Michelle & 'Amber'

My first mobility dog ‘moment’: While I use a wheelchair outside, I still walk around inside but do tend to fall a lot. When I fell, I looked at Amber and asked her to get the phone and off she galloped to bring it back. I almost cried with relief and at the overwhelming awe of what this beautiful creature had just done for me. I was able to phone my husband to get him home to pick me up. All the while Amber lay curled up into me, watching over me. Just quietly stroking her calmed me down.

I always knew that having a mobility dog would increase my independence and make daily life easier. I did not realise by how much. How did I manage before? Simple things like picking up the bathmat, picking up things I drop save me time and energy that I can now put into other things.

It is also amazing how many people suddenly want to talk to me when I am out and about. Despite an outgoing personality, this has not always been the case before - the old stereotype of a disabled person being ‘scary’ and ‘unapproachable’ has often been applied.

Update almost 3 years on - July 2009

'Amber’, a German Shepherd, is now five years old and a beautiful girl with a lovely, gentle nature. She has always been a little reserved, holding back on exuberant affection and sometimes taking her time to complete tasks.

I remember at our Team Training being told that bonding with our new dog would take about six months before the relationship between dog and recipient would become more relaxed and easier. Sure enough, around the six month mark, ‘Amber’ did seem more relaxed but she still had a bit of a stubborn streak at times, although some of this was me not being bossy enough with her! Life changed amazingly when ‘Amber’ arrived. Being very independent I never thought it could get any better, but it did. Little things make the world of difference especially when you drop items as much as I do; now I had help to pick those things up immediately. Falling was another problem until I stopped walking eight months ago. There were a number of occasions ‘Amber’ shot off to get the telephone so I could ring for help before lying down next to me and keeping her beady eye on me until help arrived, including the time I broke my ankle.

It was not until I went overseas for six weeks leaving ‘Amber’ at home that I realised how much she actually did for me. About nine months ago we went on holiday, leaving ‘Amber’ with Canine Manager Vicky. I missed Amber terribly over the two weeks we were away and could not wait to see her on my return. However, we made the mistake of making too big a fuss of her when we picked her up and ‘Amber’ thought she had become top dog in our household. What a nightmare! For a month I had a dog that would not listen, would not do things unless she felt like it and gravitated more towards my husband. What to do?

I rang Vicky and had a long chat. The upshot was to ignore ‘Amber’ as much as possible and if I really needed something done to ask her in a voice that sounded like I could not care less whether she did the task or not. I was to praise her when she did well, but not cuddle or fuss over her . . . this was hard! However, within a week the alien that had invaded my service dog flew back to its own planet and ‘Amber’ returned and better than ever. We kept up the ‘ignoring’ routine for a few more weeks, lessening it as time went on but putting in stricter boundaries and being more vigilant on ‘time-out’ when behaviour was not appropriate. ‘Amber’ responded brilliantly resulting in a dog that is more affectionate and more responsive to tasks.

Six months on and the relationship between ‘Amber’ and I has changed again. She is a much more settled dog, very affectionate (having to have a compulsory cuddle each morning at her instigation not mine) and she has started to do regular tasks without me asking her. For the last three weeks she has picked up her breakfast and dinner bowls without prompting; every morning she picks up the bathmat and gives it to me.

While it is likely ‘Amber’ is now comfortable in her home and fully trusting of me as her working partner I also think the tasty new treats that I reward her with might have something to do with it! I had a week of having the bathmat thrust in my face before I had finished getting out of the shower and then she would return to the bathroom as I was dressing to find anything else she could give me. She has picked up socks, pens, paper and even a bottle of medication when I dropped them without me asking – of course she gets lots of praise and one of those tasty treats for being such an amazing dog.

Vicky says ‘Amber’ just wants to please . . . I am not entirely convinced! Either way, things are great and I just love ‘Amber’ to bits for the dog she is, for the things she can do and the times she makes me smile. What I have realised is that just like human relationships, the working team relationship takes time to grow and mature and new dimensions to it are always developing.

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