When
You Need a Helping Paw...
the
Role of Assistance Dogs for the Disabled
For
quite some time organizations have been providing dogs to individuals with
special needs. These organizations have enabled disabled people to live
independent, productive lives through the placement of specially trained
canines. Most organizations tend to specialize on a particular service
such as Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs, or Service Dogs though some organizations
are now stepping forth and providing dogs for individuals with multiple
needs. What happens though when an individual has the need for an assistance
dog that can accomodate all of these dimensions? After years of attempting
to get a dog trained for me, I realized that training a dog for my multiple
needs would require such an enormous effort, that the option to owner-train
my own assistance dog through the knowledge, encouragement and support
of an independent dog trainer might be the best avenue for me to pursue.
This approach takes a lot of dedication and for most people it is really
not a viable option; although, if you have the time, energy, and
desire to be a part of your dog's training, the rewards can be enormous.
The
result of my realization was Chimette. A beautiful Border Collie/ Shepherd
cross born in December 1996. He became a part of my family through the
wonderful efforts of the
CARE facility
when he was six months old. Though the road has not been the one of the
path most travelled with him, the life impact has been enormous- not just
for myself but also for Chimette. After 9 years of service, he continues
to faithfully mitigate my multiple progressive disability needs enabling
me to remain independent in my daily life. The independence I have had
over the past 9 years is solely due to our magnificent partnership. It
has made every moment and dollar spent on this endeavor seem insignificant
compared to what he has given in return.
I
have multiple disabilities which encompass mobility, visual, and hearing
issues along with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (Also known as Environmental
illness). It takes a special kind of dog to assist a person in just one
of these areas- to find a dog who can take on such an enormous job is frankly
unheard of. It didn't take long for me to realize what a gem I had
been blessed with.
At
nine months of age, he alerted me to a signal device for my doorbell that
was smoking because it had malfunctioned and remained on. I kept trying
to ignore him and catch some more rest, but he was ever vigilant and insisted
until I finally got up to see what he wanted. He soon began alerting me
to the telephone and the door as well. It's natural for dogs to tell you
about the door- but the phone was a signal that I really needed and Met
sensed this. If I missed a flashing light signalling the door or phone,
he would get my attention and show me the light. Today Met is my signal
to sounds unheard.
More
times than I could
count, he instinctually intervened to provide me with
the assistance he felt I needed. At under 1 1/2 years of age he prevented
me from falling off curbs due to my failing vision by simply refusing to
walk any further- when I finally asked him to show me what was wrong, he
redirected me the right direction to where the curbcut really was. Fine
tuning his instincts along with training some non-instinctual skills into
his routine has given me the independence I had only dreamed of.
Today
if I drop items, get disoriented with my visual loss, or just need a friend-
it is Met who I can lean upon. He is an extension of me. I no longer have
to worry about not hearing the door or phone. I no longer have to worry
about falling off curbs or crossing busy streets. I no longer have to grab
a cumbersome reacher device when I drop things or ask strangers to help.
I no longer fumble through change and worry because I dropped some on the
floor. I no longer have to struggle to get my shoes, socks, or pants off
when my body is refusing to cooperate. I have a 24/7 partner who jumps
to the task at hand. He certainly fills the shoes of his knickname, as
he certainly has *Met* all my needs. And yet, as this writing is hitting
the web, I am dealing with this gut wrencing pang in my heart, that one
that all of us partnered with aging service dogs has, the pang that his
working days may be on borrowed time. So each outing we take, each morning
we get up and each night as we hit the sack, I make certain to make the
best of each day we have. He may wind up retiring and live for years to
come or he may work until the very end... but reality is that sometime
I will be forced to take on another partner, to break the working bond
I have with Met and move towards the future. It won't be easy for me or
for the successor dog, but when the time comes we will know, it will be
the right thing. The pup will have awesome paws to fill- living up to Chimette's
legacy.
Words
from the Heart
Bonds
that Can't Be Broken