.Being.Us

First of all, let me introduce you to Coco . She's my 1-and-a-half-year-old service dog in training, and she's the light of my life     Even at her current level of training, she's made a huge difference in my life. It's possible for me to go outside now, or even to run to the nearby store for 1-2 items. I know when my asthma is acting up in time to properly medicate and avoid hospitalizations. She stops me from hurting myself by actively interrupting those behaviors and providing alternative stimulation. She helps with so many little things every day. Still, she's not fully-trained. Her biggest barriers are jumping on people who enter our home, her prey drive on walks, and chewing. She's also having trouble mastering retrieval. To be fair, the jumping and chewing are completely resolved when she's getting enough exercise, but, running at my maximum possible level doesn't give her what she needs in that department. Recently, I resolved to become ...