Service Dork In Training

Dipper is a blue and white parti puppy on a mission, learning to become a pulmonary hypertension (light mobility) and psychiatric service dog. It's a terrifying adventure, and we're figuring it all out one step at a time! Fair warning: there'll be un-Dipper related nonsense on here as well)

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Sooooo much updating is necessary! It's been MONTHS and a looot has happened. Chiefly: Dipper has been washed. Not through any particular fault of his own; I've been feeling more and more rubbish the last few months and am having trouble keeping up with school, never mind training. It SUCKS. But, on the up side, I'm going in for a heart-double-lung transplant consultation in a few days! Exciting and nerve wracking stuff!! We're gonna evaluate whether or not I'm a good candidate, and hopefully transplant happens within the next two years. More Fuzzy Fart Ball pictures to come! When the new computer arrives... mine green screen of death-ed about two months ago T-T

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Haven't posted in ages mostly due to broken computer and no replacement. But!! I'm going into hospital Monday to Wednesday and need GOOD books in which to completely loose myself. Preferably something light, well written, and fast paced. Any recommendations? Thanks!

Also please bear with me as I try and fail to use the phone app. I am technologically challenged and have yet to figure out how to REPLY.

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In front of the grocery today:

Guy: What kind of Dalmatian is that?

Me: Poodle.

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I started summer classes on Monday, and today (Wednesday) I went into the bathroom during break. I came out of the stall to wash my hands, this girl sees me and gasps. She gasps guys. And she goes “Oh my god, what happened to you!” because apparently she could see my chest bandage poking out from under my shirt and strategically-placed ponytail. (Didn’t have my POC with me; she'd have gasped so big she’d faint due to lack of oxygen. Irony.)

I’m not a sassy person. Usually. So when people ask ‘what’s wrong’ with me I use the response to... educate? Basically I confound them with medical terms and walk away while they go WTF DOES THAT MEAN?! I explained to this girl that I have Pulmonary Hypertension, the bandage covers an intravenous delivery of 24/7 medication via Hickman line. And her response was: “You’re so brave!” I had no idea what to say, so I went “THANKS!” and left.

I dunno about you guys, but I HATE it when strangers randomly tell me I’m brave. It’s always based on absolutely zero evidence, like that up there. It’s kind of insulting. It’s basically saying I’m brave for leaving my house today. I know it’s well-meaning, and she was very sweet, but all the same I shouldn’t be called ‘brave’ for doing something as mundane as going to class, which is super menial and expected of everyone else. That’s like getting a pat on the back for not being dead today. I’m not brave for living my life - I’m just living my life. I have literally no choice; that’s not brave, that’s existence. It irks me. Tell me I’m brave if I climb up a glass building using only plungers as suction cups. Don’t tell me I’m brave for showing up today. 

End rant. Thank you for listening xD

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I just found out this way of laying down is called splooting. It’s the most accurate word in the English language. That’s totally the sound he makes when he flops onto his belly.

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The most reluctant cuddle in the world

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Photos from a few weeks ago, when his haircut was still fresh. Gotta touch it up this weekend. Wish me luck and determination! 

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Any tips for someone training a service dog while having social anxiety? I get so nervous publicly working through commands. If he makes little mistakes I feel like everyone is watching, and too polite to turn people away when they start trying to pet him without asking.

I can relate to this so much, it’s like you jumped into my brain and yanked on ‘emotions’. Public access/training is a constant uphill battle for me because, like you, I feel like everybody’s watching and judging me. I have SUCH a hard time telling people not to pet him as well. I’m still trying to find the middle ground between my anxiety and the rest of the world, but what I find really helps is if someone else is there with me to fend people off. 

That said, I usually do public access alone. If someone wants to pet him, instead of saying “NO DON’T DO THAT!” (I’m completely incapable of that) I try to turn it into a training exercise. I say “Terribly sorry, we’re training at the moment. Would you like to help us out?” And then they give him treats for staying in a sit when they greet him (he gets very excited meeting new people) or they go “OH sorry!” and walk away. It’s non-confrontational, polite, and doesn’t make people feel alienated. It’s taken me a long time to get this down, and even so, I still don’t catch people in time. I stumble over my words and get frustrated and then it’s too late to do anything because they’re already playing with Dipper. I’m working on a business card for him that I can give to people that pretty much says ‘WAIT!’ on the front because something like that distracts the ‘pet-the-puppy!!!’ nuts and gives me time to react.

As to training in public, I know I personally need to build my confidence. I go somewhere in the middle of the day/morning/a weekday, somewhere small and practically empty, and that’s where I do a lot of my in-public training. I find a row where nobody can watch me, and we work. It’s what I’ll continue to do until I feel a bit more comfortable. I have a tendency to dive right into things and push myself out of my comfort zone, but if I’m freaking out, Dipper feels it, and we accomplish nothing. Hopefully doing something like that can help you out as well, working in a place that’s pretty abandoned during the day. It really helps me focus on him, and not on what anyone else is thinking.

I hope some of this is helpful! Keeping in mind that you and your dog are SUPER NOT someone else and their SDiT is very helpful as well. I have a tendency to compare Dipper with other teams and I freak out because I feel like he’s falling behind, and then I tell myself that’s pointless because we’re not on any kind of time limit. What works for someone else may not work for me and Dip, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I have a hard time accepting that, and I have to keep repeating it over and over again. If you’re like me, make that your mantra! lol! 

[dipper-at-work]

Just got back from holiday in LA and summer classes start Monday! Bleeeegh. A lovely woman came to our house the day we were driving down to play with the dogs, since our dog sitter/buddy couldn’t get to them till six or so and we left at six in the morning. I wound up paying someone WAY too much money to watch my dogs play in the backyard. But it set my mind at ease! And look how happy they were to have a stranger in the house! Good to know our home is well protected... xD

[dipper-at-work]

Decided to move a step backward with Dippy’s PA training today. I realised I’ve been dreading going out with him because of the confrontation from people, (stopping every ten feet for people to talk about my dog or their dog or dead dogs in general) and the shadow of a possibility that people are judging us and going ‘THEY’RE NOT REAL!’ When we do go out I’m super high strung, which rubs off on him and makes him nervous, which makes me frustrated... it’s a vicious cycle T-T

 I know people say not to freak out when you have to move backward in training, but I’m feeling a bit down about it. It’ll be better in the long run I’m sure. We’ll practice in some dog-friendly places for the moment until we get our heads back in the game (me in particular. Primarily me. I’m the problem here. I’M GONNA FIX IT!)

[dipper-at-work]

HOKAY SO my computer has decided to be an ass-hat so I have to take it to the place computers go to die or redeem themselves. More commonly known as the genius bar. 

ANYWAY! This is a bit of love for @the-pasta-pack of gorgeous mister Fawkes! Thank you for being my 300th follower! I hope it looks like him! -dies- Brindle is my nemesis -weeps in corner- 

Assuming my computer doesn’t move on to a better place, I think I might try doing this for every 100th follower, because I had so much fun doing this one! The colour/pattern/markings were super challenging and I had to redo the brindle like three times, but it was still a really enjoyable piece. I actually really love drawing other people’s dogs, because you get to work from refs and it’s satisfying when they look like they’re supposed to ._. lol

[dipper-at-work]

Why sit ON the couch when you can sit IN it? What are we, the Royal Family?

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BLUE POODLE NOODLE

Not the best picture of Dippy, but I wanted to post it because you can actually see where he’s starting to clear (throw back to the post about what the hell is a blue poodle). You can’t see the ear very well, but you can see the lightest part of his spectacles and where he’s starting to clear at the temples and on his top knot. I circled the most obvious bits, but you can see his TK has a bit of a dust/satiny/gradient-y look to it rather than being true black. 

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Anyone else’s pupper do sit stupud? Dipper’s king of stupid sitting. I don’t understand how that could possibly be comfortable. If you guys have any pictures of your dogs sitting like morons, send them my way!

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Poodle smiles!

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Took some pictures this afternoon while we were playing tug and fetch. In pretty much all of these he’s eyeballing the rope I’m holding over my head.