Much Ado About Dewey and Me

[Guest guest]

Since this post deals with my service dog and how he helps me, I don't consider

it off topic. Now, I am not always in this bad of shape, I couldn't be and be a

medic, but when I am, Dewey is there. this is just a small sampling of the

things Dewey does for me.

Much Ado About Dewey and Me!

*WARNING MAJOR DEWEY BRAG!!!*

This is a post mostly about training and working with my guide/service dog,

Dewey... In case those disinterested in long rambles of owner trained

assistance/guide dog brags would like to hit that wonderfully magical D key or

skip this entry, (go right ahead).

This past Friday morning... Dewey, *my* Dewey, picked up a dime from the

hard kitchen floor! I dropped it, asked him to retrieve and bring and he

had to push the dime side-ways with his snout till he got it against the metal

strip where the carpet meets the vinyl flooring and from there he bothered

at the coin with his teeth until he could get the leverage to grab and give it

to me. I said " drop it " and he promptly plunked the shiny silver dime right

into my awaiting hand with tail proudly swishing on its fastest setting!

This dog is awesome. He is so willing to take whatever challenge I throw

his way, which is what makes working him such a euphoric experience. Hmmm, I

always said after getting my first program trained dog that if I ever got

mobility back I'd like to be a service dog trainer... Well I guess the sweet

irony of it all is that I am sort of one anyway and the dog I trained is

giving me a *lot* more back than just help to walk!

Here is a couple days in the life of Dewey when his handler, (that would be

me), is so sick he cannot do much on his own. I spent the majority of the

past couple days in bed but I did shower and wash a few loads of laundry

plus cleaned the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher in my wheelchair. That's

no easy task let me tell ya, but albeit more time consuming, it's a whole

lot less painful and so the story goes...

As you will read below, Dewey is a huge part of my day no matter what I'm

doing (or not doing.)

Here are just a few things Dewey did for me over the past few days:

1. Picked up everything I've dropped and brought it to me including that

dime, the cordless phone, a brush and a credit card.

2. Very steadily braced me in and out of bed, in and out of the wheelchair

and assisted with transfers from wheelchair to bathtub and so on.

3. He brought me an empty laundry basket while I was sitting in my

wheelchair and I then placed it on the ground to my right side. Next I

began pulling articles of clothing from the clothes hamper which is tall enough

for me to reach into, and giving them to Dewey.

4. He took the articles of clothing from my hands and proudly dropped them

squarely into the waiting basket.

5. When all the laundry for that load was sorted and ready I had him *help*

bring the basket up to my lap... This is when I lean over in my wheelchair

and tell him to *bring to me* and he will, but I take hold of the other side if

it is a large object and we share the burden of getting it up to my lap

together.

6. He pulled off my socks, sweat pants and helped me off with my flannel

shirt, too. He put them all in the basket like I asked him to. I don't

know where I'd be without this Tolian of mine.

7. He opened the fridge for me, I got something out, took what I wanted from

the bag and Dewey put the bag back into the fridge on the proper shelf!! So

he got major time treats for that. I was able to close the door to the

refrigerator on my own, but it was so awesome to see him placing that zip

lock bag back on the shelf like that. He gets so tickled with his own great

work!

8. He brought me a bottle of medication from Rod. Rod told Dewey to " take " and

he took it in his mouth and then I asked him to bring to me and

he did tail all a wag. This tolian pup of mine just melts my heart and blows me

away every single day!

9. He braced and supported me all through the house and all the way out to

the mailbox and back when I wanted to walk without the chair, and he took

his time being extremely cautious and indicating any change or object I

might be interested in with his snout. I have one heck of a priceless jewel

for a dog. I never stop feeling amazed. |Now, on to my next post, which be

warned, is a *major* rant on people with bad attitudes and no integrity.

--

Dodge

Let me deal with honor. Let me act with courage. Let me achieve humility.

Read my blog at:

http://jumpthis.wordpress.com