Bond Unbroken

Since the weather has cooled considerably, Kodiak and I have been spending a great deal of time sitting on the deck, usually in the early morning after our walk and in the evening after a bit of play in the backyard.

Two nights ago, we were in the backyard, playing with his giant tennis ball when the sound of breaking glass startled both of us. A new neighbor bought the house two doors down from us and has been cleaning out the home, throwing things into an industrial dumpster in their driveway, so I knew that's where the sound came from, but because a line of old Pine trees obscures our view of that house, Kodiak was scared, unable to locate the cause of the noise. He wanted to go up on the deck, so I unhooked him and we went up to the front of the deck.

I brought my folding chair out on the deck and sat down, as he curled up between my feet. We sit out on the deck and watch, photograph, the sparrows that visit our bird feeder, so we enjoy many hours of relaxing time together in the fresh air.

Suddenly, there it was again... the sound of metal and breaking glass. Kodiak rose and went to the storm door, he wanted inside in the worst kind of way. He whined and grunted at me until I went to the door and let him go inside.

Once he was inside, he sat down and looked back out at me with quite the inquisitive look on his face, as if to ask, "Aren't you coming too?" I reassured him I would be right there, he could still see and hear me through the screen and I sat back down.

I hadn't been seated for more than a minute or so, before I heard him whining, grunting at me, like he does when you're not paying enough attention to him. He was standing at the door, his face against the screen, his tail wagging, so I went to the door and opened it, telling him to come back outside.

He bounced out the door and as I let it close behind him, he stood up on his hind feet, wrapping his front paws around my arm and pushed me down into my chair, where he rested on my lap with his elbows. He licked my face and glasses until I couldn't see clearly... I gave him a big hug.

When he put his feet down on the deck again, he immediately went back to the storm door, turned and sat down, so handsome and alert, looked at me and started to whine again. When I made eye contact with him he looked at the storm door, then back at me again.

My son was now standing in the doorway. He looked at me and said, "He wants you to come inside." I told him I knew that, but I wasn't ready yet. He continued, "He wants to be where you are, but he wants you to be inside, you should come inside. He doesn't think it's safe out there."

I knew he was right. Kodiak is very protective, wants to be with me all the time, doesn't want so much as a screen to be between us, or he cries. He'd detected a threat, the loud sounds he couldn't locate and wanted to be inside, but wanted to be with me, wanted me to go inside where he felt we would be safe.

So, I packed up my chair and camera (which I always have with me these days) and we went inside. Once I had put my things away, Kodiak led the way to my recliner, waited for me to sit down, then put his paws up on my belly and licked my face, before settling at my feet, where he let out a big sigh, before putting his chin on the floor and closing his eyes.

All was right in our world again.

He Just Knows

Yesterday, my son's service provider was coming to take him out to do some personal shopping. I had put together a list, with the help of my son, of the items he needed to buy, the brands and scents he uses and prefers.

Before she arrived, I handed him the list to put in his waist-pack, but he put his money and the list on the couch cushion instead.

When his 'Habilitation Aide' arrived, she sat on the loveseat across the room from where I and my son were sitting. When my son got up to collect the rest of the things he needed from his room, Kodiak stood and went to the couch, where he carefully picked up the list and walked across the room to my son's 'Hab Aide' and handed it to her.

She thanked him and sat there with her mouth hanging open, in awe of him, as no one asked him to do that, no one told him what to get or to whom he should take it. When she looked at me puzzled, he used his nose to push it at her, as if to say 'you're supposed to read it.'

The only thing she could say was "He's amazing. You're such an amazing dog." She puzzled over how he knew what to do. I told her I stopped trying to figure it out a long time ago. He just seems to know.

Typically, he brings things to me that he retrieves off the floor, as I've trained him to be my service dog and pick things up for me. Occasionally, I'll ask him to get something from someone else or take something to someone else, but in this instance, he knew the list was for the 'Hab Aide', how he knew that is a mystery.

He is such an incredible dog, his intelligence and intuitiveness are sometimes unbelievable. Other people who don't know him as well are stunned by the things he does, but I'm at a point where nothing surprises me about Kodiak anymore.

"I'm right here, are you okay?"

Recently, I've started experiencing a great deal of pain in my left hip and groin. I've found that I have to be careful how I sit, that my hips are aligned and I can't allow my left leg to 'turn out' because when I try to draw it back to center or to stand up, it feels like my hip joint is slightly dislocated. I can hardly put any weight on it at all.

Earlier this week, when I was getting up from my chair, so I could use the bathroom, the pain was so intense, I actually made some noise, groaned, as I stood. It nearly brought tears to my eyes.

My husband was sitting three feet from me, but didn't offer to assist me, as I couldn't put weight on my leg. When I cried out, Kodiak got down off the loveseat and ran across the room to me, his ears up, eyes alert, ready, if I needed him, as if to say, "I'm right here, are you okay?"

My husband said, "She's alright buddy, it's okay." Kodiak stayed by my side, watching, keenly aware that I was not okay.

My feelings were a little hurt, that my husband wasn't as concerned as Kodiak was. I said to him, "I could use a little help. It's pretty bad that Kodiak recognizes that, but you don't." He shot back with, "I don't see what I could help with." To which I replied, "You could give me your arm for support so I don't have to try to put so much weight on my bad leg."

He did get out of his chair and let me lean on him, so I could make it to the bathroom. He told me he didn't know what to do, that I like to try to do things myself, so he never knows whether to offer or not, so he waits to be asked. I guess I can see where he's coming from, sort of a lose/lose situation for him... if he offers to help he risks offending me (causing me to feel as if he thinks I can't do for myself) and if he doesn't offer to help he risks hurting my feelings and appearing to be oblivious to my pain and struggles.

Kodiak led the way to the bathroom, where he curled up on the floor outside the bathroom doorway, keeping his eyes fixed on me, until I was ready to leave the bathroom, then he escorted me to the bed, where I changed clothes and he then took me back out to my recliner, where he waited for me to sit down, then he pressed against me and curled up at my feet.

We are so 'in-tune' it sometimes boggles my mind... he knows me, knows when I'm feeling good and knows when I'm in pain and his moods change as mine do. He is an incredible companion.

Protector

Since Kodiak was a young puppy, he's demonstrated an ability to sense whether someone is a 'threat' or not. If he doesn't trust someone, he barks, won't get close to them, won't let them get close to me. He makes quite a production until the individual is out of the house.

I've seen him do this in the past with three individuals. The first was a 'technician' for the provider who was to service my power chair. The man couldn't come into the house without Kodiak just losing his mind, barking, snapping at the man, being keen to stay between the man and I. He even barked and howled when the man touched my power chair. He simply didn't trust him.

The second individual was the owner of the business that was to be servicing my power chair. He had come into our home several times and made threatening statements, issued ultimatums and was really very verbally abusive. Kodiak really had no tolerance for this man whatsoever.

My niece's husband is another individual that Kodiak does not react well to. He tries to nip him and in fact, did bite the back of his jeans (though he didn't get a hold of any skin), as he chases him when he's walking away from Kodiak.

Kodiak seems to be able to sense when people aren't being genuine.

Tuesday night, an old friend of ours came to visit for a little bit. Kodiak greeted him as he does all strangers, barking and howling, snorting and trying to scare him. We told him to come in and sit down and ignore Kodiak, that he would stop making noise in short order, as soon as he no longer detected a 'threat'.

Our friend sat down, we all had some pizza. Our friend offered Kodiak some pizza, which he hesitantly accepted. He seemed to be more comfortable, the longer he was in the house sitting on the couch.

When our friend stood and approached me, to show me something on his laptop, Kodiak got up and hurried to get between us. He stood between us until our friend took a step back, at which time Kodiak lay down on and between my feet. He stayed in that position until I handed the laptop to my husband and our friend was again sitting on the couch.

He behaved himself, staying ever alert, but quiet, until our friend got up to leave, then he walked him to the door.

My husband said he was comforted to know that when he's not here, Kodiak would protect me, get between me and an intruder or someone untrustworthy.

I'm learning to follow his lead and trust his instincts more and more. His judgments about different people's character have been justified.

"Just Checking"

Yesterday, I had to make a trip to the Emergency Room. I've been coughing, feverish and achy for days, but over the weekend things took a turn for the worst.

Many years ago, when I was in first grade, I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I spent two weeks in the hospital, the first in an oxygen tent.

This past weekend, I thought that I was going to repeat that experience.

The coughing was so bad, my throat so raw that drinking or eating was painful. I coughed so hard that I vomited. I was having trouble breathing, having to sit up at night, if I got four hours of sleep a night that would be a generous estimate.

I called my family physician yesterday and asked if there was any way they could fit me in. They told me there were three other people on the list ahead of me, waiting for a cancellation, so they could get in to see the doctor. They told me to go to the Emergency Room seeing as how they could hear me wheezing and were afraid my asthma was effected.

I spent 4 hours out of the house yesterday as I sat in the ER waiting room, then finally getting to see a Nurse Practitioner. I received a breathing treatment by a Respiratory Therapist and was sent home with a handful of prescriptions.

When I got home I was excitedly greeted by Kodi. I knew he would have to go potty, so I didn't take my coat off, I put his collar on to take him outside.

As we walked around the corner of the porch he stopped and looked back over his shoulder at me. I told him I was okay and he could go ahead. He took a few steps and stopped again, looking back over his shoulder at me. I reassured him again and we started toward the ramp. This went on several more times, until he stopped and looked back over his shoulder at me, turned to face me and without taking his eyes away from mine, came back to me.

I asked him what was wrong and bent down as he stretched up. He sniffed all over my face, he licked my nose and chin. When I kissed him back and told him I was okay, he then waited for me to straighten back up and turned toward the ramp, bouncing down to the bottom where he went into the yard and went 'potty'.

It was very clear to me that Kodi knew I was in trouble earlier in the day, that he missed me while I was gone, as he always does when I leave the house and that he was concerned as to whether I was okay or not as I was breathing heavily as we rounded the corner toward the ramp. Once he was secure in the knowledge that I was okay, he was willing to go about his business.

He was "Just Checking" on me to make sure I was okay.

I LOVE this incredible, adorable creature so much more than words can express.

I Love My Dog More Than Most People I Know

I truly love my dog, Kodiak, more than most people I know.

I've not been feeling very well. I'm trying to keep up appearances and keep moving every day. Some days that's easier than others. I've been feeling dizzy, weak, dropping things, just experiencing a general sense of 'disconnect'.

Because it's been so hot and humid this Summer and I've spent more than a month and a half without my power chair while it's been in the 'shop', we've not been taking walks, not been spending a great deal of time outside. Kodiak simply doesn't want to.

As a result of our lack of 'outdoor time', I've been trying to exercise him in the house by getting down on the floor (that's the easy part, falling off the chair onto the floor. LOL) and playing tug-o-war or bouncing his ball for him.

When Kodiak was a puppy my husband played rough with him, wrestling with him, letting him chew on his hands, etc. (something I didn't want him to do), so when Kodiak is bored, has a lot of stored up energy, playing can quickly become wrestling.

We were wrestling on the floor, when he stopped and went to get a drink, so I decided rather than trying to struggle to my feet, I would just lay down on one side and watch television from the floor. Not the most comfortable way to do it, but certainly more comfortable than what I would experience trying to get up off the floor.

When Kodiak came back into the living room, he came to me, sat down against me and began to lick my face, my glasses, my neck and nibble on my nose. He got up momentarily to chase a cat away from his food bowl and when he came back, I was feeling a bit dizzy. I had my eyes closed and was taking some deep slow breaths.

He sat against me, placed his front paws over the arm I was leaning on and lay down, holding me down, as he licked my face. He lay there for quite a while. Before he let me get up, he licked my face one more time and sat up as I did. He followed me over to my chair, as I sat back down he curled up between my feet.

I've been laying down and taking a nap during the day, whenever our schedules permit and sure enough Kodiak is right there, on the bed with me, the whole time, curled up against me, so I can feel him. He makes soft noises, crawling up the bed so he can lick my face, cuddle with me. We often 'spoon' for a few minutes before getting up and getting back to our day.

When we go outside so he can 'go potty', he stops and waits for me to catch up to him, cognizant of the fact that I move slower, that he is my protector and companion. Once I've caught up, he will move further toward the ramp. If we are coming up the ramp with my husband, he will let my husband get ahead of us, but wait for me, turning and looking back over his shoulder until I'm coming, looking back as we move up the ramp to be certain I'm there and following closely.

I can think of no human, except my husband and son, who demonstrate the level of caring, compassion and love for me that Kodiak does.

Kodiak Keeps Me Sane

“The vital function that pets fulfill in this world hasn’t been fully recognized. They keep millions of people sane” – Eckhart Tolle in Guardian of Being.

This is a quote provided as inspiration to pet owners willing to accept a writing challenge. The This good-That bad (TGTB) creative writing contest asks entrants to complete a sentiment in 125 characters or less by explaining how their pets keep them sane.

I had every intention of posting an entry, in fact, I started writing something several times, but I know myself, I was unable to write what I wanted to say in such a limited frame. So here I am.

I have been blessed by the pets I've had throughout the years, whether they were cats or dogs, made no difference.

For the past two years, Kodiak has been the savior of my sanity. When I lost Echo, a huge void was left in my heart, a piece of me died with her, depression came to visit and stayed.

I hadn't realized how much of my day was invested in caring for Echo, as she had arthritis and 'disabling' diseases similar to those I live with. She required a lot of care and a lot of trips outside. After I lost her, I was only leaving the house to get groceries, once a week and if I could find a way to avoid doing that, I would.

Kodiak's arrival in my family forced me to establish a daily routine, to go outside again, to focus my time and energy on house training my new puppy. I began spending time outside in the backyard playing with him and training him when we were inside.

When I was able to begin leash training him, I was able to take my power chair out and go for walks, enjoy the sunshine and seasonal changes. Watching him communing with and watching nature, getting joy from the breezes, sunshine on his face, marveling at a butterfly, gave me pause, to consider that while I was hiding in the dark, quiet of the house, wallowing in my grief and loneliness, I was missing the beauty life has to offer.

As he grew up, our bond grew stronger. I began training him to perform service dog tasks. Quickly he began to respond to my needs without commands. He helps me to complete my housekeeping chores, do laundry, pick up the trash and load the dishwasher. He's really made my life less complicated.

He's sensitive to my moods and feelings. He lays on the floor between my feet so we're touching. He follows me from room to room and even lays on the bed watching me while I use the bathroom, following me back to the living room when I've finished. He naps with me, licks my tears and when I'm having trouble breathing, he's held me in my chair so I couldn't get up or put his head under my chin and lifted my face so I could catch my breath.

When I lay down with a migraine, he slides his face and shoulder against my upper body and shoulder, down across my chest and "spoons" with me, cuddling against me, looking back over his shoulder, kissing me softly. He will lay with me while my 'meds' take effect.

He sleeps with us at night, laying between us, with his back against my whole right side, usually with his chin resting on my ankle. He allows me to rest my hand and forearm on his hip, or to hold his tail, while I'm falling asleep.

I've had a lot of trouble sleeping at night when my pain level is high, there have been times I've lay in bed crying because I can't get comfortable. When I'm able to touch or feel Kodi by me, not only does it offer me emotional comfort, but the warmth of his body provides some relief to the pain in my hip, the stiffness of my joints. I've become somewhat spoiled, in that I have trouble sleeping without Kodi.

He wakes me with soft kisses and helps me with dressing and undressing every day.

He keeps me sane. He keeps me from succumbing to the depression that lives in the dark corners of my mind. He helps me to 'de-stress' and slow down.

He gave me my life back when I was throwing in the towel. He's helped me to regain some of my independence and to appreciate every day.

I Didn't Need to Ask

I recently visited my doctor and returned with some new medications. I've been having some trouble adjusting to the side effects of these new 'meds', feeling severe fatigue, over heating and heavy sweats, some upset stomach and severe muscle cramps.

As is my typical experience, the side effects of the medications are nearly as debilitating as the disabilities.

I was readying to go to sleep the other night, sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling my night gown out from under the pillows, when Kodiak decided to help me with my hair. I had my 'pinch clip' in, rather than my scrunchie, but he bit down on it and tugged it, pulling it gently to the side of my head. He wasn't able to get it out, but he certainly gave it a try.

As I pushed my pants down Kodiak jumped down off the bed and took my pants in his mouth. As I let them fall below my knees he picked them up and handed them to me.

As I put the pants on the night stand next to the bed he placed his paw on the top of my foot, sliding it down over my sock. I lifted my foot slightly as he pulled my sock off my heal, then took the top of the sock in his mouth and pulled it off my foot. He shook it out and handed it to me. As soon as I took it he went to work repeating the same procedure on the other foot, pulling the sock off and shaking it out, handing it to me.

He sat down and waited for me to undress and get into bed. After I was in bed with the covers pulled up he came up on the bed, being careful not to step on my legs, as I'm having a lot of pain in my calves.

He stood between my husband and I, turned around and lay down, draping his chin over my calf, pressing his back and hip against the length of my right leg and hip. The warmth from his body seems to help the muscles relax.

He's been staying with me, at my feet when I'm sitting in the living room, laying against my body when I'm in bed, following me to the bathroom where he either lays on the floor at my feet or on the bed, as in the picture, looking at me, keeping an eye on me.

He's been staying with me when I sleep-in this past week, coming up softly on the bed and gently kissing my face to wake me. He stays with me until I'm dressed and I'm able to make it into the living room.

We are so connected it scares me sometimes. He knows when I'm not quite feeling right, when I'm a little wobbly.

I find that I often have to ask other humans around me for help, even though they can see or hear me struggling, yet Kodiak doesn't wait nor does he need to be asked. Is there any doubt as to why I love him so?

Unexpected Breakthrough

As I shared in previous blogs, Kodiak has been a quick learner when it comes to performing assistance tasks for me inside the home. He picks up dropped items, things I can't reach, brings me my shoes, takes off my shoes and socks, takes the hair tie-back out of my hair, retrieves the phone, remote control, etc. His skills have helped me complete my weekly household chores and vastly reduced the stress I was experiencing doing things that had become challenging.

Kodiak has accompanied me into the local bank and pharmacy. Though he'd had a bit of trouble in the bank, a tight space with many people, he's done remarkably well, considering how much time we've actually been able to dedicate to attending in public.

Kodiak has had trouble translating what we learned indoors to the outdoors. I realized we trained inside, often without his vest, lead, etc. (as we began training before we had those items). He has been easily distracted when outside. He would often respond to 'pick it up' as if he'd never heard the command before, seeming confused.

I've been unable to take my power chair outside since early December, when the first snow and ice collected on the sidewalks and at the curb cuts. There have been few opportunities to practice.

Yesterday, when we went down the ramp to go out and potty, someone's Styrofoam plate had blown from their garbage can and was in our driveway. Kodiak took notice of it and sniffed it. I thought I would give it a shot, so I gave him the command, "pick it up" in a light, encouraging voice.

He tried to pick it up, but it scooted away from him, so he put his foot on it and pinched it, folding it in half, lifting it up and handing it to me. He had his leash on and there were distractions around us, but he did it!! As he handed it to me, I leaned down to praise him and he offered a kiss.

I put him on his airline cable and he ran out into the yard, enjoying the sunshine.

I had taken the advice of a service dog training organization previously, trying to force him to follow the command outside and it was horrible, for both of us. He just seemed so confused. It wasn't until I realized they didn't understand how we had trained prior to that, so though their advice was well-meaning, it was a bit misdirected.

I decided I would continue working with Kodiak by being loving and patient, rather than trying to force something, knowing that he's incredibly intelligent and intuitive, willing to please and was not just being difficult.

Being patient and allowing him to initiate the act, then praising him for doing the task, certainly had a bigger impact than forcing him to submit to me when he clearly didn't understand and was confused.

We've also had another breakthrough recently.

I've tried in the past to take Kodiak out in the yard off leash, as I was able to do with Echo, but he's bolted three times and run into a neighbor's yard. I know that huskies are, by nature, roamers and it is highly recommended that you don't take them out off leash because they can get hurt, particularly if their prey drive is strong and they encounter a cat, small dog, squirrel, etc.

I've taken him out to potty several times recently and allowed him to be off leash. He obeyed me and stayed in his yard, even going to visit Molly at the neighbor's fence and retrieving a thrown toy. When I told him "come" he's come running to and past me, right up the ramp to the deck.

I'm working on showing him that I trust him outdoors, so that he will trust me outdoors, not to ask anything of him that would hurt him or be unsafe. I don't want him to hesitate when we're outside.

We are a work in progress. As long as we are making progress, I'm happy.

I've had people ask me how long he's been training and express that they think we should be further along than we are, but I believe every dog is different and every team is different. I'm satisfied with the progress we're making and as long as Kodiak is comfortable with the methods we're using, that's what matters to me.

A New Level of Understanding

Kodi has been helping me with my nightly routine before bed for over a year now. He helps me take my pants off, takes my socks off and hands them to me, so I can place them on the night stand where I can reach them easily in the morning.

One evening earlier this week, I was getting ready for bed and because my feet had swollen during the day I was having trouble rolling my socks off my heels, as I usually do before asking Kodi to pull them off my toes.

He sat on the floor by my feet watching, but wasn't going to allow me to struggle so, as he began to use a paw, gently 'grasping' at my sock and pulling toward the floor.

He actually helped me to get my sock off my heel, then gently took the toe between his front teeth and pulled strongly, until he'd pulled the sock off and handed it to me. He repeated the process with the other sock.

I am constantly surprised by how intuitive he is, how he problem solves for me. He knew he needed to help me and that pulling with his teeth was going to be awkward, so using his foot and toenails gently was the 'smart' thing to do.

I trust Kodi completely. I know he would never hurt me, he only wishes to help me, he loves me.

We are constantly experiencing new levels of understanding between us, strengthening our bond and the deep connection we've developed.

Kodi is far more attentive than most humans I know. Even my own husband will sit and watch me struggle until I ask for his help, even if I'm to the point of tears, but not Kodi, he's right there, trying to help, to alleviate my struggles.

I am so blessed to have this truly wise and caring husky in my life.

Migraine Treatment ~ Kodiak Cuddles

I’ve been living with severe, chronic migraine headaches for some 19 years. Along the way I have also been diagnosed with sinusitis and sinus headaches, as well as tension, cluster and ‘rebound’ headaches.

An Ultrasound of my face uncovered a previous skull fracture and bone fragments from a broken eye socket that were floating in my sinus. A CT scan and later an MRI confirmed the ultrasound results.

After years of treatment by a neurologist who prescribed a variety of medications that included home injections and being released from treatment after all his options were exhausted and he was at a loss as to what to do to help me, I was left to my own devices, dealing with the pain by laying down in a dark, cool and quiet room, putting moist heat on my head, trying to sleep them off.

Some days this strategy works, other days not so much. Sometimes my migraines cycle from one side of my head to the other for five or six days consecutively. On several occasions a single migraine has lasted for three weeks.

Today I had a particularly bad headache. I put heat on it, took some over-the-counter pain killers and went into my darkened bedroom to lie down. As soon as I was lying down with my pillow scrunched up under my neck Kodi came into the bedroom and jumped up on the bed.

He licked my face and nibbled my nose as he made soft sounds, much like a cat purring. He leaned his cheek against my cheek, slid down against me, leaning his shoulder into mine as he slipped onto his side with his back against my belly.

He looked back over his shoulder and licked my face before resting his head on the pillow next to mine. I put my hand on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

We rested there for a while. It was nice to keep warm with him, relax and de-stress.

A Neurologist couldn’t provide me with relief… because he wasn’t able to prescribe Kodiak Cuddles.

Going for an Autumn Walk

This evening my husband and I were talking about taking Kodi for a walk before it got dark.

I stepped into the bathroom before getting my coat and power chair ready to go, as my husband got his shoes.

Kodi came into the bedroom and looked into the bathroom at me. I told him I was almost ready, then we could go for a walk. He looked at me, whimpered, looked at my sneakers on the floor by my night stand, then picked them up, one by one and brought them to me in the bathroom, putting them at my feet.

After he dropped my sneakers he went back into the bedroom and picked up one of my socks, which he took out to my husband. This makes sense, because he often helps me get my socks on when we are going out.

This evening he found a video cassette tape case on our bed where my husband left it when he brought some holiday cartoons out to watch. Kodi picked up the case and took it out to my husband, handing it to him.

While I was sitting in my recliner tonight, I finished looking through some catalogs that came in the mail today. I asked my husband if he wanted to look at them, to which he replied, "later, not right now."

Kodi took the catalogs, one at a time, off the arm of my recliner and walked them across the room to my husband, where he handed them to him.

Sometimes I think he's more human than some people I know.