Put to the test

If you saw my last blog post, you might be wondering, “Did they pass, or did they fail?” I wish I had an answer for you, but it’s going to take a few weeks to find out as I wait for the PAWS Client Services team to review the video. All I can tell you is that G dog was a CHAMP during our certification test, so I’m feeling pretty darn good about things. And if there was something that we didn’t pass muster on, the good news is that we would just need to retest on that specific element versus having to do the whole thing all over again.

When it came down to it, the test ended up being a little more involved than I thought it would be, and there were a couple of curveballs thrown in that I wasn’t expecting. That I was somewhat clueless about everything we would be asked to do was probably a good thing, or I probably would have spent the entire time leading up to it worrying incessantly. And then G would have probably fed off of my nervous energy and potentially not done so well. 

I’ve heard and read that dogs have an uncanny ability to sense things. I am telling you right here, right now, that the way G performed during our certification test—it’s as if he just knew that everything we had been working on together these past seven months was leading up to this one moment, and he just had to nail it. My beautiful boy completely got into the zone and really made me proud!

The first portion of the test was conducted at my house. It was primarily to check to see if all the tasks he had been specifically trained to help me with were all being performed to satisfaction. And even though G and I had been working on everything pretty much daily since he joined the family, I was genuinely nervous when Connie arrived. I think part of the anxiety for me was I knew that—just like humans—dogs can have off days too. I was fearful that this would be one of those rare days when Gunther would just look at me like he didn’t know what the hell I was talking about when I would usher a basic command he had heard a million times before. 

Any of my friends and family members who have met G know that he has a really difficult time not personally greeting everyone who comes through our door. Whether you’re a close friend or the Chinese food delivery guy, he is hard-wired to love you. Visitors to our home are his kryptonite, and he seems to lose his damn mind with the need to say, “Hello. I shall kiss you now, hooman.” It’s something we’ve been working on with him, but even Connie says it’s the hardest thing to train a dog to do, especially labs.

The amazing thing on certification test day was that G was in a perfect “Down/Stay” when Connie walked in, and he didn’t break it even when she walked by. I cannot adequately express to you how this was nothing short of a miracle. And even though I don’t think it was officially part of the test, it was like G was all set to impress. Sure, his tail was wagging so excitedly that it practically propelled him across the hardwood floor even though his legs and feet remained perfectly still—but he really was trying sooo hard to be good. Connie and I couldn’t help but laugh at this. And that little chuckle was all I needed to help me relax. 

I started with the basic obedience commands, “Sit,” “Down,” “Stay,” “Heel,” “Leave It,” and “Come” as Connie took video of us. G had to go into his crate on command. He had to pick up various dropped items from the floor and give them to me— something made from cloth, metal, plastic, and paper. He also had to pick up my cane when I dropped it, take my slippers off my feet and give them to me, go get the phone for me from a couple different locations, help me close the dishwasher door by grabbing the adaptive strap, and pull shut the door from our hallway into the garage. As far as I could tell, he was simply flawless with all of this.

We did have a little bit of a challenge when he was supposed to carry a small tote bag for me. But, I have only myself to blame with this one. Like a big dummy, I decided to fill the bag with his Nylabone chew toys to give it some weight. So, when G dog grabbed the bag from my hands and realized what was in there, he immediately put the bag down on the floor and then proceeded to take every single toy out. Connie and I laughed ourselves silly over that. Thankfully, after I regained my composure, I was allowed to put something less enticing in the bag and try the same exercise a few minutes later. This second attempt yielded far more success.

Having checked all the tasks off the home list, we got ready to head over to the mall. Connie took video of me putting on G’s collar, service dog harness, and leash and filmed the process of me getting him into the car. As soon as she stopped recording and I had my back turned, the goofball jumped into the front passenger seat where he wasn’t supposed to be. I’m not really sure what that was all about since I don’t usually have this issue with him. I guess he just wanted to ride shotgun… 

Once we arrived at the mall and parked, Connie helped me get my walker out of the car and then began recording how I handled getting G out of the vehicle. This is where we’ve had issues before, but I took my time and made sure he was totally focused on me before I shut the door and had him start walking beside me. It all went without a hitch, which really reinforces the fact that I need to be aware of my surroundings and not rush things.

While we were headed toward the mall entrance, Connie asked a gentleman who was nearby if he wouldn’t mind walking back and forth by me and G while pushing a shopping cart. The man kindly complied, and his movements with the cart didn’t faze G one bit. Once we got inside the store (Barnes & Noble, of course!), I had to put G in a “Down/Stay” and then walk past him as far as the leash would allow. He had to remain where he was without moving to follow me. Of course, he nailed it. Another test involved Connie dropping a big book behind us as we walked to see if the loud, unexpected noise would startle G and cause him to lose focus. My sweet boy stayed completely on task, just like he was supposed to. 

Connie then did a role play where she pretended to be some random person who was overly exuberant in wanting to pet him. You probably already know this, but when a service dog is working, they really aren’t supposed to be petted because it can be too distracting. In fact, the PAWs harness clearly says on it, “Please don’t pet me—I’m working.” But sometimes, people don’t see the embroidered patch, or they just get too giddy when they see a dog and can’t help themselves. So, this part of the test was to see if G dog would respond by getting overly excited at the interaction and lose his focus. This was one of the test elements I wasn’t expecting. Knowing what a social butterfly this dog is, I was immediately concerned. But he completely surprised me by calmly accepting the attention and then moving on.

Another challenge that made my heart skip a beat was when Connie dropped a few dog treats on the floor, and we were to walk by them without G dog gobbling them up. I had only ever practiced “Leave It” with treats while G was in a static mode. I had never tempted him by making him walk past whatever he was supposed to be leaving alone. Saying a silent prayer and then giving him an audible “Leave It,” I walked G past the treats. Much to my amazement, he stayed focused and in control! 

While in the store, he was once again tasked to pick up something metal (this time a set of keys), something cloth, something plastic, and something paper from the floor. The plastic item turned out to be a packet of beef jerky. Again, I had doubts that my chow hound would be able to resist ripping open the wrapper and taking a bite. And again, he proved me wrong. 

For the final part of the test, we made our way out into the food court. I was pretty fatigued at this point, as this was far more walking than I was used to or really capable of in one fell swoop. Connie was very sensitive to this, telling me I could stop to rest whenever I wanted. Fortunately, the next part mainly involved sitting down. We were going to simulate a restaurant experience since the food court had all the basic elements—food, people, tables, and chairs. 

The first task was to walk with G by some people who were eating and try to make sure he didn’t bother them. We hadn’t been very successful at this the two times we had gone to a restaurant before, as he would always choose someone to politely say “hi” to as we would walk to our table. But this time, he just went about his business like a boss. When we reached our table, I commanded G dog to go “Under,” where he was supposed to remain in a “Down/Stay” for the entire time we would be eating there. 

I sat down and rested while Connie went to get us something to snack on and to drink. She returned with some fantastic smelling garlic breadsticks that were impossible to resist, and we chatted for a bit while we nibbled. Connie then got up to record us as I dropped a piece of breadstick on the floor and gave G the command to “Leave It.” He didn’t even notice the first piece, and so I dropped a second piece. He did as he was commanded, and I thought we were home free. She then had me get up from the table with him in tow, with the expectation that he was still supposed to leave the food. While she was recording, he seemed to be with the program. But I swear, the second she stopped, as if he somehow knew, I saw him sneak a bite of one of the pieces. He was in full-on stealth mode, so you had to really be paying close attention to notice. I hoped that since it wasn’t captured on video, it was like it never happened.

Our final test was when we left the mall. I had to walk with him, drop the leash and pretend that I didn’t know, and see if he would stay walking with me. I was then to ask him to pick up the leash and give it back to me. This was something we had never practiced before, and I really didn’t know what to expect. But it ended up being no big deal at all. 

The overwhelming sense of accomplishment I felt when it was all said and done was something I hadn’t experienced in such a long time. It just solidified for me what a great team G and I would and could be together. I could tell that Connie was really proud of both of us, and I felt so grateful for all of her support during these past several months. While it’s ultimately not her decision whether we pass certification or not, I think she thought it was highly likely that we would. So, fingers crossed as we wait to hear back from PAWS. I’ll be sure to keep you all posted.