Over the past 8 years of training service dogs I have often been surprised at how much my puppies have helped strangers along the way. I expect that they will provide companionship and service for one person, but they also provide stress relief and happiness to the people we come in contact with during training. I’ve seen crying children smile, senior citizens become engaged (when they typically are percieved as unresponsive), and autistic children communicate through touch.
The last 7 weeks, Hugo has been going to the U of M hospital with me for IV infusions to treat my Muscular Dystrophy. He helps me relax, but more importantly he’s relaxed the more seriously ill patients who get infusions in the treatment room with me. Some have Cancer and get Chemotherapy, some are transplant patients, and others get medications such as I do. Typically, service dogs are not to be petted while they are working because it distracts them from the job they have to do. For a blind person, for example, this can be dangerous if they aren’t focused on their job. So, when Hugo goes with me the nurses and patients often talk to him but aren’t allowed to pet him.
Well, last week we met a German man, about 70 years old, who was getting Chemotherapy. we talked for an hour or so while we were both getting treatments ( they have 3 chairs side by side ). At the end he asked if he could pet Hugo because he said Hugo “is the best behaved dog I have ever seen.” I decided to let him, so I removed Hugo’s jacket (which says that he’s a service dog ) and gave him a release command. Well, before I knew it the nurses were petting him too ! They said they were dying to pet him for all of these weeks because he’s so cute. It was good for him and great for everyone involved. When he turns 1 year old, he will be eligible to do pet therapy at the hospital, and visits such as these are “unofficial” but help prepare him for therapy work.
I put Hugo’s jacket back on and he understood that it was back to work.
Pam & Hugo
