The Wonderful (Wizard of) Oz[zy]

Hey Friends!

I’m just going to acknowledge the elephant in the room before we start, shall I?

Yes. I’m aware I haven’t posted in months.

Yes. I’m aware of what that looks like.

Yes, I am EXTREMELY aware that’s about how every attempt at starting a journal in my life has gone.

No. I’m not letting this one follow the same track.

How do I know? Because it’s a lot harder to get the nagging reminder at the back of your mind to leave you alone when actual people are expecting an update rather than just hypothetical future paleontologists.

Better late than never, right?

So. What’s been happening since August? …Not all that much has changed, honestly. Reading audiobooks, writing, crocheting, saving money, karate-ing… but I did start a childcare job, too! And, thusly, my schedule was full. Extremely full.

Not all that much changed until the fifteenth of February. Eight days ago as I write this, possibly probably more as you read this.

That day, a lady who had lived in the same neighborhood as we are currently (again, as I write this) posted on Facebook that she was looking to re-home her four-year-old Australian Shepherd/Labrador mix by the name of Ozzy. (Who has the same hair color as me and almost every longhorn in the state of Texas.)

If I’m being 100% honest, I was scared to hope at this point. I’ve been saving up and praying for something like this for almost a full year. I’ve prayed for other “big things” in my life. Some of them have been answered with a ‘yes’. Our move to a state we’d never been to in our lives, for example. Finding a house in said state that we could move into, even with the mess the mold had made of our lives and immune systems. Making friends in aforementioned state. (That has not come easy in the past, though I suppose being able to fake being an extrovert has helped.) Finding not only one but– *counts on fingers* roughly seven jobs over the course of the two years we’ve been down here that I could do. (Seven. Interesting number, hey?) And so many more. For some reason, though, those are never the ones we remember, are they?

So, yes, I saw the Facebook post and was scared to even consider what this could mean. And when I say that, I mean the thought came into my mind ‘just ignore it; it most likely won’t work out. What’s the use?’ In other words: out came my inner Eeyore.

But how could I say no to my smiling, hopeful mother? Those eyes were contagious. And surely, asking couldn’t hurt, could it?

So I reached out to her. As a wise man (woman? I can’t remember) once said: “all it takes is twenty seconds of insane courage.” …or something like that.

This all took place on Friday and we were able to set up a meeting with Ozzy that Saturday. In other words, this was starting to go faster than Dorothy’s trip from Kansas to Oz(zy).

I reached out to my trainer and asked what it would take to make this work. Her answer? A temperament test. My next question–when and where–came maybe a bit too fast. I didn’t hear back until Tuesday because, well, work hours and email algorithms. Curses.

I want to pause here to thank those I talked to that weekend. And those who prodded me to talk to aforementioned ‘other’s. I would’ve been just fine to just wait and not mention it for fear it didn’t work out.

But I talked and others responded. With more enthusiasm than I had, I might add. Strange how that sometimes works out, huh? And enthusiasm is contagious. So now I’m excited.

What happened next? I’m sure you’d all love to know, wouldn’t you?

…so would I.

The temperament test takes place sometime next week. Within 24 hours of that test Ozzy will meet our landlord and (hopefully) get his okay.

Now, I hear what you’re saying: …can’t landlords not refuse a Service Dog? Aren’t they protected by the law? To which I say: wow, you remembered that? But yes. Service Dogs are. Service Dogs in training? …ehhh… still considered pets. Frustrating little loophole, there. And, since the house we’re renting is a ‘no pets’ house… even more frustrating little loophole, there.

BUT! We’ve been renting with our landlord for three years now and he knows us. Ozzy is four years old and already through puppyhood and adolescence. He is house trained. So, our landlord agreed to meet him with the understanding that Ozzy would be accepted into a rigorous training program, we are responsible tenants, AND he’s allowed this to happen one time before for another tenant he has. And thank you to my dad for always being able to talk to people for the best possible outcome. All in all, I just keep saying, “pass the test Ozzy, just pass the test and we’ll both be thrilled!”

Now. What does all this mean?

Let’s do a little math. (Pause for universal groan.) Okay, so you take Aussies and Labs being extremely smart + Aussies and Labs being eager to please = Ozzy should be fairly easy to train. You take the negative value of the word ‘should’ + being four years old and through puppyhood and adolescence and pretty settled into his position = maybe not the best. You take both answers and add them together. They cancel each other out and this is my first Service Dog so I can’t guarantee anything but it looks promising from where I’m sitting.

Money now. If this works out it would mean that my price for the dog itself would go down $1500-2000. I could also bypass the tidal wave of puppy vet bills that hits you right out of the gate, subtracting another $1000+. So my SD bills got cut down from $10,000 to just the $5000 for training, which I’m able to pay over a period of two years, and about $1000-$1500 emergency fund , and other necessary costs that will come up.

Now, can we just geek out about Ozzy for a minute? He is absolutely gorgeous! Take a look!

Yes, he does have heterochromia–which I find absolutely lovely! One blue, one brown eye. I know you can’t really see it in the bottom left, but it’s there in the bottom right, and absolutely captivating!

Conclusion?

Prayers are appreciated; my next post should come quicker than this one; Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore–that last turn was a doozy! 🙂