May 15, 2008

This morning I found Marianne gift-wrapping a small package and humming cheerfully. "What's that?" I asked.

"Oh, just a little present for a puppy raiser," she replied.

"Oh," I said. "Someone's birthday?"

"Nope, it's a graduation gift." She finished the bow with a flourish of ribbon. "We're going to the May Turn In and Graduation Party this weekend, remember?"

I thought about it for a minute, and shook my head. "I remember the party, but I'm confused. Graduation is May 31st. I thought we wouldn't know which dogs are graduating until a few days before. Please explain!"

Marianne sat down on the floor with me and cradled me in her lap. "OK," she said as she rubbed my tummy. "Here's the scoop."

"You're right about the timing. Team Training begins on Monday, May 19. The trainers will match recipients and dogs in an intensive two-week training course. We hope that Denver dog Durango will meet his forever partner in that class. The Puppy Program Manager, Stu, will call puppy raisers the week of May 26 to let them know if their pups matched and will be graduating on May 31. That part is business as usual."

"But," she continued, "There are three teams also graduating on May 31 who were matched last month. CCI calls it a side placement when a team is matched outside of the regular Team Training process."

"Why would CCI do that?" I asked. "I thought Team Training was when the person and dog learned to work together, like Hudson and Hilary."

"That's true," Marianne replied. "But sometimes the person is getting a successor dog and doesn't need the full two-week training course because he or she is more experienced."

"Could you rub my paws?" I asked. "What's a successor dog? Why would the person need one?"

Marianne gently massaged my front paws. "People get successor dogs after their first dog retires. Just like humans, dogs reach a point when they don't want to work any more, or can't because they're not physically up to it. CCI helps the graduate determine when it's time to retire a dog, how to make the transition, and how to apply for a successor dog. And since the person has been through Team Training once, the staff may decide that the team can learn to work together in just a few days with the help of a CCI trainer. In this case CCI held a mini Team Training session on campus for a week in April with three teams."

I sighed happily. I do love a paw massage. "Do you know who the three dogs are?" I asked.

Marianne switched to rubbing my back paws. "I do," she said. "One is Therese, who is a successor service dog. One is Kirin, who is a successor skilled companion. The third is Rosey, a facility dog."

"What jobs will they do?" I wondered.

"Therese will help open doors, pick up dropped items, turn on lights, and other tasks to help her person be more independent. Kirin is part of a three-part team of a boy and his parents. She'll help with physical tasks, but she will also act as a social ice-breaker and companion for the boy. Rosey will work with her partner in a veteran's hospital. I don't know exactly what tasks she will do, but I imagine she'll help with physical or occupational therapy in some fashion."

I yawned and stood up. "I bet their puppy raisers are excited," I said. "I remember how happy you were when you found out that Hudson was graduating."

Marianne smiled. "Yup. Getting that phone call was one of the best moments of my life." She eyed me thoughtfully for a minute. "You don't suppose I'll get a phone call like that about you, do you?" she inquired politely.

"Wait and see," I said as I walked away. "Wait and see."

Chow for now!

Parker

Questions or comments for Parker? Send them to Call7ForHelp@TheDenverChannel.com.

Would you like more information about Canine Companions for Independence, or perhaps be a puppy raiser? Call 1-800-572-BARK or go to www.cci.org for details.