Holiday Time

Hello Friends,

I thought it was a good time to stick my head out of my hole and communicate again (c:

We are here at Christmas and I thought I would share a bit of my experiences over the past 6 yrs. that I've been with Summit.  This is the season when most everyone is happier and more touchy/feely about things which means more distraction for your dog.  I'll give you an example.

I went into the store with Krypton and just had to pick up a couple of things.  So, I finished my shopping and went to the end aisle to be out of the way.  Well, as I was putting the basket on the belt, I heard a little kid say "DOGGY!"  In that split second, Krypton got up from a sit and was turned completely around to lick that little girl.  Her parents were all gooey and trying to explain to this youngster what kind of a dog he was.  It followed that the parents said, "What can he do?"  Well, I didn't have my doggy kit with me (because I thought it was going to be a quick trip) but I did have a slipper on my foot so I proceeded to have Krypton pull it off.  He did and they were amazed and asked what else he could do?  Remember, all the time I'm trying to communicate with the checker about my groceries and keep an eye out for any people who may be in line and not that impressed with the situation that is causing them to have to wait.  I decided to put the slipper up on the shelf and K could get it and then give it to me.  Well, as my brain was quickly trying to figure this out, the slipper fell on the floor.  K picked it up and my purse fell down and I was soon to lose the 2 grocery bags in my chair.  It was a little like the Keystone Cops for those of you who are not too young to be familiar with them.  I put the slipper up on the shelf, he upped on the counter and did just what a could assistance dog does....gave it back to me.  The courtesy clerk was trying to help me put my slipper back on but I went ahead and did it.  All I wanted was to get out of that place because in all the action that was taking place at our check stand we had drawn the attention of the whole store.

Now, I've tried to go over it in my mind and wondered if I could have done anything differently and because of my interest in sharing my dog because he gives people smiles, I don't think I could.  We were ambushed by that sweet little girl and couldn't resist.  I write this to let you know that you may come in contact with this sort of situation.  What will you do?  Can you handle your animal if he gets distracted?  Do you need to take someone with you to help?  Is it necessary that you go to the store?  Can  you send someone else?  The answer to all of these questions is whatever you answer them with.  What it did for me was to remind me that the season is upon us and I am going to have to be more diligent and decide how much I can take on my outing.  If I'm tired and/or hurting, I've decided to allow people to help me like they are always asking to.  I will make the plan before I leave, on how I'm going to behave to be constructive to all involved, be productive and let K do what he does best, and.........decide to gently talk with the people who are wanting my attention at the moment I am busiest and trying to keep my mind on myself, my behavior, my dog's behavior and the people who see us.

It sounds like a lot because it is.  But, it really doesn't take away from my season.  I have just learned with age that often times it's good to just roll with the punches.  People are goosey this time of year so just be prepared and have a ball.  See you next time.  wq

The Life of a Service Dog

Continued saga by Morgan, Summit Assistance Dog, as dictated to his human, Alice


Woof! The other day I was out walking my person, visiting with two other nice girl dogs, Ginger and Terra. The humans were talking, and we were all sniffing and yearning to run off leash and play together. While we were standing by Page and Terra’s home, still talking (Alice does talk quite a lot for a human; she talks to me all the time.), a big grey husky- type dog came around the corner,(with NO person attached to his leash). We sensed its presence before our talking humans did. Terra started barking, so I decided, why not and joined in to warn that dog to get out of here! He left. Alice says I have a deep, noble sounding bark, but I’m usually very quiet.

Lately I have been feeling my age. (I am, after all, about 50ish in dog years).
Alice noticed that I wasn’t feeling up to snuff, and so she made an appointment for me to see the chiropractor. I have a really long body, and my spine goes out of whack once in awhile, just like humans do, although they walk on two legs, not four. The good doctor has this snappy sounding thingy she uses on my back to help get it aligned, and she also does energy work on me. ME! It’s all about me!

I have been working quite a lot this week. Last night I was under a table for over three hours. I went to the movies, and a 300 hundred-mile car ride on the weekend. The humans were so excited about going all that way to see a bunch of tall, skinny red-topped birds. I think they’re called ant hill cranes or something. They made me stay in the car, I am a bird dog after all. Boy one of those big birds would look really cool in my soft mouth, flapping and squawking away!

I also went to a couple of restaurants and two workshops. I went to the physical therapists ands the library, grocery store, and post office. You get the picture: lots of jumping in and out of the car. I should get paid by the hour, not just in treats and kibble.

Now I’m not complaining; my job is to take care of my person, Alice, and how can I do that when they leave me at home?

Wayne always says something stupid about guarding the cats while they are gone. Those two cats don’t need guarding; they need to be told where their place is!

I mentioned some of my favorite dogs around here. Here is a picture of Aishan, the wolf looking guy. He’s much bigger than I am, but he looks small when he is all curled up. Just look how long those legs are! I misspelled his name last time (rather Alice did).



The November weather is still good for long walks lately, and now that my back is fixed (thanks, doctor!) I will once again enjoy checking all that pee-mail out there.

Alice actually slept in this morning and let me get up on the bed with her. The cats had to be part of that too, but I just ignored them.

Next week we are going out to our country friends for Thanksgiving (whatever: I don’t get any people food, so no biggie),and they have two dogs, five horses and turkeys and chickens, and the best part, they let me roam free! I must admit, horse doo-doo is a delicacy! So that will be nice. Plus Alice and Wayne bring home firewood, to make fires in the fireplace when it is cold out. I like having a fire. It’s sooo primeval.

Well, that’s about it. Oh, and I went to the elementary school, too, this week, and soon I will show the kids (second graders) how I can read with flashcards. I have about 7 words down solid. If Alice wants me to learn more words, she’s going to have to bring out the big-gun treats. (Cheese, Grommit!) I am also going dog dancing on Saturday, Yahoooo!

Woof! Morgan, Summit Assistance Dog,
as channeled through Alice

Louise and Bailey

Louise and Bailey are one team among Summit's recent graduates. Louise posted to the blog on her "dream come true" and she sent me this photograph taken for her Summit ID card. I think it's a great photo and it shows an important aspect of what Summit does by helping nurture the emotional connection between a person and their assistance dog. What a great photo!

Anne, Andrew and Scout

After 2+ years of plotting, planning, manipulating and anguish, it’s done, finished. Scout has been with Andrew and me since 8/22/07. It was not easy.

First came the acknowledgment that Andrew was aging. The signs were not obvious; after all he didn’t have a physically taxing job. His work was simple bracing, carrying a basket up and down stairs, carrying an empty trash can from the front door to the kitchen, picking up things and accompanying me.

First to go was carrying the basket. Just shy of his 10th birthday I noticed him getting a little wobbly in his back end. Also I could hear the sound his nails made as he dragged his back paws. A visit to the neurologist confirmed he was loosing feeling in his hindquarters. The diagnosis was narrowing of the spinal column that compressed nerves going down to his back paws. A progressive but not a deadly problem, exercise should help.

It was time to begin the search for Andrew’s successor. So many  options, which would be the least stressful and best for me? Would I get a program dog and if so where? Or would I get a dog first and have him/her trained? If I choose this option where would the dog come from and who would do the training.

Because of Andrew I longed another German Shepherd. Programs usually stick with more amiable and easier to train dogs like Goldens and Labs. GSD’s are rarely available. So I would have find the dog and then someone to do the training. So much to think about and so much to decide…

About this time our Assistance Dog Club program had a panel of representatives from 3 programs speak at a meeting. Sue Meinzinger of Summit Assistance Dogs in Anacortes especially impressed me.

Eventually I sent in my application to Summit. No small task since their process is extraordinarily meticulous. A few weeks later I got a call from Elizabeth, their applications coordinator. We made and appointment for her to come for an in-home interview. The interview took and hour and again I was impressed with the level of professionalism I saw. At every step of the way they stressed the wait for a dog can be years.

After a few months I was called to come to Anacortes for an   assessment. Tess was asked to come too, Andrew as well; they want all family members included in the assessment. Seemed like all the Summit staff and even a couple of volunteers were present.

At the assessment I was asked to work with a series of 4 dogs of different temperament. As I interacted with the dogs I could see people furiously filling out forms, they were at it again. It was obvious that the high energy, high intensity dogs were too much for me.

It was quite a relief to think about a calm, quiet dog that would not need hours of exercise every day, have an opinion on every little detail, think through all possible permutations of anything until the best possible solution became obvious. Andrew is wonderful, but at times he is a bit much.

I wish I could have just let the process with Summit evolve, but I  had too many complexities in my life. Inca, the black GSD pup being fostered by Leana, triggered my longing for a Shepherd. After months of going back and forth, Yes, Inca would be perfect, No, this is ridiculous, and getting sick for 3 months it finally became abundantly clear Inca was not for me. I simply do not have the strength and stamina to cope with anything but the mildest of dogs.

Then another call from Summit came, “Come for another assessment”. This time it was 3 quiet, calm dogs, a little brown one, a Shepherd mix and a black Collie/Lab mix. I barely noticed the little guy, after all, my dog is supposed to black and/or a shepherd, not brown. But he did have a very subtle charm. And if you disregarded his color he had Shepherd outline and POINTY EARS! Scout.

A few weeks later I got the phone call from Debbie Craig telling me that sweet, gentle, little brown dog named Scout would be mine.  A new chapter in my life began at that point in time.

Anne, Andrew and Scout

“Hey, whose walk is this anyway?”

A November 2007 blog from Morgan, Summit Assistance Dog

More pictures of ME~! It’s always about me, isn’t it?

Alice has been taking me for long daily walks lately, since the weather here has been super nice. (Lots of sun and blue skies). The leaves are almost all down and the new smells on the ground are ever so enticing.

But Alice won’t allow me to sniff when we are going for walks, usually. She makes me walk right beside her on the trail, when all I really want to do is go off, and smell the earth.

She takes me to the off leash doggie play area, in Park Plazas where we live. It’s really an old tennis court. but it’ll do fine. She lets me off leash, and usually it’s in the middle of the day, and we have the place all to ourselves. There are lots of other dogs that live in the area, but most of them are little yappers (I call em dessert dogs).

Two of my favorite buddies here are I-Shon (a super big wolf looking guy who is a true spiritual dog,) and Prince Kelly, a smart little white Bichon Frieze who went to the rainbow bridge about two months ago. I miss him, as does his human, Wendy. She comes over sometimes to “borrow” me and go for walkies.

Alice throws the tennis ball (What is the big deal about balls anyway, I wonder). So I chase them until I get bored and take the ball over to the shady area, lie down and communicate that I am tired of playing the stupid ball throwing and chasing game. 

Um, can we do something different now, Ma?

I did my service dog thing tonight. I went with Alice and her neighbor friend to the Zia Diner. We always ask for a booth cause then I just go in and disappear for a while. I know Alice had some yummy treats left over in her pocket from dog dancing this morning, so I made sure I was really good, and then she might reward me with some treats.

My motto: Will work for Treats. 

When we got to the car she dropped her keys not once but twice, so I got them for her both times, and then did the perfect “car” command, and then she rewarded me with mucho praise. Not as good as a cookie, but pretty good!

Another part of our life together is grooming. I like to have my teeth brushed, but I don’t like to have my ears cleaned or my nails clipped. I love being brushed (It’s all about ME, right?) but I don’t like having my rear end or tail brushed. (That’s getting too personal) Sometimes Alice pulls with the brush too hard: ow!

I think red-gold dog hair looks good on black sweaters and black pants, don’t you?

Last time my human pack dad said my blog on Halloween was four dog bones, That’s the same as four red chilies for movies in town. I go to the movies with Alice and Wayne; popcorn rains down from the ceiling sometimes.

So I go on walks with Alice. I ask you, who is walking whom? Whose walk is it anyway?  Whenever I go out with Alice she always gets compliments on what good-looking well- behaved dog I am. I’m not vain or anything, but yeah, after all that training and Alice’s good grooming, we make a nice impression on people. I like how everyone smiles at us. I smile back sometimes…

Later, woof!

Morgan, class of 2002, (As dictated to Alice, his human)