So we got another dog.
Watson, our service dog, is 7. There are many service dog programs around
the nation, but you really have to do your research to weed out the ‘legit’
ones from the others. We started this
process about 6 months ago, because the typical time that you’re on the wait
list from the time you apply is 2-5 years.
In 5 years, Watson will be 12! Well
past retirement age. So we started the
process thinking it would take at least 2 years, and 6 months later we got a
call.
VERY long story short….we just got back from California
picking up Xylo, our new dog. He’s a lab
(100% lab). 2 years old. They actually used him as a stud because he
was SO well-tempered and (in their words) the smartest dog they ever trained. This program specifically breeds super smart
labs and they start training them at 5 weeks old, and train them until they’re
2 years old. He fathered a few litters,
and then they had him fixed so he could be a service dog.
And we TOTALLY won the jackpot by getting him.
He is goofy, playful, and a genius. He actually doesn’t like doing the ‘easy’
commands like ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ because they’re TOO easy. But you tell him to turn off a light and he’ll
do it immediately. Or you drop
something, point to it and tell him to get it and he retrieves it and brings it
with you (anything from shoes to cell phones to keys). Anything.
When my husbands leg starts bouncing from anxiety, Xylo immediately puts
his head on his leg to distract him and lower his heart rate.
He can read about 20 different words. I thought my husband was joking when he told
me this. There are about 20 different words
that if you write them down on a sheet of paper and hold it up, he will do that
command. Like ‘Sit’. Or ‘Down’.
HE KNOWS THOSE WORDS ON PAPER. I
mean…it’s just incredible.
But, don’t think he’s a robot or anything. He is DEFINITELY still a dog. He got in trouble for the first time last
night when we got him rooting around the cat box. Yep.
And any food that happens to end up on the floor (or ground) is fair
game. Hubby is constantly fishing things
out of his mouth. Not that we have food
on our floors, but it happens sometimes.
And there’s always food outside in the ground and in restaurants. Restaurants are the worst.
We love him. Abby
loves him. Hannah tolerates him. Watson…tolerates him. And honestly I don’t think Macy realizes he’s
new. I think she thinks he’s Watson lol. She is unfazed. He sniffed her the other day and she just
laid there and looked at him. She’s
always gotten along with Watson so I knew there wouldn’t be a problem with
Xylo.
He’s fitting in nicely.
Although I think we need a bigger bed. Do they make anything bigger than a king? Ha ha.
