Even service dogs (and their sisters) get time off!

A lot of people worry that since I'm a service dog, I don't get time to play and have fun. Well, that is just silly! When we are home I am always ready to alert if Mom needs it but I get to lay on the bed and play with stuffies and chew bully sticks like any other dog!
Today (well, it started last night) we got 8 inches of snow! It is still snowing and sleeting and the weatherman says we might get as much as 12 inches! That is a lot for us North Carolinians! I used to not like snow much, but now that Mom has more winter gear for me (boots, a sweatshirt and a waterproof coat) I enjoy it a lot!
Sometimes Mom goes a little overboard with the pictures. We were ready to go out but she insisted that she get a picture of us in our coats.Once we got out there, Lola was ready to play and decided that the best way to get me to join in is being annoying.
Lola: That wazn't annoyings, that waz playings! Duh Sissy!
Whatever. Anyways, this snow was a lot deeper so it was more fun to run in. I had snow flying from all 4 of my feet! It was pretty fun to jump in too.
Lola: WHEEE!! I wuvs the snow! This snows is much much better than layst time cuz there is lots more of its!
Lola: And boy, does the snows taste yummies! I likes to stick my faceie in its and nom nom nom! Mommy sayz I gets a snow beard whatever that is!

It isn't going to get above freezing until Tuesday, so we will have lots of chances to play in the snow! It isn't even going to stop until this evening! We hope everyone is having a great and fun weekend as well!

First Day of Our New Adventure

Today was the first day Mom and I volunteered the humane society's low cost spay and neuter clinic!
First, Mom did these things called reminder calls to remind all the pet owners that they had an appointment tomorrow and when to drop them off and pick them up and to make sure not to feed them in the morning before surgery. While she did that I sat under the table and wagged my tail at the people Mom introduced me to. I saw a very cute puppy (a foster puppy they said) that the director lady was holding, but I couldn't play with him because I was working.
Then Mom made some posters on the computer and printed them out and put them up for a big meeting tonight! I saw the director's dog and one of the other lady's dog but I wasn't allowed to meet them because I was working. It doesn't sound like much but it took Mom 3 and a half hours to do all that!
We both had a really god time and are excited to go back on Thursday!

New adventures for me and Mom!

Yesterday Mom and I went to this place called Planned Pethood that Mom says is a spay and neuter clinic that costs less than most vets do so people who don't have a lot of money can get their animals spayed/neutered. Mom is going to volunteer there! They really need people to do administrative work (paperwork, data entry, answering phones) and maybe work on their Humane Education program to teach others about the clinic and why it is important to get this done!
Mom used to work at a vet clinic before she got sick and she really enjoyed it (the clinic she worked with did a lot of work with the community including accepting low cost spay/neuter vouchers and doing low cost rabies clinics plus working with the homeless community) so she really missed the work while she has been sick. She can't do the vet tech stuff any more but she is very very excited to be doing something good and kind of working with animals. Of course, I will be going with her to make sure she doesn't have any attacks or anything.
Mom also met a new doctor this week. Unfortunately it did not go well. The doctor didn't believe that Mom was really in as much pain as she is, so she was very rough with her. I tried to stop the doctor because pain is what cause Mom's seizures. I body block people if they get to close to Mom (Note from Mom: This isn't aggression, it is a quiet, polite task that Dixie does to prevent people from bumping my arm and causing an attack) but Mom said that I had to let the doctor do this and asked me to sit with my grandmom. I was not very happy but as soon as the doctor stopped, I went and sat with Mom. I quietly alerted and we managed to avoid Mom's attack! Fortunately, her pain psychologist and physical therapist were very understanding and know Mom isn't "faking it."
We start volunteering at the clinic on Tuesday and we are so excited for it!

Wordless Wednesday-Kitten Cuddling

Mango Minster 2010!

I'm entered in Mango Minster 2010! You should go visit the Mango Minster blog and check everything out. Mango also has a store to buy Mango Minster merch and they are donating the proceeds to NEADS Assistance Dogs who train rescue dogs and donated puppies as service dogs like me!
I am entering the Hard Working group because, as most of you know, I am a service dog for my mommy and she says that is hard and important work, although I think it is fun to be able to help Mom and keep her healthy!
We want to give a big THANK YOU to Mango and his Mom for setting this up and working so hard to make a great event (and to Dexter for taking over Mango's regular blog)

The Blue Tube and Pretty in Pink

Hellooooo bloggy furends! Lola here! We gots our second piece of agilitees eqypment thys week! It is a giant blue tube! It is lots of funs to run in and if you run through it all the ways you get yummy treaties from Mommy! If thys is what agilitees training is about, I thynk I is really really gonna likes it! Oh, and you can sees even the crazee kitties like it. My cat syster Karma (the fluffy orange one), Pippin (the big white kitty with orange ears and feets and tail) and Runt (the huuuuuge kitty that is white and dark orange with the orange tryangle on his chest) were all tryings it owt fur me!
Ok, Lola owt!

I got something new to this week! Mom decided to make me a new pack cover that stood out more and was hopefully easier to read. My old one was a black background with white letters and had only text on it. This time she decided to do a pink background with two patches that say medical alert service dog and use black letters to say do not distract.
I think it looks really great imams as it seems like a lot more people pay attention to it now. I think it's pretty great because it's pink and I know I look lovely and pink. I think mom did a pretty good job, what do you think?

Finally let regular blogging commence

Our uncle Rafael finally got mom some good speech to text software so we can start updating again regularly without her hurting moms bad arm or taking forever to type something with just one hand.
I've been going with Mom to physical therapy and this is much harder on her than it was before. We really hope this is good work and make her feel better for right now is making her worse solution lost more use of her good side. The new therapist still doesn't quite understand everything I do and my reactions so sometimes when I'm trying to help Mom stay calm she misunderstands and thinks that I what to play with her but I know I'm not supposed to play when I'm working. Mom has had a couple of attacks but I've called them early enough that she got her medicine in time to only shake a little bit for just a very few minutes.
Mom has also been working on getting a lot of collars made so she can start from one store and start building up her savings again. I like to just sit and watch when she does that may be taken.
Now mom says I need to share with Lola and let Lola tell you about what she's been doing these past few days.
Heellooooo bloggy furends! This iz Lola, most fantastic syster of Dixie the Catahoula! I've been working to take cayre of Mama with Dixie to and also makes her laugh and smiley when she'z feeling bad. Mom is also working on getting someone to help her build some agilitee equipments so we can start practicing. She already has a shoot thingy and a gyant tunnel and I think those are a lot of funs! Mama says she thinks I is going to be a really really good agilitees puppy!
Okay Lola owt!

Wordless Wednesday-How Mom bribed us to get her body pillow back

Mom is getting crafty and I am branching out in my alerts

Today Mom had an appointment with her new physical therapist, who had to touch and move all of her bad parts. The therapist said that I was a big help because I know when Mom's pain level is getting too high and I let her know and help her calm down and relax. The physical therapist said that my alerting to Mom's pain level gave her a better idea of what Mom can do than she usually gets from patients! This is what Mom calls another natural alert since she did not teach me to do it, I just did it on my own.
Mom got a sewing machine for Christmas. It is something she can do easily with her good hand and not stress her ouchie parts. She also hopes to eventually sell collars, leashes, beds and maybe even fleece dog jackets to help contribute to my food and vet costs (which my awesome grandparents took over when Mom got sick)She decided since I helped her and the pysical therapist so much that I deserved something special. She made me a brand new collar! She was really surprised at how well it turned out, especially since she was having a bad pain day.


Here I am modeling my new collar. Mom might embroider it with my name or the words Service Dog, she hasn't decided yet.
A close up of the design on it!

You can just call me Teacher Dixie

On Tuesday Mom, the foster kittens and I went to visit Mom's cousin Laura's Girl Scout Troop. Mom talked about being good, responsible pet owners and about service dogs and what to do if you see one.Mom said I was there to show them what a good service dog does when they are out in public with their owner. Which, when Mom is in one place for a long time, means me laying down and taking a nap! Don't worry though, I am always on alert for Mom's attacks.


After Mo finished her presentation, she took off my backpack and let me be off duty so I could say hello to the girls and get some pets. They were all really nice and gave me lots of pets and let me give them lots of kisses!

The kittens (who still haven't found a forever home!) also came and got to play with the girls too. They had a good time but they were exhausted when we got home and went straight to bed!

As most of you know, I am a Catahoula Leopard Dog/American Pit Bull Terrier. In our area, dogs with square heads and big chests are feared and many people think they will "snap" and eat everyone. Mom says that she wants us to pay it forward to other dogs, so I am an ambassador for my breeds (which I think is a kind of silly title but, hey, if it makes others think differently, I am all for it).
It went very well! The girls listened and learned a lot and asked Mom great questions. Mom will hopefully get to speak at some of the other troops that meet at this church. We both really enjoyed it (Mom was a TA before she got sick and loved teaching her students!).

Wordless Wednesday-Teaching with Mom