Precious life-lines
Wheel Power by ANTHONY THANASAYANAlsatians and Rottweilers have borne the brunt of some bad press lately as “dangerous dogs to keep” following a couple of recent cases of dog attacks said to have involved such breeds.
True, they are certainly dogs that are not meant for everyone. However, I personally think that what all of us really ought to fear is not the kind of pedigree that one owns but rather the attitudes of dogs’ owners who try and dodge the heavy responsibilities that come along with having such pets.
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The writer with his beloved Biman, who turned one last week. |
Although he is able to make friends instantly and even welcomes newcomers with lavish licks, he is always on the alert when he feels there’s danger lurking. This helps me overcome my feelings of vulnerability as a wheelchair user when I am alone or in an unlit area, for example.
Vai acts as a big, black guardian angel. Instead of having a pair of wings, he’s on all fours by my very side to protect me from any harm or danger from snatch thieves, etc.
My dogs are always on a leash (no matter how well trained I think they are) when I take them – one at a time – in my wheelchair for walks or drives in my car. Biman the Alsatian or German Shepherd Dog (GSD) has been the star of my life over the recent year. He celebrated his first birthday last week.
Regular readers may well recall why this GSD is so special to me. He is the candidate I chose to replace my previous seven-year-old outstanding Alsatian SD who had died of cancer two years ago.
Has “little junior” at 32.25kg managed to successfully fit into his predecessor’s giant pawprints, you ask? You bet!
Although, I must admit that judging from the leaps and bounds at which the present Biman has been coming along, I think the trainee service canine is going to only develop more positive strengths and styles in being a suitable assistance dog for me. He is already an excellent retriever that even has Soo my golden green with envy.
Biman is adept at picking up anything from the ground, under my bed or table and deliver it to me at lightning speed – whether I am waiting for him in my wheelchair, bed or car.
These include tiny objects from pens, newspapers, soda cans to big things like dictionaries, his food bowl and shoes (without chewing them up).
A useful aid is the urinal he fetches from the bathroom and brings to my bed and a most valuable act is his opening and closing my front door on command.
Biman is by my side every second of the day that I’m home. He’s great at retrieving the remote or bringing my mobile phone to me when it rings, never takes his eye off me when I’m taking a bath (in case I have a fall) and will immediately spring into action when a job needs to be done.
His enthusiasm in wanting to please me has no limits and he is keenly interested in everything I do. These I think are two priceless traits in building a meaningful bond and partnership with a great canine partner in the near future.
But physical aid is only one side of the story. Biman insists on play every day and he would have his own set of rules. For instance, he would run all around the house with my precious watch and expect me to put up a chase.
But after a few teases (and some verbal threats!) he’d finally give up and return the item undamaged to me. And it’s at these times that I truly appreciate the GSD.
It’s remarkable how a big-sized dog like him in such a short time could learn how important my wheelchair is to me and how dependent I am on it.
Although Biman can take off and run away from me, the dashingly handsome Shepherd never does and always waits for me until I patiently get into my wheelchair when ironically, his day, and the rest of my other dogs’ also begin.
My Rottie and GSD’s unconditional acceptance of me and my disability has also helped me face my own fears of being different in a world seemingly filled with non-disabled people.
In the world of my four-footed pals, I can be who I am without needing to be ashamed of being a person with a disability.
In fact, in their canine eyes, I am normal.
And everyone else who does not move around in wheelchairs are the ones who are “different”.
They look up to me daily for direction, play and nourishment.
In return, I look up to them for courage, strength, humour, and most important of all, the will to carry on to the future.
The canine world describes it best in two words, “doggy sense”.
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