Today is a Big Day!!! My best friend is coming to stay for a few days before she moves to the great white north. (booooo!) She also has a service dog, Anna, and a Emotional Support Dog (soon to be Service Dog and one of my favorite pooches of all time!!) Lexi, who will be with her. Anam will get to meet them for the first time! He has met his Auntie M before but not the dogs so I'm a bit nervous but I have high hopes this goes well! THEY'RE HERE!
Soap Box Ranting: Grocery Store Trip
This post actually isn't about Anam ... hard to believe but true! I talk about he and I a lot and not so much about "why" I need a service dog and the things I go through as a Disabled Person. I think that's just as important as what all we do for training. This is just sort of a rant about my grocery store trip today that I want to share. I guess you could call it a Pet Peeve that people don't consider how hard they are making life for the people who really do need the equipment meant for the handicapped customers... it's not for entertainment. I would do just about anything not to Need a handicap parking place or that motorized scooter to shop with and to just be "Normal" again. Anyway... A little insight to what it's like from a Handicap point of view.
I'm really frustrated tonight. This weather has been murder on me and my spine. Today is the first day I've been able to get out (after chipping the car out of ice) and I really needed to go to the grocery store (I didn't believe the weather man when he said it was going to be bad... it's usually a lie) I go to one grocery store and they had cleared ONE handicapped spot which was taken. The rest of the empty parking places were icy and I was not going to fall! So I go to the other grocery store... parking lot cleared which was great and open handicap spots! Go in and no scooter carts. Great... have to walk it. OK.. deep breath... I can do this. I head off using the cart to support me. In the bread aisle there's a lady on a scooter laughing with her daughter about not feeling like walking and her daughter being "totally embarrassed". That's fine... what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. I keep going, hobbling along, through produce where a lady literally gets "huffy" because I guess I was too slow and almost hit me with her cart as she went around me muttering "my God!"... I let it go. At this point I'm starting to sweat which is my indication I'm hurting but I don't have a choice, I HAVE to get stuff! Anam is OUT of food and the other critters need veggies and I have been eating some weird stuff because I've been throwing together bits and pieces of what I had left. Deep breath! Remember, Bad Heath Care in Prison! Head over to the other aisles and there are 2 teenage boys "taking turns" on a scooter cart. There's a loaf of bread in the basket and one of them does have crutches and his knee in a brace... he's not the one on the scooter. "Mom" stops at the end of the aisle and tells them if they are done playing to come on she's ready to go and has a basket full of stuff. They hurry off, kid on crutches still not on the scooter. I get my soy butter and another deep breath. 2 more aisles with some lady not paying attention and actually hit me in the butt kind of hard and then said "Excuse You!" I replied with "I didn't realize I was in your way Your Highness being in front of you and all." She looked offended, she should have been because that was the Nice version of what I wanted to say. Now I'm starting to shake along with the sweating. I'm almost scared to let go of the cart for fear of falling. My cane is in the cart but it won't really help at this point, my legs are too weak and my back is hurting too bad. Ms. Hateful goes on. I keep going and realize my left foot isn't lifting all the way up. Here comes Mom and Daughter with Daughter hiding her face because Mom is being silly and still embarrassing her. Great! Next aisle. Reading labels (I have tons of allergies) Ms. Hateful again comes close and mumbles something. I mumble back "Not today lady, Not Today!" she looks at me and says in a hateful voice, hand on hip "Excuse Me?" and I look up from the label and don't even say a word and she changes it from a question to a statement... "oh, excuse me" very nicely. Not sure the look on my face but I think it may have been scary. Back to the label and figuring best price. Dad and son come up aisle, dad on scooter, son pushing cart. Dad runs into my cart, cart bumps me, I lose my balance that I didn't really have and start to go down because nothing is working right to help catch myself. Son is a super hero and some how makes it past dad and the cart, around my cart, behind me and catches me before I do much more than a hard lean and a squeak. (He looks to be in his mid 20's) I'm still waiting to hit the floor when I hear "Oh my God! Are you ok?" The dad feels awful because it's his first time driving a scooter (ice injury, broken ankle) and swears to surrender his license. I explained he didn't hit me that hard and my situation and thank the son 100 times for being so quick on his feet. We talk briefly about why it's so important not to take handicap spots and the motorized scooters if you don't need them and the dad says he feels guilty using the scooter. I tell him he Needs it with a broken ankle and we discuss the several other people they have seen "playing" while they have been there. We say goodbye and I hug the son for saving me. I'm almost done, just a few more aisles left. I've almost made it! Another near miss from Ms. Hateful but got an apology (I really wish I knew what the look was, I think it would come in handy from time to time) Saw an elderly man and an elderly lady on scooters and I'm pretty sure the were racing each other subconsciously, and if it hadn't hurt to stand there I would have watched longer. Cream cheese and eggs, then the check out. Dodge 3 separate employees who just didn't pay any attention to where they were going and I almost ran into them. Check out! My favorite cashier guy! He makes a comment about me not being in the scooter and being ghost white. I tell him there wasn't any when I came in. His comment "Yeah, they manager doesn't care who uses them so a lot of people who need them don't have them." Great! I'll be addressing that later. New bag boy... everything is smushed. Don't even care at this point, just want to sit down in the car. The cashier guy puts my 1/2 price kit kats in a separate bag and tells me I look like I need them first thing when I get in the car... he's right! I sit there for a minute and eat a kit kat waiting for the spasm to stop so I can drive. I watch 3 cars park or pull out of handicap spots that are obviously not handicapped because they are either running into the store or from the store to the car. If you can run, you can park a few spaces down. And that's in the amount of time it takes to eat 2 mini sized kit kats. That's one trip to the store. What happened to nice people? Considerate people? I would love to say "Oh they just don't raise them like they used to" but that's not it because it was all ages, all races, didn't matter. Our world is rude. Today it really bothered me.
Sorry to ramble on so much but it did get to me. My pain level is sky high now because I had to push myself to make it through. Could I have turned and left instead of shopping... yes. But I needed those things badly and I had no one else and no other way to get them. Had a few people just stop and been considerate it would have been ok. I'm proud of myself for making it through, I'm pretty tough when I need to be but the price I end up paying for the next couple of days will be pretty high. But I'm disappointed in what our society seems to be becoming.
I'm really frustrated tonight. This weather has been murder on me and my spine. Today is the first day I've been able to get out (after chipping the car out of ice) and I really needed to go to the grocery store (I didn't believe the weather man when he said it was going to be bad... it's usually a lie) I go to one grocery store and they had cleared ONE handicapped spot which was taken. The rest of the empty parking places were icy and I was not going to fall! So I go to the other grocery store... parking lot cleared which was great and open handicap spots! Go in and no scooter carts. Great... have to walk it. OK.. deep breath... I can do this. I head off using the cart to support me. In the bread aisle there's a lady on a scooter laughing with her daughter about not feeling like walking and her daughter being "totally embarrassed". That's fine... what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. I keep going, hobbling along, through produce where a lady literally gets "huffy" because I guess I was too slow and almost hit me with her cart as she went around me muttering "my God!"... I let it go. At this point I'm starting to sweat which is my indication I'm hurting but I don't have a choice, I HAVE to get stuff! Anam is OUT of food and the other critters need veggies and I have been eating some weird stuff because I've been throwing together bits and pieces of what I had left. Deep breath! Remember, Bad Heath Care in Prison! Head over to the other aisles and there are 2 teenage boys "taking turns" on a scooter cart. There's a loaf of bread in the basket and one of them does have crutches and his knee in a brace... he's not the one on the scooter. "Mom" stops at the end of the aisle and tells them if they are done playing to come on she's ready to go and has a basket full of stuff. They hurry off, kid on crutches still not on the scooter. I get my soy butter and another deep breath. 2 more aisles with some lady not paying attention and actually hit me in the butt kind of hard and then said "Excuse You!" I replied with "I didn't realize I was in your way Your Highness being in front of you and all." She looked offended, she should have been because that was the Nice version of what I wanted to say. Now I'm starting to shake along with the sweating. I'm almost scared to let go of the cart for fear of falling. My cane is in the cart but it won't really help at this point, my legs are too weak and my back is hurting too bad. Ms. Hateful goes on. I keep going and realize my left foot isn't lifting all the way up. Here comes Mom and Daughter with Daughter hiding her face because Mom is being silly and still embarrassing her. Great! Next aisle. Reading labels (I have tons of allergies) Ms. Hateful again comes close and mumbles something. I mumble back "Not today lady, Not Today!" she looks at me and says in a hateful voice, hand on hip "Excuse Me?" and I look up from the label and don't even say a word and she changes it from a question to a statement... "oh, excuse me" very nicely. Not sure the look on my face but I think it may have been scary. Back to the label and figuring best price. Dad and son come up aisle, dad on scooter, son pushing cart. Dad runs into my cart, cart bumps me, I lose my balance that I didn't really have and start to go down because nothing is working right to help catch myself. Son is a super hero and some how makes it past dad and the cart, around my cart, behind me and catches me before I do much more than a hard lean and a squeak. (He looks to be in his mid 20's) I'm still waiting to hit the floor when I hear "Oh my God! Are you ok?" The dad feels awful because it's his first time driving a scooter (ice injury, broken ankle) and swears to surrender his license. I explained he didn't hit me that hard and my situation and thank the son 100 times for being so quick on his feet. We talk briefly about why it's so important not to take handicap spots and the motorized scooters if you don't need them and the dad says he feels guilty using the scooter. I tell him he Needs it with a broken ankle and we discuss the several other people they have seen "playing" while they have been there. We say goodbye and I hug the son for saving me. I'm almost done, just a few more aisles left. I've almost made it! Another near miss from Ms. Hateful but got an apology (I really wish I knew what the look was, I think it would come in handy from time to time) Saw an elderly man and an elderly lady on scooters and I'm pretty sure the were racing each other subconsciously, and if it hadn't hurt to stand there I would have watched longer. Cream cheese and eggs, then the check out. Dodge 3 separate employees who just didn't pay any attention to where they were going and I almost ran into them. Check out! My favorite cashier guy! He makes a comment about me not being in the scooter and being ghost white. I tell him there wasn't any when I came in. His comment "Yeah, they manager doesn't care who uses them so a lot of people who need them don't have them." Great! I'll be addressing that later. New bag boy... everything is smushed. Don't even care at this point, just want to sit down in the car. The cashier guy puts my 1/2 price kit kats in a separate bag and tells me I look like I need them first thing when I get in the car... he's right! I sit there for a minute and eat a kit kat waiting for the spasm to stop so I can drive. I watch 3 cars park or pull out of handicap spots that are obviously not handicapped because they are either running into the store or from the store to the car. If you can run, you can park a few spaces down. And that's in the amount of time it takes to eat 2 mini sized kit kats. That's one trip to the store. What happened to nice people? Considerate people? I would love to say "Oh they just don't raise them like they used to" but that's not it because it was all ages, all races, didn't matter. Our world is rude. Today it really bothered me.
Sorry to ramble on so much but it did get to me. My pain level is sky high now because I had to push myself to make it through. Could I have turned and left instead of shopping... yes. But I needed those things badly and I had no one else and no other way to get them. Had a few people just stop and been considerate it would have been ok. I'm proud of myself for making it through, I'm pretty tough when I need to be but the price I end up paying for the next couple of days will be pretty high. But I'm disappointed in what our society seems to be becoming.
February 16th, 2015
We had an issue today. Anam loved the snow last time and ran around and had an absolute ball... so today we waited not so patiently for it to build up so we could go out to play for a bit. The deal is we go out and after he goes potty I let him off leash to play as a reward. Today was no different and I'm sure he knew what was up, I could see the excitement on his face. I took the leash off and he was gone... literally. He forgot his name, what come here meant, stop meant nothing, sit was ignored, and I'm pretty sure he had never seen me before. Usually I can walk away like I'm going to leave him and he comes running... not today, he went farther. Went towards him and he ignored me. I was not happy. Here's my awesome dog being a complete idiot in the middle of an ice storm (we're in TN) which has my back and legs in a tizzy and I'm trying to waddle across icy yards to catch him without falling. Suddenly, his brain re-engaged and he looks up with a surprised looked like "Oh Hi! Why didn't you just call me?" and he trots over to me. I put the leash on his collar and he FLIPS OUT. I had to take and use the handle part with lease through it to make a slip collar to get him to the house. It was a full on toddler tantrum because he didn't want to come in! At this point he was soaked. I got a towel and started drying him off on the front porch before letting him in and he decides to act like he's going to bite me. Now mind you he didn't, it was more of a mouthing thing and a threat but still not something I approve of. He really got his feelings hurt when I grab his muzzle and shut his mouth with a firm No. He came inside and went to his kennel to pout for almost an hour... he's really good at holding a grudge. Ohhhh I can't wait til he grows out of this phase!
A Little Explanation...
Feb. 1, 2015
Currently, I'm working without a computer so I've been writing on my phone. My phone isn't always reliable, so I write on Facebook or as much as I can here and save it... sometimes I get crazy and go "old school" and actually write in a composition book (it's yellow and sassy) and then transcribe it over to here. This process has not been the most... should we say "fun"... BUT hopefully that will end in about 12 hours! Once again, my amazing daddy has come to my rescue and he believes he has fixed my computer! Yay! So until I get everything caught up (which should be very soon) bare with me please! But be warned... once I'm back with my beloved computer, there is a very good chance there will be tons of graphics and miscellaneous cuteness!
UPDATE:
Feb. 4, 2015
I have my computer back! The blog has gotten a facelift and I've almost gotten all the posts entered and updated. (there's a couple more at this point) So hang in there... It's almost there!! I've add a subscription button so feel free (no seriously... please) to subscribe!
Taking a Service Dog in Public...
This was written by a friend of mine named Tina... it's wonderful and so true! I wanted to share it with you so maybe you could get a little bit of insight as to what goes on on a daily basis for someone that needs a Service Dog and the frustrations that go along with it. Tina and Bayne are also another team that started at a shelter just like Anam and I! They're pretty cool too! :)
Tina McCrory wrote a new note:
Taking a Service Dog in Public. Oh, I'm so LUCKY!
February 1, 2015 at 12:58am
I decided not to go to the event I had planned on going to today, but
even when I was considering going, I had decided that I was too sick to
take Bayne with me. Too sick? How can you be too sick to take a SERVICE
DOG with you? Isn't that what they are for? Let me explain what it's
like to take a service dog with you everywhere you go, especially for
those people who think "You're so LUCKY that you get to take your dog
everywhere with you". It's not easy, it takes a lot of work and a lot of
energy, it's not a relaxing walk in the park.
Before you leave the house you have to make sure you have everything you need for him. Treats, poop bags, water supply, water bowl, mat, boots, etc. You brush him out to get rid of all the loose hair so he doesn't drop it everywhere. Spray him with deodorizing spray to ensure he doesn't "smell like a dog", wait 5 minutes, then brush that out. Get him in his gear and make sure it fits right and is clean and professional looking, no dirty spots or hair all over it. Spot clean if needed. Get him and all his gear loaded into the car.
Once you get to where you are going...having twins myself, I can honestly say that it's like taking 2 year old twins out with you by yourself. Not that the dog acts like a 2 year old, but you are hyper vigilant of everything going on around you like you would be with 2 small children. A car driving by may see you but they may not see your dog, so you are constantly aware of where he is in relation to vehicles passing by, the same goes for shopping carts in a store. You are aware of where your dog is and what he is doing every single second. Not only do you have eyes on the back of your head, but also on both sides and the top of your head, too.
You get stared at, pointed at, you hear the comments everyone makes about you being blind, or comments so exasperating that you can't help but roll your eyes or grimace in disgust. You're constantly scanning for "threats" to your dog....people trying to walk up and pet him without asking, kids trying to run up and pull his tail, people talking to him or calling out to him, barking at him, offering him food, etc. One eye on your dog, one eye on everything and everyone around you, all while trying to do what you need to do, get your shopping done, drive the electric scooter without running over anyone or into anything. Constantly making sure your dog is comfortable and safe. Making sure he's hydrated and doesn't need a potty break. That he's not walking on hot concrete, laying on a floor that's too cold, walking through something dirty or dangerous, making sure you are giving him enough room to make turns or that he has enough room to walk next to you without running him into items or blocking the whole aisle or walkway. Watching for people who are afraid of dogs, so that you can turn around and go the other way to give them space. Warning people before you walk up behind them with your large dog so that they aren't startled when they glance over their shoulder and see this "beast" walking behind them. Apologizing when you DO startle someone. Fielding questions from curious people, smiling and saying thank you to the people who compliment your dog, correcting those who say he's wearing a muzzle, blocking those who are heading towards your dog with their arm stretched out ready to pet him, explaining that he can't be pet because he's working, praising your dog for doing such a good job of ignoring people, food, etc.
You are constantly 100% aware of EVERYTHING going on around you, you have to be. There's no zoning out. You can't spend 2 minutes reading a label. You read 2 words, you check your dog, you scan your surroundings, you read 2 more words, you check again, you read 2 more words, you have to stop to answer more questions or smile and thank someone. You're on guard, on alert, always scanning, always making sure your dog is doing what he's supposed to be doing. You are in the spotlight and you have to be "ON" every single second you are out. It's never ending. Just like shopping with 2 year old twins.
I'm not complaining at all.
Having him with me so that he can help me when I need it is definitely
worth all the extra time and energy he takes, but there is a point when a
disabled person just may not HAVE that extra energy to put into it.
That's where I'm at right now after my hospital stay. Until now, I never
realized exactly how much work goes into taking him out with me, but
just the THOUGHT of having to expend that much energy today makes me
exhausted. It does make me thankful that I have had enough energy to do
it all the other days and I can't wait until I have it again. In one
sense, I guess you can say we are "lucky" to get to take our dog with us
everywhere, but it's honestly not as easy and "fun" as it seems.
Nothing about having a disability is easy or fun, not even taking our
best friend/medical equipment everywhere with us.
Before you leave the house you have to make sure you have everything you need for him. Treats, poop bags, water supply, water bowl, mat, boots, etc. You brush him out to get rid of all the loose hair so he doesn't drop it everywhere. Spray him with deodorizing spray to ensure he doesn't "smell like a dog", wait 5 minutes, then brush that out. Get him in his gear and make sure it fits right and is clean and professional looking, no dirty spots or hair all over it. Spot clean if needed. Get him and all his gear loaded into the car.
Once you get to where you are going...having twins myself, I can honestly say that it's like taking 2 year old twins out with you by yourself. Not that the dog acts like a 2 year old, but you are hyper vigilant of everything going on around you like you would be with 2 small children. A car driving by may see you but they may not see your dog, so you are constantly aware of where he is in relation to vehicles passing by, the same goes for shopping carts in a store. You are aware of where your dog is and what he is doing every single second. Not only do you have eyes on the back of your head, but also on both sides and the top of your head, too.
You get stared at, pointed at, you hear the comments everyone makes about you being blind, or comments so exasperating that you can't help but roll your eyes or grimace in disgust. You're constantly scanning for "threats" to your dog....people trying to walk up and pet him without asking, kids trying to run up and pull his tail, people talking to him or calling out to him, barking at him, offering him food, etc. One eye on your dog, one eye on everything and everyone around you, all while trying to do what you need to do, get your shopping done, drive the electric scooter without running over anyone or into anything. Constantly making sure your dog is comfortable and safe. Making sure he's hydrated and doesn't need a potty break. That he's not walking on hot concrete, laying on a floor that's too cold, walking through something dirty or dangerous, making sure you are giving him enough room to make turns or that he has enough room to walk next to you without running him into items or blocking the whole aisle or walkway. Watching for people who are afraid of dogs, so that you can turn around and go the other way to give them space. Warning people before you walk up behind them with your large dog so that they aren't startled when they glance over their shoulder and see this "beast" walking behind them. Apologizing when you DO startle someone. Fielding questions from curious people, smiling and saying thank you to the people who compliment your dog, correcting those who say he's wearing a muzzle, blocking those who are heading towards your dog with their arm stretched out ready to pet him, explaining that he can't be pet because he's working, praising your dog for doing such a good job of ignoring people, food, etc.
You are constantly 100% aware of EVERYTHING going on around you, you have to be. There's no zoning out. You can't spend 2 minutes reading a label. You read 2 words, you check your dog, you scan your surroundings, you read 2 more words, you check again, you read 2 more words, you have to stop to answer more questions or smile and thank someone. You're on guard, on alert, always scanning, always making sure your dog is doing what he's supposed to be doing. You are in the spotlight and you have to be "ON" every single second you are out. It's never ending. Just like shopping with 2 year old twins.
I'm not complaining at all.
Having him with me so that he can help me when I need it is definitely
worth all the extra time and energy he takes, but there is a point when a
disabled person just may not HAVE that extra energy to put into it.
That's where I'm at right now after my hospital stay. Until now, I never
realized exactly how much work goes into taking him out with me, but
just the THOUGHT of having to expend that much energy today makes me
exhausted. It does make me thankful that I have had enough energy to do
it all the other days and I can't wait until I have it again. In one
sense, I guess you can say we are "lucky" to get to take our dog with us
everywhere, but it's honestly not as easy and "fun" as it seems.
Nothing about having a disability is easy or fun, not even taking our
best friend/medical equipment everywhere with us.
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