Domino Service Dogs

I’ll never forget the day the phone rang, Robin was on the line saying “Barbara your puppy is ready to come home. Can you meet us at the nursing home this afternoon to pick him up?”

I was shocked. When Mike from the Guild Assistance Dog Program had asked me 6 weeks earlier if I was going to take a puppy I didn’t actually believe he meant it. He never asked me to fill out the standard application form. Even when I brought Caitlin and Badger to class weeks earlier and saw the chocolate lab wearing a collar with my name on it I thought to myself certainly they won’t actually let me take him home. Surely someone else is more qualified to work with this puppy than I am. Maybe they didn’t actually hear me say that I had a traumatic brain injury.

At the time I spent a lot of time resting. I frequently cried, most of the time for absolutely no reason at all. I still suffered from vertigo on a regular basis. I didn’t spend much time in public because I was afraid that I wouldn’t recognize someone who obviously knew who I was. I always kept my car keys in my left pocket, checking frequently to make sure I hadn’t lost them. I never drove anywhere I wasn’t familiar with just in case I couldn’t find my car.

In spite of all this or maybe because of it, on May 25th 2008 the call came. It was time to bring our puppy home. I was so excited and then the panic I often experience with TBI began to set in. I didn’t even know where the nursing home was located. What if I couldn’t find it? I hadn’t picked up any toys. I didn’t have a crate. I hadn’t even considered any names. Take a deep breath I told myself. Map quest will provide the directions, you’ll think of a name on the way and stop to pick up the necessary supplies on the way home.

I printed out the directions and Allison, Caitlin, Badger and I set out to find the nursing home. We discussed name ideas the whole way. Just as we entered the parking lot we decided his name would be Jasper. We spent a few minutes filling out the puppy raiser application form, received approval for our name choice and with Jasper in hand we were on our way back home.

The reason I wanted to take on this project was simple. To change one life for the better. The concept was not new to me because my daughters service dog Badger gave her back her independence, improved her self-esteem, helped her to start new friendships and lifted her spirits. So many people had helped me and my family when I was injured and then again a few months later when Caitlin got sick and lost the use of her left leg. Now it was my turn to help someone else. So we brought Jasper home and made him a part of our family. We were fully aware of the fact that someday we would give him up so that he could change one life but we also knew it would be worth it.

And so the Journey began. Our home was a flurry of activity. There were walks to take, games of fetch to play, messes to clean up and most important potty training to begin. Everyone pitched in and Jasper began to learn all kinds of new things.

Jasper was on  a leash attached to my belt until he hadn’t had an accident in the house for two months. It probably took me 4 or 5 months to get him completely potty trained. The funny thing is that every time he had an accident in the house I knew it was my fault. It wasn’t like he didn’t show the signs of a puppy who was in desperate need of an outside break. I just wasn’t paying attention. When the time finally came to let him off his leash Jasper didn’t run off to enjoy his freedom as I had expected. Instead he followed me everywhere and to this day he still does.

It was extremely important to expose Jasper to as much as I could possibly think of. Robin told us to encourage our puppies to experience 12 of everything. In other words hear 12 different kinds of music at 12 different volume levels, see 12 different kinds of people wearing 12 different kinds of clothing wearing 12 different hats, feel 12 different surfaces beneath their feet and so on.

I accomplished this task by taking Jasper everywhere I went. Sometimes it took me 2 hours to shop for groceries because so many people wanted to ask me questions about Jasper. After a while I began to feel more comfortable in public places. I actually started looking directly at people instead of just hurrying from one place to another trying to keep my head down in order to avoid the possibility of an uncomfortable situation. After all if ran into someone I should know they would always start the conversation by saying “how’s Jasper doing?” and that became my cue.

I can’t tell you that I am 100% back to the person I once was. I can’t actually say that I ever will be. I might always have a difficult time finding the words I am looking for. I might always keep my keys in my left pocket checking frequently to make sure they are there. And when asked for the thousandth time if Jasper is in the car my son might always respond by saying “no mom you actually did leave him in the store parking lot” and then follow it up with the chuckle that tells me he’s joking.

Our family has been through many changes in the last few years. There have been times when we have accepted these changes with grace. Believe me there have been times when we have fought against these changes with all our might. In the end I learned to follow the advice I was given many years ago by my daughter Allison.

Which is simply this:

When life gives you lemons make grape juice and leave the world to wonder how you did it!

I will always be grateful to all the people at GAP dogs who devote an endless amount of time, effort and money to changing the lives of others. Many of who show up as strangers and hopefully leave as friends. Thank-you Mike, Robin and of course Mary Ellen for your incredible devotion. You have had a profound affect on our world. The work you do may start one life at a time but I can guarantee you that changing that life spreads throughout entire communities.