Happy Anniversary!

December 29th is a special day for my ICAN dogs. It was Jessie's birthday and she would have been 10 this year. Although she is missed every day, her presence is especially missed on special days and holidays. Her birthday was even more of a reason to spoil and pamper her and she loved the attention.

December 29th, 2010: My two wonderful ICAN dogs

December 29th (2010) is also the day I brought Morey home to be my service dog. It was fun to go back and look at pictures from that day as well as look back at the first few posts on this blog.

 We've been through a lot together over the past 4 years and I am looking forward to what 2015 will bring our way!

December 29th, 2014.

Merry Christmas!

Can I look inside yet?

Dogs get to have their own Christmas celebration at our house and this year was no exception. Morey had learned that stockings and presents contain fun things and so he was quite interested in what everyone else was getting.

Merry Christmas!

Is that for me?

Was I bad? Why else would I get poop bags for Christmas?

Gotta try out these new flavors of bones!

Worn out from all that Christmas fun!

ICAN Dogs: Past and Present

I've been involved with ICAN for almost 10 years and have met a lot of great dogs and people since that time. The first ICAN dog I trained, a black lab named Declan, was placed with a then-8-year old boy named Caleb. I've stayed in touch with his family over the years and it's always fun to hear updates about how they are doing. Caleb is now in high school and Declan is mostly retired.

Over Christmas break I was offered the chance to "borrow" Declan for an overnight. I hadn't seen him for several years so it was very special to get to spend some time with him. Declan will be 11 in March and he was diagnosed with liver disease over the summer. He is still acting pretty spry and you'd never guess his age or health condition just by spending time with him.

Declan and Morey

 I thought Declan might be slower and not want to play with Morey and Jamie but as you can tell he can still keep up with the best of them! He has his own version of playing and Morey adapted quite well.

 It was a lot easier to get pictures after they had worn themselves out with playing!

Worn out!

What a happy looking dog!

Doesn't look too comfy to me!

 Declan was the very first ICAN dog I trained while I was back in high school. He lived with me for about 6 months while I did most of his advanced training and so we have always had a special bond.

Morey and I also have a special bond and it was interesting to see Morey react to not being the "only dog". Jessie was around when Morey arrived so he was never very jealous of her but Declan was a different story. I don't think Morey liked having a "strange" dog come in and capture my attention!
While Declan was visiting Morey was extra affectionate to me and when I woke up one morning I found myself sandwiched between a yellow dog and a black dog!

It was so fun to get to spend this time with Declan. Since I've been involved with ICAN so long I have and will experience a lot of losses when it comes to my canine friends. When you know each time you see a dog it might be your last it gives each interaction special meaning. I guess that is the way we should all live everyday!

Airport Anecdotes

Traveling with Morey usually results in some amusing anecdotes and traveling home to Indiana for Christmas was no exception! 

We were waiting for our connecting flight (which kept getting delayed) in the Houston airport. There were lots of families traveling and a few seats over a family with two small girls was waiting as well. After a while they gathered their belongings and left the area where Morey and I were sitting. As they went by, one of the girls said "Daddy, is that a dog statue?", pointing to Morey. He laughed and said "No, but I could see why you would think that- you've never seen a dog be so still!"

I called Morey's name so he would pick his head up and show her he was real. She laughed as they walked away. Usually you consider yourself complimented if someone doesn't know you have a service dog with you. I guess another version of that is if they think your dog is a statue!

When we finally got on the plane we were seated next to a young man who was going home for the first time after completing boot camp. He was stationed in Texas and this was only his second time on an airplane. We chatted for a bit and I encouraged him to let me know if Morey was bothering him or taking up his space. Turns out he missed his dog so he didn't mind a bit. He had been awake all night and wanted to get some rest on the flight. As he slept, Morey rested his head on the soldier's legs. I wished I could get a picture but my phone was turned off.  Later in the flight the flight attendant asked the service member if Morey was his service dog. That makes sense, but I was quick to claim Morey as mine!

It is amazing to see how many lives Morey touches- even just for a moment. I especially notice it when I'm traveling; people who are caught up in their own lives stop to smile at Morey (and then sometimes at me). Morey is my special boy but I am glad he can bring some happiness to others as well!

Paparazzi Problems

In December a friend and I (and Morey of course) went to Austin's Trail of Lights, a holiday light display set up on a mile long path in Zilker Park.

I brought Morey's red and green antlers so he could be festive but soon after putting them on we were swarmed with people wanting to take pictures with him. As the line grew longer I realized people probably thought he was part of a display so the antlers came off for the rest of the evening so we could avoid the paparazzi! We were even approached by a professional photographer for the event who wanted to take a photo of us. I should have asked what she was going to do with it so I could have posted it here.  I guess you'll have to search the Internet to see if you can find the photo and share it here!

It was UT night and so I saw several co-workers and people I know from UT. One of my co-workers saw Morey before she saw me. It's hard to blend in when you are always accompanied by such a good looking dog!

The display was set up at the park where we often go to play and Morey was confused about why I wouldn't let him off leash. It took a while and a lot of stops and starts before he realized that he was going to have to walk nicely on the leash instead of getting to play.  I think the beauty of the displays was lost on him so he probably wondered why we came to the park in the dark and then didn't even play. Sorry Morey!

Visiting the Vet

Morey's annual vet visit is in December. He always walks in happily since he doesn't have his vest on and therefore can interact with all the people and animals inside. However, once they take us back to the exam room he starts to remember what happens in this place and suddenly he is a little less eager to interact with the vet and vet techs. They take dogs in the back to weigh them and draw blood and when they bring him back he runs over as if to say "Do you know what they did to me?"


He wouldn't approach the vet until she offered him a tasty meat treat. Even then, his back feet stayed  put while he stretched the front half of his body to accept the treat. It is funny to see Morey be hesitant to approach people because he is always such a friendly dog.


Morey weighed 79.6lbs and the vet complimented him on being fit and trim! I am very diligent about keeping him at a healthy weight because I want to do everything I can to keep him working as long as possible. When I worked for ICAN it was unfortunately very common to see the service dogs get too heavy and that is so bad for their health. It can sometimes be hard for a person with a disability who may not easily be able to get out to provide their dog with exercise but it is an important thing that we as human partners need to do to take care of our dogs as well as they take care of us.


The vet also gave Morey compliments about his clean teeth (which I diligently brush every night). Again, this is another easy way to keep Morey healthy as long as possible. When I first got him he wasn't really a fan of getting his teeth brushed but once I found out he prefers Poultry-flavored toothpaste he now comes into the bathroom whenever he hears me get out my toothbrush!



Morey got a clean bill of health and I'm hoping to keep him that way for the coming year!

Golden Friend

My mom has been involved with ICAN in a variety of ways, including taking care of the newborn pups, furloughing dogs and taking care of dogs when they need a break from prison. She is currently taking care of ICAN's recently retired breeding dog, a golden retriever named Jamie (named in honor of Jamie Young). Jamie the dog needed a place to recover after her pups left and to stay until she was spayed and recovered from surgery.

Jamie is two years old and loves to play! She and Morey had a blast playing with each other but her energy far exceeded his and Morey was exhausted by the time we went home! Jamie's favorite game to play is tug and she would tease Morey into playing with her by dangling a toy in his face. She didn't actually want the toy- she just wanted to play with him.

More than a few toys met their match while Morey was home!

 They also enjoyed some antler chewing together.

Break time!

All worn out!

 Jamie is a social dog and wanted to be near Morey all the time. She isn't allowed up on the human beds but whenever Morey was on the dog bed she wanted to join him.

I enjoyed watching their body language as they played. Although Morey is usually quite docile he can look ferocious when he plays. My sister would sometimes think they were getting too rough but I was watching their body language and could tell despite the snapping of teeth and body slamming that it was all in good fun. Jamie didn't always want to stop when Morey did so there were a couple of times that we had to stop their play and encourage a quiet activity like chewing bones or antlers.

Since my mom didn't get to come to Texas to celebrate Morey's birthday we had a belated party for him, with Jamie and Buddy the shih Tzu as guests. Morey very much enjoyed his presents which included new toys, a new antler and two new feeding toys!

The weird looking green thing is actually a feeder- you sprinkle food between the "grass blades" and the dogs have to lick it out.

Look at all those wrinkles!

Morey and Jamie also got to go to church together. They adapted very well to their "professional relationship" after the romping and running they did at home.

After we had gone back to Texas my mom was talking to me on the phone about Morey. She told me that Jamie got up and started looking around for him. She definitely liked the visitor from Texas!

Back to Prison

Since I was home for a week over Thanksgiving I had a chance to go to the Indiana Women's Prison for part of a training session with the ICAN staff and handlers and their current dogs in training.  Morey spent part of his time in my training at IWP and always recognizes when we go back. I have fond memories of my time in prison and always like to go back when I can (not many people probably say that!) which isn't as often now that I'm in Texas.


There has been a lot of turnover with the IWP handlers since I left so I only knew a few of the current handlers. Some handlers have gotten released from prison (obviously a good thing!) while others have been fired from the program because of violating prison rules. Being part of ICAN is a job that requires high standards and it's always hard to see a handler make choices that violate their ability to stay in the program. Not only does ICAN lose talented handlers but the handlers lose out on an amazing opportunity to learn valuable life lessons and give back to the community.


It was fun to visit with the handlers and meet some of the pups in training. They were proud to show off their dogs and with Team Training coming up, to explain who their dogs were going to be matched with. Despite all the new dogs and familiar sights Morey behaved very professionally, serving as a role model to all the younger dogs on how to act as a service dog.


The handlers only get to see one side of the service dog training and are always eager to hear more about how they act/react when they are out working in the world. I was happy to be able to share some of my experiences with Morey in hopes of emphasizing to them how crucial their work is in creating a well-trained service dogs. Training loose-leash walking, recalls and stays can get repetitive and boring after a while but these are critical skills for service dogs. Handlers often want to jump right into training retrieves and tugs before their dog has a solid foundation with the basic skills.  Knowing this, I gave a few examples of how Morey's basic skills allow him to my service dog partner hoping these examples will emphasize the importance of training these skills.


I really miss having the chance to work in the prisons and was glad to be able to visit. One of the things I love about ICAN is how the dogs are used to change lives even before they start their life as a service dog. This becomes very obvious when you have a chance to talk to the handlers who have dedicated their time to training a dog that they will one day hand over to someone else. As someone on the receiving end of this gift I am extra grateful for everyone who helped Morey become the wonderful service dog he is today!

Sibling Reunion

I apologize for the extended delay in updating Morey's adventures. I'm finishing 2014 in a rush but will go back through and add the details and pictures you have come to expect. In the meantime, you can get a "sneak peek" at what's coming in the next few blog posts! I'll try to be better about posting in 2015!

While I was home for Thanksgiving Morey had a chance to reunite with his littermate Shani. Shani was the only pup in the litter who went into law enforcement instead of service dog work. Dogs that have high energy and intense drive (for balls, Frisbees, etc) usually don't make good service dogs but those same skills can be an asset when it comes to police work. Shani became an award winning drug dog and pretty much cleared her district from drug business because word got out that she could sniff out drugs no matter how well they were hidden or disguised.  Shani recently retired and back with her puppy raiser and so Morey and I got the chance to visit her.

Shani and Morey

There were 3 yellow pups in Morey's litter and 5 black pups. Shani is black and you would never guess that she and Morey are littermates! Not only is there color different but so are their body builds and facial features.







 While Morey and his mom Cleo seemed to share a special connection when they got to see each other last summer, Morey and Shani didn't seem to recognize each other or act any differently than they do when they meet any other dog. Still, it was fun to see them both together now that they are all grown up and settled into their careers!

Happy Halloween

This year I dropped the ball on Halloween costumes. I spent most of the week catching up after being gone for a week and Halloween just snuck up on me. I had a meeting to go to that encouraged people to wear "healthy-themed" costumes so I was trying to use that theme for inspiration.


Inspiration hit at 10:30pm on Thursday night. I decided Morey would go as a cow and bring along his farm animal toys (including a pig, duck and chicken) and I would dress as a farmer and bring fruit, veggies and grains so that together we would represent the 5 food groups. Not bad for a last minute costume!


Morey was not thrilled about the costume but he graciously cooperated. He wore his costume to/from and during the meeting. The cow tail kept moving along his back as he walked and he kept turning around to look at it. It must have felt strange to have a second tail! The hood with the horns wouldn't stay on his head so many people thought he was a dalmation. Personally, I've never seen a dalmation with an udder but I guess there is a first time for everything!


At home at night we had a good number of trick or treaters (although only a few of them actually said trick or treat!). At first Morey came to the door with me but once he was ignored a few times he decided not to waste the energy and just stayed on the couch. Unless he is the one getting the treats he said it's not worth the effort!


Next year I'll try to get an earlier start on our Halloween planning. If you have any suggestions please let me know!

Left Behind

Since rugby is no longer part of my life this year I have found myself with a lot more availability in my schedule. I was invited to participate in two different opportunities in San Diego and decided to take advantage of both of them!


For the past several years I have been involved with the Challenged Athletes Foundation, a non-profit that provides support for people with disabilities to participate in sports and athletics. They provide grants for training, equipment and competition and hold various sports clinics and camps. One of their biggest fundraising events is the San Diego Triathlon Challenge and this year I was invited to attend! The triathlon consists of a 1 mile swim, 44 mile bike ride and 10 mile run. I didn't have enough notice to train for those distances so I decided to participate in a relay team which each person taking one component. I decided to do the swim since it seemed a lot easier than the bike or run distance!


I was also invited to a Paralympic Talent ID Cycling Camp at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego. Who could say no to that opportunity?? The Triathlon was on Sunday and the camp was Monday-Saturday so the timing was perfect. One of my best friends lives in San Diego so I decided to add a day on each end of the trip to visit her. Might as well make the most of the flight!


All these events would add up to a week of travel and being gone. I didn't know exactly what to expect at the triathlon or the cycling camp so I decided to leave Morey at home. I think the longest we've been apart is 4 days so this would be the longest separation we've had since we've been together. I went back and forth on my decision but finally decided to stick with my original plan.


I was surprised that I actually got a little teary when it was time to leave. I knew Morey would be fine but it was still hard to leave him behind. Halfway through the week my roommate texted me saying Morey wouldn't eat. Of course my "mom guilt" immediately kicked in and all I could think about was Morey thinking I had abandoned him. The next night my roommate texted me saying Morey barked all night whenever he heard a sound outside. At that I began to feel bad for my roommate too!


Even though I had a great time on my trip I was very glad to be reunited with Morey! My friend brought Morey to the airport to pick me up and he was quite excited to see me.  I've already decided I won't leave him home that long again!

Happy Birthday!

Morey turned 6 this year. I still remember the day he was born- I had a rugby tournament and kept checking my phone between games to see if the puppies had been born! I still think of him as a young dog but at 6 he is solidly middle-aged now. We'll be celebrating our 4th anniversary of being together this December which is hard to believe. Time flies!


I'm sorry to report that Morey had a rather sad birthday. Usually my mom and sister come to visit so we can celebrate in style but this year I was getting ready to head out on a trip so it was just me and Morey. His birthday was on a Friday so we spent the whole day at work. One of Morey's biggest fans at work saw my birthday Facebook post while she was doing an early morning errand and she picked up a birthday present for him and then brought it to my office to deliver it to the birthday boy. She said she never gets to buy soft toys because her dogs destroy them but she had a feeling that Morey would treat it appropriately. Morey was very excited about his birthday present!


After losing my sweet Jessie at age nine (way too early!) I don't like to think about Morey getting older. Morey is such a part of me and I really can't even think about not having him in my life. I tried to focus on celebrating another year of his life instead of dwelling on how few birthdays he might have left. Sometimes it takes a loss to make you appreciate what you have and that is certainly the  case with me. Over the last few months I have been intentional about cherishing each moment with Morey and am trying not to take his presence in my life for granted.


                    So here's to Morey and many more years of health and happiness!

Morey Makes Himself at Home

At my church there are several pews that are shorter than the others which leaves space for me to sit without being in the aisle. There is an older lady who usually sits next to me and parks her walker in the extra space. One day during our greeting time I noticed Morey had moved from the spot where I had left him. He had crawled under the walker and curled up into a tiny ball!






While the ICAN service dogs are in training the handlers get them used to being around lots of different types of assistive equipment. The prisons have a collection of walkers, wheelchairs and crutches which are routinely incorporated into different training exercises. I guess Morey saw the walker and thought he would make himself at home!

Morey the Gardener

People often ask me what Morey does for me and I usually just mention a few of his more frequent tasks like pulling my chair, retrieving objects and opening doors. Like any job though, there are also those "other duties as assigned" which sometimes includes outside chores. This is especially true now that the weather is nice and you can be outside for more than a few minutes without overheating.


Since we now live in a house with a nice yard we often have work to do outside. Things like watering the garden, planting flowers, spreading mulch, weeding, sweeping the deck and picking up poop are a little more difficult from a chair but it is very true that where there is a will there's a way. It might not be pretty and it will probably take me a lot longer but there are very few things I can't do.




Morey supervising the tools

Morey applies his skills to outdoor work in a variety of ways. Sometimes it's retrieving a dropped shovel, sometimes he helps drag the hose over to where I need it. He can carry tools from me to my roommate if we are working on projects in different areas of the yard and has been known to carry empty containers to the trash or recycle.

Yep, this hole looks big enough!

Recently my roommate decided to plant a tree in the backyard. If you want to see a funny sight watch two quads trying to dig a hole big enough to plant a tree. Without being able to put your full body weight behind the shovel it takes a whole lot longer. I tried to get Morey to help with the digging but he decided he would just sit back and supervise. We did pretty well until we hit a rock layer and then had to have an able-bodied friend use a jackhammer to drill through the rock. At the end of the day though we had a new tree planted in the yard!

Morey looks forward to "watering" his new tree!

Rub a Dub Dub

At the Agility field there are lots of water bowls and containers to make sure the dogs stay hydrated. While we were there I filled up a black tub with some water, expecting Morey to drink from it. However, I guess  his mind was still filled with swimming and pools because he decided that he was going to squeeze himself into the tub, proving that where there's a will there's a way!

 

Now that I know it's possible for Morey to squeeze himself into such a tight space I think he can probably give me a little more room in the bed!