Happy Birthday Dear Mercy!

Today our dear beautiful golden, silly pup turned two. It seems like she has been a part of our family for so long even though it hasn't even been a year. She has been a priceless addition. The funny thing I noticed about having an autism assistance dog is that many times when we take her out, Chris feels so comfortable that his autistic behaviors are sometimes hardly visible. For some reason I didn't really expect that to happen. Lately we often find ourselves laughing and having fun when before even a trip to the store was an exhausting and stressful event. Most of the time Chris pretty much just looks like a boy with a dog.  We sometimes get confused looks as people try to figure out which one of us needs the assistance dog!
In her young career Mercy has stopped meltdowns, 'found' Chris at Kings Island and once in Target, provided comfort at the orthodontist, ER, doctor's office, church, field trips, and at family events. We even had fun at a mall - something my son would never have wanted to do before. Chris now sleeps in his own room-all night in fact. These are not small things to a child with autism. They are priceless things for the parent.
Mercy has brought so many laughs to us. Her quirkiness can lighten up the dreariest day. She watches T.V. and loves the cat to no end. She often gets frustrated with her kong and barks at it until I get the treat out. When she knows the time is coming to go to her kennel she goes to the couch and gives a dramatic performance that could win an Oscar. She drapes her head over the back of the couch and looks up at me as if to say "I am sooo comfortable here and ohh soo tired, can't I just stay here?". She can be such a drama queen. She also has an obsession with pillows. Of course keeping a highly intelligent and high energy dog happy and busy takes energy and patience. We have our share of 'puppy behaviors' when she doesn't get enough attention or mental activity. She has taught Chris to keep his shoes in the laundry room, that is for sure.
She sometimes acts as if she is my assistance dog too. When I come down with a cold or am just over stressed she will lay by me or lay her head on me and look up at me with those soulful loving eyes. Once when I slept without my sleep apnea machine she woke me up - standing over me with her muzzle in my face. The look on her face registered concern, she looked like she wanted to say "are you ok?"
The journey to get her took us in new directions and brought wonderful people into my life that I would have never known otherwise. I have seen acts of extreme kindness and met people who have overcome huge challenges and are the better for it. It has ignited in my soul a strong desire to pitch in and volunteer. In short, it reminds me of the title of my favorite childhood book: "The Incredible Journey".
So we give her an extra treat and extra time to play with the cat-it's her birthday after all. Then we sing happy birthday to her. "Happy birthday dear Mercy, happy birthday to you - and many more".
Oh yes, please, many many more.

E R Visit - Mercy helps her boy

Two weeks ago at this time we were just getting back from a trip to Mercy Clermont Hospital to get a nasty cut stitched up that Chris got when playing on an exercise bike.
It all started off when I heard a terrifying scream downstairs. Chris was screaming uncontrollably and trying to come up the stairs with Mercy by his side. He had blood all over his legs and they were scraped up pretty bad, then I saw the back of his leg - there was a deep gash and it was laid open. For one minute of horror I wondered if something could have happened with the dog. Could she have gotten silly and accidentally hurt him? She was right there with him and was trying to figure out how to help. Finally he calmed down enough to tell me what happened. He was pedaling the stationery bike we just got and when he tried to get off the pedals were still going fast and the sharp  edges cut him.
My mind immediately flashed back to the time he cut his foot about 3 years ago and had to get stitches. It was a horrid experience. He screamed in terror for about an hour and the experience at the hospital was overwhelming. People he didn't know, so many talking to him and touching him. The sensory overload and the way his body experiences pain makes this kind of situation far worse than for most kids. How were we going to get through this, especially now since he was having a LOT of anxiety about illness and dying?
It sounds odd, but I wasn't sure if we should take Mercy. How was I going to control his bleeding, drive AND handle a dog? I tried to put her in her kennel but to no avail. She was NOT going to leave him. Her boy was hurt and she had a job to do. Decision made. I grabbed her leash and my purse and out the door we headed.
I needed not worry. Mercy was good as gold. She snuggled next to Chris and even though he found it a bit annoying when she nuzzled him, it did seem to take his mind off of things. The reception desk was a little taken aback at the sight of a dog in the ER. Our local hospital is quite small and in a rural area and I suspect they don't see a lot of service dogs. Chris had calmed down a bit by now and other than the same questions over and over, things were going ok. It wasn't until we got called back when the nurse stopped short and told us that the dog couldn't come back to the treatment area. Although I felt like screaming inside, I calmly but firmly told her that Mercy was an autism assistance dog and we really needed to have her there. I felt like kicking myself for not putting on her harness before we left, but with all the commotion I had left it behind. Luckily I always have her 4 Paws bandana in the car as well as her tags. The nurse seemed to sense that I wasn't going to budge, and it was obvious that Chris was in head butting mode. The nurse seemed suddenly to 'get it' and went to find the best room to put us in.
The wait seemed to take forever, but the experience was far easier than it had been the last time. Chris began to relax as the nurse explained what the process would be. They soon saw that Mercy was a calming influence for Chris and that she wasn't presenting any problem. The young doc was  a lover of golden retrievers as well and told Chris about the dog he had. This was another hidden benefit of an assistance dog in a situation like this. Chris seemed to enjoy the 'dog talk' and it helped take his mind off of the medical procedures. The whole ordeal took about 4 hours but having Mercy with us seemed to help the time pass a little easier. By the time we left, Chris was actually being silly and making jokes about "Mercy" going to a hospital with the same name. The whole experience was a complete 360 from the last time he had to get stitches. Given his anxiety issues I truly believe it would have been far worse than last time without Mercy there, distracting him and being her loveable, pettable self.  
Thanks again to 4 Paws and everyone who helped us get Mercy.

We Passed - We are an official team!

On July 1st we passed our public access test. Mercy did great during the entire test except for a rocky start at first. She quickly composed herself and worked with me in the mall like she understood it's importance! I have to confess that I was so proud of her I got her a junior burger (plain of course) on the way home! Hooray!

Friday - Public Access Test Day!

Friday we are attempting the public access test. Mercy has been doing better on outings, but the mall at Beavercreek is not her favorite place by far. I am debating whether or not to bring Chris. He loves to come to 4 Paws but since I probably have to work afterwards, I will most likely send him to camp. Hopefully we can take her to practice one more time at Eastgate before Friday.
Wish us luck!

Kings Island with Mercy!

Mercy gives Chris kisses

The day was great. She surpassed my expectations by far for such a big outing! Chris stayed longer than his usual 2 hours, he stayed until 6 in the evening! We even got to do a quick track when he took off with a buddy, and she was on it!

Wrestle Against Autism Trip - Exhausted but worth it.

 

Mercy loves the attention at the radio interview. Photo by Chris!



Chris, Mercy and I just got back from a little overnight trip in Columbus to take Mercy up to the Annual Wrestle Against Autism event. Last year they presented us with a check that covered half the funds needed to get Chris' dog, so we wanted to go to say thank you and to help raise awareness for what the dogs do and how helpful this event has been for us.The fact that these folks work so hard to help kids with Autism is so inspiring. Each year they partner with 4 Paws and select a family (or several) who are working at fundraising but not quite there yet. Last year we were so lucky to have been one of them. As we were leaving it occurred to me how different it was for Chris this year and having Mercy with us. Last year he was completely overwhelmed as soon as we got in the door. Before the event was over, he ran out more than once, and was so uncomfortable I don't beleive he talked to anyone or would even take any interest in any of it. This year we were there for about an hour or more, most of the time he was just playing around, taking pictures and playing with the dogs. He was so proud of Mercy. Once  when he was on the floor she did a 'lap' on him, which got him giggling. He even said a few words for the radio interview with "Take Down Radio" - just a few good natured "weeps" which is a sound he makes when he wants to say something and be silly. He did eventually run out, but not far, and I knew he was pretty much ready to go at that point.  I felt so much calmer knowing that if he got out of sight, Mercy would find him.



We also met another wonderful '4 Paws' family that we have met on facebook. It is so nice to meet others who share some of the same challenges. I truly hope we get to see them again, they were so friendly and we could have compared notes for hours. Their dog is a yellow lab and quite a handsome dog and their cute son is a little older than Chris.



Our stay at the hotel was another matter. The challenges of travelling alone with a 10 year old with aspergers and a new fear of elevators was quite an experience. All would have been fine if it weren't for the fact that our room was on the 7th floor and there were no stairways that led to the lobby except one that went through the hotel office area. So each time we wanted to go downstairs to swim, let the dog out or get something out of the car, we had to get someone to let us in the office and lead us to the stairs. And then there was the issue with the huge dog crate and our luggage. Oh, and he had to check every fire door at each level because he was afraid we would get locked out. Eventually they got us a room on the second floor, but it still was a major headache. He was also worried that the people who were there the next day wouldn't let us use the stairs. Lessons learned: 1. Always make sure that there are fully accessible stairs! 2. Make sure you keep plenty of cash for unexpected tips. 3. Remember that ice buckets make great water dishes for dogs in the event that you forget to pack one.(just don't forget to let someone know it should be thoroughly cleaned) 4. Rocks can come in handy for multiple things.



Then there was the incident of where my son decided to change out of his swim clothes at the pool. I mean literally AT THE POOL! I don't know what he was thinking, but there were people fairly close by who could have come around the corner at any time. Impulse control is a wonderful thing.

We did have some really fun times throughout it all. As quirky as he is Chris can be a lot of fun. He also tried to help with as many things as he could by assembling the crate and carrying luggage. He also was able to eat at the restaurant in the hotel which was nice.

We were both happy that Mercy did so well on her trip. She encountered a lot of new things and even though she was a little nervous at times, she did really well. She didn't go nuts when we put her harness on numerous times and she seemed to enjoy the trip overall. As you can see by the pictures, both boy and dog were 'dog tired on the way home'. Once we were home Chris gave me a big hug and said I was the best mom ever. Guess it was worth it afterall!

"Dog Tired" on the way home. Chris and his pillow pet.







Mercy Turns the Corner!

During Chris' spring break we went to 4 Paws for a visit and to get a little 'refresher' training. We were continuing to have problems with Mercy 'balking' when she had her harness on, which made taking her places a bit frustrating. Every time she would get a little nervous about something she would just stop. Trying to get a 65 pound golden to move when they don't want to can be an embarrassing thing to watch. Thank goodness we were so close to 4 Paws.
We had been working on the harrness issue for about a month and had finally made some progress. After the fence was put in we harness her up and let her out immediately so that she would associate 'harness' with something she loved, which is going out to play. It has helped, she allows us to put it on but still doesn't like it much. However, she does seem ok with it once the first 5 minutes is over and she doesn't run around frantic outside like she would inside.
So back to the balking part. We did some basic obedience commands with Jeremy and he seemed pleased with her progress. Then I showed him what happens when she balks and the solution was so simple it blows me away, I knew at least part of the problem was something I was doing and was that ever right! Every time she would balk, I would turn around completely and try to coax her to come. Apparently in the dog world this translates to "Ok, let's take a little break now". The solution? Don't turn around and just keep walking, even if it pulls her a little. I have to admit, that seemed a little too easy to really work, but it works!
Last Sunday we took her to the mall, which is somewhere that she simply hates, and she did fine! We had a good time and Chris (who hasn't been to a mall in at least 2 years) actually wants to go back - for fun! We were so proud of her!
She has brought us joy in so many ways. She is always good for a laugh, her personality is so unique. She loves to snuggle, watch tv and play, play, play! I have also noticed that she needs to keep busy and loves to do her obedience work, it is almost like she is proud of all the things she knows!
Recently she has learned a new 'skill'. I call it 'clean up'. Chris has a really bad habit of leaving his shoes around and she will pick them up and get ready to chew, but I will ask her to bring it. If I have a treat handy, she will bring it, drop it and get her treat! This could come in handy!

At long last, playing in the yard!

Finally got the fence in and Mercy had the best day ever! She seemed to know when we opened the door that it was ok for her to just run out there and play. And play she did! We tossed the ball and watched her run through the mud puddles. Finally she discovered the garden pond and wanted to pull out the waterlilly plant, which signalled to me that play time was over for the day. As you can see she was horribly muddy, but at least she didn't have a care about her harness!

Thankfully she doesn't mind jumping in the bathtub for cleanup.

Mercy Settles In

Bedtime!

Mercy seems to know she is finally home. She is such a loving and clever dog! She enjoys going outside here and I wish the weather was warmer to take her out longer for a good walk. We have been practicing her obedience skills and she responds so well. Mercy definitely likes Chris a lot and she always wants to be with one of us. Chris played with her for about a half an hour straight and has been feeding and watering her.

She likes to try to find and chew stuffed animals that Chris has left out though, she wants them so bad. She takes turns sleeping with each of us and is a great bed warmer!

She is such a wonderful addition to the family, now if only I could talk Chris into posing for a family picture with her!

Chris Gets His Dream!

Today was the day!
Chris got to bring home Mercy today, and it has been a good one. She seemed to remember him and was glad to see him. On the way home she sat next to him most of the way and now that she is home has been glad to hang out with us.
We practiced basic obedience and she did everything well so far. She is such a playful dog!
We will have to go back in a few weeks to get her harness and start working with that, but for now it is just getting her used to being in a new home and learning her place in our pack. Then I will have to take her for her public access test at the mall!
We are so thankful to everyone who helped us get her and to the wonderful people at 4 Paws!
Hopefully we can post more tomorrow.

Chris practices 'Down'

First Ride Home!

Mercy makes more progress

Our latest check in last Friday with Jeremy was hopeful. He says that she has made good progress with the harness and will hopefully be ready next week or if we are really lucky, maybe as soon as this Friday. I certainly can't wait!