So my current service dog, Dawson (a lovely collie) is really retiring ;-( While I’ve been preparing myself for it for two years, the fact that its now here has me filled with bittersweet emotions.

Nadja, my service dog in training (a beautiful black, GSD) has all of her task work down pat and then some! Her public work is flawless, too... her only issue (if I could even call it that) is that though she is two and a half years old, she is a very young and immature two emotionally. She still gets "ants in her pants" on occasion, but to her credit, always acts like a lady. ;-)

After a nearly 9 year partnership with Dawson, it’s hard to make the transition to full time with Nadja---not that she’s not ready or anything--more like I’m not ready to let go of my boy ;-..

Dawson will be retiring and living with me, so it’s not like I’m losing him or anything... He’s going to continue doing our Canine and Abled demos and book signings; it just won’t be like before, is all... he’s really spoiled me throughout our partnership, and it’s been hard for me to make that final step to say, "Okay, Dawson’s officially retired and Nadja is now my full time service dog."

Two weeks ago, Dawson started having seizures. We discovered he has Lyme disease. He’s being treated and is expected to make a full recovery. During his "medical leave," Nadja has accompanied me just about everywhere (the only place I haven’t taken her is church....I still take Dawson; mainly because he’s become my security blanket and I am having a hard time transitioning emotionally). In fact, I held off making the appointment for Nadja’s final public access test/CGC certification, not because she wasn’t ready...but because I wasn’t ready to admit she was ready ;-..

Dawson, on the other hand, is not having any of my retirement blues; alternatively, he is very ready for retirement, as his mind just isn’t in the game anymore. ;-) He’s all about lazing around and havin a good time! Though he’s super, super duper good in public... if I drop something, or need him to go get something; he does it with lackluster whereas he used to "attack" his tasks. These days, he LOVES to do demos and meet and greets, and will continue doing all of our programs, and will most likely be doing hospital/nursing home visits as well.

Dawson’s Lyme diagnosis made it abundantly clear that his retirement is really here...but in order to transition fully, I needed "proof" that Nadja could really do the job of caring for me during a full cognitive meltdown. The only way to do that though, was to subject myself to a painful meltdown. I took Nadja out to dinner tonight in a very crowded and noisy sports restaurant as a sort of "test" for myself to prove/disprove that she was, indeed ready (actually, they broadcast the Eagles/Vikings playoff game there, and being I’m an Eagles fan, it was a really good excuse to indulge ;-) But I digress....) in any case, through all of the rowdy cheering, fist banging, yelling and chanting; Nadja remained flawless in her behavior, task work (my daughter dropped many things throughout dinner which Nadja cheerfully retrieved!) and obedience.

What is really significant to me is that I subjected myself to a really busy/loud environment knowing that it would overwhelm my injured brain, in order to see how Nadja would react with me being nervous. overwhelmed and anxious---something I’ve never allowed her to experience with me before. All through her training, I would only take her out on days and in places when I felt good---never subjecting her to my brain injured anxiety because I didn’t want that energy to back her off of her training. In some respect, I think I didn’t really trust her with my cognitive dysfunction yet; knowing that during the times when my brain totally shuts down, I’m out of control... and putting that type of responsibility on her was a very scary and daunting feat.

In order for her to go full time, though, I needed to know if she would pull together or fall apart when my anxiety got the best of me... Tonight’s game in Eagles’ territory was obnoxiously loud, with ear blistering shouting, fist pounding, and ruckous celebration; a brain injured person’s worse nightmare! But even though Nadja’s still emotionally immature, and may get ants in her pants once in a while, when the chips where down and I needed comfort; I reached out to her and she responded by nestling her head unobtrusively in my lap and being stock still, just as she was taught. She retreated when she was told to lay quietly under the table, and was on call for every dropped crayon, fork and credit card ;-)

For added measure, I had her pull the papertowels out of the dispenser in the ladies’ room for me, and then handed it back to her when I was done and sent her to the trash can to throw it away; this would be a practical application during my MS flare when being in a chair or with a walker would hinder my being able to do so for myself.

We had to wind through the bar area on our way to/from the restroom... and I wondered what the presence of uh, "spirited" fans who had been indulging in adult beverages would have on her... (for those of you who don’t know all of my story, Nadja was present as a small puppy when I was attacked by my alcoholic brother who was in a drunken rage)... I feared that people who were acting in a very different type of state might trigger a bad memory for her; but needed to know how she would act if I was to promote her to full time status. I need not have worried, however...Nadja passed all her tests with flying colors ;-) Her calm demeanor and flawless behavior allowed me to draw comfort from her nearness... and I knew in that moment that we had reached a milestone...This week, I will finally schedule her official "final exam"....bittersweet ;-)

I came home and hugged Dawson silly and allowed myself to accept what I refused to accept before... that it is indeed time for him to hang up his cape and allow him to embark on his new career as retired service dog/entertainer ;-)

I know it was a couple of months ago, but I would love an update. I hope that he is enjoying his new life of leisure and the opportunity to not have to stay at high alert all the time!

Yea, we haven’t heard from you in a while Kimberly, I hope all is well.
We would love to hear more.

Hi..... sorry haven’t been on here lately. My old puter crashed, and it wouldn’t allow me online that much. The brain injury assc. arranged for a new laptop; so I’m baaaack! ;-)

Been very busy with speaking engagements and training, too.

How are you doing??

My desktop is fully back and running while my Laptop is doing something weird.
But it was a hot day today in Sunny So. Cal, Jolie has been daily sun bathing while I’ve started psychical therapy.
Since I have to do pool exercises, Jolie sits at one end of the pool and is quite confused at this large body of water and why I’m walking up and down the pool area.
The first time, she walked along side of me with my Mother and knew she was supposed to be with me but wasn’t to sure about the water, since she has never seen a pool but an ocean and hose.

Hey Excuse Me - How about the update on the transition?

Bob wrote:
Hey Excuse Me - How about the update on the transition?

Lol... Hey, everyone. So the transition is going great... Dawson is loving his extra snoozie time, and Nadja is stoked to be able to go more and more places. There is one place where I still take Dawson, and that’s to church every week. It’s kind of like, "our place", and I’m just not ready to let go of that just yet.

Nadja has done a few solo demos, and has proven herself to be quite the professional! The latest was at a huge conference I was speaking at. There were two other working dogs there, a mobility dog and a guide dog. The mobility dog totally ignored us (as he should), but the guide dog totally went off course, pulling toward Nadja and trying to get at her! I couldn’t believe it! The poor handler was telling the dog to turn left, and instead it nearly dragged her 20 ft. before the woman with her grabbed the dog and physically turned it in the proper direction for her!!! I was so proud of Nadja---even though the dog was quite rude with direct and intense eye contact and pulling aggressively to get to her, she totally ignored him and refused to take his invitation to "meet and greet" ;-)

We’re planning a trip to TN this summer, and it will be her first time flying...should be fun ;-)

I’m glad to hear Nadja doing so well and Dawson probably enjoys still having an outing once a week. Air travel will definitely be a new challenge. Where do you sit and still have room for a service dog. They’re not usually toy size. Do they have to be strapped down like everything else in the cabin? Maybe buy an extra ticket and put on doggy seatbelt? :)