let me start off by saying that my 10 days w/nugget have been awesome! we've played together, we've walked together, we've dined out together.....we've gone everywhere together. he's just been an awesome little boy, and i hope he continues to do well in his classes. we had a few hiccups over the past week, but on saturday we had a 1:1 w/keryn (his instructor) and brushed up on some of the commands and techniques i should be using. very helpful!
because i had nugget for the entire week, we were out and about at the office, and i was absolutely amazed at how many ppl had heard of pads, or knew about some of the other dogs from the program. we also made friends on the skytrain who were impressed w/nugget's good behaviour. yah!
we had our first negative comment from a passerby yesterday. we were waiting at cactus club to be seated, when 2 women and a man stopped by us. the younger woman wanted to meet and greet nugget, while the man was talking to chris about pads. the older woman said, "poor dog! what a sad and boring life he's going to have." i commented right back to her and said "poor disabled ppl! can you imagine what life must be like for them....not being able to open or close doors, or pick up items that they've dropped, or not being able to balance on their own 2 feet?!" i told her that because of these dogs, ppl who suffer from a disability are given a newfound freedom! well, she didn't seem too impressed w/me, so she just stood there while i rambled on the facts about pads and the puppies, making sure she knew that these dogs all got the proper play time and socialization! the nerve! my faith in good ppl was quickly restored when we were seated, as everyone who we passed by was looking in awe at us and wanted to get close to nugget :-)
the only place we had a slight problem, was today at superstore (on grandview highway). chris and i had a bunch of shopping to get done and of course, nugget accompanied us. when we got to the meat section, we were stopped by a superstore employee, who commented that dogs aren't allowed in the store. i pointed out that nugget is an assistance dog in-training, and that he's wearing his jacket to identify him. after the clarification he seemed fine w/it, but commented that a customer had taken issue w/the dog. i knew exactly who he was referring to, an older woman i had seen talking to him right before he approached us. well, we carried on w/our shopping excursion, and we had gotten to the baking aisle, when all of a sudden i was approached by yet another employee, along with SECURITY!! WTF?! apparently they were tracking us on the security camera and wanted to ensure that nugget was indeed a qualified dog to be the store and not just my random pet-dog that i put a jacket on, since i obviously am an able-bodied person. it seems as though many ppl had issues w/us in the store. the irony of it all is this.....i've seen at various superstore locations, the wheelchair friendly sign at the front entrance, along w/a "we welcome service animals" sign. granted, a fully-trained dog is a different story, but they don't come like that. it takes several years of training, and even then they don't all graduate in the pads program.
i have to say, the only place that i would understand would want us to leave would be save-on foods. the first night we had nugget, he was having some issues, and he made a mess in the store entrance. of course, being the good puppy-sitter i am, i come fully prepared for any situation, and quickly cleaned up the mess, complete w/anti-bacterial wipes!
i get very frustrated with ppl who don't want to understand why there are training dogs in public places. i have to say that i've been at metrotown, and i've seen ppl w/their little dogs walking around, and not to mention the time i saw a poodle actually sitting on a couch at the mall! WTF?! it's those ppl who shouldn't have their dogs in public places like that! they aren't serving any purpose there except to take up space in their handbag.
i attended the pads open house yesterday, and i have to say that seeing the working dogs w/their ppl is very touching. one girl was saying that if it weren't for her assistance dog, she wouldn't be the happy person she is today. because of her dog she has freedom, independence and confidence in herself that she can do anything the rest of us can. i can't wait until the graduation ceremony next week!
anyways, if you're still reading my rambling at this point, i thank you! to all my friends, please educate and inform your friends and family and get the word out there about these little puppies. we're all out there trying to make the world a more accessible place for everyone living in it.
thank you :-)
because i had nugget for the entire week, we were out and about at the office, and i was absolutely amazed at how many ppl had heard of pads, or knew about some of the other dogs from the program. we also made friends on the skytrain who were impressed w/nugget's good behaviour. yah!
we had our first negative comment from a passerby yesterday. we were waiting at cactus club to be seated, when 2 women and a man stopped by us. the younger woman wanted to meet and greet nugget, while the man was talking to chris about pads. the older woman said, "poor dog! what a sad and boring life he's going to have." i commented right back to her and said "poor disabled ppl! can you imagine what life must be like for them....not being able to open or close doors, or pick up items that they've dropped, or not being able to balance on their own 2 feet?!" i told her that because of these dogs, ppl who suffer from a disability are given a newfound freedom! well, she didn't seem too impressed w/me, so she just stood there while i rambled on the facts about pads and the puppies, making sure she knew that these dogs all got the proper play time and socialization! the nerve! my faith in good ppl was quickly restored when we were seated, as everyone who we passed by was looking in awe at us and wanted to get close to nugget :-)
the only place we had a slight problem, was today at superstore (on grandview highway). chris and i had a bunch of shopping to get done and of course, nugget accompanied us. when we got to the meat section, we were stopped by a superstore employee, who commented that dogs aren't allowed in the store. i pointed out that nugget is an assistance dog in-training, and that he's wearing his jacket to identify him. after the clarification he seemed fine w/it, but commented that a customer had taken issue w/the dog. i knew exactly who he was referring to, an older woman i had seen talking to him right before he approached us. well, we carried on w/our shopping excursion, and we had gotten to the baking aisle, when all of a sudden i was approached by yet another employee, along with SECURITY!! WTF?! apparently they were tracking us on the security camera and wanted to ensure that nugget was indeed a qualified dog to be the store and not just my random pet-dog that i put a jacket on, since i obviously am an able-bodied person. it seems as though many ppl had issues w/us in the store. the irony of it all is this.....i've seen at various superstore locations, the wheelchair friendly sign at the front entrance, along w/a "we welcome service animals" sign. granted, a fully-trained dog is a different story, but they don't come like that. it takes several years of training, and even then they don't all graduate in the pads program.
i have to say, the only place that i would understand would want us to leave would be save-on foods. the first night we had nugget, he was having some issues, and he made a mess in the store entrance. of course, being the good puppy-sitter i am, i come fully prepared for any situation, and quickly cleaned up the mess, complete w/anti-bacterial wipes!
i get very frustrated with ppl who don't want to understand why there are training dogs in public places. i have to say that i've been at metrotown, and i've seen ppl w/their little dogs walking around, and not to mention the time i saw a poodle actually sitting on a couch at the mall! WTF?! it's those ppl who shouldn't have their dogs in public places like that! they aren't serving any purpose there except to take up space in their handbag.
i attended the pads open house yesterday, and i have to say that seeing the working dogs w/their ppl is very touching. one girl was saying that if it weren't for her assistance dog, she wouldn't be the happy person she is today. because of her dog she has freedom, independence and confidence in herself that she can do anything the rest of us can. i can't wait until the graduation ceremony next week!
anyways, if you're still reading my rambling at this point, i thank you! to all my friends, please educate and inform your friends and family and get the word out there about these little puppies. we're all out there trying to make the world a more accessible place for everyone living in it.
thank you :-)
