December to December

I want to take you on a wild adventure back in time to the first home pass Tibbs and I got to have a year ago this month.  I had worked with Tibbs at outings previously, but this was my first ever furlough and opportunity to bring a service dog in training home to spend a week with me. 

I was so excited to go pick up Tibbs at the Bradley campus bright and early on a Friday morning.  Normally it takes me awhile to wake up and get ready.  It was not the case that morning.  I was so excited I could hardly sleep the night before.  I was up and out the door before my mom told me it was time to go.  When we got to the parking lot we quickly saw cars pull up with all the furlough dogs.  I immediately spotted Tibbs looking at me in the car window.  I immediately recognized his big brown eyes and doggy smile. As soon as he got to me he must have felt my excitement, as it took a few minutes for us both to calm down.  We got him all settled in the van and took him home.  

I showed Tibbs all around the house.  He loved my room.  Since he was on furlough he had to sleep in a kennel, so we got him all set up in my room.  It was hard adjusting to seeing Tibbs everywhere I went.  He seemed so big at the time and we had to learn to work around each other.   Now Tibbs looks so small to me.  Tibbs has not changed in size we are just so used to each other that I hardly notice his size anymore.  This was the first time for me working with a service dog for over a couple of hours.  At first it was a bit exhausting.  Tibbs and I were both trying to figure each other out.  We had to learn to work together, care for each other, and help each other. Tibbs was also in a new place learning house rules, adjusting to a new dog, and adjusting to living with a family with siblings and chaos.  Tibbs also had to learn to work full time with a power wheelchair, how to take commands from a then 8 year old girl, and practice working with me.  We both had our work cut out for us that week.  As you can see from the pictures below, a year ago we both looked a little different. 

   

 

We went to dog friendly places, and worked around home.  We learned how to do commands together and learned how to benefit each other.  I cannot count all the things that I learned that week. Tibbs taught me how to work with a service dog, the independence they can help bring, and that i really wanted a service dog of my own. I took Tibbs to my grandmas to decorate and make cookies and we just spent the week living life together.  We became best friends in just a short time.  We were able to go on a public dog outing and pass our level one public access test.  Unfortunately it was on our last night of furlough and I was going to have to take him back for more training the very next morning.  I unlike the week before had a horrible time getting up that next morning.  I was dreading taking him back and saying goodbye.  I shed a few tears and tried to remind myself it was not goodbye but see you later.   I miss the excitement of a furlough morning and learning new dogs personalities and new adventures with them.  I instead get Tibbs love and continued adventures something I didn't know existed then, but am so fortunate I get to experience every morning now. I still enjoy meeting all the new dogs and watching them grow and learn.  It is such an amazing experience getting to see them get fully trained and finally go to their forever homes with their person.

This December we will get to experience all kinds of holiday traditions together.  I no longer have to say goodbye and Tibbs and he and I are well adjusted.  Tibbs is part of our family and fits right in.  I can't imagine what December would be without him.