Hello! My name is Jen, and my teenager has a 4 year old service dog named Lucy, who is a blue heeler, also known as an Australian Cattle dog.  This has been quite a journey from the very beginning.  Our story of course does not begin with the day we started training our dog as a service dog, nor does it affect just the one person who is experiencing these medical challenges. It affects the whole family, which is why I am comfortable writing a blog from the point of view of the parent with a lot of input from my child to make sure what I am seeing (and telling you) and what he is feeling is the same.  We get a lot of questions from friends, family, and strangers out in public.  I have realized that there is a need for more information out there.  I am in no way an expert or professionally trained.  However, I did begin with questions, research, doubts and now I have my questions answered, a year of living with a service dog, confidence, and lots of tricks I have learned along the way to make life a little easier.  I hope that I can share some of this with you to make your life a little easier too.  You are not alone in this.  Each one of our stories are unique and we are all in a different place in our service dog journey.  But that is what makes it so special.  We all have experiences and can learn from each other.  When we started our journey, I looked to blogs, trainers and pet store owners and just general internet google searches. My best information came from the people who live this life daily.  Thank you for letting me be a part of your journey.

I will be writing about our experiences.  Check back often, as there is a lot to write about.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.  Your question may just be my next entry.  If I do not know the answer to something, I have resources that I can find your answers or connect you.  In our fast paced lives, do not forget to slow down a take a deep breath.  You’ve got this!