Remebering Shiloh 2005-2021

 Dear SDAWL readers,

Today Shiloh crossed the rainbow bridge accompanied by myself, my mom, and her aunty Leslie. I hope you enjoy these memories. You can enjoy all 104 adventures of Shiloh here https://servicedogsawayoflife.blogspot.com/search/label/Shiloh%202005-2021.

Example of the of the Rigors of public access work

Shiloh surround by people and lying down calmly

Shiloh being pet by children

Shiloh being pet and surrounded while calmly holding a down

15 Months since Shiloh Retired

It has been fifteen months since Shiloh retired.I was focused on adjusting to life without a service dog again, and was so busy and tired I did not have it in me to write. I had to hire a human personal assistant again and cut things out of my schedule simply because there wasn't energy for it. It has been a long 15 months full of change.Leslie and Gwen started a new job and moved to Washington. Ten months after she retired I received a call from Summit for an assessment day which is something they do when the trainers need more information about you and your disability or they think they may have a dog somewhere in the ranks for you. 13 months after Shiloh retired I decided to take a new job and move to back Washington.   

My Favorite Harness is Back!

My absolute favorite multi-functional service dog harness is back on the market! I bought this harness for my first service dog, Bastien, used it until he retired then transferred it to Shilo and used it until it literally died from use. I was saddened to discover the woman who made each harness by hand had passed away and the harness it seemed would not be made anymore. I decided to see if I could find someone to fix or re-create my harness to no avail. Non of the fixes or remakes would as well as the original. The Freedom Design harness is designed with service dog partners using wheelchairs in mind, but I have seen this versatile harness used for partners needing guiding, and light counter balance as well. I cannot say enough good things about this harness! If you are looking for a haness that is:

• Multi-funtional
• designed for use by people with extremely limited hand function
• designed to allow the dog freedom of movement
• designed to allow for a flexible and angle variable connection between dog and partner ( this is how I was able to have a wheelchair pulling dog who did not have to lean sideways to pull from along side the wheelchair)
• attractive
• light weight
• machine washable
• durable (at least I hope it still) I had mine for 12 years before it died.
• Reasonably priced at $85

This post is peppered with pictures of both my dogs in the same Freedom Design harness (that's right, the one I bough and used for 12 years)! Before you ask, none is paying me for this post. I just like to sing the praises of a quality product when I find one!

Furry Valentines- Four legged love!

Labrador Love!

True comfort with everything that come from being with me!

Bastien

Shilo

What, it's cozy!?

The girls, Cammy and Shilo

Together!

The girls working

Happy 4th Anniversary Shilo!

Today Makes 4 years to the day that Shilo and I became partners though Summit Assistance Dogs.
In the past four years Shilo and I have:

• Lived in 2 apartments
• Worked three jobs
• Taken dozens of Road trips
• Gone on 8 first dates
• Had a hand in raising 13 puppies
• Dated and broken up with one boyfriend
• Experience Survived a the  of my first SD together death together
• Flown together
• Traveled to DC and advocated on Capital Hill together taking 10 meeting with representatives and Senators
• Gone Sailing for the first time together

I'm sure there's more but those are the highlights standing out right now! Stay tuned for a picture slide show!
Yours in Canine Partnership,
Melissa and SD Shilo, Summit Assistance Dog

Sitting in the Dark No More or It's the Little Things

Shiloh wheelchair pulling.

From Shiloh, Summit Assistance Dog

People are used to only hearing about service dogs when they do something considered heroic like call 9-1-1 or lead their person out of danger; while these events are important they usually only come to pass a few times in the span of a partnership. For myself and most other human halves of service dog, it is the everyday, ordinary assistance their partner provides that allows them to do things their disability makes extremely difficult, dangerous, and/or impossible without their service dog.
Shilo makes it possible for me to:

• Get through doors without having to make multiple attempts to get the door open wide enough to catch the frame with my chair, smashing my toes and/or fingers, and not having to wonder whether opening this door will cause my failing shoulder to spasm rendering it useless for an indeterminable amount of time. 
•  Turn lights on/off as needed. Before service dogs I would often opt to either try and function in the dark or leave lights on because it was too difficult reach the lights. Not being able to see to  maneuver is especially dangerous for people  with balance problems like me. Shilo has learned to turn lights on/off as needed learning to turn on or off lights just behind or in front of my path.
• Retrieve Items. It is true that service dogs retrieve and return items dropped by their partners but their can also retrieve items from out of reach, difficult to get to, or far away spots.
• Be alone and still know if the worst happens someone is there who can and will help. Many people with disabilities long ago reluctantly resigned themselves to the fact that they couldn't have any real privacy or enjoy being alone, because being alone meant the fear of falling or having a medical incident with no one around to help. When one has a service there is always someone around whose main focus and concern is you and who is trained to do something about such dangerous happenings.
• Meeting your own needs and wants when you have them. Many disabilities make it extremely difficult or impossible to answer one's basic needs or tasks of personal comfort without assistance such as putting clothes on/off and to regulate body temperature, getting something to drink or eat, changing body position by  assisting in sitting up, rolling over, or shifting positions.Service dogs are often trained with these types of activities.

Job Interviews with a Service Dog

Since being partnered with Shilo my work situation has consisted of multiple part time positions. My main position with the University Center For Excellence in Developmental Disabilities began two months after Shilo and I were partnered, so we interviewed for the job as a packaged deal. The job began with  .3 time or 12 hours a week and within six months I was bumped up to.5 or 20 hours a week. It is hard to meet all of one's financial obligations on half time, I continued to look for other part time work and found a job as a facilitator/ data collection specialist for a research project out of OHSU for the Healing Pathways project testing and facilitating a peer facilitated strengths-based curriculum for women with physical disabilities who are also dealing with depression. This job was contract work for a set amount of hours and pay with the average being ten hours a week for the last year and a half. As this contract comes to a close, I need to fill the gap that it creates in my income so it's back to the job hunt!
Job hunting for a person with a disability can be daunting even in the best of times, though the current economic woes in the US (9.8% according to the Bureau of Labor statistics in Nov. 2010) as a whole and the even more dismal picture of employment in my home state of Oregon  (10.6% for Nov 2010 according to Oregon Labor Market Information System) can make it feel like a gladiator fight to the finish.   I have been working and interviewing with a service dog or service dog in training in tow for over a decade. I know for some people the question arises whether or no they should go to the interview with their service dog, because it brands them as a person with a disability especially when their disability is not readily apparent. The decision of how and when to disclose details about a disability is a deeply person one often with far reaching implications. My disability just happens to be very apparent so any employer or potential employer knows there is something. Therefore, I put my service dog in the same category as my wheelchair, where I am it is.

Preparing for a Job Interview:
When I am preparing for a job interview I have a routine:

• Research the company and identify points of interest, questions I have, skills I feel based on my research I can contribute
• Prepare my professional portfolio
• Pack any requested application materials in my bag
• Look up directions
• Pick out my clothes
• Wash my wheelchair upholstery
• Wash Shilo's Gear
• Brush/Groom Shilo

It is very important when going on a job interview with your service dog that your dog be just as dressed and groomed to impress as you are. It is also very important that your service dog be on it's very best behavior--All Business. In the space of an interview you and your service dog can show an interview that you and your service dog can work quickly, quietly and unobtrusively.  You should also be prepared to answer the three questions per the DOJ Business Brief: 1) Is that a Service Dog? 2) Are you a Person with a disability(as defined under the ADA)? 3) What Tasks does your dog perform?  Nowhere do questions 2 or 3 require a person to disclose what their disability is; however, some handlers may have to think carefully about how they describe the work their dog is trained to do to avoid disclosing their disability. 

A Few Precious Pictures from the Holidays and Tips for Dogs and Kids

This Christmas Shilo, me, Cammy, and my roommate Leslie were invite to my sister-in-laws parents house for Christmas Dinner. Shilo and Cammy have both been to this house several times before and always impress everyone with their, quiet, calm, yet friendly demeanor typical for a service dog. They are both also very good with children, and as such are good dogs to introduce to very young children like my nephew Elijah (see photo on the left) who is five and a half months old.
Introducing children to dogs and dogs to a child is in my mind always something to be done very carefully and with supervision of both the child and dog throughout the interaction always. Shilo and Cammy are both what we like to call "Mommy types" who are very tolerant of typical behaviors of small children for instance grabbing, poking, squealing, screeching, and falling but that doesn't mean that we let children run roughshod over them.Patience is, after all, a virtue with limits.
One must also watch that dogs behaviors that are perfectly benign for an older child or adult like licks, sniffing or vocalizations don't scare or startle a small child. First impressions can have lasting affect on the relationship between child and dog.

• Ensure neither the child,the dog, or the supervising adult are cranky or tired at the time of interaction. Beings who are in these states have less patience for the new and unusual.
• Use your happy voice throughout the interaction
• Use cues your dog knows to keep the interactions under control and non- threatening such as Sit, Down, Off, Say Hi
• Help the child to gently pet and interact with the dog. With babies I tend to gently guide the hand they are reaching out for the dog with in small touches finished by a nice long stroke from me for the dog. 
• If either child or dog get too excited with the interactions happily say your calming cue for your dog and take a break.
• Make sure the child or dog has nothing the other may want like food or toys before initiating interaction. Children and dogs both tend to live by the What's mine is mine and what I can get of yours is mine rules of possession so it's best not to involve high value items into the interaction.
• Always look for sign that either the child or dog are tiring or would like to move on. Keeping interaction short means that it is less likely anyone will loose patience. 

For more tips on kids and dogs read Advice and Tips Children and Dogs at home

 

Laws Protect and Impose Penalties for Interferring, Injuring, or Killing Service Dogs

More than half the states have laws laws on the books protecting service dogs and their handlers for interference, injury, or death caused by a person or their animal, based on a self conducted count of the results in a Google search. I have wanted to write this post for a while, but I didn't know of a good compilation until recently. I discovered the Harm to Service Animals and Criminal Interference Laws
Resource from the Animal Legal and Historical Center at the University of Michigan.
Many people don't see any harm in:

• letting through dog "say hi" to a working service dog
• Coming up, grabbing and petting a service dog
• Barking, whistling, clapping their hands, talking to in a baby voice, or making kissy noises with the intent of attracting the attention of a working service dog
• Throwing food or other objects at a working service dog 
• Yelling a working dog's name with the intent to distract them 
• Crawling on the floor trying to pet a working service dog
• Issuing commands to a service dog to see if it will listen even just one to them
• Hitting,kicking or purposely stepping on a working service dog to see if they can make it react
• Allowing their children to do any of these behaviors

I know some of the things on the list seem unbelievable, but they do happen to most teams at some point in their partnership. These things often seem funny,or harmless to the people doing them because they:
a) love dogs so much they can't help themselves
b) want to see if the dog is really as well trained as everyone says
c) want to be able to provoke a dog to bad behavior because they don't like/fear dogs and know  if the dogs act up they will have to leave
d) think that they or their children should be allowed to play with or do whatever they want because these dog are there and are safe
I can think of many instances in the media such as the women whose guide was dropped kicked off it's feet, and the hearing dog who was attacked by off-leash dogs in a mall parking lot (warning very graphic description) to name a few.

Sadly, I also have no shortage of instances in my own life both minor and large where people, their children, and/or their pets have interfered with my service dog safely executing their duties in peace.

• Bastien and I were crossing a five lane street when someone who knew us from the bus decided to call his name when we were in the middle of the crosswalk causing him to stop,turn and look as he was trained to do leaving me stopped in the middle of the street. Most crosswalks don't give me enough time  to get safely across going as fast as we could, it was something I never allowed this to happen again because I stopped giving out his name.
• Bastien and went to a neighborhood store one Sunday morning to pick up a few items for brunch.Bastien was minding his own business laying as close the the case as he could get to be out of the way while waiting for me to decide what I wanted, when I felt his head turn toward his tail. I turned to see what was bothering him,and was astonished to see an eight year old child  repeatedly purposely stepping on his tail. I told her to please stop stepping on my dog and she did it again! I told her again to stop stepping on my dog. This time her mother heard me and proceeded to start screaming at me tat her daughter could do whatever she wanted and ,well let's just say the situation continued to deteriorate until store staff who knew us came to our rescue.
• The college students on the bus to work who repeatedly call to, make noises at, and pet Shilo. This happens so often I have lost count.
• The women on the Amtrak who decided it was a good idea to come up behind a strange dog (Shilo), and start scratching her behind without saying a word to her or me while we were trying to exit the train.
• The dog shut in a car at the beach with the window down starting to come out the window,barking and bearing its teeth while the owner who was twenty feet away tried to convince us the dog was "harmless". We, My roommate,her guide Cammy,and Shilo, decide it wasn't harmless back tracked crossed the road and went up the other side where the side walk was non-existent.

I could go on for pages with various stories. I am fortunate that none of these instances have caused me or my service injury or death. However, it is not at all hard for me to imaging anyone of the above situations having turned out very differently. Service dogs are with their owners to assist them in: navigating a world that remains difficult at the best of times; give them the help they need when and how they need it rather than hoping for someone to decide to help then hoping the person doesn't hurt them somehow in the process;being able to actively decide and participate in the business of living their lives. The time you have the urge or see someone actively trying to distract or interfere with a service dog, I hope you will think of the real danger your seemly harmless action  may cause choosing instead to exercise self-control and admire our dogs quietly, from distance. 

Best Holiday Wishes

Wishing all our Reader a Happy Holiday Season!

From Christmas 2010 We hope you can spend it with those you love!

Dreams About Service Dog

So it's pretty common knowledge that our dreams are influenced by the things that are important or occupying large portions of our lives; therefore, it should come as no surprise that I regularly dream about my service dogs past and present. Unfortunately, these dreams usually come in the form of nightmares where something bad happens to my service dog and I can't do anything about it or no one will help us. I will keep the details of these dreams to myself because I don't want to traumatize or trigger anyone.
This  morning's dream was of a very different fair though. I dreamed I have to go the the UK and for some reason I didn't get Shiloh through the Pet Passport requirements within the window to be able to bring her (strange since I used to work for an organization advising people with disabilities about international travel). So when I got to the UK one of the assistance dog organizations there offered to let me "borrow" a service dog who was  almost done training and ready to be placed to help me and as sort of a test run for this dog who happened to be a white Labradoodle not unlike our friend Clive over at Austism Assistance Dog.  Interesting concept that left me smiling as I woke up.

How about it... Do you dream about your service dog or service dog related topics?

Say What? Maintaince Training for Service Dogs

Anniversaries and follow-up visits have a way of showing you how far you have come along with anything you may have let side;however, inadvertently.   We received high praise from Wendy at Summit for how well our public access manners and tasks have been maintained, though, I admitted that the emergency phone retrieve has gotten dropped since we no longer have a land line. I really must work on getting the cue back in use with my cell phone since it is my life and safety on the line. As  teams move through life it is common for things to slip or for things to get dropped because handlers and dogs begin to engage in anticipatory learning where in they put together strings of actions/cues and will perform behaviors without waiting to be asked. Many human partners think this predictive behavior is wonderful, and in some instances it is. However, I have come the conclusion that these short cuts if allowed to develop freely and without thought to possible hazards are very dangerous to our canine partners.

Example1: You and your dog are riding the lift transport service and  your service dog cannot ride the lift with you, so they must wait in the van until you can collect them at the front door. The dog anticipating you to call them begins to come out the door before being called and before you are there to collect them. I will leave the horrid possibilities to your own imagination.

Example 2: Your service dog faithfully retrieves everything you drop and has done this for you so often that the dog comes running whenever it see or hears anything hit the floor in your vicinity.  While this may not seem like a big deal and even helpful, what if you drop something glass and it shatters or the lid goes flying off your med bottle since you where trying to get the lid on when you dropped it.

Now, anticipatory learning does have a place in a service dog partnership, but we humans must be careful about the behavior chains that develop and nip ones that could be dangerous to us and/or our canine partners in the bud before they become habits that are exceeding difficult to break. This is where maintenance training takes center stage. If you regularly practice all your dogs behaviors from basic obedience to elaborate chained behaviors such as tugging open a door or get help, you are much more likely to prevent these short cuts from developing in the first place. You will also want to correct your dog for "blowing" cues (as I and many others call it) straight off by sending them back to the start and having them do it correctly. For dogs having a no reward marker or a cue reminder can help them know when they are about to make a mistake and give them a chance to change their mind before making the mistake.

How do you know if a Behavior needs brushing up?

• You (or someone in your circle) can't remember the last time you used a particular cue
• The dog's response to a cue has become slow or sloppy
• The cue is essential for you/your dogs safety (i.e. come, emergency down, get help, waiting at open doors)
• The dog seems to have stopped paying attention to a given cue altogether (Tip: did you inadvertently change the cue. It happens all the time. It is really easy to change a cue in just a few repetitions of the pattern New Cue + Old Cue= Behavior for the dog to go "oh this =that" and the old cue is no longer needed. Unfortunately, it can take us humans a bit to figure out what is the cue the dog is now responding to)
• You need a particular cue to be reinforced so that you can build a new behavior with it.

Finding Time for Maintenance Training

People often claim they don't do something because they think that it needs a lot of time. The amount of time needed to maintain given depends on several factors: how often it is used and actively reinforced/rewarded, if the dog finds to behavior itself rewarding, and how complicated/difficult the behavior is, and the tendency of the dog in question to assume that a behavior that hasn't been used/reinforced in a certain period of time is just taking up memory needlessly. The more simple, easy to perform and frequently used behaviors can be easily maintained in a few short repetitions,the more complicated the behavior the more you may need to make a specific effort to practice it, especially if it is not something you need the dog to do on a regular basis (say at least a couple of times a week) like getting help or dialing 9-1-1 on speed dial.

• Before you give your dog anything or answer a request as for a behavior any behavior the dog knows or is working on will due
• While waiting in line, for the bus or whatever
• When your dog seems bored to you
• During your lunch, coffee or other breaks in the day
• When you need a distraction
• During the course of normal day, give cues as you go along to keep your dog engaged
• As a new section to your daily fitness routine. Spice it up for both you and your dog.

Halloween: Little Red Riding Hood and The not so Big Bad Wolf

I hope everyone had a great Halloween! We had a wonderful time! My roommate and I are both very beginning machine sewers and we decided it would be fun to make costumes this years using things we already had combined with things made from fabric pieces brought in a huge bag from Goodwill. I think the costumes turned out splendidly. Cammy and Leslie went as Hansel and Greddel and Shiloh and I went as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf pretending to be grandma!
These pictures illustrate two points of temperament very important to a successful and happy service dog willingness to trust the handler and accept change whether it be in gear or really strange environments like Halloween parties. Both Dogs "danced" with their handlers and recognized the fun vibe enven the people were showing up in all kinds of strange outfits.

Anniversary: Two Years, A Wonderous Journey

This October 17th marks two years that Shiloh and I have been a team living life and all its surprises together! In the last two years we have gone from complete strangers to each others rocks of Gibraltar. Shiloh and I have done so many things together that it is hard for me to list them all on the greatest hits parade we have:

• Moved twice
• Attended weddings, birthdays and baby showers
• Interviewed for and gotten jobs
• Survived my wisdom teeth getting pulled
• Met Galaxy from Greatest American dog (I have picture here somewhere...)

Shiloh continues to amazed me with her steady, sweet countenance and her drive to work. She recently showed me that she finally has made sense of what I have been trying in my completely inept, bungling human way to show her how she can help with my balance issues during a recent return trip to Newport (read about our fun at the beach in the past) where she would place herself either beside, in front, or behind depending on what point in the stairs I was at and how she understood she could best assist me. With her beside me I could have one hand pulling myself up with the railing and the other holding onto Shiloh's backpack handle for a little forward momentum (I tend to fall backward when I fall, but it really does take much to keep me on my feet and balanced).




Finally, I wish to thank everyone who made Shiloh and I possible:
-The Staff and Volunteers of Summit Assistance Dogs
-Shiloh's Trainer Sue Meinzinger (known affectionately around here as Aunty Sue)
-My cousin April for her $100 Donation
-My longtime friend Wayne Terry for his donation of a Large Dog Crate ($100 value)
-Shelley Maynard,Owner of Pewter Rabbit Antiques for her $25 Donation
-Kathleen Ison for her $10 donation
-Olivia Emilia and Rob Harden for their $50 donation
-My longtime friend Anne Hensley for her $50 donation in memeroy of her first SD Andrew
-My longtime friends Pam and Loc Reader for their $100 donation
-My former co-workers at Pierce County Deparment of Emergency Management for their $155 donation.
-My Aunt and Uncle, Steven and Marie McDonald for their $100
-My college internship supervisor Mr. Jim Stevenson and family for their $100
-My Unce Dale McDonald for his $300 donation
-My Grandmother Mary Ellen for her $200
-My parents for their $600 donation to Summit and their love and support through out the entire process
-My best friends Leslie Weilbacher and Katie Berger for all their love, support and perspective!

Sometimes People Do Get it Right!

Snoopy Happy Dance

The other day I stopped at the little coffee counter where I work and while I was waiting for my drink this young woman was admiring Shiloh from a distance. I was floored when she addressed me before Shiloh and then she politely asked if she could pet her. I believe in rewarding people for behaviors I appreciate, so I said of course!

Grooma-palooza: Our Trip to the dog wash.

Last Saturday, both Shiloh and Cammy needed a bath and since things are a little tight financially it was decided the self service dog wash, U Suds 'Em would be the best way to meet our needs for clean dogs with busting the bank. This a great in between full professional groom and DIY job at home. At the dog bath we have access to different soaps, brushes, blow dryers,special tubs and such we just don't have at home. Not too mention the fact that they take care of cleaning the mess and maintaining the equipment!

Shiloh, waits her turn on a tie down outside the tub area.

Leslie and Cammy go over the tools with the staff

Cammy gets Furminated before her bath. 

Cammy all soapy.

Shiloh's Turn!

Shiloh gets furminated!

Shiloh all soapy.

Update on the Power Chair Test

This is an unedited video of the first three minutes or so introducing, Shiloh, my Summit Assistance Dog Service dog of nearly two years to a loaner power chair. I will, hopefully, have a power chair soon. Shiloh shows the expected unsureness about where to be and is also adjusting to working on a flexible length leash. Please note she has been working along side a manual char for nearly two years at this point and has never stained, pull, or bolted on a regular six foot leash. Flexible leashed are for dogs with advanced training who will not take advantage of the added freedom. As you watch the video you will hear me give Shiloh cues and advanced warning of any change in direction. If you don't warn a dog about changes in chair direction and they do get run over:
1: you may hurt the dog
2: you may cause them to believe that they must stay as far away from the chair as their leash will allow.
 The chair was running at its lowest speed to give us both time to react and adjust. This video was shot by Catherine Berger.

New Experience Together: Area Dog Show

In early April Shiloh and I set off to an area dog show, my first dog show in person. I was really excited since this show was a something for every dog enthusiast: conformation, Rally-O, agility, Utility, and Obedience.Also I knew that it would be a veritable smorgasbord of dog gear (and I love gear!). I must admit I was a bit worried that I would need to be constantly on guard for other dogs and drive by petters, since this has happened a nearly every other dog centered event. I was ecstatic to find that had absolutely no problem with anyone dog or human interfering with Shiloh. We had to sit within feet of the entrances to the rings to be able to see anything and while there were dogs interested in Shiloh and the handlers were right on their dogs. There were also dogs and handlers that so busy they would literally walk right over the top of Shiloh and never even notice her.Shiloh could cared less as well.

Power Chair Test Number 2

So we have the second power chair the DME provider feels is comparable  to tone I originally chose or so long ago, except unlike the first one I get to rode test this one for a whole week! Stayed tuned for some video of the first day Shiloh and I were using this chair and my observations of working a power chair versus a manual chair.