Career Change?

Yes, Dakota's had a change in his career path. Kind of like when you start college and switch majors midstream, it means some retooling and extra work, but it's all worth it in the end! The family he met last week thinks he's a great match so all systems are go. Now, instead of training to be a guide dog, he's training to be a diabetes alert dog.

I can hear it all the way through cyberspace..."A what?" Since I've been answering that question about Dakota all his life it just doesn't faze me any more. In fact it seems almost fitting! (Passerby: "He's a what?" Me, for the thousandth time: "A labradoodle...")

Dogs have this amazing sense of smell, as I'm sure you know. In fact, guide dogs use their sense of smell for some of their "finds" ("find the trash can, " "find the boys," "find the girls" -- for the men's and ladies' restrooms). I remember my surprise when I was working Willie at a new strip mall and he suddenly "lost" his ability to find me a trash can. Later I realized that since it was new construction, the trash cans had no trash in them yet and he just didn't recognize them without their characteristic scent!

At any rate, Duckie will soon be training for a new scent "find" -- only this time he'll be using his nose to detect a drop or spike in his partner's blood glucose levels. He'll then learn to give an "alert" to his person, who can do a quick test and take appropriate action to keep the levels in the target zone. To the uninitiated it might almost seems superfluous to have a service dog for this purpose. But what I've learned is that many type I diabetics can become unaware of the physical symptoms of their "highs" and "lows." These swings can be fast and dangerous. In these cases, specially trained service dogs can be a real life saver, as they can often learn to alert long before the situation reaches a critical point. Think Dakota's up to it?...Yeah, I do too!

So far, we've had to retrain him in two areas. The first one was teaching him to walk at heel (right by my side), rather than in guide position (a little ahead). That took...well...all of one walk. He really seems to get the idea. I'm the one having trouble remembering! Old habits die hard, and I guess I'm older than he is, so there you go!

The second (get ready to laugh): we had to teach him to sleep on the bed! Again, this is much harder for me than for him. We have never ever ever let him on the furniture...AT ALL! Guide dogs don't do that. However, one of the times he'll be needed most will be nighttime and we want him close to his new person, should a blood sugar drop occur in the middle of the night. SO...(and I can hardly believe I'm saying this)...he's been getting to sleep with Katharine. Of course they both love it! The first time we asked him to get on the bed he dashed around it 2 or 3 times, like, "You're kidding, right?!...Oh you aren't?...well, here goes!" ...and with one leap he was up. He's never looked back, and seems to feel it's only his proper place now. So all you puppy raisers out there, let this be a lesson to you. All those months of careful training can be undone in just about ten seconds! Thankfully he's smart enough to get the difference between a bed and the other furniture and has never attempted to get on the couch or anything else. And here's the funniest part: the very next time I told him to "Go to bed" (our normal command for him to go to his crate)...guess where he went? That's right, the people bed! He just looked at me like, "Well, this is my bed now!" Funny dog...perhaps a bit too smart for his own good...

We may call it a career change, but to Dakota it's nothing short of a promotion!

It's All About the People...

Dakota's such a people-focused dog. While we're working, his eyes and ears are on me. If we go out to eat or something and he's under my chair, he always positions himself so he can people-watch. But when the jacket's off and he's actually allowed to socialize with people, he couldn't be happier. Well, the jacket came off and he got to meet some wonderful new people on Thursday!

It was what we call the matching visit, where a potential client and service dog meet for the first time, get to know one another, and get a feel for whether and how this whole thing is going to work out. Normally, puppy raisers don't get to be a part of this at all, so I was thrilled that Dakota's prospective new family wanted to visit him in his own home. We were so excited! I can't say much else yet, but things did seem to go well and for Duckie it was obviously love at first sight (first sniff?...first lick?)

And really, when all's said and done, that's what this whole puppy-raising thing is about: the people. At first, it seems like it's about the dogs. After all, that's the side of it that we work on -- transforming our adorable but totally uncivilized little puppies into well-mannered, highly skilled guide dogs. But seeing a guide dog at work with his partner (especially when that dog was once your puppy!) truly reminds you that it's about the people. There's a synergy, a bond between the two that is quite amazing. Any disability just seems to melt away and all you see is a confident person getting on with and enjoying her life...with the help of a very special dog. It's a great feeling to know you've been able to contribute toward that cause.

Although Dakota will be a different type of service dog, that's essentially what his life will be about too -- his person. And I don't think he could be any happier! We're excited to see what the future holds for him and his partner.

What's Your MPH?

No, we're not talking about miles per hour! It's just become a family joke that Dakota gets very low mph, or "miles per hug." A big cuddler, he needs (or at least wants!) constant refills of hugs and pats to keep him going. Of course since no one seems to mind obliging him, I guess you could say it works out pretty well!

After a hectic week accompanying us everywhere from the orthodontist's office, to the mall, to the grocery store (and all points in between), Dakota got another brand new experience on Saturday: attending a GDTx speakers' workshop.

No, we're not teaching him to "speak" -- that will be my job! There were at least half a dozen other dogs in the classroom when we walked in -- all working guides. Dakota was so excited that he began to pull and whine and even barked a couple of times. I took him to the back and we did a little obedience work together, which helped to settle him down. Then we found a seat, and he was really quite good for the rest of the two-hour meeting, apart from a little more whining at the start when a guide dog and his person came and sat right in front of us. But he settled in with the help of occasional reminders from me and a few well-timed pieces of liver! Afterward, his reward was getting some hugs and attention from several of the folks who had come to the meeting. It was fun to see some of our GDTx friends and get to know a few new people as well.

One more picture for you to enjoy...just look at the beautiful GDTx vehicle with all those handsome guide dogs emblazoned all over it!

...and who might that be, larger than life, right on the door in front?

You bet, that's Dakota! He was a pretty cute baby, you have to admit. Of course we got a huge kick out of seeing OUR puppy driving up! Hopefully this vehicle gets better fuel economy than Dakota's famously low "mph"...although Katharine has pointed out that to make up for it, Duckie's mpk (miles per kibble) is extremely high!

Dog Days of Summer

Well, the weather news says we've logged somewhere around 60 days of 100-degree-plus weather here in Central Texas, but hey, who can keep track any more? After a while it all just runs together in a sort of feverish blur. Here are a few tips from Duckie on keeping cool:

#1: Pant. Pant a lot.

#2: Find a cool place to lie down and rest.

#3: See #2. (This is Dakota's patented cool-down pose, "The Roadkill.")

#4: Try to stay in air-conditioned places. The dairy aisle is great.

#5: When your people are looking the other way...sneak out and run under the sprinkler! With any luck you'll get a bit muddy and they'll have to hose you off before bringing you back inside...heh heh heh!

Happy dog days, everyone!

"Is He Real?"

...that's the question I keep hearing from people. You'd be surprised how many times we hear it, from both kids and grownups. In fact, just this week three different people asked us that. This is not a question I ever heard while raising Willie (yellow lab)...not even once! Apparently, Willie was "real." Dakota? Hmmm, that's another question!

I always just answer, "Yes," (I mean, obviously!) but to be honest I'm a bit puzzled by what they mean. I should just ask them next time. Here are some options the kids and I came up with -- feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

1) Is that a real guide dog? (Or, are you just dressing up your pet?)

2) Is that a real dog? (Or...I don't know...a very convincing stuffed animal?)

3) Am I seeing things? Is he an optical illusion? (Maybe there are some really philosophical types out there!)

And now, something we were glad wasn't "real"! One of the new places we visited this week was a sports store. I was looking for some exercise equipment. We rounded the corner and came face-to-face with...



...possibly the meanest-looking man Dakota had ever seen! Dakota was really put off by the angry look on his face (a bit hard to see from this angle)...at least, that's what I think it was. Mannequins don't normally throw him for a loop, and I don't think the missing arms had anything to do with it. When I touched it and showed him it was all right, he consented to sniff it but you could tell he was still suspicious. I gave him a treat for being brave, but as you can see in the picture, he ate it without ever letting his eyes off that guy. Finally, as we were moving away, some little boys came up behind us and started punching another punching bag...and then the "mean man." Dakota looked back as much as if to say, "There, see? They agree with me! That guy is dangerous!"

Moving On!

The great thing about going through a tough time is that you realize how wonderful friends can be. Thanks to all the friends and family who've been so sympathetic about Dakota's situation. You're the greatest!

Meanwhile, life moves on, and we're happy to move on too! I have to say that the more I learn about Dakota's prospective new service dog job, the more excited I am about it. I really think his temperament and training make him very well suited to the new work. And while some of his guide-dog-specific skills won't be needed, all the obedience training will really pay off. He already knows so much about being a service dog, and working in public in all sorts of situations. He'll have to adapt to a new handler and new skills, but I'm sure he'll enjoy the challenge.

Since we've still got Dakota for the time being, we're keeping up with his training and our routine is pretty much the same as usual. He still goes just about everywhere with us, and enjoys it immensely. He's matured a lot. This is the fun part of puppy raising, and it goes by way too fast...getting to enjoy the nice, well-behaved dog you've worked for all this time!

Okay, everyone loves a funny story, so here's one from this week. Saturday morning, we headed to the airport to pick Tim up from a business trip. I saw him walking out of the terminal from a distance, but Duckie's view was obstructed by a low wall. Motioning "shh!," Tim sat down on the wall, very still, back to Dakota, so that we'd walk right past him. When we got up by him, Duckie was being so good at paying attention to me that at first he didn't notice Tim at all. Fighting back a chuckle, I told Dakota to "sit," and all of a sudden his little nose started twitching overtime! He jumped up and started wagging his tail in circles (that's what he does when he's really happy), still not looking up, just sniffing. I let him turn around and he followed his nose until he ran--bam!--right into Tim's legs. Ooh, he was excited! It was pretty funny to watch!

Not sure if they were laughing with me or at me...but, hey, who cares?

Heartbreak...and Hope

Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the news we received on Saturday.

Michelle came over and tried her best to break it to us gently;

but there is really no way to soften the blow delivered by the
news that your wonderful puppy has just completely failed his

hip x-rays. There was nothing borderline about it; Dakota's

hip scores were way beyond the acceptable tolerance, putting

him at high risk for developing dysplasia. Guide work in harness

is a physically demanding job and it would not be fair to expect

him to do this.

Utter disbelief was my first reaction. I had to be assured that there had been no mistake -- in fact, multiple opinions had already been obtained from specialists around the country on his results, and no, the lab didn't mix up his films with someone else's. But it still seemed implausible to me. After all, Dakota has never exhibited any of the lameness or stiffness associated with hip problems. He runs like a deer and is one of the most agile and athletic dogs I've seen! His breeder goes above and beyond what many breeders consider the standard requirements, thoroughly testing all breeding dogs for a variety of inheritable disorders -- hip problems included. But sadly, human knowledge can only go so far. Despite everything we've done to stack the genetic "cards" in his favor, Dakota just chanced to draw a poor hand. It can happen, and it's really nobody's fault. Now it's up to us to help him make the most of what he's got.

It really is, for me, a kind of grieving process -- a sense of loss. There just aren't words to express how I feel! Dakota is such an exceptional dog and a real joy to train. He's quite good at what we've trained him to do, and so of course it's sad that he can't do it. But the main thing, to me, is just that I don't want anything bad to happen to him.

As it happens, however, this exceptional nature may be the ticket to his future -- a very different one than what we had planned and prepared for, yet a good future all the same. Dakota's natural abilities combined with his extremely easy-going, people-centered personality make him a prime candidate for different, less physical, service dog jobs. He is currently under consideration for this type of "career change" and, since everything's still in the very beginning stages, I can't say any more than that right now. But it's pretty safe to share that, should he succeed in his new task, he would be at least as highly valued and indispensable to his new family as a guide dog is to its partner. With proper veterinary care, a loving home, and a job to do, I think Dakota's future can still be a bright one. Who knows, perhaps he is the answer to someone's prayers!

In the meantime, someone forgot to forward to Dakota the memo that he has bad hips. After working very hard to cheer me up Saturday afternoon (I'm sure he wondered what all the tears were about!), he blew off some steam by going on one of his high-spirited racing sprees, tearing around in giant circles, leaping over obstacles in a single bound, coming back for a quick pat, and then charging off again.

"Do I look like this is gonna stop me?"