Why training an assistance puppy is so rewarding
<p><em><strong>Pip Jacobson was born and raised as a dairy farmer’s daughter on the remote King Island, in Bass Strait, and now resides with her husband in Queensland's sunshine. Having had farm and rescue dogs all her life, she fell upon a SmartPup fundraising event and became involved with the non-profit organisation in March 2016. </strong></em> </p>
<p>"Ugh, these better be tossed," I thought as I hoiked up my knickers with the long-handled BBQ tongs, unable to bend with my newly fractured hip screaming blasphemy as I barely lifted my left foot from the floor. "Amazing how ingenious one can become," was my second thought as the tongs did their magic and my dressing progressed. Just three days prior I'd raced through the kitchen yelling at my foster pup to "LEAVE IT! LEAVE IT! " as an aggressive brown snake made its mad mission to corner her in the smallest area of the garden.</p>
<p>Christmas 2016 proved to be our quietest one yet. Not that it was planned that way – in fact we were expecting a very special guest called Shine – who was coming with the intention of displaying a few manners to my little foster pup Chilli who was being over-friendly, and needing to learn the etiquette of “meeting other dogs”. Actually, Chilli took on a roll much bigger than was expected of her by caring for my needs instead!! </p>
<p><img width="419" height="559" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34203/tired-baby_419x559.jpg" alt="Tired Baby" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> </p>
<p>Both Chilli, and Shine are SmartPups – assistance dogs for children. As it turned out Chilli finished her training with an added bonus... learning to keep her feet away from a wheelchair's wheels, and crutches! She graduated with flying colours.</p>
<p>Chilli arrived in March 2016 as a wee soft nine-week-old cute Labrador – the kind of canine I'd never owned... not that I would ever own Chilli as a foster. It had taken me 12 months to decide whether I was cut out to help socialise and home-train these special puppies, knowing that there would be a doomsday when she went off to her forever family – her new owner being an autistic child, or one that suffered from diabetes or seizures. Chilli quickly proved her nose 'knows'; such a 'snifter' she focused on getting as much knowledge as she could from her nasal sensory gift, she was destined to become a seizure response assistance dog. I am proud to say that only this week she was placed in her new home as exactly that!</p>
<p>My overnight stay in hospital was, at least, enlightening. As I lay in the Observation Ward willing my mind away from left hip howling, a very thoughtful young 'lady' hurling obscenities and abuse in 360 degrees proved to be both scary, and entertaining! Knowing that I couldn't exactly run if I had to, I was relieved to realise that she had six burly security guards around her and her cries of "I don't feel safe! I don't feel safe" resonated very clearly in my ears.</p>
<p>"I'm with you, babe!" And I hadn't even sampled ice, I merely had a hip in fragments. This sent an urgent message to my bladder so I hailed a passing nurse (no call bell on my bedframe) and suggested help to get me to the Ladies. "Too busy," she breathlessly panted as she reefed aside my privacy curtain, and flung in a commode chair. Tentatively I eventually managed to board this thing, but failed to realise that the potty had slipped backwards, it too trying to escape tidal waves of shouting. So there I was with a left hip hollering and a right foot reeking of urine with a huge puddle between me and safety. An avalanche of abuse quickly swept me back to my spot, hurty hip ignored and dripping foot dripping while I vainly tried to throw fleeing tissues into the offending pee-pool. Release the next morning didn't come soon enough.</p>
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<p>Chilli wasn't home when I arrived back from hospital. She was back at the training centre and I was mortified. Knowing that I only had six weeks left before she was to be placed with her forever family, I pleaded with the trainers, stating that my recovery would be twice as quick if I had this special dog with me. Yes, they agreed and sent her back, along with a wheelchair and the command "WATCH IT". Chilli learned very quickly to keep her toes away from those huge wheels, and not only did she walk sedately beside me, she walked slowly and gently next to me once I mastered the crutches – without ever having been taught. She had her one year birthday two weeks after my fall. She had mastered her seizure detection work plus wheelchair experience!</p>
<p>Chilli and I attended the regular Saturday training session in the New Year – me of course, skiting that a dedicated foster parent takes all kinds of spills to accompany the thrills for this SmartPup training! The Foster Families Saturday get togethers had become the highlight of our week – we encouraged our puppies to be calm and not distracted by other dogs, skateboards, balls, prams, motorbikes, runners; anything that may cause an assistant dog tethered to a child to break their focus from their "work". We'd sit and gossip and the puppies learned to sit and be patient. Then we would have puppy-play time – these amazing dogs earned their play time where we encouraged them to run free and be themselves, playing and sharing toys, bones and water bowls. The joys to see a pack of ten or so dogs tumbling and frolicking after being so well behaved was our laughter-fix for the week.</p>
<p><img width="387" height="518" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34206/1_387x518.jpg" alt="1 (165)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p>
<p>My decision to commit to fostering a SmartPup took 12 months, my yo-yo-ing as to whether I could hand back a puppy that I'd seen grow and develop, and of course love to bits. Last Monday I handed her lead to her brilliant trainer – we were at the airport, and my time with Chilli was on its tail end. My tears were pushed to the depths as I knew Chilli would pick up on my feelings. Her trainer took one last loo-stop before boarding and I could see Chilli, sitting next to me, search for her trainers return… I knew then, that this little pocket rocket Labrador had placed her trust in her trainer and I was content knowing that Chilli would board that flight feeling safe and secure. My time with my beautiful puppy/toddler/newly graduated Assistance Dog was done.</p>
<p>There is a beautiful child suffering seizures who now has Chilli's dedication. How wonderful is that?</p>
<p>P.S I received news recently that Chilli alerted her new family to an oncoming seizure that their young boy was about to have – so they took immediate action. She was placed only two weeks ago. My heart is humbled by this amazing dog. I just had to share that!</p>
<p><em><strong>For more information about SmartPups Autism Assistance Dogs, please visit their <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.smartpups.org.au/" target="_blank">website</a>.</span></strong></em></p>
