Pillars of Strength - A Special Day for "K"

Today, Valentine's Day, the blogging community is sending our love to KB of Romping and Rolling in the Rockies. KB's dog, K, is facing the challenges of osteosarcoma. We hope that our posts will help bring KB strength and peace as she helps her K battle this insidious disease.

I'm never sure if bloggers find each other through fate, or if it's just the luck of web hopscotch. We spring through the links and sometimes land on a page that reads like the voice of a old friend. We make these lucky friendships in our own backyard and across the world, and while we can often only imagine our friends' actual voices (and their dogs' barks), their words are always comforting and familiar.

I "met" KB in November 2010. We both live in Colorado and we don't know each other in person, but we have a lot in common. We're both head-over-heels in love with remarkable dogs who happen to share initials: K and R. Each of us is awed, daily, by the extraordinary beauty of our state. We share a love of exploring mountain trails, snowy and sunny, with our dogs and through their eyes. And we formed a friendship over a toe.

KB's first visit to Raising Ruby chanced to be on Turn-In, the emotional day when Ruby left our home to enter advanced training. It was a scant post, typed through tears as I packed Ruby's things and kissed her goodbye. KB left a warm comment on my blog, helping to soothe the ache as my puppy leapt into the next phase of her journey to become a service dog. In the days following Ruby's departure, I visited KB's blog, Romping and Rolling in the Rockies, and recognized that unique voice of a new old friend. KB is a gifted writer and photographer and I was thrilled and intrigued by her gorgeous photos and clandestine glimpses of wildlife.

I was also concerned to read that her beautiful dog, K, was suffering from an inflammation of the toe that could not be easily diagnosed. Six years prior, my own "K" — Kiva — had a painful and undiagnosed inflammation of her toe. My husband and I had faced a hard decision — whether or not to amputate. We were so confused and so unsure. Amputation seemed extreme, but it was the only way to make a conclusive diagnosis. It was the same decision KB was facing.

Amputation before a diagnosis is a tough leap of faith. KB and I corresponded about the difficulty of the decision, the possible outcomes, the pros and cons, the lingering effects. In Kiva's case, we had decided on amputation and it had proven to be the best course of treatment, revealing a malignancy that had spread in our young dog. After long discussions with her veterinarians, KB also decided to go ahead with amputation. With a sense of relief, we all read the news of K's results — infection — and we watched K heal and romp again. Side-by-side spiritually, our Ks continued to hike the high country, each with a precious paw minus one small member of the team.

I often imagine those two rogue toes, great pals, hopping about in their astral meadow. One daring the other to scamper up the rockiest cliff; splashing together through glacial lakes in a race to the shore. Scoundrels! Chasing each other in the grass, trampling a maze through the wildflowers.

I've been away for a while, spending time with my now elderly K and a new little R, and I've just heard KB's news of K's osteosarcoma. KB shares her treatment plan and K's progress, and her readers and friends send big hugs we hope she can feel. But KB also gifts us with the inspiration of pure joy, photos of her strong, active K romping and rolling through the Rockies every day with glee and abandon!

K's smiling eyes shine through my screen and I recognize the extraordinary power of a dog's spirit and will — the same strength that I saw in my own Kiva as she enjoyed her life despite my worry. It's easier in theory than in practice for their humans, but our Ks have each taught us the same thing: to live each day with grace, exuberance, and the triumph of each moment.

It's Official! Ruby Is A Service Dog

One afternoon in July 2009, baby Ruby took a rare break from making mayhem and I watched her sleep. She wiggled her licorice jellybean nose at some terrific mischief in her puppy dream, and I had a thought.

I imagined that someday this three-month-old puppy—the one howling in her crate like a deranged chimp; conquering toys and toes with a mouthful of machetes; my little ringleader who disrupted all the other puppies in puppy class—someday maybe this tiny firecracker could really become a service dog.

And if that was fate's chosen path for Ruby, this puppy who burrowed deep in my heart, I wanted her future partner to have all of her. Every moment of her fantastic, challenging, hilarious, beautiful puppyhood. So I started writing, and we followed her path, and those hundreds of blog posts led to this one.

Our puppy has found her partner. Ruby is David's service dog.

It seems serendipitous that the news of her partnership should come at this time of year. Knowing that Ruby will live each moment beside the person she loves most in the whole world is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received.

Congratulations, David! And thank you for allowing all of us to share in these photographs of you and your partner. You and Ruby are an awesome team.

Raising Ruby, my first service puppy, was a remarkable journey for me and I'm so grateful for all the friends, old and new, who traveled the path with us. Thank you for joining me in a thousand smiles, a few tears, and then a thousand more smiles.

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Ruby In Partnership Training!

With my heart so proud of a little yellow service puppy who grew into a beautiful service dog in training, I can now reveal the next chapter: Ruby has entered into partnership training!

Ruby has been matched with David, a 31-year-old amateur graphic designer and MMA enthusiast who has a spinal cord injury. David kindly offered to share the news of his partnership with Ruby to help continue Raising Ruby's mission of raising awareness for service dogs.

David also gave me permission to post this photo. I think they're going to make an awesome pair!

Over the next few weeks, David and Ruby will practice and receive instruction at home and in public. Partnership training is rigorous and there are no guarantees, but it's essential to completely prepare the team and make sure they are well suited for one another.

Many thanks to David for sharing this stage of Ruby's journey with all of us. David, we wish you and Ruby all the best in your training!

Raising Ruby in Mile High Dog Magazine

The October/November 2011 issue of Mile High Dog is out and anyone who is interested in service and assistance dogs will really enjoy it. Mile High Dog is stocked in many locations around Denver, but if you need more info on where to find it, just visit the MHD site and drop them a line.

Cover dog, Caitee, is a first responder with a local Colorado police department and she's got a pretty important job. She provides emotional support to victims of violent crimes, including children who must testify in court. As the article explains, dogs like Caitee can work magic on the psyche of a physically or emotionally wounded person.

I'm proud to have contributed a piece on my service puppy raising experience for this issue. If you'd like to know more about Ruby and me, and get a feel for the incredible journey it is to raise a service puppy, just click on the cover image or this link to read our story: Raising Ruby in Mile High Dog.

Photo Pupdate: Designated Driver

Still feels like summer here in Colorado! Sunny, 80s, a good time for another round of golf.

Roo's friend is pouting because Ruby got a few pars and won the match!

Sue also let me know that Ruby will be finishing up her training in another location. Paws crossed that Ruby will be placed soon, and many thanks to Sue for keeping us up-to-date with all the wonderful photos of Ruby's advanced training over the past year.

We'll Just Have A Salad, Thanks

Here's Ruby and friends just saying "no" to some tempting hot dog tidbits. Service dogs in training learn not to pick up stray morsels of food, so excellent work, you guys! Although when it comes to hot dogs, maybe the Roo Crew is just as tired of BBQ after a long holiday weekend as the rest of us!

Young Stud Makes Move On Creaky Cougar

Hey! Is my boyfriend, service puppy William, trying to sneak a kiss on a Kiva? Aww, Kiva's not really into the mushy stuff, but she couldn't resist your charms, little guy. You got her frolicking a bit and loosening up those old bones, and that does her (and her mom's) heart a lot of good.

Smilin' Pups

Puppy kisses, congratulations to all, and our great appreciation to everyone who voted for Raising Ruby in the Petties Awards — we may not have fetched the title this year, but our readers and friends always make us feel like winners! I am so thankful for all of your support in spreading the word about service dogs and the independence they can help bring to people with disabilities.

I'm also very grateful for your many kind comments and emails on my previous post about Kiva. I love reading about your experiences and sharing tips and suggestions on how we can provide the fullest lives possible for our senior dogs. If you have a question, a solution, or just feel like chatting about the precious old dog who shares your life and heart, feel free to contact me anytime!

Enjoy each day!

Old Dog

People frequently tell me there's no way they could ever raise a service puppy, because it would be too hard to give them up. Each person knows what they are able to bear, so I completely understand the sentiment behind that statement. Having raised both service and pet dogs, though, I find it much easier to lose a dog to life than the inevitable alternative.

Ruby is my sweetheart. But Kiva is my soulmate. We met Kiva when she was six weeks old, took her home at eight weeks, and then, since her sixth birthday, I've had a kind of odd relationship with her aging process. I think that no matter how much we celebrate with cake and presents, no one really enjoys watching those canine birthdays rack up, because we unfortunately get so few of them. But I've come to love each birthday as a celebration of what she's had rather than a worry about what she'd have left.

When Kiva got cancer at six years old, I never thought I'd see her reach seven or eight. She did. And then she hit nine. Nine is the number I always really hated thinking about in a dog; to me, it's the age that signifies the official beginning of what a friend calls, "the worry years." But she had survived cancer and hit nine and I felt jubilant.

Ten? I was triumphant. Eleven, ecstatic. Twelve was the birthday where I absolutely rejoiced. She had lived six years past her sixth year. I had been given the remarkable gift of a second lifetime with her.

Now that Kiva is thirteen years old, it's the extra cherry on top of the cherry on top. As she so patiently taught me (while I agonized over her cancer diagnosis and she exhiliratingly lived her life despite it): "Dude. Put down the tissue box and enjoy each day." And I really do. But there are some realities about my old—and I can't tell you how grateful I am to be able to use that word, that she made it to old!—dog that I've recently had to face. The most challenging is what her veterinarians believe is a degenerative spinal disorder. It's been gradual but steady and it's difficult to watch the back half of your dog in terminal disagreement with her front half.

She's still eager, curious, and playful, though. And hungry. For chicken and cheese and life. We've changed her activities to match her capabilities, but we've never altered the fun. Old dogs still love fun as much as pups do! So maybe it's two short walks a day rather than one longer one. No more strenuous mountain hikes, but lots of good, brisk swims. She still wants to play catch, but I put her in a "down" and toss her soft line drives now, keeping all those paws safely on the ground.

And we've kept our tradition of shaking off the summertime blues with a roll in the snow. Last July, we took Ruby and Kiva to St. Mary's Glacier here in Colorado. It was a bit of a walk up to the snowfield, but at that time, Kiva could handle it.

This year, we took a weekend road trip up to the Snowy Range in Wyoming instead. We enjoyed easy access to crystal lakes, cool green meadows bursting with wildflowers, and frosty snowfields. Wyoming is delicious this time of year!

And not just for senior dogs. Here's Kiva's over-the-hill mom...well, trying to make it over the hill. Yep, that's me wiping out and about to land smack on my butt as gracefully as possible.

A great time was had by all. As long as Kiva still wants to have fun, we'll find it for her. It's just become time to discover it in different places and ways.

I want to thank two wonderful people who are helping me navigate the challenges of Kiva's senior years. Their advice and friendship have been invaluable to me.

Jenny Kachnic is service pup William's mom. Besides sharing the joy of her service puppy with me, she cares for my Kiva with gentle massages and is very knowledgeable about the issues and challenges facing dogs (and their owners) during the senior years. Her upcoming book, Your Dog's Golden Years, will contain chapters from 18 canine professionals with information and options to help senior dogs live longer, happier lives.

Chandra Conway writes the blog, Daley's Dog Years, a great resource for advice on senior dog health, and information on the topic of canine degenerative spinal issues. I'm grateful to Chandra for her warm encouragement and for sharing the knowledge she gained during her search for treatment and therapies for her chocolate Lab, Daley.

For information on how to help improve the lives of homeless senior dogs, please visit The Grey Muzzle Organization.

Pupdate: On The Lift

When Ruby was a pup, we worked with the funny sensation of motion. At three months old, she rode an elevator for the first time. I took her to a swaying dock and for rides on trains and buses. I also made sure she walked on all kinds of surfaces including metal grates. Early exposure like this helps in her later education, because as a service dog for a person with a mobility-related disability, Ruby needs to be completely comfortable accessing a train, bus, or van on a motorized lift.

I just received these photos and it looks like Ruby is doing really well with this exercise in advanced training. Here she is with her twin, Racine, as they experience the van lift...

then Roo waits patiently on the van as her trainer gets situated.

A few years ago, I was assisting an advanced trainer as she placed a service dog with a gentleman who had quadriplegia. He was a big fellow, strong and determined, very active in sports prior to his injury. After our training session, he and I waited together for the bus to take him home. He told me how he was looking so forward to having a service dog by his side as he took public transportation, because it was one of the hardest things he had to do as a person living with a disability.

It wasn't the physical aspect of boarding the bus that was so difficult, he explained. It was because of the many stares and glares he would get as the other passengers had to wait for the ramp to lower and rise. He told me that people would also make rude comments about him, loudly, as if he couldn't hear them. Or maybe, he said, they knew he could hear them. He described his mortification—he didn't want to inconvenience people or make them wait—and told me very honestly that it often made him cry. He was devastated, daily, by the little cruelties he experienced simply from having to go through his day a little differently than most people.

Sometimes it does take a few extra seconds to wait. But in those few seconds, it's so easy to be kind.


Thank you to Sue and to Ruby's advanced trainer for the wonderful photos.

Just A Question...

Anyone else's dog like to put their paws up on the ottoman while they watch TV?

Mine does.

We all love our cozy creature comforts...especially old gals like Kiva 'n me. Sometimes you just want to kick back and relax – even on a road trip – and this week, cool new travel blog Fathom chills out with us! Take a look: Dog Digs the Spa