Einstein’s Graduation!

Hi Again!

I know you all have been anxiously waiting to hear about Einstein.  This is one of the reasons I haven’t posted in a while.  We have been crossing our fingers and holding our breath for six months and now that it is all over we can exhale, pinch ourselves and come to grips that WE RAISED A SERVICE DOG!!!!  We Did IT!

It is so unreal.  Back last November I thought for sure Einstein would have been sent home, especially after they said he was attention barking.  I knew what he was doing and it just killed me that he was sitting there in his kennel trying to get somebody’s attention.  I know his face was saying “Hey, hey, somebody! Helllooooooo!  I’m Einstein, I’m not supposed to be in here, I have to go pee people!!!”  So many thoughts were going through my head but I knew that this was going to be the moment of truth.  He was either going to sink or swim.

The next report came back and his attention barking had stopped.  His report came back with all good behaviors and NO bad behaviors.  He was progressing in his training normally.

Then before we knew it he was in his second semester of training and we got the news he would be rotating through Team Training.  Really?  Our Einstein?  Our little laid back goofball?Then we got THE CALL.  Einstein had made a placement during Team Training!  But the call ended with the warning that anything could happen.  These are dogs and things may not work out as planned.  What were the chances though?  It has happened.  Placements have been made and then something happens.

I knew whoever started working with Einstein was going to fall in love with him, but still in the back of your mind you keep thinking about the what if something does happen?  This was our first dog we’ve raised, was he really that good? He was that good.  And then it is graduation day and we have thirty minutes to spend with the dog we raised.  Six months of separation but as soon as we said “Einstein, Here!” he was there in a flash!  It was a happy reunion and Einstein let down his guard just slightly.  He rolled in the grass for a tummy rub, yawned, stretched, put his head in our laps for some lovin’ and then it was time to get back to the ceremony and pass his leash over to his new best friend.

There was a different air about him.  A confidence.  Almost like he was saying “I Got This!”As we waited he kept staring at us.  I think that is when it hit me.  I could hardly look at those big brown eyes.“What is wrong with you?”  “Why are you crying?”Einstein kept looking at me.  I could hardly stand it.  And then he put his head in my lap for a visit and made a noise he used to make as a puppy.  It is a low rumble.  I don’t know how else to describe it other than it’s just a low, hardly audible rumble vibration.  A sort of “it’s okay, it will be alright, here, you can pet me I’ll make you feel better”.  Aaggh!  I was doing great.  I didn’t think I would cry.  They didn’t prepare me for this!  They didn’t prepare me for your dog KNOWING how you would be feeling.  They said he’d be looking for his new partner.  Oh this was too hard!  But this is WHY he’s a great service dog.  I dropped the camera right before Einstein’s new partner was called.  Einstein looked at me, looked at the camera, then back at me waiting to see if he needed to get that. “Einstein Get” and I pointed to the camera and he picked it up.  Unbelievable.  It was clear.  There was no doubt.  Einstein was going to be an amazing service dog.

And then it was Miles’ turn and Einstein’s trainer explained how Miles needed a dog to help him around campus, to pick things up for him, to help him open doors, to be able to bark for help if he needed it, to help him to his feet (oh, he can do sooooo much more, and his new family will find that out!).  Einstein’s trainer explained the chances a college professor would end up getting a dog named Einstein.  Can you believe it?  Einstein would be going to college.

It was meant to be.

It’s time.  “Einstein, Let’s Go!”.And then it was over.  Our first puppy was now a service dog and we could now close this chapter.  Einstein was going to someone that waited three years for this miracle.  Three years!  I can’t even imagine.  Oh how his life will be forever changed.

Oh how I can’t wait to do this again!

But next time, I’ll remember to bring more kleenex and get the crying out of the way early!

Congrats to Miles and Einstein!

Congrats to all of the graduates that day!  10 more lives will be forever changed!

~Cathy