FIT TO BE SEEN IN PUBLIC

Through the steady and conscientious labors of our assistance dog instructor , Sue Barnes, Emma and I were ready for our Debut of sorts. Emma, my partner in Assistance Dog Training, a very attractive and petite female one and a half year old Golden Retriever and I were to take the "Public Access Test". The sucessfull passage of the test would enable Emma and I to travel to the neighborhood groceries, restaurants, and other public venues normally prohibiting dogs. The Real question was, were Emma and I fit to be seen in Public!?!

As a matter of background let me state that every assistance dog and handler is held to "minimum standards for Assistance Dogs in Public." What does that mean, exactly? According to the Assistance Dogs International, Inc. There are "minimum standards for all assistance dog programs...Such as Public appropriateness, that the dog is clean, well groomed......Behavior, that the dog does not solicit attention visit or annoy any member of the general public, does not disrupt the normal course of business, dog does not vocalize unnecessarily (bark, whine, and the like), and the biggie, Training which covers the gambit of the dog being able to perform three or more tasks designed to mitigate the "aspects of the client's disability, dog work calmly and quite on harness, leash ....dog must be able to lie quietly beside the handler without blocking doorways, etc., dog stays within the proscribed twenty four inch perimeter or its handler at all times.."

And so I awaited patiently at a bench at the north side of the Santa Fe Devargus mall awaiting our instructor, the dogs, and class mates. Penny arrived first with toys and capable training techniques in hand. Penny is an advanced Canine Trainer having spent somewhere in the neighborhood of two decades worth of K-9 training with the New Mexico State Police with bomb sniffing dogs. She is quiet and gentle and is an asset to the Assistance Dogs of the West Team. Peggy, an enthusiastic s board member, true team player, and fellow classmate arrived cheerily with camera in hand to hopefully capture and chronicle Emma and my passage into public access graduates! Sue Barnes arrived with her charges: assistance dogs Emma and Sally
(another golden trainee who was to work with Penny on a new mode of encouragement, toys....not treats, the squeakier the better!)

Emma and I began our exam walking slowly and evenly along the busy corridors of Devargus mall quietly avoiding the footfalls of enthusiastic youth, unfocused adults, and made a right into Ross's. No sniffing allowed, nor approaching of unsoliciting humans, Emma and I were expected to make our way without bothering the general public. We made it by shopping carts, racks of clothes, small children with gleefully outstretched and patting palms with a smile on our faces. The staff downstairs in the Television Series Upstairs Downstairs would have been most impressed with our cordial and obsequious presence. A thing of beauty is a joy forever Emma's sweet face suggested. I heard the age old adage, " children should be seen but not heard......" in my mind's ear. The victorian adage intended for children was appropriate for us in this instance. This was no place for Leo the Lion, Lady Gaga, or Madonna.

And on we prodded into the hallway once again. Willing members of the public obliged Sue's request that they walk over Emma as she remained in the "down" position without a trace of concern or movement. In the throngs of passer bye's Emma performed a perfect, sit, down and stay, recovered her leash and handed it to me when I dropped it, maintained focus on me in the midst of loud noises, came to my side from a six foot distance, waited when entering and exiting all threshold within and outside the mall.

the ultimate test came at the ice cream parlor. I was to determine the best locale for us to be stationed while I ingested a cone of my choice of ice cream. I went for a table in the corner.....what I deem the celebrity choice. Out of the way and no so apparent......Emma being the celebrity, I being her body guard. Sue concurred and we joined the counter staff to place our order. Emma waited patiently by my left side without soliciting strangers nor lapping up compelling crumbs and any errant ice cream drips. Any action in that direction was redirected prior to impact!

We returned to our seats. Emma responded to her "Under command" and she lay out of the way and under the table. All went well until I inadvertently let a bit of ice cream fall from my cone just under her nose. It was a moment of high drama and high stakes in my mind........ time stood still and my mind searched for a remedy. I heard my voice say "Leave it" just as my right foot covered the clod of cream. I redirected Emma to a post farther from the olfactory stimulation of ice cream , where she remained calm and stationary for the remainder of our parlor stay. Then it was off to the car to see Emma's performance in alighting her carriage. I asked her to "watch me" "sit". "wait" "car" ending in her graceful leap into my car where she lay down with front paws perfectly together with her own sweet smile".

"Good Job....You passed" Came Sue's proclamation. Finally, Emma and I are fit to be seen in public! Emma will don her red vest as we set out in public together unescorted by instructors and other officials! In my eyes Emma is the new and improved version of "Wonder -Under-Dog" (after all she performs her "Under" command spectacularly) in her new red cape! A canine action figure, Emma is indeed my hero. Perhaps tomorrow, I speculate, we will revisit the mall and I will ask Emma to jump up and "press" the handicapped button on the automatic doors with her nose. We will watch the slow movement of the doors as they electronically creep open -- Emma and I will exhange knowing and proud glances. Oh the places we'll go!