August 2009
May 2009
Working dogs on the other hand toilet in a spending pen on command. there toilet routine means that they can then work in and around places that pet dogs are not allowed to go. All dogs need stimulation and dogs for the disabled get it in spades.
now let me see what has katie done today?
I wake up and katie gets on the bed. i am pretty stiff in the morning and katie helps get the day started by insisting on being stroked and fussed. we both enjoy it and no mater how grumpy i am she ALWAYS wakes up in a good mood you can't help but smile. i get up and have a coffee to give myself a much needed kick start. then it is breakfast time for katie and straight out in the spending pen.
then for me a shower. while i am in the shower katie sits on my bed to wait for me. today i dropped the shower gel katie appeared at the bathroom door pulled it open with the door pull and came into the bath room. she looked at me as if to say what have you dropped now.
she has no problem with dirty water and rolling in something nasty. but add soap and it is a different story she would not pick up the shower get till i turned off the shower.
Silly dogAs i get dressed she hangs around in case i drop stuff. Do you ever take any notice of how much stuff you drop in one day? most of the time you just pick it up without thinking! well that is untill you can't pick it up without effort or pain. you take knickers out of a draw and two extra pairs fall on the floor. you take a dress out of the wardrobe and something falls off a hanger. that's it you have got the idea. Katie picks all of this up. she will scramble under the bed for the shoes i have kicked off at night, and pick up the dirty cloths i allowed to drop to the floor when i got undressed last night.
well there was not much happening this morning so we had a couple of hours to ourselves . katie stimulated by our morning routine settles down for a doze. While i catch up with forum activity.
next it is off to meadowhall shoe shopping. toilet routine for katie. when ever we leave the house and when we return katie visits the spending pen. she can't work unless she has toileted.
but my crafty dog has noticed that i have changed into my shoes so she has cottoned on to the fact that we are on our way out.
so no chance of her using the spending pen - so i will have to stop off at a park before we reach our destination. but not for play time just a toilet stop- so she stays on the lead.in meadowhall it is really busy!!! and katie concentrates on walking to chair listening for commands- right, left, wait, steady, behind, back forward sit,and down. we take regular short breaks with plenty of encouragement and treats. this type of work takes a lot of concentration for both of us and we work as a partnership. I need to be aware of our safety people with bags don't bother to avoid knocking into katie or me for that matter and so many people just distract her with even asking (how rude is that!)
I take a coffee stop and katie is ready for a break she lays at my feet and has a nap. then because i have needed a drink i assume that katie needs one too.
In the shoe shops katie goes from obedience work to task work. picking up up shoes after i have tried them on and reaching things on the lower shelves.
I need to keep an eye on the time because katie needs a toilet oppertunity every 3 hours. Believe me it is not funny being cought out in a shopping center. She is not allowed to toilet in her uniform other wise she could get used to just doing it anywhere any time.
when we get home i give katie a kibble toy. which is a toy that you put food in . this gives her some light relief and some de-stress time. when it is empty she settles down till i need her to do a task.
after her tea she settles at my feet- she make a wonderful foot warmer
It is time for bed. Katie pulls off my socks. and then sleeps next to my bed. If i get up in the night she will follow me and sit at the bathroom door.
when a dog has worked in this fashion they do not need a walk every day like a pet dog. but a good walk is vital for the dogs sanity. so today we had mostly work. Tomorrow we will have our normal morning routine, task work around the house and then it will be play time chasing a ball and swimming. Hopefully we will see bernie and they will chase balls together.
it is a dogs life that is only made possibe by the special training and dedication of the staff and volunteers of DOGS FOR THE DISABLED.
these special partnership are heavens sent - how do i know this - because katie is my little angel!
