ive been asked a few times recently about just what Bones does as my service dog so i thought id explain it in greater detail for those who want to understand more about him.
First off Bones is a rescue. When i rescued him he had been severely abused and was emaciated to the point of where he was soo skinny that he cried if i even used a baby brush on him. He was afraid of belts to the point of which if my ex had his belt out to simply put on Bones would leave the room and literally pee himself. He did the same thing with brooms, mops, anything that had a stick to it, and of course rolled up papers as well. For the first 2 months i had him if we went anywhere and took him with us as son as we got home he would potty in the hallway. This came from his nerves and the excitement of coming back to the same place each time and was not a housebreaking issue as he would be fine for a hours if i had to go where i couldnt take him, or overnight when we were sleeping.
He had a blank look in his eyes the day i picked him up, as if his soul was just gone. He was very sad looking when i first seen him but i knew that there was no way i could leave him behind, i knew that i was probably his only chance. After taking him home, bathing, clipping, and feeding him he started to smile at me , it was then that i knew there would be a special bond between us and that bond has made up inseparable.
He has went through many changes, as have i and we have worked though it all together with Bones being the only constant ive had in my life in years.
i was diagnosed with PTSD, agoraphobia depression about a year after rescuing him, but it hasnt been til the last year that ive been training his as my service dog. And ive heard it all, people saying that im crazy for wanting a service dog, or that i only wanted him certified so that i could take him into stores with me, and other things. Well, in a way the me wanting him to go into stores with me is right. Thats been the whole point. With me having agoraphobia and being afraid to even leave the house most days, i feel better if hes with me. i know if i get too overwhelmed hes there to help get me through it as only he can. So yes, i did need him to be able to go places with me, and yes for selfish reasons, the selfish reason being that i want to be able to function as normal as possible. i dont like fearing people, but i cant change that either and having Bones with me at all times directs my attention more on him and i dont worry as much about people around me.
My room mates have seen him in action and were very surprised at how he acted when i had a major anxiety attack. Bones was right there, huddled to my chest and licking my face. This is how he is able to bring me out of my attacks. He also knows who everyone in the house is by name and if something is out of his control he will go get someone for me but usually Bones and i handle it on our own. He even has awoken me in the middle of the night from my nightmares when im screaming out by licking and nudging my face until alert.
At this point ive only had him in a few different stores and im finding out the more hes out in public the better he gets. Hes very well behaved out in public and knows his place. He stays at my side and so far while ive been out with him no one has invaded my personal space, something that Bones understands i have an issue with and the fact that people stand back a little further because of him is a good thing as i flip out when strangers are too close to me and Bones knows this.
He also can predict my attacks better than i can. He can be in another room and come running if im upset. i dont even have to call him or voice it to him, he just knows. He will also pace from my computer desk to the bed if he feels im going to have an attack and wont stop pacing until i listen to him.
We are a team! He has needs also, being that he is a rescue there are certain things that i still work on him with to overcome. Such as dumpsters but hes doing real well with our work on that. He even suffers from anxiety attacks when hes stressed or if theres been a big change but never once when ive needed him has he not been there.
There isnt a day that goes by that i dont NEED him for something and hes always been there. My fear is that hes 10 years old, now hes a miniature poodle which means he more than likely has at least 5 years left but not a day goes by thati dont worry about what would happen to me if i lost him and with this new issue with his leg its been hard on me, my attachment to him goes beyond owner/pet, and is even stronger than a parent /child bond. Bones has given me my life back and takes so much of the fear out of my life that its incredible. i once spent 6 months in the house and never left unless i was physically forced to go to the doctors,but now that i have Bones i feel like i can go most places and feel okay about it. All of my fears will never go away but he makes them a bit more manageable.
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