Our wee little pixie,
Here, with her girl Awesome.
And here's a little of what we've learned so far,
One month into the experience of
Being a part of training
Awesome's service dog-to-be puppy.
Yes, Trixie's adorable. Show-stopping adorable.
Soft and fuzzy. Smart and snuggly.
Tail wagging. Face licking.
Mischievously all puppy.
Eagerly enthusiastic and full of energy.
Trixie's the offspring of two seizure alert dogs,
While there is no guarantee that she'll alert to seizures (no one can guarantee this),
We're hoping that it will be the case.
And toward that end,
We're collecting saliva samples
During every one of Awesome's convulsive seizures
To facilitate scent training,
In the hope that
Trixie will learn to detect a seizure
Before the seizure happens,
And learn to alert Awesome ahead of time
So Awesome can be safe. But even if
That never happens, Trixie will be a
Seizure Response Dog.
She'll be trained
To respond to Awesome's seizures
When they're already happening.
She'll be trained to alert us, Awesome's caregivers
And perform certain tasks to
Help keep Awesome safe,
Trixie's training has been carefully crafted.
It began the day she was born.
Her training will continue to be just
as carefully planned and carried out
Throughout the next year and a half.
Trixie attends an all-day dog school
three days a week.
We reinforce her lessons at home.
We have homework to do
Every evening and
Every non-school day too.
To be doing all this while caring for
A child with intractable seizures,
Is a little overwhelming.
But we trust, will be
Worth it in the long term.
Trixie is learning.
Already, at nearly 12 weeks old,
Trixie can pay attention, sit, down, and
Touch an outstretched hand on cue.
Trixie's already showing promise
As a seizure response dog.
Calm and undaunted by convulsive seizures,
She already responds well to them.
She springs into action with her tail wagging
Licking Awesome's face, watching her attentively,
Wanting to be close.
Last week after Awesome's first 911 call
And transport since 2007,
We also found out that
Trixie's unfazed by EMT's or excitement.
Her eyes are always on Awesome.
And she simply wants to stay close to her.
I've always wondered why
Service dogs are so expensive.
Now, since we are a part
Of Trixie's training
(and it's only just begun),
I know the answer.
Properly trained service dog represents
A huge, thoughtful, and
Careful investment of
Time, energy, and effort.
It takes a village, literally,
To raise and train
A well-trained service dog
It takes a team of trainers.
Hours and hours.
Days and days.
Weeks and weeks.
Months and months
Of carefully crafted experiences
And carefully planned training.
Dedicated to doing the
Things it takes to properly train
A puppy. Hour after hour,
Day after day,
Week after week,
Month after month.
The truth is this:
Training a service dog is
A huge investment
Of time, energy, and love.
Because a dog's childhood,
Her period of learning,
Is compacted
Into a short period of time.
Every day, every interaction,
Is teaching her something.
Intentionally or unintentionally,
Something helpful or unhelpful.
That will impact her life to come.
A well-trained service dog isn't simplyA dog with a few months of
Dog training.
A well-behaved, well-trained,
Calm, responsible,
Able to go anywhere,
And meet every new experience
In the world of humans
With grace and good behavior
Service dog,
Is a dog who's been carefully
Selected on the basis of
Traits and temperament.
And into which,
The time, efforts, energy,
Expertise, care, and love
Of many, many people
Have been invested.
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Thank you for sharing her with us.
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