It has been a crazy couple of months. Over the summer by wife made a few comments that I should look into getting a service dog, and I thought she was not serious because she's afraid of dogs but finally I said I would look into it. The journey has been amazing. Within a week Emmett bonded with me and I started to take him home a few nights at a time. It will be three weeks ago on Wednesday he officially became mine. There is a wonderful place in Ipswich Massachusetts called the Service Dog Project, there they breed, train, Great Danes to be of service dogs for people with mobility issues. It is a nonprofit organization that relies solely on the generosity of others for support. If you are interested in finding out about this wonderful organization or supporting it go to their website. servicedogproject.org
What Emmett does for me is amazing. If I go down a stairway with no hand rails he is trained to take the up and down the stairs one at a time, if I fall is trained to lie down next to me and when I get to my knees he stands up and then not able to stand up myself, he helps me get off the couch, walk up and down inclines and much much more.
I take him everywhere with me. To the gym, volunteering, shopping, dining out, walks around the neighborhood, doctors appointments, and Dunkin' Donuts. He has not left my side in nearly a month and a half. I can't walk out of the room, use the restroom, sleep without him next to me. He always has an eye on me.
When I walk for him some distances, I know that people must have been thinking that guy is drunk. His trainer told me that people will now look at Emmett and not looked at me, and then do.
I haven't felt this great about myself in a long time, I know I still have ataxia but having Emmett really helps.
Jack