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All the love in the world
Dec. 5th, 2012 03:36 pmOne year ago today, I had my first day of the training bootcamp thing for getting a service dog.
It was not easy. They warned me that the process was exhausting both physically and emotionally; even taking them at their word, I didn't have any way of comprehending just how hard it would be. I don't think I can explain even now.
The first week was long days of alternating lecture sessions (aka Learn A Bunch Of Stuff About Dogs, Dog Behaviour, And Dog Training) and practice sessions (aka very physical, very vocal, very engaging one-on-one work with the dogs). And said dogs, of course, had no reason to pay attention to us, and all sorts of reasons to pay attention to other people in the room. By the second week I was so exhausted, so utterly out of spoons, that I was spending a good portion of my energy trying not to burst into tears over random stuff.
One year ago today, I had met a bunch of dogs -- Yahtzee, Yarrow, Zane, Chrissy, White, Ollie, Nora, Nim -- but I didn't know which one I would end up getting paired with. Spoiler: it ended up being Yahtzee.
I kind of wish I could remember my pre-assignment interactions with the dogs, but I couldn't even really keep them straight at the time; it was all just DOGDOGDOG.
I do remember that a year ago, it was next to impossible to get whichever dog I was working with to even look at me, let alone follow any commands.
(Our relationship still isn't seamless, and there are times when he tries pulling the "durr what, I don't speak the Englishes" thing on me, but it's so much better than it was.)
It's been a year. It seems like longer -- I can barely remember Life Before Dog -- and shorter at the same time. And --
*intermission music* Entry is put on hold due to SOMEBODY barking his fool head off idek. It's like in the last week he decided he was actually a *dog* or something. Please wait...
-- and I can't quite describe how much he adds to my life. Some of it's the "service" part, like how if I'm out and about and I drop something I can actually retrieve it now. Some of it's the "dog" part, like the overwhelming unconditional love and the constant ridorkulousness and the heart-melting adorableness. And some of it's the "Yahtzee" part.
I don't really feel like I deserve him, but I am so very glad I have him.
♥
It was not easy. They warned me that the process was exhausting both physically and emotionally; even taking them at their word, I didn't have any way of comprehending just how hard it would be. I don't think I can explain even now.
The first week was long days of alternating lecture sessions (aka Learn A Bunch Of Stuff About Dogs, Dog Behaviour, And Dog Training) and practice sessions (aka very physical, very vocal, very engaging one-on-one work with the dogs). And said dogs, of course, had no reason to pay attention to us, and all sorts of reasons to pay attention to other people in the room. By the second week I was so exhausted, so utterly out of spoons, that I was spending a good portion of my energy trying not to burst into tears over random stuff.
One year ago today, I had met a bunch of dogs -- Yahtzee, Yarrow, Zane, Chrissy, White, Ollie, Nora, Nim -- but I didn't know which one I would end up getting paired with. Spoiler: it ended up being Yahtzee.
I kind of wish I could remember my pre-assignment interactions with the dogs, but I couldn't even really keep them straight at the time; it was all just DOGDOGDOG.
I do remember that a year ago, it was next to impossible to get whichever dog I was working with to even look at me, let alone follow any commands.
(Our relationship still isn't seamless, and there are times when he tries pulling the "durr what, I don't speak the Englishes" thing on me, but it's so much better than it was.)
It's been a year. It seems like longer -- I can barely remember Life Before Dog -- and shorter at the same time. And --
*intermission music* Entry is put on hold due to SOMEBODY barking his fool head off idek. It's like in the last week he decided he was actually a *dog* or something. Please wait...
-- and I can't quite describe how much he adds to my life. Some of it's the "service" part, like how if I'm out and about and I drop something I can actually retrieve it now. Some of it's the "dog" part, like the overwhelming unconditional love and the constant ridorkulousness and the heart-melting adorableness. And some of it's the "Yahtzee" part.
I don't really feel like I deserve him, but I am so very glad I have him.
♥