Canine on the Canal

When I went to school in Indianapolis, I lived a few minutes away from downtown Indy. One of the things I enjoyed the most was the easy access I had to the canal and trail alongside of it. Approximately two miles in length, I would often go there for a push in my rugby chair, or to walk with whichever dog I had at the time. It was also a favorite spot to meet friends and there was one particular group of girls that I would always go strolling with-usually at least once a week during the nice weather. While I was back, we managed to get the whole group back for a reunion of sorts. I have been going through some medical stuff and didn’t have the energy to push the whole way up and back. So, I decided to see if Morey remembered the pulling lesson we had worked on when we moved to Texas.

I had started to teach him to pull my wheelchair, but we hadn’t worked on it too much. It’s a skill that I don’t often need, but that is useful to have my dogs know how to do. (It tends to make me lazy and spoiled if I have them do it too often!) The pulling harness I have is lined with fur, designed in Michigan, and it’s not really appropriate for summer weather, which is why Morey hadn’t gotten much practice recently. Without too much expectation, I put it on him and told him to “go”, the cue I use when I want him to pull. I really should stop being surprised at how amazing my dog is, because once again, Morey rose to the occasion and acted like the experienced service dog that he is. Morey pulled me around the entire canal that night, past the distractions of quacking ducks and various pet dogs we met along the way. He seemed to enjoy his work although by the end of the evening I could tell he was tired.

Morey allowed me to have an excellent evening hanging out with my friends in the same way we always used to. Without his help we would have had to cut our evening short, or I would have had to ask my friends to push me. (And for those of you who know me well, you realize that would have been the ultimate torture ; ) Most of the time for me, having a service dog is a convenience, allowing me to save time and energy, instead of having to struggle to do things on my own. But there are times when having Morey around can make the difference between independence and success, or having my disability limit my choices and activities.