I started on the service dog journey six months ago, and going into meeting my first potential service dog, I was quite nervous. Looking back, I realize I should have asked more questions before the meet-and-greet because I was under the false impression I would be sent home with a dog I didn’t have all the supplies for. To prepare, I started by buying one of the many necessary baby gates I’ll need. I plan to install it this weekend—assuming I’m not sleeping for 14 hours straight.
With the baby gate leaning against the wall and my cat (who loves chewing on things) safely distracted and away from the tantalizing zip ties, I headed off to the meet-and-greet. While we were driving up, I saw a gentleman walking what looked like a large poodle, and I wondered if that was the dog we were supposed to meet. Turns out, it was! When he came in, I saw a dog that looked like a shorn poodle with the haircut of an angsty rockstar—a long patch of fur hung over his eyes, giving him a unique look.
Teddy bounded in, pulling on the leash his handler held. With a friendly bark, I took it as a sign to stand up and greet him. I was wrong. He immediately spooked a bit and backed up. The trainer told me it was best to stay seated, since I was new. This was my first reminder that I wasn’t interacting with a regular companion animal—I was meeting a dog who might become a working animal. I’ve even seen service dogs described as durable medical equipment, and that’s when it really clicked.
I stayed seated for most of the time we spent with Teddy, and it helped a lot. When I did stand up, I tried a few basic obedience commands, like “down” and “leave it,” but he didn’t really listen. I didn’t expect him to, since he didn’t really know me yet. The best part was just getting to spend quality time with him and see his personality shine through. I would describe him as curious, sweet, and very smart.
I felt sad when we had to leave, but I get to see him again this upcoming Sunday. I’ll write updated blog posts as the journey continues.
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