Major Success

 Some of you may remember Major from earlier posts.  He is a DAD (Diabetes Alert Service Dog) in California that we placed back in January. Right off the bat, he and his partner were working easily together and fast building a relationship. During placement, one of the things we trained him to do was to unlock and open the inside door and the outside screen door.  Our thought was when Marie, Major's handler, had her hands full, he could open the door for her. Another option was in the event of an emergency, Major could open the door for EMTs that might need to get inside. We took a video of Major just after he was trained to open the doors.

 

About a month ago, Marie fell and broke her hip.  This training came in handy as Major was a big help through this.  But enough of us writing. Marie wrote up her testimony and sent it to us. So read on! 

Last month, while picking up the balls and the Chuck It that is

Major's most favorite thing to do, I moved my foot to the left, didn't

lift it up enough, and caught it on a large pebble. I fell, tried to

catch myself, to avoid re-breaking my knee and ankle. I did that, but

broke my hip instead. Since I was out in my gravel driveway in the

country, I had to get back to the house on my own. 

As I started dragging myself to the house, I remembered I had something I didn't

have before, a new companion. His name is Major.  He is a English black

Labrador trained to be a Diabetic Service Dog. But he is turning out

to be so much more!

He nosed open the front gate for me. He then licked me all over the

face every time I stopped. At first I thought it was because he loved

me, but then I realized it was because he was trying to make sure I was

not going to stop or pass out!

We got to the house and he pulled open the front screen door and

helped me push open the front door. He would have gotten my cell phone

for me, but my land line is right by my front door. After calling 911,

I laid down and waited.  After assuring himself I was not passing out,

Major laid down and put his head on my stomach while we waited for

the ambulance. 

When it came, Major barked a little , unlocked the screen door and let them in. He then lay down and hoped for a tummy rub. He followed my transport to the ambulance, climbed in and again

lay down and put his head on my stomach. As we rode to the hospital,

the EMTs were amazed! I kept telling them, "That's my boy!" like a

proud mama. 

At the hospital, he followed quietly along with my bed and

sat quietly next to it when we stopped. My sister Maria

showed up and took Major out potty, where he peed on command. He was

sent home with her, not because he was not allowed to stay, but because I

wasn't able to have someone stay with me full time to take him out to

relieve himself. He got to stay at his litter sister Dropje's house

for the week! Dropje lives around the corner from my sister's.

He now walks carefully along side my walker and knows the words "slow

down" too.

Now, If that wasn't enough for him to do for me, this past Tuesday we

had another adventure. I was driving us to my primary care doctor for

a post surgery check up. On the most curvy part of the trip, my accelerator stuck and my brakes didn't work!

Good thing for my watching detective shows! I put it in neutral, hit

the brakes. Nothing. Did it again. Nothing. Finally, I stood on the

brakes, in neutral, pulled to the right side of the road and figured I

could slow down by side swiping the cement pile-ons. Luckily, the car

slowed some and I was able to shove it into park and turn off the key.

Major kept licking my face from his seat in back of me. I'm sure he

was proud of me and happy to be alive too like I was!!

So, that is the latest in the adventures of Marie and Major.

Hopefully there won't be any more like them......ever!