Puppy Names

A list of potential names for the new puppy.  Keeping in mind as a working dog, I needed something people wouldn't commonly use in conversation, something preferably multiple syllable so it doesn't sound like a command, and something that doesn't sound too much like any other names in the household / family.

He is a Ragabash, born under a New Moon (amusingly enough).

His father's name is Midnite. His mother's name is River.


Trevor ( I have a Bone Gnawer Ragabash by this name)

Voodoo

Mojo

Tesla

Lantesh

Chakotay

Tesher ( Gift, Teacher )

Hunter

Sounder

Solar

Haze   ( State trooper at traffic checkpoint suggested it.  :)  Foggy night.   )

Thor

Draco

Orion

Chance

Say Hello To My Little Friend

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently took a trip to Pennsylvania to attend a CPL support class and meet some of their dogs and working teams and to get some hands on participation.  I found out all the alert dogs they had available have been paired with other people that were on the waiting list ahead of me, and there are still others waiting. So I wouldn't be getting paired with a dog this year unless they came across one from another source, which is unlikely.

A few days before our flight home, my friend Christy messages me to ask if I had found any new prospects, since she knew what had happened with Journey washing out from the hip dysplasia.  I told her what I had just learned from CPL.

It was then that she told me her family had come into the possession of a little male German Shepherd puppy, and that they wanted to give him to me if I wanted him.  They know how valuable service dogs are, Christy being an owner-trainer herself.

Shocked and humbled by their offer, but very hesitant to try again because of what happened with Journey and the hip dysplasia, Mike and I began doing some serious talking and considering.  It could be up to 2yrs before CPL might find the right dog to pair me with.

I'm not sure how much longer Ember will be able to work.  She's starting to show signs of her age when she works on top of her damaged toe issue.  She won't be around forever, as much as I hate to think that way.  She's 10yrs old, and most service dogs retire around this age.

On top of that, I have to come up with over $5,000 just so I can go and get a dog when CPL finds one to pair me with. That covers the expense of hotel for a month and some other expenses, but there is also needing to pay for travel expenses for myself and someone to come with me, which is another issue.

I need someone to be with me during the entire month of team training. I originally thought mom would be able to do it, but she has to take care of my grandmother and their dog, who cannot be left alone. Mike and my aunt cannot take that long off work. There aren't many other options that won't be awkward or expensive unless I can find a friend or volunteer to go with me.

So after discussing this with family, we finally decided it was worth the risk to try again with a new puppy and for me to owner-train it in hopes it will work out.

Our reasons were pretty simple.  If this new puppy works out, I save $5,000 and the stress of having to somehow raise such a large sum all at once, possibly on very short notice, to afford the travel and hotel expenses to stay the month for team training at CPL, in the event I couldn't find volunteer housing or other ways to save on cost. Even if I could I am still looking at over $2,000 for expenses.

If by some stroke of luck CPL does find a dog to pair me with *before* I finish training this puppy and have a chance to see if he'll really work out as an assistance dog, then I always have the option to rehome him if necessary like I did with Journey.

If I end up having to wait nearly 2yrs anyway in hopes of being matched with a CPL dog, we should know by then or even before then if this new pup will work out.

He comes from working lines, his parents look solid and no history of issues, and his paws are huge for his size. He's going to be a good sized dog when he grows up and fills out. He's a lot like Journey in a lot of ways, but also vastly different in many others.  He's insanely smart and responsive and already catching on to things fast like Journey did, and he is just making 7 weeks old.

Still, our experience with Journey makes this a very difficult decision. To put that much into a dog only to find out the hip dysplasia is there.  I would rather know sooner than later, and there is some sort of version of the OFA hip/elbow screening that can actually be run on puppies instead of having to wait till they are almost 2yrs old for growth plates to close.

The problem is that testing is very expensive from what I understand.  It would be worth it for peace of mind to know the dog I am putting work into is proven solid.  But on the other hand it would be heartbreaking to spend that much money on the testing only to have worst fears confirmed and find out I am right back to square one again, and with all funds exhausted.

Either way, I will still be on CPL's waiting list.  As long as I keep following up regularly and meet their criteria, I will still have the option of getting a dog through them in the future.

Now I just need to come up with a good name for this little guy.


I am still keeping the fundraising active. It can be found here:


http://www.youcaring.com/brittney-steptoe-428674


I may still need the full amount for getting a dog from CPL, either now or in the future. In the meantime I will also need to cover puppy vet costs and related expenses as the pup matures and for x-ray expenses.  Any help with this is greatly appreciated.

CPL Support Class Trip

Back from New Jersey. The trip was short but went really well. We went to a trade show to see equipment and other things. After that we drove out to Pennsylvania and stayed the night at the hotel near CPL, then attended the support class the next day.  It was nice to see how they run things and meet others who were already paired with CPL dogs. My friend Carolyn and her CPL mobility dog Cherry came and we finally got a chance to meet in person and after the class go and have amazing nom nom sushi, yay!  Ember was waiting out in the car with Mike during class so I could work with one of the CPL dogs. I got to work with a beautiful male yellow labrador named Diesel. Great dog, great personality. He was already paired with someone though.

During the class he got a little restless at points and I'd reposition him and give him a down-stay command, but he'd eventually move again and come toward me. I wasn't sure if it was alerting behavior or not, since there was a younger female black labrador with another lady near us who also kept turning toward us a little restless. She also kept staring at me and whining, but I thought it was because I had my treat bag and was rewarding Diesel for good behaviors, which is why I also thought he was restless, wanting more treats!  Turns out Diesel was alerting to my neurocardio symptoms, and when I glanced at the clock I realized I was due for my medicine. He alerted within the same time frame Ember normally alerts when I am due for it. It was really awesome having a dog I don't even know alert to me. I mentioned the behavior from the black lab that kept focusing on me, and they told me she was from one of their lines known to alert so they were glad to know she was displaying the behavior and they'd follow up on it.

I asked them some questions about the whole process since I am on the waiting list, and was curious to know how many other medical alert dogs were in the making since Diesel was already paired.  They told me unfortunately all the dogs that do medical alert are currently paired with their new partners, and none of the dogs in the kennel rotations right now are displaying the right behaviors frequently enough if at all to make a solid medical alert dog. Which basically means since there are other people already ahead of me on the waiting list, I probably wouldn't be getting paired with a dog this year.  Then there is also the problem of finding someone to attend the entire month of team training with me.

Which leads to my next post, which will discuss that, and a little something else that happened as a result.

Disability, Service Dog, and Medical Stuff

Disability Stuff

This month is flying by. Have had so much going on with finalizing my filing with the SSA.  A few aggravations along the way, but those were made up for by going in to drop off paperwork for SSDI and unexpectedly getting to apply for SSI without needing an appointment as I originally thought I would.  Everything sort of fell into place just right.  It is all done, and now the waiting game. Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.  I did a lot of reading and research into the process, and spoke with others who went through it. I spent the last year compiling *everything* from my medical records and digging up old documents for FMLA and similar, and writing thoroughly (30+ pages worth) explaining everything in depth and fine detail. With everything else I have done to prepare, I think I have a strong case.  Burden of proof is all on me, and I think I have done everything I possibly can. I probably presented the materials much more thoroughly than most people do.

CPL / Service Dog Stuff

Speaking of flying.  I fly out this coming week to New Jersey.  Going to drive out to Pennsylvania for a CPL support class, where I will have a chance to meet service dog teams from CPL's program.  Looking forward to meeting the people and their canine partners who I already know, in person rather than just online.  Looking forward to meeting new people and dogs too.  Hoping I'll get to interact more with the staff and ask everyone there all sorts of questions. We also have plans to go to a trade show while I am there. Hoping to find some resources and business connections for future investments. Lots of excitement planned, just have to find a way to make it all a reality.  One step at a time.

Back And Dental Stuff

My back is feeling a bit better, and almost "normal" again. Hoping it stays that way.  I ordered an ortho brace online and have been wearing it as needed to avoid further stress or injury.  I found out I have Osteopenia in my lumbar spine.  I came across an old radiology report while gathering files for SSA that I hadn't seen before, from just before we moved from Minnesota.  Supposedly my old doctor in Minnesota didn't bother to tell me because she didn't feel the overall average of everything added up on the test was out of the ordinary enough.  But the radiologist clearly marked it as Osteopenia. Seriously, *any* kind of bone density loss can be a bad thing, *especially* if it is in your SPINE.  You have a duty to tell someone that, especially when they are taking medications that are known to *leech calcium* which puts them at increased risk. *Especially* *especially* after you told them to *stop taking their calcium supplement* because their blood serum calcium level was higher than normal.  Even not taking it anymore it is still abnormally high. Not to mention the medical diagnoses I have gotten since then and how they'd relate to something like low bone density in the spine.  I have to get another bone density scan as soon as I can somehow afford it ( add that to the list with the MRI I really need ) and pray 3+ years not knowing and being off calcium supplements hasn't caused more damage and I can start taking more direct preventative measures to improve or at least prevent further loss.  Had some horrid snarky issues with my teeth ongoing and once again looking at needing oral surgery.  Trying to find somewhere to get it done under full sedation. It's insane how difficult it is to find something like that, and worse when you don't have any coverage for it.

Otherwise things are okay as they can be. Taking it one day at a time and focusing on the good stuff. Hope everyone is doing well.

Decade Dog

Ember is officially a Decade Dog today. 10 years old and just as silly and spazzy as the day we first got you. You don't act a day over 2yrs.  My gross, disgusting Dogmeat creature. I love you.  Here is to many more years of the joy and happiness that is you.

Back Gone Out

So. Much. Pain.  I somehow managed to hurt my back over a week ago and could hardly move when it first happened. After a few days of TENSing, pain creams, Gaba, and resting and hobbling in crazy ways to stay comfortable, it finally felt a little better yesterday. Then today I had to go to the dentist. And it hurt, a lot. The numbing agent they use doesn't work on me, and even taking two Gaba before I still felt it ( though probably less than if I had not taken Gaba ). Ember was worried sick as she lay over in the corner watching and I had to reinforce her stay a few times because she was concerned if I was okay and sensed I was in pain and having pre-syncope symptoms. My hip was bothering me earlier from subluxing, but I finally popped it back into place and felt okay for about 30mins after.  I don't know if it was tension from the dental appt or having to drive that did it, but now I can hardly move or bend or twist/turn again without horrible pain. Doesn't matter if I sit or stand or lay, still hurts. I have already fallen behind in my schedule for getting stuff done because of it and because of the insane bad weather that passed through this area last week.  I am waiting for an ortho back brace to come tomorrow, and hoping it offers some kind of relief or at least support so this damned thing heals.  I can't stand not being able to do anything without feeling this kind of pain, on top of the nerve pain I already feel from my stupid teeth.  Don't mind me, just need to vent and write about it so I have a record and reminder of it I can look back at later.  There is other news medical and back related that may not be good, that I ironically came across while getting everything ready for the disability case.  I haven't wanted to say until it's a pretty sure thing, and only a handful of people know about it.  I really need to get XRays and an MRI, but this shitty excuse for GNO citycare doesn't cover that kind of thing. Having to wait till June/July or after and pray the Medicaid expansion really does FINALLY go through thanks to the new governor overruling the old asshole's block on it.....it can't come soon enough.  I'm not sure if I can wait if this doesn't let up, but I don't really want to have to go through the horrid local ER system like I did before with my wrist and get absolutely no help and waste time and energy I don't have doing so.  So in the meantime I will flail ineffectively and smell of menthol as I electrocute myself.  Hope everyone else is doing well.