Service Dogs-For Better or Worse

I got to practice my servicing this week, friendos! Right, Hooman?

Well, it wasn’t exactly what your training is focusing on, but–

But I was being helpful, right?

Like last Monday when you had the… uh… what is it called again?

Migraine.

Yes! That. I snuggled you all better, didn’t I?

When you were on the bed, yes.

What do you mean by that?

You’re a restless sleeper. You’ll be on the bed, and then get down to lay on the floor, and then move to another place a while later, and then decide you really want to lay in front of the door instead.

But, for the most part, you were okay with laying in the dark room and being calm. I’d say that counted as servicing, yes. Certainly more help than had you needed to move around all day.

You did still take me for a walk that morning, though, Hooman.

Well, yes. But that’s part of my medical equipment being a living being. I still get to take care of all your needs even when I’m feeling miserable and don’t want to get out of bed. That’s a part of the commitment one makes when they get a service dog that not many people think of. You are never not a dog. So when light and noise are too much, but you’re still awake before the rest of the family–and are my responsibility–I still get to hold to my commitment. Of course, Josie was able to play with you a bit later that day, but you’re still my dog, and the responsibility ultimately falls to me. It’s one of the reasons getting a service dog isn’t a decision to be entered into lightly. But, even with all that, I would never choose not to have you.

Aw! Thanks, Hooman.

I wouldn’t choose to not have you, either. Even when you’re not as smart as a puppy.

Are you thinking of any time in particular?

The day after that.

I kept asking to go lay down in our room and take a nap, but you wouldn’t open the door!

I would dare to say there was a very good reason for that.

What?

Ants.

You mean the little biting things I don’t like?

Yes. Here’s the thing. When I get bit by just about any insect–except mosquitoes–I swell up. Bad. I’m talking cankles due to one or two on my ankles.

They bite my mouth.

When you dig at their home, yes.

That’s normal, though. If a giant creature ripped the roof off our house what would you do?

I’d bark at them and bite them and–I get it now, Hooman.

But why couldn’t I go lay down in the room?

Because, when Hooman pulled her shorts on that morning, it turned out there were ants in her shorts.

Ouch, Hooman!

Yeah, that’s a bit of an understatement. If I wore jeans you could see the swelling from the bites, so Hooman barked and bit back. Part of that was putting something in the room to kill them. But had you gone in… well, it wouldn’t have ended well.

But I wanted to go in. I was tired!

And you made that abundantly clear. You tend to get feisty when you’re tired.

You did settle down in the living room when your tiredness caught up to you, though.