November 15, 2012
Over the last few days Fernando and I have had our first public outings. The first involved going into city hall to license him. Ferno performed wonderfully and we received lots of smiles from strangers. We also ventured to Big Lots to search for a reasonably priced dog bed and they did not have any that were large enough for Odin or Ferno. :o( We were stopped a few times with general questions as well as people asking to pet him. Since Tuesday was a rainy dreary day, that afternoon involved a nap with my two favorite pups.
I decided that Ferno and I should try Ocean State job lots in our search for a second dog bed. Success! I found an AKC brand bed large to accommodate either dog for only $18! I had a few people do drive-by petting, distracting Ferno from me. Ugh, frustrating. We were also stalked by two different people. Creepy? Yes. I even did a crazy zig-zag pattern around some clothes racks and aisles, they were still there. You can talk to me people, I don't bite and neither does my service dog! Lol. My highlight was passing along information about Canine Companions for Independence to an employee whose daughter is a quadriplegic. Her face lit up when I told her how much Fernando is able to help me out and also how he helps me feel more independent. :o)
My son, RJ, had his TaeKwonDo graduation. This particular event is known to be VERY noisy with lots going on at the same time. I was a bit concerned about Fernando becoming overstimulated and possibly nervous. He decided the best way for him to watch, was upside down and on on his back. Lol. My pup was fine and I was the one that became a bit overstimulated! :o) I also attracted the attention of the school's principal and a few teachers. They were all very gracious and accepting of Fernando being there with me. I offered to come visit in a few months with Ferno to educate my children's peers about service dogs and the people who need them. Everyone thinks this would be a great idea!
Today we decided to do some birthday and holiday shopping with Grandma in Toys'r'Us. Several people commented on how handsome my Fernando is! He also learned that when G-mom and I stop, he should just lay down and take a short nap; sometimes we can take awhile to decide which item to get. Has anyone seen the Lego aisle lately?? There are now 2 1/2 aisles of Legos these days! Decisions!
Uno's was our first restaurant experience without CCI guidance. We were sat at a booth, Fernando went under the table and laid at G-mom's and me's feet. Again, he decided he would be most comfortable laying on his back and curled in a ball. Crazy dog. When we initially walked into the restaurant, the hostess looked very unsure of having a dog in the building. I sat up tall and walked with confidence, knowing my dog had legal rights to be there as much as I did. She did look a bit less unsure of herself. Although, I wasn't feeling as confident as I looked, I know I would have been questioned if stayed with my shoulders slumped and returned the hostess's questioning look. To all my fellow graduates out there, "fake it till ya make it!" Lol.
Each day increases my sense of self. Fernando is already bringing back much of self confidence at a steady pace. The falls over the past 4ish years, especially in public, took ginormous chunks out of my pride and self worth. Having Ferno around will decrease my chance of falling (specifically picking up dropped items, I won't have to try to balance and pick up) and will positively influence my emotional and physical abilities to go out alone. :o) how awesome is this?!
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