What Happens When...

...You add One Rainy-Morning-Turned-To-Sunny-Afternoon + Barefoot Shoes + The Lifeproof iPhone Case + A Healthy Level of Fitness + The Adventurous Spirits of a Human and her Canine Companion?

By The Foot

Our feet root us to the living earth. They move us across it and through our lives. Every organ and bodily system and all biological circuitry meet up in the feet. Our feet connect us to our world, and to each other. You can feel your heartbeat in your feet! Feet allow us to dance. And the best, most sensitive and alive, strongest and most primally charged feet...are bare feet. Bare feet are our animal feet. Bare feet are our human paws.

BiG, HAPPY, HEALTHY PUPPiES!

Kristina, My Sweet

Kristina, King and Keith go after Chew :)

Brian and King

This is what I see when Kristina comes to
greet me from across the field. I am one lucky girl!

My two loves, Chew and Kristina

I Have Faith.

 Heading into Boot Camp in just one week - and in the meantime "trading dogs" with other students this Monday through Friday - Chew and I are coming up on some major change; and it is not going to be easy.

While my loftiest goal is to keep every emotion in check, so as not to heap it onto Chew and weigh him down, I have a pit in my stomach when I imagine that Chew might think I'm abandoning him when I let go of his leash, hand it to someone else, and shut off our deeply rooted bond like I'm shutting off a faucet. But this is exactly what I will have to do. There is no other way. Because in order for Chew to bond with his potential life mate during Boot Camp, I must remove my influence as much as possible. Considering that dogs can read our every emotion whether we attempt to disguise it or not, this will be a great challenge indeed.

I have to believe...that when I hand Chew over to his forever-person, he will on some level, imperceptible though it may be, understand why it's happening. I imagine the dogs simply MUST KNOW. If they didn't, this whole "service dog thing" just could not work. But it does. I mean think about it, had Chew's puppy parents - or any of the other puppy raisers - not been able to let the dogs go, and find it within themselves to TRUST in their new partnerships with us (the students), none of us would be where we are today.

It is also true though that Chew is a very sensitive dog; and I am a very emotionally charged person. He will struggle with the transition, as will I. So, yes. No getting around the fact that THIS IS GOING TO BE HARD. 

Above all, though, I HAVE FAITH IN US!

He Rocked the Roll!

Three days before his "big exam", Chew and I began cramming. Along with the four other trainers whose dogs are projected to graduate in December, I was given a list of commands (on Friday) that the Chew would be expected to perform in front of the class the following Monday. Each behavior was divided into three levels of difficulty. For instance, let's take the command for LIGHT. The easiest of the three called for Chew to simply "purposely nose up light switch on command". The second said "Dog noses up switch when sent from five feet", and the third asked for the behavior from fifteen feet. Some other of the behaviors included SWITCH (pulling the light switch down with the dog's teeth); GO IN (go under a desk - or under anything - curl up and lay down); UP (dog stands on hind legs and puts paws on wall or side of grooming table); and many others.

Asking for a behavior from 2 feet versus five versus fifteen makes a much bigger difference than one would think. The reason for this is that when you ask for a behavior in a different CONTEXT than that in which you taught the behavior, the dog has to think a lot more in order to put two and two together. Because animals/dogs - as renown autistic behavioral scientist Temple Grandin would say - "think in pictures", it is a significant context change for Chew when I stand several feet away from him while giving a command, versus standing right in front of him.

During the test, the idea is to ask for the command you are confident your dog can perform successfully. There were two or three behaviors I asked Chew to do at only the first level of difficulty. There were another couple of behaviors that we worked really hard to master over the weekend preceding the test, using Chew's highest value treat as a motivator: POPCORN! One such command was for the behavior ROLL.

Having Chew do the behavior from greater distances apart, I realized that it wasn't going to be easy to get these context changes into his mind in time for the test. I would ask him to roll from right in front of me, no problem. Then I would step back 3 feet, ask for a roll, and he would just stand there staring at me.

So, Monday came and it was the moment of truth. The exam began and got off to a great start. I walked through a handful of behaviors, all of which Chew did nearly perfectly. I generally asked for the highest level of difficulty, with a few exceptions. Chew WENT TO BED, TUGged the refrigerator open, PUSHed it closed with his nose, and RETRIEVEd a cell phone, BROUGHT it back and GAVE it to me. He was just awesome!

finally it was time to do ROLL. First I asked him to roll from in front of me, he did it no problem. I Asked him to WAIT, turned around and walked about 15 feet. I turned back around to face him, looked directly into his eager eyes and said "Chew, ROLL." At first he just stood there. I thought it was going to be a repeat of our practice sessions. But then, the light turned on in his mind. I could see it shining from within him as he remembered what it was that he was supposed to do. He dropped to the floor, with gusto and pizzazz, and rolled all the way onto his back, so that gravity forced his jowls into a giant grin. He was so proud of himself, and I couldn't have been more proud of him!

I RAN.

I ran tonight. I truly ran, if only for half a mile. It has been over three months now that my hips have been bothering me; and I've been in too much pain to run; and I've been totally focused on NOT BEING ABLE TO RUN BECAUSE OF THE PAIN IN MY HIPS. I've undergone acupuncture treatments and have been consistent with stretching and Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown. Chew and I have walked. We've walked miles upon miles around our neighborhood, day after day. And every single walk has had value. Value that I tried not to take for granted, in spite of my resentment about the lack of ability to run. I've tried very much to accept the circumstances and be patient, and trust that I would - someday - run again.

Well, today was the day. Not because my hips stopped hurting. Rather, because I decided I wasn't going to let the pain stop me.

Yesterday, Chew and I took a vigorous night walk in the rain, and we got far enough into the speed-walking zone that we ended up lightly jogging about the last half block to our house. This was what pushed my desperation for a run over the edge. Today, Chew and I took three walks, two of them with Jodie and Eric. I made sure Chew got all the exercise he needed, because I knew that when I went for this epic .3 mile run tonight, I would need to fly solo. It was simply something I had to do...plus, Chew isn't much of a runner. A jogger, he can be when persuaded; or dragged; a sprinter he is simply not.

So I left him with a treat after our long night walk and bolted out the door. In spite of the pain, I ran like the wind. And that SOMETHING (which running and running alone sparks in my blood and lungs and racing heart)came alive again. It broke free of its heavy, miserable dormancy; and GOD, IT FELT GOOD!

I might be extremely sore tomorrow. In fact, I know I will be because I feel it creeping in as I type. But no matter. The ten minutes of sheer, empowering freedom I felt tonight will have been well worth the resulting pain. And since I might have pain whether I run or not, I'm going to choose pain with a purpose.

Further defining FRiSKY FiTNESS...

In the beginning of the human-dog bond, our two species came to rely upon one another for life sustenance in the form of joint hunting practices. In the current era, we have reached another level of evolutionary advantage to humans' relationship with dogs. Not only can partnership with dogs facilitate physical health and fitness, but dogs allow a space for emotional honesty, and therefore the ability to deal with issues honestly in a safe, empowering way. Physical and emotional health in balance is what I refer to as FRISKY FITNESS, and is mutually beneficial to both humans and dogs.

The (non-profit orL3C profit/non-profit hybrid) I have in mind through which to facilitate this health and fitness revolution is called FRISKY FITNESS...Either a program to take place out of a facility that I run myself, (a human-canine fitness/rehabilitation/recreation/fun center); or a consultancy; development of an applicable program to implement in shelters...the goal being to exercise shelter dogs and program participants simultaneously.

Greater therapeutic processes would ensue on the simple foundation of PARTICIPANTS WALKING DOGS. Participants - who may be struggling with weight issues, grief, depression or anxiety - would learn to train dogs on leash, thereby becoming empowered as "pack leaders", and be encouraged to have fun, play actively outdoors, hike and enjoy nature, respect themselves, the dogs and one another.The dogs, meanwhile, will also have the opportunity to process their energy productively! They will then be calmer and more balanced; better representations of their great potential as pets!

Not Only...

NOT ONLY do I love this dog...but I very much respect him. Chew is thoughtful and wise. He is an old soul with depth in his gaze. Chew can be rather serious, and doesn't easily allow his inner-puppy out to play; though when he does, he is silly and sweet and funny and frisky. While he likes his own space, and knows what he wants and when he wants it, he is also a constant companion. He has an independent spirit, but craves affection, and seeks the praise of approval for being a GOOD BOY. Chew is loving and sensitive; his intelligence is tangible; his personality complex. He thinks things through and figures out how to solve problems. I watch him LEARN as it happens in moments, and I am amazed every day. He is also simply a dog. A wonderful, beautiful, precious dog...who loves to wrestle with his buddies, and run at top speed after tennis balls, and go for long walks on crisp autumn afternoons.

Not only am I happy to have Chew around...I am helped, challenged and healed through my relationship with Chew. I love him with my whole heart, though I recognize that he is not my pet. He is a dog whose purpose is to serve. And I am a person whose purpose is to serve. And he and I have come together to do important work in this world.

Graduation day is fast approaching. And - while we are not 100% certain as to Chew's fate - it looks as though he is going to be paired up with a person who suffers from PTSD, likely an Iraq veteran just home from war.

I can't really allow myself to think ahead to a few weeks from now, when we (the Associates students in Assistance Dog Education) will welcome clients of our own, to a Bergin Boot Camp WE WILL RUN. We will be teaching what we were taught our first two weeks at school, and guiding these incoming service dog recipients through the intense training process that we ourselves experienced just a couple of months ago.

I find myself, as the time draws nearer, indulging in visions of Chew...walking "across the stage" with his new forever companion...graduating with honors...ready to embark on his new life. If I think too much about it, though, i will completely flood with emotion and pride (for all of the dogs and all of us students!)...and that is a dam I dare not let loose until the day arrives to celebrate.

About Puppies...

The puppies are growing up before our eyes, getting more amazing, smart and capable every day. My puppy, Kristina, is now walking with me on the leash for up to a mile (around our neighborhood). Last night, I took her to play on the playground equipment at the elementary school by our house. She even went down the slide in my lap :) She is doing FANTASTICALLY well with leash walking/ no forging. We practice the LET'S GO command, moving forward when the leash is loose, stopping dead in our tracks as soon as there is any tension whatsoever. As we're moving, I am telling her "atta girl, good girl", and treating her "in the sweet spot" (which is directly to my side, not out in front of me or lagging behind me). When she pulls, I say "nope", and we stop. As soon as there is any inkling of slack in the leash again, we move. She already understands very clearly how she is to walk on the leash; I've watched her learn it at lightning speed, and feel SO PROUD of her as we are walking up the street!
This morning, we went into Starbucks, Kristina wearing her little SERVICE DOG cape. And everyone in the coffee shop just about fell to their knees as she trotted by their tables. She is so amazing and precious...and our bond grows stronger by the day. ESPECIALLY because she is now at a point where I don't have to worry about her going potty in the house every ten minutes! This was not the case even a week ago! But as of last night, she truly started seeming not like a puppy, but like a true DOG...a little, awesome, smart, snuggly dog...well on her way to becoming a a service dog, and making someone an incredible lifelong partner and helpmate.

Getting in the Game!

We take the dogs on field trips to just about any kind of place you can imagine. This is, of course, so they grow up knowing how to behave in any and every place their Person might take them out in public...the grocery store, the movie theater, the city bus, restaurants, etc. This place - called Scandia - is a Medieval themed miniature golf course and video game center, perfect for desensitizing these guys to flashing lights, loud noises, swirling colors and smells of nachos and hot dogs attempting to distract them from their duties as service dogs :)