Learning Each other
Hello everyone!
Welcome back to my blog series on my new service dog, Sebastian! We have been together for almost two months now and he has already given me so much life back. He brought some light into one of the hardest times I have ever faced and I love getting to work with him and train everyday.
One question we get a lot is how have we learned to read each other and work so well together in such a short time. People tell us in public that it looks like we have been working together for years.
To be honest, I don't know how we bonded so quickly other than the fact we both needed each other. Before he started training with his old owner, Sebastian was in an abusive household and was a rescue pup. The person I got him from trained him in hopes of finding him a loving home. Fourty-eight hours into being together, he started doing medical alerts on me. This was a shock to me and I honestly did not know what he was doing at first.
However, to strengthen our bond and learn to understand and read each other, we did a lot together in the first week or two of being together. He was hardly left alone, he got lots of treats (and pup cups), we went to the dog park a lot, we played a lot of fetch, and he got lots of pets. He still gets these things, but I am not doing these things 24/7 with him now. During the first two weeks of having him, Sebastian had my undivided attention.
During that time I learned that he really does not nip unless he needs to go outside. When I ordered him some bells for the door, he quickly learned that I was a lot happier when he rang the bells than when he nipped at me, and every time he rang the bells he got to go outside. I also had a bad GI day and had to go to the ER the first two weeks of being together, so he learned that there are days where I can't get off the couch or out of bed and he tends to understand that and just lay down by me on those days. He has also learned that on those days, I am more likely to pass out, so he will sit by the bathroom door and be scratch at the door to check on me. If I faint, he will bark at the door until someone comes and opens it/ I wake up and then he checks on me.
I am very fortunate that we have built the bond we have. Sebastian gives me the confidence to go out in public again. He makes life a little easier. He makes it to where I can drive again. I honestly have no idea where I would be in life right now without him. Even my cardiologist is thankful that Sebastian has worked out as well as he had. I am also extremely thankful for his previous owner who loved on him, trained him, and raised him to be the most amazing pup before I got him.
This is the last blog in this series, but I'm sure I will write more about Sebastian and having a service pup in the future. Feel free to message either of our accounts, or Invisible Wave on Instagram and we will answer all the questions!
Yours truly,
Kaitlyn
@trusting.my.gut
@service.dog.sebastian