Hello my friends,
Pull up a chair and lets talk about emotions, So many emotions This past Saturday was official graduation from Susquehanna Service Dogs Team Training. It had everything you’d expect from a celebration of this kind, I started crying when the email came that told us how the process would go. Honestly I’ve cried a lot since Scout came into my life. But wait, before you decide this blog is going to be too sad and stop reading, let me explain why. Since my email came 4 years ago that said Hey we’ve got your application and we’d like to set up an interview. I’ve been holding my breath so to speak. As readers of this blog will know I started the process right after my previous dog died. I was conflicted about getting a new dog. What if the bond was different what if I didn’t feel the same way about a new dog as I had about Nikki? So many ridiculous ways the brain messes with you. Cue all kinds of emotions. Then of course as is always a fact of my of my life, how in the world was I going to get there. It’s about an hour from here and I thought if I tell them I can’t get there ... they are probably going to tell me they have a huge list and they can’t help me. I took an appointment a good distance enough away in time that I thought I’d be able to arrange rides. But it didn’t work out that way. Even though I was willing to pay for my rides none of the people I usually hire were available. So just as I was about to call and see if I could reschedule I got a Facebook message. (Not kidding at that exact moment. In fact I almost didn’t check it cause I was nervous about having to call) My friend Brenda messaged to say she and her husband (whom I don’t believe I’d met until he drove me to Grantville ) said they’d discussed it and felt they were supposed to help me get to my interview. Usually I would wonder why but I so glad to be able to get there I didn’t over think it. I got to my interview and my friends got an inside view at how the SSD process works as they came on this entire journey with me I am so lucky to have in my circle and now Scout’s too.
Fast forward to September of last year when the email came that said “ Come meet some dogs.” I was again worried about rides but it was actually fairly simple this time thanks to roommate’s mom who was super excited to see the process from the inside. She’s an all around dog person. So then I thought what if I have to do a meet the dogs more then once .... sometimes that happens. No I refused to think about that for long. I was nervous and excited a lot had changed for me since that first interview I’d finished college. I was living with my roommate’s tiny rather high strung dog. Yes lots had changed, I wondered if I would still be a good fit for their program. But I knew at this point I was ready for a new furry friend. And then they brought sweet Scout into the room. I met four dogs that day. But really truly I only remember Scout because well honestly, I don’t know why I knew, but I knew he was was just the one for me. I have since learned that when Scout really likes someone he wants belly rubs from them. I have seen it many times in the short time we’ve been partners. My roommate calls him Scout the puddle It’s a fairly accurate description of what he does When he came into the room the first thing he did was melt into the floor so I could rub his belly. A sign to everyone in the room but me that maybe this was a match. I left that meeting and waited a long week to find out if I had been matched and seriously my only thought when I found out I’d matched was I hope it’s Scout. There were tears then even though I didn’t know which dog yet. I told three people about my meet the dogs experience and if you asked any of them they’d tell you I really only talked about Scout. SSD does not tell you who you matched with until a week or so before team training starts because if something comes up and your match didn’t work out that would be difficult for everybody.
When the email came informing me I had matched with Scout there were tears the minute I saw his picture.. I’m an emotional person. In case perhaps you aren’t getting the very obvious point that emotions of any kind bring tears. Then it came time for team training the planning of which, for me was seriously stress inducing but I was very clear that I was going to work out the ridiculous transportation issues (more in a future blog). Because I was going to make this work no matter what I needed to do. The point for today’s story is what seemed like an insurmountable problem was worked out. So the first time I saw Scout after 5 months or so of waiting between meet the dogs and team training we were both nervous and I thought he didn’t like me. When I tried to touch him he backed away a tiny bit. Someone suggested I try a different approach and treats and it worked, but I kind of thought either he really does not like me or he really doesn’t want to be a service dog. I thought that pretty much the whole first week. But there was no way I was going to say that to anyone. Then we spent the weekend alone in a tiny hotel room responsible totally to each other and only with each other for company. He was always a sweet dog, a calm dog, a gentle dog, and he was very interested in checking me out. But I wasn’t sure he wanted to be with me and I wanted him to be happy. So I thought well maybe we’ll just hang out in the hotel hallway. We didn’t public have access rights yet. And the weather was pretty terrible. We were basically stuck at the hotel where SSD dogs have permission to be while they are in training. Partners can go home every day or stay. With my transportation issues staying in Grantville was easiest. But we both were kind of bored all weekend. One can only watch so much television So I took him out in a mostly empty hall and we walked.up and down the hall. Me pushing my wheelchair to lean on the same way I use my walker and him doing his best heel. Just to practice our basics and suddenly and without warning I was on the floor. It happens. CP is like that. I didn’t get hurt but I remember thinking if he runs I’ll know he doesn’t want to be MY service dog at least.. At this point I was sitting against a wall trying to figure how to get up as quickly as possible so no one would see. It was not graceful and people freak out when adults fall. No matter how many times you say you are okay Scout was momentarily perplexed, looked me over and came and laid beside me while I worked out how to get up I was impressed that he laid down so quickly and then when I was up and sitting in my wheelchair he came over and put his head in my lap. And that’s when I knew this is fine. We’re gonna be fine, we both just need to give it time and I need to relax. He’s a wonderful dog. But I don’t want anyone who reads this to think it was easy Training wasn’t easy for us. Dogs are thinking creatures and they have there own ideas, So some days he was a rock star and some days he just wasn’t into it. Some days we were both tired. It’s intense. It took me a while to figure out how to get him excited about doing what I asked . Even though Kara (his primary trainer) explained many times how he likes the happy voice and encouragement. I struggled because that wasn’t my natural state. It felt so silly to use that tone but it worked every time I could get past feeling ridiculous Thank goodness the staff and volunteers are patient positive people . Kara took some of her own time on the weekend to help us learn to work together and to assure me I wasn’t going to undo all his traiing because we weren’t quite there yet. I was sure I would “break” him. I went home at the end of training feeling we’d get there with time And knowing if I have questions the staff and volunteers at Susquehanna Service Dogs have our backs. We are getting there. We are learning together. I will gladly throw him a party in public when he ‘s doing well with without a second thought because it’s about us getting through things together. Plus he’s so proud when he gets that party that I have stopped worrying about looking goofy. He’s such a happy goofy dog. He wants to be a service dog. He loves his job. I know this with a certainty that I can’t really explain to most people. I gained an entire amazing group of people who want as to do well . Friends from class, the trainers the staff and volunteers. All of Scout’s people, who were invested in him before I was even in the picture. All these people will do anything they can to help us succeed and Scout and I would do the same for any of them. . I certainly didn’t expect to gain a whole new family as part of this process but in a sense when you are partnered with an SSD dog that’s what you get. Now of course each person and partner team gets to choose how much involvement they want to have going forward. But in the right circumstances those bonds can be intense just like the team training itself. Scout loves all his people with an intensity that only a dog can and I wouldn’t be doing right by him in my view if I didn’t continue to share our journey with them. Scout by the way is from the Girl Scout liter and 4 of his siblings are working service dogs now as well. That’s a wow number my friends.
As I looked back on all of that as we graduated I realized how much we’d both come through to get to that point and I know we will continue grow as a team as time goes on. I know that this was just how it was supposed to be. Everyone who had supported me was there and I got lots of picture to share with all of my friends and loved ones who had donated to make this a reality. There are plenty of reason for tears and emotion and not one of those reasons is sad. Please check out the links at the top of the page to learn about SSD’s capital campaign and find out how you can help them continue their mission to bring more dogs like Scout to more people who need them because dogs can change lives.
