Posts Tagged: service dog blog

Are We There Yet? (Part 3 of 4)

Posted March 21, 2022 | Aiden the Service Dog

(Read part 1 of my story here and part 2 here)

I really don’t like wearing raincoats or warm, winter jackets, but I wish Mom would put one on me now.

Wherever we are, it’s cold. But worse than that, the wind blows so crisp, it cuts to my bones. I don’t take long to do my business because of it.

Today has been more tumble weeds and some pretty rock, but mostly, flat ground that goes on forever. I’m glad I sleep a lot because it’s boring. I don’t know how my humans can stand so much of it.

Mom passes the time counting Amazon trucks. I think she’s up to 35 of them, but I can’t count so I curl up and go back to sleep.

Somewhere along the line we made it to a place called Tucumcari, New Mexico. Brrrrrr. I’m thankful for a warm room to sleep in for the night, but really miss my bed back home.

The humans and I went to get pizza and found this cool memorial to veterans that made Mom cry.

Waking up the next morning, it’s no surprise to me that I’m on the road again. It’s another long day of sleeping through the states of Texas and Oklahoma; both were just more flat land and tumble weeds, but I did see a lot of weird trees with wings.

If I were able to speak words I’d ask, “Are we there yet?”

I see the sun set as my tummy grumbles. We pass the bright lights of a tall building Mom says is a casino and Dad slows down because there’s a speed trap ahead.

A little time later, Mom tells me we’ve arrived in Port Smith, Arkansas, and we stay in yet another strange room. Oh, how I want to be home.

To be continued…

How Much Longer? (Part 2 of 4)

Posted March 14, 2022 | Aiden the Service Dog

(Read part 1 of my story here)

This is one long road trip! I’ve been in the backseat of the car next to a pile of stuff that takes up the other half I usually stretch out on.

I wonder when this is going to end. Every day after I wake up in a strange room that is not home, I get my usual routine of business, then food. But soon after, I’m back in the car, curling up on my donut bed and we’re off again.

Today we drove to very cold place, just in time to see the sun set on a giant hole in the ground. I didn’t like the big rock I sat on, but the scenery sure was beautiful.

Sometimes Mom switches vehicles to share driving and it’s just the two of us cruising along in the pickup truck. She pats my head and assures me this long drive will soon be over. But most of the time I snooze in the back seat of the Jeep as the journey continues.

Whenever we stop, Mom makes sure I’m taken care of, usually before she takes care of herself. I’ve been watching out the window and ever since we left the great big pretty hole in the ground. I saw a few giant hills, but mostly now all I see for miles and miles is rock and tumble weeds.

Mom says we have to hurry along because of some big contract that has to be signed soon. I don’t know about that. All I can think about is will I ever see home again and where in the world are we going?

Continued next week…

Aiden’s Cross-Country Move (Part 1 of 4)

Posted March 7, 2022 | Aiden the Service Dog

Mom lifts my nose up to meet hers and plants a wet sloppy kiss on it. Humans kiss in a funny way. I prefer slurping.

Mom says we are about to begin a new chapter in our life. Dad says a prayer for God to keep us safe, starts the Jeep and off we go on a road trip.

I like road trips because they usually bring me to my Aunt Cindy’s house where I play with my fur-cousins. But this one seems longer than usual. We had to make a few fun stops like the Jelly Belly Factory for a bag of Belly Flops.

Down the road the humans got hungry and stopped at a place called Pea Soup Andersen’s.

The hostess asked the wrong question about me so Mom told her there is only one question that can be asked legally, “What service does your dog perform?”

Teaching moments like this happen all the time and Mom takes advantage of them to educate the public. Our next stop was one my other human, GraceAnne, loved to go to when she visited her elementary school friend, Sarah, in Bakersfield, CA – a place called Dewar’s Candy Shop.

Mom had me pose for another iconic photo. I wonder how many more photos she will take on this trip?

To be continued…

Am I Going to Get Packed in a Box?

Posted January 10, 2022 | Aiden the Service Dog

Everything is not where it should be.

My bed keeps going from room to room like it has legs. I’m glad I have a good sniffer so I can find it.

Boxes are being stuffed with my belongings and taped shut. I don’t know what is happening.

What I do know is a while back we took a trip to a place called Tennessee and now that is all Mom can talk about. We are doing something called “moving.”

All the furniture and boxes were moved to the garage. Strangers are coming and the walls are being painted. I accidentally brushed against the wet paint and got a white stripe on my ear. Then my waggy tail swiped a wall and now it has a white ring.

I don’t understand what is going on. I’m just watching all the busy work as Mom stresses out. But I stick by her and do my job, alerting on her low blood sugars.

With all the extra activity of moving furniture and boxes, she’s been having several lows. She says we’re in for an adventure and life is going to change drastically in the next few months.

With all her low blood sugars and the way things change around here so quickly, I hope I don’t accidentally get wrapped in bubble wrap and packed in a box.

P.S. Mom has assured me this will never happen no matter how crazy things get or how low her blood sugar goes; she loves me too much and never lets me out of her sight.

Christmas from a Dog’s Point of View

Posted December 6, 2021 | Aiden the Service Dog

Do you ever wonder if a dog knows what Christmas is?

I can see the changes around the house, so I know something is happening. The furniture gets moved and something resembling a tree suddenly grows in the corner of the living room. It doesn’t smell like a tree, and it gets glittery balls and small dangling things hung on its branches. Twinkling lights go all around it and Christy leaves them on all night long.

New smells fill the house. Christy is in the kitchen mixing more smells into a giant bowl and rolling stuff out on the tabletop. Then she puts the things she makes on a flat metal tray in the silver hot thing in the center of the room. Before I know it, she’s pulling it out again and I keep my distance as I smell what I recognize to be food of some sort.

“Aiden. These cookies are for people.”

Did she just say the “C” word?

I’m used to wearing my vest, but sometimes Christy puts weird outfits on me and talks to me in a high-pitched squeaky voice, telling me how cute I look. I pose for her to take pictures for her Christmas cards but can’t wait to get back to wearing nothing but my own doggie fur.

I hear people saying “Merry Christmas” and the music at church has more jingles to it.

One morning I wake up and everyone is still in their pajamas as I watch the people tear at paper and find things inside boxes and bags. I get a couple of new squeaky toys and a special treat.

I use all my senses to enjoy what humans call Christmas. I also know deep inside my doggie heart, it’s about the Savior of the world, my Creator, who on His birthday, hung out with animals lying in a pile of hay.

Traveling with a Diabetic Handler

Posted October 24, 2021 | Aiden the Service Dog

Does a service dog ever get a vacation?

Thanks for asking.

Traveling with Christy is always an adventure. She has to pack not only for herself but also for my needs. That makes for extra-heavy luggage because I need my food, special treats, vitamins, toys, bed, parkas for cold weather, rain slicker for wet weather and booties for hot and cold weather. I get exhausted just thinking about it.

When Christy packs for herself, she includes all her diabetic supplies, and food and juice for low blood sugars (enough to last longer than our stay just in case – she’s prepared).

I’m not mentioning all the other stuff she packs for herself. She packs everything like we’re moving or something. Before flying, she had to remove a lot of stuff because the airline only allows a checked bag to be fifty pounds. That’s how over-prepared she is.

However, a diabetic always has to be prepared.

Traveling across two times zones to the East messed up her blood sugars. Our schedule changed from day to day, so she was without a regular eating routine – something that is very important to a diabetic.

Going to Minnesota really wasn’t a vacation for me. Mom had two-to-three low blood sugars a day, so I worked a lot. But I’m always on duty, 24/7. In fact, I like my job so much, I never take vacations.

What does vacation mean to a dog, anyway?

Read more about our book tour to Minnesota here.

Aiden’s Thoughts About Our Book Tour to Minnesota

Posted October 4, 2021 | Aiden the Service Dog

I’m so glad to be home! I don’t mind travelling, but it seems we were just getting settled and the scents were becoming familiar when we packed up and moved to the next city.

I fly like a carry-on and fit nicely under the seat in front of Christy. I was trained to do it that way. It’s always nice when we have a seat or two with no one next to us for extra stretch-out space.

Here are photos of some of the things I did in Minnesota.

Walked the Mall of America.

Made new friends, Cody and Frankie.

Saw a lot of lakes (I didn’t get too near them since I don’t like water, but it made for a nice background).

Discovered the true purposes of dogs (things I love to do when I’m not working).

Spent four nights in Christy’ hometown of Thief River Falls. (Yes, there really is such a place).

All totaled, we put in more than 4,000 miles!

Despite all the places we visited, the miles we put on the rented van and the adventures I had, I’m beyond thrilled to be home. Even though airports have “pet relief” areas, I’d rather do my business in my own backyard.

Confessions of a Black & Brindle Lab

Posted August 23, 2021 | Aiden the Service Dog

Typically, Labradors love water.

A couple years ago, I went to diabetes camp with all my furry friends and their handlers. I donned a life vest as Mom took me in a canoe, paddling us out to the middle of a very deep, dark lake. I perched nervously in the bow of the canoe, watching my mom enjoy the sunny day. When we finally made it back to shore, I hopped out onto dry land, relieved she didn’t make me go for a swim.

I’m not your typical Labrador.

After our canoe trip we stopped for some refreshment because the summer sun was working overtime. A short stroll took us to where people were catapulted off a thing called “The Blob” into the depths of a pond. Most of my furry friends were enjoying chasing a tennis ball into the water.

Mom put my life vest on me again and coaxed me into the water as our friend, Sarah, took the handle on top of the vest and took me further out. Instantly my paws were doggy paddling fast and hard. With Sarah swimming to the middle of the pond, and me at her side, I felt a little confident. We were swimming together.

Then she let go.

All I could see was Mom at the edge of the water, cheering me on. My legs paddled so fast it was over in a few seconds, but it felt like forever.

Once on land and free of the vest, I shook myself off in the middle of a group of my friend’s dog handlers, causing groans and jeers. “It’s just a little water.” I thought.

I hate water.

At home my mom bribes me to get in the bathtub. I enjoy the special treats, but I hate the water.

She tells me I’m not going melt as she hoses me down and suds me up. Didn’t I say in my previous post that dogs don’t know what time is? Well, I do understand time when I’m in the tub or in water. It can’t go fast enough.

When it’s all done and Mom is fluffing me with a towel, I get zoomy.

As Mom opens the bathroom door, I do happy laps around the house. I’m energized and clean thanks to water.

I guess I can endure it for a few minutes, whatever minutes are.

Dogs Can’t Tell Time

Posted August 2, 2021 | Aiden the Service Dog

Have you ever been separated from someone you love for a long period of time?

For a dog, a few minutes can seem like a lifetime to be gone from your master. Recently, my handler, Christy had COVID and tried to get better at home, but after a week of struggling, she left for the emergency room.

I was left at home because she was too sick to have me by her side. A few hours later, her husband Kevin joined her in the ER. Christy made arrangements for me to be taken care of by friends.

I wasn’t sure what to think.

I felt like I was on vacation because at our friend’s house, I was allowed to be just a dog, whereas at home, I’m a working dog. At this house I had no one to alert on.

Later, when our good friend and trainer, Sarah, was able to take care of me, it was like being at a doggy spa.

Yep, she gave me a bath (I hate baths). But at Sarah’s I had my girlfriend Woflie, my good friend, Kermit, and two other dogs to play with, not to mention two diabetic people for whom I could do my job as a service dog and alert them to low blood sugars.

But what happened to my mom, Christy? Where is she? Would I see her again?

Dogs can’t tell time.

We only know that we miss our people. I really missed my mom. It felt like forever since she kissed my nose and said goodbye. It turns out both Kevin and Christy had to stay in the hospital to get better. In people time, it was four days later when I was reunited with my mom.

I was so happy to see her, I think my tail almost wagged off.

In dog time, a few minutes can feel like forever. Dog people know what I’m talking about. We dogs just want to be with our people and miss you no matter how short a time you’re gone.

My Other Dog Job

Posted February 18, 2021 | Aiden the Service Dog

Mom is heartbroken. Tears come to her eyes as I snuggle close and give her slurps. She holds me close and whispers, “I miss him.”

I remember meeting him on a trip to Minnesota for a family reunion. He always greeted me with a big smile and happy praises, marveling at how good I am at my service dog job, giving me lots of-pets. I loved my Mom’s dad, Grandpa David and gave him many dog kisses in return, which he didn’t mind one bit. I loved snuggling with him on the old leather couch.

Identifying dog lovers can be done with a single sniff. They usually talk in sweet tones and call you “good boy.” Sometimes they have a treat to give you too.

Grandpa David was a dog lover. He went to Heaven on Christmas Day. Mom had been praying for him to get home from the hospital by Christmas and I guess God had other plans. She has since told me she needs to be more specific in her prayer requests to God.

Dog is GOD spelled backwards. Since my Mom is sad, I want to be like God and give her comfort. I’m constantly at her side, doing my service dog job. But when I look into her eyes and beg for attention, she cheers up. I guess I’m doing my other dog-job; one I didn’t have to train for. One that God gave me to do by nature.

I may not understand Mom’s tears, but I know she needs me, and I am there for her.

If you want to read about Grandpa David, Mom wrote this about him:

Grandpa’s Story