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-- Nietzche |
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In Memorium On
Cheyenne's Passing Cheyenne was
my very first assistance dog. It was necessary for
her to retire early in life as she was attacked by
another dog as we were exiting our van at the local
mall. Although she was not eager to be outside,
away from her safe place, she continued her work at
home, particularly with my husband, David. As is
the usual case, I too continued with Forrest. Our
lives changed quite dramatically but Cheyenne
always remained at the center. This is David's
story on the loss of our Cheyenne. -
Jack Last December 7
Cheyenne, our retired service dog, made her last
trip to the vet's office. Severe hip
dysplasia, undiagnosed when she was first trained,
had crippled her. Although we had eased her
discomfort medically, she had reached a point where
her rear legs would collapse when she walked.
Taking her on that last trip became a
kindness. Anyone who has lost a
dog or cat can share our sadness. But for us
Cheyenne was more than a beautiful German
Shepherd.As our first service dog, she taught us
how be good partners. With Cheyenne we
realized that a service dog required support from
all household members, not just the designated
partner. Old habits appropriate to the pets we had
previously shared our house with were now
inappropriate and potentially harmful to her
working life. However, we all quickly learned that
when she was out of harness or cape that she was
still a great dog, playful, patient, and
loving. Cheyenne's working life
came to a premature end when she was attacked by a
pit bull outside a local mall. Despite months of
attempted rehabilitation, she continued to act as
though her next attacker was just around the
corner. So she became a dog of
leisure‚ but never indolent. Whenever we went
out she insisted that her rightful place was next
to the wheelchair. We went through two obedience
classes‚ mostly for my benefit, since she had
decided to become my caretaker. She was very
patient as I learned how to give the proper
commands. I also learned just how wise she was
around other dogs when she would decide whether or
not to ignore or play with some of her younger
classmates. Cheyenne became the
maternal figure in our household, whether sidling
up to her boisterous successors Baron and Forrest
or deciding to look after me when I faced a serious
medical condition. Her penchant for eating paper
led us to use a crate when I returned to work
full-time, but she forcefully let us know after a
time that spending time in a crate was not her idea
of a good way to spend the day. For the last few
years she would spend her day in the house and let
us know every time we returned how glad she was to
see us‚ all of us, even the rowdy golden
receiver now working in her place. She always was
eager for a ride in the van, however, and chasing a
Frisbee never failed to delight her. I still expect to see
her on the stairs, coming to be sure I was OK
wherever I was in the house. To the very end she
knew her job was to watch over me. Her second
career as a retired SD taught us that care is a
trait that cannot be overvalued. We thank her for
being a part of all our lives
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Contact the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound by e-mail for further information. |
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