My Life As a Service Dog--The Nadja Chronicles

I's Been A Busy, Busy Girl!

2008-07-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! Welcome back to my blog! How've ya been? I's been a busy, busy girl!
Let's see.... this Sunday we went to the farm, and I got to see my bunny friends (oh, they's so cute!), play with my doggie friends, and ran around until I was so tired I just couldn't run anymore!
On our way home, Mommy stopped at WaWa...hers said she needed a nice cup of coffee for the long drive home. So we went inside, and guess what?! I heard a squeeky! That's right! I couldn't figure out where it was comin from, though, cause Mommy didn't have MY squeeky with her. It got closer, and closer and soon I saw where it was comin from----a little kid's feet!
At first, I thought that kid was a giant squeeky! Mommy told me that the squeeky was comin from his shoes... I couldn't believe it! I sooo wanted to go check out the squeekies close up, but Mommy said I couldn't cause the kid's family didn't look like they liked dogs very much, and the fact that I was lookin at the kid like he was a giant sqeeky toy probably didn't help matters, and I should just be good and not try to go "investigate"
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On Monday, Mom took me and the kid to the mall so that I could have a trainin session again. I'm gettin ready to take one of my certification tests really soon, and since I had that little "woof" incident a few weeks ago, Mom's working really hard to correct it...
So back to the mall and food court; where Mom got the kid a smoothie to enjoy while I practiced lying under the table while all sorts of people wandered by...I was a perfect lady---thank you very much!
Guess what?! After the food court, wes got to go to Build A Bear! And guess what?! They had a little stuffed doggie dressed in an assistance dog cape---just like I wear! The funny thing was that the doggie they used as a demo was the exact one that the kid has.... so you know we just HAD to get a cape for "Balto"! Kid thought that was great! We had such a good time goin through all the outfits and stuff; thinkin about how cute our little Gracie would look in a string bikini and sunglasses
Before we left, Mommy took my picture in front of the wall of build a bears, and lots of people gathered to see me with my new "friends"

So then it was time to leave, cause Mommy's brain started actin up and hers couldn't take the noises in the mall anymore. She told the kid that we was going to have dinner at her favorite restaurant...Bob's Heaven
Well,, if you remember from my previous posts, that the last time I was there, I "woofed" at the hostess when she startled me (cause I was takin a snoozie). Since then, Mommy has been working very, very hard trying to correct my behavior...and guess what?! My Mommy's so smart! Hers knew that having strangers come up to our table where my kid and Mommy was made me nervous---after all, it IS my job to keep them safe, right!? (oh, sorry Mom I forgot...) Mom reminded me that I'm only supposed to protect her when she says so...not on my own...I keep forgetting dat!
So anyway.... we're in the restaurant, and Mommy taught me how to behave when people walk up to our table. I used to think dat peoples comin up to us was a bad thing, so Mommy wanted to show me that it was a GOOD thing. So Mommy slipped me a yummy treat every time that someone came up to our table (YUM!). By the time we left, I realized that strangers meant good things! My Mommy loves me so much, and hers wants me to do good, and figures out ways to help me "win" all my games.... I really love bein her service dog!
Guess what? I got through the entire meal and didn't even think about woofin at nobody! Guess what else!? I got my squeeky thrown to me when we got back outside!! Oh, I just LOVE my squeeky!
Today was my "off" day. Mommy wanted to get some cleanin done. Well, me and Dawson decided to "help" too! Dawson would pick up something and hand it to Mommy and well, I didn't want to be outdone, so I got hers somethin else and brought it to her, then Dawson did, then I did; and pretty soon, Mommy was laughin so hard that hers was cryin! At first we thought wes did somethin bad, but then we realized that hers was cryin cause hers thought wes was funny.
Well, it's about time for me to get off the 'puter cause Mommy has to help Dawson with his upcomin book. Check back in with me soon; I'll have more stories to tell ya!
---Nadja

www.canineandabled.com

Happy Birfday, America!

2008-07-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

Hiya! Welcome back to my blog...so nice to "see" you again ;-)

Guess what?! Today's America's birfday! Happy Birfday, America!!!

I got to have a GREAT training day today! I even got to wear my pretty red, white and blue scarf to celebrate the holiday... I liked dat!

Mom wanted to take me to the mall today, cause hers thought there would be lots of people there; and that would be a great challenge for me. Guess what!? Hers was right...and I had such a good time!

We went to the mall to have lunch at the food court. Boy was there some good smells in there! Mom and the kid got some pizza, (I wasn't allowed to have any, though ;-( But that was okay, cause I've been trained not to eat at the people table; and besides, I got lots of yummy treats afterwards! I liked dat!

While we was at the lunch table, Mommy tested my "leave it" command... hers dropped a piece of food right by my nose, and guess what? I wasn't supposed to touch it... that was okay, though, cause I had learned this at home, and I knew this task! I did real good, and some people that was sittin nearby couldn't believe I was bein so good! I knew that if I didn't touch the food on the food that Mommy would give me the yummy treats she saves for us just for training...and guess what?! I was right! I got my yummy treats for ignoring the people food on the floor ;-)

(Mommy tested my "leave it" command... and I did real good! I know I'm not allowed to eat food that drops on the floor!)

Mommy thought hers could trick me (that silly Mommy!) by having the kid walk over to me while eatin her pizza. Anytime the kid has food, it's always right at my face level; but I know not to take anything from hers...or any other kid; that would be just rude! Mommy had the kid try to tempt me, though; but guess what?! It didn't work! I knew that if I ignored the food in the kid's hands, that I would get the yummy treats again---and I was right! Boy was they good!

Right before we left, Mommy's paper plate fell on the floor. Her hands were full with the try and drink cups, so I picked it up for her, carried it to the trash can, then put it in, just like I was taught. I was so surprized when some passerbys saw what I did and clapped for me! I liked dat! ;-) I wagged my tail and "smiled" at them while we passed by...they smiled back and told me what a pretty and well-behaved doggie I was; thems was so nice!

We left the food court and Mommy had me carry my water bottle through the mall. Lots of people stopped to look... I thought they was makin fun of me, but Mommy told me that they was lookin cause I looked really cute...that made me feel better, and I wasn't scared to do my task in front of people no more.

We stopped in the middle of the mall, and Mommy took me through some more tasks like putting the bottle of water across the aisle of the mall, telling me to wait until the way was clear of people, then "sending" me to go retrieve it. I liked dat!

Then, Mommy "dropped" her keys, and I had to pick them up, carry them back to Mommy's bag on the back of the kid's stroller and drop the keys into Mommy's back to "put them away". Hers backed up farther and farther until hers had to "send" me nearly fifteen feet away to go "put her keys away" all by myself... I liked dat! I had so much fun that I didn't even realize that a whole crowd had gathered to watch me. This time I wasn't shy anymore, and I didn't pay no mind to the people watchin me; I just listened to Mommy real good--- and guess what?! I got a squeeky! Mommy had to take it back pretty quick, though...Did you know that squeekies echo really loud in malls!? They DO! Who knew!?

After the mall, we stopped at Petsmart to see if I could get any other doggies to practice workin around... there was NO other doggies there, though... so Mommy let the kid pick out a couple of new fishies for her tank, and we left. Hers got some pretty fishies! The store clerk let me say hello to them right before she put them into the travel bag ... they was so cute and swam right up to me to say hello...I liked dat!

After dat, it was time to come home. Boy, was I tired! I had such a nice day! Mommy said I did really, really good and didn't get distracted even once! I got lots of yummy treats and was very proud of myself ;-)

I LOVE bein a service dog!

Well, the 4th of July parade is on TV, and I don't want to miss the fireworks! Mommy took the kid to go see them in our hometown last night, but hers said the loud bangs might hurt my sensitive ear drums, so hers left me, Gracie and Dawson home... she said we all could watch 'em on TV tonight, though, cause they aren't loud enough to hurt our ear drums.... I can't wait! I hope you get to see them too!

Mommy, Dawson, Gracie, Kid and I want to wish you all a very happy and safe 4th of July!
I got my formal obedience class tomorrow, so I'll let you know how that goes! If the weather's nice, Mommy said I can go swimmin afterwards; Oh, you know how I love to swim! I'll tell you all about it later!

---Nadja
http://www.canineandabled.com/

Demo Day ;-) Celebrating a Ten Year Milestone...

2008-07-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

Hello! Welcome back to my blog!

Guess what?! We all had a Canine and Abled demo today... and guess what?! Mommy said I did a really good job and that hers is very proud of me ;-)

We went to a nearby school and got to meet all kinds of nice kids. They was scared of me at first; Mommy said it was cause I'm so big.... I dunno why they was scared; I wouldn't eat em or anything.... but they got used to me and when they realized that I wasn't gonna eat em, they liked me... and I liked them!

I used ta get scared when I had to do tasks while people was lookin... but today I wasn't scared! I did all my tasks and after each one, the kids clapped for me ---I liked dat!

The kid even helped in our demo today! Hers showed the other kids how she can control us doggies in the event of an e-m-e-r-g-e-n-c-y; and how we've all been trained to listen real good to her. That kid is so cute! Hers did such a good job, and I listened real good cause I wanted us both to do good!

After my tasks were done, Mommy put me back into the van in my nice, cool crate and let me relax while Dawson did his demo, and then Gracie did hers. Mom says we all did a really good job; and we got lots of yummy treats; and guess what?! I got lots of squeeky throws, too! Oh, you know how I love my squeekies!

Today was an extra special demo day cause it is the anniversary of Mommy's accident. It was ten years ago today that hers life was changed forever. It seemed fitting to do something so positive on such a monumental day ;-)

When we got home, it was time for lunch, and a nice snoozie. We all snuggled up close to Mommy cause hers was feelin sick after the busy morning. Mommy loves tellin people all about service dogs, but it sure does take a whole lot of of her. She knows she's going to get sick after each presentation, but hers says she wouldn't change a thing; cause she loves doin Canine and Abled events!

We all laid on top of Mommy while hers was fallin asleep, and hers scratched us behind our ears and on our tummies while wes was fallin asleep; I liked dat! We had such a nice snoozie together!
Mommy felt so much better after takin some medicine and havin a snoozie, and hers wanted to catch up on some cleanin. Hers was still havin trouble bending, though, so hers asked me to help her. I picked up all the stuff off the floor that she needed to have picked up, and even helped with the laundry... I liked dat! I think it's lots of fun to help Mom; and hers is so grateful for my help---we make a really good team, huh?!

Well, it's time for me to sign off for now. I think we're supposed to go to the grocery for a training session tomorrow; so I'll let you know how that goes. Till I "see" you again, stay cool!

--Nadja

http://www.canineandabled.com/

Happy Birfday To Me (& Mommy!), Happy Birfday To Me (& Mommy!)....

2008-06-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hello! Guess what?! Today's my birfday! Guess what else?! Today's Mommy's birfday, too! Like how cool is THAT!?

Oh, I had the BEST day! First, Mommy said hers had a surprise for me for my birfday... hers took me to Walmart, and I thought hers just needed to pick up some stuff for her; but nope! Hers got me a new POOL! I was Soooo excited (you KNOW how much I love to swim!)
THEN! We stopped at Acme on the way home, and guess what!? I got to pick out my own birfday cake! The man wrote on the cake, "Happy Birthday Nadja & Kim" The best part was the Scooby Doo candle on top! I just love that Scooby guy; he sooo cracks me up!

Here's our cake.......and that's me waiting at the bakery for the man to write our names on it ;-)

Yeah, so then we went home, and Mommy filled up the pool and me, the kid, Gracie and Dawson had the BEST birfday pool party...ever! OH YEAH! Then I got more PRESENTS! I got a new tennis ball dumbell thingy to chase and chew, a retriever roll thingy & Guess What?! I even got a new SQUEEKY! Oh, you know how I love my squeekies!!!! This one is a cheeseburger one! I loved dat! I loved my party, too.....Oh boy was it FUN!

After dat, we had dinner and then....yup, you guessed it! It was time for CAKE! Oh boy was it gooood! I got TWO pieces cause I was the birfday girl and everything... I shared my cake with everyone; and Gracie and Dawson of course ;-)

Boy oh boy has this been the bestest birfday ever! I's only two; and my birfdays keep gettin better and better!

I'm gettin tired cause I had such a big day! I'm takin a couple of days off... Mom says we have somethin called v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n over the next few days. I don't know what that means, but hers said that it's our last rest before our next presentation and book deadlines. So I guess I'll "see" you in a few days!

----Nadja

http://www.canineandabled.com/

Oh Deer! (And bunnies, and chickens, and goats, and pigs...oh my!)

2008-06-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hiya! Oh, I couldn't wait to tell you about my trip to the horsey farm the other day!
First, I got to say hi to the baby bunnies, who are growin up sooooo fast!

I got to go swimmin with my doggie buddies; and guess what!? They didn't try to eat me.... not even once! Wees friends, now!

It was a great day playin in the pond, the kid squirted me with the hose (I liked dat!), and I ran around with my doggie/bunny friends, too!

Then, guess what!? As if the day weren't already great, Mommy took us to a nearby park that had....deer! Real ones! And thems was tame and came to say hello to me! I stuck my nose through the fence to say, hello; and one even kissed me! I liked dat! Mommy got pictures of me sayin hello to the deers too!

What a great, fun day! I got home and was sooo tired! I felt as though I could sleep for a week; but guess what? I only slept until the next morning..silly me! Then I was already to get up and go for the next day!

Mommy needed to rest on Monday, so we hung around the house...but on Tuesday, we went out for a training day, and guess what!? I got to meet firemen! Real firemen drivin a real firetruck...and guess what??? The kid got to go sit in the firetruck..a real one! Hers was so excited, and I was really excited, too... but I didn't sit in the firetruck; I just hung out with the nice fireman who petted me and talked real nice to me... I liked dat!

So then, we went into Petsmart, where Mommy weighed me (cause hers says I'm still growin and wanted to be sure that I was getting the right amount of food)... Hers was right! I am growin!

After Petsmart, we had lots of shoppin to do at Target; and that's a human-only store. I was real good, and Mommy gave me lots of treats and a squeeky throw when we got out of the store----oh, I love dat squeeky!

Well, I got to go for now; but I'll see you again soon!

---Nadja

http://www.canineandabled.com/

Places to go, bunnies to see, doggies to meet....

2008-06-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hiya! How are you? I'm doin great ;-) Welcome back to my blog!
I have been a busy, busy girl and so much has been going on this past week! Mom had several bookings this week, so she didn't let me get on the computer as much as usual, so I'm a bit behind in my blog...sorry ;-(

(It's Mom's fault! Shhhhhh!)

***OH! Remind me to tell you about a special day that Mom and Dawson had on Thursday! They went to the Respect, Reflect and Remember day in South Orange, NJ. Mom said it was an honor to be a part of such a wonderful event, and she wanted me to dedicate an entire blog entry to it; so stay tuned...I'll be doin that later this week after I "interview" Dawson and get his take on the big day! ***

Anyway... today I had my formal class...and guess what?? No one but me showed up again! Don't know why, but I was the only one, but Mom takes advantage of a good opportunity to train me at anytime, so since she still had her Canine and Abled demo equipment in the van, she went ahead and set it up.

I did my retrieving meds from a cabinet---open the door, pull the meds, give to Mom, then go back to close the door task (one of my favorites!)

Then, I picked up laundry that was strewn all over the place (messy, messy!) and put them into a laundry basket, then pulled the basket over to where Mom was waiting. Hers said I did good!

When I do good, I get my squeeky thrown for me! Oh boy, do I love my squeeky!!!

Then I turned on a light/turned it back off again...again I got the squeeky!

That was all the equipment Mom had with her, so we worked on those tasks individually, then Mom had me do them all together; and boy, was that fun! Squeeky throw!!!!

It was gettin pretty hot by then, so Mom finished up my training session with a focus exercise, and advanced obedience drills. I was really hot and thirsty after that, and Mom said I was so good...that guess what??!! Hers took me down the trail and to the lake and I got to go swimmin! OH, I LOVE to swim!! It's one of my most favorite things to do; like, ever! Squeeky and me went swimmin together, and we both loved it! I love my squeeky!

So I was all nice and cooled off and Mom said it was time to go home. I was tired by then, and was happy to be back in the A/C and snoozied in the van all the way home!

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So guess what?! Tomorrow we go to the horsie farm where Mom teaches riding lessons... Oh, I love goin there! So many things to sniff, and play with, and and sniff; and oh, they have a hose, and I get sprayed.....Love dat!

Last weekend, Mom took me down there, and there was some other doggies that didn't like me so much before. Mom would keep me in the crate when they was there, cause she didn't want me to get eaten. (I didn't want to get eatin either!)

... well, last week, the other doggies' mommy thought that we should try to meet again, cause when they tried to eat me before, there was puppies involved...now, I would never, ever try to eat no puppies (they so cute and fluffy, and remind me of my own little fur person), but the mommy doggie didn't know this, and well; she tried to eat me! I got so scared! I didn't want no trouble, but hers didn't want to hear any of dat....

Anyways, the puppies and mamma werent' there anymore, so Mom let me go say hi again; and guess what!? They didn't eat me! I was scared at first, but before I knew it, I had made friends, and one of the doggies even went swimmin in the pond with me; oh boy! You know how I like to swim...and swimmin's even better when you have a stick-fetchin buddy!

OH! Guess what else! There was bunnies...baby ones, and OH was they cuuute! The kids put them into a big storage container with soft hay in the bottom for a little while each day to get them used to being handled. They was so cute, I just had to say hello! Mom let me kiss a couple of them, but I got scolded when I tried to climb into the container with the bunnies ;-( I just wanted to play with them! I would never, ever hurt the little babies! Thems so cute! They liked me, too! So then, I had to be happy with just hangin my head over the side of the container, and kissin the bunnies when they came to see me ;-) I loved dat! Theys my friends, and guess what?! We get to go back there tomorrow, and I bet they got big!

Well, I best be gitten to bed... I's got a big day again tomorrow, and want to be plenty rested! I can't wait to go see my swimmin friends (now that I know they won't eat me!), and play with the bunnies, and say hello to the chickens (they don't think too much of me, but I dont' chase them or anything!), oh what fun a farm can be! Yeee haaa! I'll tell ya all about it later! G'night!

--Nadja
http://www.canineandabled.com/ (don't forget to visit me on our site!)

Service Dogs 101!

2008-06-17T20:00:00.001-07:00

Hiya! Welcome back to my blog. Sorry it's been so long since I last posted, but things have been very busy, and then Mom got sick again, so we're just getting back to "normal"... for now ;-)
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We had a question from Nancy (hi, Nancy!) from the German Shepherd Group on Myspace....(shout out to the penguins!!!) Nancy brought up a great point that not all people may know exactly what a service dog is, does, and other things that aren't common knowledge.

So.... today I'm going to talk about WHAT exactly a service dog is, what they do, who they help and some little known facts that people might find interesting.

Welcome, to Service Dogs 101!

Okay...first of all, a service dog (sometimes referred to as an assistance dog), is a dog that has been individually trained to assist a person with disabilities to reliably perform tasks that the person can not do for him/herself.

Because a service dog is specially trained, they are permitted to go where most dogs cannot. They are allowed in stores, restaurants, movie theaters, hospitals, ect...basically, anywhere the general public is allowed to go, a service dog must be granted entry.

A person who is/or wants to be partnered with a service dog must have a documented disability that hinders one or more major life activities as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. (uh, what's that Mom?? Oh, good point!) Mom said to make sure I tell you that not all disabilities are visible, such as traumatic brain injury.

Service dogs provide their partners with daily assistance, making their lives more independent and safe. Partnered patients have reported significant decrease in problematic symptoms, increased self-esteem, lowered blood pressure and many other benefits from their devoted companions.

Most service dogs (but not all) are bred specifically to do their job. Others are rescued from shelters, or start their life in a different job before being trained to assist someone with disabilities.

Service dogs come in all shapes, sizes, breeds, and can be of any gender. It's the individual's ability to do the job well in public and stressful situations that deem it worthy of becoming a service dog.

Not all dogs "make it" as a service dog... in fact, the majority don't. In order to be allowed all the rights provided to service dogs, a trainee must pass a series of very difficult and intense training milestones. They not only must do their job really well in public, but must be able to block out all distractions (such as noise, children, food, and a host of things that some dogs would consider scary).

Some reasons that a dog would "flunk out" of service dog training are: urinating/deficating in public (oh, I would NEVER,EVER do that!!!), destroying property (like store inventory...again, I would NEVER think of doing that!), jumping on people (nope, not me!), being fearful or inattentive in public (can't even imagine), or the biggie: growling, barking, or (heaven forbid!) snapping at another dog or person...this is the end all, be all of service dog flunkees ;-( If a dog is agressive in ANY way, they should NEVER be allowed near the general public; and the handler could be brought up on some serious legal charges should this occur. (Mom advocates for both handlers and businesses who have access issues in court and pre-trial mediations to help settle such issues).

Did you know that there are people out there who actually will try to pass off their pet dogs as service dogs, just cause they want to take them into public places they KNOW they're not allowed to go!? Yeah, I couldn't believe it either, but guess what?!

Not only is it dangerous (cause passed off dogs don't have the training to ensure that they will remain calm in all situations), but it gives REAL service dogs a bad name if they injure or scare someone or break or damage something in a public place.... Not only that, but it is sooooooo ILEEGAL (a federal offense) to do that, too! Mom has helped to prosecute many "fake" service dog teams and they've had to pay some heavy, heavy fines, and some even faced jail time!

Hmmmmm.....let's see...what else???

Oh! I know! It takes about two and a half years to finish up the initial training of a service dog.... and even then, training never really stops. Service dogs are constantly "brushed up" on tasks, learn new ones, and work on obedience to keep them sharp and interested at all times.
Did you know that even though the laws protect people with disabilities who use service dogs, that businesses often illegally turn them away due to lack of education of these laws? That's right! My mom started an educational program that adddresses such issues; and I help demonstrate service dog tasks, too!

The program is called, Canine and Abled, Inc. and you can learn all about it, and LOTS more stuff that I might have forgotten to add here: http://www.canineandabled.com/

Well, it's gettin late, and we have a big demo on Thursday, so tomorrow is packing day! Lots to do, so we gotta get our rest. Can't wait to see you again!

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog, and tell all your friends, too! Got a question for me? Subject suggestion?? Send me your comments! I love to hear from my "fans" ;-)
Till next time, stay cool!

----Nadja
http://www.canineandabled.com/

Life Is Like A Roll Of Toilet Paper...

2008-06-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

...The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes! So be sure to get out there and live life to it's fullest!
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Hiya! Welcome back to my blog! Whew... what a day I've had!

We were supposed to go to the dog park today, but Mom was very weak today and since there's a lot of walking from the parking lot to the dog park, and since it was soooo hot, Mom decided to take me to some stores instead.

Before we went to the store, Mom worked with Dawson, sharpening up his skills.... I don't know, he looked perfect to me, and I wouldn't think he'd need any practice, but Mom says it's important to keep us "fresh"...

After Mom finished with Dawson, she let him go take a snoozie and we headed off to do some public training.

We started off at Petsmart, since I haven't been in a store in almost a week. Mom wanted to be sure that I was paying attention and bein good before we went into a humans-only store. We spent lots of time at Petsmart... I met lots of nice kids who gave me treats and pets, and Mom visited with some trainer friends she knows there.

After Petsmart, we had to go to Target to pick up a few things... I was being really, really good; and Mom knew I could be trusted in the human-only store.

Mom bought all us dogs some yummy bones, and asked the kid to hold them for her. Then she picked up a couple of things for dinner, and remembered we needed milk, so she got that, too. She wanted to get a can of greenbeans for dinner, too...but guess what?? That silly Mommy.... hers forgot to pick up a basket on the way into the store and she ran out of hands to carry the stuff! Good thing I got a nice, strong mouth; cause Mommy dropped the can of beans, but no worries---- I picked it up for her and carried it all around the store for her. Lol.... lots of people did a double take seeing me carrying around a can of beans.. I just kept wagging my tail at them, and continued to do my job. When we got to the line to pay for our stuff, I got up on my hind legs and put the can on the belt just like Mommy told me to do. ;-) Hers says I was a really, really good girl in the human store, and I got lots of yummy treats and a couple of ball throws with my favorite squeeky when I got out of the store! ;-) I loved dat!

After we got home and had dinner, Mom broke out the bones, and boy were they yummmy! What a great day! ;-)

Come back tomorrow to see me again!

---Nadja

(1568 training hours logged to date)
http://www.canineandabled.com/ ---Don't forget to visit me on our site!

Nadja at your service! (Get it? Service! I'm a service dog!) I crack me up...but seriously....

2008-06-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hiya! Welcome back ;-) How ya doin today?!

I hope you took my advice yesterday and did some tail-waggin, butt-sniffin, bone-chewin good livin!

I've been pretty busy today. Unfortunately, my Mom wasn't feeling well today. She got real sick from the excessive heat the other day (she's got somethin called Multiple Sclerosis that makes her feel really yucky and weak when it's hot)... anyhooo, she started feeling better then got a muscle spasm through her neck/back and couldn't move or bend much today. ;-(
I was called into duty and was proud to serve! Mom needed me to pick things up for her, I helped with the laundry (one of my favorite things to do!... I like to pick things up off the floor and put them in the washer, then help pull them out of the dryer for Mom when they're done..what fun!)

Mom needed me to keep an eye on the kid while we played out in the back yard together...and we were havin a great time building sand castles until.... guess what?! My funny, little, fur person, Gracie sneaked out of the yard and into the front yard!

I was so scared she was going to get hit by a car or somethin, so I started yipping and remembered how to open the door and ran back into the house to tell Mom, then opened the door to run back out to where Grace had gone under the fence.

Luckily, Mom was able to go to the front door and call the little imp before she left our property...whew! That was too close! Apparently, there had been a stray doggie nosing around our property earlier in the day, and the little fur person decided to go check out all the new smells he left behind. Hers thought she was goin on an adventure, but I was scared! I don't know what I'd do without my funny little fur person!

Mom told me what a good girl I was to let her know that Gracie was in trouble. I've been trained to do the same thing if the kid gets into trouble; but I figured it was supposed to be my job to look out for my little fur person too, and I was right! I was pretty pleased with myself that I did so good, and that everything turned out okay!

Okay... so; I helped Mom pick up around the house, did the laundry, babysat the kid, rescued the funny little fur person....then..... hmmm, what DID I do next?? OH! yeah... then it was Dr. Phil and snoozie time ;-) Mom was sitting in her favorite chair on her heating pad, and the kid went with Mom's home health care worker to the playground so that Mom could get some rest; and I stayed at her feet, ready to jump into service if she needed it.

Mom says she's starting to feel much better now, and that we're all going to the dog park tomorrow morning!!! I can't wait! We LOVE the dog park! There's great dogs to play with, a creek to swim in, and lots and lots of fields and trails to explore! So much fun! I'll probably have a training session there, too. Mom makes a point of putting me in busy environments and putting me through my paces so that I learn to work under disctractions. She says that my GSD g-e-n-e-t-i-c-s (whatever the heck they are!) are responsible for my incredible focus.... I don't know what that genetic thing is; but I'm sure glad that she thinks I'm doing a good job!

(Huh? Oh, okay Mom...be right there!) Mom says it's time to go do our potty thing, then it's time for bed. I'm sure tired after all the excitement today and I can't wait to go to the dogpark tomorrow! I'll meet you back here tomorrow and tell you all about it, okay? "See" you tomorrow!

---Nadja

(1565 training hours to date)

Life is like a bag of beef jerky...

2008-06-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

... You need to savor it from start to finish, and not "wolf" it down without truly enjoying it.

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Hi! Welcome back to my blog! I was feeling philosophical today, and thought I'd share some of my musings...

----If man is supposed to rule over animals, then how come he is the one to carry the pooper scooper???

----Live in the moment; it's truly all we really have ;-)

----At the dog park, I meet all sorts of dogs! All different colors, breeds, sizes, and temperaments. Every once in a while, there is a difference of opinion, but it is settled quickly and then everyone plays nice again. I saw the news on TV last night, and I had to wonder, How come humans don't do the same???

----Take time to smell the flowers! (and grass, and trees, and fire hydrant, and po.....uh, I think you see what I'm getting at ;-)

----Did'ja ever wonder why dogs are so happy?? Well, from watchin that news thing on TV, I realized that people have some things that dogs don't, and I wonder if that has something to do with it.

People have money, always seem to need more "stuff", and always put off until "tomorrow" to decide to be happy. I don't got none of that stuff, and boy, let me tell ya...I'm a happy, happy girl! Tomorrow?? What's that, anyway??? What if this thing, "tomorrow" never comes? How sad to think some people are waiting for something to happen that might not, and wastin all that time when they could be lovin today! Today's too great to miss!!!!

Just wanted to share that with you for now.... Mom says it's almost time to get ready for our trainin session...so I'll catch up with you later and let you know how it goes!
What are you still doing at your computer??? Get out there and live!

--Nadja
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Okay, I'm back ;-) What a GREAT day I've had!

After I last talked to you, Mommy filled up the pool for the kid, and we had another pool party! Oh boy, was that fun!!!

When we came back in, Mommy worked with Dawson, Gracie, and Me; running us through our new and improved Canine and Abled(TM) program.

Gracie has learned some cute, new tricks, Dawson was brushed up on all his tasks (boy is he talented!), and I got to run through all of my tasks, too!

Once we did that, Mom took me aside to teach me something she calls, "object recognition." Basically, she is teaching me the words for some of the most-needed retrieved objects such as the TV remote, the phone, and her medicine. It's fun trying to figure out which thing she wants me to get...what a great new game!

Mom said I did a great job with that, and then we all got together again, ran through the show one more time, and added in the new things we learned. What fun! And what yummy treats we had! Mmmmmm! We only get those kind of treats when we're training... so they are special and we'll do anything for them!

We all took a nice snoozie after that, and (huh??! What's that?? OH, okay, Mom, be right there!) Mom says it's time for dinner, so I gotta go now. Thanks for stoppin by. Hope to "see" you again tomorrow!

--Nadja
(1562 training hours to date)

Training Days

2008-06-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Hi, again ;-) So now I've told you all about me and my family... thought I'd tell you a bit about my training experiences; starting with this past weekend.

I had my formal class on Saturday, but it was so hot, that I was the only one who showed up! Mom worked me gently on the skills I already knew, then taught me how to back up on her hand signal, and how to weave through her legs (something we'll use for our Canine and Abled show soon). I had so much fun, even though it was really hot!

When we got home, I took a long nap in the A/C!

On Sunday, Mom took me and the kid to a restaurant for a training session. I've done lots of McDonald's, Burger King's, ect.... but Mom wanted to wait until I'd passed my 1500 training hour mark to take me into a sit down restaurant. Well, I did that recently, and Mom felt I had overcome enough of my puppy "ants in my pants" behavior (that Mom of mine is so silly!) that she decided to take me to the kid's favorite restaurant, "Bob's Heaven," as the kid calls it (It's really, Bob Evans, but Mom and I don't correct her cause we think it's funny....the kid's pretty stinkin cute!)

Anyhooooo, we got there before the dinner rush, and was seated at a nice, quiet spot by the window...very nice. I was sooooo happy to be in A/C, I wasn't even thinking of the ants in my pants! All I knew was that I was in a nice, cool place with my Mom and my kid...all was good ;-)

During dinner, Mom dropped things (I think she either did it on purpose to test me, or was really, really clumsy!) I LOVE to retrieve, and Mom said I did a really great job remaining unobtrusive (what ever the heck that means!)...but I did it and she said it was good, so I'm goin with that ;-)

I had one "mistake" during our adventure ;-( I had fallen fast asleep and the hostess came up to see how we were doing. I got startled and gave her a surprised, "woof" under my breath (just a little ;-\ Mom said that that kind of behavior is not fitting of a service dog, and I musn't do that again. I apologized to the hostess and gave her lots of kisses and promised not to do that again. She petted me as if she accepted my apology and even gave me a yummy treat before we left! ;-)

We visited with a few people who lined up to ask questions about me. I got to get pet by a few more people---and there was kids!! Oh, how I love kids....but Mom reminded me that I wasn't allowed to play with them when my work vest was on...so I sat politely as they took turns petting me, even though it was hard cause I wanted to play! Mom answered all their questions but started getting really tired and soon she said she wasn't feeling too good so we had to head home.

After we got home, Mom let the kid fill up her little wading pool on the front lawn...and guess what!!!??? I was invited to play in the pool, too! I LOVE the water! Oh, we had so much fun! (What's that Mom??? Oh, Okay, I will!) Mom told me to tell you that she's got some great pics she's going to post of me and the kid playin in the pool ;-) Boy was that a GREAT way to end a GREAT day!

Today is Monday, and I had off cause my funny, little fur person, Gracie had a vet appointment, and Mom had to take her car in for servicing. I spent the day watching Animal Planet in the nice A/C with Dawson ;-)

Well, the funny, little fur person is telling me it's time for our after dinner romp, so I gotta go! I can't wait to see you again next time!

-----Nadja
(1560 training hours logged to date ;-)

My Life As a Service Dog--The Nadja Chronicles

2008-06-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is Nadja and I'm a service dog. I have a lot of interesting stories to tell about my training, my partner, my job and my experiences; so I thought I'd start my own blog to tell you all about it!

The first thing you should know about me is that I am a German Shepherd and at the time of this post, am one year old (my birthday is coming up on the 26th of June, when I'll turn two years old ;-). I can't wait for my birthday! My human Mom really knows how to throw a doggie-good-time party! Last year, we had a pool party (I LOVE to swim!) with a Scooby-Doo cake, all my doggie friends, and BOY did We have a GREAT time! Woof!

My partner (i.e., human Mom) is Kimberly Carnevale. She used to ride/train horses for a living, but then she had a really bad car accident in 1998, and suffered a traumatic brain injury. A while later, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She was in a whole lot of pain, needed a lot of help doing the things that she couldn't do for herself, and got really, really depressed.

Lucky for her, she had Dewey, her first service dog, to help her! Dewey pulled her wheelchair, alerted to her seizures, and taught her how to walk again. Most importantly Mom says, he taught her how to LIVE again. ;-) With Dewey by her side, she felt as though she could accomplish anything...and boy did they accomplish a LOT together! So much, it filled a book...and the next book is on the way! *you can read all about my Mom's journey through a program called, Canine and Abled, Inc. at: http://www.canineandabled.com/ * I'm a full-fledged Canine and Abled dog, and I'm very proud of that!

But back to me...

My job is to do the tasks that my Mom's current service dog, Dawson, does for her. Dawson is a really beautiful Collie and has been taking care of Mom since Dewey retired. He's getting ready to retire, so Mom needed a new service dog, and I'm it!

Mom came to meet me when I was eight weeks old. My doggie family has lots of working dogs in it, and I was specifically choosen because of this. Mom drove a really, really long way to pick me up, and I rode all the way home in her lap (even though she brought a crate for me to ride in). I cried when she first put me in the crate, because I wasn't too familiar with a car, and wanted to have the safety of my new Mom to comfort me.

Mom and I bonded immediately! She loved me, and I loved her...and the kid! Oh, I can't forget to tell you about my kid! I just LOVE my kid! She's my human sister...she's five and a half years old right now; and boy does she love me! We have lots and lots of fun together...playing games, running around, and even swimming together; she's a great playmate, and I keep a close eye on her for my Mom.

So I have my kid, and Dawson, and my funny, little fur person; Gracie who is my pet ;-) Gracie is a Shih-Tzu/Bichon mix. She's a year older than me, and we're best buds! If anyone gets near her at the dog park, I put myself between them and lead Gracie away... I am protective of her, but my Mom keeps telling me that I don't need to be, as Gracie has been known to make big doggies like Great Danes run away from her! She's very special to me, though; so I make sure that I lead her away from all potential danger.

So that's my fuzzy and funny family ;-) I can't wait to share more with you! I have so many stories to tell and things to share! Check back regularly...oh, and feel free to ask questions!

"See" you soon!

--Nadja