Just wanted to share a proud Morey moment that happened today...
Most of the time the stuff Morey does for me is helpful, but not really necessary. I can do most of it myself, it's just faster and easier for him to do it for me. But then there are times when I really can't do something without his help and that is when I appreciate him most.
I was at rugby practice and Morey was laying patiently on his rug like always. During one of our water breaks, one of the guys noticed that his water bottle had fallen underneath the bleachers. He asked me if Morey could get it for him. I wasn't sure, but said we could give it a try!
Morey had to climb on and then under the bleachers, duck his head below the bench to get the bottle and then crawl backwards with the bottle balancing on the foot part of the bleachers (not sure if that makes any sense or not-it's kind of hard to describe his amazing feat). He dropped the bottle once and willingly picked it up again. He had drawn a crowd while he was doing this and when he delivered the bottle he got a round of applause and lots of praise from the whole team. I was very impressed by the problem solving and persistence he showed and it made me smile that he just saw it all as part of his job and then went and laid calmly on his rug again.
All in a day's work for Mr. Morey, but it certainly was an impressive retrieve sequence. And even with all the different elements, he figured out what he had to do with the single cue "get". I can't really take any credit for his amazingness, but it was a great example of one of the many random things a service dog can be trained to do!
Morey
Morey, My 2nd Service Dog
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Dog Buddies
There hasn't been too much exciting to report the past week, which is a good thing. So, I'll touch on a subject that I've been working on with Morey lately...
One of the reasons Morey is only "practically" perfect is because of his reaction to other dogs. I was told by his ICAN handler that he had a strange dog come up to him barking and lunging and, being the soft sensitive guy that he is, Morey was confused and scared about why he was being "threatened".
Since then, he has taken a more defensive stance when meeting other dogs; growling and tensing up until he determines the other dog is friendly. The problem is that Morey is the one who comes across as aggressive, which can create problems both with the other dog and the other dog's owner. I have been working on conditioning him that meeting dogs is a good thing and we have been making lots of progress.
After a few seconds of sniffing to determine that the other dog is not a threat, Morey is very quick to go into play mode. We met a chocolate lab last week and after the initial introduction both dogs played ball together. It was fun to watch Morey play with another big dog and I think he really enjoyed it. He grew up with lots of dog friends and since moving to Austin he has only met a little dog. On Sunday we met 2 Scottie dogs and Morey barely growled at all! Progress!
Austin is a very dog friendly city and most of the dogs I have met so far have been very friendly and well-behaved. On Friday I went to a concert held outside a grocery store (there are live music venues and events almost everywhere) and there were several pet dogs in attendance. All them were settled nicely under the table and politely sniffed Morey as we went by.
The next few months are the best time of the year to get out and enjoy Austin before it gets too hot (or so I am told) and I am looking forward to getting out with Morey, my practically perfect partner! : )
One of the reasons Morey is only "practically" perfect is because of his reaction to other dogs. I was told by his ICAN handler that he had a strange dog come up to him barking and lunging and, being the soft sensitive guy that he is, Morey was confused and scared about why he was being "threatened".
Since then, he has taken a more defensive stance when meeting other dogs; growling and tensing up until he determines the other dog is friendly. The problem is that Morey is the one who comes across as aggressive, which can create problems both with the other dog and the other dog's owner. I have been working on conditioning him that meeting dogs is a good thing and we have been making lots of progress.
After a few seconds of sniffing to determine that the other dog is not a threat, Morey is very quick to go into play mode. We met a chocolate lab last week and after the initial introduction both dogs played ball together. It was fun to watch Morey play with another big dog and I think he really enjoyed it. He grew up with lots of dog friends and since moving to Austin he has only met a little dog. On Sunday we met 2 Scottie dogs and Morey barely growled at all! Progress!
Austin is a very dog friendly city and most of the dogs I have met so far have been very friendly and well-behaved. On Friday I went to a concert held outside a grocery store (there are live music venues and events almost everywhere) and there were several pet dogs in attendance. All them were settled nicely under the table and politely sniffed Morey as we went by.
The next few months are the best time of the year to get out and enjoy Austin before it gets too hot (or so I am told) and I am looking forward to getting out with Morey, my practically perfect partner! : )
Monday, March 21, 2011
Morey in Arizona
This giant cactus was outside the gym. The surface surrounding it was rock/gravel and Morey did not approve of it as a suitable place to "hurry". Sorry boy!
In addition to his Longhorn collar, he also has a bandana to wear (when it's too hot for his t-shirt!).
Airplane Ride
Morey on the plane. Although it doesn't look like it from the first picture, he really has a lot of room.
Morey's New Duds
I've always been kind of funny about my dog's collars. To me, their collars are almost a part of their identity and I don't like changing them. Jessie has had the same butterfly collar since she was 6 months old and it just matches her personality.
Morey was "Little Boy Blue" since he was born and had a blue collar to identify him from his littermates. His first real collar was blue with dark blue paw prints and he had that until I got him, when one of the ICAN volunteers got him a new blue collar with white and green paw prints (it matched his ICAN vest very well). I was happy with that collar and didn't see any need to get him a new one.
But, then I was accepted to grad school at UT and caught the "Longhorn Spirit". Our rugby team's colors are also burnt orange and so any burnt orange/Longhorn gear can work for either rugby or UT. So, when I saw a burnt orange dog collar with Longhorns on it, I got it in an uncharacteristic moment of weakness. We were going to our sectional tournament for rugby and I wanted Morey to have some team spirit. It matches his fur quite well and makes him look very sophisticated. He got a lot of compliments on it : ) I will have to post pictures soon.
Morey was "Little Boy Blue" since he was born and had a blue collar to identify him from his littermates. His first real collar was blue with dark blue paw prints and he had that until I got him, when one of the ICAN volunteers got him a new blue collar with white and green paw prints (it matched his ICAN vest very well). I was happy with that collar and didn't see any need to get him a new one.
But, then I was accepted to grad school at UT and caught the "Longhorn Spirit". Our rugby team's colors are also burnt orange and so any burnt orange/Longhorn gear can work for either rugby or UT. So, when I saw a burnt orange dog collar with Longhorns on it, I got it in an uncharacteristic moment of weakness. We were going to our sectional tournament for rugby and I wanted Morey to have some team spirit. It matches his fur quite well and makes him look very sophisticated. He got a lot of compliments on it : ) I will have to post pictures soon.
Morey's Big Weekend
Last weekend was the USQRA Wheelchair Rugby Mountain Sectionals in Phoenix Arizona. The good news is that we qualified for Nationals and will be going to Alabama for the National Championship in April. Aside from that, it was also a big weekend for Morey. It was the first time I had taken him to a tournament we had to fly to, but as usual, he took it all in stride.
He was great on the plane. He acts like such a natural and just settles down right at my feet (and the feet of the people next to me; luckily my teammates this time). He also scored me a bulkhead seat again : )
Another new experience for Morey this weekend was riding on a bus with a lift. I had started to condition him to it at a previous tournament-getting him used to the noise and feel of the metal grating surface. This time, he walked on and gave a look of surprise when it started moving but didn't react other than that. The bus driver was very impressed and said he had never had another service dog be able to ride the lift. Yeah Morey!! There were 10 people and wheelchairs on the bus, so Morey had to squeeze in some small spaces and at one point was sitting on one of our support staff's laps. Good thing Morey is loved by everyone!
At the tournament, he settled in his collapsible crate during our games. There was another service dog there and several pet dogs and although at first he wanted to play, he was very good at redirecting to me.
One interesting thing I hadn't considered in our trip to the desert was the lack of grass. There is rock and gravel everywhere and asking Morey to "hurry" in that confused him. The hotel had small patches of grass, but during the day at the gym he had to settle for lamp posts. I need to start getting him used to going "hurry" on surfaces other than grass. The Phoenix airport had a dog park with gravel and sawdust and by that time Morey was very grateful to have a place to go.
I was very proud of Morey for everything he had to deal with this weekend. He acted like a champ the whole time and earned many compliments and new friends. Everyone on the rugby team likes having Morey around.
Our flight was delayed and we arrived back in Austin at 4am this morning. That made for a long day at work and I was more jealous than ever that Morey could sleep all day! He deserves it though! Pictures will be posted soon!
He was great on the plane. He acts like such a natural and just settles down right at my feet (and the feet of the people next to me; luckily my teammates this time). He also scored me a bulkhead seat again : )
Another new experience for Morey this weekend was riding on a bus with a lift. I had started to condition him to it at a previous tournament-getting him used to the noise and feel of the metal grating surface. This time, he walked on and gave a look of surprise when it started moving but didn't react other than that. The bus driver was very impressed and said he had never had another service dog be able to ride the lift. Yeah Morey!! There were 10 people and wheelchairs on the bus, so Morey had to squeeze in some small spaces and at one point was sitting on one of our support staff's laps. Good thing Morey is loved by everyone!
At the tournament, he settled in his collapsible crate during our games. There was another service dog there and several pet dogs and although at first he wanted to play, he was very good at redirecting to me.
One interesting thing I hadn't considered in our trip to the desert was the lack of grass. There is rock and gravel everywhere and asking Morey to "hurry" in that confused him. The hotel had small patches of grass, but during the day at the gym he had to settle for lamp posts. I need to start getting him used to going "hurry" on surfaces other than grass. The Phoenix airport had a dog park with gravel and sawdust and by that time Morey was very grateful to have a place to go.
I was very proud of Morey for everything he had to deal with this weekend. He acted like a champ the whole time and earned many compliments and new friends. Everyone on the rugby team likes having Morey around.
Our flight was delayed and we arrived back in Austin at 4am this morning. That made for a long day at work and I was more jealous than ever that Morey could sleep all day! He deserves it though! Pictures will be posted soon!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Relatives Comes to Texas
It was a big weekend for Morey (and for me too!) My mom and youngest sister, Morey's grandma and aunt, came to visit and we all had a great time!
Morey's relationship with his "grandma" goes way back. She was the one who did the Puppy Prodigy Training starting when he and his littermates were 3 weeks old. Morey was called "Little Boy Blue" and was always one of her favorites. Morey is a sensitive dog and he remembers people in his life. During furlough classes and ICAN outings, he would always find her and give her "the stare". He seemed to remember her this time as well!
Grandma likes to spoil her grand dogs. She bought Morey a nice fluffy bed, which he very much enjoys. She let him sit on her lap (literally) when we were riding in the van. She brought him new (actually old) tennis balls and enjoyed meeting his many fans at church, work, and rugby. We had a fundraiser for rugby on Saturday and Morey got a new Texas Stampede t-shirt so he can proudly support the team. Don't worry-pictures of all these events will be coming soon!
Morey enjoyed bonding with his "aunt" too. She likes to play with the dogs and Morey enjoyed playing football and wrestling. She can also throw the tennis ball really far and gave Morey quite a work out! He also tried on a few new outfits, as she is the family member in charge of creative canine costumes.
The only difficulty we had with our visit was when I was out working with Morey. He wasn't sure who he needed to walk next to, me or "grandma". This made Loose Leash Walking a bit difficult as he was either lagging behind or forging ahead of me to keep some kind of happy medium between both of us. Grandma did a good job of ignoring him and not encouraging this behavior, but since she wasn't here very long we didn't have much of a chance to work through it.
Morey and I were both sad to see them go. We will be back in Indiana in 2 months and are already counting down the days!
Morey's relationship with his "grandma" goes way back. She was the one who did the Puppy Prodigy Training starting when he and his littermates were 3 weeks old. Morey was called "Little Boy Blue" and was always one of her favorites. Morey is a sensitive dog and he remembers people in his life. During furlough classes and ICAN outings, he would always find her and give her "the stare". He seemed to remember her this time as well!
Grandma likes to spoil her grand dogs. She bought Morey a nice fluffy bed, which he very much enjoys. She let him sit on her lap (literally) when we were riding in the van. She brought him new (actually old) tennis balls and enjoyed meeting his many fans at church, work, and rugby. We had a fundraiser for rugby on Saturday and Morey got a new Texas Stampede t-shirt so he can proudly support the team. Don't worry-pictures of all these events will be coming soon!
Morey enjoyed bonding with his "aunt" too. She likes to play with the dogs and Morey enjoyed playing football and wrestling. She can also throw the tennis ball really far and gave Morey quite a work out! He also tried on a few new outfits, as she is the family member in charge of creative canine costumes.
The only difficulty we had with our visit was when I was out working with Morey. He wasn't sure who he needed to walk next to, me or "grandma". This made Loose Leash Walking a bit difficult as he was either lagging behind or forging ahead of me to keep some kind of happy medium between both of us. Grandma did a good job of ignoring him and not encouraging this behavior, but since she wasn't here very long we didn't have much of a chance to work through it.
Morey and I were both sad to see them go. We will be back in Indiana in 2 months and are already counting down the days!
Morey's New Friend
On Thursday I had a friend over for the evening and she brought her Yorkie named Teddy. He had met Morey at an outing at a park a few months ago and they had pretty much ignored each other (after Teddy stopped barking). I knew that off leash in a more relaxed environment they might interact more, so we gave it a shot.
Morey wanted to play and displayed this by play bowing and then pouncing, which made Teddy bark and back away. My friend kept apologizing for Teddy's behavior, but I think his reaction was pretty normal (I might be a little defensive too if a creature more than 7 times my weight was trying to pounce on me) I had Morey lay down and then Teddy would cautiously approach him.
At one point Teddy grabbed one of Morey's toys and was shaking it around, but when Morey tried to join, Teddy jumped up on the back of my couch and barked. They both wanted to play, but couldn't quite find a method that they were both comfortable with. By the end of the evening they had both calmed down and could lay quietly next to each other. We both agreed it had been a successful first doggie date!
Morey wanted to play and displayed this by play bowing and then pouncing, which made Teddy bark and back away. My friend kept apologizing for Teddy's behavior, but I think his reaction was pretty normal (I might be a little defensive too if a creature more than 7 times my weight was trying to pounce on me) I had Morey lay down and then Teddy would cautiously approach him.
At one point Teddy grabbed one of Morey's toys and was shaking it around, but when Morey tried to join, Teddy jumped up on the back of my couch and barked. They both wanted to play, but couldn't quite find a method that they were both comfortable with. By the end of the evening they had both calmed down and could lay quietly next to each other. We both agreed it had been a successful first doggie date!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Morey's Fans
There is one student I work with who has become one of Morey's biggest fans. After our initial meeting, she bought a toy for him. Yesterday when I went to check my mail box at work, she had left a dog-shaped gourmet biscuit for him. Does that count as getting fan mail?
Everyone at church was happy to see him back with me yesterday. When we were leaving after the Ash Wednesday service yesterday a woman came up to me and said "Every Sunday I love watching you during church. He looks up at you every few minutes with such an adoring look." That made me smile. When I first got Morey I felt like we "clicked" instantly, but the more we are together the more we are figuring each other out and the more connected we are becoming.
I get many compliments on Morey's looks and behaviors and I'm always quick to agree. He's my special boy and the more I'm with him, the more I love him. God certainly knew what He was doing when he put us together!
Everyone at church was happy to see him back with me yesterday. When we were leaving after the Ash Wednesday service yesterday a woman came up to me and said "Every Sunday I love watching you during church. He looks up at you every few minutes with such an adoring look." That made me smile. When I first got Morey I felt like we "clicked" instantly, but the more we are together the more we are figuring each other out and the more connected we are becoming.
I get many compliments on Morey's looks and behaviors and I'm always quick to agree. He's my special boy and the more I'm with him, the more I love him. God certainly knew what He was doing when he put us together!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Therapy Dog
Well, I'm not really in the mood to write, but don't want to disappoint our many fans and faithful followers. I have had a lot of people say how much they enjoy our blog and I have appreciated your feedback. This post might differ a bit from the type of thing I usually write, but please bear with me.
I found out on Friday morning that one of my teammates from my Indiana rugby team passed away unexpectedly. Not news I was expecting or wanting to hear and it's been difficult to take in. Morey has been my "therapy dog" through it all. His need to be walked and played with helps distract me and his antics never fail to make me smile or laugh, even if it is through tears. He is a dog who is sensitive to emotions and seems to have a knack to know when to be silly and when to come lay his head on my leg or cuddle up next to me (which he is doing as I type).
As my practically perfect puppy comforts me, I am reminded how how frail and uncertain life is. And with that, I want to take a moment and say a few things that have been on my heart since I learned of Doug's unexpected passing. Never take people or relationships for granted. Always express what's in your heart because sometimes you won't get a second chance. Live fully each day because we never know when it's going to be our last. And most of all, "Neither death nor life.... nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:38-39) and "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall" (Psalm 55:22). Thanks for reading!
I found out on Friday morning that one of my teammates from my Indiana rugby team passed away unexpectedly. Not news I was expecting or wanting to hear and it's been difficult to take in. Morey has been my "therapy dog" through it all. His need to be walked and played with helps distract me and his antics never fail to make me smile or laugh, even if it is through tears. He is a dog who is sensitive to emotions and seems to have a knack to know when to be silly and when to come lay his head on my leg or cuddle up next to me (which he is doing as I type).
As my practically perfect puppy comforts me, I am reminded how how frail and uncertain life is. And with that, I want to take a moment and say a few things that have been on my heart since I learned of Doug's unexpected passing. Never take people or relationships for granted. Always express what's in your heart because sometimes you won't get a second chance. Live fully each day because we never know when it's going to be our last. And most of all, "Neither death nor life.... nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:38-39) and "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall" (Psalm 55:22). Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Pound It
It's always funny to me that the "tricks" the service dogs do often gain more attention and praise than the actual tasks that are usually much more complex and difficult to train. "Cross" and "bow" are two examples that are guaranteed crowd-pleasers. Morey knows both, but this week we added another fun, but useless, trick to his repertoire.
Some context: it's often difficult for quads to shake hands or give high fives. Some of us can't extend our fingers as our hands are in permanent fists and some of us can't grip a hand in order to return a handshake. The greeting that is common among quads (or maybe it's just rugby players) is the fist bump. Anyone can do it and it's a way to greet or congratulate someone.
The other day at rugby practice, one of the guys jokingly held out his fist to Morey and said "Pound it buddy". It looked enough like a target for "touch" that Morey did touch his hand, much to everyone's amusement. I thought this would be a fun thing to put on cue and so we worked on it during my lunch hour. It's a behavior he already knows and the hand signal of an outstretched fist functions as part of the cue, so within half an hour he was consistently nose bumping my fist on the command of "Pound It."
At practice this afternoon, we debuted his new trick. All the guys were impressed and wanted Morey to "pound it" with them. He loved the attention he got and it was really cute. Now Morey really is "one of the guys". So, next time you see him, feel free to ask him to "pound it"...I'm sure he'll be happy to!
Some context: it's often difficult for quads to shake hands or give high fives. Some of us can't extend our fingers as our hands are in permanent fists and some of us can't grip a hand in order to return a handshake. The greeting that is common among quads (or maybe it's just rugby players) is the fist bump. Anyone can do it and it's a way to greet or congratulate someone.
The other day at rugby practice, one of the guys jokingly held out his fist to Morey and said "Pound it buddy". It looked enough like a target for "touch" that Morey did touch his hand, much to everyone's amusement. I thought this would be a fun thing to put on cue and so we worked on it during my lunch hour. It's a behavior he already knows and the hand signal of an outstretched fist functions as part of the cue, so within half an hour he was consistently nose bumping my fist on the command of "Pound It."
At practice this afternoon, we debuted his new trick. All the guys were impressed and wanted Morey to "pound it" with them. He loved the attention he got and it was really cute. Now Morey really is "one of the guys". So, next time you see him, feel free to ask him to "pound it"...I'm sure he'll be happy to!
Practically Perfect...but not quite
I call Jessie my "Mary Poppins Dog" because she is practically perfect in every way. I think Morey also falls into that category, which makes it surprising when I find something about him that isn't perfect. Today, however, I added something to the list: Morey does not like to take pills.
I'll back up and provide some explanation of how I came to this discovery. On Saturday night, Morey had a "relapse" that involved getting up 3 times in the night so he could go out...again. It had been a full week since this had all started and I decided it was time to bring in the vet.
I also had remembered that Morey had met a guide dog in my office and the dog's partner had mentioned the dog having some stomach difficulties. On Monday I called the student, got the details, and then made an appointment for Morey today.
We left with antibiotics, probiotics, and something else to help clear up his diarrhea. All in all, he's supposed to be taking 7 pills a day. Which brings me back to my problem. Morey is smart enough that he can't be tricked into slipping a pill in a handful of food. Coating it with peanut butter didn't work (still have to try cheese or meat). When he knows it's coming he clamps his jaw shut so I can't pop it in the back of his throat. For as easy going and accepting he is of everything else, it's a surprise to have him put up a fuss at eating a pill. But I guess people and dogs are entitled to their idiosyncrasies. Let's just say it's going to be an interesting week...
I'll back up and provide some explanation of how I came to this discovery. On Saturday night, Morey had a "relapse" that involved getting up 3 times in the night so he could go out...again. It had been a full week since this had all started and I decided it was time to bring in the vet.
I also had remembered that Morey had met a guide dog in my office and the dog's partner had mentioned the dog having some stomach difficulties. On Monday I called the student, got the details, and then made an appointment for Morey today.
We left with antibiotics, probiotics, and something else to help clear up his diarrhea. All in all, he's supposed to be taking 7 pills a day. Which brings me back to my problem. Morey is smart enough that he can't be tricked into slipping a pill in a handful of food. Coating it with peanut butter didn't work (still have to try cheese or meat). When he knows it's coming he clamps his jaw shut so I can't pop it in the back of his throat. For as easy going and accepting he is of everything else, it's a surprise to have him put up a fuss at eating a pill. But I guess people and dogs are entitled to their idiosyncrasies. Let's just say it's going to be an interesting week...
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