People with Disabilities & SD Awareness

Hi everybody,

Declan here. My mom Xanateria just joined this site and she told me that I could make some posts of my own, even if she does have to help me with the typing. I wish I could tell you all about all the neat things I get to help my mom do, but that would take too long. My favourite parts of my job are pulling her wheelchair on her bad days and helping her walk. But you know, speaking of things I wish for, I really wish I could talk to some of the people that give mom trouble while I am helping her along.

So many of them get so cranky when she asks them not to pet me. I don't get it. I mean, what's to be so mad about? I don't want to get pets from them if mom needs me. I admit it, I get distracted if I get to have pets as treats while I am on the job. But I mean seriously, would these humans be so mad if someone kept asking to bother them at work, and they had to ask them to not do it? Then again, I am pretty sure some of the two leggeds she runs into are kinda dumb. They go on and on about how it's mean that mom makes me work. What the heck do they know? She doesn't make me do it. I love it. I mean, I get to take care of her, and help her and we play some games like push the button or pull the rope. And then when we get home I get all kinds of love and kibble. Who wouldn't want that? Besides, shows what they know, cause me going with mom to help her was my idea. I could tell she needed me to keep her upright like she is supposed to be.

Though, come to think of it. I do wish I could get more kibble every day. Mom says something about how I need to be on something called a diet because I was a bit overweight. And I was not overweight, I was...uhmm fluffy. That's it, yeah...Mmmmm kibble...

Ooops, gotta go, mom says it is her turn on the lit up box thing.

Wags, licks and love,

Declan

Hi Declan,
Big Murray here. Nice to meet you! Although my momzy calls me Murray la Grunt. Don't know why but she claims I make too much noise. Heck I am just bored when she stands around talking so and at times I like to help with her explainations.

Glad your mom joined so you are able to come here and chat. It's great to chat to other service dogs. I was on my momzy's other group and all the furkids there was just companions so they don't know really what it's like and how wonderful it is to be helping our momzy's and daddys too.

Momzy has me learning to ring the bells to go out. She says she likes that better then me just staring at her. Going huffing and buffing. Although I do like to tease her and wait til she is in the bathroom. But don't tell her that!

There is so many things I do for momzy at home and when we are out and about. I mostly like to counter balance because I could pull a bit, and do what my momzy calls splitting which is basically just making sure nobody comes close and knocks her down on her butt.

My momzy is just like yours when it comes to people petting me but mostly when they chat with me. She really don't like that especially when I am behind her watching. The problem is they get really close and I move away from her only to make sure they don't get any closer. But that could cause her issues. That's why I will grunt at times but then these people say oooooo how cute. Guess I wasn't helping by grunting so. Sigh. Therefore I put my butt out towards them. Grins.

Momzy uses Ignore people which is for me to ignore but mostly for the people too. Because when she uses it people hop backwords and say oh I am so sorry. I think that's sooooo funny. Though she has had some of those cranky ones too. Cannot figure out why they get so mad when my momzy tells them nicely not to pet or chat with me.
How can one not be distracted by all that attention.

Yeah I don't get how some of these two leggereds figure out that it's so mean of our momzy's to have us work. Work what's work! It's fun! I love helping momzy be independent. And heck we get to go out and about together. So where's the work! It's a lot better then being bored at home for we get to meet all sorts of people and when kids ask if they could pet me momzy says ok. So what's not to like about helping.

Momzy got me on a special diet too. She says it's because of the adverse reaction to the rabies vaccine I gotten. Because of that it aggrevated an underlined issue called something like IBS. So now she has to watch what she makes for me. However I do get 4 to 6 meals a day instead of two. Momzy ordered this thing called slippery elm, she says it's suppose to help my poos be much firmer. Cannot figure out a thing called slippery is going to bind me up. Strange! Hmmmm! love the fluffy I'm a tad overweight too I think I will tell my momzy it's just fluffyness!

Nice chatting with ya,
Catch ya later!

Hi Murray,

I got so excited when I saw there was an answer to what I said before I almost couldn't tell my mom what to type. I think it is great that you help your mom with her explanations. But really, I mean, can there be such a thing as too much noise? My mom gets so embarrassed when I burp really loud, especially if the room is quiet, but I just think, if it's gotta come out it might as well be loud, right?

That's so cool that you ring a bell when you need to go outside. I would ring the bell all the time. Too funny that you can ring it when she is in the bathroom. Ever wonder why she doesn't have to go to the bathroom outside like you do? Cause I sure wonder. I mean, who needs the big white thing with all the water that goes round and round, well except maybe to take a drink out of, but I am not allowed to do that. That makes mom get the annoyed tone of voice. When I have to go outside, I have to go to the door and sit nice and then wait for her to open the door and then say ok. It doesn't always look like there is a door there, but there is, it is just see through. I bonked my nose learning that the hard way. I was so embarrassing. But I think ok is my favourite word, sometimes, cause it means I can do stuff.

I get told I am being cute all the time, too. Sometimes I am being cute on purpose, like when I pose and sit nice for cameras, but sometimes I am just doing my job, being a furry railing, or a furry walker and they get all gooey eyed about how cute it is. It is very weird if you ask me. I mean, they wouldn't think it was cute if my other mommy was helping her instead of me (though I do a better job). Today we went to the mall. My mom was not happy because people were yelling and jumping out of the way cause they got scared of me, and I got a bit distracted from all the yelling and the jumping, but she was mostly mad at the loud people. I also got to go to the bowling alley for the first time. I posed nicely so the lady there could take my picture. I was hoping that she would let me play with some of the balls that I saw. She had a tonne of them, I really don't think she could have missed one. But mom said no, because these balls are too hard for my teeth. Spoilsport.

I think it is pretty funny when mom tells people to leave me alone, and they get all embarrassed. Serves them right, I say. You wanna know what though? The see that it says not to pet me on my vest, but they do it anyways cause they think mom is blind and that I see for her. So then when she tells them to stop, they say Oh I didn't. And she gets to tell them she saw them. You should see the looks on their faces then. Now that is funny. My mommy lets people pet me sometimes too, and it's usually the smaller ones, the two legged puppies, and I like that. They are so cute. And they are my size some of them.

I am sorry you have tummy troubles. I don't like those. I get them sometimes too. But for me it is usually cause I ated something I wasn't s'pose to. My mom went to live in someone else's house for a few sleeps while the people who I could smell from in there were gone and she took me with her. And their dog He-Who-will-Someday-Catch-Birds, who they call Rusty taught me about garbage and how yummy it is. And I know mommy gets really upset if I eat it (though I don't know why) so I try not to, but sometimes I just can't help it. But yeah, you should tell your mom that you are fluffy. Maybe if she believes it, you will get more treats. MMMmmmm I like treats. Mom's got these nummy peanut butter and banana ones I like the best.

Anyhoo, mom had a very long day today and she is too tired to help me type more, so I have to go.

Wags, licks and loves,

Declan

PS How do I send treats on this thing? Cause I'll share...

Hi Declan,
Sorry didn't get on the puter yesterday but me and momzy were both just dog tired! Well at least I was dog tired I guess that makes her momzy tired!

Isn't it so grand that we get mail and not just our momzy! I remember stories my momzy would say that Sputnik would even get an approved credit card. Boy I am jealous I never gotten a credit card! Just think of all those treats we could get on such things. Yum Yum Yum.

I'm not sure how momzy sends photos much. I think she sends them by way of using photobucket or flicker. Of course that wouldn't be the same as being able to eat them. Not fare to look at them. Sigh!

My momzy gets embarrassed at me too when I burp and of course it has to be loud. After all that is the proper way to say thank you for a really good meal. Isn't it? I heard it was in some areas. Wish they were around here so momzy wouldn't think it's so rude!

Oh I did it again today, I waited til momzy was in the bathroom washing. There I go ringing the bells. She had to get dress and take me out. You are so lucky you get to go out on your own. Momzy says it's because we do not have a fence and that she has to go out with me. But she doesn't do her business outside like we have to. And she is all bundled up because of the cold and snowy weather. You are so right! Really they do not need that white big bowl of water to go in. They have all this big freshly green yard to play in. So they should go outside too. They make us! If that bowl was out of there I could have a nice quiet place to go and lay down. Where she wouldn't think of looking.

Hmmmm! I should get my companion friend Lil Lea to tell us how she gotten her momzy to make her a bathroom area indoors. She is such a little diva. If I was closer to them I wonder if she would mind me using it from time to time. Although Lil Lea is small enough that she could go underneath me and stay out of the rain.

Oh got to tell you this one, when momzy was teaching me to close doors as well as opening doors I actually played a joke on momzy and closed the door on her nose. Well I thought why wait for her to tell me close the door. It was open so I closed it! What's wrong with that? Except she wasn't too pleased about getting it in her face. Though I did see a little grin from her mouth. I think she was trying to not show it though. But I see all!

I haven't bonked my nose on such things but I have done it when I'm just about under the coffee table! So I know how you feel about that. Ouch! Wonder why they call it a coffee table. I don't see it being made out of coffee! It doesn't smell like coffee! But they call it coffee and of course a table. And they call us silly at times.

Momzy gets unhappy with people too. Especially those that continue doing such silly things. Momzy though laughs when people jump out of the way well that's because I am a big boy and I through my thought patterns to them. Saying move it I'm going to plow on through! No not really but it makes for a good laugh! Momzy gets upset more when people just cannot get the fact not to pet me. Especially when they go and say I know I shouldn't but you are so cute. And there is the patch that says not too. But momzy says if people cannot read signs on the door that says pull or push or the handicapped parking signs how can we expect them to read our signs that says do not pet. Although I do get a chance to get petted especially when people ask and those little ones they are so so cute when they ask. Then they do not know where they should pet me.

The worse are those people that talk to me. Like yesterday I could here it in momzy's voice when she kept saying Ignore People over, over and over again. But I was ignoring them they weren't doing it to me. When we were sitting in the lobby for a good half hour. Several times momzy had to just tell them do not speak to my dog. He's working! One person even after momzy told him and he stated he should know better as his mother had a guide dog. He then just before leave looks at me, bends down and says I will try not to talk to you the next time I see you. Duh! Was he visited by the brain fairy??? That's what my momzy tells me when I go oops I forgot! I don't do that too much but once in a while I get distracted and all.

No fun that your momzy wouldn't let you play with those balls. She is having fun why couldn't you too! They always seem to spoil our extra fun.

Well I got to get off soon.
Nice chatting with ya,
Catch ya later!