Meet the doctor

Paige and Marissa had a vet appointment today. It was a family affair. Marissa for her annual and vaccine update. Paige for her pre-op consultation.

Paige behaved like an angel while we were there, for the most part. She, of course, had a few turkey moments. And who wouldn't in a place that smell like so many different animals. There was even one dog that we met. For the most part, she lounged on the floor and kept an eye on me. She knew that I had the package of training treats in my bag. I wish I had taken my camera so I could share the sights with all of you. I not only didn't take my camera, I forgot to take my daytimer.

The facts:

Weight: 54lbs give or take a little. She hopped right on the scale and even lay down there while we did Marissa's exam. I never told her to get off so she stayed. Good girl.

Teeth: I better be brushing them everyday and feeding dental treats because they do have some build up on them and we don't want it to get any worse.

Paige's spay appointment is scheduled for Thursday right now. As the sale transaction isn't totally complete, I sent an email to the breeder to confirm that it would be alright by her to go ahead with the surgery this quickly. The contract has been signed, the dog has traded hands, but the check hasn't cleared my bank account yet so I'm not sure who technically owns Paige. I figured it would be better to send a quick email than to leave somebody feeling like they got their toes stepped on.

I was proud of Marissa too. We made it all the way to the vets and home again before she puked. Marissa doesn't do well with cars so this is a big deal for her. That or it's a compliment on how smoothly I was driving the standard today. She wouldn't have puked at all except for the fact that we had to make a detour because there was a truck that tried to go under a bridge that was too short and got it's top ripped off. Just as we were pulling into our parking space at the apartment she started heaving. I tried to convince her to swallow it but it wasn't meant to be. But by the standards of previous car rides, it was a tiny amount. Good on you girl.

In other news:

As of today, I've had Paige for 4 weeks. And what a happy puppy parent I am.

I'm slowly balancing out after my med miss last week. I'm still getting some pretty good headaches and am dizzy quite a bit of the time but it's getting better. I'm also really tired but that could be the heat at the moment. I don't do well with heat.

I met with Lacey yesterday. Lacey is Nicole's assistant. I'm not sure if that is exactly the correct term but it is what she does. We went over who Paige was and what were her strengths and weaknesses and some of the tasks that I would like trained. I couldn't remember them all, so I sent her an email with the full list today.

Excerpt from email:

· Waking me up in the morning

o I’m thinking turning on a lamp and then persistently nosing wind chimes. – I have to find both of these objects first.

· Remind me to take my meds

o Bring me my pill case. I keep it in my purse so that it is always on me. I take the pills with breakfast and supper.

· Remind me to feed the cats when I feed her

o Lead me to pick up their bowl prior to picking up hers.

· Panic/anxiety

o Accompany me in public and provide a focus for when the anxiety happens. Maybe nosing my hand or something to remind me that she is there for me to focus on.

· Crowd control

o Crowds can create anxiety for me. I would like for her to be able to lead me towards a less crowded area when I need a break. Eg. To a bench against a wall or even towards a wall where people usually aren’t so close together.

· Say Hi

o Have Paige walk about 2 feet in front of me and then stand between me and who ever she is saying hi to.

· Go Play

o Have a cue for her to know that it is okay to go and say hello to other dogs. I would like her to ignore other dogs if there is no cue given.

· Agitation

o Alert me for when I’m getting agitated. I would like for her to lay her head in my lap and stay there so I can pet her for calmness. If I can’t remain calm, I would like for her to cue me to leave the situation

· Dissociation

o I ‘zone out’ and would like for her to alert me to this

· Hug

o I would like for her to be able to put her paws in my lap and be willing to stand there for a few minutes at a time so that I can hug her when I need it

· Depression

o On days where I don’t feel like doing anything, I would like for her to bring me her leash.

· Spatial awareness

o I get dizzy spells from my meds, not so bad that I can’t function but sometimes I’m not quite sure that the floor is underneath me correctly. I would like to use her at these times to have a reference point so I can navigate obstacles such as stairs.

· Public access – including but not limited to:

o Public transit

o Shopping malls/grocery stores

o Office settings – I’m in school to be an accountant

o Football games – Eskimos

o Concerts? I’m not sure if this is an appropriate venue for an SD

o Swimming pools – Paige lies and waits in the corner while I swim. Again, not sure how this would work although Kristine says it can be done.

o Classroom setting – I have one more year of full time school left and then some part time classes thereafter as I’m getting my designation

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