After team training, I was very nervous when going out with Crystal. There was a while where I wasn’t sure if it would always be so stressful, but I soon settled in and Crystal and I became more comfortable with each other. My job at the time was talking to kids about disability, so Crystal not only helped me do everyday activities but she helped me teach kids. I could now teach them more, about how to act around a service dog.
So what exactly does Crystal do? Well, she picks things up off the floor, she can open and close doors, cabinets, etc, she can turn on and off lights, and she loves to carry things. She gets so proud when she picks something up or carries something. Her body sways and she likes to show off: “Look what I can do!” She can give someone behind a counter a credit card by taking my card in her mouth, jumping “up” – putting her front legs on the counter – and giving the card to the person. Most people love to see her do this, and she loves it too.
People always ask me if she ever gets to play. My response? Of course, she’s still a dog (actually, some of my friends and I call our service dogs furry toddlers). She goes for walks, gets to lie around when I’m home, and gets to play. She has her days where she doesn’t want to listen, she has her days when she looks at me as if saying, “um, no”.
We’re going on our first plane trip together next month, a cross county trip that includes changing planes and both of our first times on a commuter plane. It’ll be an adventure, that’s for sure.
Jenna
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