Roxane and Simon (Hearing Ear Dog) Making Shar-Pei History
OUR STORY
When
mom said I was ‘old enough’ she started to let me go to really fancy places
with her called restaurants and stores. She even bought me a really nice orange
vest with a matching collar and leash to wear so people would know I was working
with her. In the beginning it was so hard to leave the pretty things on the
shelves! And I wasn’t too sure about the restaurant thing either! I loved
being with my mom though! Then I started to learn ways to help mom around the
house. (No… not the housework! I hate that stuff!) When people come to
the door, I go get mom to tell her they are there. I also wake her up in the
morning when her alarm clock goes off. Good thing too! She would never be on
time for work if I didn’t! I don’t know how she made it all these years
without me! Mom really needs me to walk her on the roadside too so she is safe.
I let her know when the cars are coming so she can cross safely. One of my very
favorite things to do is tell her when the oven-timer is going off! There is
usually something really good cooking in there and sometimes mom lets me taste!
Mom likes tea in the evenings and I am very careful to let her know when the
teakettle is whistling so she doesn’t melt it onto the burner. (She did that
once!) My mom and I are a really great team! Becoming certified was a lot of
work for both of us, but now it means that I am able to go with my mom anywhere
that the public can go so all that hard work was worth it! Mom and I have made
many great friends all over the United States while we were working on our
skills towards certification. Mom says that many of these people really helped
make it all possible for us to be together, and to help us learn how to be a
working team.
Simon
When I adopted Simon in the summer of 1999, we began a journey together that was filled with so many new challenges for us both. Working on the skills that Simon would need, as a Hearing Ear Dog has been very rewarding and at the same time a very enlightening experience. I had never trained a dog to do anything before. Not even ‘sit’! It wasn’t enough that I wanted to train Simon for this work; I had to also find a trainer to help me! That in itself was a feat! We met with numerous rejections before we found our trainer. I am very grateful to Judi Anderson of Dog Ears in Oklahoma for the many months of support that she has given to Simon and I towards our certification.
The big question, where to begin? Being a novice in all aspects of dog training, I felt that the best place to start would be with basic obedience. What an eye opener!! In true shar-pei form, Simon never failed to look at me with those inquisitive eyes after the third or fourth repetition of a skill, "Aw mom! Do I have to do this again? I got it already!" Invariably, we would be sent to sit on the sidelines to ‘watch’. But basic obedience did get us started with communicating with each other, which was imperative if we were to ever work together as a team.
I am very grateful to all the people that Simon and I have encountered on our ‘journey’. We have been truly blessed with the very best of folks beginning with the original rescue team, to shar-pei breeders and enthusiasts, to CSPCA Rescue and CERF, to family, friends, and our trainer. We have many fantastic memories and we have made some wonderful lasting friendships!
Roxane
The members in my agency
are negotiating a new work contract I am
the only one from Aroostook County on the negotiations team. Anyway....
to that end, Simon and I have been meeting via ATM nearly every other
week since August and this month it will be every week. Plus Simon and
I traveled to Portland for more related meetings last Thursday afternoon
and evening and Friday all day. Friday's meeting was only me and one
other of my team members going to the state house to meet and greet
Senators and Representatives..... mostly to be 'visible' and let them
'see' us and explain our programs. But... when we got there, my dear
sweet Simon commanded so much attention that we had Senators and
Representatives and children and families all waiting in line to meet
him!!!! I was also asked for information on training service dogs. I
explained Simon's job, which Simon managed to demonstrate on his own
several times. We did discuss our 'real' reason for being there, but
Simon really assisted us! People were so impressed with him and loved
him! Senators who normally say nothing to outsiders sought us out!!!
We had numerous photo sessions with different Senators and
Representatives. We were recognized in both the Senate and the House.
Several people came forward and expressed support for service dogs in
general, and had quesitons about hearing dogs in specific, with genuine
appreciation for Simon and his work. The fact that Simon is a shar-pei
really captured everyone's attention, and anyone who ever had anything
at all to do with the breed was just beaming so proudly!!!! Because we
had so many people coming up to us, we also were able to conduct the
business we originally went there for. Poor Simon was so exhausted when
we finished... I was too! Simon brought out the best in everyone!
Several people were petting him and talking about their own dogs (many
of which were shar-pei!) some still with them and others already at the
bridge. (some stories were real tear jerkers and these people had such
far away pleasant peaceful looks on their faces while they talked of
their precious memories with their own shar-pei...) The president of
the Senate is a shar-pei owner too, but his was one that recently died
from cancer. He and I started on another discussion related to shar-pei
and shar-pei issues..... after that... he made a point to nod or wave or
smile at me and Simon each time we passed in the hall, or in the
senate! Simon really earned HIS paycheck! We were invited back
anytime!!
While we were leaving, a woman in a motorized wheelchair was coming
up the walk that we were walking down. She had a black lab service dog
with her who was off lead. 'Keebler' spied Simon and ran to greet him.
Simon and Keebler started their 'sniffing' routine and my co-worker
panicked. Simon and Keebler kept looking at each other after we called
our respective dogs to ourselves but they both wanted to play. We both
told them no and both dogs respected that. The lady and I had a good
discussion. We went to eat a very late lunch and then on our way out of
the restuarant.... guess who was on the way in!!!!!!!! Simon and
Keebler were very happy to see each other again so soon!!!! It was just
too funny!!
I am enclosing a picture that was sent to me. It was taken in the
Senate with two of the senators, Simon and myself, and a co-worker of
mine.
Roxane
