So, since we're taking an afternoon break from training and I haven't written in a few days, I'd take some time to write about what a PSD is, why I decided on having on, and how in the world I came to choose a Cocker Spaniel. I'll keep the first section short, since I explained quite a bit about that in my first entry.
Why a PSD (psychiatric service dog)?
Until about a year and a half ago, I didn't even know such things existed. Working in a military hospital, however, and dealing with soldiers who were returning with PTSD, and seeing more and more cases of patients with emotional support and assistance animals of various species got me thinking, and me thinking leads to me reading.
If you've read my blog to the current entry, you know that we started thinking about a service dog for my husband, who has ADD and type 1 diabetes. But the more I researched PSD's, and the worse my own depression and anxiety got, the more we began to consider a PSD as a potential option for me. It was still a huge question, though, until my mom moved up from California with her older dog, Bella, who began my real conversion.
Bella is usually a sweet old girl, but at 13, she can be a cranky old woman at times, too (we lovingly call her Maxine in those moments). Like any gracefully aging elderly woman, she's loosing her hearing, her eyesight, and sometimes, control of her bladder. But she loves to be cuddled like a baby, wrapped under the blankets with you on the couch, as you watch tv. And she would come and sit with me when I was feeling particularly anxious at night, she would make a point of cuddling extra close to me until I'd calmed down, and still does the same in the car.
By February, we were convinced it was time to start seriously pursuing a PSD, although exactly how was yet to be determined. With that decided, we moved forward, slowly and cautiously.
How we did it...
We started by reviewing our options. Purebred or rescued mutt? As much as my heart is all for rescues, this is a working partner for life, and a lot of time, money and training goes into the partnership. A rescue is a huge question mark of temperment, issues, and health. A purebred dog is pricey, but you can research the breed, breeder and get your puppy at a very early age, if you choose to train it yourself (or pay to work with a trainer). Hello! New question. Do I have the time and energy to train this dog myself, or do I want to hire a professional to do the work for me? Or, do I put in for a program dog and wait potentially years and save up the thousands of dollars for a match?
Ruling out the rescue was easy. I fell in love with all the faces on Petfinders, but realized that a single paragraph wouldn't tell me what I needed to know, and I couldn't possibly learn all that dog's possible issues in a short get-to-know-you meeting. So, I started spending time on the American Kennel Club's website, checking out various breeds. Virtually any dog can be a PSD, so long as they are socialized, can do the tasks they are assigned to do, and fit within your lifestyle. Below, I've listed the traits I initially wanted in my PSD, and brought to the table while looking for just the right breed:
Size: over 20 inches at the shoulder-I don't want this dog stepped on in a crowd, and would like a dog that people will steer away from in a busy area.
Intelligence: easily trainable, willing to work, and just as willing to lay down and rest with me when I need to. Not stubborn, can figure out a solution and trouble shoot on it's own.
Coat: Not long or heavily shedding, needs to be soft-no wire-coat breeds.
Loyalty: needs to be a family dog, not a dog that will only tolerate one person. I live in a family with one young child full-time, and five others that come and go. Can be wary of strangers, but not overly protective or standoffish.
Energy level: Must be able to tolerate life in an apartment while able to tolerate long walks (no runs), settle quickly and not yap or dig. Can this dog tolerate a long car ride followed by a long hike, without bolting out of the car and pulling my arm out of the socket? Can it tolerate a long play session at the dog park, without getting into a fight with 5 other dogs?
I spent weeks reviewing my options. I looked at Mastiffs (have owned one, and absolutely loved her), Leonbergers, Newfoundlands, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Rottweilers, English Shepherds, and several others. Early this spring, there was an AKC sponsored show in Seattle, which Mom and I went to (hell on the anxiety, but a great chance to meet breeders and dogs alike!). I met several breeds, got great info on some that I'd considered, and could now take off the list, added others to the list that I hadn't considered, and met some folks that owned these breeds that could give me insight into daily life and personalities that show breeders couldn't give me. I also got to meet a service dog and her human partner, and got some insight into training, a service dog organization in the area that meets and provides support, training and social opportunities, and some suggestions about sources of dogs and trainers.
I came away from the show a little overwhelmed, but with firm goals for getting my PSD into my life. I walked away wanting a Leonberger as the dog for me, not having done my homework just yet. I've owned a 175 pound dog... You don't go out and get a dog like that without a little bit of research first, starting with finding a good breeder. Move forward 2 weeks, and about 75 hours of internet searching later, and the Leon, magnificent as it is, was off the list. With an 8 year average life span, it's just not a realistic service dog-- Not after you figure 2 years for training and take off 1-2 years at the end for old age, arthritis and giving an old dog a break. We'd barely be done with training and out in the real world before we'd be training the next generation of dog.
So, back to the drawing board, and setting aside breed issues, I'd reset my PDS goal for June of 2012, and focused on working with Mom on finding a suitable pup to round out her pack. Bella's getting on in years, and while she has great days where she's bouncy and full of life, she also has many days that remind us that she won't be around forever. We went back to Petfinders, checked the classifieds, looked at pet stores, visited local animal shelters, you name it. For about 2-3 months, we looked.
The week before Mother's Day, she found it. The dog she wanted. Well, actually, the ad for the dog she wanted. She called on Mother's Day, found out that the breeder had one tri-color boy left, it fit everything she wanted, and we were off. Bella and Sparky hit it off immediately, and Sparky rode home with us that afternoon. A Cocker Spaniel hadn't been anywhere in my thoughts for a service dog because of it's size and energy level, but Sparky sold me on his intelligence and easy trainability.
Three weeks later, I called the breeder back, to find out that she had two more litters (one born the day we'd gotten Sparky), and that there was a little black boy who'd been unclaimed so far. I don't know how I knew, or what drew me to him, but when she mentioned the black male, I knew that it was mine. I'd picked out a name for my service dog long before I'd settled on breed or sex, and I knew that the little black male, was Freedom. After talking to Brian and Mom, and thinking for a few days, we went up and visited the pups.
Let me tell you, there's nothing like holding a 3 week old puppy in your hands. It didn't take very long to tell that this little guy and I had bonded. He snuggled up, and fell asleep (not that 3 week old puppies do anything else) with a happy little grunt. I held a few of the other little pups, mostly girls, that were unclaimed, but he was the only one that felt right.
It's been a few months since that first meeting, but Freedom is home now, and my life has been blessed because of this little fuzzy partner. It's not all peaches and roses. He irritates me at times and there are times he reminds me of a reticent toddler. But the cuddly naps, the play times, the times that he alerts to my oncoming anxiety attacks and sticks by my side until the worst is over, make it all worth it.
Freedom is becoming a partner for life. I don't know how much he was aware of at 3 weeks old, but he showed a good deal of connection with each of our weekly visits before he came home, and is still very much attached to both Brian and I (he's showing signs of alerting to Brian's blood sugars at times, as well). Now, if I can just get him to stop chewing on my couch!
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