Funny Animal Pictures

Some funny pet pictures that I thought I'd share...

This is my kitty Sebastian on TOP of our kitchen cabinets. There is only a few inches between the top of the molding and the ceiling. Cats are so funny sometimes!!

Here's Booker in his typical sleeping position. Oh, to have the life of a dog....

Lucy playing cars with my son. He gave her the red one to play with, LOL.



A pretty pic of Lucy that my hubby took

Catching Up

Lucy and I did our visit in oncology at the hospital on July 2nd. She got to wear her sparkly 4th of July hairbow on her collar, so she looked really pretty. We spent a little extra time there visiting a patient that was getting his treatments. Lucy LOVED laying in the bed with him. He sat there and brushed her forever, which she really enjoyed. It was interesting though, because there was a baby crying in the next room and she really wanted to go see if he/she was okay. She kept looking up at me as if to say, "why aren't we over there???" We also had a pretty special moment in the waiting room. (This is where we usually are during this visit. The kids are there checking in and waiting until they are called to go to the treatment rooms.) A family brought in this little girl who was so weak, her mom was carrying her like a rag doll. It just broke my heart. They sat down on the other side of the room from where we were set up. After a few minutes, the mom caught my eye and asked if I could bring Lucy over to see her. We immediately headed that way and the little girl perked up quite a bit. She pet Lucy on the head and smiled really big. I showed her how silly Lucy loves to eat Cheerios (she does!) and how she shakes. Her mom said that this was the most active and excited she had seen her in a week.

Last night was our monthly ABLE meeting. We're still such a new organization, that we're working through a lot of membership and policy and procedure issues. It's always good for me to get together with these women though. We've become pretty close over the last year and it's wonderful to have the special bond and support system that we have. I was nominated to be VP of the group which is a huge honor!!! And, I really think we're making headway in getting more pet partner teams out there and visiting.

TB test

So, last Monday (a week ago) should have been our normal playroom visit at the hospital. But, I got an email letting me know that I was due for my annual TB test and that I couldn't volunteer again until it was done. So, we had to skip that visit. I went today to get the test, should have it read by Thursday and will be able to do our normal oncology clinic visit next week. Whew!

On June 13th we had a very successful dog evaluation-5 teams out of 7 passed! Woo hoo! ABLE also had a fun meeting last week so everyone got to meet some of the new teams. I'm also still working on the new location out by me. It sounds like it might work out, so that will be great! It looks like Lucy and I might get up above 4 visits per month if all works out....

June Visits...so far

I always do the hospital the first Thursday of the month, and that went well last week! We tried putting Lucy in the crate by the front door of the hospital and that didn't go over very well. She seems to like her quiet corner to hop in and out of it. Once we moved it over there, it took a little encouraging--but she did get in. Her visit went wonderful. The kids just love her and climb all over her. One of the moms set a 7 month old baby right in front of her on the floor and she (the baby) and Lucy had a blast! She would jingle Lucy's leash and collar and pet her face. Lucy just kissed her! Adorable! One of my favorite patients thanked me for bringing her in that day. He said that it makes it much easier for him to go in to have painful procedures done after he has a visit with a dog. (On this day we're in the oncology clinic so the kids are waiting their turns to get their chemo injections or treatments.) Comments like that just make it all worth it!!

On Saturday, we went to M. to see the "at-risk" teens and had another great visit there. The girls were super excited to see her and enjoyed hugging and laying on her.

This weekend is another dog evaluation which will probably be the last one until Sept. They are such a great experience to organize, but a lot of work. Although, I have a good system down now, so that is making things much easier. And, I'm soooo thankful that another member of the group has stepped up to help me with the organizing volunteers portion of the evaluations. (Thanks, Amy!!!) Now, I'm able to focus on the scheduling and handler issues that come up. I have met some WONDERFUL people doing this and really love it. Fingers crossed that some teams pass the evaluation this weekend! We need to get more teams out there visiting!!!

Grief Camp

Last weekend Lucy and I got to do something a little bit different then our "normal" visits. We went to the Healing Hearts Grief Camp for children who have lost one or both parents--most of which to long term illness. They had several teams come in and we were lucky enough to get to hang out with the kids for a few hours. Lucy did great, but she was not happy with me that I forgot her special mat. (She has 2 mats which I usually bring to her visits. One is a normal bath mat and the other is a lambswool mat. These create her "safe place" during visits and a soft place to lay down on hospital floors. They're also wonderful for putting in the bottom of the crate and I believe, were instrumental in helping her to feel comfortable getting in and out of the crate at the hospital.) We spent some time near the ropes course and then down where the kids were fishing. Lucy let out one small whine when she saw the lake since she LOVES to swim. But, then was totally fine with her hugs and lovin' from the kids instead of her usual lake swimming.

Monday night was our normal night at the hospital in the playroom. Again, I was so proud of her getting in and out of the crate! They brought out the wrong crate and I immediately asked them to switch it for her normal, open one. I've learned the that I have to be her advocate and not to push her out of her comfort zone. I always give her a "good" treat when she gets in and out and then feed her Cheerios during the elevator ride. (We watch her weight really closely so they are the perfect healthy training snack for her.)

We have successfully done 4 visits in May already which is great for us. It has always been my goal to maintain this schedule and hopefully, we can keep it up!

One big decision in the land of us and our animals....I've decided not to attempt to train or work towards getting Booker (my male lab) registered to do animal assisted activites. I have gone back and forth over this for the last few years, so this has been a long time coming. He's a wonderful dog and we love him to pieces, but....at the end of the day I do not trust him 150% like I do Lucy. There would always be a fear or uneasiness about it in the back of my mind, and that is not right. In general, I trust him and do not think he would ever do anything intentionally to hurt anyone, but I don't know how he would react in every situation. He has fear and skitishness that she has never exibited. It takes a very special dog to do this kind of work and there are only a few that have the temperament for it. We're so lucky (and have worked hard!) to have 2 well trained dogs. Booker can do many other things and brings so much joy into our lives in other ways. In fact, I just taught him a great new trick last week. I'll have to get that video on here soon.

Busy Girl!

Lucy had her first visit back at the hospital yesterday and she did WONDERFUL! I'm so so proud of her. She hopped right in the crate going up and down. We were in the oncology clinic and she got lots of loving! We sat in the waiting room where the kids hang out before they go back to get their treatments. After a little while, we went back and walked through some of the treatment rooms to say hello.

Today we did the Therapeutic Recreation Arts Festival all morning. This is an annual event here for kids with disabilities. There were school buses from all over! ABLE had a booth there which was right next to the rock climbing wall! Every time the kids climbed all the way up to the top a really loud siren went off. The dogs didn't quite know what to think about that! But, all of the kids were really sweet and everyone seemed really happy to have the dogs there.

This s a group picture of some of the dogs who were there today. I'm not sure what the dogs where all looking at, but there must of been something interesting on the ground! LOL

She did GREAT!

I'm so proud of Lucy girl. She did great today with the crate at the hospital! We drove her all around and she hopped in and out. Woo hoo!! She seemed excited and happy and only a little stressed. I think that the more we go and visit there, the more comfortable she will become. Whew! What a relief! We worked so hard....sometimes being stubborn really pays off!!!

Trying again...

Just a quick note to say that we're trying the crate again at the hospital tomorrow!! I'm very excited and hopeful that she is going to do FABULOUS!! We've been working so hard and she seems so adjusted to it. Keep your fingers crossed!!
I'll update after our visit...

SUCCESS!

We've had success!! Here's a picture for proof :)

Progress.

I'm very very excited because I can see HUGE improvement in Lucy with the small crate just since bringing it home yesterday. When we were at the hospital last week we had to have the side door open in addition to the front door. And, she wouldn't stay in there. I took this picture yesterday. The side door is shut AND she's doing a stay in there. Pretty good!

Baby steps...this picture below shows how I'm slowing getting her used to the idea that the top will open and fold down. We're now working with it slightly open like this. I'll keep opening it more and more until, eventually, I'll open it the entire way. Then, when she is happily going in and out that way, I'll try to shut it. We're running up to the crate and she's jumping in to a "load up" command. I started with using "load up" and then "down." Now, she knows that "load up" means get in and lay down. I know that I cannot force her in there and that with her temperament, the training must always stay positive. I'm basically making it a game for her. You kind of have to go a small step forward, and see if it works. If not, then you can back track. For example, today I opened the lid all the way to see what she'd do and it sort of freaked her out. So, I immediately went back to what she was comfortable with and praised the heck out of her when she did it correctly. I couldn't help but snap this funny picture of Booker sleeping in the crate. He's saying "Mommy, I'll do whatever you want-just take ME somewhere!!!" It is amazing though looking at these pictures how much alike they look.

Decision Made.

I went to Petsmart today to meet a guy to practice the neutral dog exercise. (This is one of the hardest parts of the Delta Evaluation.) When we were working in the back, I noticed that the crates exactly like the one they have at the hospital, were on sale--$50 OFF. So, that sort of made my decision for me. Now, I just need to continue working with Lucy and hopefully she'll be hopping into the crate before long without a problem! I also think that this could be a great car crate. I've always wanted one for the back of my SUV since it's not at all safe to drive around with a 70 lb dog lose if you get into an accident-for us or the dog. Obviously, this would not hold both dogs, but I think it's okay for one while we're driving to and from our volunteer stuff. Once she'll get in and out of it okay, that is.

Here's Booker testing out the new crate for us. He, of course, is perfectly crate trained, go figure.
This shows you how the long side opens up like a garage door and tucks into the top. The sides also open and there is a trap door at the top that you can open to give treats or let them look out.

I plan to keep updating on here how Lucy is doing with the crate. Dog training is not easy or predictable, but I have always loved it. For those of you who are wondering what the big deal is and why I'm so determined to take Lucy to the hospital, I'm pasting my description of our first visit there below (remember for some weird reason, Lucy did great with the crate on her first visit):

I must say that I am super proud of my Lucy girl. If she wasn't on a diet I would have bought her a hamburger! We had our first official visit at the hospital last night. A visit that was almost a year in the making. And, wow. Was it ever worth it. When we get to the hospital we have to wait in the front lobby for the volunteers to come down with a crate to get us and take us up to the playroom. There is a dog there every week at certain times so the kids are expecting us. Just in the few minutes while we were waiting, we had many families come and tell us that the kids were anxiously awaiting our arrival in the playroom! Then, this lady come up to us and asked me if this was a dog that visits the children. I told her yes, and introduced Lucy. She said that her Grandson was here, and that she knew that he would love to see a dog because he was really missing his at home. She also said that her and her husband usually do the night shift with him and that he hadn't been well enough to leave his room. So, she didn't think that he could come to the playroom to see Lucy. I told her that his doctor could request a bedside dog visit and she was really excited. She hugged on Lucy and then walked away. Soon, the volunteers came down with the big cart and crate and Lucy got right in! Whew! I was a tiny bit nervous about this part b/c Lucy does not like those blacked out crates-only the open wire ones. I really think that she "knows" that she is on her visits (wherever they may be) for a purpose...I think she got that this was a special place...When we rolled up to the playroom there were a ton of people waiting for us! She got lots and lots of hugs. Things kind of calmed down and we were sitting on her mat and in comes the Grandma that I talked with in the lobby and her whole family-grandson included. Wow. This was truly one of the most amazing moments of my life. The dad told me that his son hadn't left his room in over 4 weeks and that our visit tonight came in such good timing because he was finally well enough. They also had a black lab waiting for them at home that he missed terribly...(I was strong last night but I'm tearing up just thinking about it.) This little boy could make sounds and he had a board with letters on it. He would use a fisted hand and point to the letters to spell things out. G-O-O-D G-I-R-L L-U-C-Y and I-L-I-K-E-H-E-R. He held his hand over the edge of the wheelchair and she just sat there and let him rub on her head and ears. She kissed his hand and he loved it. He'd nudge her snout and she'd kiss and kiss his hand.I must say right now that if I ever, ever complain about my toddler/child/teenager, I need to get on my knees and be grateful that he is healthy. We spend our minutes making a million different decisions as mothers and at the end of the day, what is it all for? For our children to grow up and be happy and healthy adults. I need to keep this in perspective always. Always always. May I always have these experiences to keep me humble and to keep the thought close of how fragile life is. And, may I act in my life with my healthy child with half as much dignity and respect as this family. God be with them.

Crate Update...

Well, Lucy and I went to the hospital on Tuesday to try out the new crate. It was awesome, but too small for her....she can fit in there, but it's much smaller then what she is used too. I was able to work with her and get her to lay down in there, but she did not want me to shut the door. The people at the hospital were supportive and said we could come practice again. But, I'm soooo on the fence about this. I know that if I bought the same crate and could train at home and a few more times at the hospital, we could probably train through it and continue volunteering there. But, the crate is $160 and it's VERY hard for me to justify spending that on a crate we wouldn't really use. (I don't crate my dogs at all unless it's urgent. They're totally fine in the house for hours and will not chew/destroy/pee...We do have 2 huge open crates for them. One is in TX at my parents house and one is in our attic.) Not to mention, justify the amount of time and energy it would take to train through this when it's not a needed or useful thing at home....

However, it's extremely hard for me to give up on anything. When I set my mind on something, I do it. Period. And, I've been working since Feb 2008 for Lucy to go to this hospital. So, I feel like I HAVE to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal, otherwise, I'm just giving up.

I've been spending a lot of my time lately mulling this over and I haven't really gotten anywhere with my decision....hopefully, I'll come up with something soon, because as my Dad always says, "Sh*t or get off the pot." Make a decision and move on with your life, Kami.

New Crate

Lucy and I are headed to the hospital tomorrow to see if the new crate works for her. Keep your fingers crossed! I really hope that it goes well. We'll see!!!

We had our big meeting at R. last week and it went great. I'm really excited about having a place to visit that is close to home. Most of the places that Lucy and I go, we wind up driving about 30 mins or so. This place is right around the corner! Everyone there was positive about pet therapy and really looking forward to getting going. I'm hoping that we can find some more teams to head out this way and visit there! We should get to start visiting in May if all goes well.

We're creeping closer and closer to our next dog evaluation--May 2. We have 9 teams signed up this time, and several on a waiting list. It's always hectic the last few weeks leading up as teams have questions, or issues pop up. I'm still trying to finalize a neutral dog team and planning to help with a mock evaluation this weekend.

I also have our one year celebration for ABLE this week. I can't believe that I've been involved with the Delta Society and all these great people a year already!! Oh, how time flies. We have come so far and I'm really looking forward to seeing what the next year can bring.

New Facility

I have a meeting tomorrow at R. who is trying to start a pet therapy program. Scarlett is preparing a presentation that will show them the steps we take in order to get our dogs Delta registered, so that they know how difficult and througoug the screening process is. I'm really excited about being a part of this because it is the first time that I've been involved in the set up process at any facility. I know that there is always a LOT of red tape that hospitals or facilities must go through in order to get approval for the dogs to visit. They have health department regulations, internal rules and concerns of their own regarding patient safety and cleanliness that have to be addressed. It's our role as an organization to support them in sorting through all of that and setting up some sort of a policy and procedures. We also hope to be able to place willing pet partner teams in place to visit once all of that is done. I will be the liaison for our ABLE (Animals Brighten Lives Everywhere) for R. so I'll be there to check in with the visiting teams and the facility to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Hopefully, Lucy and I will be their first visit!

I've still be working with Lucy and the crate issue...the hospital got a much more open crate and we're hoping that it will be the ticket. If you're lost on this, here's the background....

Oh--and did I mention that the last time Lucy and I volunteered she decided she was afraid of the dark plastic crate??? So, we've been in serious training mode. I have probably spent hours and hours training with her over the last few weeks trying to get her ready for our visit on Thurs. (She has to ride in a crate to go up the elevator at the hospital.) Most of you know that I do NOT fool around with my dog training, so I'm not playing with this one. We're determined to work through it!!! You should see me jumping around like an idiot and crawling in the crate with her....TONS of positive reinforcement is the key!! Luckily, I have a friend on back up for our visit on Thurs if I do not think that she is crate ready yet....the odd thing is that she jumped in just fine on our first visit! I just do not get it....

We did our visit following this and she did okay going up the elevator, but would not get into the crate to go back down....since then we've been on a break to continue to train through it. One trainer that I talked to said that her issue was the movement of the crate and the floor of it. I've gotten a really thick bathmat with a non skid bottom which seems to be helping. But, this big trial will be the new and improved crate and putting it all together at the hospital.

If it doesn't work out, I'm not heartbroken. There are plenty of places that we can go that do not require crates. Lucy is such a wonderful dog and does beautifully on all of her visits. I know of several other opportunities that I'd like to pursue, but I just don't have the time right now. If the hospital doesn't work out, then that would open up some time for other things.

I created this blog because

I felt like Lucy and my work with animal assisted activities/therapy was kind of creeping into my family blog. I want to have this space to write about our experiences freely and also keep track of our visits. Sometime, I'm going to recap all of the hard work it took to get us where we are today. But, for now I'll just say that Lucy is one special dog. A lot of elements must come together to create a good pet partners team. I honestly feel blessed to have Lucy in my life and to get to share with her all the joy that she brings to others.