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!

The right dog will come at the right time...the joys of fostering

I once heard Ceaser Milan say something to the effect of 'each dog will come into your life at just the right time' and as soon as I heard it I thought about how true that is. Recently two dogs have come into my life at just the right time and for very different reasons.
As most of you know we began to foster dogs for 4 Paws while we were waiting for my son's service dog. Our family dog of 9 years had died last new years eve after a five month fight with lymphoma. It was a heart wrenching decision to let her go but she kept getting infections due to her chemo and wasn't showing a lot of improvement. She had been my 'barn buddy' and quiet companion for so long and it was hard to imagine not having her with me.
Later that winter I was home on sick leave after a very painful surgery that had a long recuperation time. It was in the dead of winter, the snow was so deep I couldn't even go out to the barn to see the horses. My marriage of 12 years was falling apart and my son who has autism could go into his own world of play for hours. It was a tremendously lonely time. In addition to that I was trying to fund raise to get my son his dog and it was not going well, everything seemed to come to a standstill and I was exhausted and overwhelmed. The surgery had left me weak and it seemed like a tremendous undertaking to just go from one room to the other. I had wondered if I would ever feel good again.
After looking for some info on the 4 Paws site I saw that they were greatly in need of foster families for the pups in training. My son was also bereft at the loss of our dog and we talked about fostering. He liked the idea too, even though it meant giving up the dog eventually. We decided to go for it. As soon as I was physically able to make the trip we went up and picked out our new temporary dog.
When we got there we were presented with several choices, one was a wiggly hound mix that had so much energy I thought it would knock me over. Chris and I agreed that that one may not be the best choice at this time. Then the trainer brought out a beautiful little golden, tail wagging her entire body and hopelessly affectionate.  Kind of a no brainer. Cammy had quickly wormed her way into our hearts and we made arrangements to take her home.
When we go home I realized that my lack of energy had disappeared. I felt energized and connected to life again. It was impossible not to smile at the antics of this loving and silly pup, and she wouldn't let you sit still much at all. Energy, energy, energy...she had enough for all of us. The darkness of that winter had finally passed. It was the right dog at the right time.
Spring breezed by and now summer was upon us. We knew it was almost time for Cammy to leave. She was smart and needing to learn more. It wasn't the only change on the horizon, my husband had decided to leave. A chapter in my life was coming to an end.
In July we got word that it was time to bring Cammy back. Chris did not want to go with us to say goodbye and it was probably best that way, so 'the Camster' and I had our last drive together. When we got to 4 Paws, Cammy was happy to see her old friends. I gave her a hug before I could get all choked up and they whisked her off. Three months later we attended her graduation where she became a multipurpose service dog trained in seizure alert. She is now a partner to a lovely little girl who loves her dearly and we were so proud of her. We said goodbye again and Cammy left with her new family to go home to Pennsylvania. Have a happy life my friend.
Fostering is a great experience but it can be exhausting. I knew my work schedule was going to be crazy and adjusting to life as a single mom was not going to be easy, so we decided to take a break from fostering for awhile. We had received a huge donation for our service dog and now I had to get busy making preparations. 
But life without a dog is, well in my opinion, not much of a life. Chris and I both wanted a dog in our lives again and knew it wouldn't be until December until we would have one. We decided to foster again and made arangements to pick up a dog.
This time our choices were a goldendoodle that seemed to think he was a lap dog and a quiet, unassuming black lab. The quiet, sweet nature of Atticus won us over.
As we settled in with Atticus we discovered what a good and gentle soul he possessed. While he wasn't especially playful he had such a kind and soothing presence. Where ever I was he would seek me out and lay down next to me, often putting his paw on my foot. He would listen to the slightest correction and respectfully stop what he was doing. He was obedient but dignified. He was so glad to see us we would laugh about getting bruises from his powerful tail! When I would come home from work, weary and frazzled he would climb up next to me on the couch and plaster me with kisses or just lay his head gently on my lap. He seemed to know which was needed and when.
Soon we were at 4 paws in training with our new dog Mercy, but she was having problems with wearing her harness. Atticus came too, but he was getting ready to go into advanced training, so we sadly had to bid farewell. But during the last day of trainining we realized that we had to leave 4 Paws without our service dog 'Mercy' for awhile and we were sad. I worried about how to break the news to Chris, but then a thought came to me. Maybe we could take Atticus back with us for a few more weeks. Chris loved him so much I knew it would probably help fill the void.
So it was. We left 4 Paws with Atticus, sad to leave Mercy behind, but happy to see the silly doggy grin on Atticus face when they brought him out to us.

As I write this on New Years eve I realize that it is a year to the day I said goodbye to my Andi dog.  Atticus comes over to me and lies down resting his head gently on my foot as if consoling me. Once again, it was the right dog at the right time.

Waiting for Mercy

The holidays are almost over and we have been spoiling Atticus like crazy. I have been taking him out for quick jogs in the snow and he loves that. We also have let him on the couch to snuggle with us which Chris just really loves. We figured out how to fix the back seats in the Honda so he would feel more comfortable back there and he seems to like it. We will use the same technique for Mercy when she comes home. Since Atticus has some skin problems that were getting worse, we made a visit to 4 Paws yesterday with him to get it checked out. They suspect ringworm so we have some medication to try. Poor guy, he has had so many little issues but he get through them all like a trooper. We were glad that he didn't have to stay there for treatment because we weren't quite ready to say goodbye.
We had hoped to see Mercy but on the other hand I was glad that she was with Jeremy since it might mean that she would be back quicker. We had a good visit though and Chris enjoyed seeing his old doggie friends again, including Coda. He was hoping Conner would be there but he was taking the day off.
One item on my to-do list is to send out thank yous and updates to all of the contributors, but I feel kind of awkward doing it since I am not 100% sure that we will be getting Mercy. I guess I will be patient and get it finished once we know.
So far we are hoping for mid January, maybe we will get an update this week. So for now, we will enjoy Atticus and wait and see.

Back Home, but no Mercy

As is often the case, our journey has taken a detour! Mercy's harness issues became such a problem for her that we decided to let Jeremy take her home with him for a while to figure out what is going on and to get her past it. We are crossing our fingers and hoping she gets over it since she was such a great dog in every other way. We have the option of getting another dog, but will have to go through the training again if we go that route.
In the meantime we have taken Atticus back home with us to help Chris feel better about not having his dog. He was really happy about spending more time with Atticus so it was a blessing that we were able to do that.
I have been fighting what is probably bronchitis for the past two days, I actually spent all of yesterday sleeping. On the way back from Xenia I could barely stay awake driving, which was a little scary.
We did go through the graduation, and I was sad to think we may not see some of these families again since many lived so far away. It was so inspiring to see the depth of the love these families have for their children. They have more challenges in one day than most people encounter in a year, but they get through it with patience and often times humor. I am so amazed at the attitude of the siblings that I saw there and how they pitched in and helped when ever they could. The love they had for their brother or sister was so evident and it was truly heartwarming. I only wished we had more time to get to know each other better.

Harness Hysteria Continues....

Clowning around in class...

Yesterday and today were challenging days due to Mercy having an extreme phobia about her new and very stiff harness. We had hoped and expected that she would get used to it as all the other dogs did, but it only seemed to get worse when we went to the mall. Unfortunately she has to be wearing her harness when taking the public access test, and wouldn't you know, it is at the mall! So we stayed after class today and yesterday to work on it, we will probably go in early tomorrow as well. Tonight I am placing her favorite treats all around the harness on the floor to help her feel better about it.  The part that really perplexes me is that she tracks with her vest on and it only seems to bother her a little out there. She did a little better this afternoon with an older harness that was broken in, so we will work with that one.

Chris loves on Conner



But gives Mercy hugs too...



Conner wonders when they will get to the peanut butter part of the class

Mercy wonders why they would put a bowl of homemade chicken soup on the floor and not expect us to eat it!??

Chris had a great time with all the dogs this afternoon especially Conner who is the trainers demo dog and companion. He also practiced teaching Mercy to nuzzle or 'touch' him.

Tracking Wears us all out!

Tricks!!

Chris was so delighted that Mercy has a whole repertoire of tricks. Everything from the standard shake to 'High Five' and 'Go to sleep'. He got her to do a few of them on his own!
Tomorrow we learn more about behaviour disruption, which I am very interested in. I have already seen that she knows two of them, one is a 'nuzzle' which she has been using for other things, such as asking to go out. I also know that she has learned 'touch' - she kept 'touching' me with her paw during the training lecture today...what a clown. I think my dog is the only one that wants her paw held during class.
She is truly an original and we love her!

An even deeper respect for dogs

Today Mercy did an inside and an outside track for Chris. Outside it was blowing hard and fiercely cold, the ground coated with snow. It was my first time holding her leash and I don't know why, but it is even more amazing when you feel their 'energy' on the line. I also went with two other families later and observed their dogs tracking, they were all beyond amazing. Here we were out in the wide open this morning, the children could have been anywhere and in a matter of minutes these dogs zeroed in on them. It is like a miracle. We tracked in the mall later in the day and even in a store with all different kinds of smells, Mercy found Chris every time!
The part that really hit home to me was how helpless a parent could feel if there child was lost out in the open, in conditions such as what we had today. During the search today, I had no idea where they were hiding, and it looked so hopeless at one point. the dog would go up dirt piles and behind rocks to no avail. It seemed like we would never find them, then on the last dirt mound she ran over we heard the shouts of 'Good Girl, Good Girl' and knew that she had found her child. It was great. We found out that the parent and child had chosen several different spots, which was why the dog had gone to those very dirt piles. Wow.
These dogs are priceless.

Pretty much describes her....

Definitions of mercy (n)

mer·cy [ múrssee ]   

1. compassion: kindness or forgiveness shown especially to somebody a person has power over
2. compassionate disposition: a disposition to be compassionate or forgiving of others
3. something to be thankful for: a welcome event or situation that provides relief or prevents something unpleasant from happening

Tracking day #2

Day 4 of training Today was cold but Chris seemed to have fun most of the time. We did tracking in the morning (see pics) and went to the mall in the afternoon. Tracking went great, except for Mercy taking a pit stop during the run - didn't deter her on her mission though! Got giggles from onlookers of course, second time she did that :o(  . Oh well, when a girl has to go, well a girl has to go!
The mall was quite hectic though, first day we had any problems with her. She didn't like the shaking floor and wasn't pleased about her stiff new harness either. She would rather be outside any day apparently!
She did ok though, and it was AWESOME having Chris hold onto her harness instead of dashing across a busy parking lot with me running frantically behind him!

First day of tracking - whew!!!

We survived the first day of tracking. What an amazing sight. Mercy found Chris within just a few minutes, it was pretty incredible to see, even though we later learned she really was tracking one of the trainers who was with him. For the next few days we will be transistioning to Chris' scent. But I was so impressed to see her do it, I didn't know goldens could do that.
Luckily it was sunny, but still pretty cold. I hope we get used to that part! Hopefully we can get pictures tomorrow or some video. We will also be going to the mall.
Tonight we took her down to the restaurant with us, she did pretty well. We were told that she would try to test us a bit, and of course she did, but nothing major.
Well, time to get to bed - a very busy day tomorrow!

The first day..

The first day of class was busy and exciting. There are 12 families in our class, all were anxious to meet their dogs! Even though it was hectic and often noisy, Chris hung in there. Finally he got to meet his new dog, and we weren't disappointed!! Before the end of class Jeremy the instructor remarked on how Mercy and Chris had already bonded.

As you can see by the pictures below, he already loves his doggy partner.

I was impressed by how well all of the dogs behaved and how freindly and playful all of them are. All of the dogs in our class are specialists in tracking, and it becomes quite obvious when you take them outside. Their noses are all over the place!

Mercy did well on her first night at the hotel. As you can see, she enjoyed playing on the bed, and turned out to be quite a clown.  She is playful and ohh so loveable. She is very well behaved. We woke up the second day to some doggie kisses.

She was a bit perplexed by the dog in the mirror...when she saw herself chewing her bone she growled at herself, then appeared to realize who it was!

Chris says she is the best service dog in the world.

Bittersweet..

Tonight I am enjoying Atticus' company and spoiling him as much as I am allowed. He is such a wonderful dog, I am going to miss him more than I ever thought. He has the most soulful eyes I have seen in a dog, sometimes it is like he knows what I am thinking. Weirds me out a little! 

I have to laugh sometimes because he is such a 'slippery' dog. All of our floors downstairs are either wood or vinyl and when he sits down, he just kind of slides and ends up laying down, looking a bit perplexed. I don't know why this is, Cammy didn't have this problem. I cringe when he runs through the house though - if he was staying longer I would get him some booties to grip with!
Fostering has been an adventure, it really has helped in my understanding of dogs. I wonder what they think about it? I hope he knows he has an important job to do someday. It would be nice if he ends  up somewhere close by, I would love to see him again and see him in action as a service dog. Whoever gets him will be getting one great dog, he might be the most perfect dog I have ever had.

Chris match letter

Here is Chris' 'match letter' from his dog-he loved it:
I am SOOOOOOO excited! I can't believe it. Cammy told me ALL about you! I am so lucky to be picked for you! My name is Mercy and like Cammy I am a Golden Retriever. My birthday is 9-30-2009. I am also happy because you live so close to 4 paws and can visit them after you get me! That is so exciting. I will miss 4 Paws but I sure can't wait to be with you! We will be the best of friends I know it! You are really coming next week? Can we be best friends and do everything together and sleep in your room? This is all so exciting! Well don't let anyone eat too much turkey or they will be sleeping for a week and miss the grand meeting day on Tuesday. See ya soon! xoxo Mercy