Some pictures of our everyday life!

In addition to being a medical/mobility service dog, Ranger is also a Psy SD.  I'm never embarrassed about my psychiatric disabilities and I'm *proud* of how well Ranger does his job to help me get out and live a "normal" life.  Having the harness from Bold Lead Service Dog equipment (Katrina Boldry) has taken us to the next level.

This tree was given to us as a memorial tree in rememberence of my dad.  Its a redbud tree, but this particular kind has great purple blooms in the early spring.  We decided to put a brick border around it and to plant some hostas and Lily of the Valley in there - maybe some creeping myrtle.  This was Ranger's first day with the harness.  We went down to Home Depot and got the bricks for the tree and then he sat with me, helping me up/down the curb as needed, while I  placed the first few bricks to get the circle the right diameter and looking "just right."

Yes, he thinks I'm insane when I start taking pictures of him!  There's so much that I am able to do because I have him with me.  My anxiety about someone coming up on me without me knowing is mostly gone when I have him with me.  I can get outside and do things like this and know that he'll let me know if/when someone is approaching, even if I don't see it.   I can make it up and down the curb (which is a BIG curb!) and the front porch with his help - especially difficult without him since there's no handrail there yet!  My feelings of isolation and loneliness are so much less intense most of the time.  He makes me *have* to get out of the house, if for no other reason than he needs to get out of the house.

For years, people kept trying to give me drugs to help battle these things - anxiety, ADD, bipolar, fibromyalgia, and the 'yet-to-be-determined' neurologic condition which encompasses *so* many symptoms -  migraines, vertigo and balance issues, gait instability, dead/numb legs, arms and hands; loss of grip in the right hand, excrutiating back and hip pain to an almost paralyzing degree.  Medication *does* help some of these things.  Some medications helped more than others but left me feeling foggy, disoriented, sleepy, and miserable.  They also couldn't help me up off the floor when my legs won't move, anticipate when I'm overtired or the medication has kicked in and is making me disoriented, help me walk when my back and hip hurt, or brace me when I get hit with a vertigo attack.  ---  *my* miracle 'drug' is Ranger.  In my early-30s, the idea of having to use a cane already was heartbreaking and mentally debilitating.  Having to use a service dog, empowering.

Life with a service dog in (and out) of the house is not easy.  I have never understood why people who *dont* need service dogs would lie just to *choose* to say their dog is a service dog and have them out and about in places they shouldn't be.  A true service dog team travels with the doggy equivalent of a 'diaper bag.' We're ready with emergency supplies, collapsible bowls, our gear... anything we need to make ourselves least intrusive to others.  Your dog has to eliminate on command so you know they empty themselves before going into someplace (like a restaurant or mall or movie theater!) -- It can not beg or be fed people food.  In fact, Ranger is not allowed to eat food off the floor period, unless he's given a command.  It can not sniff passersby or act out.   You must pre-plan feeding and elimination schedules so they coincide with whatever you're doing and make sure your dog is acclimated to eliminating in all sorts of conditions - even on asphalt or concrete!  You must be aware, at all times, of what your dog is doing.  Are they in the way?  Do they need to be moved in front of you or behind you or under a table or closer... or... --- In the beginning it takes a lot of thought and planning and patience.  As you get used to it, it becomes second nature.  His bag is, for the most part, pre-packed for day trips in the car.  Anything less than that and its even more bare bones than that! Leash, harness, carseat cover (and collapsible bowl for water in the summer time of course!)

Ranger has been the biggest blessing in my life.  I've learned so much from him and through this journey with him.  Would I ever have another service dog - *absolutely!* --  Would I choose to train my own again - probably.  While I *hate* the puppy stage, I like that we got to bond together from day one.  The separation anxiety he has is with *me* specifically - we have a great bond and work well together as a team.  I think getting an older dog or a program dog would have been easier in that their tasks would have already been trained, but harder in that I wouldn't be able to pick out my own breed *and* that bond that's so solid with Ranger would've taken longer and more work to develop because the dogs would have gotten used to bonding and losing many times before they got to me.  I love that Ranger trusts me - and knows that *I* am his mate - the one who is there with him and loves him.  He doesnt have to worry about losing me and moving on to someone else.

Jessica and Ranger
Lunar K9s Service Dog Team

Travel and the anxious agorophobic service dog handler!

Oh me-oh, oh my-oh.... what do you get when you mix a weekend trip with an agorophobic service dog handler, a flight to a new place, and oh yes, the no-confidence dog?!  --- I do NOT want to find out.

The last time I flew anywhere was back in 2002.   Truth is, I don't hate flying; I loathe leaving the house.  I despise traveling.   I really do.  If you offered me a vacation to Europe... before Ranger, I couldn't do it.  *With* Ranger, when he was confident and truly sure of himself, I'd have been leery, but I would've probably been ok.  *NOW*???  I have no idea what the hell I was thinking saying 'yes' to a weekend trip away!  Even the thought of taking a weekend car-trip some place has me on edge, and not just because it would be with my mother/brother!!

Ok... I can hear the other PSD trainer/handlers out there saying 'breathe... just breathe... you can do this...'  I'm breathing... believe me...  I'm breathing.   I still find myself anxious and absolutely petrified every day as it approaches.

Today, for example, I made up my 'lists' -  the 'pack for Ranger;' 'pack for myself;' and 'things to do before I leave' lists.  (Yes, they really *were* in that order!)  Thank goodness service dogs get their own bag because traveling with a 60-pound dog on a flight, even for a weekend... ugh!  His 'place' mat, his seat cover, his bowls, his wubba, his kongs, stuffing for the kongs and training treats, poop bags, his shampoo/brush/towels/etc (just in case!), harness, bedcover...

Of course I'm also realizing all the things I *dont* have for trips with him because we never *take* them.  When he was a puppy, about 8 months old, we stayed with my sister and brother-in-law and their family for a couple of weeks along with my other dog at the time, Jasmine.  That was easy enough to do because they could (and did) both sleep well in the same crate and it was a much smaller and easier to transport crate and we drove.  This time I need a collapsible crate that can fold flat to travel, lightweight and will fit a 26", 60 pound dog!  

I also have to have food shipped directly there as I dont know the local pet supply places in the area (carrying food on the plane is not only a hassle but adds extra weight to the bags!).   Vet visit to get health certificate - not huge because we had to go get his annual done anyway.  Make up his ID card and get him a new dog-tag with the appropriate info on it.  Outings to busy places for socialization and confidence building.  "Foundation" reinforcements.  His list is HUGE!

Of course, in the midst of all this, we'll also be doing the Douglas County Relay for Life!  Which means I've got TWO weeks to do some seriously intensive work on him to help him build his confidence (Again, someone please tell me what the hell was I thinking when I agreed to this trip 2 weeks after RfL?!)

My anxiety attacks have been numerous and sometimes downright debilitating in the last week since I agreed to this trip.  Its not that I dont *want* to go.  I do.  I really want to get to see my friend and her family and spend a few days with them.  The sheer thought of getting on a plane, however, is sincerely overwhelming when the biggest 'outings' I go on are to places like the food pantry, home depot, walmart, a mall (which is just a collection of shops when you live in 'middle-of-nowhere' land!) and other small, quiet, relatively people-free places.  We're going to be in at least 2 major airports (that's assuming there's no layover or plane changes!), meeting new people (my friend and her family), probably a hotel stay and who knows what else might come up.  All wonderful training possibilities - all things that have me on the verge of a meltdown when I think about them!  

My friend also has kids and none of them have ever been 24/7 with an SD team, so I'm worried about how that transition is going to go.  Of course she's completely supportive of Ranger and what he does for me - and she's already made a point of saying she's going to talk with her little-little ones to tell them about him and how important he is when he's working.  And, of course, he'll have plenty of time to play, which I'm sure they'll all love, but its still really different.  Living with an SD versus living with a pet dog - LOL, living with one of EACH even, very very different.  I have my 'life with an SD' handout that I plan to send to her - but we're so 'modified' from that too.  Most of the time Ranger is just a chilled out dog unless I'm getting up to do something, and then he needs to be 'on' - but he runs and plays outside and will love doing that with the kids if they want to.  Its just the 'you cant distract him or pet him when he's working because he has a big job to do' part that's *so* hard for people in general.  Of course there's also the 'quirks' that go along with *my* dog.  His socialization has slipped, so he isnt real thrilled to meet new people.  His water has to be rationed through the day or he gets sick.  Changes to his diet (food or treats) are really hard on his system and, again, he gets sick.   He's often like a toddler - he needs his "security blankets" - his wubba and his mat - and they must be *by me!*  

I love my friend to death.  She never batted an eye - not once - at me having to bring Ranger with me.  She's already said - let me know what you need on this end and we'll see if we can get it here before you get here.   I am blessed.   I just *really* want this trip to be positive and successful and uncomplicated as possible.   I want my time with her and her family to be relaxing and safe - and *not* to have Ranger and I both on edge the whole time.   As much as I'm trying not to be sick at the idea of making the trip - I'm also afraid 3 or 4 days is not going to be enough time for us to settle in and relax before we have to turn around and make the trip home again!

Jessica and Ranger
Lunar K9s Service Dog Team