Storm

I know I am always asking for what you have to eat dad, but its only because I want to make sure you can eat it all :) Which means I hope you are able to enjoy your Birthday, cause I if you need help I know Payton and I are more then willing to help!

September is Service Dog Awareness Month

September is Dystonia Awareness Month (it is also Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month [PCOS], and apparently a few others also). As a kick-off to September, I am helping mom spread awareness for one of her conditions (she also has PCOS) I am helping her get the word out regarding Dystonia. Now in case you do not know, Dystonia is a very complex, highly variable neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that can cause slow repetit...ive movements and/or abnormal postures. But it can also cause rapid muscle movements such as repetitive jerking and seizure-like posturing (something which my mom deals with a lot in public that I try to help her with). As many as 250,000 people in the United States have dystonia, making it the third most common movement disorder behind Essential Tremor (somethign my mom was diagnosed with five years before getting told she has Dystonia) and Parkinson's disease. See more

Well went with mom today to another medical appointment, a new place that we had never been to before, and it smelled funny that it had me sneezing more than a few times (which made mom laugh, but wasn't really funny as it was a really strong unpleasant smell). When we arrived mom unloaded me from the car and we entered the building, it was cool on my paws as the floor was pure tile, not my favorite thing to walk on as I find it has very little grip when you come from bad we...ather (but since it was hot and sunny it was nice on my paws for once). The people moms meet were dressed really strange they had their entire face covered, they also smelled really funny. Mom was not overly happy during the appointment, I could tell as she was fidgeting with my ears and in general, seemed to be trying to remain calm. Not sure what was going on, but it might have had to do with the ppl having their face covered completely as I've noticed that is something that she seems to have a problem with (no idea why, ppl just look funny with their faces covered). Afer what seemed like HOURS with one of the persons, we went to another room with another person, who was also fully covered face and all (he even had covering over his feet - which I found really strange to see). At any rate, the room we went to smelled nasty so many chemicals in the air = YUCK! Mom sat in this BIG chair and had to take her shoes off, the person examined her feet and did stuff to them while I watched. Mom didn't seem to have as much of an issue with this person as she had me laying down next to the chair, guess this person wasn't causing her the same issues as the other person was. After that, we made our way back to the car where dad and Payton where waiting for us. Mom drove us all back home, but not before stopping at a yummy place to pick up something for dad and us (alright mostly for dad, but he shared a little of it with Payton and me). After which we headed back home and when we got in Payton and I took up our normal spots and took a nap while mom and dad did whatever it was that they were doing. So all in all, not a very eventful day, some excitement earlier in the morning and early afternoon - but not overly much compared to how things were months ago. Sighs I miss going to the park every week like we use to, but mom and dad haven't taken us there like they use to, mom said it is because it isn't as safe to do so like it once was. It still sucks, but if mom says it isn't as safe then I guess it isn't she knows best - but it doesn't stop Payton and me wishing that we could go back there more often. Well post more later, take care!

Not much been happening here this weekend, mom and dad have been mostly just doing stuff around the apartment so Payton and I have mostly just been sleeping the days away. Mom has had a couple of episodes of low glucose that she wasn't aware of happening, so I made sure she knew about it. But other than that it has been rather uneventful for me in general. Mom did get Payton and I a new toy from the store we went to it has a squeaker in it I am so trying to get to, but I lo...ve playing with the toy as it is soft and I can toss it all around to play with it. Mom says dollar store toys make the best toys for us to play with, I guess she is right. I don't know all I do know is that some of the most recent toys she has given me to play with have been fun until Payton gets his paws on it then its no longer fun to play with. Oh well post more later this week, take care, everyone!

I had an adventure with mom yesterday we went to the big store that sells my food and their food and other items that smell different. This trip was not like all the other's we've taken. It was later in the day, for one. That time of night is most uncommon for us to be out. But also this time mom was sitting in that big black thing that moves - she calls it a wheelchair. Anyhow, mom hasn't been going out very much for the past long while, last time she went out she also was ...Continue reading

Well lets see here, Heeling is one of the big things yes, but there is something else that gets asked time and time again and that is about Collars - what type is best to use and why is it best to use that specific type, etc. When people see Payton and I they see that we are wearing two type of collars (or in Payton case 3) we both wear our basic "Flat"collar which is what our city and rabies tags are attached to, for us the flat collar is nothing more then a tag holder, mom...Continue reading

Mom's been asked a few times if she has any videos on training and ya that is one of her downfalls not recording our training sessions. Blame it on mom being from the time of camera film and still not being used to digital recording stuff as she is always saying she is going to get shots of Payton or me, but almost never does. At any rate, for those who have asked, I'm going to be posting some of the stuff mom has in her files that she uses as reference for training plus I'm... hoping mom will remember to actually do some filming of our basic sessions. The following is one of mom's send to for new puppy parents (part of her training pack so to speak) this is a good site for the basics (and beyond also) that all pups should learn :) The only part of it that mom doesn't use is the physical clicker, for her disability that is just something that she has never been able to actually use, so she tends to use her tongue in its place to make a clicking noise. https://www.akc.org/expert/training/heeling-teach-dog-walk/ Of course, there are a lot of others, but the above is one of the handful that mom recommends to anyone looking for the basics.

Mom thinks it funny to have a bath and try to invite me to join her. Ummm nope nope and bleep nope, not going to happen mom I'll stay right here out of your reach thank you very much!

I hope everyone is staying safe with the weather we are currently having. I know that my mom and dad are trying to keep my brother and I as cool as possible with the recent heat wave that we've gone though, thouhg thankfuly today is a rainy day here in Toronto so its helped to cool things off, though the trade off is that is really muggy feeling so I do NOT like being outside that close the pavement as it just feels icky to me.

Well not doing much today, mom is business working at her computer, dad's on the couch doing something and my brother and I are enjoying the bed all to ourselves. Sighs, getting to stretch out full is sooooooooo nice to be able to do once and a while, even better when mom has the blind open so I can look outside without having to do anything more then prop my head up on the pillow!

Visiting with grandpa, he isnt feeling to well but he doesnt understand why. I'm trying to help him feel better the best way i know how.

At the storage unit with mom, dad and bro mom thought it would be funny to walk away so I jumped into the front to see where she went. Thanks mom should have known you where waiting for a photo opp.