Humor: How Having a service dog is Similar to a Small Child

The other day I was visiting my former boss. We were talking about how things were going with Shilo. I triumphantly shared that I had just taught her to flush toilets in public restrooms. My former boss laughed and said, "I just taught my 22 month old daughter to flush the toilet too!" We were then off on a long list of how having service dog is simia small child!
1. When you have a service dog/small child you loose your own identity. You become so and so's mom!
2. Everyone has an opinion about how you are raising/treating them.
3. They will often surprise you with the latest thing they know how to do.
4. They live for positive attention from you.
5. They have to have time to play and let their hair down everyday. No one can be on their best behavior all the time.
6. Their down time adventures can from time to time leave you with someone who covered in mud, strange, smells, and upset stomachs.
7. Play groups have to be monitored so no one's feeling get hurt. And so no one hords all the toys!
8. Accidents happen- often in the wee hours of the morning!
9. Manners have to constantly reinforced and honed.
10. Their successes will make you the proudest you have ever been.

Retired But Not without New tricks!

Many of you have read about Bastien, my first service dog who retired last year. I thought I would share with you a story about his lastest antics as a retired service dog.
Every evening when mother comes home from work the dogs get a "chewy" otherwise known as a rawhide. The other day Bastien heard mom's car pull into the driveway and promptly ran to where the chewies are stored, grabbed a bunch of chewies, and brought them to the living for the other dogs, then ran back and picked a chewy out for himself!
This story is an excellent example of dogs as anticipatory learners. He put together the event of my mother coming home and getting chewies. He then decided to cut out the middle man so to speak! After all he knows where the chewies are and can get to them, so why not get them himself. What I found most interesting is that he offered the resource to the other dogs first and then got his.