Nirvana

8/7/09

I received the call today, that after flying through all 10 phases of training in a mere 8 weeks, Ross was career changed for traffic sensitivity. I wasn't surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised. I had actually expected the call weeks prior, and was relieved each week to see Ross climb on the phase report and not receive the dreaded call I know so well.

I knew that the decision had not been an easy one. I knew that the staff were putting every effort into helping Ross succeed as a Guide. Had they not, he would have been CC'd weeks prior, like I anticipated. I had no doubts that Ross would excel in training, but he had developed a fear reaction to traffic when he was about 9 months old, and he never quite fully recovered. I was grateful to the training staff for all of their hard work, but I also knew that whatever Ross' career would be, it would be the right one, guide dog or not.

I was honored by the kind training report they wrote about Ross:

"Ross" is an average sized well behaved dog that is affectionate and a willing worker. He adjusted well to the kennel environment and quickly bonded with his primary instructor. He also enjoyed community run and played well with roommates. During community run "Ross" frequently will "talk" with a bone in his mouth to the staff.

"Ross" is highly food motivated and especially enjoyed learning through our clicker training techniques. He appeared very well prepared for training and was a pleasure to work. He consistently required minimal handling around distractions and is eager to please. His guidework and obedience responses progressed at an above average rate and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy learning new behaviors.

Unfortunately, "Ross" has displayed sensitivity to traffic throughout training. This was identified at the beginning of training and "Ross" was put on a traffic socialization program using high value food reward. Despite seeing some improvements when loud or heavy traffic approach him from behind, he continued to startle and show significant sensitivity. "Ross" is being career changed due to his traffic sensitivity.
"Ross" has many exceptional qualities and has an extensive puppy history of working with special needs children. He would make a wonderful Canine Buddy candidate.

I think the most difficult part about the news was that I had to make a decision. If Ross graduated as a guide dog, I wouldn't have any say in his future. But, as a career change, his future was suddenly in my hands. I knew two things: 1) I couldn't adopt him myself. I would love to have Ross for the rest of his life, but he was born to do greater things in this world than keep me company; and 2) Ross needed a kid. Unfortunately, there weren't any Canine Buddy applicants waiting for dogs.

8/8/09: Fun Day

Today was Fun Day, an appreciation day of sorts that Guide Dogs hosts for puppy raisers. Fun Day is usually just that, but today I was preoccupied by Ross' career change.

After more difficult decisions for my club members, it seemed that this year we were at Not-So-Fun Day. I was lucky to have the opportunity to "spy" on Ross while there. He was out in community run with his friends, and his big ol' head and the way he followed his trainers around and eagerly demonstrated his tricks to earn a treat or two, were a dead giveaway that it was him. I hid where he couldn't spot me, and was careful to be very quiet. As much as I wanted to see him, I knew he would be distraught if he knew I was there and couldn't be with me. And so, I watched silently and soaked in the pride of how much he had bonded with his trainers, and how happy he was at Guide Dogs.

During the day, I was informed that there might be a placement option for him, and so I went to speak with the person who knew more information. She informed me that there was a boy, who had applied for a Canine Buddy, but who did not qualify for the program due to logistics regarding his visual impairment. With the exception of the official Canine Buddy title, the home was in every way a Canine Buddy placement - Ross would be the boy's beloved pet and companion, and show the boy how wonderful a guide dog can be to have in your life. I didn't hesitate. I knew that this is who Ross was destined to spend the rest of his life with! And so, I asked about the details of making it happen. It was simple: Ross would load on the puppy truck that afternoon and make the drive to San Rafael, where he would be transported to his new home. It was very sudden, and I was expecting more time before he left me forever, but I think this was for the best. I didn't have any time to second guess my decision, and Ross would get to his little boy that much faster!

I walked back to the kennel and informed his caretakers that they should say their goodbyes, as he was leaving that afternoon. As they informed their boss, I was given permission to visit with Ross. As the conversation ensued, Ross turned his attention towards us and looked at me. I asked, "Since he's looking right at me, can I go say hi now?" The caretakers kindly let me enter the kennel area, where they moved Ross from the group to a separate area where we could visit. Ross walked towards me without hesitation, and began to sniff the kibble bag hanging from the back of my waist. He must have caught my scent in his kibble sniffing, because all of a sudden he jumped on my back in excitement! He proceeded to turn and jump on my front, erupting into great WOOFs as he repeatedly slammed his body against mine with love. A greeting usually undesired, this is the reunion that every puppy raiser secretly hopes for.

Suddenly, everything was good again. My boy was happy, I got my unforgettable reunion and time to say goodbye, and he was going to spend his life with a child. I was truly happy.

I took some pictures of Ross, and my husband arrived to say hello to Ross and take more pictures. I smiled from ear to ear, and it was genuine.

We left temporarily to finish our Fun Day activities and to let Ross' trainer have some individual time to say goodbye as well. He had captured her heart just as much as he had captured mine, and I knew it would difficult for her to let him go as well. I put Ross back in the run with his friends, and as I walked out of the kennel, he jumped on the fence and let out another great WOOF!

At the end of the day, I went back for my final goodbye. I was able to take Ross out of the kennel for a while, and he got to visit with my puppy raisers and we took more pictures of him with nephew Jazz. Jazz was so happy to see uncle Ross again!

As I was getting ready to take Ross back to the kennel, his trainer arrived to let me know it was time. As we walked back to the kennel together, Ross pulled towards his trainer. I handed her the leash, and as we walked down the sidewalk together, Ross walked between us, turning his head from side to side to make sure both of his moms were still there. He was a happy boy.

I was fortunate to be able to stay with Ross until he boarded the puppy truck. As we sat and waited, he climbed into my lap, his hind legs still on the floor, and gave me a big kiss, just like he used to always do! He had grown in size and maturity, but he was still my big "Baby Woss."

I watched as he eagerly boarded the puppy truck, joined by many of his puppy club friends. As the truck was loaded, I learned more about the home Ross was going to. It turns out that the boy has a sister, and the sister is in dire need of a friend. Ross has two kids. And he will change their lives in ways they could never imagine.

The Little Things (Continued)

Today I received a handful more of hand made thank you notes from the kids for our presentation last week. Some of the younger kids drew pictures for me. Jazz sitting near a fire hydrant appears to be a common theme ;)

The notes read:

Dear Whitney,

I loved Jazz.

He was so cute.

Thank you for bringing him.

From,

M

To Whitney and Jazz

Thank you for comeing!

Made by

B

G

And the one that captures my heart the most:

(On the cover) Thanks for bringing light into our dark day.

(Inside) Dear Whitney,

Thank you for showing us the dog. I really appreciate it. I'll probably will see you around sometime. Bye!

(On the back) thanks! (with a smiley face)

The kids also made cards for Mei and Sarah & Wayne. I don't know what they say, but I don't need to.

The Little Things

Today I received a hand made thank you card from two of the girls at work, for the Guide Dog presentation last week. The sincerity and gratitude for such a simple thing makes me choke up with tears of pride. The note reads:

Whitney & Jazz,

Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to visit us at the [agency name], Your information was interesting and educational. I hope you continue to visit us. You brightened alot of kids days. I am confident that Jazz will be a excellent guide dog. Thanks for show us Jazz's tricks. He's sooo cute.

Thanks again!

M & N

Growing Up Guide Dog

7/30/09

Today was a monumental day at work, in the Guide Dog world. Just over a year ago, the Guide Dog puppies weren't welcome on campus. Today, we had my Guide Dog puppy Jazz, a guide dog in formal training - Darcelle, and a working guide dog - Rosie, all on campus together, with the kids!

With school out, we hold a summer program for all of our residential and day treatment clients. The program is intended to be educational, therapeutic, and fun. We try to do as much hands-on learning as possible, and provide opportunities for activities that we might not be able to do during the school year.

To keep it interesting, we have educational themes each week, and complete the week with fun activities that coincide with the theme. This year, we had a therapy/service dog week, and I invited my friend Mei and her German Shepherd guide Rosie to join us. At the last minute, I thought to see if anyone from the Guide Dog campus could help us out, and was grateful to have GDB volunteers Sarah and Wayne bring yellow Lab Darcelle, who is currently in phase 10 of formal training (the same phase Ross is currently in). The mix of dogs provided the kids with an opportunity to see the evolution of a Guide Dog.

We provided an impromptu presentation to groups of 10-20 kids at a time, for a total of 3 groups. With kids ranging in chronological age from 6-17, and even a greater span of developmental levels, we adapted each presentation to fit our audience.

Mei spoke about her blindness, how she functions in the community and at home, and how her Guide Dogs help her. I spoke about how Jazz and Ross have very specific rules that they follow so that they can be prepared to grow up and be great guide dogs like Rosie. Sarah and Wayne provided additional information about the formal training process, and the life of a guide dog in training.

The kids made peanut butter treats for the dogs, which we used to show how we train the dogs to not take food other than their designated kibble or treats. One kid asked blatantly, "So, we wasted our time making the dog treats?" I assured him my pet dogs at home would enjoy them thoroughly and be very appreciative! We spent lots of time explaining why the dogs could not have the treats...

The experience was wonderful! It was so great to live the progression of acceptance and appreciation for the dogs that has occurred at my work. The dogs, of course, were extremely well behaved! Jazz even outsmarted me when I tried to demonstrate how he didn't know something that Rosie did! The kids had excellent questions and demonstrated great compassion for the dogs and for my friend Mei. And most of all, I was so proud of how the kids behaved! They all sat calmly and quietly, raised their hands, and waited patiently to be called on. They were polite and appropriate, and followed directions to ask to pet the dogs. It was incredible! Most of our kids have difficulties completing any one of those behaviors on a regular basis, and they ALL did it for 45 consecutive minutes! I cannot express in words how proud I am. Our staff worked hard to prepare the kids for a positive experience, and it paid off! The kids pulled out every skill they have and shown like stars. It may not sound like much, but for these kids, it was a moment of complete success, something they don't experience often. And what a better reward than dog kisses at the end :)

Today will be a moment in time I will never forget!

Therapy Dog in the Making

This afternoon, as I took Jazz out to relieve him, we heard children screaming from the yard. Jazz's ears perked up inquisitively. As he is typically nestled away in our quiet office, he had yet to hear the sound of unhappy children. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to introduce him to his job of "therapy dog."

Jazz and I walked over to the yard, where two children, each in separate areas, were highly escalated, crying and screaming. Multiple staff were trying to calm the children. As we approached, Jazz continued to demonstrate curiosity at the situation. He maintained full confidence, and cocked his ears as if he were trying to figure out what this new sound was. The child closest to us caught sight of Jazz, and was instantly distracted, running towards us, excitedly yelling, "A puppy!" Jazz stepped his front paws up on the rail of the fence and stuck his nose between the links, giving the girl a big kiss on the face as she greeted him through the fence.

He got it right.

The girl sat down and began to pet Jazz through the fence, begging for kisses. She remained calm and safe, and followed directions. After a few minutes, I felt comfortable taking Jazz inside the yard with her, and so, we ventured in. We sat in the grass for a while, Jazz rolling around, kicking his legs wildly as she scratched his belly, and watching her intently as she made funny noises at him. The girl, who normally requires constant staff attention and redirection for her unsafe and inappropriate behaviors, sat on the grass next to Jazz, playing appropriately with him, smiling, and following directions beautifully.

As I walked Jazz back to the office to recoup from the heat and finish my work, I couldn't help but be proud. The kids have a therapy dog again :)

Sleeping...and Growing

Since Jazz has a bit more pizazz than Ross, he's spent more time just hanging out in the office learning how to be a good Guide Dog than hanging out with the kids. Jazz is a good puppy, he's just... a puppy. He sleeps a lot, plays hard, and gets overstimulated easily. The kids (and staff) still love him, and the biggest problem right now is that he is SO cute, and they feel so special when he greets them excitedly, that I have to be able to focus on training the people while I'm trying to train the puppy to not do what the people encourage him to do :)

Jazz is gradually learning that work means more than just sleeping on his fluffy bed in the office. He has attended some meetings, and is finally starting to settle down on his own (never mind that it's usually about 1 minute before the meeting ends). He sometimes accompanies me to therapy sessions, and keeps the mood light by rolling around, and attempting to eat any spot on the floor. He served as emotional support for an adolescent girl getting her blood drawn a couple of weeks ago. And although all he did was hang out, she was so highly amused by my stories of him eating my slippers and flip flops that she temporarily forgot about the needle in her arm.

The other day, one of the girls at work asked if she could earn to come visit Jazz in the office, since he isn't ready to visit on the units yet (it's way too much stimulation for him at this point). We discussed a plan, and as I walked back to my office, she shouted after me, "You know what a good excuse is?" Not understanding what she was talking about, I replied, "What?" "He's sleeping," she replied back in a sarcastic tone :) (Referring to the fact that whenever I don't have my dog with me and the kids ask where he is, I tell them that he's in the office sleeping - which is true. Jazz sleeps his days away while he's growing, Ross was just plain lazy.) This is the same girl who, when Ross and I met her just a few months ago, would hang her head and refuse to speak; the same girl who he sat next to and guarded as she decompressed from an aggressive episode; the same girl who now initiates conversations, jokes with staff, and seeks out rewards for making progress in her treatment.

Jazz is a different spirit than Ross. Ross had an amazing natural talent for understanding people and knowing exactly what they needed. With Jazz, it's all about him. He loves people, mostly because he thinks it's cool that everyone is there to see HIM. He doesn't know the difference between a scared, depressed, girl and an impulsive, aggressive, boy. He only knows that they all love him and want to play with him. It's a naivety that can only make you smile.

Jazz It Up!

6/24/09

When the kids first met Jazz, they were really interested to learn what his middle and last names were. Not having either, I didn't have a very good response for them... Evidently, my honest answer was unacceptable for 7-10 year olds. So, they decided to name him themselves. One little boy decided that his full name should be Jazz It Up. This was a hit with his cohorts, and so, Jazz It Up it is!

As Jazz and I were leaving work this evening, we ran into this little boy with his visitor. They had been playing ball in the gym, and the boy was so excited to see Jazz (It Up) as they walked out of the gym. Jazz (It Up), still developing his sit-to-be-pet skills, jumped excitedly at the boy. The boy set his large beach ball down on the ground so that he could pet Jazz (It Up), and Jazz (It Up) pounced on the ball, straddling it with his entire body, high centered on the large ball. He clumsily rolled off the ball as I pulled back with his leash, explaining to the boy that Jazz (It Up) isn't allowed to play with balls. As the boy continued to try to pet Jazz (It Up), I was able to quickly get him in a sit, which he popped out of just as quickly. We continued this game of Jack-in-the-Box as the boy attempted to pet him. Jazz eventually sat his bottom on the ground, but proceeded to climb up the boy with his front paws, attempt to grab the ball, and otherwise act like a puppy. Eventually he settled and laid down on his own. Then he started to chew on the boy's shoe lace. As I constantly resituated Jazz (It Up), the boy smiled and laughed, appreciatively stating, "I'm so glad I saw Jazz today." As I asked the boy to say good-bye for the night, Jazz (It Up) popped his head up and gave the boy a big kiss on the face.

Learning Curve

For a 15-week-old puppy, Jazz is doing very well at work! He spends most of the day sleeping on his bed in the office, occasionally waking to play with his toys and take potty breaks.

I have gradually been taking him out and about more - attending meetings, therapy sessions, and visiting the kids. He LOVES the kids (as most Labs do), and the kids love him! Problem is, he's such a puppy ;) He thinks kids (and pretty much anyone he sees in the hallway) are for pouncing on. After all, they are all there to see him, right? Visualize multiple children excitedly running towards a cute little puppy, exclaiming his name as they approach with hands extended. Ack! So..., the kids (and adults) and Jazz are having to learn appropriate greetings together. My multitasking skills are in overdrive as I put Jazz in a sit (and keep him there) while verbally reminding the kids to stop, wait, ask nicely, approach calmly, and keep their voices and bodies calm, only petting Jazz while he's sitting calmly. I keep reminding Jazz that he's a Guide Dog. He keeps reminding me that he's a puppy :) Inevitably, the kids squat down to pet him, and he reaches up to kiss them, and smiles erupt. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it.

Professional Puppy?

6/12/09

Arriving late to an early morning meeting, I didn't have time to put Jazz in the office first, so I decided he could just go to the meeting with me. As I entered the meeting room, I found the only open chair to be between the CEO and VP. I sat Jazz down next to me, and the CEO reached down and gently started petting him. I gave Jazz a quiet toy to play with, and asked him to settle on the floor. Within minutes he was bored. He began his favorite game of chewing on his leash, followed by the game of rolling around biting at it when I tried to correct him for it. While being sure to continue to pay attention to the meeting, I reached down and rearranged Jazz, removing the leash from his mouth, putting him back in an appropriate down, and placing his toy back in front of him. Within minutes he was rolling around again, crawling under my chair, chewing at his leash, grabbing at my hand, and attempting to chew on the VP's leather purse handle. Fortunately, I caught that one before he was successful!

After a while, I decided enough is enough! I pulled Jazz up into my lap and placed him in the "calming puppy position," careful to stroke his belly very gently, as he is rather ticklish and starts kicking with all four legs, which would have had the opposite effect. As I gently stroked his big puppy belly, he calmed and relaxed. Within minutes, he was sound asleep. He adjusted himself slightly, curling up in my arms like a baby. Then, he began to snore. Loudly. And he continued to snore, loudly.

As I pretended to not notice that there was a snoring puppy in the room, my coworkers smiled at him and chuckled with amusement. As our consultant (on videoconference) wrapped up on something we were all done listening to, the CFO teased him that he had bored the puppy to sleep.

Jazz may need to work on his professionalism a bit, but he kept us all sane through that meeting!

Jazz's First Assignment

As a 10-week-old puppy, the expectations for Jazz at work have been limited: potty outside, sleep or play quietly in the office, look cute, and give the kids kisses. So far, he's been doing a pretty darn good job!

But, it didn't take long for Jazz to start filling Ross' shoes. The dreaded blood draws struck again this week! One of the girls has been refusing her blood draws, as she is afraid of needles. The draws are critical to ensuring her health, given the medication she is on. So, a request was made for Jazz to help her out. 

I wasn't sure how it would go. Jazz is a more active pup than Ross, and he pretty much is only still when he's sleeping. But, his adorable face is pretty much all that anyone needs right now. So, I figured we would give it a shot.

As I entered the unit to find the girl who was getting her blood draw, she yelled with excitement as she saw Jazz come through the door in my arms. After some calm greeting time, we headed to the nurse's office for the blood draw. The girl was scared, but climbed into the chair without much fuss. I sat next to her, Jazz in my arms, and set his paw in her lap. She gently held his paw while crying, more from fear than pain, and Jazz sat quietly in my arms.

We're off to a good start!