Saturday 11.10.2012
Fernando and I formally graduated yesterday on a gorgeous 60 degree day. I would have to say, my speech went well. People laughed, people cried (I managed to hold it together, I am not sure how) and I was interrupted in the middle by a round of applause. The applause occurred while I was praising how wonderfully we were treated by CCI during our crazy team training. I was requested by several of my fellow graduates to post my speech, so here it is:
CCI Graduation Speech!
"Good Afternoon, Graduates, CCI trainers, staff and supporters, as well as fellow Sandy And Nor'easter survivors! I am Heather and also a team training and Sandy survivor. Can u believe this insane weather? CCI is never going to allow my particular group of peers back together for fear of more crazy weather! I personally could not of asked to be stuck in the dark with a better bunch of people. No matter how cold, stinky, or disconnected we felt from the world around us; we all kept smiling and cracking jokes.
We were taught that dogs get to know one another by scent. we may have felt self conscious without showers ourselves for days at a time, the upside is that our pups were able to smell us and get know us very well all the way from the kennels, without trying.
Our team training has been quite the multidimensional experience. We have all learned how to handle our dogs, succeeded in commanding our dogs for our specific needs, and were educated on how much we LOVE hot water and electricity. The CCI staff here in the Northeast region has gone above and beyond keeping us as comfortable as possible. Remember, that several of the staff were also dealing their own power outages and property damages, they continued to show up to work to keep us on schedule and have succeeded in graduating us on time! The hot meals they provided, not only for lunch but sometimes for dinner were such a welcome treat. CCI also provided us with the option for an overnight hotel stay to warm up and reconnect with the world. A few members of the staff also took some of our laundry home, talk about getting to know your graduates.... A little too well! Our appreciation for the CCI staff goes beyond words and we cannot express the gratitude we feel towards these exceptional people!
A few tidbits about our class experience. I will begin with myself and Fernando who met about two weeks ago. I had been an emergency veterinary technician for over 13 years and have met hundreds of dogs and kitties along the way. When one of the trainers handed Fernando to me to work with, we looked at each other and connected on a level where we were able to to read each other from the start. Yes, we were told not to become attached to any of the dogs as our "match" could be different from any of the dogs we even worked with. I admit, even after working with some of the other wonderful CCI dogs, I was hoping we would be matched. On Prematch day when I was handed The handsome Fernando, my inner child was doing backflips! He and I will continue our strong partnership that CCI has begun. :o)
Ann Marie and Domino -- sometimes you don't realize how perfect your match is until you take your dog back to your room with you. Most of you who have retrievers or retriever crosses know how loud they can snore. Domino and Ann Marie were watching TV, laying next to each other, when Ann Marie's mom assumed Ann Marie was asleep. Well, she realized Ann Marie was wide awake and it was Domino who was snoring!
Samuel and Proton -- Samuel's smile always put you in a better mood no matter how you were feeling, as it can light up a room! Samuel thinks Proton is awesome and funny; cannot wait to hang out on Sunday afternoons watching NASCAR races and Patriots football games. Our dogs not only provide physical support but also emotional. Proton will help Samuels anxiety at the not so fun doctors appt. Protons digestion system is also one of the most efficient among our pups as he is Productive pooper at 3x a day!
Jessica and Livingston -- this is Jessica's second time through team Training Team. She was paired with a one of kind pup named Eugene in 2005. Jess, thinking, since this was her second time through, training would be easier. "Not so much!" Jess also confers how personalities vary from dog to dog. Eugene was not big on playing fetch, Livingston, on the other hand.... Will go all day if allowed.. ;o)
Cynthia and Gio -- Gio is our long haired prom king of the group (unless he gets a bath, then he looks like a drown rat until he dries). He will be sure to turn heads in any place he goes. As I have chatted with Cynthia about her already rich and fruitful life, I see her continuing to live life to the fullest with this gorgeous man. Not even a fracture has broken the bond that has been grown between Cynthia and Gio.
Dylan and Hope-- Bonding on first night in our rooms, Dylan and hope were laying in bed, Dylan as content as could be, was gently stroking her ear and was telling her "hope, I love you". Hope has already gained the nickname " hope on a rope" in her new family.
Jim and Kousz -- while in class, most of us would think Kousz is a quiet hardworking little man. Kousz and his team did so well at one activity they won a ball that squeaks. Jim told us when he gave Kousz the ball and released him, Kousz turned into part jackrabbit and part cat. This lab started bouncing around like a mad man and swatting at this ball! Lol. Another one of Kouszs favorite pastimes is to lay on the bed with Jim and hang his head over the side with his nose pointing at the floor. I cannot wait to hear more stories as this pups personality grows!
Nelyn and Rookie -- they have both bloomed over the past few weeks. Nelyn was very quite and reserved. Once Rookie joined in her in a partnership, I could see Nelyn relax a little and we all watched as she found her "command" voice. The first time she came out with a loud, firm "sit," i think we all jumped a little. This special relationship will flourish over the coming years into an inseperable bond.
As we all endeavor on our new journey with our CCI provided partner, I have no doubt these dogs will bring a new found confidence within ourselves. I wish the best for all us as we bond with our pups and learn more about each personality. As most of you probably agree, each of our awe-inspiring CCI dogs will cultivate our lives from just a row of daisies into an entire garden of windflowers!
Thank you."
I had ultimate pleasure of meeting the family that raised Fernando for the first 18 months of his life. CCI calls theses special people, who socialize and do basic training, "puppy raisers." It definitely takes an exceptional type of person to be able to rear these dogs and be able to pass them back to CCI for advanced training to eventually become an assistance dog. Kathleen and Fred were Fernando's puppy raisers. He isn't the first puppy they have raised for CCI nor is he the last. They currently have a 17 week old CCI pup at home. :o) During Graduation, we saw some of the matriculating puppies moving onto "college," or advanced training; some of the puppies were the 16th or 17th puppy people have raised for Canine Companions for Independence! If it were not for people like Kathleen and Fred, CCI would not be able to accomplish the monumental task of providing assistance dogs to people like myself. Fernando's puppy raisers have are a heart of gold, they gave me a priceless gift of not only for volunteering for CCI but also an album full of pictures of Fernando from when he began his journey with them. The album is a wonderful and thoughtful treat! I have photos of him from 8 weeks to his matriculation ceremony at 18 months, and of his first experience in snow to swimming.
When I finally arrived home last night (after two extra hours from sitting in traffic), my family was out grocery shopping. This gave me an opportunity to come in a say hello to Odin by myself for a few minutes. When I walked in, he didn't know what to do with himself, he was practically vibrating out of his skin and wouldn't stop talking/whining. I sat on the couch and Odin smothered me with kisses and kept circling, making me think he didn't believed was actually there!
When I went outside to grab Fernando from the Jeep, Odin was so upset I left (I think people from the next town could hear him whining). My two furry boys met and they thought they were long lost brothers. Lots of tail wagging, butt sniffing and playful body language. As an after thought, I should of recorded as they had me laughing. I brought in Fernando's toys and they both shared nicely. I think Fernando thought he hit a pot of gold when he found Odin's basketful of toys. Lol
So far, so good! I have mentioned CCI about a million times during this blog, so if you are interested in learning more about them, you can go to www.cci.org.
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