Lovely Down Stay at McDonald's

Isaac did a lovely down stay at McDonald's today.  He did about 90 minutes, easily.

There were a bunch of kids running back and forth and they never even noticed there was a dog under the table.

Remember when Isaac had trouble doing a down stay for more than an hour?  Our work on that really paid off.  Ninety  minutes today, easily.

Saying Goodbye to Whiskers

Whiskers leaves in two days to go to her new home.  I am very happy for her because she is going to be a very spoiled, much-loved little kitty cat.

I am also a little sad, for a number of reasons.

Of course I've gotten rather attached even though I didn't really want to.  How can you  not get attached to something so cute and sweet?

And it's been nice having a cat around again.  I love cats.  I have been a cat person all my life, and while I love Isaac, I don't think he's converted me to a dog person.  I am an Isaac person.  Not a dog person.  I guess I am still a cat person.

Whiskers has been sleeping with me the last several nights.  Last night it stormed outside and it was so nice snuggled up in bed with a soft, warm kitty.  And she purrs and purrs.  Dogs do not purr.  They slobber.  It is not the same.  Not even close.

It's made me feel a little sad that Isaac does not like to sleep with me at night.  I think I've slept better having a cat cuddled up all warm and purring.  Almost makes me want one just to sleep with.

And it makes me miss Cayenne and miss my previous cat, Eileen.  And just makes me sad for things that are gone.  For things that I once had and will not have again.

Whiskers needs to go to her new home.  I am not reconsidering rehoming her.  I can't afford a cat right now, I don't need the extra work, I want to do more traveling and can't take a cat on road trips, etc.  Keeping her would not be best for me or for Whiskers.

But I'm going to miss her.

I mean, look how cute she is.

Disability and Disasters

Here's some scary reading. Many cities, including really large cities like New York City, have essentially failed, and in many instances outright refused, to provide emergency services for people with disabilities, even though the ADA requires them to do so. If you have a disability and a disaster like a hurricane strikes, you may be left to die.

http://www.yalelawjournal.org/article/the-right-to-be-rescued

Retrieving Meds

One of Isaac's tasks is retrieving meds for me.  I have a pouch that I have certain "as  need" meds in, like anxiety and pain meds.

The meds are in plastic bottles inside the pouch.  The reason they are in the pouch is because it's easier to find than a small bottle and because it makes it harder for a dog to chew through (Isaac never chews stuff like medication bottles but you never know with dogs).

Isaac is trained to bring the  pouch when I tell him to "get the meds" and he is also trained to bring it if he sees signs that I am getting anxious.  For instance, I start to rock back and forth when I am anxious, and Isaac knows that means to bring the meds.

I know I've posted about this task before but I just wanted to post about it again, including a pic of the med pouch, because it's a question I get asked from time to time, like what I keep the meds in that Isaac brings to me.

Pics of a Dog Having Fun

This is at Delaware State Park in Ohio. He got to swim, roll in a dead fish, and play with a nice collie.  The dead fish was probably his favorite part of the day.

And this is at East Harbor State Park, up on Lake Erie.