End of the Show Season

Well it is nearing the end of the year. For most people that means holidays, shopping, festival music and tv specials. Not for me, oh no. this time of year is the end of my dog show season.

Rolo had his debut just a few weeks ago. He did what I didn't even think he would do, his first time out he won a Reserve Best in Show. I guess he wants to live up to his housemate's reputation. Alice's first time out just won a Reserve Best in Show as well. Alice then beat him in the breed ring in the second show, which is fine with me.

We are now perparing for the last set of shows in Courtland, Va. Rolo will be entered in all 6 shows but Alice will only be shown twice then do two runs of lure coursing. Our goal is to have Rolo finish his title and to have Alice finish her lure coursing title and finish the year as the top Hamilton in the country.

In terms of my feet, shows are hard on my feet. I am glad that the formality of what I have to wear only applies to everything but my shoes. If I couldn't wear my shoes and my insoles then I probably wouldn't still be showing. So we are all prepping with training, packing and getting everything ready for next weekend.

The excitement between Michael and I is almost tangible and it makes the dogs quite hyper. So if the plan works then we might just have the first two Hamiltons invited to the UKC Premier show and Top Ten competition.

So I need to find my newest thing to help with my feet, the kitten likes to steal them. My mother bought me an ankle brace. I already had one so now I have one for each foot. Clubbies need to have a lot of ankle support as our ligaments and tendons are weaker than most people. My biggest issue in grinding ankle pain. Thankfully the braces worked quite well which is a godsend.

In regards to the previous post about the store involved, the issue is still ongoing and has not been dealt with. So I hope to deal with it soon.

I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving.

SHOPPING and politics

First I wish those affected by Hurricane Sandy all the best in their recovery. We had a lucky run in with Hurricane Sandy. We got a lot of much needed rain, hardly any wind and a very brief power outage (it did have terrible timing as I was in the shower) but other than that everything was business as usual.

As America nears a big presidential election next week I do wish to mention politics briefly. I am a democrat and will be voting a completely democratic ticket, with that said, if you do not wish to read about my political beliefs please skip to the next paragraph. The reason for that decision is I truly believe that regulated healthcare is the way to go. As someone with a preexisting condition, I am very grateful for the fact that I do not have to worry about not being eligible for coverage if I have to resort to health insurance outside of my employer. No law is perfect, and it does not stop the health insurance companies from jacking up the premiums for your preexisting condition. Is that right? No but health insurance is a business. If somebody has type 2 diabetes then it will cost the insurance company much more than somebody without. I get it, but for certain cases I do wish that was not the case. I wish that is was illegal for insurance companies to jack up premiums for congenital conditions no matter what the age of the insured. I am also voting democrat because I truly believe that no government has the right to take away anybody's basic rights for any reason. I firmly believe in a separation of church and state. Religion has no place in politics or government, if your faith dictates your social beliefs, that's fine but do not assume that those beliefs are best for everybody in a country. When the founding fathers created the United States they wished for it to be a country of enlightenment that promotes education, equality, and progression. They created a government that would not be like England in the 1700's where the church was controlled by the state, where there was taxation without representation, and where it seemed like small minded people were dragging the country down. Thankfully, modern England is not like that. The United States currently may try and turn toward 1700's England if they aren't careful. I also am a fan of a socialist democracy, it works, it really does. Look at Germany, yes they have high taxes but it is a fair tax rate where you get health care, higher education, wonderful infrastructure, amazing unemployment and medical leave (including 3 year maternity leave and 1 year paternity leave) all paid for with those taxes. I think that people truly concerned about having a free and enlightened society only have one choice in this election and it is a straight democratic ticket the whole way.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program, I hope everybody had a great Halloween and if you have children that they didn't drive you too crazy with sugar highs and such. Last night we ventured to our local dog friendly mall, Stony Point Fashion Park, both Alice and Rolo loved their Halloween treats at Three Dog Bakery. Rolo is slowly but surely learning how to behave. Every so often I see the potential there to be a good service dog for me when Alice retires. I do have a little story to tell about a visit just the day before at a very un-dog friendly mall, Chesterfield Towne Center. It is a strict service dog only mall, which is fine. Alice was in full harness and ready for anything. We went into one of my favorite stores first, and what a nightmare. We were followed by an associate (turned out to be the General Manager), then were whispered about and gawked at by the same associate and another associate (turns out to be the Assistant Manager). Then when I called the store to complain, the manager denied the whole thing, did not apologize or anything. I am not saying the store as there is currently a pending issue going on with their corporate office. So it is being dealt with. On a much brighter note we went to numerous other stores where Alice and I were welcomed with open arms, which was wonderful.

To all store owners, managers, associates, etc here is what you should do with a service dog team in your store:
1. Ignore them and treat them like any other customer
2. If you are curious, ask questions to the service dog team
3. Ask to pet
4. Allow us to continue on our way

Here is what you should not do and why:
1. NEVER follow us unless we give you a reason to suspect anything suspicious
- following is very distracting to some dogs and especially the handler
2. Don't stare
- some dogs think it is a threat and may become cautious thus effecting their job
3. Don't whisper
- some ESA (Emotional Support Animal) teams could react badly, especially PTSD
4. Ask as little medical questions as possible
- you wouldn't want people asking about your personal medical information so don't ask us, some service dogs have a specific ID that gives all the information you need, ask for that instead

For those of you who have already donated to the HCA Service Dog Fundraiser, I thank you. If you have not, please do. The HCA is dedicated to helping service dog teams with training and all costs of obtaining a service dog, so every little bit helps. Thanks,


 

Grocery shopping!!

Saturday was grocery shopping day. Alice was on duty as doing full grocery shopping session are very hard on my feet and ankles. Michael was head cart pusher while Alice and I grabbed stuff off the shelves.

I live in a small town outside of Richmond and I must admit that my town is very progressive in terms of service dogs. The grocery store I go to is great. We got some curious kids and people but nothing too bad. It also helps that Alice has that "country girl" look to her being a hound. It is always nice to have a roughest of back-woods type just beam at Alice.

I usually get asked what Alice does to help me and the first answer I have is shopping. The physical act of squatting down to a low shelf is incredibly painful and borderline dangerous to me. Alice gets in front of me and I can push off and balance on her. Her pain notification thing was rather amusing on saturday, we walked in the store and she alerted quickly twice then looked at me with an expression that clearly said "Uh mum, what are you doing? You are already in pain...."

While out the real indicator of her training is how she is on lead, it is nearly dragging the floor. When you train your own service dog that should be your goal. You should be able to be confident that if you drop the lead that your dog will not run, no matter what. I think I can firmly say that except if there is a rabbit nearby but where would I be where I rabbit walks by if it isn't my own yard? Tension on the lead means tension going straight to the dog. If you are nervous about taking your dog out as a service dog then chew some gum or breath mint. Nervousness is transmitted directly from handler to dog from the lead and your breath. Mask it the best way you can. For me it is very important that I am completely at ease as Alice is very in-tune to me. She can sense when I am nervous, stressed, tired, irritated, need cheering up, etc.

Another good piece of advise is work on subtle word commands. Alice knows step, stand, hold, steady, feet, check and head up.

Step - take a step to an indicated place
Stand - stand still in a show stack
Hold - hold in a certain position
Steady - brace and don't move
Feet - lift feet up to a counter
Check - Alice will do a pain check
Head up - lift head off the floor (very important command for scent hounds)

As always if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Also, if you haven't contributed to the HCA's Service Dog Drive please do so, no amount is too small.

Calling for help

I know that it has been some time since I last sent out a message into "blog land" and that is because I have been dealing with issues way out of my control. So I must do something that I never thought I would do and that is ask for help.

With my recent foot problems I have a huge stack of medical bills that never seem to get any smaller plus trying to pay off the import of a new hopeful service dog and show dog. Right now it is like I never seem to make a dent in my bills.

So if you wish to help me make ends meet, I would be forever grateful. Please look to the right to find my contact information.

Another reason for this is that I am currently on a job search. I know that my employment is nearing an end with my current employer due to no fault of my own and because of that I am forced to look for a new job. The problem that many clubbies deal with is that you cannot take the manual labor jobs, you cannot take the retail jobs that require you to be on your feet, so you must improvise. Right now my current plan is earn my certification as a CPC (certified professional coder). I have a medical translation background and that job suits me just fine. The problem is that every certification costs money, money that I don't have.

Everything is spiraling out of my control dear clubbies, the light at the end of the tunnel is very dim but I have a plan, getting there is the tough part.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Also if you would like to give to the Hamiltonstovare Club of America's Service Dog Assistance Drive please check out:
http://hamiltonservice.chipin.com/hamiltonstovare-club-of-america-service-dog-assistance

The money will go toward service dog teams, prospective service dog teams, training, import and helping the HCA become a full non-profit organization.

Dealing with disbelief

I really hate that I have to write this post but it needs to be done. Most clubbies live in a world where they are the only one in their circle of friends born with a deformity. Now that is a good thing on so many levels but it is a bad thing that can rear its ugly head. The good sides are simple, they make you feel normal and included in this crazy world.

The bad things are a bit tricky. No matter what the non-clubbie friends or friends without a deformity will never truly be able to relate with you in regards to what you are going through. Sure the good ones try, the bad ones fake it.

In my own experience I really hate to be reminded that there are things that I cannot do. So the concept of asking for help is really difficult for as is accepting help. I do appreciate offers because that means a bit more than "I'm sorry" and the ever dreaded "I hope you get better". The reason I say that one is dreaded is because there really is no such thing until the day that bionic feet are invented. When I hear that or the variants of it like "feel better", I cringe because that honestly means that they have no grasp of the concept that once you start having symptoms, you never really stop having them. Has this cost me many friends, you bet ya. Is it harsh, to me no, because most of my friends have been around me for years, they should know better.

The thing that I will not tolerate at all is disbelief. A lot of people will disbelieve clubbies at first because we look normal usually and carry on like nothing is wrong. So disbelief usually happens to ones that haven't known me very long and they won't be any closer than vague acquaintances that I never think of fondly. The reason is because what I go through on bad days is something that I wouldn't even wish on the devil himself. So to have people disbelieve me is a severe blow to me.

For example, I have recently lost a few friends due to disbelief, one was a friend for nearly 10 years and others I had known for a few months to a couple of years. I don't honestly have time to go into the details but suffice it to say not a one of them knew/know what I am going through right now with my feet. They do not know that I am possibly facing surgery due to a subluxation of my peroneal tendon of my left ankle. They do not know anything about angles of regression and what that actually means. So to paraphrase one of them  who said I was "full of shit", think what you want but I hope you, your children or grandchildren never have to experience what I am going through.

The past two weeks have been rough for me. I am still recovering from a stress fracture in my left 3rd metatarsal and in a cam boot. Last Monday morning I woke up and thought that my worst nightmare was coming true, pain, unbelievable pain in my right foot (the more severely affected foot). I couldn't walk, the best thing I could think was to try some deep breathing techniques to calm down a bit then wake my boyfriend up. When I tried to get out of bed I couldn't walk, not even the roughly 4 paces to the bathroom. So I called out of work and then got an appointment with my podiatrist. He then diagnosed me with severe anterior tibial tendonitis with moderate joint inflammation. He prescribed me 2 NSAID's (oral and topical) and gave me very strict orders. Those being: 90% of my day must be either sitting or laying down, no driving at all, and no work for the rest of the week. Simple yes but some people, no matter what you do or say will always take things out of context and twist them (take a look at Fox News, they make millions off that).

So here I sit on a Friday night, knowing that support can be very hard to find. Those true friends who stand by you and vise versa are rare indeed. So to you out there be it parents of clubbies, spouse/boyfriend/significant other of clubbies, friends of clubbies, and most of all the lucky clubbies who do not have problems as an adult, look to those clubbies who struggle with pain every day to show you how to treat them. Be mindful that we in constant pain have very little tolerance for B/S in all forms because we cherish those wonderful moments where there is minimal pain or no pain. If you happen to start something with us during those bad days, we may lash out and honestly not have a clue what is going on.

To those uncaring disbelievers, please kindly sod off!!

Selecting a service dog

When selecting a service dog the best advice I can give to prospective owners is to make sure that dog fits your lifestyle. When I say lifestyle I mean making sure that the dog has a relatively easy transition into your life. If you are a neat freak then a Bloodhound just won't do because of the drool. If you like things just so then a Hamiltonstovare just won't work as they have a sense of humor that is all their own.

For a service dog it is a multi-step issue. You have to think what I want that dog to do for me. If you want a balance dog then you need something that is at least medium sized or bigger, so that the animal can stand being pressed on. If you want something that will help you pick up items off the floor then a breed that is highly obedient, quick to learn new things and have a larger more sturdy mouth is required. For clubbies most of us need balance, support, and/or retrieval aids. There is the pain detection aspect and right now, I am just trying to find out how Alice does it so it can be trained to future service dogs.

For balance/support dogs, show training helps by leaps and bounds. Conformation show training specifically trains a dog to stand in a certain position that is most natural for them, at very long periods of time without moving, no matter what. Balance aids need to stand still and allow their owner to nearly dangle off of them, so a retired show dog just might be your best option. I would contact a breed parent club who should be able to refer you do a breeder(s) that might have the right dog for you.

Here is a list of breeds that could work well for clubbies and a brief reason why:

Hamiltonstovare - they are extremely in-tune to their owners, love to pose in positions and hold them, have endurance in spades, are relatively health problem free and have great longevity with some living well into their teens
Doberman Pinscher - they are incredibly versatile and bond closely to their people, bred properly they can be long-lived and very loyal
Great Dane - they naturally lean and have great size, some can be in-tune to their owner, however their lifespan isn't that great
American Pit Bull Terrier/American Staffordshire Terrier - they may get a bad reputation but they are very intelligent, loyal, have endurance and strength galore, make sure to obtain one from a responsible breeder who regularly health tests
Harrier - they are incredibly rare but really tune into their people, they are relatively health problem free and tend to have a ton of endurance (some have been successful Autism service dogs as well)
Rottweiler - bred properly they can do just about anything you ask them to, but you must have a firm hand and are not suitable for first time dog owners
Portuguese Water Dog - another versatile breed but the maintenance on their coat can be a big issue. The breed parent club is one of the best in America regarding referrals and health testing and the breed might do well for allergy sufferers. 
Pointer - most pointing breeds are bred to hold a position and do it from a very young age, they have great noses, endurance, and bred properly can be long-lived and relatively health problem free, they do have a higher energy level so be careful in selecting a puppy, avoid the bounding puppy and select the calmer ones

I do not generally recommend the more common service dog breeds because of the health problem issue. Yes Goldens and Labs make amazing service dogs but they can have some really major health issues, like hip/elbow displaysia, cancers, eye problems, sudden cardiac issues. I would tend to avoid the German Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds and Dutch Shepherds because most clubbies need a dog that doesn't have that much energy to burn, these breeds make great police breeds and service dogs but they are generally better suited to guide dogs and extremely active people.

Notice that I listed breeds that traditionally are working dogs or hounds and that is because when you give these breeds a job, they view it as that, a job. They make the transition from family pet to service dog very well because they see it as going to work.

Regarding pain detection dogs, you must have a close bond in order for your dog to pick on the subtle clues so choosing a breed that is naturally more tuned in to their owners is a must.

In regards to mixed breeds, doodles, designer mixes, and shelter dogs, be careful. While I do not support the doodle breeds or designer mixes in general because they tend to be more money driven instead of health/improving a breed driven, some can work as a service dog. The temperaments of mixed breeds are untested and unless you plan to train your dog from a very young age (4 weeks old) to hold a position then a purebred from a show breeder might be the better option. I would adopt a dog from a shelter as a family pet but for a service dog there are just too many variables.

If you have any questions regarding other breeds, don't hesitate to ask.

The Great Wal-Mart Menace

Since I have taken Alice out some people have asked me which is the best and which is the worst. Well since I have what is known as a silent disability, meaning that outwardly I look normal and do not have a visible disability like a wheelchair, cane, limbs amputated, etc some people wonder why I need her and can get rather pushy and/or hostile towards us.

The best places that I have found for us have been Target and GameStop. Each time I go in there the associates are friendly, treat me like a normal person and either let Alice do her job or just acknowledge that she is there and move on. A few people ask us what type of dog she is and that is fine, I do my little Meet the Breeds speech and move on. Another great place is IKEA, we went up to the closest IKEA to myself at the end of June while we were on our way to pick up my newest Hamiltonstovare from the airport. We chose IKEA because Hamiltonstovare are a Swedish breed and it isn't every day that I get to show off so much Swedish pride as taking a Hamiltonstovare to IKEA. The associates at IKEA were great, didn't know what she was, but great. We had fun looking around all the various things and generally had a good time.

The worst place by far to go with a service dog that I have found is Wal-Mart, hence the title of this blog. Now I usually avoid Wal-Mart in general just because I don't like their policies on their workers and other things. However, I do go there for prescriptions. The first time I took her to a Wal-Mart we were scared, I mean absolutely terrified by the associates. Alice has a bright red harness on and an ID badge that explains her qualifications and mine, per the ADA I qualify and there is nothing that any person can say about it. Alice performs a job for me that makes my life easier and has been specially trained to do so.

Our first trip to Wal-Mart was to pick a few grocery items and a prescription, then go home. While on our way to the grocery section an associate asked me if she was a service dog. I responded that she was and he said in a very bitter way "Well it better be, because we don't allow dogs here...." First off, she is a living breathing thing with a gender of female, calling my dog an "it" is a surefire way to get my blood boiling. Next off, the red harness and badge are a clue that she is a service dog. To have a dog in a service dog vest/harness that is not a service dog is a federal crime. So I guess that associate thought I was committing a federal crime for kicks, nope, not my style. After we were finished in the grocery section we made the long walk to the pharmacy section, during that time several customers openly glared at me and the associates pointed and stared. So after I paid for my purchases, we promptly left, rather shaken up because I'm not used to being pointed at.

The next time I went to Wal-Mart with Alice was yesterday. I have a stress fracture on my left foot and have unfortunately developed severe tendonitis in my right foot. So I really cannot walk very well without being in pain. So taking Alice with me was a must. I was able to sit with Alice acting as my walking ottoman (her body heat acts as instant heat therapy too) while my boyfriend stood in line. Notice I said that there were no seating areas in line, there were outside of the line. So if someone with a disability sits on a bench near the line but not in it, they will not be served at all. We got to the counter and there was some confusion over a coupon for one of my pain medications, I didn't see the issue, my podiatrist gave it to me some 20 minutes before. So, we stand and we stand and we stand while they give us no indication of what the issue is. Finally to try and speed the process along my boyfriend asks another cashier if she would give us some bags so we may bag up the other items that had already been rung up while we wait. She got really snarky with us about waiting until the cashier got back for her to bag things up. I guess she doesn't expect to see a 25 year old with a service dog going slightly green from pain. What should have been a 10 minute or less time at the counter turned into 25 minutes. By the time I got in my car I was nauseated from pain with tears pooling in my eyes from the pain.

So avoid the great Wal-Mart menace if you can dear clubbies because from my experience that they have no idea what a silent disability is.

Why Hamiltonstovare?

The most common question I get is why this breed and not any other breed? Well the simple answer is I love how they look, to me there is nothing more beautiful than seeing a Hamiltonstovare bounding in snow. The other more educated answer is this breed best suits my lifestyle. Hamiltonstovare are NOT for everybody and to all those clubbies out there, just because a Hamilton works for this clubbie that does not mean they will work for you. Hamiltons are hounds and they have a VERY high prey drive, if you have small animals such as rats, ferrets, guinea pigs, mice and of course rabbits, a Hamilton simply will not work for you. If you have cats, it can happen but it depends on the cat more than the hound. I have 2 cats, one is a kitten and adores the dogs, the other is 6 years old and hides from them. The one thing I know is that my hounds would never purposely hurt the cats, they may injure them in excitement or in play but never injure or kill them on purpose.

Hamiltons make the transition to a service dog very easily depending on the work asked. Hamiltons make great balance/support dogs, especially if they are show trained. Dog show training helps in balance/support dog training because a well trained show dog should not move when it is examined, the same rule applies to a balance/support dog, they should not move when they are helping their owners up. Hamiltons are one of the more perceptive hound breeds and can easily sense when there is something wrong. That comes from how the breed was developed, they were bred to go out and hunt during the day with the men and come home at night and assist the women in household tasks at night. Some service dogs have to be taught to be attached at your side, Hamiltons naturally do that with their people. Hamiltons love being with their people at all times which makes them adaptable too. Most Hamiltons take everything in their stride as long as their owners do the same.

Hamiltonstovare are classified as a medium to large breed, which makes them ideal for the rigors of being pressed on by adult people as a balance/support dog. Hamiltons do not make good apartment dogs as they can be loud and they need at least a good 20-30 minutes of running every day. Hamiltonstovare are really known for their sense of smell, so any type of work involving their nose is perfect for them. Tracking suits them well as does any sort of scent alert work. To those who have scent triggered asthma and want an alert dog, a Hamilton just might be your ideal choice.

Training is the interesting part with Hamiltons as it can be easy or it can be smooth and perfect. Alice is a master of tricks before dinner time but if I ask her to do those same things with a dog show lead around her neck, forget it, she won't do it. She knows when it is time to play and when it isn't. She is the same way when I put the service harness on her, she will stick to me like glue when that is on. Training a Hamilton works best if you have a sense of humor, patience in spades and a never ending treat supply. The one thing to remember is to keep things fun with them, like all scent hounds you never want to be too forceful as the fun is gone and then they won't work for you.

How can she help me??

The idea for a service dog came about after my second foot fracture in under 5 years. I started to get increased weakness, grinding ankle pain and tendon weakness. The big change for me was noticing my limits changing. When I was younger, I could walk around a mall for several hours, like most American teenagers, with minimal pain. I also played soccer, softball and basketball. My other passion than dogs is music and I marched in my high school marching band for 4 years. That was when the first difficulties started, my ankles just couldn't move as smoothly as everyone else and because of it, I was constantly out of step. So after several tear-filled nights with my mother and my mother making a few angry calls to my band director, he and I thought of a novel way to create the illusion that I was in step, I marched next to a bass drummer and slightly anticipated each step. So with a ton of practice I became one of the better marchers in band, quite a an accomplishment for somebody's ankles refused to make some of the angles required for marching.

So after I broke my foot the second time, my wonderful dog pushed me down the stairs the night of the last Harry Potter midnight showing, I knew some things were only going to get worse. I then kicked around the idea of training my Hamilton, Alice, to earn her CGC (Canine Good Citizen) title. The CGC is a title offered by the AKC that demonstrates that your dog is a good member of society and is a prerequisite for most service dogs and nearly all therapy dogs. The first time Alice was tested, she failed 2 tests out of 10 so we worked on those things which were sitting on command and holding that sit. That is a struggle for any show dog because most show dog people do not teach their dogs to sit for fear that they will sit in the ring, then all hopes of that ribbon are lost. I trusted Alice to know the difference and just went with training her every day. Finally, at a show they offered CGC testing so I marched Alice up there and she passed 10 out of 10 tests so new CGC!!! YAY!!! That made everybody around proud as that made Alice the first ever Hamiltonstovare to have any AKC title and the first ever CGC title for a Hamiltonstovare. That was a proud day.

After that I started to put the pieces together to figure out what she could do for me while I was recovering from wrist surgery. I taught Alice to stand still, no matter how much pressure was put on her, so I could brace against her when getting off of the floor. Then she told me that she could do something for me. During one of our walks around the neighborhood, I noticed that after about 45 minutes she would take her muzzle and nudge my thigh or hand. I didn't think anything of it until the pain started. She was basically telling me "we need to go home because your limit is coming up..." Now I have no idea how she can sense this but I think it has something to do with the combination of change in my gait and maybe even subtle changes in my body chemistry that she can smell. The only reason I say the last one is her weird habit that she has done since I got her, she checks my breath. I know it sounds weird but she does it. So now that I know what she can do, it is adventure time (we like adventures in my house as Alice's formal name is UKC Ch. Kilcavan Alice's Adventures CGC)!!!

The Beginning

Everything needs a start so I will start. The purpose of this blog is to inform people about service dogs from my own personal journey from the start of my need all the way to the end result of a fully fledged service dog. 

First off, I was born on December 7, 1986 in Norfolk, Va with a congenital form of bilateral club feet, also known as Congenital Talipes Equinovarus. I was born otherwise healthy and normal. From the time I was born I had a specialist who looked after my feet. His name is Dr. H Sheldon St. Clair, he is still practicing in the Tidewater area and is affiliated with the CHKD (Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters). My parents did every form of correction that was recommended, I went through casting, shoes and when that didn't work, corrective surgery on my right foot, all before I was a year old. As I grew up, I knew I was different from most kids because most kids didn't see an orthopedic surgeon on a regular basis, nor were most kids told to be extra careful with my feet. By the time I was 7 or 8, I knew and had a firm understanding of club feet. I was still being seen regularly by my doctor and was an extremely cooperative x-ray patient. As I grew up, I was fitted for orthotic inserts and still told to limit myself and never push my feet too hard. The problem was, around the time I was fitted for orthotics was around the same time I found my true passion in life, dog shows. 

I started off showing Beagles and loved every minute of it, from then I moved to various other breeds such as Great Danes and Clumber Spaniels. While I showed I also harbored a love for a wonderful breed called the Hamiltonstovare. I learned everything I could about them, who bred them, show records, pedigrees, everything (in English) that I could find. My love for Hamiltons was so much that when I entered my freshman year at Old Dominion University, I told my parents that as a college graduation present I wanted a breeding pair of Hamiltonstovare. Little did I know where that would get me. At that time I started contacting various breeders, some were supportive, others seemed lack-luster and only sent a response and left it at that. It was only toward the end of my college career that I started contact with my dogs' breeder. She took me under her wing and made sure that I knew my stuff regarding structure, showmanship, breeding, care and health all well before my Hamilton was a glimmer in my eye. I still thought that my Hamilton was 5-10 years away at most, but little did I know just 18 months after I received my diploma that I would picking up my very own Hamilton from the airport. 

This whole time I thought of obtaining a Hamilton as just a pet and show dog, with the hopes of starting my own line in the future. The thought of a service dog never crossed my mind, mainly because my feet were only a mild irritation half the time and not something that would cause so many problems. Oh how fate works sometimes....

Alice on her way home from the airport