Going Home for the Holidays

Traveling at the holidays means lots of kids are in the airport and I love to hear the education that happens when they encounter Morey. Some of them will say “I see a working dog!” and know they can’t pet him. Younger kids often don’t know why a dog is in the airport and as we go by we hear the start of a conversation about service dogs. Adults often recognize that they aren’t supposed to pet service dogs, but many of them still ask. I have gotten more strict about Morey’s petting rules, especially when he is wearing his pulling harness. There are so many distractions in the airport and I want his attention focused on me. I always notice lots of smiles as we go by.

There are also more dogs traveling around the holidays. Leaving Austin we encountered 3 dogs out in the relief area and then in D.C. we walked past several in the terminal-two of them were other service dogs or service dogs in training. Morey got a little excited and let out some small whines and woofs, but I was able to redirect him and keep going. Maybe he was just wishing his canine colleagues a very Merry Christmas!

 

Airport Adventures Part 2

Getting on our second plan to Indy was an adventure in itself! There was no jetbridge to get on the plane, only a staircase. That obviously doesn’t work too well for me so they brought over a giant ramp to push me up. Imagine a ramp that goes high enough to reach a plane. It was narrow and very steep so I had to sit on the aisle chair (a narrow chair with small wheels on the bottom that they strap you to and then can push you down the narrow plane aisle) and have one man push from the front and another pull up backwards all the way up the ramp. Not the most enjoyable experience, especially considering that it was 30 degrees and windy outside. One of the men helping me asked how Morey was going to come up. I explained that he could walk up behind the man pushing me, following us up to the plane. Not my favorite option, but better than leaving him on a down stay at the bottom while planes and carts are driving all around.

Morey tends to get concerned when I am on the aisle chair with people moving me around. He eagerly followed me up the ramp, although he caused a little confusion when he wanted to walk directly in front of me which didn’t leave the man pushing me much work to move. With every step Morey took he realized we were getting higher and higher and he kept looking down. I was very thankful when we all reached the top safely and were settled in our seats. Traveling is always an adventure and from now on I will be more thankful for jet bridges!

Airport Adventures

On our way home for Christmas, we flew through Washington Dulles Airport in Washington D.C. This was the first time we had flown through this airport and Morey and I were very excited to learn they had a service animal relief area inside the secured area. Airports are now required to offer these areas, but so far all of them I have found require you to go out of security to get to them. Most of the time my layovers aren’t long enough to go out and then back through security. This area was a small room with astroturf on the floor, complete with a fake fire hydrant. Morey eagerly “hurried” on the astroturf and then enjoyed sniffing around the rest of the area. I then felt much better on the remainder of our trip because I knew Morey was more comfortable and not being asked to “hold it” for our almost 10 hour trip.

 

In a separate area there was an open litterbox for cats (I can’t imagine a cat actually using it, but I suppose canine/feline equality is important).

Helping Around the House

The other day I was sorting mail on the kitchen table when an empty envelope fell on the floor. I wasn’t too concerned about it and just left it there as I continued to read the contents. Morey happened to be walking by as it fell and without any instruction, he picked it up and handed it to me.

 I gratefully accepted the paper and he wagged his tail and then went about his business (which turned out to be looking for his bone that had gotten pushed under a coffe table).  Normally I don’t encourage him to retrieve objects without being asked-there may be times when it is dangerous for him to pick up theobject and I always want him to wait for instruction before deciding to set out to help on his own. Even when technically “off duty”, Morey is always willing to lend a helping paw (or maybe mouth is more accurate). I think I’ll keep him around! J

Morey goes to the Opthamologist

I know Morey almost as well as I know myself. I know his quirks, his habits, likes and dislikes, what is normal and what is not normal. As my partner, it is my job and responsibility to make sure he is happy and healthy and to notice when he is not.

In September I noticed a small spot on his right eye. It looked reflective and a little cloudy and at first I thought nothing of it, but I made a note to keep an eye on it. It didn’t seem to affect his vision or cause any pain but after a few months it was still there. Because my first service dog, Jessie, had to retire early because of medical issue, I may be a little more attuned to Morey's health. When we were home for Thanksgiving I asked if Jamie Young, Morey’s breeder, would be willing to look at it. She graciously agreed and then encouraged me to have him checked by a canine opthamologist. She gave me a referral for one in Austin and I called to set up an appointment, hoping to find out it is nothing to worry about.

Morey was all wags and “doggie smiles” at the clinic until the vet tech put her rubber gloves on. Then he came and tried to retreat behind my chair. It was clear he wasn’t happy about what was happening, but he allowed the vet tech to maneuver him into position while she put drops in to dilate his eyes so the vet could examine them. She also put in drops to test his duct passage ways and warned me it would start coming out green around his eyes and nose. I was glad she warned me because it was a very unnatural color to be coming out of my dog! She also stuck small plastic strips inside his eyelid to measure his tear duct production. It looked horribly uncomfortable and Morey kept blinking and squinting his eyes but remained calm and still the entire time.

 

When it was time for the vet to examine him, she turned off the lights and put on her headgear with all her lights and scopes and mirrors. It is always a little unsettling for me when I go to the eye dr and have all that equipment right in my face and I can only imagine what that experience is like for a dog. A vet tech was holding Morey and she expressed appreciation for how accepting and calm Morey is. She related stories of having to hold small dogs who are squirming all around-made especially difficult in the dark because you can’t see the teeth or claws coming! Yikes! Morey was a model patient and was a gentleman throughout the entire exam.

 

The diagnosis is corneal dystrophy, which thankfully sounds worse than it is. The spot, as best I can understand it, is a lipid/fat deposit. It is doesn’t affect his vision and doesn’t cause pain. There isn’t really any treatment and the vet just advised me to keep an eye on it to make sure it isn’t growing/changing. She recommended a low-fat diet if it seems to be getting worse. I was very relieved to have this news and glad it is nothing that will cause pain or affect his working life.

The vet commended me for noticing the spot, because it is fairly small. For me, it was an example of how connected I am to Morey-enough to recognize even the smallest change.

When we were checking out, the receptionist asked if we needed to schedule a follow up visit. The vet tech who was standing nearby said “no, unfortunately not”. I laughed and said “I consider that a good thing!” She explained that she wanted a chance to see Morey again and I assured her that we would be happy to stop by for a visit sometime. He charmed everyone on the clinic and even I don’t think I have ever been more proud of Morey.

Every time Morey experiences something new and strange and reacts with poise and acceptance, I am thankful for all the handlers and volunteers who played a role in socializing him into a confident and calm working dog no matter what unique circumstances he encounters. He truly is one amazing dog!

When we left the clinic, Morey was squinting because his eyes were dilated. I forgot to bring him sunglasses to wear, so just let him rest quietly at home the rest of the day. By the next day he was fully recovered and ready to get back to work.

Morey, Get the Bags!

One task I have been using more often is having Morey carry bags for me. He does it very proudly and will carry for long distances. I can only carry so much on my lap and his help means I can make fewer trips in and out, or means that I don’t need help carrying my things. I was recently Christmas shopping and left the store with a bag that was bulky, but not heavy. It would stay on my lap and I kept having to stop and readjust before it fell. After several times of this I realized that Morey could help me out. I gave him the bag and he willingly carried it the 3 blocks back to my Mazda.

He has also carried my food bag when I travel. I carry my suitcase on my lap and if I buy food that comes in a bag it tends to slide around and fall off if I try to balance it on top of my suitcase. Faced with this dilemma, I simply handed Morey the paperbag and off we went through the airport. The only problem was that his wet mouth dissolved the paper bag and so it ripped and dropped out of his mouth. Without needing a cue, he picked it up with a better grip and we were on the way again. Even though I didn’t share the food inside, I did make sure that he got a treat of his own for his effort!

Airplane Argument

On one of our recent flights, Morey and I had an interesting encounter with a flight attendant. I was sitting in a bulkhead seat and Morey was laying at my feet and also taking up part of the foot space of the seat next to me. My seatmate came and acknowledged us, I gave my spiel about please letting me know if I needed to ask Morey to move and we settled down for the flight. Before we took off the flight attendance came over and told me I needed to move my dog. “Where do you want me to move him? I asked, not sure what the concern was. “He is taking up this passenger’s space and that is not acceptable. You are only entitled to the space at your feet.” The only possible way to make that happen was to have Morey sit for the duration of the flight; something not likely to happen. I looked at the flight attendant and replied (with perhaps a touch of sarcasm-it had been a long day already) “Well, I can’t exactly make him shrink so what am I supposed to do?”

He turned to my seatmate and said “We will try to re-seat you. Just a minute”. My seatmate said it wasn’t a problem but the flight attendance insisted that it wasn’t acceptable. We were delaying the flight at this point while the flight attendant bustled around indignantly trying to find another available seat. He found one on a window and came back to inform my seatmate, who was currently in an aisle seat. To the chagrin of the flight attendant, my seatmate declined the offered seat change, saying he preferred to stay in his aisle seat and that sharing his space with the dog was not a problem. The flight attendant was obviously not happy that his efforts were not appreciated, but I guess he was finally convinced that we were both fine with the current arrangements.

I understand people not wanting to sit next to a dog or not wanting to share their foot space with a large dog. I’ve only ever had one person adamantly protest and ask for a seat change and I was very understanding about that. However, this flight attendant got a bee in his bonnet for no reason, even when both of us were saying it wasn’t a problem. After he had finally left, my seatmate turned to me and said, “Did he not believe me the first time I said it was fine?” I guess not!

Rugby, rugby, and more rugby!

Morey and I have been on the road a lot for rugby. We are still figuring out how to fit Morey and all my gear into my Mazda and by the look on Morey's face, this arrangement does not meet his approval! Sorry, boy!

Deck the Halls!

Morey thought dressing up was limited to Halloween. Unfortunately, I burst his bubble when I bought him a set of reindeer antlers. He must have been in this Christmas spirit because he put up with them and even helped me hang up his stocking. "tis the season to be jolly!

Good Bye!

When I travel and leave my faithful pooch behind, he sometimes stays with my boss and her family. Unfortunately, she is moving this month and so Morey recently had his last visit with the Wolfes. I got a full report that he and their dog Lucy immediately recognized each other and that they spent a lot of time over the weekend romping outside after their antics got a little crazy for inside. Their two year old daughter liked Morey and he was more interactive with her than the last time he had visited (he seems more comfortable with kids once they get a little older). Our office made a scrapbook for my boss to take with her and of course Morey had to contribute. And, as his sign says, he is going to miss being part of the Wolfe pack!

...Or Hardly Working

Morey faithfully attends my graduate school classes each week. At the end of this semester our class had a potluck and social time after our final exam. From the first day of class I had strictly enforced a "no petting" rule for my classmates and they very obediently (if reluctantly) obeyed. For the final class, I decided to give Morey the evening off and it was funny to watch all the pent-up dog lovers finally get to express their feelings for Morey. A lot of them were surprised by how interactive and "normal" Morey is when he isn't working (as evidenced by his sniffing, requests for belly rubs, and general doggie silliness). When I brought out his tennis ball they got to see how the real dog underneath the service dog vest. It was fun to share Morey with the class and allow him to get to have some social time. We have both earned some time off!

Working Hard...

I drop a lot of pens at work. Because I have so many of them at my desk, I just pick up another one and keep working (no sense in interrupting my sleeping service dog!). Then, at the end of  the day, I have Morey "clean up" everything that ends up under my desk at the end of the day. He has learned to sleep peacefully even when there are pens falling all around him. : )

Thankful

Morey and I were fortunate to get to go home for a whole week at Thanksgiving. We kept it low key week with lots of hanging out with family and cuddling with the pooches. As always, one of the things I am most thankful for when I go home is the opportunity to spend time with my favorite golden girl, Jessie. I think Morey enjoys that as well!

Halloween Humiliation

When Grandma came to visit, she brought Morey a selection of Halloween costumes to try out. Because he looked so cute in both of them, rather than choosing just one, I decided to have him wear both. Both costumes were the opposite of his real life circumstances, which made them even more funny.

Morey started off the morning in his heifer costume. This was to contrast his usual bovine affiliation as a longhorn. I don’t think Morey appreciated the halloween humor, but he looked pretty adorable as a heifer!

 

His afternoon costume was a devil costume complete with a cape (with a tail) and horns. Obviously, this contrasts Morey’s usual behavior as a perfect angel. Although I dressed him as a devil, I am happy to report that he did not take on any devilish behaviors. J Although Morey is used to wearing his vest, his devil cape came down farther on his back and it must have felt odd to him as he walked. The tail also kept brushing against his back legs and so he seemed a bit like a devil with a twitch.

 

 

 

This was my first real experience with trick or treating (I’ve never lived in a neighborhood where kids can walk door to door) and probably Morey’s first experience as well. He was dressed in his heifer costume for the occasion. At the first ring of the doorbell, Morey went to his bed as his usual response. I called him over to see the kids and he came over eagerly. When they simply took candy and left, he looked at me like, what was that about? Usually when people come to the door, they come inside and then usually procede to greet Morey. By the third round of trick-or-treaters, Morey didn’t even bother to get up. I think he was tired of all the hubbub associated with Halloween!

Road Trip!

Living in Texas means that most of the rugby tournaments we attend involve flying. However, we have Texas Cup tournaments where the teams from Texas (Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio) compete at 2 day tournaments hosted by the different teams. Our most recent tournament was in Houston which mean the first real road trip I had taken with my new Mazda. I packed up Morey and my gear and off we went!

Because I am the only female on the team, I usually get my own hotel room (unless you count sharing with Morey). I had been wanting to give Morey a bath for a long time, but just hadn’t made the time for it at home. I knew after our games we would have the evening to ourselves and so I packed Morey’s shampoo and decided to bathe him at the hotel. He was not expecting this, but the universal symbol of calling him into the bathroom and putting cotton in his ears tipped him off to what was about to happen. He reluctantly jumped in the tub and patiently submitted to being bathed. After he was done he got "the zoomies" and raced around the room trying to rid himself of the trauma of bath.

By the time we went to bed, Morey had dried off and seemed to forgive me for giving me a bath. We had a king bed and somehow even with a king-size bed, I ended up about 6 inches from the edge while Morey had the entire rest of the bed. Guess some things never change!

Cross Cultural Confusion

Living in Austin Texas means that there is quite a prevalence of Spanish speakers in the community. The language is spoken by a good number of the community and there are Spanish labels on groceries, billboards in Spanish. Unfortunately, I am not among the Spanish speakers, although learning Spanish is on my to-do list (right now I think I may have time for that in 2015). When I come in contact with Spanish speakers, I have to break out my gestural skills and hope we can get our point across.

A few weeks ago I was shopping at a store with Morey. The clientel was primarily Hispanic and most of the conversations I overhead were conducted in Spanish. As I turned down one aisle, I heard a child saying “Perro, perro”, which I know means dog. Soon the mother of the child walked him over and started encouraging him to pet Morey by petting him herself and pulling the child toward Morey. I asked her in English not to pet him because he was working, but the message didn’t go through. I didn’t want to pull Morey away and make her think he was mean or dangerous (something that happens frequently within black communities) so in this situation I just let her finish petting him and then left as quickly as I could. There wasn’t any real harm done-Morey wasn’t distracted by the petting-but I wanted to be able to educate them just as I would anyone else who had acted that way.

When I went home for Thanksgiving, I asked my sisters who know Spanish how to say “Please don’t touch. He is working” in Spanish; "Por favor no lo toque. El esta trabajando". I am sure I will have an opportunity to use this in the future, as this is  cross cultural confusion is not an isolated event. Hopefully they don’t ask questions in Spanish beyond that, because I won’t be able to answer!

Bagpipe Surprise

One Sunday at church we had a man playing bagpipes for our processional hymn at the start of the service. He started at the back of the church and made his way to the front as he played. At the sound of the first note, Morey was on his feet and turned around, trying to identify where this unique noise was coming from. As the man walked down the aisle (and toward us) Morey remained stiff and alert, not sure what kind of thing this was. Once the bagpipes had passed us, I tried to settle Morey back in a “down” but he didn’t want to let this strange looking and sounding object out of his sight. As the song continued, I was sure Morey was going to start howling. Because he is usually so perfect, other church members were noticing Morey’s unusual reaction (and enjoying his consternation). Once the song was over, Morey shook off and settled back down for the remainder of the service. Afterward, I had several members comment on how alert he had been. I guess he had never been socialized to the sound of bagpipes!

Apologies

Morey and I would like to extend an apology to our devoted readers for the absence of posts recently. This time it is certainly not due to lack of interesting adventures to report-on the contrary-I have had to start a list so I make sure to keep y’all informed about our comings and goings. We have been on the road for the past 3 weekends for rugby and Thanksgiving and have been finishing up assignments for school which doesn't leave much time for posting. But, now that my final paper for the semester has been written, I am now free to catch up on my fun writing. Enjoy!

Starbucks Snob?

We have had a couple of chilly days recently, so it finally feels like fall here. I love the feel of the crisp air in the mornings and evenings and have had to break out some of my favorite warm snuggly clothes to wear. It's also the weather for warm comfort food like chili, s'mores, and hot chocolate. Fall is my favorite season and living in Texas, I kind of feel cheated, so I have to make the most out of the limited experience!

While Morey and I were working Family Weekend with our friend and co-worker Heather, she went and got us hot chocolate and coffee. Morey was laying on the cold brick plaza the entire time and I'm sure he would have enjoyed a hot drink too. Sorry, Morey, no Starbucks for you!

(While I was taking this picture, the person working the table behind us asked if he could take a picture as well...Morey has paparazzi and I wouldn't be surprised if he gets an offer from Starbucks wanting him to be their new spokesdog! : )

Fall Fun

Although I usually work standard business hours, occasionally there are special events that require me to work evenings or weekends. Recently, Morey and I volunteered to staff a table advertising our office and services at Family Weekend at UT. When I bring Morey to these events, I usually end up doing more education about service dogs than about our office. It amazes me how many people will walk right up and start petting Morey without asking first. Sometimes I don't think they realize that he actually is a service dog and not just a way to bring attention to our table. Although they might be attracted to our table because of the cute dog, I make sure they leave knowing the importance of not distracting and interfering with a service dog without first getting permission from their human partner. I guess you can say that Morey and I were working double duty-advertising our office and teaching service dog etiquette!

Healthy Habits

Over the summer, I got into some lazy habits with Morey and am only now beginning to see the results of those habits. I usually play ball with Morey before and after work so he gets exercise at least twice a day. During the summer, though, it was just too hot to play ball enough to give Morey the amount of exercise he needed. I'll still throw it once or twice but even that gets Morey panting for hours.

Recently as I was grooming Morey, I noticed that he had put on a few pounds in the last few months. He is not super heavy, but he definitely has a nice layer of insulation that is not really necessary in the Texas heat. As I started thinking about the reason for his weight gain I focused on areas; feeding and exercising.

When I looked at Morey's feeding routine, I discovered that the cup I had been using to measure his food was not truly 1 cup. I got a new measuring cup so I know exactly how much I am feeding him and I am making sure they are not rounded cups!

I have also re-started ball play times before and after work. This requires me to park in a space that is a little farther away from my building (with a hill in between the space and my building). It's not that big of a deal for me to push a little bit farther and it allows me to have a nice place to throw the ball for Morey. On days when I am running late or wanting to hurry home, it can be a challenge to make sure I don't skimp on Morey's exercise time.

I am trying to stay committed to these new habits that will keep Morey happy and healthier!

Four is Fun!

It's hard to believe that Morey is four! I remember the day he was born but never imagined he would become such an important part of my life. Here is hoping for many more happy years together!

Birthday Hangover

We actually celebrated Morey's birthday a day early because his Grandma and Aunt had to leave early in the afternoon on his birthday. After a special birthday breakfast and snuggle session we had to take them to the airport and then head to the office to put in a few hours at work.

One of my co-workers had brought a birthday present for Morey, but he was so exhausted he didn't even want to play with it (he has since recovered and very much enjoys having a ball and tug toy all in one!). As you can see in the picture below, Morey was definitely suffering from a birthday hangover!

Birthday Treat

We had big plans to take Morey swimming and then to get a snow cone at a food trailer to celebrate his birthday, but the weather didn't cooperate. It is rarely cold and rainy, but that day it was, so we had to rethink our birthday fun for Morey.

 Aunt Natalie volunteered to make him a snow cone at home out of crushed ice and some dog meat treats and Morey seemed to be quite happy with this birthday treat!

Fun and Games

My family got to attend rugby practice twice during their visit and they came up with some fun and games to keep themselves (and Morey) occupied. Some of the fun  was having Morey style a deflated rugby ball as a hat and I have to say, it was a good look for the team mascot! The other game (besides more fetch with a tennis ball) was teaching Morey the essentials of the "shuffle game"; putting a tennis ball under the cones and asking him to find his ball. It took him a few tries to catch on, but once he did it was pretty fun to watch how intently he watched as the cones were moved back and forth. His next goal was to try to pull the ball out through the top of the cone and this proved to be a bit more of a challenge. Staying true to his training, after several attempts he would step back and look at the people around him for direction to either continue trying or to receive some human help. What a good dog!

Birthday Visit

Morey was very excited that his Grandma and Aunt were able to come down to Texas to celebrate his fourth birthday. He had a wonderful time snuggling, playing ball, and getting spoiled with some very tasty treats. By the time they left, he was absolutely exhausted and had to take a day off of work to rest and recover from his amazing 4th birthday celebration!

Fire Alarm!

Morey and I were at work the other day when the fire alarm went off. I was pretty sure it wasn't a drill because I usually get prior notification before a drill (my office is on the 4th floor and it's a hassle to deal with a drill if we don't have to so we conveniently plan to be out of the building before our drills take place). I got Morey dressed in his gear, grabbed my bag, and we headed to the stairwell, our designated place of refuge. Another one of our staff members can't climb stairs either so the two of us stood in the stairwell while everyone on the 5th floor went down in front of us. Two of our staff members went down to let the building manager know we were staying inside and two of them stayed with me, Morey, and Dora.

The alarm had been going off the entire time and yet Morey was standing calmly by my side. He got so many compliments from the 5th floor staff as they hurried by us on their way downstairs. His ears were back so I knew he was stressed but the casual observer didn't notice. He began to get a little antsy so I asked him to do a lap to give him some loving and silly talk. He obeyed and as I petted him, wafts of Morey hair flew through the air. The stress was causing him to shed more and when I had him get off, my black pants were no longer black. Oh well, that's a small price to pay to make sure Morey was happy and calm.

Eventually the alarms went off and we found out someone had overheated their lunch, causing the alarms to go off. With the excitement over, we headed back to work. Over the next few days, I got many more compliments from staff members who had seen Morey on that day. His calm and cool demeanor, even in the midst of noise and confusion, was impressive and he earned a lot of respect for his professionalism in emergencies. : )

 I usually notify our staff when I leave Morey in my office when I leave and this situation made me realize the importance of doing so. It doesn't happen too often, but I want to make sure someone would think to save Morey and not just assume that because I'm not there, Morey isn't there too. Our "safety leader" is responsible for doing a sweep of the office before evacuating and I talked with my supervisor about making sure the person checks under my desk for Morey during their sweep. It doesn't happy often that I leave Morey (or that we have emergencies that require evacuations) but I would rather be safe than sorry. 

It's That Season Again!

 Well, rugby season is here again! Practice started this weekend and I had to figure out how Morey and my rugby chair can co-exist peacefully in my Mazda. As you can see from the picture, Morey was not too happy about the new arrangement! He likes his space and doesn't really like sharing it with anything-let alone a big scary rugby chair. This arrangement did not work well because my chair kept sliding around when I turned, but by trial and error I was able to find a set up that could accommodate my chair and Morey comfortably.

Axles from wheelchairs are covered in grease to help them slide on and off the chair. You have to be careful when you handle the wheels when they are not on a wheelchair because the greasy axles are exposed. If you touch the end of the axle, it leaves a black greasy circle jokingly called "the mark of the devil" because it is impossible to get off!

When I got home from rugby practice, I noticed (with some amount of horror) that Morey had a mark of the devil on his fur! Somehow he must have rubbed up against one of my wheels during the trip home. I guess now his initiation into rugby is complete!

Quitting Time

The other day I was reminded of how good dogs are at putting patterns and routines together. Even if I am  not aware of how predictable I am in my routines, Morey certainly is!

When I get ready to leave work, I log off my computer, pick up my bag, and then call Morey out from under his desk hideout. Usually Morey comes out from his hideout when I pick up my bag and his leash, which is a pretty obvious predictor that we are leaving. However, the other day I had to log off my computer in the middle of the day and all of a sudden Morey came out from his hideout and looked at me expectantly. At first I wasn't sure why he had gotten up so suddenly; all I had done was log off my computer. Then I realized that this was usually the first step of my "leaving work routine" and Morey was reacting to the distinct sound my computer makes when I log off. The only time he ever hears this sound is when I log off my computer at the end of the day. Since this is such a consistent pattern, Morey was using this as the first predictor that we are getting ready to leave.

I tested this theory out a few days later and without giving any other cues that I was closing up for the day, I logged off my computer. Sure enough, when Morey heard the sound he came right out, ready to head home. He has been conditioned that the sound of my computer shutting down means it's time to go home. I wonder what other patterns he has figured out?

Riding the Lift

I have always wanted to get pictures of Morey and I riding a lift to get into a bus, but usually don't have someone with me who can take pictures. So, when we were in New Orleans and got to ride a streetcar with a lift, I asked Sabaa to document the experience. This is one of Morey's skills I am very proud of!

The first dog I trained to ride a lift was Morey's dad Jammer. This happened while I was still in college and I contacted the campus shuttle bus manager and asked if I could schedule a time to come train my dog to ride the lift. They were really helpful and I went to the garage when the accessible bus was "off duty" and was able to get Jammer comfortable with the experience of standing on a small metal grate while it lifts up in the air.

With Morey I didn't have the opportunity for such a good training/introduction to riding a lift. We were at a rugby tournament and it takes forever to load 15 people one at a time onto a bus. I sat next to the lift and got Morey used to the noise and fed him tasty treats whenever it got close to us. I had him get on and off a few times without it moving and he was fine with it. When it was my turn to load up, I had Morey stand next to me on the lift and asked the bus driver to go up just a few inches to see Morey's response. If he was going to freak out and try to jump off I would prefer if it was 3 inches off the ground instead of 3 feet! Morey looked surprised at the movement, but didn't act concerned so we continued up to the bus. Ever since that first time, Morey has been great at riding lifts and we always get smiles and compliments when people see us load up together.

 

When we got on the streetcar, there wasn't much room so you can see how Morey made use of the small space he could squeeze into!

Morey has ridden in cars, vans, trucks, buses, airplanes, and now has added streetcars to his many modes of transportation!

Better Late than Never: Pics from NOLA

Well, forgive the late posting of the next few pictures, but I thought they were worth sharing from our trip to New Orleans back in July.

This picture was taken one of the first nights we went out to explore. I was initially posing for the pic with just me and Morey and then we were photobombed by the Devil Man in red. What I love about the picture is how Morey is looking at up me like "do you see who is standing right beside you???"

(Btw, just a point of clarification; the reason I have two drinks in my hands is because I am holding the photographer's drink. Didn't want y'all to think I was having too much fun in NOLA! : )

It's The Little Things

When people think of the work that service dogs do, they often think of the amazing examples of how service dogs save their partner's  lives in dramatic ways. There certainly are these wonderful examples, but most of the time, service dogs help their partners in small ways that may seem insignificant but actually increase quality of life and independence.The other day I had a good reminder of how Morey makes my life easier.

I tend to keep my sunglasses hooked on the back of my wheelchair. Out of sight, out of mind, so I often load my chair in my car before remembering to remove my sunglasses. This happened the other day; Morey was loaded, I was loaded and as I was pulling my chair in behind me, my sunglasses fell off my chair and onto the ground. I sighed as I looked at them,  I had been having a rough day and I didn't really want to go to all the effort of unloading my chair and transferring out of my Mazda just to get my sunglasses that were 2 feet away.

Then I remembered that I have a very highly trained service dog traveling with me and I told him "off" and then "get". He jumped out of the car retrieved my sunglasses and gave them to me, then jumped back into his seat. Although it might seem like a small thing, it saved me from expending unnecessary energy. Those are the types of situations where it comes in handy to have Morey around!

Working Out

I usually work out after work and so Morey gets to go along to the gym with me. Recently I have been doing more strength training than pushing in my rugby chair and so I find a place in the weight room to settle Morey while I move between machines. If I stay near him he relaxes and appears to go to sleep. If I move out of his view though he stays very alert and wants to keep his eye on me (as if to make sure I don't leave without him or suddenly need his help for something).  As you can see from this picture, it appears that Morey is trying very hard to block out all the noise and hub-bub going on around him and focus on his power-napping!

Access Denied

For part of my graduate program I am required to complete two different internships. I will be starting my first placement this fall and all summer I waited anxiously to find out where I would be placed. I will still be maintaining my full time job at SSD and will also have to juggle 16-20 hours per week at my internship (in addition to my rugby and other life commitments) so I was eager to start making plans about how all of this would work.

I finally received my placement and was assigned to work at a dialysis center. Because it is open 6 days a week for 14 hours per day, I would be able to put some of my hours in during early mornings, evenings, and weekends. This seemed like a great arrangement and I contacted my Field Supervisor to initially introduce myself and discuss scheduling and training logistics. All was fine until I mentioned that I would be bringing Morey with me. My assigned Supervisor said she would need to check the protocol for service dogs because she had not come across that situation before. After a few days she emailed me back saying I may need to restrict Morey's access to parts of the clinic-most likely having him stay in the back offices and keeping him out of the treatment rooms. I certainly understood those limits and since I don't need Morey with me all the time I didn't think this would be a problem.

As I was getting ready to finalize the details of my schedule and placement, I received a call from my Supervisor. She explained that in order to bring Morey into the center at all-even into the offices- they would have to complete extra paperwork and approval for infection control reasons. She was willing to take this responsibility on, but it would fall on her supervisor who had not agreed to take on extra responsibility and work that having an intern required. Because of this, she regretted to tell me that my placement with their center would not work out if I needed to bring Morey with me. She did say that this experience had prompted them to review their policies for the future and thanked me for giving them that motivation. (I was not feeling entirely gracious because I was thinking, well, I'm glad someone will benefit from my experience, too bad it won't be me!)

I understood their reasoning for the decision, but I was still indignant and a little upset. I shouldn't have had to be reassigned just because they don't have a protocol and it would causes someone more work.  I have never been discriminated or kept from participating in an activity because of my service dog and I did not enjoy this first experience. I operate under a "love me, love my dog" philosophy and the fact that my dog was rejected made me feel some second-hand rejection.

In the end, it has all worked out for the best because I was approved to do my internship at my current job. I will be taking on new responsibilities and roles, but I will still be in the same office and won't have to commute or work too many extra hours. But still, the experience of being rejected because of Morey was a learning experience for me and hopefully one I will not encounter in the future!

Back to School

At the beginning of the school year part of my job involves "tabling" at different events on campus and advertising the services our office provides. Morey naturally comes with me and he often is very useful at getting people to approach our table. This picture was taken at one of these recent events. Can you spot my little helper? : )

Service Dog Signage

I like to notice signage that mentions service dogs. Sometimes signs say "seeing eye dogs welcome" but this sign at the Travis County Health and Human Services building seemed to be trying to cover all its bases by welcoming "handicap disability assist dogs".  I wonder how it translates in Spanish?

Morey's Mazda Part 2

As you can see, I had the seat directly behind the driver's seat removed so I can pull my wheelchair in to that space without needing to take it apart. That was my goal for my new vehicle and the Mazda5 was the only vehicle that made that possible (other vans are too high off the ground).

Morey has basically the same riding arrangement as he did in my last van. He gets the entire back seat. He jumped right in and settled in nicely for his first ride. However, on our way home I made a beginner's mistake. The set up of the van was practically the same as my old van and I assumed that Morey would figure out that he was going to sit on the back seat that was carefully covered with a sheet. So I opened the door and said "jump". [An important note here is that it actually rained in Austin and so Morey was a bit wet and muddy.]

Instead of jumping on the back seat that was protected by the towel and sheet, he jumped on the brand new tan middle seat. As soon as I saw where his momentum was going I shouted "NO!" (more at my stupidity than at Morey), but it was too late. Morey, muddy paws and all, was sitting on the middle seat looking confused and scared. I gave him the off command and tried to redirect him to the back seat.

I immediately realized my mistake and took full responsibility for that mix-up. Morey wasn't sure where I was wanting him to "jump" so he found the first seat available (unfortunately the one that was not protected from his muddy paws). I didn't want Morey to associate the new vehicle with a screaming Emily so I "jollied" him up with a happy voice and then got in the Mazda and sat blocking the middle seat. I then had Morey jump in and out of the back seat, getting him used to the fact that the back seat was where he was going to sit. After several repetitions he was eagerly waiting for the jump command and was consistently going straight to the back seat.

So my van is officially broken in with a few muddy paw prints and the seat is now covered with a towel to protect against future incidents. And I had a valuable reminder that I can't just expect Morey to be able to know what I want him to do, I need take time to set him up for success by providing continuing education in new situations instead of expecting him to figure it out on his own. Hopefully I will be reminded of that each time I see the muddy paw prints on the seat!

Morey's Mazda Part 1

I finally finished the last thing on my summer "to do" list: buy a new vehicle. My trusty reliable red van reached 181k + miles and after an expensive repair in April I knew it was time to start the search for something new. Because I travel with a lot of gear (Morey and various wheelchairs) it was important to find something that had plenty of storage space while still having options for transporting people.

After several months of looking and trying, I settled on a Mazda5, which is basically a mini minivan. It seats 6 and has sliding doors on the sides. The back 2 seats fold down to the floor if you want more storage space. I brought my new vehicle home on Friday and so far have been enjoying the feel of a vehicle that is smaller and easier to handle. Zoom zoom! : )

Creepy Crickets

My brave service dog can handle almost anything. He rides planes and buses, sleeps at the side of the rugby court, works amongs crowds, and walks over strange surfaces. But I guess we all have something we are afraid of and for Morey that seems to be crickets.

The weather in Austin this summer has resulted in a plague of crickets. They are everywhere; inside and outside. It's impossible to avoid them and after a while you just get used to seeing them in buildings, sidewalks, and all over the place.

I didn't notice Morey's aversion to crickets until one day at the gym. Morey was laying under the bleachers in his usual spot and I was warming up a few feet away. All of a sudden I noticed him crawling and scooting out from under the bleachers. I looked at him with surprise and he looked back in fear. I went over for a closer look to see what had rattled my usually calm and mellow Morey. All I saw was a cricket, so I told Morey to go back under the bleachers. He got up and slowly went back under, obviously reluctantly and still fearful. I waited and watched him for a moment, still trying to figure out what was wrong. Then the cricket started moving toward him. I have never seen Morey try to flatten himself against the wall like that but he wanted to stay as far away as possible from the cricket.

With this suspicion beginning to form, I released Morey to see what he would do. Immediately he bolted out from the bleachers and came to stand by me. He wagged his tail at me as if to say "thanks for getting me away from that thing!". I had to start my work out, so I positioned Morey away from the cricket and he went back to his usual good self.

Since that time I have noticed that he will purposely walk around crickets on the floor and avoid them any way possible. I'm not sure if it's their sound or their smell, but Morey has made it very clear that he wants to keep his distance from crickets!

Sticky Service Dog

I had a new experience the other day with Morey that took me by surprise. We were going in to work as usual when I looked down and saw Morey limping and biting at something on his paw. I had him stop and sit and then asked him to "shake" so I could look at what was bothering him. He willingly put his paw in my hand and immediately I figured out what was wrong. Morey had stepped in a piece of gooey green melted gum or candy and it had stuck to his paw pad and the surrounding fur. When he gave me his paw I got "gooped" as well.

I tried to pick off as much as I could before we went inside and headed straight to the bathroom to clean the rest up. I managed to get most of it off my hand, but Morey's paw was a different story. I couldn't wipe it off and since I was working at an odd angle it was difficult for me to pick it out of his fur. Finally I managed to get most of it off so at least it wasn't bothering him anymore. Throughout the rest of the day it seemed to wear off, although he did smell like green apple the rest of the day!

I have rolled through candy/gum before and that's a mess trying to get it out of my tire treads, but I have never had to pick it off Morey's paws before. Just another day in the life of a service dog partner...

Lounging

I always make Morey wait to be invited to get up on my bed and he is usually pretty good about respecting that rule (the only exceptions are when I leave him alone or when I stay up too late and he goes to bed without me). I was reminded about the benefit of this when we went up to visit Sabaa in her room on the 45th floor. Morey saw the king size bed and immediately wanted up on it. He "asks" for permission by laying his head on the bed and looking at you.

 I am not sure if the picture captures it very well, but it is quite difficult to refuse. But Sabaa didn't give in and eventually Morey gave up. Instead, she let him up on the chair in her room.He seemed to enjoy having the paw rest.

 And then, because he is just too cute, Morey got to model Sabaa's hat. And I have to say, he looks quite dapper! What a life Morey leads!

Wet and Wild in NOLA

One afternoon when we had some free time, we wandered out to a park area near the water. The motivation was finding grass! : ) On the way we found a statue of dog that appeared to be made out of balloons. There were several of these scattered throughout the area.

 It had rained off and on throughout the days we were in New Orleans. When we finally had a break in the action at the conference and in the rain, I took Morey for some ball time.

After removing his leash and vest I threw the ball and let him run. His first leap into the grass ended with a splash with dirty wet water flying everywhere. I guess I have lived in Texas too long and forgot that it gets wet and muddy after it rains! It was too late at that point- Morey was already covered in mud-so we kept playing until he was tired. I think that was his favorite thing he did in New Orleans.

This is part of the end result after his play time. When we got back to the hotel I hurried him up to our room, hoping no one would notice how filthy he was. I ushered him straight into the shower for another bath!