As I was talking to my sister in MA last night about poor Jeb (earlier blog), I was reminded that I never posted anything about Abram's and my ride on the Amtrak rails to Beantown over the holidays.
You may remember that Abram is the service dog I am training for Carolina Canines here in Wilmington NC. He was the firstborn out of my Pearl/Max litter and, at 10 months, is stepping up so very nicely to the awesome task of helping someone in a walker or wheelchair. So, when I decided to head north for the holidays to visit my family (instead of staying home alone in a pity party after Gerry and I separated), I realized what a unique and great training experience it would be for Abram.
And it was, indeed...for both of us! Nearly 20 hours each way with the only "grass" pitstop in Washington DC!... Thank goodness that I remembered to manage his fluids and that he doesn't have a teeny-tiny bladder!
The Amtrak folks were MARVELOUS - from the booking agent who issued him his own ticket without me asking, to the conductors who got to know him on the way up and were anxiously looking for him on our trip home because I decided to get on at a later station than our tickets called out.
Of course, when we embarked in Fayetteville mid-afternoon, many eyebrows were raised and I could hear one or two ignorant mutterings of "why does SHE get to bring a dog? there's nothing wrong with HER!", but he was so quiet that most people didn't even see him curled up at my feet between the seats.
By the time we finally disembarked just outside of Boston into a mild snowstorm, we were both ecstatic to be off the train! It was Abram's first experience with snow and my sister Becky worried that he would be cold with his short hair (her dogs were retrievers), but he surprised us all by embracing it. At one point during the 10 days we were there, I actually bought him a sweater, but he would have nothing to do with it after I wrestled him into it the first time.
Of course, everyone fell in love with him because he is such an easily loved guy, everyone that is except one of my sister Sally's dogs (Lucas- a chow rescue, barely visible in the background of the photo), who threatened to kick his butt several times during the course of the week. He pretty much steered clear of him, choosing to spend his time trying to get the other one (Leon - a chow mix rescue) to play instead.
While Christmas shopping one day in the posh new section of the Natick Mall, we got stopped by security for the first time since we started training, to inquire whether he was a helper dog. Once I answered yes, he immediately apologized and walked away mumbling the same into his walky-talky. My sister commented on the fact that no one stopped us until we got into the hoity-toity section LOL.
Our next adventure will be a roadtrip to San Diego later this winter/spring in the RV with mama Pearl and Reba. Feel free to offer us a parking spot for the night on the way out!
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