Invisible Disabilities

Since we've had Sunny full time now for a few months, we've been taking her everywhere Charlie goes...which is kinda the point of having her.  She helps him wherever and whenever.  For example, Bounce World.  It can be a sensory kiddo's dream or nightmare.  In Charlie's case, it's a little of both.  I took the boys to Bounce World a couple weeks ago to run some energy off on a day they didn't have school.  Bounce World is a large building filled with inflatable bounce houses.  Great place to get the wiggles out, but its FILLED with kids and it's loud.  It was packed when we first arrived and Charlie did ok for a little while.  The longer we were there the more difficult things got.  He slowly began having meltdowns and at one point laid on the floor screaming.  Sunny did exactly what she was trained to do, and she did it beautifully.  I took Sunny to Charlie and gave her the "full on" command where she lays on Charlie, putting pressure on his entire body to calm him down.  And it worked.  I wish it could have been caught on video because it was perfect.  After a few minutes Charlie was calm again and could play a little longer.  It was truly wonderful to be able to stay somewhere so the boys could play.

Church, Target, parks, Costco, grocery stores, school, wherever it is we go we get the same question from people "when will the dog be done training?", "where will the dog go when she's done training?" or we'll hear people comment to one another "we can't touch that dog, it's in training."  We were puzzled when we started hearing these statements.  It took Tyler and I awhile to realize why people think that we are helping to train Sunny. And then it hit us.  Because no one in our family has a visible disability and they don't think Sunny is ours.  Many people think we are helping to train her and expose her to public places during her training.  No one in our family is blind or has a physical disability or wheelchair bound.  They see everyone in our family appears "typical" and therefore don't even entertain the idea that Sunny belongs to us.  We understand.  We really do.  And we've taken the opportunity to help educate people more about service dogs and what they can do as well as disabilities that you cannot see.

Most of the time people are really receptive to hear more and we've had people ask tons of questions. It's totally welcomed!  Kids are so inquisitive as well.  I'm guessing people with Diabetes, PTSD, seizures,  or other invisible disabilities who have service dogs run into the same thing? When people ask us more we gladly will chat and answer their questions.  We usually tell them the types of tasks Sunny provides for Charlie- either in the community or at home.  And we tell them the difference she has made for him so far.  Huge differences.  Amazing, really.  We've seen a calmer Charlie with less meltdowns, a boy that sleeps better, transitions better throughout the day, rides in the car easier without screaming the whole time.  We can actually go places.  I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to go do some new activities!  Guess what?  We went to a hotel/waterpark a couple weekends ago and it was AMAZING!  It went so well and we all had SO much fun.  And, there was no aftermath meltdowns that disregulated him for days after the hotel.  We actually plan to go to a different indoor park in February.

So, no.  You can't see Charlie's disability.  You can't readily see Autism unless you're looking for his quirks.  But his need for his service dog is just as vital as it is to someone with a physical disability.

Life with Sunny

We get asked a lot what it’s like to have a service dog. I’ll be honest. It’s a lot of work- and we’re even used to having a dog around- we had a family dog for the last 12 years. A service dog isn’t for everyone. For some, it would be more work than they need added to their life. Besides the usual feeding and letting out to go potty there’s a lot more to know that I'm sure many people don't think about.

Sunny waiting for Charlie to get done with Church on Wednesday

Grooming

Depending on the type of dog there may be some significant monthly, weekly or even daily grooming needs.  A dog's nails need to be trimmed every 1-2 weeks.  Baths are usually a regular occurrence for service dogs.  Depending on where we've been, where Sunny has been laying or performing tasks, we've done baths as frequent as once a month.  We've taken advantage of the dog wash in Rochester.  It's pretty handy- they have all the equipment needed to bathe your dog and it keeps the mess out of your own home.  Also, depending on the breed of the dog they may require hair cuts.  We've heard of one woman who had a service dog that needed hair cuts every couple of weeks.  Luckily, this does not apply to Sunny.  Ideally she should be brushed daily.  Sunny has A LOT of fur and sheds tremendously.  Brushing her regularly helps.  It also helps to keep her coat healthy and free of debris.

Bath time!

Exercise

Every dog needs to stay active, but especially so for service dogs so they can stay healthy and fit in order to do tasks for their owners. We found staying active with Sunny in the summer/fall was fairly easy. We’re usually pretty active and outside a lot. But as Winter rolled around we have found it  a little more difficult to keep her active and fit. Especially in the constant Minnesota sub zero temps we’ve had for the last couple weeks. But I think we may have found a winter activity to help keep Sunny active and fit that gets the boys involved as well.

Sunny got a pulling harness for Christmas and can get some exercise in the winter by pulling the boys around in their sleds.  She seemed to enjoy it as did the boys.  And I can say for certain that this activity definitely tired her out.

Other activities we do with Sunny are walks, bike rides (Sunny runs beside us), fetch, races around the back yard and agility around the playground and she loves to swim.

Health

Keeping up on general health is always important, no matter pet or service dog.  Making sure they are up to date on shots, taking any preventative or prescribed medications.  Being certain to take them for regular check ups at the vet and seeking help for any issues that may arise with their health.  Like I said before- making sure the service dog is in top health, not only for their own good, but so they can task for their owner when needed. Oral health can be included in this.  Making sure her teeth are strong and healthy is important.  Sunny loves to chew so she gets a marrow bone regularly.  Luckily, even though she likes to chew, Sunny is both smart and well trained and knows what she can and cannot chew on.

Naps are essential some days

Training

Even though each service dog goes through extensive training in order to become a service dog, it doesn't mean their training ends when they are placed with their owners.  We are always practicing and refining skills with Sunny to keep her sharp and up to speed on what she is expected to do.  The "If you don't use it you lose it" saying is so true with tasks service dogs are taught.  There are even a few tasks we'd like to add to her list and will need to train her to do.  Since we have access to her trainer for her entire life we can ask for his assistance with this at any time we feel we need his support.  But we've also seen how bright Sunny is and catches on quickly when there's something we're trying to teach her.

Working at the mall

Sunny practices her "full on" task every night with Charlie at bed time. This gives Charlie deep pressure that his body needs to relax and calm down enough to go to sleep at night. without this Charlie's body doesn't seem to get the signal that it's bedtime.

Sunny knows she is to leave food alone that she sees on the floor.  Making sure she remembers this from time to time.

But we also know that there needs to be a balance between working and being a dog.  Yes, Sunny is a service dog, but she doesn't work 24/7.  She would get burned out, just like any one of us would.  She also gets plenty of time to snuggle, play and just enjoy being a dog.

Having some down time on the deck with a marrow bone

Relaxing at the cabin this Fall (also keeping an eye on her boy)

Yes, having a service dog is a lot of work, but it has also been extremely rewarding for Charlie and for our entire family.  We have found a lot of comfort in Sunny knowing she provides so much for Charlie.  Charlie is learning more and more each day that Sunny can help him and is starting to seek her out when he needs her.  Life with Sunny is pretty darn great.