Kona Update!

Well it has been a while since my last post things have been crazy busy here in the Cullen family. We have had some illnesses, some visitors, big and small events, milestones in Kona's training and activities....OH boy I am tired just thinking about it all again.

On an amazing note however, Kona has been the most spectacular little girl. She learns so fast, so fast in fact that it seems like she has her grandmothers DNA linked right into her memory. We have had so many adventures and had some great outings which I will post photo's and details in some future posts. Kona has also alerted and responded to thee seizures now and it is a pretty great feeling thinking that as she matures we will have some peace of mind knowing that Bern will not have to worry so much when he needs to be somewhere else. Kona has been actively working with me now at work. If I drop something no matter what she is doing, sleeping, getting a hello pat from clients, eating her lunch; she stops and comes to assist me and picks whatever I dropped up and returns it to me.

Kona's new array of skills include:Retrieving dropped items: pens, scissors, coins, credit cards, bottles of medication, even the occasional treat which she reluctantly gives to me only to get it right back again LOL)

Opening Automatic Doors: Kona does this by pushing the automatic door button with her paws occasionally her nose but her preferred method is paws as she so rarely gets to use them

Go To *****: This is command given by either Bernie or I at this point to direct Kona to go to one of us i.e. "Go to Lisa" to "Go to Bernie" At some point this will be expanded to other people she will have frequent contact with like the girls at work. We will use this to bring items back and forth like medication pouch or water bottle, memo's you name it; also for locating help if I were unable to get up or was in a serious situation and later on it will be able to be used to find me if this is needed

Seizure Work: Kona has been taught to lay across my chest (if I am laying) or get onto my lap and press against my chest(if I am sitting) if I seizure, this does several things from preventing me crashing forward when in a sitting position and going into a seizure, preventing anyone form interfering if I am down with a seizure. Injuries can happen with good Samaritans who have the best of intentions but may not be well versed in seizure first aid, also people have robbed persons when in a seizure this is a discouragement, though the dog will not attack she will not move, she even pushes Bernie out of the way now...he is getting used to the idea realizing it is not to cut him out of my care but to make sure when he is not there I am safe. This also prevents me from getting up from a seizure in a post-ictal state, this is the state after a seizure but before clear conciseness or awareness, some of my seizures I appear aware and even will say yes, when asked if I am ok but I could walk into traffic, Kona will be able to prevent this or prevent me from thrashing about hurting myself. This is one of the most important reasons a seizure dog will make my life more normal you can see why I can't be left alone with out a way to prevent serious or life threatening injury as I am not aware of my surroundings when these seizures hit.

Licks: Yes, licks (though she comes by this one easily) Kona has now been encouraged to lick my cheek when I start to come out of a seizure, this is a consistent action when done repeatedly after a seizure helps the brain ground to something familiar and repetitive, even if I am not fully aware the brain recognizes the action and this seems to help ease stress when coming out of a seizure. (I am not sure of the science or action behind this or if any data has been done, however this has been relayed to me by many people who have SD's that re trained in this manner as well Bernie tells me there is a significant difference in my anxiety/panic/stress when coming out I seem more confused than stressed in these instances, I know I was told the same thing with Java once I had her also, I would love to see a study done on the affects of brain waves with this stimulus and without....anyone from Harvard Neurological or St Mike's out there reading??? )

Laundry Skills: YES LADIES laundry, you may not be able to get your teens to do their own wash or your hubby or hubbette (have to be fair to both sexes since mine does do laundry) to sort the whites for the darks but KONA is learning to do this. Her grandmother was a wiz at laundry eventually even learning to help me fold items like towels and sheets (I swear it is true! She was even featured on the television show "Healing With Animals" and shown doing the laundry. Any way once again I digress a common theme with me when talking about my dogs....who am I kidding when talking writing or thinking of just about everything. So, Kona is right now learning to pick up laundry and place it in a laundry basket as directed this is step one and she quite likes it....so much so that she gets excited about getting another item and forgets to open her mouth to drop the first item sometimes....the look on her face is a riot when she tried to discern why this piece of laundry is following her back to the pile...she soon gets it and all goes smoothly for about four or five pieces and then again a rogue sock or face cloth follows her back again and she whirls around to see if the others are also breaking loose from their confinement. I can hardly wait till she tried to figure out how to get the clothes out of the dryer or washer LOL!
All in all it has been an eventful few months. think with time constraints and such Kona and i will reserve our blog post of a once a week highlight reel! Though we have lots of catching up to do to show you some of Kona's adventures over the last couple of months and lots of video and pictures to add to the site. Here is where it really gets interesting as Kona is just a little sponge right now and loving learning every new thing we show her.

Kona making friends with the goats at the Midland Winter Fair in February 2010. She was fascinated with the goats no idea what it was about them but she sure did like them, even when one tried to head butt her to play she seemed to want to hang with them. She was not however as trilled with the llama (at least I think it was a llama may have been one of the other similar critters but you get the idea). Kona was 4 feet from the big draft horses as they pulled wagons of people and she never even cared even though one of their hooves were bigger than her whole body at the time you would have thought she saw them every day. The funny thing is we just found out a few weeks ago that the man leading those teams of horses was the father of one of the clinic staff Candace, he recognized Kona one day at the clinic when they picked up their dog we groomed.....small town living gotta love it

Welcome to the Kona Kronicles

Pictured- JAVA & KIWI at play

So I have decided to do a blog (at great urging from some folks) about Kona.....

Ah, I know who or what is Kona, right.....

To down play it, Kona is a little 6 week old black ball of fluff, tongue, ears , tail; OH AND TEETH! Needle sharp little spikes anchored in a vice grip, who has joined our household as a new family member.

I know, for those of you who know us, it is not at all unusual for a new puppy to be added into our mix and lately I have tried repeatedly to no avail to find a successor for Java (my previous service dog) so we have had lots of trials and a few errors and oh so many four legged friends.

Those of you who did not know Java well that is unfortunate because she was an amazing dog worth knowing and anyone who ever met her could never forget her. Of course before Java was Kiwi another outstanding dog that changed my life and literally saved it on at least two occasions. So remarkable was Kiwi that there were TV series (animal miracles twice), multiple TV. news appearances, features in two books, numerous news and magazine articles, a cartoon strip and a following so great she eventually had her own PAW-tograph pictures. She was also the first canine to obtain a B.C. casino employee official Identification and certification (which I might add she signed herself). Java was no less formidable, she too was featured in a television series (healing with animals), was featured in Dogs in Canada Magazine Oct 2003, again T.V. news, newspapers and so on.....she and Kiwi even did the pre show for The Super Dogs at the Toronto C.N.E. in 2000, there were more than a few noses out of joint when the local news reporter decided to feature the dynamic duo and focus on them instead of some of the other canine performers. Java was only months old and Kiwi was technically retired (except from public appearances); Java was learning from Kiwi and the two had an act that stopped the show (so to speak)!

No ordinary dogs were Kiwi and Java, no couch potatoes or weekend warriors these girls were working girls…no not those kind of working girls, thank you very much, but the kind who do laundry, pick up dropped items, get the phone, pull the bathtub plug, flush the toilet, call 911 and alert to seizures. Yes, these two girls had a purpose and I had the pleasure of saying that they were my partners, my legs, hands, GPS, and voice at times when I could not use my own. Life with Java and Kiwi was extraordinary to say the least, they helped me strive to be everything I should, could and would be and they did it for a simple look of approval, kind word or occasionally a treat.

Completely selfless Java would eventually sacrifice herself for me and losing her so early without even the time to process the fact that she might go due to aging (which she was too young to go at only 6yrs) nearly did me in; t has forever changed me. To have another being so devoted, so a part of you that they risk their own life because they would not disobey your command, YOUR words, is earth shattering and so very terrifying to know that your words, your connection can be so responsible for another’s life is a terrifying realization.

As it turns out Java trusted me so much, believed in me so much that when told to go into a down she did so and she refused to break it, even as another dog tore into her repeatedly, not defending herself until I was able to pull it together and give her the release command at which time bleeding profusely from the abdomen she jumped up and defended us both, as the owner of the other off leash dog stood over 300 feet away and never made a move to call or retrieve his dog let alone intervene. Java survived her injuries after surgery and medical treatment, her confidence was forever shattered but not her devotion. Java even passed the assistance dog exam again when retested; which included having to lay in a down when told , while a stranger and strange dog walk over her as she remained down. She did it, she passed again but the look in her eyes told me she was doing this for me, because she trusted me, without question, even though she did not want this to happen. She passed but I decided for my dog, my partner, my friend it was my turn to protect her and I decided she would retire from service and live her life as my beloved pet and friend.

Java never took to retirement well, she still wanted to care for me and a year later she was looking very ill after being at the vets office we realized that the internal scar tissue was severe, almost tumour like, her bladder was not draining and she was in severe discomfort. There had been an incident 2 months previous, when she was staying with people I thought were friends, while my then husband had heart surgery. I called to check on Java and was nonchalantly informed by my friend that Java got in trouble with her husband and that he had beaten her so much that she urinated all over herself; she was then thrown into a crate by my friend from that afternoon to the next morning and not let out. My friend so casually told me this as if she were telling me they went for a walk to the park, as if this were perfectly normal and OK and then added that Java knew she was in trouble that is why she pee’d! What kind of people do things like this, it took every ounce of control for me not to do the very same to him,; as for her she disgusts me and to say the least we are not friends! I have many friends who know Java who offered to go visit this jerk and exact revenge and I will admit I thought about it often, fantasized even but in the end people like that are best to be avoided by me because I have no self control for things like this.

We will never know if was the dog attack the previous year or the vicious sick bully attack that was what caused the final damage that made us decide that it was kinder to give Java a peaceful death ending her pain and suffering but no matter it was in the end the same. I was loosing my closest and best friend, no human could fill her spot, no human knew me so well or was ever so in tune and devoted. I miss her every day and I cry often (as I am right now writing this). Java refused to close her eyes when given the first of the two shots that would end her life, the first given to sedate and ease the dog into a peace filled sleep before the final shot. Java refused to go into the well deserved rest the medication would give, instead when her body could no longer fight the sedative affects she slide into a laying position but kept her eyes on me until the very end. I often wonder if she was asking me why, but everyone who knows her tends to agree that right to the very end Java was watching over me, making sure I was OK, doing what her training and heart told her to do….take care of my partner.

It has been 4 years and several dogs tested, trained and still none has managed to fill the role for various reasons. Some made amazing assistance dogs for mobility but not seizure and since I need both equally this would not be possible so they moved on to the people who they were meant to be with. To get a multiple skills dog; that is seizure alert and mobility is no easy task and well lets just say only slightly less complicated than finding a golden unicorn with pixie dust in its mane.

This has led me to Kona; in this blog we will follow Kona’s life, training and experiences as she works towards filling some very large paws. Yes, Kona is my best hope at trying to find a successor to Java; at least that is how it looks on paper. Kona’s test results are so close to Java’s that it is eerie to say the least; her testing began at 4 weeks old. She has so many traits that Java had that if this girl is unable to fill the role I don’t know who will.

For those of you who will be shocked to find that we start Early Puppy Education and Skill building at 5 weeks old there is a great deal of fascinating research on the windows of development opportunity for these early ages and the benefits to both the puppy (later the adult dog) and the partner they will be with. Even if the only job your pup will ever do is exulted family member and couch potato the benefits are so great that this is the only way to go in my view. Now had Kona been bred in my breeding program the bio sensory stimulation would start at 3 days until 16 days then at 20 days the EPE work begins slowly building a secure and skilled canine, who is a true partner with their human counterpart.

Tune in for the antics, laughter, tears and successes as a tiny wee black lab struggles to grow up and learn to become a giver of independence, freedom, security and life…..so not to be too cliche'; without further ado let the Kona Kronicles begin.