Posts Tagged: service dog blog

My Travels, New Friends and Places

Posted May 29, 2023 | Aiden the Service Dog

Have you ever heard the song, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” by Johnny Cash?

It came to Mom’s mind while she was helping me write this blog post. It’s almost officially summer and time for travels.

Here’s a few of mine in the past month or two, and some friends I’ve met.

I visited my cat friend, Todd, in Greeneville and I met a sweet lamb whom I gave a quick “hello” slurp.

The Gulf of Mexico had some really soft, white sand.

While I was there, I kissed a shark!

This pier was full of activity and while I sat there, some friendly dolphins surfaced behind me. Unfortunately, they were shy and disappeared quickly.

The same thing happened with a crane, but he flew off to better posts and I had to sit by this one instead.

We attended a Jesus Festival in Elizabethtown in Eastern Tennessee, where they have a historic covered bridge.

After all that, I’m glad to be home and enjoying my own chew bone on my favorite place to sleep, Mom’s bed!

PHEW! I better get some rest because the summer of travel is only beginning!

Happy Spring and Learning New Things

Posted April 3, 2023 | Aiden the Service Dog

Where I live, spring is in the air, but with a little nip of winter. I’m not sure what to think as the temperature and weather change from day to day.

I was really excited to have a mother robin nesting in the eaves of our second-floor balcony.

But sadly, her first nest hit the ground and now Mom uses it for decoration.

That didn’t stop a persistent bird from building another nest. I hope to hear the happy sound of peeping baby robins soon.

Now for new things.

Mom found these funny-sounding buttons at a thrift store.

She’s watched other animals using them on Facebook, similar to these but with more choices. I guess she thought I needed to learn how to talk. I do my job quietly, but sometimes I moo like a cow when I really want her attention.

I think Mom’s idea is to train me on more human words, but for now I like the sound of this button the best because it gets me the most treats.

Visiting Dogs4Diabetics Center, Where My Old Pawprints Were Left

Posted February 27, 2023 | Aiden the Service Dog

Since moving, I haven’t had many dog interactions; Lola was a recent exception.

Find Lola’s story here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Our trip to California was full of family and friends and one huge piece of business: My recertification with Dogs4Diabetics.

Every year I get an annual vet visit, update shots and get a health clearance. Mom fills out a questionnaire and we go to D4D to meet with Carrie, the lead trainer. She gives Mom advice as they talk about my behavior. I perform obedience skills in public in order to pass for another year.

There were many familiar smells and my nose was overloaded from sniffing. I loved catching up with old furry friends, especially my girlfriend Wolfie.

She’s still as cute as ever. Mom was excited to hug Mark Ruefenacht, the founder of D4D, who just happened to be in town from his many work travels.

As we enjoyed catching up with the trainers at lunch, Mom was asked what she misses most from our move. She replied, “I miss my diabetic connections.”

Truly, D4D, its staff and clients that we both know and love, are irreplaceable. Mom just wishes she could move them close to us.

My doggy heart agrees.

Where a Dog Does His Business

Posted February 20, 2023 | Aiden the Service Dog

Traveling is always an adventure for me, especially flying. I don’t require a seat but curl up under the seat in front of Christy like a carry-on item.

I don’t mind because I’ve been trained to do it this way. Sometimes a whole row of seats is available, and we both get to stretch out.

Airports are getting better at having relief stations for service dogs. My favorite is at the Orange County John Wayne International airport.

It takes you outside, but you are still within a secure area. When we exit the plane, I know where we are and hurry Christy along to what I think is the perfect place for humans to take their companions.

I can run and play and take care of personal business.

There was a cool relief room in Houston:

However, Christy was disappointed because Nashville Airport had one area, but we would have to go through TSA again. (Christy told you how she feels about that in this month’s newsletter.)

She was happy I didn’t get a big breakfast that morning so we could make it to our next stop. It takes some planning and I feel hungrier than normal.

Speaking of hunger, can I just mention how jet lag affects my schedule?

A Little Rubber Disc and Ducks

Posted February 6, 2023 | Aiden the Service Dog

Recently I traveled to California, where Aunt Cindy took us to a hockey game.

I recognized the smells from the last time I visited.

From where we sat, I could barely see the rubber toy the players flung about on the ice below.

They were celebrating Chinese New Year with a party for the fans outside, where I sneaked in a kiss or two on some sweet cheerleaders.

In-between playtime periods, Mom introduced me to some over-the-top fans. One smelled suspiciously like my Uncle Rex, aka, Towel Man, complete with blinking lights.

Besides lots of people at this huge place, there were also ducks at this game, but I didn’t smell any feathers.

Natural Fur Coats Can Only Do So Much to Keep a Dog Warm

Posted January 30, 2023 | Aiden the Service Dog

Even though I (Aiden, the service dog) have a natural fur coat to keep me warm, Mom has bundled me up lately.

I guess the cold streak that recently went through Tennessee is not a normal phenomenon. In fact, we were told it hasn’t been this cold in more than thirty years.

It was so cold, the plants on the enclosed porch froze up and the windows were all frosted over.

Mom was sad that her favorite succulent, which she covered up every night, didn’t make it.

Every so often Mom needs to go to the post office and this particular day, there was a sign at the top of the stairs that I had to take a closer look at.

Being a dog, I can’t read, but Mom told me it had to do with the cold and warning people to be careful going up the steps.

This photo was taken from inside, where it stayed warm on the morning it snowed.

But it wasn’t the kind of snow I like where you could make a snowball and play catch.

I’m hoping we will get more snow this winter so I can play in it and have lots of fun. But I hope it’s not so cold!

Tears of Joy for Lola the Rescue Dog

Posted January 9, 2023 | Christy Hoss

In last week’s blog post I introduced Lola, an approximately 1-year-old border collie/Australian shepherd mix dog I found.

Lola had a sad story, but for now she was happy to be in a warm home, out of the rain and off the street, away from the cars racing dangerously past her.

Unfortunately, my 15 year-old rescue dogs (pictured below) were extremely stressed by her attempts to play and herd them – an instinct found in the kind of dog Lola is.

Aiden, my diabetic alert service dog, just ignored her as a nuisance. Here he is, doing his best to  pretend she doesn’t exist:

When it comes to animals, I love them all, especially dogs. My dream home would be to have hundreds of acres where I could adopt and care for as many dogs as possible and, of course, adopt them to the right homes. There is such a place:

Though my home is big, we don’t have a large yard and it was unfair to keep Lola inside. She learned some skills but needed a better fit for her fur-ever home. We had Lola spayed and vaccinated to make her more adoptable. I asked for prayers and put my request in to God.

While talking about Lola at the chiropractor, a woman with a dog rescue connection overheard me and gave me a contact name. The rescue that took her in vets its prospective adopters rigidly. It all happened within 24 hours – than can only be God answering our prayers! The rescue told us she would be on their website with a different name (Amora) but would most likely be adopted this weekend.

As I hugged Lola and said goodbye, the tears would not stop. She had captured my heart. I’m glad I had her for the time I did. I needed her as much as she needed me.

My New Year’s resolution is fulfilled. Lola will be fit with the perfect home for the rest of her life.

Click here to visit the Sevier County Humane Society, where  Lola (aka, Amora) is currently awaiting adoption.

Finding a Home for a New Furry Friend

Posted January 2, 2023 | Christy Hoss

Happy 2023!

If you are like the majority of people who make resolutions every New Year, you have already broken at least one of them. This year I have a resolution I want to keep: to find a home for a furry friend.

I was driving home in the rain on a very busy-yet-rural Tennessee road. She was running on the side, ready to dart in front of me. It looked like a rescue video.

Her tail was tucked between her legs, and she was soaking wet and scared. I tossed bits of jerky until she was close enough to slip on a leash. A nearby neighbor filled me in on the dog’s history.

Her name is Lola, and her owner didn’t want her because she belonged to his girlfriend who had just passed away. Lola is approximately a year old, loves to play and is housetrained. I have been able to teach her some of the obedience skills Aiden knows.

My 15-year-old rescue dogs want nothing to do with her. Aiden tolerates her. She is an adorable, Australian shepherd mix, but not a good fit for my fur-family.

If I were in California, there would be dozens of rescue agencies to take her and people wanting to adopt her. But animals are treated differently here – left outside, not fixed and often, running around the neighborhood, making more furry creatures. Rescue agencies are overflowing.

Back to my resolution.

Lola has an appointment to get spayed and vaccinated and after that, hopefully she will find her forever home. But I will have much to say about who gets her.

Find out what happened with Lola in my next post.

So Many Santas (A Service Dog’s Perspective on Christmas)

Posted December 26, 2022 | Aiden the Service Dog

I really enjoyed my Christmas season, exploring new places and meeting new friends and people everywhere I went with Christy.

My nose has been working overtime, smelling the scents of the season. Everywhere we have gone, I’ve met Santa Claus. The first place was at the mall.

Santa is a very nice man that I sniffed very closely and found to smell like cologne and candy canes.

Christy and I explored downtown Morristown and its variety of specialty shops and local businesses. Outside one of the shops, I met Santa again.

He smelled different from when I met him in the mall. His face was younger looking, and his beard smelled of synthetic fibers and aftershave.

Mom and I walked across the street to a bookstore. In the window I found the real reason for Christmas.

It is no wonder the Santas I met smelled differently. They were actors, portraying a mythical man. But as I sat in front of the bookstore window’s display, Mom gave me a treat and said, “This is why we celebrate Christmas.”

I wagged my tail as my doggy heart agreed.

Hurray for Dollywood!

Posted December 5, 2022 | Aiden the Service Dog

As a service dog, I go everywhere. I’m having a blast exploring Tennessee. Recently we were invited to go to an amusement park called Dollywood.

It was a cold November night, but worth an adventure. I could hear happy-sounding music as we walked around. Dolly has a sweet voice and I’m certain she loves dogs, especially the official service kind.

Christmas decorations and beautiful lights were everywhere.

We rode on a real coal-driven train around the park at night to see some amazing light displays. I didn’t like the loud train whistle, but Mom made sure I was comfortable by giving me lots of treats.

We walked around a lot and Mom had just gotten a new insulin pump that day so her numbers were all over as she adjusted to new settings. I’m always on the job and alerted five times in less than five hours!

It’s a good thing she had lots of treats for me, but she ran out of sugar supplies for herself. Thankfully, Dad bought her some of Dollywood’s famous cinnamon bread with an extra tub of frosting.

We spent the evening enjoying the park with friends from our new church. Thanks, Kathy and Carter Trigg, for treating us to a special evening.