Brian and Cyrus in training.

After our training  at 4 paws for Ability in Ohio we had a family reunion of sorts.  We  invited anyone we knew in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, to come out and celebrate Cyrus’s arrival! We had a lunch and a dinner and got to spend some time with many of the people we love but never get to see!! We had a blast and everyone got to meet Cyrus! Afterward, we drove east through Pennsylvania and New York to Brian’s Aunt Maurie’s house.  She was SO wonderful! We got to hang out with Brian’s cousin Derek and Nick and were treated to a nice breakfast and got some much needed rest! (We had originally intended on seeing Brian’s grandma Jo as well, but she ended up coming down to Florida to warm up before we got there!!) After Maurie’s, we drove through DC and then down the east coast. We got stuck in a terrible snow storm in Northern Virginia and ended up having to add a night to our trip and stay at a hotel. We had to dig the van out!

Here’s some random pictures- mostly Cyrus related.

(We will post all the other pics of our trip on Facebook if your interested!)

Skye with one of the super cute service puppies!

Brian, Jonny, Skye, and Cyrus. Cyrus is trying to watch Aiden who has left the picture!

Cyrus, Skye, and cousin Grace visiting at my grandfathers nursing home.

Brian and Aiden walking Cyrus into the Hershey Factory in Pennsylvania!

Aiden and Cyrus on the Tour of Hershey ride!

Freezing our butts off in front of the Rockerfeller Christmas tree in NY! Cyrus is in this picture- he just totally blends in with the black!

Cyrus nicely riding the bus in Washington DC- yes- those are Aiden's feet!

Family in front of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in DC. Cyrus is the only one looking at the camera!

Aiden was SO happy to have Cyrus around. Here they are walking at the National Mall in DC.

Cyrus disrupted a meltdown at the National Sculpture Garden! yaay Cyrus!

Aiden said he wanted to give than monkey a kiss at the Natural History Museum!

At the Lincoln Memorial!

Cyrus contemplating all the snow!

It’s been 10 or 11 days since we got home from our training trip. We walked in the door, unpacked, and went straight into Christmas mode.

We’ve managed to do our obedience training with Cyrus everyday. All of the sit, down, touch, kiss, over, nuzzle etc. Even the ‘tricks’, high five, gimme five, shake, roll over, etc. Obedience is a breeze for Cyrus. (ESPECIALLY when he knows we’re practicing! =P)

As for track and rescue, we’ve been on 4 or 5 tracks since returning home, we are hoping to get up to 4 in a week if not more as we get into a routine. We really think tracking is Cyrus’s specialty. He is VERY confident when he catches Aiden’s scent. He has found Aiden every single time thus far.

The GREAT things we’ve seen so far since being home are as follows:

1. Aiden LOVES Cyrus. He plays with him and sleeps with him and feeds him. He talks to Cyrus in this sweet little voice and is always telling Cyrus that “it’s okay” when he is scared or nervous about something. It’s very cute.

2. Cyrus LOVES Aiden. Even though I know we have a long way to go on our bond still, I see how strong the possibilities are. Cyrus watches Aiden, he comes to him when he’s crying or upset. Cyrus has even already come and gotten me when Aiden was having a meltdown. (Aiden was in his room and getting super frustrated about something. Cyrus came in and literally got my attention and led me to Aiden and then sat and nuzzled him and kissed him. Pretty cool. ) Cyrus does not shy away when Aiden is loud or crying. He sticks right by his side. Thus far, I’d say 9 out of 10 times Cyrus’s touching, kissing, nuzzling, can snap Aiden out of a frustration meltdown. If I can get it on video I will!!

3. Aiden likes teaching Cyrus. For instance- we are walking Cyrus, we come to a street, Aiden tells Cyrus we need to look both ways before crossing! This is a VERY good thing in my book!

4. The deep pressure. Believe it or not. Aiden really responds to Cyrus laying over his legs or abdomen. He just lets him lay there for awhile and decompresses. Something I wouldn’t have believed if I hadn’t seen it.

5. The tethering. Brian and I had been going SO far back and forth on how we felt about the tethering. We had this image of Aiden running and snapping back and hurting himself or the dog that we just couldn’t shake, but really, it hasn’t been like that at all. When we use the tethering we tell Aiden that he needs to walk Cyrus, then we give him his little 3 foot leash and we hook it onto the back of Cyrus’s harness. The tether stays very loose between them while Aiden is walking him with the leash because the leash is 3 feet but the tether is more than that. Aiden and Cyrus both have done well with it.

6. We really do believe Cyrus is a good fit for our family. We had made the very very conscious choice to ask for an energetic dog. Which scared both Brian and I a little, but we still believe it would have been a disservice to Aiden to ask for what people think of as a ‘typical’ service dog. Aiden needs energy, he has to get it out every day. We wanted a dog who could keep up with Aiden and we definitely got one!

7. Social Networking! Aiden LOVES telling other kids about his dog Cyrus! Everywhere we go he says ‘this is my dog Cyrus, he helps me!’ – it is WONDERFUL to see him so eager to tell others about Cyrus! He says Cyrus is ‘a good finder’. Which is so cute and sweet. I can totally see how a service dog can build such confidence in conversation. People are SO interested. Kids especially.

The flip side:

1. Aiden and Cyrus are both learning each others boundaries. While Cyrus DOES let Aiden play ‘rough’ with him, we are slowly but surely trying to teach Aiden not to be so focused on hanging on Cyrus’s neck or head… while still having them be able to ‘hug’. Also- teaching that TOUCHING Cyrus’s ears and tail are okay, even tugging, but not hard pulling. Cyrus is learning what Aiden likes as well. Cyrus can kiss, but not put his teeth on Aiden. We can see that Cyrus is starting to figure out what Aiden needs when he is having a meltdown. Our DREAM is that he begins to know Aiden so well that the meltdowns are interrupted before they ever begin! I really do believe this can happen with these two.

2. The peeing. O LORD the peeing. Cyrus is only 14 months old. he will not be considered ‘mature’ until over 2 years old. We have had to really take into account that he IS still a puppy. (This is great for he and Aiden’s bonding.) We believe that within just a few short months there will be nothing that can break their bond. HOWEVER, it’s been challenging explaining to people that even though he is so well trained he is still a puppy and his puppyness has to be accommodated for the time being. He has had several peeing inside accidents since we’ve been back. More so in the house than in public. Actually, we’ve only had one very very minor public incident since leaving training. We’ve noticed several patterns. He gets SUPER excited and needs to pee when toddler or Aiden sized kids are around. We have to take him out after meeting any new kids or he is GOING to go in the house! If we give him ANY extra water other than his cups with his two meals he needs to go way more, he does not just incorporate it into his normal potty times. We are getting better though. We are reading him more and more. For the most part he lets us know when he has to go and once outside he definitely goes on the ‘potty’ command.

3. Cyrus loves kids. We have had to SUPER super super take charge of Cyrus when he is meeting new toddler sized or Aiden sized kids. He LOVES them. His tail starts wagging and he wants to play. This isn’t really an issue in public, when we are walking and he knows he is working. He will LOOK at kids in public, but not actually start hopping around all excited. At home or somewhere were we are comfortable though (or if we stop and talk to someone), he wants to lick them in the face and play. We’ve had a specific issue with my nephew Jo-jo. Jo LOVED Cyrus from day 1 and the very first time they went outside together Cyrus was ‘free’ and literally knocked Jo down and started playing with him like he was a big toy. No biting or mouthing, but paws were flying and tail was wagging. It was too chaotic to let it continue. Ever since that day every time Jo comes over Cyrus is CRAZY excited. He wants to jump on Jo and literally wrestle, which is not allowed. We’ve decided now that Cyrus must be in a down when kids comes over or when we meet new kids. Just to start the meeting off as calm as possible. This, and peeing inside are our two biggest works in progress. (Our third issue being that he WILL ‘jump up’ at home- though he has NEVER done it in public- we don’t want it at home either)

4. I don’t know if this is really a downside- but EVERY WHERE we go people stop us, they want to pet and touch and poke and command Cyrus to do all kinds of things. I LOVE when I hear a parent explaining to a kid that the dog is working and that we need to ask before touching. We WANT Cyrus to be a social thing for Aiden so we don’t want to wear a ‘no touching’ sign, but sometimes people DO cross the privacy line.

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How people we’ve introduced Cyrus to perceive him has been totally dependent on whether Cyrus was in work mode or play mode upon meeting. Most of my family met Cyrus in ‘free’ play mode in the back yard. I am SURE he was not what they expected a service dog to be! He was playful and running, etc.

My mom actually got to meet him up in Ohio during training so she had a little more insight into what he can actually do. Most of my family up north met him in work mode, under a table at a restaurant, etc. I don’t think we got any negative feedback at all from any of them. They were all happy for us and very impressed with Cyrus. (They are mostly dog people so that helps!)

If we’ve encountered any downside to Cyrus meeting new people it’s only what I already said, just that Cyrus may not be what people think of as a ‘typical’ service dog. He is a lot more active than service dogs they may have encountered in the past. Plus, ‘dog people’ are always WAY more willing to forgive a little playfulness in a service dog than non dog people. I think people who aren’t normally around dogs think a service dog is going to be very robot like and that is not Cyrus at all. In reality, Aiden isn’t exactly what people think of when they think of a child with special needs, so in that regard these two are a perfect fit! =)

The bottom line:

Cyrus has what it takes! We cannot WAIT to see how he matures. I know that by the end of the year Aiden and Cyrus will be so in sync we won’t know what we ever did before! Any issues that we’ve seen are absolutely correctable with time and and daily training.

We have been very humbled by the amount of patience and understanding we’ve been surrounded by in our family, our church, the kids schools, therapists, etc. Everyone has been so willing to accept Cyrus as a help to Aiden.

We feel truly blessed.

Cyrus received his tags, including his certified service dog tag! We are SO proud of him! We were given Aiden and Cyrus’s service team cards, copies of the ADA laws, and 4 Paws patches to keep with us at all times.

Each family was called up and had pictures taken and were awarded a certificate of completion for our service dog training time.

How bittersweet! These past two weeks have been such an experience. The physical challenges have been overwhelming but the emotional benefits have been immeasurable.

We have grown to love all of these families so much. What an amazing group of parents.

We feel so blessed to have been a part of this group and to be receiving such a gift.

Our trainers here have been so patient and so willing to guide us.

Everyone here has been a true inspiration, from the kids, to the trainers and staff, to Karen, and all of the families.

Cyrus was a perfect match for us. We can’t wait to get him home!

Brian handled Cyrus for the test. Our time slot was 9:20 am.

He says Cyrus did wonderfully. He had people coming up and petting Cyrus, walking over him, making noises at him, etc. and he says Cyrus stayed very calm and in command. What a good dog!

After the public access test we had to go back to 4 Paws to meet Karen for paperwork. Mostly concerning our commitment to keep Cyrus healthy with regular vet visits, etc.

He has days and sometimes even weeks that are just so GOOD. So expressive, so clear, so ‘typical’.

His life at home is so structured. Even the parts that look chaotic have usually been planned out. When we go to have ‘fun’, there’s always an escape plan and an emergency bag. Going to school everyday starts hours before school ever does with deep pressure and vitamins and brushing and jumping and getting focused for the day. Our house has everything he needs to be at his best. His special foods and heavy toys and therapy games and programs.

This trip has thrown his poor little body for a loop. He started off coping, what we saw as ‘well’. He only slept a little bit during the very long drive from Florida to Ohio, but then when we got here he went straight to sleep the first night at the hotel. We were overjoyed because he has NEVER successfully slept at a hotel previously. The second night he fought it a little more, but it was still okay.

Now, 11 nights or so later, we are seeing behaviors that we haven’t seen in quite awhile. Handflapping, tip-toeing, repeating, and staring off to name a few. Handflapping has never been huge for Aiden, but he will do it when he is REALLY overloaded and/or when is around other children who are doing it, both of which are going on right now. He has been having daily meltdowns, tantrums, and running away more than ever before.

On one hand it’s a good thing for the dog to have this intense period of training with Aiden while Aiden is exhibiting so many autistic behaviors. On the other hand, it’s hard to watch Aiden so far out of whack.

Currently he is coughing and weezing due to all of the tracking runs we’ve been doing out in the freezing, cold, windy, woods. I’m hoping now that tracking runs are over we can get his cough under control.

Training is coming to an end soon. It will interesting to see how Aiden integrates back into his real life when we get home.

The past two days have been extra specially weather filled. Winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour. Snow, ice, freezing temperatures, etc.

This morning when we got to 4 Paws for our daily tracking we were given the choice to do double obedience instead of track in the negative wind chill temperatures! (We chose double obedience! It’s FREEEEEEEZING out there!)

We worked on a few ‘tricks’ today, like play dead, speak, and roll over. Tricks are certainly not necessary for a service animal, but they can definitely help with bonding the child to the dog.

We learned that part of Cyrus training was done within the prison system. He was at both the local men’s and women’s prison for some of his obedience training. (We sort of knew this already, but today it was confirmed!)

We talked about what to do when confronted with a person who does not know or understand the federal laws pertaining to service animals. We talked about the dogs microchips, what happens if the DOG get lost, etc.

Aiden played with Hannah a lot today, it was super cute. They discovered the little door under the stairs. I’m suprised none of the kids had found it before this, but knew it was bound to happen sooner or later! The two of them played house in their for quite awhile. Eventually several of the other kids came over as well, there ended up being 5 kids stuffed in this little area under the stairs all playing together.

After class we went to get Aiden’s portait picture taken. 4 paws had given each family an 8×10, we just had to get the dog and the kid to look at the camera at the same time! NOT an east feat! Aiden refused to smile, so the picture ended up looking very ‘artistic’. =)

Tomorrow is a big day, we’ve got the public access test!

Brian was still feeling yucky this morning but he hung in there and went to track with us. The weather was particularly frigid. The wind was so strong it was moving trash cans and shaking the van back and forth in the parking lot. It was raining off and on and everything was wet and muddy.

We went last. I walked Aiden way out through a field, a basketball court, across a road, and through a row of pine trees. We huddled together in a little ball and I told stories about Santa Claus while we waited. Cyrus did great as usual. Brian and Jennifer said he caught Aidens scent and galloped straight for us. I’m still amazed every time.

The wind was so strong it took us twice as long to get back as it did to get out there, we literally had to fight against it every step of the way.

After tracking we went to the mall. We ate lunch at the food court. Cyrus did great, went straight under the table and stayed the entire time.

After lunch we met the group and went for our last mall track with the trainers. Cyrus performed wonderfully. I tracked with Jennifer and Brian hid with Aiden. Cyrus led me straight to them. I DID learn though, that down coats smell just like a duck to a dog so you have to aware of that distraction if your tracking at a store!

After the track I wanted to take Cyrus out to go potty. Brian took the kids and was going to pull the car up on the other side of the mall and wait for me. Weeelll, I took Cyrus out, he went potty, but was acting kinda funny. I decided to bring him back in and 2 minutes inside of the mall and he pooped on the floor. Of course, Brian had taken the clean up bag with him so I was just standing there over it with Cyrus looking all sad next to me until one of my class members came to save us!

We cleaned it up and were on our way. All in all it was not as horrible as I had imagined it being. In all honesty, I really think if I had given him just a minute more outside he would have gone then. I just need to be able to read his signs better, he was trying to tell me.

In the evening the 4 Paws families staying at Homewood had an improptu dinner together down in the conference room. I really love these families! There is such a sense of humor here, the kind that can only come from the realization that if you don’t laugh you’ll cry! We laughed and ate and had a great time. =)

Right after dinner my mom met us at the hotel and Skye and I took her up to the bookstore nearby to grab something to read before hunkering down for the night.

Tomorrow my mom is taking the kids over to West Chester togo sledding with their cousins Grace and Bryce, then they are all heading to the Creation Museum for the afternoon!

This morning I got right back on the ‘horse’ and tracked Aiden again with Cyrus. We went out to a big park near 4 Paws.  Aiden, Brian, and Jonny went and hid while Cyrus, Skye, Jennifer, and I tracked. The force of the dog is INSANE during tracking. I can only compare the impact of the dog going for the scent to NOT being ready when the boat takes off while water skiing. You have to brace yourself, hold the flexi leash with both hands and try to place your hands in whatever place can absorb the most shock when the dog gets to the end of that rope.

I managed to not fall down today, which was awesome, but I gotta admit… EVERY bone in my body hurts. I probably won’t even know how bad I hurt until I thaw out!

After tracking Brian wasn’t feeling well so I took him and the kids back to the hotel to rest and I went back to 4 Paws with Cyrus. Dr Suzanne, the 4 Paws vet) and Jeremy spent the rest of the day going over medical emergencies, dog first aid, vets, and grooming.

When class was over I took Cyrus and went to get my mom from the airport. She’s in town to visit family and to come to our 4 Paws graduation! It was raining little ice chunks the whole drive, pretty scary! After I got mom, we met my grandparents at the Frisches Big Boy in Xenia and they took her with them over to the Cincinnati area to spend some time with family over there before coming back over here tomorrow night.

On the drive back to the hotel alone with Cyrus it occured to me that this was the first real quiet, alone, time I’ve had since we’ve been here. It was nice.  =)