ASSISTANCE DOGS NI QUIZ NIGHT

Robin and Amanda’s Story

Evolution

Emergency/Temporary Fostering with Assistance Dogs NI

Going to ADNI training for the first time was an unforgettable moment. At that time, we had thought we might be training together with a particular pup and we’d been invited along to meet Geraldine, Shirley and Gary and to see what was going on. It was an amazing sight. First impressions were of five identical young black Labradors being incredibly well behaved and responsive, gazing with rapt attention into the eyes of their trainers, while Shirley paced up and down and put them through their exercises. The communication between the dogs and the trainers was extraordinary; you could feel the focus and concentration and mutual love in the room.  The welcome from Geraldine, Shirley and Gary was very warm, and chatting with them and the trainers somehow left me feeling completely confident that I could be trained alongside our new pup.

As time went on, we soon realised that beyond their huge intelligence and devotion to their work, each of the dogs have really clear and distinct personalities. When we were offered the chance to have JoJo to stay with us for a few days and then a full week while her family went on holiday, we soon realise we had a little mermaid on our hands! In the house and out and about the town she was so calm and gentle and really happy to do her training exercises and to walk and run alongside us, but the minute we were on the beach and we told her she could go, she charged headlong in and out of the water like a mad thing! Another longer-term stay, Jax, came to stay just before Christmas and really loved the mud-puddles at Mount Stewart and playing with the other dogs in the exercise park there.

She got to know the journey there very well and always looked slightly affronted if we were going somewhere else and drove past the entrance to the estate or past the carpark to the flood defences, another walk she loved. We gave her a dachshund teddy at bedtime on the first night to help her settle in and she would carry it around wagging nineteen to the dozen, and always looked for it at bedtime.

More recently, Jazz would lope round and round  in huge circles on the beach, never letting us out of her sight but really enjoying splashing in and out of the surf, and gently approaching other dogs out for a walk, continually looking back at us to make sure we were okay with that.. Miss Joy, who came for a short holiday, was much more restrained , very gentle and placid in the house, but around nine every evening without fail made a determined bid- without success, I must say- to join us on the sofa!

We have been astonished at how adaptable each of the dogs has been, how ready to trust us and settle into a new environment with us. JoJo came for a daytime visit before she came to stay and seemed to recognise us straight away when she did come for her holiday, and certainly remembered where the beach was!

The steady routines at mealtimes and bedtime, I think, and the time spent every day reinforcing the recall work, lent a sense of familiarity even in new surroundings. Jazz came to us at very short notice for a short stay because of a temporary emergency in her family, and was very nervous and low-spirited for the first couple of hours, partly because she was so sensitive and alert to the fact that things had not been quite right as she was leaving her beloved family. But she let us know that she needed cuddles and reassurance to begin with and settled in really quickly. In all cases the familiarity of the routines that each dog is trained to, and the detailed information about particular routines and likes and dislikes for each dog from the families really helped us establish a home from home as far as we could.

Needless to say, there are scenes of boundless joy the moment the families come to collect them, and its very clear immediately from our guests that our services are no longer required! And that is exactly as it should be.

Both JoJo and Jax needed visits to the vet for minor things while they were with us, and Geraldine and Shirley made sure things were quickly and efficiently arranged. The support from them and from Gary in facilitating us to be good respite hosts, whether it’s making sure we have all the kit we need, or arranging a drop-off with a family member when we had to honour a previous commitment when we had Jax to stay, is just brilliant.

So, we love having our guests, bringing them to training to see their brothers and sisters, and learning alongside them the routines that maintain them in their working lives and their downtime as family pets. We learned quickly never to go anywhere without a supply of poo-bags, and we are still finding little caches of dog treats on the pockets of various jackets and trousers. When we are out and about in town, the exemplary behaviour of the dogs in their purple working vests attracts lots of positive attention, and they are brilliant ambassadors for ADNI.

Our friends on the staff at the National Trust, well used to seeing us turn up in running kit to do a few kilometres round the trails, were very interested to see us accompanied by our purple-coated companions, and it was a great opportunity to spread the word about the fantastic work that ADNI is doing. Both JoJo and Jax came to Park Run with us on Saturday mornings in the ADNI colours and trotted happily round the course with us- and one-week JoJo was the only tail runner who brought her own tail!

When it’s time for them to go home, we miss the sound of wagging tails crashing against the crate to greet us first thing in the morning, and the cuddles we get when we’re rubbing them down – having first stood well clear of the almighty wet and sandy shake-off- when we’re up from the beach. Most of all we miss the sheer joy of seeing them in full flight off the lead on the beach. It is such a pleasure and privilege to be part of the wonderful work ADNI does.

Robin Adams and Amanda Piesse (Emergency/Temporary ADNI Foster Carers)

Assistance Dogs NI

Assistance Dogs NI

Assistance Dogs NI

Assistance Dogs NI

Assistance Dogs NI

Assistance Dogs NI

Assistance Dogs NI

Assistance Dogs NI