An article for Tully.

Tully wanted an article for her Peer Support Group Newsletter,.

I thought I would write a simple piece, 

no getting carried away as I usually do!!!

Here we go ----

I am an old wheelie, I spend most days in my chair, either rumbling around, or driving everyone mad because I want to go out.

About 2 and a half years ago I lost my little dog, he had been my constant companion all through the dark early years of my disability, he was the one who sat on my bed when I was too dizzy to move, lick my face when the tears came and cuddle me when I needed a friend. 

When he died I was heartbroken and didn’t want another dog I was happy to share my daughters little darling called Nacho, she also stayed on my bed through the dark days of depression, then helped me to gain confidence and return to the world, I loved that little dog very much, but she wasn’t mine.

About 14 months ago I realized I needed another dog of my own.  

 A few years ago it was suggested that a service dog might be useful for me; I filled out all the forms, but never sent them in because I wanted a dog who was mine, right from the start.

 I found my boy 12 months ago, ---- a big black bundle of mischief called Midnight, he is a Standard Poodle with the most beautiful eyes in the world, a long nose and a brain much cleverer than mine. It was love at first sight, and I have never regretted my decision to train him myself, however this is when my problems started.

In Australia we are not allowed to register a working dog that has not been trained by one of the authorized training companies. There are 3 in Australia who train dogs for people in wheel chairs, but none are in Victoria, and none will train what I personally need. Nor will they train dogs for people who do not use a wheel chair

. 

If I lived in the U. S.  I would have both choices and I could even use a different sort of animal!!!

Now I am advocating again, I want my boy to be registered, and also want others to have a service dog if it would make their life easier, and everyone to make their own choice of how it is trained.

                     Will I ever stop trying to change the world!!!

               

                          ****************************

That is what I wrote, very restrained,

I didnot rabbit on at all,

must be getting tired!!!!!

Goodnight all.

The proud doggy grandma!

Toffee started dog school in earnest today.

I was watching her and her mum out of the corner of my eye,

{the big boy was making no secret of not watching}!

She was working beautifully with Jess, sitting when told, and staying quietly when left at the fence without mum.

She walks so nicely at heel, I think the Black Dog halter works really well on our dogs.

In case you have forgotten what she looks like,

here she is with her "big girl" hair cut.

She has now gone from white to yellow group,

should be interesting as she is just about to hit adolescence, 

when all puppies start thinking rules are not for them!!!

Just like humans -- they push the boundaries 

all the time.

It seemed to go on for ever with Middi,

but now he is his old sweet self, but still very determined!

Next Thursday Toffee will go to dog school with Chris,

Middi and me,

I will be taking half the class with each of the dogs,

another challenge for all of us!

The colours of Spring!

When I walk in my garden this year, everything seems to be shades of pink or purple.

 All my ugly old cactus's take on a new life and are transformed into things of great beauty.

Their colours are so bright that they look as though a child has painted them.

My last remaining rhododendron

[which is older than me],

is suddenly covered in delicate purple flowers.

Each year I think it is not going to make it through the hot, waterless summer, but it always does.

It is so old and had been neglected for a long time

that it has reverted back to the colour of a wild rhododendron.

Of course the agapanthas have run wild,

and are sending up their strange flower buds

in most unexpected places.

They look like creatures from space.

Roses that are past their prime fascinate me,

I love the way their petals fade,

they remind me of old, comfy clothes.

Look at the colour fading

from the darker pink slash --- so beautiful.

My tea tree is covered in its usual multitude of

simple flowers and mult-coloured leaves.

Last of all come my orchids

the poor things get no attention,

and yet each year they give me more and more 

fascinating blooms.

Spring really is the most beautiful season here in Melbourne.

******************

A complete change of thought.

It is evening here and the dogs are resting 

after a big "walking" day.

My darling boy was sound asleep near my chair

when there was a loud THUMP!,

my large heavy,hand bag had fallen onto the floor. 

I turned on my chair to go and pick it up, 

before I moved, Middi was up and attempting to work out how he could give it to me. 

It took him about 30 seconds to find a hold and lift it into my hand.

Of course it was too heavy for me, but he kept pushing 

until I got a proper hold.

He never ceases to amaze me, 

I have never asked him to pick my bag up, 

like so many other things he does, 

he just seems to know what to do.

What a wonderful friend he is.

Good night!

Toffee is a digger!

In all my years of owning dogs

Toffee is the first "digger" I have ever had

.

She started from the day she arrived home.

Her specialty was to undermine the pot plants,

rather dangerous as some of my pots are huge.

I looked up Ian Dunbar's  article on digging dogs,

he suggested assigning a special place for digging

and salting it with treats and bones.

As my garden is not very big, Chris suggested using

a children's sandpit.

 It works brilliantly, sometimes she finds a biscuit hidden in there

so it is always worth checking out.

This picture was taken after she had emptied half the dirt out,

she couldn't decide the best place to hide her teething bone,

so of course she kept digging it up and the dirt went flying.

Where did she eventually put it?

Under her bottom!!

Toff spends hours in the dirt, it is in a sunny corner, 

under the veranda and out of the strong rain.

Toffee treats her sandpit like her crate -----

a nice secure place to hang out,

when there is nothing interesting going on.

If you have a digger, this could be the solution for you,

its worth a try.

Enjoy the Spring rain -- it makes the weeds grow!

A miserable spring day!

What do you do on a miserable spring day 

after big morning at dog school?

Go to sleep of course!!

Relax like a puppy and dream of the sunshine.

An Interesting Meeting

I know this photo is not sitting correctly but I love the wide view!

It is the picture at the top of the last page in the

MOIRA 2011 Annual Report.

The article is titled 

"Interview with a Granddaughter"

What Indie wrote is very precious to me, 

if you get the chance to read the article you will understand why.

THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU WROTE, INDIE.

Altogether it was a pretty interesting day.

I have to admit I was anxious about going to the meeting,

I am a worrier, usually for no reason. 

To days worry -- would I be able to manage my boy!!

sometimes I am so silly, must be getting old.

First Challenge.

Managing Middi on the train at peak hour, for the first time.

The biggest problem with trains, is the other passengers.

Sometimes they can be very rude and even knock the dogs 

or stand on them!!!!

The train was packed with school kids, bags, office workers

and trolleys.

I warned everyone that I was coming in and they would need to watch their feet. 

Not much response, so I asked Nik to bring Midi in after me,

the fact that people would not move out of the doorway, 

made me mad, so I said I would look after him myself.

I could only use my voice and one hand movement to tell him to cross in front of me to the right hand side of the chair- 

his working position.

There was about 40cms  between the chair and the wall, 

he had to walk down that space to turn around and stand by me, 

then do a sit/drop into position next to me.

He did it like a trouper, the only thing that was slightly wrong ---, he dropped onto a girls feet. 

I did not correct him because I saw her deliberately move her feet out into the passage way.

Sometimes it makes me very proud to be the mum of

a 14 month old poodle boy.

So many people commented on my beautifully trained dog.

Not a very good photo, but it shows how tight  was the space

Second Challenge.

Attend the Annual meeting without making a fuss, or being a nuisance.

Of course we were late because the keys to the bus were missing!

Nothing more awkward than trying to creep in to a meeting with a squeaky wheel chair and a poodle who knows he is being looked at and walks like a king.

Warwick [CEO], made it easier by welcoming me, 

believe it or not!! :-)

Of course the big boy lay down and went to sleep,

I think he is used to me talking when we are out,

its always a long time!!!!

When the meeting was over he was surrounded by people wanting to know about him, and why I was doing training him myself.

My question to people who did not know him was 

"how old do you think he is?"

The answer was always "around five or six"?

when I told them he is only 14 months they were amazed.

If you think about it , he is still only a pup, 

if he was being trained through a training school 

he would have just started his formal training.

There should be a change to the law, 

so that dogs can be trained either way.

Both ways are good, I think it should be our decision,

after all we are the people using the dogs.

I have just realised there was one other thing 

that could have been a challenge -- 

there was beautiful food all around him at nose level

and he never even sniffed!!

I know he enjoyed himself, 

when a poodle knows he is in the limelight

he holds his head high.

Maybe our next challenge might not be so scary,

who knows.

The growing girl

We have had Toffee for 2 weeks now,

she has definitely settled in!!

Here is a reminder of how small [for a standard poodle] she was---

so beautiful snuggled in Jess' arms.

Now look at her!

She is a big ball of fluff and mischief!

She eats like a horse,

in fact she will run between Midnights paws 

and devour his dinner, if she gets the chance.

Noisy nights are a thing of the past - she sleeps right through and doesn't wet, thank goodness.

Unfortunately, she has no idea that wheel chairs can be lethal,

look where she went to sleep yesterday!

She wears a bell on her collar so I can hear where she is, 

but unfortunately it is no use when she is asleep.

"Tough love" means that I must let her get nipped by the chair, better a little fright, than broken bones,

or worse still, a dead dog.

Unfortunately that does happen, as my vet keeps reminding me!

Toffee loves riding on my tray, 

because she has not had all her shots it is the safest place for her to be when we go out.

She is not going to fit for much longer..

Just like Nacho, she loves snuggling into my foot cradle

must be a girl thing.

It iwill be interesting to see how she can fold those legs up to fit.

Now I will give my big boy a big cuddle, he needs it.

Little red puppys get all the attention when we go out,

BUT NOT FROM HIS MUM!

He will always have a very special place in my heart.

Could this be our little darling??

Someone has been to her first day at puppy school!

She was not an angel, just a normal little toddler wanting her own way.

Jess said she had a tantrum, as I had no idea what a puppy tantrum entailed I asked Chris to explain what happened.

Here is her reply!!!

 Tantrum…..

Chris – “Toffee come here”  (offers treat, is ignored)

Toffee – “ Oh, not right now I’m busy sniffing butt”

Chris – No, I said “COME HERE” (changes tone to more serious)

Toffee – “Nope, I’m going to play with this toy under the table”

Chris then goes and gets naughty puppy and scoops her up, flips her onto her back in her arms, holds her very tightly and puts her hands on her chest very firmly.

Chris “ Now SETTLE”

Toffee – “No, don’t wanna  WAHHHHHHHHHH”  (kicks, fusses)

Chris – “Sorry Toffee but I really don’t care, (grips tighter) now SETTLE”

Toffee – “ No, No not gonna, WAHHHHHHHHHH” (more fussing)

Chris – (softly) “Enough.” (keeps holding tight and waits for her to stop fussing around 30 seconds, then loosens grip)  “Good girl, now go to mum”

 If Toffee openly ignores her (or you) I suggest Jess sits to do this if possible, Toffee is fairly strong.  She needs leverage to keep her grip.

I have been “wrangling” naughty puppies for some time so I am fine standing (haven’t dropped one yet).

  

This is tough love, not cruelty, Toffee needs to learn the rules. 

I am not hurting her, simply demonstrating I am stronger than her, like her doggy mother would have. 

Just remember, don’t call her over to “correct” her – go fetch her.

  

Coming willingly must always be pleasant and be rewarded.

This last sentence is so true, the number of times I have seen people at the park call their dogs [who are being less than angelic] and when they come, give them a smack and yell, stands to reason they are not going to come next time

.

Training puppies is just the same as teaching toddlers, except puppies grow so quickly, that you need to get it right from the beginning.

I must be getting old, I have no memory of  Midnight having tantrums at that age.

He was a difficult boy to train [and sometimes still is] thank goodness I never had to try and put him on my knee, 
he would not have fitted!!