what a heart
written by its about time , August 02, 2008 (06:42:07 PM)

they may be small but they don't know that. we have a pommerainein and he sure is a bundle of joy. we have had him only for 4 months and already he goes and gets his leash. for the retired and those that are alone they are a joy and blessing to have. glad that you are alright. keep the little guy and give him an extra treat for his braviory

Now that is a story...
written by Thoughtful , August 03, 2008 (09:11:42 PM)

That little dog is truly a hero, to bad it couldn't be a role model for some humanoids. Thanks PG Citizen for printing this, you made my day. :o)

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written by allniter , August 04, 2008 (01:54:05 AM)

My daughter has a dog that really looks out for her, even though the dog has had no formal training. A good dog is a fabulous animal. Big or little, our canine buddies have heart. Lots of it.

Our companion pooches deserve the best care and the best training we can give them, no less. I agree, Thoughtful, on the 'humanoid' statement--nicely said! :) You too, 'it's about time'.

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written by travhops , August 04, 2008 (10:57:27 PM)

Thank you for the kind comments. I work closely with the Canadian Service Dog Association and see people often whose lives would be so enhanced by a Service Dog. Spud's favorite treat is a Wendy's cheeseburger and, believe me, after I got my chair operational again (took a while), off we went. I'd initially told this story to Chris, Spud's favorite cashier at Save On Foods, and she took it to the Citizen. The management and staff at Save On, Spruceland, have always been so supportive of Spud and I and I'd like to publicly thank them here. This little guy has made such a huge difference in my life, truly my right hand and best friend.

That is so cool, travhops...
written by Thoughtful , August 05, 2008 (09:12:38 PM)

Glad you have a dog like Spud, and he has a favorite reward. I'm glad he has a friend like Chris too. I'd love to buy Spud a burger, but that would not be good, as the dog associates burger as reward, but nevertheless my best wishes to all, including the Citizen for such a happy story..:o)

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written by travhops , August 09, 2008 (10:35:50 AM)

That story impacted a lot of people, thank you Citizen. People are stopping us to chat and ask questions, many from folks who have a friend or relative who could benefit from a Service Dog, which really pleases me - getting the word out. I did have one very indignant lady who said this poor dog is nothing but a "slave". Not so. Spud is a happy little clown who loves people, has most of his day to do dog things, has neighborhood children come daily to play with him. As for when he is helping me, he never does a task that on completion he doesn't get a pat and a "good boy" or "thank you". Anyone who has dogs or trains them understands how pleased a dog is when he's done a good job. This isn't an owner-slave relationship, it's a partnership. We take care of each other. Spud was trained using the clicker method, which is only positive reinforcement. He has an ID card that identifies him as a mobility assistance dog. He could wear a Service Dog vest but I found it very difficult and frustrating to put on with one hand so carrying ID works best for us. He is so well known in Prince George I rarely need to produce it anymore, but when traveling it's a different matter. Spud was trained by Mary Zacharatos, a nationally known trainer who so kindly donated her time. I will forever be grateful to this amazing woman. She now runs a dog training school in Kamloops and has trained at least two Canadian Champions in Agility. I can legally take Spud into a restaurant but if I drop my fork in a restaurant, I'm not going to have him pick it up for me to use again. He will sit quietly at my feet but I'd rather he be at home snoozing or playing with toys. He is very funny at Spruceland when he sees someone litter as on his own volition he will pick it up and give to me to throw in the garbage, eliciting many an embarrassed response from the person who threw it. While waiting for a city bus, we clean up litter there. That back-fired on us once when we were walking in Freeman Park and noticed litter all over one of the ball diamonds. We were busy cleaning up until we were approached by an RCMP Officer in uniform. He said "While I really hate to discourage civic mindedness, you are in a crime scene." Only then did I notice all the yellow crime scene tape! My life has been so enhanced by Spud, not only by all the help he gives me, but by the 24 hour a day, loving companionship. We have a very rewarding, happy life together, only marred on occasion by aggressive, unleashed dogs, Spud having been injured twice. I know my friend who uses a Gude Dog also says they are his biggest fear.