Covenant Camp

Last week Morey and I were invited back to Covenant Camp, our church's summer program for kids. We had gone last year as special guests and I guess we did a good job because we were invited back again!

I always enjoy talking to kids about Morey and love answering the many questions they always have. I was impressed by some of the good questions posed this year; are there any things Morey can't do, what does he eat, and can any type of dog be a service dog are some of the most inquisitive questions that they asked. Morey demonstrated his retrieving, tugging open/pushing closed a door, taking off my jacket, pulling my wheelchair, carrying a bag, "paying" in a pretend transaction with a volunteer "cashier". Morey isn't used to having such an audience and when they all broke out in applause for him when he closed the door he got all wiggly and happy and wanted to go interact with his new adoring fans. That created a good opportunity to talk about distracting a service dog and why it's always important to let the service dog focus on their work.

Although I spend most of the time talking about what Morey does for me, I make sure to spend time talking about the things I have to do for Morey-bathroom breaks, feeding, grooming, etc. I want kids to understand that Morey is my partner and teammate and we both help each other. After we reviewed service dog etiquette and what to do when you see a working service dog, I took Morey's vest off and let him say hello to the kids. They each got a turn to throw his tennis ball for him and see how he acts when he is off duty.

Morey and I often provide the opportunity for education about service dogs. It is rare for me to go into a public place where there are kids and not hear "why is there a dog in the store?" Most parents are good about explaining the reason Morey is with me and it always makes me smile to hear that lesson being taught. If it appears the parent is too busy or not paying attention enough to answer the question, I will try to explain to the child directly. Kids have such a great sense of curiosity and ask questions that adults are often too embarrassed or hesitant to ask. I enjoy promoting respectful curiosity and am glad that Morey provides me a great opportunity to do so on a regular basis.