www.TheWillaWoman.com

QUESTION : The Torch Singer said... I really like your song. I was wondering if you could tell me how you got your music into your blog? How did you get that music bar and the music to play instantly? Thanks, Nadia ANSWER : Hey Nadia! Here's the HTML code I use to display the small Quicktime player you see at the top of my blog (and in The WillaWoman's Jukebox down in the left column). This code is in my blog template: <embed src="http://www.link_to_my_song" autoplay="false" align="center" height="15" width="145"></embed> The parm "autoplay" is set to false now so the song does not play automatically. This gives folks the choice to listen or not. And I hope you listen... and enjoy!

When I'm out and about and working a dog, the question I get asked the most is "can I pet your dog?" (if I'm lucky, they ask. Otherwise, they just pet without asking. Oy.). The 2nd most asked question is "why don't you allow petting?". I've always used my standard explanation, that it distracts the dog and turns us into a petting zoo. But at a recent mall trip, I learned another good reason not to allow petting. I met this fantastic lady who asked me tons of questions. She was a former dog breeder and an obvious dog lover. Her and her hubby worked at one of the mall kiosks and they have a co-worker that works a service dog. (I don't know the nature of her disability or what her dog does for her, but I do know I have to meet her! Kewl!) This woman told me that the co-worker used to allow petting. She allowed it for years, until one day her now very friendly sdog approached a very scary man for some attention. She then realized that her sdog had th...

QUESTION : LL asks..... Ok...I am soo annoyed right now. Jack has decided that the shaker can is a toy. And when I say NO he just barks back at me. I am so annoyed. He is being REALLY stubborn. The potty thing has gotten MUCH better, and he is actually going to the door when he wants to go out. But he is being a royal pain in the ass when he decides he wants to bark at me. Its like a bark where he seems to be talking to me. Like one bark...look at me...bark....look at me...growlish bark...look at me. All the while I am saying 'no bark' and if a can is near...It's just making it worse it seems. I think to him when I say 'no barking' its like I'm talking back to him, and he responds. So I've tried completely ignoring him. And then he started nipping my feet to get my attention. As if the barking I can't hear. Can you tell I'm annoyed??? ANSWER : Ok, you are dealing with a similar issue I have with Frankie, so I think I can help! When Jack barks at yo...

When I started this blog back in April '05, I wrote an article about Frankie (currently in training as my 3rd sdog). I received the following question: Raze said... What breed is Frankie? Well, today I received a nice comment from Frankie's breeder with a very detailed answer! So, without further ado, let me introduce Frankie (and Willie's) most-bestest-breeder-in-the-whole-wide-world! Lady Rebecca said... Hi, since I'm Franklyn Green Beans' "breeder" I suppose I can answer this question Raze... Frankie is half Lab and half hound-mix. Besides being a breeder, I'm a Pro Trainer and an Animal Behaviorist, and as such, among many other things like working directly with clients and their humans when there is a problem beyond the skill set of a trainer, I also rehab abused/neglected dogs that have either gone into some stage of withdrawal or have become fear biters, etc. (some call me a pooch shrink, o...

There once was a lady who was tired of living alone. So she put an ad in the paper which outlined her requirements. She wanted a man who: would treat her nicely wouldn't run away from her would be good in bed. Then, one day, she heard the doorbell ring. She answered it, and there on the front porch was a man in a wheel chair who didn't have any arms or legs. "I'm here about the ad you put in the paper. As you can see, I have no arms so I can't beat you, and I have no legs so I can't run away from you." "Yes, but are you good in bed?" "How do you think I rang the doorbell?"

QUESTION : Candice said... Oh dear! My year old border collie is still pooping in the house! I got him from border collie rescue about 2 months ago, and he has never seemed to have gotten it. I think he even comes in from outside and goes into the other room to poop. A friend of mine who works a lot with border collies told me that I need to keep my eye on him all the time, but it's hard. She suggested baby gates. I am just about at that point! ANSWER: When a dog is older, it's harder to break them of what has become a long-standing "habit". But it can be done. My suggestions: If you have a yard and are letting him out the door, try instead taking him out on a leash. Keep him outside to potty as long as possible. Next time he poops (inside or outside), move that poop (use baggie or plastic gloves, ew!) to a spot outside where you'd like the dog to go all the time. This will help "mark the spot". Take him to that spot all the time....

I am not a morning person. I tend to stay up pretty late... 1-2am most nights. By the time I do start making my way from the couch to the bed I am a walking zombie. Even though I get up at 10 or 11am, I'm not "up" if ya know what I mean. You'd be wise to give me wide berth until I've eaten and showered. Two things to note: Don't ask me "how're you feeling today?" right when I get up. I have no idea yet. I hate Cheerful Morning People. One day I figured it out. Why would someone who depends on sleep so desperately stay up so late? Here's why: Before I go to sleep, I know right at that moment how good or bad I feel. But I have no idea what I'm going to feel like when I wake up. It's the fear of the unknown. I never know how good or bad I'm going to feel when I wake up the next day, and it's this fear that keeps me from going to sleep. Once I realized this, I no longer felt guilty for staying up too late. I guess this ...

Here's the reply I received from Willie's breeder. It just goes to show that one should never think their options are limited when looking for a Service Dog candidate. Organizations are great for people who cannot train. But if you have the ability to do the training, this is a great example on how to find a suitable puppy to work with. I just hope you are as bless as I was in finding a wonderful and generous breeder like I did. The WillaWoman Link to Part One ------------------------------------------- The Reply from the Breeder So glad that you found our website and enjoyed it! The answer to your question is yes, I do donate to service dog organizations and to individuals most especially. I am also a professional trainer, who does a little bit of everything. My specialties are behavior rehab, K9 training (I work with the Austin PD K9 Unit on occasion as a matter of fact!), and I have done some service and assistance dog training in the past. I do not ever charge for this kind...

QUESTION from LL : So do i have to start over counting days if while i was showering jack came into the bathroom and pooed right where his box/puppy pad use to be? I'm guessing yes...but if no, he is on day eleven...otherwise were back to square one. ANSWER: LL is refering to my standing rule: A dog isn't housebroken until it has had no accidents in the house for at least 15 days in a row. So, LL, if you are on day 11 and he poops in the house, you're back to day 1. Bummer. Make sure you take him out to potty before you take your shower. -------------------------- QUESTION from LL : One of my friends came over last night and said that Jack is much better behaved than the last time he saw him (about a month ago). With company I am TRYING to get him to sit when they first come in and THEN they can pet him. He has a thing with faces and licking them with people who come over to the apt. After he gets attention from them he usually settles down (and it helps if we start 'pl...

About 7 years ago, I knew that my first Service Dog JoJo was going to be retiring in about 2 years. Since it takes 2 years to train a puppy to be a Service Dog, I needed to find my next dog. But I was wary about using organizations. They have very long waiting lists, charge fees, and some don't allow the handler to have other dogs in the house. There was NO WAY I was giving JoJo up when she retired. So, I decided to look for lab breeders near the Austin TX area and just simply ask the question: could they donate me a puppy? It couldn't hurt to ask, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The following is a reprint of the very first email I sent out. It was also the last email I had to send because this email was sent to Willie's breeder. I will post her response soon. Enjoy. Link to Part Two ------------------------------- I saw your website and wanted to ask you a question about your organization. I noticed that you have a "Police Donation Program". Have...

Even though I have yet to meet (in person) someone else with a working dog, I have "met" folks online. Since the beginning days of training my first dog, I've been a member of a few Service Dog newsgroups and have read stories posted by people working and training their own Service Dogs. One recurring theme on these newsgroups is denial of access. This is an issue that I've experienced very few times, and I've NEVER been on the losing side of these denials. I've always been able to quietly talk to the person(s) denying me access, explain the law and gain access. My theories on why I've never had a major problem with access: Even though not all states require it, my dog is "dressed" for work. Harness, vest, collar and lead. On the vest are two patches, one stating that the dog is a service dog, the other asking that people please don't pet. I approach every business as if I belong there. I am knowledgeable about the laws and my righ...

[ Note : LL, this post is for you! ] Unless and until a dog is properly trained to heel, buckle collars and harnesses are completely useless for getting a dog to behave on leash. Especially in a place like Petsmart where distractions are highest. That's why I'm always amazed to see people taking their dogs to Petsmart just because they can. Just because Petsmart allows pet-owners to take their dogs, doesn't mean they should. And if they do, they should realize that they are taking a big risk by not properly leash-training their pooches first. The situation gets exacerbated by pet-owners using buckle collars, or worse, harnesses to restrain their dogs (not to mention my pet peeve, flexi leashes ). Next time you go to Petsmart, try counting how many dogs are literally "standing" on their hind legs, their upper bodies outstretched in the air as they pull as hard as they can against their leash. They are literally being held up by their necks. A harness is for restra...

Crappy day today, so short post. Q: Why don't blind people sky dive? A: Cause it scares their dogs. Oy.

When you work a service dog, one of the things you have to be prepared for are all the questions (I talked about these questions here ). There are days when you may go out thinking "I hope no one talks to me, I'm not in the mood". But someday someone may approach you who may change your life. JoJo and I were sitting near the large entry doors of a KMart in Vermont, waiting for the hubby who was at the returns counter. A woman and her daughter (approx 15 yrs old) approached me. The woman started asking me the usual litany of questions (what's her name, how old is she...). But I soon realized that she had tears in her eyes. Seeing that she was starting to get emotional, her daughter stepped in. She was a very mature 15 year old. Together, both started to explain to me why the mother was getting so emotional. About 15 years ago, the mother's eyesight had started to deteriorate. Docs at first were perplexed, but she was soon diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor pr...

QUESTION : Sherri said... I have a question/comment about the "please stand" thing. The friends I have in wheel/power chairs usually complain about stiff necks leaning back to talk with me (I'm on the tall side). Because I have my own lower back/hip problems, I can't stand still for very long, but I can crouch, kneel or just sit on the floor pretty easily if we could not move somewhere there were chairs. It always seemed a good compromise. I had no idea that some might consider it insulting. If I do get involved in a "standing" conversation with someone in a chair who doesn't know me well, do I need to explain that my kneeling/sitting has more to do with me than with them, or should I just skip an explanation that might be considered patronizing? ANSWER : I guess the best answer is to simply do what you would do talking to anyone else. If your back hurt while talking to a non-crip, you'd pull up a chair and o...

A friend recently asked me (hi Darlene!) if I ever mention my lizards on this site. Not thinking they were really related to Service Dogs or my disability, I had not mentioned them. But lizards are great pets for the disabled. (I guess snakes would also fall into that category, but no matter how many I hold , I still don't want one!) Lizards are usually easy to care for, comparing to a cat or dog. The companionship and bonding isn't there, they aren't very cuddly, but mine do make eye contact when I talk to them. So, with that, let me compare: HOUSING : Dogs : Need big house, decent sized yard, and a king size bed. Especially when you have 3 dogs and 2 humans. Lizards : Need a suitably sized glass tank with CalciSand or orchid bark flooring. Some rocks and sticks to climb on and hide under. I found my rocks and sticks in the woods and sterilized them. They need special light and heat. FEEDING : Dogs : Need a good quality food to reduce the quantity of fecal ...

If you want to be friends with a crip, here's a few things you should know (this is pertaining to my specifics, ie. wheelchair, dog, fatigue...): I take a long time to get ready to go out somewhere. Kind of like taking a non-housebroken toddler (they say that about kids, right?) to the mall. I have a lot of paraphernalia I have to deal with. Dog, harness, collar, wheelchair, pad, water, purse, cane... You should like dogs. You're gonna get dog hair in your car and house, and on your clothes. Strangers ask me lots of questions. Sometimes personal. They may ask you questions too. We'll be the center of attention. We will NOT blend in. I may get challenged for access or run into accessibility problems. I do speak up and I do fight for my rights. There are no "quick" shopping trips. Once we get to our destination, I take a while getting setup. Just stay in the car and wait. I don't usually need help and go faster without someone hovering over me. I have a syst...

QUESTION : LL wrote - ok...so you know how I was litter training jack...well I didn't like that cause the litter is messy, jack liked to chew the litter, and also he missed his box a LOT not even realizing it. So I switched to like a glorified pee pad thing (basically a pee pad holder)...better on clean, but the problem of him missing is still there. So then I decided to just train him to go outside, and he can go inside if needed. To do this, I figure I need to start over basically, and slowly remove the glorified pee pad all together from his options at first, b/c he would never learn how to tell me he needs to go outside. Problem : he has had more accidents in the house lately than he has had even when he was 12 weeks old!!! This has become an ISSUE, or at least is becoming one. He peed TWICE inside today right in front of me, once ON the couch, and once on the living room floor. Since he is old enough to hold it, I am just not sure how to decipline him. He knows abou...

Spent the last couple of days restyling and tweaking my blog template. Now let's see if I can finally win "Battle of the Blogs" over at BlogExplosion . Comments on the new design would be appreciated! Let me know if I'm going in the right direction.

Guess what I did yesterday? I held 3 snakes! Ahhhh! No, not all at the same time. I held a Western Hog Nose, Eastern Hog Nose, and a scarlet king snake (I think that's what it was, it's the "fake" coral snake thingy). Not only that, but I touched a Copperhead (not the head!) and a Gila Monster lizard. I also actually was feet away from numerous (caged) Western Diamond Back Rattlesnakes, a baby Viper, a newborn rattlesnake, garter snakes, and a freakin' Cobra!!! I had fun though! It definitely helped squash my fear of snakes (but I still don't want one!). This all occurred at a meeting of the Austin Herpetological Society which was held in a private home. The house was filled with so many herps I can't list them all. I did not bring Willie to this outing. Because this was at a private home and the homeowners had a dog, I chose not to bring Willie. Mainly, because I know Willie doesn't get along with others and that to bring him into another dog's te...

I got a nice email from Ricky, owner of No Pity Shirts . Question from a fellow-cripple : I don't understand much about service dogs. I have a cat who is the best emotional therapy ever, but he isn't much into pushing my chair! You wrote about your dogs pulling (pushing?) your wheelchair - how does this work? I imagine there's some type of special harness? Could you show us a photo of a dog pulling somebody in a chair please? ANSWER : Ricky, my Service Dogs pull my chair. Willie and Frankie both use a harness designed by Nordkyn Outfitters . They both use a SiWash-style harness . JoJo used a harness designed by Bridgeport Equipment . Here's a picture of JoJo in her harness (that's Willie in training as a puppy!): Short video of Willie pulling: Dial-up Link Broadband Link Full video of Willie and us on the news: Dial-up Link Broadband Link Thanks!

QUESTION : ina said... Now I'm not sure what to do. I always crouch to be at eye level when I'm talking to someone at a table, a kid, or a patient who's stuck in bed. I HATE having to crick my neck if someone - especially someone who's in power (e.g. a doc, when I'm in the OR) -starts talking down at me. It's worse because I'm incredibly near sighted, so I don't feel like I can talk to someone at that angle and know what the heck they're thinking. So am I being condescending to everyone? or should I just keep doing what I've always done? Thanks! ina ANSWER : Ina brings up an interesting point. I would say that for me, I prefer to have someone not crouch down. In otherwords, don't treat having a conversation with me in the middle of the mall any different than a conversation with an able-bodied person standing in the middle of the mall. Don't treat me like I'm sitting at a table ('cause I'm not) or like I'm a kid, or...

I was thinking about offering disability-related t-shirts on this site, but I did some searching and found a site that already offers some great stuff. The site is: No Pity Shirts - " The best disability-related and motivational stuff in the galaxy! " I plan on ordering the shirt that says "Gee, I'm tired. I'd love a Wheelchair. It's easy, just break your neck"! It rocks! I can't tell you how many times I've heard this when I was waiting in a long line: "Gee, I wish I could sit down too." Some of you blog readers have asked me about what's appropriate to say or do with a wheelchair crip. THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE! Nuff said.

Today's a poopy day for me, so I'm gonna post 2 recent comments. One is the question, and then a nice blog visitor provided an excellent answer! QUESTION : Alison Ashwell said...Is it a good idea for a standing person to crouch down when speaking to someone in a wheelchair or should they just bend over. I suppose it is maybe individual though I'm asking because i have tried both approaches when i worked in retail [while i was at college] and i'm not sure if i unadvertantly offended some people. I have of course worried over it since then. ANSWER : Wilena said...Willa glad you stopped by my blog and introduced yourself suggested by my daugher-in-law (JamieDawn). I have had to use a power chair for about a year now. In answer to Allison's question " should you crouch down to talk to someone in a wheelchair ". Allison if you see someone sitting at a table and go over to talk to them, do you crouch down to talk to them. No, you would stand up straight an...

QUESTION : zandperl said... I've heard that "ordinary" people wouldn't be able to stand a day of using a wheelchair because of the callouses you need on your hands. How long did it take you to get used to using a wheel chair? If you've used one all your life, maybe you could say how long it takes others if you know. ANSWER: It wasn't the calluses for me, I've always used 1/2 finger mesh gloves with padding on the palm. They are very helpful, especially with braking. The things I had to get used to were dirty hands (carry wet naps), and arm and back strain. Arms were never meant to be legs. The two things that helped me were instructions on proper wheelchair usage (from a physical therapist) and losing weight. Oh, and the third thing: my Wheelchair Service Dogs! QUESTION : Stormwind said... I'm glad that your self esteem isn't tied up in your form of mobility. Do you think there is a difference in how males handle that versus females in a ...

QUESTION : Andy said... "How do you do other.....stuff? :) Dogs are good for you, everyone should have at least one." ANSWER : Good question, Andy! Just because someone is disabled doesn't mean they still don't have those human needs. What a disabled person needs to do is find what works for them. Experiment, get some books on positions, and just keep trying! Thanks for asking! ======================= QUESTION : catz-eyes said... "hi, my name is jay, and i'm curious: do you ever 'forget' that you're in a wheelchair...? or is it something your conscious of 24/7?" "also: is there anything 'positive' that can be said about being in a chair, in your opinion/experiences?" ANSWER : Jay, I can't say I've ever forgotten I was in my chair. But because it's become such an extension of me, I can say that I don't think of it as something I need to forget. The positives I've experienced over the past 12 year...

Another short post today, still not up to snuff. Bummer. Both Frankie and Willie acclimated to the sound of fireworks very easily. They don't react negatively at all, in fact, they seem to love the sounds! They'll sit out on the back porch with their noses in the air and just listen to the pops and crackles all night. (Either that or they're communicating with their superiors on Planet Caninus about how to deal with us lowly humans, I don't know which.) Barney, on the other hand, is currently on drugs. I can see only the whites of his eyes. Poor boy, he hates The 4th of July and New Years Eve. So do I. Oy.

K, this wasn't the first question, but I'll answer it first since today is kind of a crappy day. It happens. QUESTION : Lone Ranger said... Who played Lumpy on "Leave it to Beaver?" ANSWER : Frank Bank played Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford (1958-1963) Here's his book . Honestly, I never watched "Leave it to Beaver". I think I'm not old enough... I was born in 1961. I watched "I Dream of Jeanne" and "Charlies Angels". I wanted to be the Kate Jackson character, tomboy-ish but still hot. I think I succeeded! HA! (In case you haven't noticed, just because I'm now a crip doesn't mean my self-esteem has lowered any. That's not an easy feat for all, but was for me. Dunno why tho'.) -------------------- Thanks for all the questions. I'll post answers in the coming days and I WILL answer them all, I promise. Keep 'em coming!

Go ahead and ask. Ask the questions you always wanted to ask someone in a wheelchair. Nothing is too embarrassing. You might as well ask me on this blog since you are somewhat anonymous and don't have to look me in the eye. What have you always wanted to ask someone in a wheelchair? Here, I'll start: Q: "Hi, my name is LaLaundria! I wanted to know how do you take a shower?" A: Well, LaLaundria, I sit down. On a shower chair. I have grab-bars installed in my shower/tub and my commode rooms to give me extra balance. A shower chair is a hard plastic chair made to fit in showers and tubs. I have a shower massage type shower head that helps get the water closer to my hair. Howze that? Ask away, no question is off limits! (Oh Jeez, what am I getting myself into!)