The Bear
You're going to see this image on your calendar, the back of your notecards and other places. I want to explain what it is, what it means, and why it is a part of the calendar project.
The image is a small part of a larger painting that I did after my TBI. It's a picture of me with my black 75 pound goldendoodle named Winnie. The original painting is a picture of Winnie & I, Jesus, and a lot of grief over my life changes with PCS.
We got Winnie in 2019. We had no intention of her being anything more than a house pet. Funny how God sometimes takes plans and turns them upside down.
After starting basic obedience classes with my mom, someone suggested Winnie had the right temperament to be a therapy dog. So, after years of training, Winnie is now a certified Therapy Dog. This means she travels with my mom to schools, nursing homes, hospitals, etc to bring people joy. Winnie loves this work and always gets very excited when my mom puts her uniform on.
After my brain injury in 2021, I had some really unfortunate experiences within the walls of a doctor's office. This led to a severe anxiety about going to the doctor. When I expressed this to one of my doctors who I was seeing before I fell, she suggested that Winnie go with me to those appointments. We talked about what that would look like and it ended with her writing me a prescription for Winnie to be my Emotional Support Animal. ESA dogs have rights when it comes to places to live, hotel stays, etc. ESA dogs, therapy dogs, and service dogs are all different from each other. They all have their own set of rules they have to follow.
After some difficult events in 2022, Winnie started alerting me on her own to things happening in my body. This proved to be life altering for me in the best way, so we decided to look into making her a service dog. We trained her to do a few more tasks, and by early 2023 she was a legit, fully trained service dog.
Winnie wears a vest when we are in public. You may be surprised to know that service dogs are not required to wear anything that identifies them as such. I have her wear a vest because it helps people remember and recognize that she is a working dog. Although some people ignore the vest and still try to pet her. When we are at home, Winnie doesn't wear the vest. She plays with her ball, begs for treats, and gets the zoomies when any of my family come over. Even in those moments, she is aware of what is happening with my body and will alert me if needed. It amazes me that one minute she's playing fetch and the next she is alerting me and ignoring the ball. We've never caught it on video, but I hope we can at some point because it is amazing to see.
Unfortunately, there are people and programs out there that abuse the system. A good tell is to look at the behavior of the dog in a public space. An even better tell is to look at the owner's reaction to the dog. I remember an incident that happened last spring. We were outside, but Winnie was working and in her vest. A friend of mine (who also happens to have a service dog) came around the corner unexpectedly. Winnie stood up, looked at the dog, wagged her tail, and expressed interest in playing.
As the owner of a service dog, I was mortified at Winnie's behavior and immediately moved to a new area to remind her that she was working. That is not appropriate behavior when she is working. Some may say, "oh she was just being a dog she didn't do anything wrong." And technically speaking you would be correct. Service dogs are dogs first and foremost. But if the dog is trained to behave a certain way, the dog needs to stick to their training while they are "on."
That is a long example to say, if you are out somewhere that does not allow pets- look at the dog's behavior. Is it yapping, sniffing everything in sight, nervous, etc? If so, chances are they are it is either a service dog in training (which have their own set of legal rights) or it's not a service dog.
A friend asked me recently, "what do you do if you're pretty sure it isn't a service dog?"
The short answer is: management can ask the dog and handler to leave the store. They can also ask:
1.Is the dog is a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
It's like if someone was causing a scene in the grocery store, the store could ask that person to leave. It is the same with service dogs- if they are causing problems, they can be asked to leave. A true service dog likely won't cause problems. If the dog does misbehave somehow, the owner will address it immediately or leave the store before needing to be asked. As a service dog owner, I am more aware of Winnie in public than I am my own behavior.
This is a copy of a card I carry with me when I have Winnie in public. Lots (not all) service dog owners carry some version of the law with them because sometimes people have questions and we don't have the law memorized. 99% of the time, people ignore Winnie when she is with me- and for that I am very thankful. If you see a service dog, the best response you can have is "no touch, no talk, no eye contact" with the animal.
Winnie's training and the Lord prompting her when I need help has been such a game changer for me.
I am so incredibly grateful for her. She has been a companion when my emotions are a tornado, a help when my body needs alerting, and a source of joy through these past few years.
Winnie the Pooh is her official title. My family & I lovingly nicknamed her "the bear" early on. Partially because of her namesake, partially because of her size, & partially because she is devoted to her people just like a momma bear is devoted to her cubs.
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