Tuesday, January 06, 2009

A Girl and Her Dog

Claire and Shia, Then and Now

Five years ago, while listening to NPR, I heard a story about service
dogs for children with autism. They were called "companion dogs" and
some of the children were making good progress with social
interaction. While Claire does not officially have autism, she has
symptoms that are similar. We looked at some of the options available.
My wife wasn't too keen on going to Spain for a dog, which is where
the NPR story took place. I would have loved to have gone, but
pragmatism often rules around here. The other locations we found were
in Ohio and California. Ohio's program had a 5-6 year waiting list.
California, well, it might as well have been Spain.

A friend of ours, who knew that we were looking for a companion dog
for Claire, found out about a place called "Working Class Dogs." It
was in McHenry County, Illinois and run by Julianne Taylor, who had
worked at the California location previously. We made an appointment
and about six months later, we were approved for a dog for Claire.
That was about five years ago and after Shia was trained, and we were
trained to handle Shia, she came home with us and our lives have not
been the same since.

What can I say about a dog that seems smarter than I am some days?
Okay, most days. She has this sense of when to seek attention, when to
ask for assistance and when someone just needs to pet her, which is
pretty much any time she is not working for Claire. She is by Claire's
side or at her feet most of the time when they are home together. When
Claire is in school, Shia is just like any other household dog with a
substantially higher dog intelligence level. And when Claire is home,
we'll find Shia right by her side. Whether it is during dinner and
Claire is trying to sneak Shia something off of her plate, or while
watching a movie with the two of them cuddling under a blanket, we'll
typically find one if looking for the other.

Early mornings, when Claire intuitively knows it is time for school,
she'll arise and head to the bathroom. Shia, arouses and heads to our
bedroom, where I feel her cold nose nudging my hand. I'll pet her head
a few times and try to roll back over to go to sleep for a few more
precious minutes. Then I'll feel a paw on my back or at the back of my
head, as she'll try to crawl up into the bed. "Down," I'll say, and
she'll lay on the floor waiting patiently for the next subtle movement
in the bed, knowing that it is time to go out and then time for
breakfast.

Yes, Shia knows the routine, as do we. She has trained us as well as
we have trained her. She will cuddle with anyone who is sitting on the
couch or come and lie at our feet, just to be near someone. She has
her moments when she goes to her kennel for some quiet time, but
bounds down the stairs when she hears someone coming in the door or if
she hears a voice in the kitchen.

So, as I write my last column for The Freeport Focus, I wanted to take
a few minutes to let everyone who has asked or thought about asking
about Claire and Shia, that they are quite the pair. Each day they
bring some joy and laughter into our home. It is hard to remember the
days before Shia came home to be with us, much as it is difficult to
realize that Claire has been free of seizures for more than eight
years. As she celebrates her "Sweet Sixteen" birthday next week, it is
with awe and amazement that I realize how wrong the doctors were about
Claire those many years ago. And as I look at the two of them,
sleeping side by side, I know that there is magic between a girl and
her dog.

And that magic is called love.