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!

Bourbon Street and Bath Time

One evening we went out for an evening of enjoyment in the Big Easy ("we" being me, Morey, and my co-worker Sabaa who is also one of Morey's favorite friends). NOLA is not the most accessible city for several reasons; for me one of the biggest challenges was the condition of the roads and sidewalks. Whether it was due to water damage from flooding after Hurricane Katrina or to lack of upkeep, there were huge chunks missing from the sidewalks and uneven patches that made it seem like an obstacle course.I had to pay strict attention to where I was going or risk taking a tumble. Luckily we weren't in too much of a hurry so I could stop and take it all in.

As a service dog partner, there are times when you know you are about to put your dog in a situation you wish you could avoid. That was the case when we went out to Bourbon Street and beyond. I knew it would be dirty, loud, and crowded, and I wished I could have left Morey behind. I probably could have left him in the hotel room, but I was hesitant to leave him on his own. So, off we went for a night of adventuring!

As we wandered down Bourbon St., Morey got several compliments from passersby. He even got serenaded with a drunken rendition of "You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog". When we stopped for dinner, Morey curled up and seemed to fall asleep. I knew better: in stressful situations Morey "shuts down" and tries to block out his environment. Once again, I felt guilty for bringing him someplace I knew would be stressful for him.

After dinner we went to the Preservation Hall to enjoy some jazz music. Although the inside of the Hall wasn't accessible, I could sit right outside the door and have an upfront view of the band. Where I was sitting the only place for Morey was directly behind me. There was a suspicious puddle of liquid on the floor and I just sighed as Morey laid down in it, resigning myself to the fact that a bath was going to be necessary when we returned to the hotel. Morey  tried to lick himself off, which I discouraged since I wasn't exactly sure what the liquid was (and wasn't sure I wanted to know).

After the craziness of the street, Morey seemed to enjoy the jazz music, especially the high notes of the saxaphone. When the performance was over, I gave Morey a few dollars to go tip the band, since I couldn't get up to where they were sitting. That earned him more than his fair share of attention and hopefully made up for some of the unpleasantness he had endured earlier in the evening.

A benefit of having a Deaf roommate was that I could bathe Morey at 11pm when we returned to the hotel without worrying about waking her up! Thankfully the accessible shower with a hand-held sprayer made it easy to shampoo Morey and wash him off. I had considered making him sleep on the floor and waiting until the morning to bathe him, but then decided it would be mean to kick him off the bed for the night just because I had made him come with me to dirty places. So, nice and clean, we both slept well after an evening of adventures in the Big Easy (more pictures to come from that night soon).

Heights and Horses and Hurricanes, Oh My!

NOLA exposed Morey to several new experiences. Being the amazing dog he is, he took everything in stride, although in several of the situations he did display some caution and hesitancy. One of the things that caused him a bit of concern was the floor length windows at the hotel.

This was the view from our room on the 24th floor. Our other co-worker had a room on the 45th floor that overlooked the water. When Morey first went into her room he stopped a few feet away from the window and stretched out his head and neck to cautiously look out the window. He was careful to keep his back legs as far back as possible- just in case! We visited that room several times throughout our stay and each time he exercised the same caution. I have to admit I didn't like standing that close either!

While we were out and about we experienced some horse-drawn carriages. I know Morey has seen them before, but I was curious to see his reaction. At one corner the carriage was stopped and the horse was drinking from a trough in the sidewalk. Morey once again stretched out, trying to get a closer sniff, but ready to beat a hasty escape if needed. He couldn't seem to figure out what the horses were. It was funny to see him investigate and then seemingly decided that as long as it wasn't a threat to him he could ignore it. He was much more interested in the droppings they left behind then in the horses themselves!

Thankfully I don't have any hurricane experience to share (I just thought it made the title sound better! : )

Messy Business

The hotel proudly directed me to their pet relief area soon after we arrived in New Orleans. After a long flight and bus ride, Morey was in great need of relief so we quickly headed to the much advertised area. Although it was visually decorated for humans, Morey was quite disappointed to find that the surface was entirely pea gravel with occasional sea shells tossed in the mix and not a very dog friendly environment.Not only does Morey prefer grass, the rocks hurt his tender toes. The entire time we were there he would take two steps off the paved path, do his business, and then jump back onto the pavement.

He didn't want to poop in the designated area so each day I tried to walk him to grass. There were several areas with grass a few blocks away, but unfortunately he wasn't able to make it that far. One day he ended up pooping on the sidewalk and the next day he pooped in the street (I guess he had seen the horses pulling the carriages doing that and he was just following their lead). I felt really bad for him, but there was nothing I could do. It was stressful for me to know Morey was uncomfortable and I know it must have been uncomfortable for him! We were both very glad to get back to Austin and so he could get back to his normal  routine!

Room Service

Morey and I shared a room with one of our co-workers. Not long after we had checked in we had a special delivery. Apparently the hotel has a "pet pack" that includes a dog bed and bowls when you stay with your dog.

However, after trying out the bed, Morey decided it was for a much smaller dog and he would instead sleep on the big bed with me. And, after my co-worker left on Saturday, he slept on her bed on Saturday night. Nothing but the finest for Mr. Morey!

New Orleans!!

Morey and I and two co-workers recently attended a conference for work that was held in New Orleans. The conference was Tuesday-Saturday but we still found time to get out and enjoy the Big Easy.
As you can see, the opening night of the conference Morey decided to dress up for the occasion but the rest of the time he was very professional.

While I was meeting colleagues from campuses across the country in other Disability Services offices, Morey also met several canine colleagues. Most of them were guide dogs and he kept his interactions with them very professional. He was a bit curious about the standard poodle we met in the elevator but he politely kept any thoughts on its hairstyle to himself.

Driving Mr. Morey

Morey and I caught a ride with a fellow rugby friend to the previously mentioned pool party. Unfortunately, Morey misunderstood the situation and thought he was supposed to drive. It was one of those unexpected moments where I knew what I wanted Morey to do, but I didn't communicate it in a way that a dog would understand.

The car we were riding in was a station wagon. I transferred to the front passenger seat and the plan was for Morey to sit in the back behind the driver's seat so a wheelchair could go behind the front passenger seat (carpooling with two wheelchairs, two people, and a dog is always an adventure!). My friend took Morey around to the driver's side of the car and opened the back door. I leaned back and called out to Morey to "jump" into the back seat. Unfortunately, the driver's door was also open and Morey thought he should ride next to me so he jumped right up in the driver's seat. He then sat down on the steering wheel which made the horn go off. I was laughing so hard I could barely try to tell Morey what to do.

After several failed attempts to convince Morey to go in the back seat and several more honks from the horn, I eventually got him to climb between the front seats into the back seat. He was a little disappointed to have such a small space and I think he would have preferred to remain in the front.

Hopefully we made it up to him once we arrived in the neighborhood and rolled down the windows for him to enjoy the fresh air. In my van the back windows don't roll down so he doesn't get this experience when he rides with me. I never would let him ride with his head out the window when I was driving at high speeds (unless he had safety goggles on to protect his eyes, which I think would take away some of the enjoyment), but as we slowly rolled through the neighborhood he enjoyed sampling the smells.

On the ride home we were more strategic about the loading process and limited his options by only opening the back door. He was so tired he simply jumped in, curled up, and went right to sleep. I was afraid I was going to have to carry him from the car to the bed once we got home, but he roused himself enough to jump up on my bed and fall asleep again. It was an exciting day for Morey!

Pool Party!

Morey and I recently attended a birthday party/house warming party for one of our rugby teammates. Morey was especially invited because there were going to be several other dogs in attendance. We arrived and Morey immediately joined the party in the backyard. The dogs in attendance were Doc, a yellow lab, Tonic, a golden retriever, and Crockett, a black lab/great Pyrenees mix, and then Morey. The backyard was pretty  ideal for 4 big dogs. The yard is completely fenced in and spanned the entire length of the house, with a combination of trees and low-growing plants, open spaces and then the pool.

Although Morey loves swimming in natural bodies of water, I am not sure what his experience is in pools. At first he was hesistant and just circled the edge, but when he saw the other dogs getting in and out, Morey took the plunge. He would only enter via the stairs and would get in, swim around and then get back out. Throughout the evening, the dogs were in and out of the water constantly, leaving a fine film of dog hair covering the water by the end of the evening. 

The dogs were a great source of entertainment to all the guests. You did have to stay alert because they didn’t feel any need to stay out of our way and having 4 large dogs running through the groups was like being in the middle of a stampede. There was one small scuffle between Morey and Doc when Doc decided to resource guard Crockett from Morey, but it was quickly resolved and the rest of the evening all the dogs got along quite well. Tonic and Crockett spent a lot of time wrestling each other and growling ferociously. Morey wasn’t sure about this and would start barking at them. He appeared to be playing referee and  didn’t realize it was all fun and games for the two dogs.

There was a vacuum in the pool that had a plastic line with round bobbers on it. At one point Morey decided that he needed to retrieve this from the pool. He grabbed onto the bobber and “saved” the rope and brought it to the edge. He looked very proud of himself and didn’t understand when we threw it back in the pool. He continued his “lifesaving” efforts to rescue the rope and I finally had to tell him to “leave it”. Of course, once the other dogs saw what Morey was going they wanted in on the fun as well so throughout the evening we had to be on guard to save the vacuum from the dogs who were trying to save it.

We stayed at the party for 5 hours and the dogs didn’t stop moving once. They were all in constant motion, and even after Tonic and Crockett left, Morey and Doc kept at it. Morey was exhausted on the way home, but he obviously had a wonderful time and was invited back for more pool parties in the future.

Fun Festivities

On the 4^th of July I gave Morey the day to just be a dog. The neighborhood association near my apartment hosted a 4^th of July parade and festival with food, music, and tents sponsored by various groups: churches, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc. My church was hosting a Pet Revival Tent with swimming pools, water, and poop bags to help advertise for the Blessing of the Animals event. 

I wanted to give Morey the opportunity to be around other dogs when he wasn’t in work mode, since his dog greeting manners have left much to be desired recently. I figured this event would be a good opportunity to practice since I would be able to devote all my attention to Morey.

Morey and I live close enough that we pushed to the park where it was being held. He got excited and started whining when he saw the other dogs but his behavior was very appropriate. When we found the tent that my church was sponsoring I stopped. Morey saw the swimming pools and walked right into the first one and laid down! Everyone started laughing at how quickly he had staked his claim to the water!

Morey spent at least 20 minutes in the pool. He would occasionally sit up to get petted or stretch his neck out to greet another dog but he never got out of the pool. It was so fun to see Morey enjoying himself so much. This was the first time anyone from my church had seen Morey “off-duty” and they were all surprised to see him acting so “doggie”. At one point he started barking and whining at another dog because he wanted to play. Morey definitely enjoyed his holiday!

I can't say Morey enjoyed the fireworks. We didn't go to see any, but they were being set off in the neighborhoods around us. Everytime they would go off, Morey would put his ears back and look around trying to locate where the noise was coming from. I turned some music up to try to mask the sound. I could tell he was a little anxious throughout the evening, but luckily they ended fairly early so we were able to sleep without interrruption

Fond Farewell

On Sunday Morey had a playdate with his friends Maggie and Ace. We had just found out that their family is moving to Florida so we decided to get together for one last swim session with the dogs. Morey was very excited to see his friends and just as excited to go swimming. It had been a while since he had done either.

 While Maggie and Ace slowed down and stopped chasing the balls after about half an hour, Morey kept going. If you threw the ball in the water, Ace and Morey would both take off and then when Ace realized Morey was going to get there first he would just stop and wait for Morey to bring the ball back. When Morey dropped the ball to shake off, Ace would grab it and bring it back to be thrown again. They were a good retrieving team!

 

 When Morey finally got tired of chasing the ball, he still didn't want to get out of the water. He found a place where it was shallow enough where he could lay down and still keep his head above water. He did this several times, but I wasn't fast enough to get a picture of him in this position.

I will have to find some new swimming buddies for Morey. Although he would enjoy swimming by himself, I don’t like to take him alone. He is a good swimmer, but I like having someone else around just in case something would happen and Morey needed rescued. ( I can hardly imagine anything worse than watching my dog drown right in front of me without being able to help in any way.) Morey and I will miss our friends!

A Stressful Staircase

Last week our office had our annual retreat at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It was nice to get out of the office and the Center was beautiful. Morey thought he was going to be able to run and play there because it looked like a park and he kept looking at me as if to say “well, aren’t you going to take off my vest and leash and let me run?”. The pathway was made of large stones so it was challenging for me to navigate because it was so uneven. Add to that an excited Morey who kept pulling forward and then backing up to the heel position again and it made for an interesting journey!

My co-workers and I arrived at about the same time and Morey was happy to see all of them. He seems to get extra excited when he sees people he knows in unexpected places. We had the small library building to ourselves and since we were going to be there all day, I left Morey off leash. There was a large open room with a long table with a winding staircase with open-backed stairs that led up to a second level which went around the edge of the building and overlooked the first level.Two of my co-workers climbed up the stairs to the second level and Morey went with them.

Once he was upstairs he became rather concerned. He could look down and see me (the second level had wire railings). He started whining and running around the edge of the second level, obviously unsure and confused about how to get back down to me. I then realized that I don’t know the last time Morey went up or down a flight of stairs. Obviously he doesn’t do that with me, so it could actually have been more than a year since Morey has gone up stairs.

When my co-workers came back down, so did Morey. I was afraid he might be scared to come down the open-backed stairs but he scrambled down without a problem, although his style was not very graceful. When he got back on the first floor he did a quick shake off (a calming/stress-relieving action) and came over to me with a wagging tail. After checking in with me he started running in circles around the room-blowing off some stress. I let him continue his antics for a few minutes and then called him over and settled him on the floor. With that excitement out of the way, he was his very good self the rest of the day.

In the future I will try to be more aware of giving Morey opportunities to go up and down stairs. It wasn’t a huge problem and he recovered quickly, but I want Morey to be able to be confident in situations with stairs. I know some people train their dogs to use treadmills for exercise so maybe I should train Morey to use a StairMaster! : )