Wow so much has happened.

The Skyshow fireworks didn't go the way mom hoped they would. I got scared and we had to back away from them but mom said it's ok. I'm young and it was my first time. She said it was her fault and that she should have started back more and worked our way forwards instead of the other way around. On top of that mean neighbors have been causing problems for my mom and she has been having a lot more health problems because of it. We had a 2 hour long training session with my "aunt" Kelly and it went pretty good. We were working on stuff for some test mom wants me to take. It was hard because I was massively distracted and mom kept walking away from me. She knows I don't like it when she does that but she kept telling me to stay and then walking away from me anyways. Everytime I got up she would bring me back to where I was and repeat it. She kept doing this for a while and then I got to go outside with dad while mom and "aunt" Kelly worked with my big sister Dodger. Then I got to go back in and "aunt" Kelly brought in another dog but they wouldn't let me play with it. Mom kept telling me "Quiet" every time I would try to say "Hi" to the strange dog and trying to invite it to play. I don't get why I wasn't allowed to play with the strange dog but after I was finally calmed down for a bit and laying down the strange dog got brought out of the room and mom went and brought Dodger back in and we got to run around and play. Then something wonderfull happened this week. My mom had a doctors' appointment and I always go with her. Well she handed a piece of paper to the doctors nurse and said she wanted the doctor to sign it if possible. I don't know why she wanted the doctor to sign a piece of paper but she said that since the doctor signed it now IF a business denies us access and she has to take them to someplace called court she will have backup from her doctor stating that she supports my mom in her decision to use a Service Dog and that my moms' Service Dog, that's ME!, is needed to help manage her disability. My mom said that this is a very good thing so i'm happy about that. Then Tuesday she had an emergency appointment with her therapist because of how bad her health problems have been. Her therapist and one of the doctors at the therapists' office both told mom that for at least the next few months she should not go anywhere without me for her own safety. So if i'm not allowed to go somewhere for any reason then mom is not going to go either.

Fireworks

I was going to wait until Monday to post about this but I just can't wait. Last night someone around our building started shooting off fireworks. Mom half expected all 4 of us dogs to freak out but other then Jameel barking a few times we did great..........including me, who was hurriedly brought outside along with a stick of string cheese for a quicky training session. I just looked up at them and then right back at mom!!!!! So tonight the local baseball team was doing fireworks after their game. Dad got as close as he could to park the truck and then we got out of the truck and walked even closer so we were pretty much right outside the stadium. We could see pretty much all the fireworks that were shot off, could smell them a little bit and where we were there was a great echo from them off the surrounding buildings. I did not jump,flinch or otherwise startle the entire time!!!!!!!! Mom said she can't wait to take me to the Rock 101FM(local radio station) SkyShow tomorrow night to see their fireworks show. Of course she will make sure to have lots of treats with her and will leave IF I start getting overwhelmed but the past 2 nights have been great for helping her prepare me for this show. My mom is so proud of how great I'm doing with all my training.

I should explain for those who don't know

In case some humans haven't figured it out yet mom decided to do something a bit different and write this blog from my point of view because it's a bit easier for her then trying to remember the exact amount of time we worked on each thing during training sessions. It's also more fun for her and doesn't make keeping track of my training as much of a job but more like writing a story which she likes to do. So that is why my training blog is worded the way it is. She said it doesn't, or shouldn't, really matter how keeping track of my training is done as long as she keeps track of it just in case anyone tries to question my training or anything.

We went to a Flea Market

Mom and dad watched a movie this morning and then mom said she wanted to get out of the apartment for a bit so dad said to get dressed and grab me and we would go to the Flea Market. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why they would want to go someplace and buy Fleas when they are always saying that they hope none of us dogs or the cats get fleas. After a bit of a ride in the truck we got out and there were all these things called tents over tables with all kinds of stuff on them. We saw all kinds of things and mom and dad bought a few things but I didn't see one single flea in the entire place so why is it called a flea market if no one sells fleas? Mom said I did great. There was lots of different types of footing, confined spaces, lots and lots of people as well as lots of smells. I even alerted because mom was getting too warm and needed to sit down so we headed for a little food court type area and I had to sit or lay down under the table. It was the first chance me and mom have gotten to work on that. There were a few crumbs on the floor but not too many and mom was proud of me because when she told me to "leave it" I did. What mom had a hard time with but decided to ignore were all the stupid people making stupid comments. She heard one person say that I must bite and that is why I had on a patch that said not to pet me, another person said "If she doesn't want people touching the dog why did she bring it to a public place?" and another person said "She must be starving that dog why else would it be so skinny." I will have that person know that for my age, breed, body style and activity level my weight is not too far under what it should be(I'm up to 31 pounds now after all the problems with the old food mom had us on but also when mom and dad got me I was REALLY underweight....I only weighed maybe 17 pounds when they got me and I should be about 35 pounds). She also had one mom who had told her son that he couldn't pet me and because the kid started throwing a fit and climbing out of the stroller she took him out and said "Fine Ok go say hi to the dog." Mom moved me away and said "Actually he is working and not allowed to be pet." The mom picked up her kid saying "See he doesn't want to say hi that's why he moved away from you." Never mind telling the kid that I was working or anything. Yeah those people were driving mom nuts. Dad wasn't with us at the time because we somehow got split up so I led mom to an area that was way less crowded and after she took some deep breaths she 2 wayed dad on her phone and told him where we were and he came and met up with us. Then they stopped to get lunch and we went back to the truck. After they ate we came home. We were there for about 2 hours but boy what a 2 hours it was. So much to see, smell and learn. Mom and dad said we might go to another one next weekend that is entirely outside.

My mom didn't realize things were this bad......

SIDENOTE: MOMS' THERAPIST IS A FEMALE SO IN PLACES WHERE IT SAYS "SHE" A BIT I'M TALKING ABOUT BOTH MY MOM AND HER THERAPIST.
Well with the major puppy day I was having yesterday mom decided, since I am still in training and not a full SD, it would be best to leave me home last night when she went to her therapy appointment. The first thing that the therapist noticed was that I wasn't with her but could understand why she chose to leave me home. Then she told my mom that the secratary had told her before she called her back that she seemed extremely nervous and on edge and she could completely see why. She said that my mom didn't seem to be able to sit still for more then maybe 10 seconds and kept tapping her feet, tapping her hands/fingers on her legs, her eyes kept darting around the room, she kept changing positions in her chair and she had to keep telling my mom to slow down because she kept talking faster then she could keep up with her. My mom also kept getting sidetracked and talking about other subjects so at times she was talking about 2 or 3 things at once without even realizing it. This was the first time she has seen her without me with her and she said to definately make sure to bring me even if I am having a puppy day from now on and if I am having a puppy day they will just take things slow and she will give my mom time if she needs to correct him. My mom is thinking maybe bringing a chew toy that I only get there if i'm having a puppy day? That way I will be distracted from misbehaving as much? My mom told dad about what she noticed when she got back out to the truck and he said he has noticed the same things when they go out together and she leaves me here at home. Gee nice of him to tell her that.....At least now though she has someone else who has seen how much more anxious she is without me with her and this was in a safe environment. My mom would hate to see for herself what she is like someplace say like at the mall when she doesn't have me with her. My god people must think she's a basket case when she's out and doesn't have me with her......................

Carnivals

I had another perfect training chance tonight although it could have been any night between tonight and May 3 we decided to take it tonight. There is a small carnival near us. So we drove over, it's within walking distance but mom didn't want to agrevate her back, and walked around for a bit. The lady at the front tried to say "No dogs" and mom calmly explained that I am a service dog. She tried to stick to no dogs and mom said "This is a service dog and by law he is allowed to accompany me to any public place." She didn't say anything after that just took mom and dads tickets. Mom said I was great during all that and just stood calmly beside her. We were walking around and nothing phased me. You know how carnivals are....lots of bright, flashing lights, loud, sudden noises, screaming people, kids running around etc etc. Mom said I just acted like I have been to them every day of my life. She wound up doing more "people training" then dog training LOL. There was one guy that said I must bite simply because i'm an Australian Cattle Dog and his cousin has one and that dog bites all the time. Mom told him flat out that the dog must not have been trained properly then because she has never met an Australian Cattle Dog that bites. Everyone was commenting on how calm I was and of course the "Oh look at the cute dog" comments. There were so many people who either didn't know what a service dog is or didn't understand what a seizure alert dog is. Mom did get in some dog training once I had gotten a look around at everything and realized that some of the rides were moving fast. I started trying to chase after them and barking. At one ride I was even trying to jump up in the air after it as it past by over head. It was kind of cute but mom corrected me for it because that is not behaviour she wants. She did praise me and gave me treats for sitting and not barking. We walked around until I started alerting to mom.....she forgot flashing lights tend to trigger her seizures. So we headed out and came home.

Not much going on lately

Since the last time I posted not much has happened. Mom hurt her back on the 13th(before the problem we had with the jerk in the car) and by this week it was still bothering her so dad made her go to the doctor. I got to go with her so I could help her if I needed to. The doctor gave her a few prescriptions, did some x-rays and set her up for physical therapy. She has to go to the physical therapy two times a week. I didn't go with her for the very first one but I will be going with her from now on. She also set up a meeting with my "Aunt" Kelly to help me learn how to pick things up for her so she doesn't have to bend over and hurt her back more. She did find out that all the stuff that happened on the 13th did not set back my training any and is very happy about that. We are taking a bit of a break though because of how much pain her back is in and I might have pulled a muscle in one of my back legs last night so she has me taking it pretty easy right now so I can recover. I also haven't been paying attention during training times like I should be so "Aunt" Kelly told mom to take a break from any training for a few days and I get to be a puppy 24/7 pretty much.....except doing things for mom that I already know how to do. I can't wait to see "Aunt" Kelly again and learn some new stuff. This "old" stuff is getting kind of boring.