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Here's a small example of how intelligence varies from dog to dog, using my 3 dogs as "proof": Take 1 Kong. Add some peanut butter. Put in freezer. Give to dog. Willie : Lays down, puts one paw on the Kong, and lick lick licks out the peanut butter. Works on it until it's empty. Frankie : Picks up the Kong, goes to the tile in the kitchen, drops Kong on floor, stuff falls out, he eats it. Rinse, repeat. Barney : Looks at you like you have to be kidding, walks away leaving Kong where you put it. It's obviously too much work for such a small pay off.

Just heard a message on my machine. Willie's little brother, Elliot, took a turn for the worse. He will probably be put to sleep today. Pray for strength for his human family. Edited @ 11:15pm August 30th, 2005 : Elliot went to the Rainbow Bridge today. We all mourn his passing. Goodbye Elliot.

My life has changed so much over the years. Before I started getting sick, I was the quintessential type-A. I was climbing the corporate ladder within IBM, I was working an extra night shift on the weekends, I was performing with and writing material for Rosetta Stone (Poughkeepsie's #1 Rock Band at the time), I was hiking and biking and swimming and lifting weights, I was modding my car, I was training my dog... in other words, I was on the move constantly. I would not have wanted a TiVo if you gave me one for free. Now, if I can get out of bed, shower, dress and make breakfast without taking a pain pill, it's a Good Day. Life has changed, but I consider it a blessing in disguise. It has forced me to slow down and smell the roses. It has given me the time to have deeper relationships with my family and friends, and it has given me a new perspective on life. It has allowed me to forgive myself and others for things that happened when I would younger, things that I attribute t...

My current dog-training prodigy, LL, has a Boston Terrier named Jack. A while back, when she was learning some basic training commands, she complained that she had an issue with the "Off" command. She got ridiculed when saying "Jack, Off". Understandable. I suggested she only say Jack's name with the "come" and "heel" commands. So, what's in a name. Maybe this joke will help explain: Everybody who has a dog calls him "Rover" or "Boy." I call mine Sex. Now Sex has been very embarrassing to me. When I went to City Hall to renew his dog license, I told the clerk I would like to have a license for Sex. He said, "I'd like to have one, too." Then I said,"But this is a dog!" He said he didn't care what she looked like. Then I said, "But you don't understand. I've had Sex since I was nine years old." He said I must have been quite a kid. When I got married and went on my honeymoon...

Since Frankie has been with us (he was 9 weeks old when we first got him), The Hubby has been his primary trainer. He's been the one doing most of the exposure and socialization training, and most of the formal obedience training. That training entailed The Hubby taking Frankie everywhere he went. He would take Frankie to work once a week for the afternoon, and he would take him shopping whenever he went out. Frankie's been to Home Depot, HEB, Wal-Mart, the mall, a tire store, Subway... you name it. The dog got out way more than I did. Last weekend, The Hubby and I took Frankie out to do some training. Here's the story. It didn't go well. But it turns out that the experience was an indicator to us that it was time to begin The Transition. Time to start the process of transitioning Frankie from being The Hubby's dog to being my Service Dog. It doesn't mean that Willie is retiring anytime soon, it just means that we need to start forming a bond between me and F...

Once, in Wal-Mart, I met a pretty cool family. I was wheeling down an aisle, and the mom, dad and daughter were standing there shopping. They started asking me some of the usual questions . But then the dad asked me something unusual. Dad : Do you like it when people offer to help you? Like, to hold open doors, or help you onto the bus? Me : Oh yeah, I take any help I can get. Dad : I drive a city bus. We have a lot of handicapped passengers who ride and I find that some HATE being asked if they want help. Sometimes, though, if I don't offer help, someone will get mad and say "can you PLEASE help me?". I never know what to do. Me: That's interesting. I do know there are disabled folks out there that just want to be treated normally. They don't want to be asked if they need help because they just want to do everything themselves. Dad : Good to know. Me : I guess my advice would be to continue to ask first, but don't just grab someone's arm to assist th...

Last night, the hubby and I figured out why I'm feeling so crappy. On Sunday, we had taken Willie and Frankie out to a park to play fetch. The park area has a fence on the north and east sides, forming a corner. It's a nice spot because of the fencing and the wide-open space. Behind this field is a small playground. While playing with the boys, a small kid apparently started walking up to where we were. The kid would have been behind me, so I didn't see him coming. Suddenly I see something in Frankie's eyes and I just knew he was gonna bolt. So I quickly jumped off my scooter and moved about 10 feet to grab him. It was the fastest I've moved in years. We think that may be what did it. The burst of adrenelin, the quick response I request of my leg muscles... all this may have contributed to my 3-day Leg Hangover. I guess my legs are mad at me. What a drag.

It doesn't happen often, but when I Feel Like Sh*t two days in a row and have nothing to attribute it to, it's a total drag. To lighten the mood, here's a crip-related funny. Enjoy!

(click to enlarge) Not feeling so good today, so I thought I'd link to this cute dog-related comic by Dog Eat Doug . Enjoy!

We had an interesting training experience yesterday. The hubby and I went out to do some Frankie-training at the mall. I left Willie home with a peanut-butter-filled toy. That can usually keep him busy for hours. When we arrived at the mall, I wanted to have Rick work Frankie a bit first before we started the wheelchair work. I was hoping it would calm him down a little so that when I took over he'd walk a little slower. I had Rick do some different pacing exercises, slow and fast, and they worked together for about 10 minutes. On a side note, Frankie is no longer working with a prong collar. Rick now hooks the leash up to Frankie's harness, right at the spot where I hold onto it when he pulls my chair. He's walking great with a loose leash, maintaining a heel position and responding well to reverses if he gets too far out front. So, Rick works Frankie for a bit, and then we switch. Rick pushes my chair, I have Frankie on leash, and I issue commands that both Rick and Frank...

I recently wrote an article on why I do my hair the way I do. As a crip, I like to adhere to the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid) when it comes to my daily doings. In that article, I put an " actual " conversation I had with my mother (and sis) about how they feel about my current hair "style". The following is a " wishful thinking, make-believe " conversation my sister posted regarding me locks: Sis : Your routine could be even simpler AND your hair could be very beautiful. WillaWoman : Really, how? Sis : Well, all you would have to do is not put gel in it or scrunch it and just comb it and let it dry naturally. When it is dry you could quickly brush or comb it through. That's one whole less step. WillaWoman : So, it would actually take even less energy than before. Sis : Yes, that's right! WillaWoman : Sounds like another one of your genius ideas.... Sis : I think you have stick straight hair and that book that I recommended to you is for...

The pet food companies no longer use Labradors for testing dog food. They thought that they had come up with a way to quantify which food was best liked. They put down three bowls of different food. As soon as one bowl was completely empty, they could use the weight of the food in the other bowls as a measure of preference. But, once the Labs figured out what was going on, they adopted a new strategy. They would eat almost all of one food, but leave a little, then eat almost all of each of the other foods. By the time that one of the bowls was empty, all of them would be down to almost nothing. I'd call that a high Independent Problem Solving ability! Willie eats like he's in a pie eating contest. He always is the first one done. We actually put 3 rubber balls in his dish that he has to eat around, forcing him to slow down. A little bit. I think when he's finished, he slams his fists down and barks "DONE!".

When I'm in my home, I tend not to use my cane. Frankly, I hate the thing. Not because it makes me look like the crip I really am, heck...I'm home alone with just me, dogs, and reptiles. I hate it because I put it down and forget it. Or I can't find a spot to put it down without it falling over and smacking the floor, thus scaring me, dogs, and reptiles. So at home, I'm what's known as a "wall hugger". I keep my hand on a stable surface most of the time, either that or I try to be aware of my surroundings and keep in mind what I can grab if I start losing my balance. Unfortunately, that doesn't work all the time. Before I was disabled, I was a klutz. Now, I'm a Bona-Fide-Accident-Waiting-To-Happen. I have had instances where I've lost my balance, reached out my hand to grab something to stop my fall, and missed. Down I go. I have the bruises to prove it. This is why I ALWAYS use my cane around family and friends. I haven't fallen in front o...

The other night, we had a visitor. Jack, the Boston Terrier! He and Willie got along famously. I thought I'd post a link to the video I took. Freakin' Hilarious! Download Video (with audio): For Dial-Up users For Broadband users Enjoy!

An important command in dog training is the "Leave It" (or "Off") command. You want to have a command that is used to get the dog to stop bad behavior. Whether that bad behavior is scratching the door, eating food off the counter, or jumping up on people, you need a command that basically means "stop doing what you're doing... NOW"! Here's the steps for training the "Leave It/Off" command: Using a small treat, hold that treat with your first finger and thumb. Use the rest of your fingers to form a fist. Keep your hand positioned palm-side down. Have the dog sit in front of you as you hold this treat. Show the dog the treat. When he/she sniffs or tries to eat the treat, say "LEAVE IT" or "OFF" (firmly) and use the "fist" you've formed to push the dogs nose back. You can push firmly, but you are not hitting the dog. Repeat this until the dog does not attempt to sniff or eat the treat. ...

In a wild dog pack, there is always a top dog, the #1 dog, the Alpha Dog. Then there's the #2 dog, the #3, and so on down the line. All the other members of the pack form a hierarchy of dominance and submission where everyone has a place. The alpha is the boss who makes decisions for the entire pack. When a family decides to get a dog, that family become the dog's pack. Because of this, each member of that family needs to establish themselves in the alpha position. If you don't, your dog will do try to establish itself into that alpha position. Anyone in the family can be the pack leader at any point in time. It's just a matter of gaining that authority over the dog. Here are some great exercises that can be done to establish the alpha position over your dog. All of these exercises will show the dog that it is required to earn every single priveledge within your pack, and that Nothing In Life Is Free. Don't allow the dog to sleep in your bed, at least not ...

This weekend, the hubby got his hair cut short (happy, mother?). It was a pretty dramatic change since he's been wearing it longer for about a year now. Right after he gets it cut, he goes into the grocery store with Frankie. They go to the produce area to get my kiwis. I loves my kiwis. The Grocery Store Produce Guy comes up to him and says: "Hey, you got your hair cut!". The hubby does not recognize this guy at all. Grocery Store Produce Guy says: "I see you in here all the time with the dog. I noticed your haircut right away." So, who's the famous one, Frankie or the hubby? No autographs, please.

A recent conversation with my mother: Mom : Honey? Me : Uh oh, what? Mom : Uhhm, I have a small criticism.... Me : Ok.... Mom : Remember, it comes from love. Me : Ok.... Mom : Do you think you know what it is? Me : My hair...? Mom : Well, yeah. Me and your sister were watching your video and think you should stop wearing it like that. Sis : ( Heard in the background ) "Tell her it looks like she just got back from a week of camping!" Me : (cracking up) Oy. Ok, here's the dealio. When I first started getting sick, I was still performing in New York with my band Rosetta Stone. Back in those days (the early 90's), we had BIG hair. Lots of mousse and hairspray, the higher the hair, the better. See? But on my "bad days", I would just wear it straight, no style, no products. Our drummer would call it my "sick hair". Everyone could always tell when I was having a bad day. When we moved to Vermont, the b...

A message from Elliott's mommy: We decided to do things our way (duh!)...that is, the way they should have been being done all along, before we put him back in any hospital. All that they could do for him there that's different from anywhere else is the peritineal dialysis I discussed with you, and he is nowhere near being bad enough right now to need it, and if I get my way (and I usually do, as we know), he won't need it at all this time around. I am now exhausted, too...since fluids are the main thing...IV every four hours 250ml's, plus about 6 other meds: to prevent infection, a diuretic, anti-emetic, stomach ulcer protection, anti-diarrheal, his IV solution and all that, etc, etc, and then the big money drug Procrit or Epo, which is the short version of the chemical's name erythropoietin...it's the same drug they give to human renal failure patients, who have the same thing happen to them regarding the anemia, and also to cancer patients going through chemo...

There's a big bug in my house. It's so big, I could see it flying by and I wasn't wearing my glasses. That's freakin' big.

There's one conversation that my hubby has a lot with his male friends. He says he cannot understand it when a man will say "I don't know how you do it. If it was my wife, I'd leave skid marks getting out of there.". He can't understand how a man could marry his supposed true love and then be able to leave her when she's most vulnerable. But the sad fact is Men (and Women) Do Leave. The government's National Health Interview Survey of nearly 50,000 households in 1994 said 20.7 percent of the disabled adults among those polled were divorced or separated, compared with 13.1 percent of those without disabilities. Living with a disabled spouse isn't easy. One of the first effects of disability in a family can be felt in the pocket book. I know my income went from $45,000 a year with IBM to $10,000 with SSI. And our medical expenses and premiums have skyrocketed, even with excellent insurance. On the other hand, we don't spend money going out to din...

I haven't heard from Eliiot's "mommy" yet, but hopefully no news is good news. I'm going to leave this up for another day. Thanks to all who cared. This is an email from Willie's breeder and a very special friend. Please pray for Willie's brother, Elliot. The WillaWoman ============================ BIG FAVOR TO ASK....and only if you feel comfortable with it, but if you do would you PRETTY PLEASE put out an APB on your blog for good thoughts and prayers for Elliott. You can explain his history a bit if you would, so that they don't think I just raise animals that fall apart! (Willie's hips, etc!) Elliott was never "right" from day one (and I firmly believe Becka was sick and too early into it for anyone to detect..the vet did give her a clean bill before we bred her, and of course the drug (Gentomycin...wouldn't hurt to warn about the kidney failure and hearing loss that it can cause) that they put him on two yrs ago, threw him into ...

Every few months or so, the subject of certifying Service Dogs gets brought up on the Assistance Dogs newsgroup on Yahoo. And, ultimately, it ends in arguments with no solution. The issue of certification is a hot topic amongst us folks who self-train our service dogs. There is a fear that if the government gets involved, only organizations will be allowed to produce Service Dogs and self-trainers would be no more. The trouble right now with this issue is that without certification, we have 2 major problems. We are relying on Joe Schmoe Store Owner to make the determination if our sdogs are "trained enough" or "behaved enough" in their opinion. We have to deal with those damn "impostors". Right now, if a store owner deems my sdog as dirty, not trained enough or not under my control, he/she has the right to try to deny me access. I can, of course, call local law enforcement and fight my case, but the whole incident has the potential of becoming a hu...

I am certainly willing to admit right here and now that I do NOT know everything about dog training. In fact, I consider myself a junior apprentice, still learning, still experimenting, still reading, and still evolving. Yesterday, I heard from my dog training mentor and she had read my blog post about Jack, the Boston Terrier, barking at the shaker can. She's way more knowledgeable about breed differences...stuff I'm still learning about. She had some thoughts about things to try with him, all related to the fact that he's a terrier breed. As a terrier, he has a very high Independent Problem Solving aptitude. Terriers don't just say " no" , they ask "why"! Because of this, and because of their size, terriers that display what Jack's displaying with the shaker can need to be taught who's boss. When he barks like he's been doing, it shows defiance and that he's vying for alpha position with you. He needs swift disciplinary action. Fi...

You live, you learn. I received only 2 comments on my " Talk To A Crip Tuesday " proclamation, and one of them was from someone I know and highly respect (thanks Ricky!). Ricky Buchanan said... Not all people with a disability like to be referred to as crips, I love the basic idea but it you want to have it grow into something big, you will need to use more inclusive language. With encouragement Ricky This comment made me realize that just because I'm comfortable with calling myself a crip doesn't mean others are comfy with this term. See, even the disabled can make inappropriate comments! So, with that, I now proclaim every 2nd Tuesday of the month as "TALK TO THE DISABLED DAY". I'm going to edit yesterday's post to reflect this. You live, you learn! The WillaWoman PS. Ricky is owner of NoPity Shirts - The Best Disability-Related and Motivational Stuff in the Galaxy! Please visit her site.

After writing yesterday's blog article , I had an epiphany. Here's my idea: TALK TO THE DISABLED TUESDAY! The first Tuesday of every month is hereby proclaimed as Talk To The Disabled Tuesday . NOW, THEREFORE, I, The WillaWoman, do hereby proclaim the First Tuesday of every Month as TALK TO THE DISABLED TUESDAY . I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, parents, and all the people of the World to observe this day with the appropriate actions outlined below. Pretty official sounding, eh?! Goals : Raise awareness of the Disabled's plight of feeling invisible or feeling like a circus freak. Demonstrate to the abled-bodied that The Disabled are just like everyone else. Cause a generational avalanche of knowledge to the abled-bodied 's children. Make the day of a lonely, ostracized Disabled Person . Actions : Say "Hello" to a Disabled Person . Nod and smile to a Disabled Person . Strike up a conversation with a Disabled Pers...

Did I mention that one of Frankie's trainers is a S.W.A.T. cop? He's the head trainer for the K9 Division and works a dog Ammo. Cool guy, even cooler dog. Well, Ammo was recently injured in the line-of-duty. He got poked in the eye by some vegetation while chasing a bad guy. Now his eye is swollen and he can't see out of it. Needless to say, Ammo is on "sick leave" until it heals. But, Mr. Swat Dude still has to go to work, without Ammo. He described going to work without Ammo like this: "I feel like a cavalry man with no horse". I can related to this. There have been a few times when I've had to go out sans service dog because my doggie was sick. When this happens, I feel like I have a critical body part missing. Not only because the assistance my sdog provides is greatly missed, but also because I'm treated very differently when I don't have my sdog with me. When I have my sdog, people tend to look me in the eyes and acknowledge me in some...