Life with a Hearing Dog

Welcome to Bart!

2012-02-08T07:34:00.000-05:00

A big welcome goes out to Bart, Deb's new hearing ear dog. He's an adorable little white poodle who looks a lot like Lambchop and has the sweetest personality.

Deb is currently at Dog Guides of Canada bonding with Bart, and Bart with Deb. They are there for the two week long training period where the dog and his new handler get used to each other, as well as learn how to work together. Deb and Bart attend classes, then go through sound work practice sessions. Sound work, by the way, is when they practice sounds they want dogs like Bart to alert their handlers to. Deb and Bart are currently practicing the door knock, timer and fire alarm. There is a lot of obedience training and reinforcing during this time as well. I hear there is a lot more walking around the district to the local stores, and that Timmy's on the corner is particularly popular!

A special wave to Amanda and her new dog. Amanda reads my blog! (waving madly)

Bart, Deb and Bosley in one of the dorms

Let the Countdown Begin!

2011-12-27T14:31:00.000-05:00

My friend Deb recently lost her hearing dog to cancer. It was a shock and a great loss. A loss for Deb who depended on Merril to alert her to everything from timers for baking her famous cookies, to letting her know one of her neighbours was at the door. Merril's loss was also felt in the neighbourhood by people who came to know and love her. Still, Deb needs a new dog, and she just got "The News". A new dog is in the wings!

Congratulations, Deb! We all miss Merril, but we're all so happy that you're going to be getting a new dog! Whee!

At the Church. Yet Again.

2011-12-26T23:27:00.001-05:00

Christmas Eve. The place is packed. Bosley is safely under the pew ahead of me, and I have his leash attached to a hook on the back of the pew ahead of me. All is well throughout the entire service. Until the very end..... when he or his pew mate Red (also under the pew) let rip.

Talk about clearing out a church ... or at least clearing out the immediate area. PEW indeed.

Depression and the Dog

2011-12-22T17:39:00.001-05:00

I am currenly rather severely depressed. It is amazing how the dog picks up on that and acts accordingly. He is always an affectionate dog, but he is currently going out of his way to lick my hand, nudge my hip with his head, or cuddle up beside me. Dogs are wonderful creatures, and a helluva lot more dependable than people are.

As for Christmas -- Ho Ho Har-dee-Ho.

Church Fun Again

2011-12-22T06:18:00.000-05:00

Bosley and I were at the Longest Night service at the church. The dog was sleeping under the pew, and all was well. As Bosley is approaching 7 years of age (in May) I no longer hold onto the leash as religiously as I used to. Big mistake. I looked at my feet and no dog. Looked in the middle of the aisle, and there was the dog, curled up fast asleep. I hissed at him to get back beside me under the pew. He made a few grumbling sounds but complied.

Later on, we all got up to light a candle for those who had departed this life. I got up and turned to make sure my friend Laura and her canine vision dog were okay and if Laura needed any help. Turned around to pick up Bosley's leash. No Bosley. Looked around. He was already in line, waiting his turn, presumably to light his own candle. I hissed his name again, and he looked over his shoulder as if to say, "Yeah? What? You're so slow!" People caught his leash and handed him down the line to me.

There is never a dull moment with these wonderful dogs.

Lecturing at Georgian College in Orillia

2011-12-01T20:57:00.001-05:00

What a neat class! A group of DSWs who wanted to know about hearing loss and hearing ear dogs, as well as vision loss and canine vision dogs. Laura, Red, Bosley and I had a grand old time talking about dogs and accessibility and plain old common sense. I think the class enjoyed our anecdotes more than talking about dry-bones accessibility and hearing/vision loss.

The dogs had a ball. We took off harness and vest, and gave them the run of the room. As you can imagine, both dogs were a hit.

The Process of Getting a Second Dog

2011-11-07T11:10:00.000-05:00

First of all, Bosley is still with me, and I'm not shopping around for another dog. My friend in Nova Scotia is, however. She lost her beautiful Merril to cancer a couple of months ago and needs another dog in her life. As you can imagine, I'm watching her go through the process with interest.

It was heartening to hear that my friend didn't have to go to the bottom of the waiting list again. The wait for a first dog can be quite long. Fortunately, because she is already in "the system" when she received Merril, she gets bumped up the list as a priority. Still, she did have to fill in another questionnaire, and still has to have an interview and a home inspection. Good things to know.

Doggy Boots One More Time?

2011-11-06T17:59:00.000-05:00

Our winters can get quite cold. Fortunately, these cold snaps only last a week or so, but during those cold weeks, the temperature can drop to a nippy minus 30 with a minus 40 windchill. Bosley does not like winter boots. I've tried them a number of times. Each time I give in and let him go barefoot... but during those few weeks in the winter when the mercury drops into the deeps, I get worried. The poor dog goes out to do his business, then frequently comes back holding first one paw, then another paw, up in the air.

I think this year, I will persevere, and the dog is just going to have to get used to footwear. Wish me luck.

A Canine Vision Dog Named Red

2011-11-01T14:53:00.003-04:00

Bosley has a new girlfriend. A canine vision dog named Red. Red is a sassy little thing who just turned two. Every time they meet in church, Red greets Bosley enthusiastically and proceeds to wash Bosley's ears. Bosley submits to this and seems okay with it. Then they both settle down and sleep throughout the rest of the service.

Red's handler and I have started noticing however, that Red is starting to emulate Bosley's actions. When a sound occurs and Bosley alerts me, she's obviously noticed, because she is now starting to alert Laura to sounds, even though Laura's hearing is fine. Also, Bosley is "bilingual", in that he was taught commands in spoken English and in sign language. I signed to Bosley to sit, and both he and Red sat at the same time. What the .... I told Laura about this, and she tried it on her own dog. Sure enough, Red sat at the signed command.

Good girl, Merril. Rest now.

2011-09-17T13:44:00.000-04:00

Merril was a hearing ear dog partnered with my friend Deb. Merril developed a particularly virulent form of cancer and was put to sleep yesterday. She was a beautiful standard poodle (black) that leaped like a gazelle. She and Deb graduated in the same class as Bosley and I did. In fact Deb and I met at Dog Guides when we went to be teamed up with our dogs and to learn how to use them.

Didn't really hit me until I took Bosley out for a run this morning, then remembered how they used to run together. She was so graceful, and my lump looks like a Mack truck in comparison. I watched Bosley running around like a maniac this morning, remembered Merril and burst into tears. What a loss.

Merril, you were with us a very short time, and in that time you served your momma well. Rest now, girl.

Bosley won a dog bed!

2011-09-11T16:06:00.000-04:00

PoochPlanet had a contest on Facebook recently. All we had to do was write and tell why we thought our dogs deserved a PoochPlanet bed. Our entry included the facts that Bosley was a service dog and when I first got him from Dog Guides, he had swollen elbows from having to lie on the cement floors of the kennels. His elbows looked like tennis balls. Dog Guides and Bosley's own vet assured me that his elbows would reduce in size, providing I made sure he always had a blanket to lie on, which I have done for him. He has a blanket under my desk at the office, a blanket in the back of the car, and a blanket at home in his crate.

His elbows took a couple of months to get back to normal size, but I've always been hyper vigilant, hoping he never had to go through that again.

Well, Bosley won a PoochPlanet dog bed! I can hardly wait to receive shipment of it.

Hats off to PoochPlanet!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/PoochPlanet-products/109525162411523
Here is their Facebook page.

When I'm Preaching ...

2011-08-31T01:10:00.000-04:00

Bosley is mellowing. I officiated at the Sunday service at St. Paul's United Church this past Sunday. While I took the dog up with me, I also anchored his leash to a chair leg. He could have easily dragged the chair along had he desired, but he did not. Not only that, but he laid down and stayed down for most of the service, only getting up once to turn over. I have to give him credit for staying put, because in the past, he has been known to get up, yawn audibly and walk away whenever I am giving a speech and he is at my feet, the bugger.

Bosley had a big distraction up in church too. Laura's dog Red was also in the sanctuary, while Laura was reading the Epistle. It was all Red could do not to run clean across the front of the church and engage her dear friend Bosley in play! But she stayed beside Laura. Good girl, Red!

Follow Up to Last Post

2011-08-07T21:19:00.001-04:00

Well, the ongoing saga of insanity continues. The same guy starts yapping at me in the elevator a couple of days ago. To the point where I got off the elevator on the main floor and started to cry. In one short elevator ride, I got hollered at yet again. He accused me of letting the dog crap all around his car (which is pure bollocks) and yadda yadda yadda. The superintendent was on the main floor and saw me and then immediately went and confronted the guy in the parking lot. I took a few deep breaths, tried to calm down from being screamed at yet again, and went to work feeling definitely rattled.

Came back home, and wrote an e-mail to the owners of the building outlining that I felt threatened and that I was moving. End of story. I've been phoning places all weekend, asking around and getting friends involved, as well as a local housing company.

The super came to me tonight to tell me that this nutjob doesn't believe I'm deaf/hard of hearing or "hearing impaired". He's also pissed that the dog doesn't wear his vest in the hallways. The super explained to him that the dog is "at home" and thus doesn't have to wear his vest in the hallways. She explained to him that the dog poops far away from the building and the cars, and that she and I negotiated this before I even moved in. She also showed me a copy of a newspaper article on Bosley she was going to give him and his daughters, and even an old copy of "Vibes" in which Bosley was featured. Heck, the dog is on the front cover of that magazine!

All I care is that this crazy man stops hollering at me and harassing me. And yes, I'm still moving. I've had it.

I guess I should go out and get a t-shirt made that says, "Contrary to your opinion, I *AM* deaf. What's *YOUR* excuse?"

Sheesh. (Insert expletive of choice here).

Just When You Think it is Safe to Get Back in the Water ...

2011-06-30T00:39:00.062-04:00

Discrimination is an ugly word. But then so is discrimination itself. As a person with a severe hearing loss and a hearing ear dog to assist me for the past four plus years, the discrimination we face tends to get further apart, but then every so often, discrimination rears its ugly head yet again. A couple of recent examples.

In the apartment building where I live, there is a man in his mid-30s. He suddenly turned and started hollering six inches away from my face about the dog and how it shouldn't off leash. As the dog was in an enclosed area and doing his business, far away from the apartment complex, with full permission from the superintendent, it took me aback. Startled, I backed up. He came right up and kept hollering in my face. Before I could react (actually, I was too stunned to react), he abruptly turned and beetled off for his car. I led the superintendent know that I felt threatened. Yes, threatened. I'm now actively looking for another place to live. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident for those of us who have service dogs.

Another recent incident took place in a restaurant in Newmarket. I was with four co-workers. We wanted to go out for lunch. Simple enough, right? My four co-workers were taken to a table. I was stopped at the door with the dog. I explained I was with the group. Didn't matter. I mentioned that the dog is a service dog. I was told to wait at the door.

While the waiter went to ask someone with more authority, I went and sat down with my co-workers. With that, the waiter came back and told me I had to leave. No dogs allowed. I explained the dog was a service dog. The response to that was negative. I explained about the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the fines that could be levied on the business. The waiter then went back and reported this to his manager. All is now all right. Right? Wrong.

My four co-workers and I quickly realized that people who had come in after us had their orders taken, then had their food served. We, in the meantime, were sitting at our table being totally ignored. My co-workers were embarrassed and flabbergasted. Exclaiming that they had never seen the like. I assured them that it was fairly common. Sigh.

I beckoned over the waiter. He came back. I asked him to get his manager for me. He said he would. The manager came over. He started to tell me that no dogs were allowed. It was then that I went into the Food Services Act, the exemptions in the Food Services Act for service dogs, the Ontario Human Rights Codes, the fines for failing to accommodate, and the possible law suit that would ensue after I took him to the Ontario Human Rights Commission. All said politely, quietly, but firmly.

The waiter came back, armed with menus. Orders were taken. Lunches served. Glares were stabbed at our table by various wait staff. My co-workers were visibly upset. I then had to calm them down, letting them know that everything was fine now.

Educating people around one is common when one has a service dog. In this case, I had to educate the wait staff, the manager/owner, and indeed even my co-workers, who didn't realize until they saw it first hand that discrimination is alive and well and determined to keep me from my lunch. Fortunately, I can stand up for myself. But what about those who cannot?

Bosley, in the meantime, was snugged beneath the table. Better behaved than most people's kids, I might add.

Orillia's Third Annual Purina Walk for Dog Guides

2011-05-14T05:44:00.001-04:00

PURINA WALK FOR DOG GUIDES

Orillia's Purina Walk for Dog Guides is on May 29, 2011. Tudhope Memorial Park at the corner of Highway 12 South and Atherley is where you will find the walk. Registration is open at 10, and the walk itself starts at 11 a.m.

Garfield Dunlop (MPP, Simcoe North) and Bruce Stanton, fresh from his re-election (MP, Simcoe North) will be there to cut the ribbon. Sunshine Radio 89.1 will be emceeing the event. Doggy bags containing goodies will be handed out.

Keep in mind that Dog Guiides is not government funded and that all the monies raised during the walks go directly to funding the dogs for people who need them.

Happy Sixth Birthday, Bosley!

2011-05-14T05:42:00.002-04:00

Bosley is now six. I guess that means I need to take the "Young" out of the "Young Yellow Lab" on the masthead. Bosley is now middle-aged. He's still got a spring in his step and he still acts like a puppy, but he's also settling down more. This past year has seen the deaths of two service dogs of friends of mine. Just a ghost of a chill runs over me when I look at Bosley when I think of those two dogs who have so recently passed. I'm also reminded of a friend's dog who is 7 and has diabetes.

The fact of life is that these dogs work hard. They give their all, and then they get old. A depressing thought to be sure, at 5:30 on a Saturday morning. Sigh. Think I'll go make myself a coffee, and try to think of something else.

Bosley is an Honourary Quota Member

2011-05-02T21:44:00.002-04:00

I think this might be a first. Bosley was just made an honourary member of Quota International. Orillia. They even gave him a delightful blue bandana with the Quota logo embroidered on it! I'll see if I can get pictures.

Purina Walk for Dog Guides in Orillia - May 29, 2011

2011-04-25T01:42:00.000-04:00

Please consider sponsoring Bosley and I at the annual Purina Walk for Dog Guides. Our walk will take place in Orillia on May 29, 2011. Registration is at 10 a.m. The walk starts at 11 a.m., and will be opened by Garfield Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North. Our personal web page can be found at
http://www.purinawalkfordogguides.com/personalPage.cfm?ID=6533

Emergency Situation

2011-04-19T12:13:00.001-04:00

We had an emergency situation last night. My brother fell yet again. The third time in as many weeks. He couldn't get up either. Again. This time though, instead of falling outside and having people hear him call for help, he fell in his bedroom trying to get into bed. He called for me, but of course, I didn't hear him. But Bosley did.

Sure enough, Mick called my name, and the dog immediately came to me and walloped the daylights out of me with his paw. Instead of his usual happy face, the dog looked upset. He ran back and forth to Mick's room. I followed. There was Mick on the floor.

Smart dog. Mick could have lain there all night if he had depended on me to find him, as I don't go into his room, and I didn't hear him holler. This is one of the many reasons why a hearing dog is worth its weight in gold.

Airport Security

2011-03-27T22:27:00.000-04:00

Bosley and I have been on a couple of different airlines recently. Both go out of their way to accommodate Bosley, which is a good thing. The airport security, however, is a mixed bag. I met a couple of security people who practically screeched when they saw the dog, exclaiming that "OH! I DON'T LIKE DOGS!" Good grief. I actually had one security person take a quick side step to avoid coming near him. This happened at Pearson Airport, by the way. Airport Security people at the Thunder Bay airport were a bit more relaxed, but then they had their own weird way of doing things.

The first time Bosley and I went through Thunder Bay security, the security people asked me to remove Bosley's vest. Wha ... I'm pretty sure that is not allowed, but I'm not about to annoy them and risk getting my very own full body cavity search for my audacity, so I took Bosley's vest off. Of course, Bosley thought that meant he was off duty and acted, well, like a dog. A happy dog. He began greeting everybody in sight, up to and including nosing the male security guy right in the .. um .. family jewels, for lack of a better word.

As soon as they gave me permission, I put Bosley's vest back on him, and then gently explained that they might want to check with their boss about taking Bosley's vest off in future.

The second time I had to go through Thunder Bay security, they were a lot more relaxed with him, and left his vest on this time. They did wand him though, which is fine by me.

I really do need to find out if they can make me take his vest off. It just doesn't seem right somehow. But as I mentioned before, I'm not going to argue for my "rights" with somebody who can demand a strip search!!!

Happy Anniversary!

2011-02-07T23:43:00.000-05:00

Happy fourth anniversary to Debbie and Merril, and to Bosley and me. Deb and I were introduced to our dogs four years ago. Deb, Merril, Bosley and I make great teams, and both Deb and I are grateful for the wonderful dogs in our lives. The worth of these dogs is incalculable.

Travelling with a Service Dog, #836

2011-01-28T20:48:00.000-05:00

I have discovered the travel agency. Why I haven't used one before, I simply do not know. The last time I made arrangements with a Certain Airline, it took me two solid days of phone calls to get them to book the dog onto the plane. Yes, two solid DAYS of phone calls, while the woman at the other end kept having to check things out with her supervisor. Gads.

This time around, I got a little wiser. Phoned up the travel agency that my workplace deals with. When I let them know where I wanted to go and when, I hesitated and then Dropped the Tid-bit of Interest. "By the way, I have a service dog."

"No problem", sez the lady at the travel agency. And it wasn't!

She sent me my tickets via email, and low and behold - the dog is noted on the ticket. No hassles. No problems. No two solid days of phone calls.

Knock me over with a feather.

Davey, Canine Vision Dog

2011-01-19T16:25:00.000-05:00

It is with sadness that I share with you the passing of a wonderful canine vision dog, named Davey. He was a lovely old soul who was partnered with Laura. Davey had liver cancer. As befitting a dog who gave his all to his handler, he died peacefully in her arms today. Good dog, Davey.

GOOD DOG!

2010-12-09T11:57:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend, Bosley alerted me to a sound. I then followed him to see what he was alerting me to. He took me to the kitchen wall, then back to the treats. Huh? There was nothing at the kitchen wall. Not a thing. So I ignored him. No treat. A very short time later, same thing. He hit me with his paw, led me to the kitchen wall, and there was nothing there.

This is unusual for a more experienced service dog. The newer ones will try to cadge a bonus treat this way, but they soon realise it doesn't work when they don't get the payout, which is a treat.

Bosley then alerted me to the phone, which was ringing, so he got a treat for alerting me to that. It was while I was on the phone itself, which is an amplified one so that I can hear, that I heard a buzz, because the phone amplifies extraneous noise as well as the person on the other end of the line. At the same time, the dog immediately got up and hit me on the knee, letting me know that the buzz had rung. That was also when I realized what the buzz was. Somebody was stuck in the elevator and was ringing the alarm bell. The elevator is on the other side of the kitchen wall.

We got the person out safely, and the elevator maintenance service was called.

GOOD DOG!

Back to School. . . . For Both of Us

2010-11-27T19:46:00.001-05:00

Bosley has developed a couple of lazy habits and so have I. So, as soon as my back and hip stop aching from my fall this morning (another story), he and I are going to review Basic Training. This happens occasionally with all teams, and is easy to rectify. Just means we both have to get back to basics. We both have to review what is expected, and get back on the right track. Specifically, I have to get back to being more consistent, so that Bosley knows what to do. Mea culpa. Absolvo me.

HUP HOOP HREEP HORP!