A Busy Saturday

Hello,

Today was a busy day around here. I received a new pair of glasses which were desperately needed. The only issue they kept sliding down my rather long nose! We finally had the time, and the store was actually open when we were able to get there! What a relief! I felt the same way when I got my first set of glasses and realized just how badly I couldn't see! I've worn both glasses and contacts since I was thirteen. Now that the glasses part of this is done, I'm pricing contacts! The new ones are supposedly better for my astigmatism, and they last for two weeks, but there is a really big difference in pricing. It's still cheaper than having astigmatism surgery. I've always been leery of people messing with my eyeballs...better to use contacts till I cannot wear 'em anymore.

Frax was fascinated at the process of picking frames. When I finally picked a style, he acted rather put-off till I put my 'old' backup ones back on. When I started wearing the new ones Saturday, he was a bit confused until he realized it was still me. These are the type glasses that are primarily glasses and not frames, that most people don't really notice the frames at all. It's the next best thing to wearing none. So, Frax had a bit of getting used to it. When contacts are used, he understands they don't stay in long, that Maa has to put her glasses back on!

Have you noticed that your dog hates it when you move the furniture around, or clean up the garage, everything looking different? All my dogs, Frax included, hate having the environment around them messed with, and especially dislike it when (in their mind) change our clothing drastically from my normal shorts or jeans and a t-shirt. Frax and Jet always know when it's Sunday~ Bill and I wear the 'good fur suits'. Lol

My winter wardrobe has a few very soft plush coats...Jet's favorite was a little light blue coat. He routinely would bring it to me to wear, till it was way too warm in the spring to wear it anymore. Frax seems to like a vest that is a very soft chocolate color, very pleasant to cuddle into.

When Frax goes around in public he wears his vest, a sturdy Christmas green color. The top has a 'do not pet me I'm working' patch on top (it's readily ignored!), and each side has a patch representing the agencies that actually paid for him, so that I might have a dog! One patch is Delta for Delta Airlines, who have sponsored so many dogs for Canine Assistants. The other patch is from the Keppra drug company, a seizure-prevention drug I've taken. Jet was sponsored and gifted to me by a united consortium of anti-seizure medicine companies. His vest also had the “Please don't pet me I'm working” patch as well~ but he was so short-waisted, the vest wound up under his harness. I'm afraid that caused Jet to be interfered much more with during his work, despite the fact his service tags were readily seen and available to one and all.

The last bit of 'dressing' both Jet and Frax did was the harness. Jet's harness was chocolate and very high, since he was so short. It worked fine since I'm a very short person, at 5'. Frax is a big-tall boy, as we've discussed, and his harness is a light taupe color, which matches his coat wonderfully. Frax's harness basically just has a short handle on top. Both harnesses are lined with artificial lambs wool, so there isn't a place to pinch.

Lastly, a “Sunday go to 'meetin” collar and leash in deep forest green is attached. I always kept the leash and collar for going out separate from what Frax wears around the house. I like the fact that my pups look like they just stepped out of a band box...brushed, cleaned, with sharp looking 'attire'. Just as people like to look spiffy when going out, it's very important my helper does as well. Why? People treat other people nicer when they are clean and look nice. Same goes for your service dog. Since I know Jet and now Frax, have great manners in public, making sure they look nice is 'dressing for success'. Hopefully we change some minds about service dogs in public in this soft approach. It seems to work for me. I get better mannered service for Bill and I and make friends for Canine Assistants in the process too! It makes it easier for the public to figure out what a 'for real' service dog is...as apposed to the 'posers'.

Later...

LV, FX and JT

#glasses #dressingup