All Things Dog Blog

Thursday, August 22, 2013

From Puppy Mill to Medical Alert Dog

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Looking back on the hiccups in the road, it's completely amazing to me that we are where we are. Oliver has recently come 'out of the closet' as a Medical Alert Dog. Mind you, this was never a goal I had for him. I had planned on doing therapy work with him, but somehow our blogging days took over and no time presented itself. Or maybe just no motivation.

I suppose it's time to share his story now--the whole thing. Back in 2010 I offered the then current version to my friend Kyla at Up With Pups. You'll want to read the post at that link to understand the beginning of Oliver's life. It did not start well.

Fast forward to 2013 and Oliver is a happy, well-adjusted little guy. Having become quite connected to my hip, as is often said of companion dogs, Oliver began to develop some surprising behaviors when I became ill with complications of my Multiple Sclerosis during a bout with the flu over New Years.

Strangely, Oliver's odd antics included jumping onto my lap and placing his paws on my chest as he peered into my eyes. His eye contact unbroken, he would stare me down until I found myself asking out loud, "What the heck is wrong with you, little guy?" The only thing that seemed to appease him was action on my part. Generally I ended up taking a brief cat nap and Oliver finally seemed to chill out when he could snuggle up to my shoulder while we blew off an hour of blogging time to snooze. My symptoms were so bad during that influenza that I had no idea he may actually have been sharing news. Still, though, I found myself asking what was going on, while his odd behaviors continued well beyond the flu season.

Springtime came and I saw a few friends and acquaintances over a period of months,

sharing with each my quandary over Oliver's strange behaviors. A few knowing individuals were helpful in beginning to shed some light on this pattern of strange activities. It was starting to look like Oliver had learned to notice and notify me of changes in my scent. I still wasn't convinced.

During my drive home from Washington, D.C. in May, Oliver alerted. By this I mean he insisted I take him seriously by noticing his efforts to get my attention. I pulled over at a rest stop to allow him to answer nature's call, assuming this was what the bark was for. No, he doesn't usually bark for a bathroom break--but rather whines--when it's time to visit the grass. But what else could it be? He was riding in a cozy bed, with a bowl of ice cubes for hydration and a snuggle toy. Generally this is all he needs as long as I am nearby. Yet he continued in his efforts to get my attention.

My mind drifted back to the conversations about the possibility of him alerting me to an oncoming issue with my chronic disease so I decided to trust his instincts and get a hotel for the night. The next exit had a pet-friendly La Quinta. We checked in and I began to get out my laptop to check in on blog doings. But no! Oliver was having none of it. He was on the bed insisting I join him.

"Okay, little guy. I'm tired from driving. I'll take a nap with you," I appeased him. Within seconds after my head hit the pillow I became horribly dizzy and a migraine was descending upon me. Vision blurry, I took a Triptan for the migraine and we both crashed for a couple of hours as I endured the dizzy spell, a common problem with my MS. Catching it early saved our timely arrival home the next day. For me, driving with a migraine is not an option; dizziness is not a safe condition in which to command a vehicle. It's not only unsafe; it's potentially deadly. I finally accepted that Oliver may have realized that the change in my scent meant problems ahead. I knew that dogs can sense seizures and diabetic blood sugar shifts coming on, but these super duper nose talents still baffled me.

One day shortly thereafter, when I refused to acknowledge Oliver's invitation to a stare down, he finally barked again. A single, very dominant bark as if to indicate that he was insisting I listen to him. This is not a typical reaction in Oliver's repertoire. Maybe I should take him seriously; but what exactly is he asking me to do? I wondered. My mentors shared that he apparently realizes I need to get to safety. For him this appeared to mean down, which in the case of a severe dizzy spell--compliments of my MS--is most certainly the best place for me to be.

Another question I had to answer was would he be reliable. Within a few days I found my symptoms worsening and Oliver offering a number of helpful insights. He was clearly more aware of my issues than I was. With the help of a few friends and my neurologist, I finally took the next step. Having noted that Oliver's alerts were dead on, I had begun to trust his advice and take action early. Rarely did I know what was about to happen, but each time he alerted me, there was definitely a consequence ahead. A trust was forged and we began the process of looking into certifying Oliver to allow him to be with me wherever I go.

Long story short, Oliver is now a Medical Alert Dog. His CGC (Canine Good Citizen certification) title was a nice start, having given him the training and good behavior to be an acceptable public companion. Now I'm safe in Oliver's able paws, on the road and at home. I couldn't be more pleased that the mystery of Oliver's interesting behaviors has been solved, and I think for once I can read his mind clearly. He's bored with this photo shoot, but definitely happy to be of service. Could I be any more lucky?

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Let's Interview Oliver:
What's in My Papillon's Head?

by Carrie Boyko

(c) Alan Boyko

Oliver Loves to Bike with Me

It's Oliver's turn to get interviewed, although this may be an interesting challenge. Getting inside the head of a toy-breed dog is not as simple as the more athletic breeds.

Oliver has two primary jobs. One is as the editor-and-chief of 5 Minutes for Fido and the other is described at the end of his interview. Now let's see what Oliver has to say:

Oliver

"My mom sure is determined to keep me from running the house. Every time I tell Tanner to get out of the pool, she puts me on the step in a "Stay", and I have to watch while he swims and has fun. After I'm a good boy, she gives me a toy to chase around the porch. Sometimes I swim too, but it's not my favorite thing to do. She says I have to know how to get out of the pool because I'm so short. How many times do I have to prove to her that I know where the shallow step is?"

"My favorite activity is pretending to be a sled dog when we go biking. I'm really fast and can run for a long time. Sometimes I even pull mom. I only weigh 9 lbs, so she doesn't let me do it much, but it sure is fun to be in charge of the run."

"Toy breeds are often considered lap dogs, but I'm not sure I'm a toy breed. I like active things like product modeling, meeting the neighbors, shopping and and walking with Tanner and Jacque. We get lots of funny looks from passersby. Haven't they ever seen three dogs walking before?"

"I'm really glad my mom gives us all organic dog food. When we learned that Xena had cancer years ago, Mom said we were all going to eat like she does. Xena's cancer could not be removed with surgery, but she was still a happy, playful girl for 3 more years. I hope I live to be old like her. She really proved those vets wrong; they said she would only be with us for a few more months. Hah!"

"We have lots of toys at my house, but my favorites are the ones in the freezer. Mom fills Kongs and other safe toys, freezing them with fillings like organic dog food, kibble, organic carrots, apples, and sometimes a little cheese. Yum! I love the cheese best."

" I really did enjoy showing up Tanner at agility class, but I was a little young and was not sure I liked being told what to do so much back then. Now that I'm all grown up I wouldn't mind going back to try it again. It was lots of fun to run and jump with mom; I didn't know she could do that stuff!"

"Recently I began learning some new skills that have turned out to be pretty neat for both mom and me. Apparently I have an extrasensory super duper nose. At least that's what I'm hearing. After I started staring my momma down when she smelled different she finally discovered that I was just trying to tell her that she didn't have the right scent, and that was a bad thing. She finally figured out that she was getting sick right after I gave her the high sign. Long story short, Viola! I'm now a Medical Alert Service Dog. Mom says, "Who knew Oliver had such mad skills?"

"I say, "I did! Clearly, Momma can't smell herself, and Tanner seems oblivious as well. She's lucky to have me to keep her out of trouble. Now I'll be accompanying her on her outings to keep her safe. I rather like that job. Sign me up!"