Assistance Dog Ambassador

Every time I go out with Morey I am in the role of educator and ambassador for service dog teams.

Many people have never seen a service dog team before so I am always aware that Morey and I might their "first impression". While some people make comments or give compliments, other people eagerly approach me with questions. A while ago I was approached by a woman who asked if she could ask me a strange question about my service dog. You never know where that is going to lead but I was feeling brave so I said yes. I was somewhat relieved when all she asked me was where I got Morey certified.


 It's a very common misconception that service dogs teams have to be certified. In reality, there is no legitimate form of certification because it is not required by law. Some programs, including ICAN, will give teams a public access test and then give teams an ID card indicating the team has passed ICAN's training standards but even that is not required. Some companies will sell "certification" in the form of a card or vest but they are often a scam taking advantage of people who don't know their rights or who are trying to pass their dog off as a service dog even if it doesn't have any training or if they don't have a disability.


In this case the woman explained that she had been working with a trainer to train her dog to assist her but the trainer had disappeared (along with her money) before her dog had gotten certified. She was desperate to get her dog certified so she could bring her dog with her. I eagerly explained that under federal law as long as she had a disability and her dog was trained to do something to minimize the impact of her disability that was all she needed to bring her dog to public places with her. She could hardly believe it and kept asking if I was sure. I gave her several websites to check out so she could verify the information for herself. She was obviously torn between being angry that she had been scammed and excited that she didn't need to jump through any more hoops to get to take her dog with her. She thanked me multiple times before heading on her way.

I was glad she had approached me and glad that I had been able to give her accurate information. There is so much misunderstanding about service dogs and I am happy to clarify and correct myths and misunderstandings whenever I can.

Safety with a Service Dog

The Americans with Disabilities Act is very clear that being trained to protect a person with a disability is not a task that qualifies a dog as a service dog. People often ask me if Morey is trained to protect me and I am always very clear that service dogs are not trained to protect their human partners. I know a few service dogs who have protected their human partners in sketchy situations but that isn't something they were trained to do. While I like to think Morey might have some inner Lassie if circumstances necessitated it, I don't have much confidence that my friendly goofy boy would be much of a protector.


 However, with Morey by my side I feel a sense of security and safety that I don't have without him. As a woman with a disability I am very aware of my vulnerability in certain situations. By observing Morey as he takes in the environment with his superior senses I am better able to pick up on things happening around me (such as people approaching) so he helps me be more aware of my surroundings. And even though I have little confidence in any instinctual protection ability Morey might have, I do know that the presence of a dog makes people look at me differently. I'm not just a woman in a wheelchair anymore; I'm a woman accompanied by an 80lb yellow fellow.

I am proud and grateful to be able to go through life with such a handsome, smart and fun-loving dog by my side!

Making a Difference

One of my rugby teammates broke his hip and was in the hospital for a few weeks so Morey and I went to visit him while he was on the rehab unit. Two of our able-bodied volunteers on the rugby team work on that unit and one of them was working with a patient while we were leaving.  She asked if Morey could say hello to her patient, an older man walking unsteadily with a walker and wearing an eye patch. I agreed and watched Morey as he watched the man approach; ears up and alert as he tried to figure out the unusual being moving toward him.


As soon as the man got close he reached out his hand and spoke to Morey. Once Morey realized the being was a human, he eagerly moved forward to accept the petting. We made small talk while Morey enjoyed (put up with) a few flat handed pats on the head. The whole interaction only lasted a few minutes and then we continued on our way.


A week or so later at rugby practice, the volunteer who had worked with the man thanked me for letting Morey say hello and told me that her patient had talked about Morey everyday until he was discharged. Apparently he has his own dogs at home and really missed them. I was amazed that such a short interaction had made such on an impact and was glad we had taken the time to interact with him.


Morey's first job is obviously being my service dog but I am always glad to be able to share him with others when I can. From little kids who were scared of dogs to old men recovering from strokes I am glad Morey has been able to make a positive difference in the lives of others!

Be My Valentine

Morey and I got to spend a special Valentine's Day together. It was a beautiful warm sunny day and we went to Agility Class in the morning which is something we both enjoy doing together.

 Later we opened our Valentine cards sent from family in Indiana. I got a package of heart-shaped chocolate and Morey got a bag full of heart-shaped salmon treats. While he appreciated the card, he was definitely more interested in the treats!

We hope you got to spend your day with the creatures (humans, dogs, cats, etc) you love!

Snoozing

When I looked back through my pictures of Morey I realized I had compiled a nice collection of pictures of him sleeping. Morey is a sleepy boy and likes to use blankets and pillows whenever they are available. I always make sure I am quiet when I take his picture as I heed the old adage "let sleeping dogs lie"!

And just for the record, none of these pictures were posed!

It's a rough life for a working dog!

Morey's version of "working from home"

When no pillow is available, a lap works just as well!

Keeping warm on a "cold" Texas night

 

 

 

Left Behind

I bring Morey with me pretty much everywhere I go. However, there are times when it's just easier to run an errand without him so in the cooler weather I sometimes leave him in the car. Since he is used to coming with me he gets confused when I tell him "stay" instead of "off" when I open the car door. He often looks out the window watching me leave him which makes me feel a bit guilty. I console myself with the fact that he doesn't like shopping anyway and that it's good for us to be able to be apart from each other.

Aren't you forgetting something?

What about me?

A note about safety. Since I park in accessible spaces which are usually at the front of the parking lot near the store I don't worry too much about someone trying to break in and steal Morey. However, I never leave his vest on and make an effort to hide it so it's not obvious he is a highly trained dog.

Socializing at the Sparkle Party

The Gender and Sexuality Center at UT is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and is hosting a series of events throughout the year. One of the big events was a Sparkle Party which was held during the first week of classes. Prior to the event I happened to mention to one of the GSC staff members that Morey had no sparkly attire to wear to the party. She promised to save a sparkly top hat for him to wear and, much to Morey's dismay, made good on that promise!

As it happened a colleague from another department had her retirement party on the same evening so first we went to that party before heading over to the Sparkle Party. Certain social environments are difficult for me to navigate and unfortunately this one was one of the more challenging ones due to a combination of factors. There were lots of people there so it was difficult to try to move around the room. The room was pretty loud and because I am so much lower than most people it was hard to hear enough to carry on a conversation. There was cake and punch and most people were holding their plates/drinks while they talked or used high bar tables which I couldn't even reach.


A colleague who sees Morey at meetings a lot commented that he didn't look like himself and she was right. He was not comfortable with the situation either. He kept getting in the way so I was constantly having him move and was afraid to let him lay down lest his tail get stepped on. There were regular tables at the front of the room that no one was using so I decided to start a trend and set up shop at a table. Morey was glad to be settled out of the way and I was able to enjoy my cake and watch the slide show. Eventually someone came over to join me and we struck up a conversation. I guess I haven't figured out the art of mingling in social situations as a wheelchair user.


I felt bad having to take Morey to another social situation but I needed to make an appearance at the Sparkly Party. On the walk over to the building I gave Morey the freedom to sniff and walk more freely to help relieve some of this stress. Thankfully the Sparkle Party was held in a larger venue so there was more room to move around. Feeling slightly guilty at adding to his stress, I did adorn Morey with beads and the sparkly top hat which attracted a good bit of attention and lots of photo opportunities. We even took a turn rocking sparkly sunglasses in the photo booth. Morey does like getting compliments and attention from people so I like to think that made up for the humiliation of wearing his sparkles.

The life of a service dog is not all fun and games and I try to be aware of situations that make Morey nervous or uncomfortable. In some cases there is not a lot I can do to change or avoid the situation but I at least want to be aware of what Morey is communicating to me and do what I can to relieve his stress.