Today I went to the grocery store to pick up just a few things. I had a couple shopping bags and a gallon jug of milk. I'd brought along a cloth shopping bag for Isaac, and when we got home, I sat in the car and repacked the items from one of the plastic shopping bags from the store in the cloth shopping bag for Isaac to carry.
I got Isaac out of the car and held out the bag, saying, "Take it," and he did. He seemed unhappy with his grip on it, though, because he then set it down in the snow. But he picked it back up and carried it across the parking lot, into the lobby of our building, into the elevator, down the hall and into our apartment. I rewarded him with a bite of hotdog.
So Isaac is now pretty good on his two new commands, "Take it" and "Carry it." And he really loves carrying things. He just looks really proud of himself doing it.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Service Dog Attacked by Walmart Customer
This morning I read a story (I think you have to be a member of this
site to see it, so I'm not bothering with a link) about a woman that was
shopping at Walmart in the middle of the night with her service dog and
another customer, for no reason, kicked her dog. Hard. Hard enough to
make the dog cry. The kicking customer later tried to say the service
dog snapped at her and that's why she kicked him.
Walmart employees told the kicking customer to leave but she refused and kept ranting and raving about how dogs should not be in Walmart, so they called the cops. Thank goodness, the cops actually arrested the kicking customer. Apparently there is a law in Texas against injuring a service dog.
I'm absolutely horrified, not just because someone kicked a dog for no reason, but because something like this can potentially cause irreparable damage to a dog's ability to work as a service dog. He could become too fearful to work in public. Or, if he had bitten the kicking customer in response to being kicked (which would seem quite reasonable to me), he would have to be retired from working permanently. Two years of training and approximately $20,000 (the cost of training a service dog) would be down the drain and a person with a disability would likely have to wait another year or two in order to get another service dog.
Edited to add: The service dog was seen by a vet and is not seriously injured. He has to take it easy for a week and is on pain medication. It's too soon to know how he will be affected emotionally. If he becomes too fearful in stores or if he reacts to strangers in a suspicious manner, he could be unable to continue working. There are people that have had that experience. I've talked to a couple people who had service dogs that were attacked by other dogs (not service dogs) and essentially developed PTSD or something similar and were unable to continue working as service dogs because they were frightened or felt threatened when they saw other dogs and responded accordingly.
I think about how loving and trusting Isaac is and about how bewildered and frightened and hurt he would be if someone kicked him like that. Good grief, he was horribly offended when Mike's cat Indigo swatted him on the nose and I am pretty sure that did not hurt at all. I imagine if someone kicked Isaac in a store, he would get as close to me as possible for protection, which is pretty much what he did when Indigo swatted him. He came running to me to save him. I feel certain he wouldn't bite or respond in an aggressive manner.
But how would it affect him emotionally? It's hard to say. Isaac was always a bit wary of Indigo after she swatted him but he was not afraid of other cats. And he seems to recover quickly from things. For instance, I once cut one of his nails too short and it must have hurt because he yelped, and it also bled like crazy, and I was afraid he would be scared of getting his nails cut after that, but he wasn't. He doesn't really like getting his nails cut but he didn't like it before that time, either.
I feel like it's difficult to explain how devastating something like this could be. If Isaac was injured, whether physically or emotionally, and was therefore unable to continue working in public, I would be faced with a heart-wrenching decision. I would have to decide whether to get another service dog, but here's the heart-wrenching part. I could not afford to care for two dogs. Caring for Isaac is a strain on my budget. He is definitely worth the strain, but it would be impossible to come up with the money to care for a second dog. I also live in a small apartment and don't have room for two dogs, plus my apartment complex has a one pet rule and I already got special permission to have Cayenne in addition to Isaac. In order to get another service dog, I would have to re-home Isaac.
This has been on my mind all day and I am pretty sure I would just have to do without a service dog in order to keep Isaac. And it could be possible that he could still do tasks for me at home, just not in public. And honestly, he does more for me at home than out in public anyway. For some people, it would be the opposite. For instance, a blind person would rely on a guide dog much more out in public than in the home. So at least I could manage more easily than some people without a service dog when I go places. But it would be hard.
If I did decide I needed another service dog, I would have to raise the funds for it, and if it happened at this point in time, I imagine that would be really difficult since everyone I know has already donated as much as they can for Isaac. I would find it really hard to raise another $5000. Of course, it would likely be a year at least before I could get another service dog. There are long waiting lists.
I think there should be laws in every state, with very stiff penalties, for injuring a service dog. Of course, I think there should be laws with stiffer penalties than currently exist for any kind of animal cruelty. But injuring a service dog is a crime on a whole other level, I think.
Walmart employees told the kicking customer to leave but she refused and kept ranting and raving about how dogs should not be in Walmart, so they called the cops. Thank goodness, the cops actually arrested the kicking customer. Apparently there is a law in Texas against injuring a service dog.
I'm absolutely horrified, not just because someone kicked a dog for no reason, but because something like this can potentially cause irreparable damage to a dog's ability to work as a service dog. He could become too fearful to work in public. Or, if he had bitten the kicking customer in response to being kicked (which would seem quite reasonable to me), he would have to be retired from working permanently. Two years of training and approximately $20,000 (the cost of training a service dog) would be down the drain and a person with a disability would likely have to wait another year or two in order to get another service dog.
Edited to add: The service dog was seen by a vet and is not seriously injured. He has to take it easy for a week and is on pain medication. It's too soon to know how he will be affected emotionally. If he becomes too fearful in stores or if he reacts to strangers in a suspicious manner, he could be unable to continue working. There are people that have had that experience. I've talked to a couple people who had service dogs that were attacked by other dogs (not service dogs) and essentially developed PTSD or something similar and were unable to continue working as service dogs because they were frightened or felt threatened when they saw other dogs and responded accordingly.
I think about how loving and trusting Isaac is and about how bewildered and frightened and hurt he would be if someone kicked him like that. Good grief, he was horribly offended when Mike's cat Indigo swatted him on the nose and I am pretty sure that did not hurt at all. I imagine if someone kicked Isaac in a store, he would get as close to me as possible for protection, which is pretty much what he did when Indigo swatted him. He came running to me to save him. I feel certain he wouldn't bite or respond in an aggressive manner.
But how would it affect him emotionally? It's hard to say. Isaac was always a bit wary of Indigo after she swatted him but he was not afraid of other cats. And he seems to recover quickly from things. For instance, I once cut one of his nails too short and it must have hurt because he yelped, and it also bled like crazy, and I was afraid he would be scared of getting his nails cut after that, but he wasn't. He doesn't really like getting his nails cut but he didn't like it before that time, either.
I feel like it's difficult to explain how devastating something like this could be. If Isaac was injured, whether physically or emotionally, and was therefore unable to continue working in public, I would be faced with a heart-wrenching decision. I would have to decide whether to get another service dog, but here's the heart-wrenching part. I could not afford to care for two dogs. Caring for Isaac is a strain on my budget. He is definitely worth the strain, but it would be impossible to come up with the money to care for a second dog. I also live in a small apartment and don't have room for two dogs, plus my apartment complex has a one pet rule and I already got special permission to have Cayenne in addition to Isaac. In order to get another service dog, I would have to re-home Isaac.
This has been on my mind all day and I am pretty sure I would just have to do without a service dog in order to keep Isaac. And it could be possible that he could still do tasks for me at home, just not in public. And honestly, he does more for me at home than out in public anyway. For some people, it would be the opposite. For instance, a blind person would rely on a guide dog much more out in public than in the home. So at least I could manage more easily than some people without a service dog when I go places. But it would be hard.
If I did decide I needed another service dog, I would have to raise the funds for it, and if it happened at this point in time, I imagine that would be really difficult since everyone I know has already donated as much as they can for Isaac. I would find it really hard to raise another $5000. Of course, it would likely be a year at least before I could get another service dog. There are long waiting lists.
I think there should be laws in every state, with very stiff penalties, for injuring a service dog. Of course, I think there should be laws with stiffer penalties than currently exist for any kind of animal cruelty. But injuring a service dog is a crime on a whole other level, I think.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
A Quick Trip to the Grocery Store
Today Isaac and I made a quick trip to the grocery store. It was really, really cold but the roads were finally decent. I guess most people were staying in, though, because the store was practically empty. I also found a lot of perishable food items, like yogurt, marked down. I guess because of the weather and bad roads, they hadn't been selling as much as they normally do. So I bought lots of cheap yogurt.
As I was shopping, I noticed how easy it is to shop with Isaac now. Maybe that seems obvious, like why would I have a service dog with me if it didn't make shopping easier, but it hasn't always been that way.
For a long time, having Isaac with me made shopping easier in some ways and harder in other ways. Simply figuring out how to hold the leash and push the cart at the same time took me forever and trying to push a cart with one hand is definitely not easy. Keeping an eye on Isaac to make sure he wasn't sniffing things he isn't supposed to sniff while at the same time watching where I'm pushing the cart (sometimes with one hand) while also looking at my shopping list and looking for items on the shelves that are on my list, well, I didn't have enough hands or eyes for all that.
I think I've gotten better at holding the leash and pushing the cart at the same time, but Isaac's also gotten better at heeling and better at not sniffing things and probably his skills have improved more than mine. It was just nice to realize that Isaac's grown into a really good service dog and that having him with me is a lot less work than it used to be (although it's still work and sometimes still a hassle).
As I was shopping, I noticed how easy it is to shop with Isaac now. Maybe that seems obvious, like why would I have a service dog with me if it didn't make shopping easier, but it hasn't always been that way.
For a long time, having Isaac with me made shopping easier in some ways and harder in other ways. Simply figuring out how to hold the leash and push the cart at the same time took me forever and trying to push a cart with one hand is definitely not easy. Keeping an eye on Isaac to make sure he wasn't sniffing things he isn't supposed to sniff while at the same time watching where I'm pushing the cart (sometimes with one hand) while also looking at my shopping list and looking for items on the shelves that are on my list, well, I didn't have enough hands or eyes for all that.
I think I've gotten better at holding the leash and pushing the cart at the same time, but Isaac's also gotten better at heeling and better at not sniffing things and probably his skills have improved more than mine. It was just nice to realize that Isaac's grown into a really good service dog and that having him with me is a lot less work than it used to be (although it's still work and sometimes still a hassle).
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Hypnic Jerks and Other Annoyances
Do you know what a hypnic jerk is? No, it's not a particular type of rude or annoying person. It's that full-body jerk that sometimes happens as you are dropping off to sleep, usually accompanied or immediately preceded by a feeling of falling. Often, it wakes you up and then it takes time to settle back down and drop off to sleep again.
Well, I've been having those hypnic jerks a lot lately. I think it may be a side effect of either my pain medication or my muscle relaxer. It really sucks because not only does it wake me up when I already have enough trouble sleeping, but it frequently causes a muscle spasm in my back, which is really painful.
Also, today my hips were hurting a lot. They actually feel OK now but earlier, they were feeling bad. This is the first time they've hurt this much. That bothers me. I feel like things are getting worse and worse. First it was my right elbow, then it was my left knee, too, and now my hips.
And my right arm is getting really bad, whatever it is that's wrong with it. Besides hurting a lot every time I move it, and besides the raw/irritated/burning feeling I frequently have on my elbow, and besides the bruised feeling I have in my right forearm, I feel like I have less strength in than I used to. I am having trouble doing things like opening jars and childproof pill bottles. Although it's hard to say for sure whether I'm having trouble because it's painful to do those things or because my arm is too weak. I don't know.
Well, I've been having those hypnic jerks a lot lately. I think it may be a side effect of either my pain medication or my muscle relaxer. It really sucks because not only does it wake me up when I already have enough trouble sleeping, but it frequently causes a muscle spasm in my back, which is really painful.
Also, today my hips were hurting a lot. They actually feel OK now but earlier, they were feeling bad. This is the first time they've hurt this much. That bothers me. I feel like things are getting worse and worse. First it was my right elbow, then it was my left knee, too, and now my hips.
And my right arm is getting really bad, whatever it is that's wrong with it. Besides hurting a lot every time I move it, and besides the raw/irritated/burning feeling I frequently have on my elbow, and besides the bruised feeling I have in my right forearm, I feel like I have less strength in than I used to. I am having trouble doing things like opening jars and childproof pill bottles. Although it's hard to say for sure whether I'm having trouble because it's painful to do those things or because my arm is too weak. I don't know.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
So I Got My Meds...
My doctor did call them in yesterday, thank goodness, and I picked them up this afternoon.
Getting to the pharmacy and back was an adventure. I guess that's a positive way to say it. Or I could say it was a pain in the ass. That's probably a more accurate way to say it.
It snowed a lot overnight and all morning. It was very windy and there were huge snow drifts. Well, I guess not that huge, at least not compared to some parts of the U.S. right now, but there were snow drifts that came up to my knees.
One of these drifts was in my parking lot. Not in the middle of the parking lot, but blocking the part of the parking lot where you would walk from the sidewalk into the parking lot. The snow removal people had apparently come, plowed the middle of the parking lot, waded through the knee-deep snow to get to the sidewalk, shoveled the sidewalk and left. WTF?
So Isaac and I waded through the snow (Isaac didn't mind it), I knocked the snow off my car, and we were off. The roads are bad. My county is currently under a level two snow emergency, which means you should stay off the roads unless you really need to go somewhere. Well, I really needed to get my meds.
I picked up the meds with no trouble and then drove home. There is a short hill, not terribly steep, that you have to drive up to get into the parking lot of my building. There was snow and ice on the hill and my car could not make it up the hill. I tried several times. I ended up having to park in the lot of the building that is behind mine.
I tried to get Isaac to carry my meds from the car back to my apartment and he refused to take the shopping bag from me. I have no clue why. I was cold and getting frustrated so I just carried it myself. I didn't need him to carry it, I just wanted to give him practice doing it.
When I got home, I called the property manager to inform him that his snow removal people suck. He said he would call them. He said he guessed he needed to be more clear with them about the areas they are supposed to shovel. I mean, you'd think it would be common sense that people need to be able to get from the sidewalk to the parking lot, but I guess not. There is no way any of my neighbors that use wheelchairs or walkers could get through that much snow, by the way. Isaac and I were able to wade through it, but a wheelchair would not make it. So much for accessibility.
Then I got out the pill bottles and realized that for some reason my doctor only called in ten days worth of meds. Seriously? So we get to have all this fun again in just ten days?
I'm kind of mad but it also makes me feel exhausted. It was a pain in the ass getting these meds refilled. I don't wanna have to go through all that again in just ten days.
Getting to the pharmacy and back was an adventure. I guess that's a positive way to say it. Or I could say it was a pain in the ass. That's probably a more accurate way to say it.
It snowed a lot overnight and all morning. It was very windy and there were huge snow drifts. Well, I guess not that huge, at least not compared to some parts of the U.S. right now, but there were snow drifts that came up to my knees.
One of these drifts was in my parking lot. Not in the middle of the parking lot, but blocking the part of the parking lot where you would walk from the sidewalk into the parking lot. The snow removal people had apparently come, plowed the middle of the parking lot, waded through the knee-deep snow to get to the sidewalk, shoveled the sidewalk and left. WTF?
So Isaac and I waded through the snow (Isaac didn't mind it), I knocked the snow off my car, and we were off. The roads are bad. My county is currently under a level two snow emergency, which means you should stay off the roads unless you really need to go somewhere. Well, I really needed to get my meds.
I picked up the meds with no trouble and then drove home. There is a short hill, not terribly steep, that you have to drive up to get into the parking lot of my building. There was snow and ice on the hill and my car could not make it up the hill. I tried several times. I ended up having to park in the lot of the building that is behind mine.
I tried to get Isaac to carry my meds from the car back to my apartment and he refused to take the shopping bag from me. I have no clue why. I was cold and getting frustrated so I just carried it myself. I didn't need him to carry it, I just wanted to give him practice doing it.
When I got home, I called the property manager to inform him that his snow removal people suck. He said he would call them. He said he guessed he needed to be more clear with them about the areas they are supposed to shovel. I mean, you'd think it would be common sense that people need to be able to get from the sidewalk to the parking lot, but I guess not. There is no way any of my neighbors that use wheelchairs or walkers could get through that much snow, by the way. Isaac and I were able to wade through it, but a wheelchair would not make it. So much for accessibility.
Then I got out the pill bottles and realized that for some reason my doctor only called in ten days worth of meds. Seriously? So we get to have all this fun again in just ten days?
I'm kind of mad but it also makes me feel exhausted. It was a pain in the ass getting these meds refilled. I don't wanna have to go through all that again in just ten days.
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