Brave Step Forward with Warrior Canine Connection

Last Summer, I invited a new friend Megan to join me to roast s'mores around the campfire.  That is when she first introduced me to James, a very skilled black Labrador retriever who came into her life from the Warrior Canine Connection (WCC).  She had come across a poster about the WCC seeking puppy lovers to help raise a future service dog for present and former members of the United States military.  Puppy parents help raise service dogs for 4 to 18 months before they graduate and are placed with a forever veteran.

This pioneering organization utilizes a "Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to help wounded warriors reconnect with life, their families, communities, and each other."  I was intrigued and asked more questions, one of which was how long this puppy would stay with her.  I said I don't think I could ever do it, fall in love with an animal and then let it go so easily.  Her response was profound, "I am helping to get James ready to go into the home of a veteran who really needs him."

I have not owned a dog since I lost my little sister's Yorkshire Terrier, Moses, many years ago.  After that experience, whenever a small designer dog would pass me on a New York City sidewalk, I would privately say to myself that loss is going to break your heart someday and devastate you.  I have not been brave enough to own a dog ever since.

Megan mentioned the organization was still in need of puppy parents, so I thought this would be an opportunity to practice the Buddhist philosophy of detachment and face my pet owner fears.  I signed up online, did a phone interview and began puppy parent training a few months later.  I met the instructors and their dogs in many different public places; at Whole Foods, DSW, the Asheville Mall and the North Carolina Arboretum to learn and practice handling skills. The number of dogs varied depending on the number of handlers who attended the training.

That was back in December, a month later I got a hip replacement.  First, they put our classes on hold until after I graduated from using a walker. Then, while I was still hobbling along on a cane, they decided to reconvene classes later because they wanted to be extra mindful of avoiding "leash trip hazards".  When we did reconvene, I began to consider this program a valuable addition to my physical therapy and rehabilitative journey.

That campfire with Megan and James was a year ago, and now she is on her fourth puppy, a black lab named Trevor.  A few weeks ago, Megan asked if I could "puppy sit" him while she would be traveling. I was excited and felt ready to put the skills I had been learning into action.  Having the opportunity to experience this highly skilled 15-month-old service dog was awesome.  Because he was behaving a bit too energetically, Megan said our time together would be strict R&R.  Trevor's job would be to rest and settle down: no contact with any other dogs and no public access, although she left behind his official service vest just in case.

I quickly fell in love with his daily cuddle routine, which was a great way to start and end my days, and one that may have begun to make my husband a bit jealous.  After a few days, Trevor introduced Octavius, his beloved stuffed octopus into our snuggle time.  I lowered my head down on the floor next to his, and he laid still for a few minutes as I stroked his side and tummy.  For our final morning's snuggles, I placed a pillow on the floor, we both put our heads down on it and laid tangled in each other's legs for a little while longer than usual.

Veterans who are on the list to receive a service dog often attend the classes, so Megan mentioned Trevor may imprint more on Augustus because my husband is a big guy who might remind him of the veterans that he was training to serve.  That appeared to be the case when he first arrived. Trevor seemed very comfortable hanging out in the shade by the pool while my husband worked nearby.  Augustus noticed Trevor did not appear to be bothered by the loud sounds of his electric tools.  He also began to show signs of male bonding when he brought my husband Octavius to play with while he was on the toilet.

This past weekend I attended Camp Thrive Together, where Megan and Trevor were my cabin mates.  This end-of-summer camp experience is hosted by the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina for those who live with brain injuries across the state.  Megan asked if I could keep Trevor for a few days after camp, and maybe because we spent the weekend together, this time Trevor remained closely by my side.  He laid on the mat just outside of the shower, sat nearby on the porch where I enjoyed my morning coffee, he guarded every bathroom entrance, and gnawed on his red plastic bone absentmindedly as I worked at my desk.  

A cute, memorable moment happened during his earlier stay with us.  Trevor's first experience on my home elevator was rather unremarkable.  He stepped seamlessly into the elevator, but then seemed quite nervous when I opened the door into a new space.  Trevor got really suspicious after that first ride, and I did not force him to board it again when he did not want to.  One time, I stepped onto the elevator and left him behind on the third floor, then called out to him from where I was downstairs, but he didn't come.  He stayed diligently waiting outside the elevator on the third floor, staring at the door right where he last saw me until I went upstairs and found him frozen there.  

During his next visit, he seemed to have mastered the home elevator, and entered and exited it with confidence, although he still seemed temporarily confused before regaining his bearings. He clearly preferred taking the stairs, and I began to observe a kind of game that Trevor played where he would leap up and off the stairs to skip the last two steps at the bottom.  He pounced with his paws curled in and his ears pointed forward.  This game was truly adorable.

These highly skilled service animals need to be fueled in order to complete their robust training.  Trevor ate two meals a day, which were thoughtfully portioned out for me in separate Ziplock bags.  I am impressed by what a mighty eater he was, he cleaned the bowl properly each time, resembling a Hoover vacuum. These dogs can sense an increased heart rate and are trained to lay on top of a veteran and press its chest to theirs in order to help ground them.  If someone has an unconscious and nervous tick of bouncing their leg, the dog will lay its chin on top of their knee.  If a veteran puts their head in their heads, the dog will recognize this as a stress cue and draw its nose up between their hands to break them apart.  These are just a few of the skills I have learned so far, I am humbled by the awesome training these dogs receive.

I am so grateful that Megan introduced me to such a worthy organization, as the Warrior Canine Connection makes a significant difference in the lives of veterans who will be served by these highly-trained service dog. While I am not brave enough yet to own a pet, I look forward to the blessing that this puppy parent experience will offer.