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KATHLEEN KISSELBURGH and TRAV

ENABLED TO DREAM
by Kathleen Kisselburgh
reprinted from "The Belgian Sheepdog" 1997 Working Dog Issue

AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, there are an ever increasing number of areas where dogs are being used to assist people with disabilities. Expanding on the concept pioneered by guide dogs, there are now dogs being used to assist individuals with mobility impairments, balance disorders, seizure disorders, disorders of hearing, and even combinations of these disabilities. The selection, training and subsequent placement of these dogs results in partnerships that encompass an extraordinary level of assistance, communication and devotion. This bond allows many individuals to transcend the restriction of their disabilities and experience a sense of freedom and independence they found previously unattainable.

One sterling example of this bond was the partnership between Paul Ogden and his hearing dog Chelsea. If I had purchased a copy of Paul's book about Chelsea every time it was recommended, I would currently have a wall filled with nothing but that title. Paul's eloquence in sharing his experiences with Chelsea, and his ability to enlighten the public about what it means to be deaf, was a wonderful demonstration of hearing dog partnership at its best.

As I start down the road of my partnership with Trav it is my hope that not only will we be able to experience a partnership of such devotion and longevity but also through sharing our experiences, be able to honor the example set by Paul and Chelsea. BUT WHAT DOES A HEARING DOG DO?

Although I have been partnered with Trav for less than a year, it has resulted in so many changes in my life it is hard to know where to begin. I do know that rarely a day goes by where I am not approached by at least one person asking me two questions: "What kind of dog is that?"; and, after I explain that Trav is a Belgian trained as a hearing dog, "Well, what exactly does a hearing dog do?"

Unlike guide dogs for the blind, or service dogs for individuals in wheelchairs, the hearing dog's role in assisting a partner is not usually obvious to the typical bystander. While many are aware that these dogs can alert their partners to specific sounds in the home (through establishing physical contact and then leading to the source of the sound), the assistance these dogs provide their partners in public is not so easily understood.

I can remember one relative telling me that they could understand the value of a hearing dog at home, but what possible assistance could it provide in a grocery store? I created for them a hypothetical visit to the grocery store where the dog provided the following assistance: while in the car, alert to sirens of emergency vehicles; while walking through parking lot to store entrance, alert partner to vehicle approaching from rear; alert to friend calling name from across the parking lot; while in store, signal approach of shopping baskets or people requesting to pass from behind while in aisle; on trip back to car, alert and retrieve dropped keys. All of this is usually accomplished in a subtle mariner; without disturbance to the general public.

In essence, the hearing dog serves as a way to identify various sounds in public. Without advance warning of these sounds, their partners could at the least suffer a strong startle, and at worst potential harm.

Another misunderstanding encountered by the general public is that those wearing hearing aids, and utilizing "normal" speech, would not require additional assistance in discerning sounds. Ironically, those with a profound loss wearing hearing aids often deal with increased levels of stress when trying to adapt to the various sounds in the environment. While hearing aids provide amplification, for the most part they do so indiscriminately. In addition, they do little to provide clarity, which is something typically absent in most profound hearing losses. What this means is that the hearing impaired individual having lunch with a friend in a restaurant not only has the voice of the friend amplified, but also all others speaking in the restaurant, as well as all the glasses clinking, silverware clanking, napkins rustling, air conditioner humming, and music playing. Contrary to the silent world many imagine, those that wear hearing aids are often confronted with a world of relentless noise, through which they must navigate relying on visual cues and adaptive skills to discern their meaning. By having a hearing dog alert to many of the external sounds, not only are these individuals provided relief additional, but also enabled to focus more clearly on other things.

LOOKING FOR A PARTNER

When it became apparent four years ago that the profound nature of my loss was increasingly restricting what I was able to do (and actually impairing my safety), I became committed to the idea of obtaining a hearing dog to assist me. Initially, due to the lengthy waiting period that was required by most established programs - on average: one to two years for hearing dogs, and three to live years for service dogs - I was referred to a private trainer to assist me in raising and training a dog to work with me. Unfortunately after 10 months of work, unforeseen health problems were identified that rendered the dog unsuitable for assistance work, and we were forced to locate a good pet home for him. While I valued the experience and knowledge I had gained through the effort, at that point I felt that it would be better to go through an established training program.

While I began reassessing programs, I was asked to foster a young adult Belgian in need of a home. Although he was temperamentally unsuited to assistance work, I became intrigued with my first exposure to a Belgian. The strong intelligence, desire to work and learn, and intense devotion made me wonder if I could locate a dog within the breed to work with me. Through many phone calls talking to BSCA members about finding the right home for this dog, I spent quite a bit of time learning about the breed, its strengths and weaknesses, and various experiences longtime owners and breeders had with Belgians. Through the course of these many conversations, I was put in contact with Linda Brady, who in addition to having a young dog available, was also a trainer for the assistance dog organization PAWs with a Cause. (See BSD article, Vol.47, No.2, March/April Issue.)

During our initial phone call, Linda told me about the young Belgian she was assessing for assistance dog training arid we talked about my experiences. We decided that since I had a break between semesters, it would be a good time to have the dog come stay with me for a few weeks to see how we got along with each other. This was important to me also, because one of the most challenging aspects of potential partnerships is the bond between dog and partner. The ones that work the best are those that have a distinct spark almost upon contact. After making plans and getting directions to Detroit, I finally remembered to ask Linda what the dog's name was. There was a slight pause, and small chuckle on her end before she replied "Trash." My instinctive response was a silent "uh oh"...and then I laughed and told her that if things worked out, my first step would be to change his name to a more positive one!

When I first saw Trav, my impression was of a confident, alert dog, intent on checking out this new person. Once I passed his initial inspection, he proceeded to put as much of his body in my lap as possible, while simultaneously keeping all four paws on the ground. While Linda was giving me instructions, the resident top dog in the house (Trav's grand dad Hobby), proceeded to reinforce his right to cut to the front of the line receiving attention. Trav moved to the side, then ran to the back of the room, returning with a purple stuffed dinosaur in his, mouth to sit beside Hobby. He cocked his head and looked to me as if to say. "Wouldn't you rather play with ME?!" That was my first clue that Trav was willing to be creative in his ongoing attempts to garner center stage.

Although I anticipated a possible stressful ride home (a five hour drive), I can remember glancing in the rear view mirror after an hour, seeing Trav sprawled on his back, hind legs spread to hither, front paws tucked close, completely at peace. That sense of adaptability, eagerness to check out new situations thoroughly, adapt to many changes of environments I exposed him to, and just general cuteness made me feel that we had strong potential as a team. After a month's visit I drove him back to Detroit, where Linda was to continue to foster him and oversee his testing and acceptance into the PAWs training program. It was so hard to take him back, and the thought of being without him for even a short time, much less the anticipated six months, was extremely difficult.

Time went by slowly, but Linda and the PAWs staff were great about keeping me informed about fund raising efforts, Trav's success in passing all assessment tests, and his progress in training. Finally, I received notification that he was ready to leave the training facility and start his in-home training with me.

THE ROAD TO CERTIFICATION

The PAWs program centers around first providing foundation obedience and assistance training to dogs at their facility in Michigan, and then when they are ready, placing the dogs in the client's home. There under the supervision of an on-site trainer, the team is trained together in the home environment for is long as necessary to prepare for their eventual certification test. Since at that time here were not any trainers in my immediate area (there arc now). Linda and another PAWs trainer teamed up and agreed to travel down to Indiana every two weeks, and stay for two days of intensive training until we were ready for certification.

I remember so well our first public outing during in-training. As one who has a natural aversion to being a beginner. I envisioned practicing in small, out of the way mini-malls until our skills were guaranteed, then moving to larger locations. On the first visit, Lori, the other trainer, tossed that notion out the window. We were going to the mall and possibly a large grocery store and a restaurant for lunch. To say that I had a mild case of stage fright is a gross understatement. I can remember walking through the doors of the mall with Trav. Lori near me with her Golden Retriever, and feeling that every single eye in the building was on me. I felt certain that someone was going to rush out and want to know what I was doing, or that I wouldn't be able to handle Trav correctly, or several unimaginable scenarios. The truth is, the majority of eyes in the mall were on us. Taking any dog out in public settings - not to mention a scene-stealing Belgian - ensures you will attract attention! Lori kept working us throughout the mall, into all types of stores, stopping people and asking them to approach me from behind, pushing me to answer questions people wanted to know, and cheering us on. In addition, we trained in the afternoon on sound work in the home, and were given a list of exercises to practice. At the end of the day, Trav collapsed on the floor and slept for the rest of the evening, and I followed suit.

As the weeks passed, I worked daily on our sound training and took Trav out each afternoon to different settings to work in public. I searched out different buses to ride, buildings with varied surfaces and different elevators, went to the doctor's office, and window shopped to death. I couldn't help think that Trav and I were like two strangers learning a new dance together - both stumbling through the process of learning the music, understanding who would lead, counting out steps, stepping on toes, slowly but surely finding that movement came more naturally and that it wasn't necessary to count out the steps under your breath.

By far the most difficult lesson for me was to place my trust in Trav's instincts. After a life of determined self-reliance and vigilance in watching external cues, I had to learn to relinquish some of that control in order to allow Trav to do his job. Many times the training team set up scenarios where I was unaware that a certain event was to take place in public, and if I ignored Trav's signals, was reminded repeatedly "watch your dog, learn your dog's signals, trust your dog." As I learned to relinquish some of the control, I discovered an unanticipated benefit. By learning to trust Trav's signals when outside, I was slowly being encouraged to extend my focus and enjoy what was taking place around me. Whether it be through his signal that curious, but most certainly interesting. sounds were taking place or being subtly notified that "hey, there is something interesting happening over there, wanna' check it out?", Trav proved to be a bridge between the sound cues and the events taking place. The decision to act is always mine, but it is one I would not be able to make without Trav's alerting me to the possibility.

Finally, after much hard work, we were ready for our certification exam. Despite the incredible distraction of one evaluator's toddler riding in a backpack (smiling and waving at Trav), being followed with another person with a video cam, and a major summer sale at the mall, we managed to pass with high scores, and were now an official team.

LIFE AFTER CERTIFICATION

Of course, certification is only the beginning of our partnership. The lessons and skills we have learned are all tested and strengthened daily. Teamwork is a continuing process. Being a student at the university, I'm fortunate to be in an environment that provides an incredible variety of experiences for Trav to be exposed to and proficient in. Whether watching an extroverted professor march back and forth in front of us, pounding his podium and waving his arms, resting under the computer table during my frequent time in the computer lab, professionally watching (but nobly resisting), the temptation of pork cadavers and heart dissections in biology lab, or accepting with grace the exuberant hug of a screaming toddler, Trav has managed to take the majority of our experiences in stride and with inevitable humor.

A FEW WORDS

When Billye Gaye Viner initially approached me about writing this article, I knew in addition to letting people know what a special dog Trav is, there were two other things I hoped to accomplish. First. to publicly thank Linda Brady for her incredible support and efforts in seeing that this partnership became a reality. In addition to providing Trav with a wonderful foster home, and thereby a solid foundation for his advanced training, she was also responsible for coordinating and planning the fund raising efforts for his sponsorship. She cut through considerable red tape on my behalf, sent videos, pictures and cards to keep me informed of his progress, held my emotional hand throughout the entire process, and shed more than a few tears when Trav left home. And these are only a few of the things I am aware of. It is a debt I am glad to acknowledge, and will always be aware of.

In addition, I want to thank the numerous BSCA members who helped contribute to the fund raising for Trav's training, as well as the many who were willing to share information. resources, referrals while trying to figure out what EXACTLY was "Relay Indiana"?! So often we are unaware of the final results of our efforts, whether it is through a financial gift, sharing information, or willingness to answer questions from others. I hope through this article you will see that even the smallest contributions can reap unimagined rewards.

I remember after our certification exam, one of my evaluators asked me in what ways Trav had changed my life. I told her I didn't have a miracle story - no dog running into a burning building, dragging me from a fiery death, or snatching me back from an approaching vehicle. Trav's impact has been far subtler, but no less profound. For sixteen years I was unable to sleep soundly through the night. Uncertain if an intruder would break in, or unforeseen - or more accurately, unheard - terrors awaited. The underlying tension of trying to "hear" in a world filled with increasingly chaotic sounds often left me feeling like a shattered vase that had been repaired with poor quality glue one tap away from falling apart again.

After spending a few weeks with Trav, I noticed that my shoulders and neck were aching. I suddenly realized they were aching not from strain, but from the relief of long-held tension. For the first time since I was a child, I was once again able to sleep not only securely at night, but actually to dream of possibilities.

PAWs with a Cause ® trains assistance dogs nationally for people with disabilities, and provides lifetime team support which encourages independence. In addition, PAWs ® promotes awareness through education. The primary purpose of this not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), community based organization is to empower and enhance the quality of life through the use of assistance dogs. Side, by side, like the trained teams, PAWs ® can make life better for human beings who have a disability. Paws with a Cause ® National Headquarters is located at 4646 South Division, Wayland, Michigan, 49348. Phone numbers: (616) 877-7297 or (800)253-PAWS [TDD/V]. Fax: (616) 877-0248.