Yesterday Frazer and I went to the Canine Partner Celebration day in the Midlands near Nottingham. We had a fabulous day. Its been 18 months since we qualified together as partners, There were lots of other people there with their dogs and we were invited up to tell our stories… of course me being soft ended up with tears streaming down my face as i told them what my life was when i became disabled and how Frazer has changed it so much. Frazer was a star he sat there as good as gold lapping up all the attention. It was lovely because he got to meet his puppy parents, they had looked after him from being a tiny puppy till he went to be trained as a guide dog, they were delighted to see him and he was pleased to see him too…He never made it as a guide dog because he had a slight cataract in one eye but went off to train as an assistance dog learning task work and how to walk with a wheelchair. I feel so privileged to have him.
what a lovely post, so glad you were able to participate. Fraser may not have got to be a guide dog, but he is one hell of an assistance dog in the way he has transformed your life…3 virtual cheers for Fraser and a (((hug))) for you.
I met a young lady with her assistance dog and she only had good things to say too. So nice that he had a chance to see his puppy parents too, love how animals always remember people, I think that’s why they make such good friends.
My sister’s dog actually has breathing problems when he sees me (reverse coughing?) as he gets so excited, I know I have to pat him quite firmly and calm his down. I’m ok with it now but he’s a Chihuahua, so I hated patting him so firmly to begin with but hate the fact he is clearly struggling to breathe! My Mum has 2 of them and my Mum thinks it’s hysterical that Bertie won’t stop licking me, apparently he doesn’t do it to anyone else in quite the same way… he’ loves my dodgy foot, so I reckon it’s just the coldness of it he likes. Either that or I taste really good to dogs.
Sonia x
ps. I hated Chi’s before my sister got Arnie, I thought they were like rats and people she get ‘proper’ dogs but I fell in love with him and he fell for my long hair
Thank you so much everyone for your kind messages, i have been so exhausted since monday , i think having got up before all those people wore me out emotionally, Its very humbling to see the difference that the dogs have made to their partners, sometimes ive felt bad knowing that there were people far worse than me. Ill always be so glad that ive got Frazer he really has changed my life.