

While there was not a huge response to my chosen topic of EFFECT/AFFECT, or "How has a working dog in your life IMPACTED other people and/or the relationships in your life?" the posts that were submitted are thoughtful and honest.

To those who tackled this sensitive topic, I thank you for sharing.

It was interesting to me that two bloggers, who are handlers of assistance dogs, remarked that people are often more interested in their dogs than in them. Even as a volunteer puppy-raiser I get a taste of this when out and about in my small town with Future Leader Dog "Scout." My husband Andy says, "I don't even exist. First it's 'Hi, Scout' and then it's 'oh, it's that lady with the puppy.' Who am I?!"

At any rate, I pass the hosting baton on to Tori, at her blog "The Average Blog by an Average Blogger" for the 8th ADBC in July. Stay tuned!

THE 7TH ADBC POSTS

Lyssa, at her blog, "Downunder Assistance Dog," wrote "The Knightly Effect." Knightly is a nine-month-old Golden Retriever that she is training to be her assistance dog. Lyssa's post explores the many effects that Knightly has had and continues to have on her life (and her husband's life)...from getting her out of bed in the morning to keeping her out of the hospital.

Khills writes about how training her mobility assistance dog, Shai Ezer, "suicide proofs her." Her blog is "Shai Ezer-Helper Beside Me: Training My Service Dog," and her post for the ADBC is "Not Easily Broken: Dancing With Shai." Khills uses pictures to illustrate the journey she's taken with Shai after a 2009 diagnosis of the "intruder" MS (her term for the disease). Because everyone in her family "had to deal with it (MS)," Shai helps maintain the "family's equilibrium."

Sharon, over at her blog, "After Gadget," is responsible for starting the ADBC way back in the fall of 2010. (Where does the time go?) Her post "Service Dogs & Friends: Familiarity Breeds...Confusion?" is a sincere exploration of how the "raising, training, and handling" of her own service dogs has had a negative effect on the relationships with people in her life. In turn, these relationships have made it more difficult to actually train and work with her "dog partners."

L^2's post, "Impacts on Relationships," at her blog, "Dog's Eye View," examines the positive and negative impacts that working with her guide dog, Jack,  has had with people in her daily life, and "those I encounter once in a blue moon." Although Jack has eased the worries of her parents, L^2 says it has been difficult to get her family members to NOT treat Jack like a "pet." Read how this makes her feel toward spending time with them. Dealing with the general public has been negative for the most part--L^2 says she feels as though she and Jack are a "form of entertainment." Still, she likes the idea of raising awareness and hopes she has smoothed the way for other guide dog teams.

L^2 brings up an interesting take on how having her dog take center stage affects her interactions with "friends" and how she has established "new relationships" within an on-line community of handlers and others who are involved somehow with assistance dogs. That the blogging community sometimes acts as a "second family" is one of the benefits I wasn't expecting when I began blogging a few years ago.

My post, "The affecting effect of dogs..." is a personal note on how my love of dogs makes the relationship with my aging parents a sometimes-uncomfortable situation to manage. Yet, it always amazes me how these creatures demonstrate the true meaning of "unconditional" love.

READERS! Please take a few moments to meet my blogging friends by following the links above to their posts and their blogs.

Looking forward to the 8th ADBC Tori!

The affecting effect of dogs...

...on people who don't like dogs.

This post is my submission to the 7th ADBC.

Sometimes, those of us who DO like dogs have a hard time understanding those who DON'T. What's not to like about the undivided attention our dogs give us (most of the time) ; their always-ecstatic-to-see-you greetings, whether you've left them for 5 minutes to walk out to get the mail, or you've been gone on another overtime work day; their curious way of sensing the world, knowing when laying a head on your knee is just the right thing to do; their joy in the moment--when you grab the leash and head out the door, they don't care where you are going, they are just happy to go. With you.

With you. Isn't that the best?

Sometimes, I find it hard not to be suspicious of those who DON'T. There's something wrong with that, I want to think.

And yet.

I find I must respect those who DON'T.

Perhaps a traumatic experience created a fear of dogs. Years ago, when my nephew was less than two years old, he was bitten in the face by a neighbor's dog. He developed a fear so severe he would not go outside to play if he even saw just a squirrel on his lawn.

We can understand that, can't we?

Perhaps an unpleasant experience somehow got associated with a "dog" and the very thought of a "dog" brings all kinds of suppressed feelings to the surface. When my father was a young boy, his father's bulldog would wake him up in the morning with a snorting, slobbering face wash. My father detests dogs. I wish I had a nickel for all the times I heard him say, "At least kids grow up and change their own diapers." Sometimes I wonder about my father's young life with a father who drank, a father who died when his son was only 17, My father left school in his senior year to get a job to help support the rest of his family. Later, he worked hard to care for his own family, which turned out to be seven kids! Dogs were an unnecessary expense and he could not/does not understand the attraction. I knew better to even ask for a dog when I was a child. Dad always said, "You can get a dog when you move out."

I guess I can understand that. To each his own.

My parents don't like dogs. 

There. I've said it.

Well. My dad doesn't like dogs. My mom, well, I think she's interested, but she lives with my dad. (Don't let her hear me say this!)

So this is what happened. I moved out. I got a dog. And then another dog, and another one after that. And 35 years later I have two dogs PLUS I raise puppies for Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Needless to say, this situation can sometimes be uncomfortable for me in my relationship with my parents. They don't like to visit, and now that we've moved so far away that a visit means: "overnight," I doubt they'll ever be back. (They came for one night last summer.)

I understand that my parents are getting older, and can't get around very well. My dad's back doctor told him he'd be in a wheelchair by the time he was 80. My dad will be 85 this June and still no wheelchair. My mom had her hip replaced in 2011. My dogs are big and a bump could mean a tumble. I take care to keep them out of harm's way. (My dogs, not my parents.)

I do NOT expect my dogs to be welcome at their house. If I visit for a few hours, I might bring the dogs to wait in the van. (They love coming with me, even if they are stuck in their "mobile" crate.") If I visit overnight, I come alone. My sweet husband, Andy, holds down the dog-fort back home.

And yet.

There's a curious thing.

(You know that "dog" spelled backwards is "god," don't you?)

My nephew grew up with my first dog. I lived around the block and "Aero" was less than six-weeks-old when I brought her home. The little black ball of fur won over his heart. Aero grew up to be a big strong dog (she was part Lab and Irish Setter, we think), and my nephew grew up to be mad about animals.

The dog did that.

Maybe 15 years ago, when my parents lived in Florida and we had a big house in the city, they came to visit. We only had one dog at the time, "Stoker," a small yellow Lab/beagle mix mutt who was an angel in disguise. Stoker's gift was making everyone feel that they were her best friends--even my parents! Andy and I came home after a long day of tending our business to find my mom and dad cuddled up on one of our oversized LazyBoy chairs. They were covered to the chin with an afghan my mom had knit for me as a high school graduation gift. Stoker was curled up on a corner of it at their feet. My mom was quite taken by her affection. My dad said, "She's alright. For a DOG."

The dog did that.

Now when I stop by with the dogs in the back of the van, my mom likes to come out to see them when I leave. Dad always follows. My old mutt, "Gypsy," howls and moans in greeting, like she knows that these people-who-don't-pet-her are "family" and part of her pack. I love to see my mom grin like a second-grader when Gypsy does this.

The dog did that.

My parents don't understand my love for dogs, but they accept me. And sometimes when we go out to eat I bring my Future Leader Dog puppy along. Mom is quick to tell everyone she sees, "That's my daughter. She raises puppies for Leader Dogs."

The puppy did that.

My mother and father snuggle on our love-seat during their visit last summer. FLD Gus was in his crate and you can just see the back end of Gypsy curled up in her bed on the floor.

DEADLINE TODAY for ADBC!

Today is the deadline for submissions to the 7th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival. On May 15 I will publish a summary with links to all posts.

To submit, just leave a comment (with the name of your blog, the name of your post, and a link to it) at the end of this post, or on the original "Call for Submissions," or on the "Call for Submissions TAKE 2."

It's funny how deadlines have become my "muse." I've been brewing about my own submission for weeks now, wanting to write about the effects that raising puppies for Leader Dogs for the Blind has had on my life and those around me. I thought I would write about these things:

The effect on ME

How Leader Dogs for the Blind has become an extended family. How I find friends wherever I go--people who are also raising puppies, or hosting Leader Dog "moms" or "dads," or people who knew someone who did. How the more I learn about training puppies, the more I realize I don't know anything.

The effect on my LIFE WITH MY HUSBAND, Andy

How accepting a career-changed dog (Gus) into our household has caused increased expenses. How having three dogs (even if one is not really ours) changes our life-style, increases the burden on Andy, and causes travel difficulties.

A 7-week-old FLD Gus tries to nip Andy in the nose.

The effect on my FAMILY

How the involvement of my nieces has enriched their lives and given them confidence. How my first Leader Dog puppy was career-changed and now lives with them. How many youngsters do you know that have "raising a Leader Dog puppy" on their "bucket list?" (How many kids do you know at all that even HAVE a bucket list?)

My niece, Sofia, poses with me and my first FLD Rosie at Leader Dogs the day Rosie returned for formal training. Rosie spent nine months at Leader Dog, trying to find a suitable "match." She finally gave up and now lives with Sofia.

But I kept coming back to my PARENTS

How my love of dogs affects my relationship with them; and how my dogs have affected THEM.

This is a time when I'm grateful that my parents probably don't read my blog--once my mother told me, "I'm just not interested." That I've tackled the subject has made me realize that many of YOU probably have had the same reservations. Perhaps this is why I haven't had an outpouring of submissions.

That's okay.

The ADBC is not dead. It will come back in July with a new topic, one that might prove easier to tackle.

So. Tune in later tonight when I post my submission to the 7th ADBC: "The affecting effect of dogs..."

And keep in mind--you still have time to submit a post of your own! (If you'd like to do so anonymously, email me at pattibrehler at gmail dot com, and I will arrange a way for you to post on my blog.)

LATER!