There are a lot of hard decisions I’ve had to make. Thankfully none of them have ever concerned my pets.
I think there are a few puppy raisers who drop by here every once in a while, right now I really do envy you guys. You work so hard with your pups, do a wonderful job, but you don’t have to make the final decision when it comes to passing a dog or washing it out of Service Dog work.
These last few weeks I’ve had to step back and take a good hard look at Holly while we’re out working in public. Evaluate how both of us were working. When Holls first started SD training she was very enthusastic about working. She was always eager and happy to go to work. Recently she’s been getting very stressed out. Even in low distraction environments like the library she has her ears back, and starts panting soon after entering the building.
She’s never been a fan of riding in cars. She used to hate riding in them, we worked really hard and for a while she was doing really well, she’d just lie down and go to sleep. Now she starts panting quickly, she’s not as stressed as she used to be but she certainly isn’t excited about it all.
While she still performs her tasks well, I don’t want to continue to push her. That would be horribly unfair for her and very dangerous for me.
All this has led me to make the decision to wash her out. No worries, Holls isn’t going anywhere. She’s my first dog, she’s incredibly special, and she’ll still do her tasks at home, and when we’re out walking and goofing off. She’ll just return to ESA and pet status.
I think that she’ll still occasionally come with me to very low stress places that she’s familiar with, and that I have to go to, like my therapist’s, but other than that she’ll just be my good dog. She’ll be able to walk, play with the other dogs, and chase squirrels to her heart’s content.
Because she’s washing out, and because I can’t function in public without a dog, (My therapist didn’t want Holly to wash out, she was concerned about my safety.) I’m beginning the quest for the my next SD candidate. Hopefully not too much time will lapse between Holly returning to a pet life, and a new SD prospect.
We’ll keep you updated on that, and on Holly’s life as a good ol’ Hound dog!
Until Later,
Kat & Holly
Aw Holly!
Oh well, being an ol’ hound dog is a pretty good life too!
Sorry to hear that Holly is retiring. Although, Reagan was an agility dog, I had to retire her at the ripe age of 3 😦 because she just could not handle the daily travel required to get to the training fields. It was very disappointing, but I love her anyway. I look forward to seeing what you get next though.
Thanks guys! We’re still going to get up to all kinds of mischief, and the more I think about this, the more settled I get with the decision. Holly’s just going to be so much happier as a pet.
Thanks again for your support!
I’m sorry Holly wasn’t able to be a service dog, but she will make a wonderful pet and companion.
Hey Kat,
I’ve known you and Holly for awhile, and while I’m sorry she isn’t able to be the service dog you need, she has come so far from the day that you rescued her from the Human Society! She is a great dog, and I think you learned so much working with her, you’ll be ready to train another dog quickly. You will thrive with the thress of you~