Fur-day!

11.03.2012 Friday
96 hours... Power, where are you??

     Even though we have not seen electricity in awhile, we are all still in pretty good spirits.  Being around dogs that give you unconditional love all day is a big help in the mental department as well.  We are spending our first overnight with our pups tonight!  So, my furry friend is wandering around my room checking all the different smells.  I have a blanket from home on my bed which has been a glorious sniff-fest to my new friend.  The blanket must contain all sorts of scents such as Odin (my lab), Elf (my senile old kitty), Velcro (the bearded dragon) as well as my human family.  My fav CCI pup has had a great intro to my household through this blanket.
     Commands we have learned today are "get", "hold", " and "give."  These are all helpful for retrieving things from the ground or a spot I can't reach as a wheelchair user.  I was amazed at some of the items they are able to pick up.  I witnessed things like a camera, cell phones, Chapstick, a small cellophane bag, shoes, purses, wallets, pill bottles, and a pen.  The dogs will hold these until you tell them to give it to you.  Potentially, they can carry a grocery bag to your car for you.  Wicked cool.  :o)
      Our lecture was about Safety and Public Etiquette.  Basically, don't let your dog lick their pee-pee and slobber on people when they feel like it.  Ok, so it is a bit more complicated than that.  We have to be aware of hazards not only to ourselves but also to our dogs.  Is the pavement too hot for them? Is there antifreeze in the puddle you are about to go through? Do not let your dog take a big dump in front of a window of a restaurant.  We handlers are always looking for the ultimate compliment: "I didn't realize you had a dog there!"  As a vet tech, I was able to to throw in a few scary stories regarding dogs being thrown out  or jumping out of vehicles due to windows being down as well as my own scarring story when my first dog, Shilo, drank antifreeze that puddled between my neighbor and me's properties.  These extreme types of stories seem to have more impact on people.  As I said too, if it can happen to a vet tech with the best intentions, it can happen to anyone!
     So far, my pup is being a well behaved canine.  We shall see how tonight goes and if I am woken up in the middle of the night or early in the morning for a potty break.