Just a Fun post: Advert for Canine Helper

This post is just for a bit of fun but I wondered if dogs could read, how many of them would apply to be my next Assistance Dog!! 😀

“oooh… here’s a good job!”

WANTED CANINE HELPER

Your challenge should you wish to accept is to work as my partner to help me remain independent.

Your responsibilities:

You will be working everyday, throughout the day but get time for  rest breaks, playtime and walks. Some events do not happen everyday,  some events will happen in the middle of another one.  eg.  You need to tell me when my textphone is ringing or someone knocking at door or ringing doorbell regardless of what other job you are doing or if you are playing at the time!

You MUST tell me if the smoke alarm goes off by giving the danger sign (dropping to floor not leading to sound)  in case it is ever a real fire.

Helping with dressing and undressing

Laundry duties:  including removing clothes from washer and dryer and carrying peg basket outside,  picking up any pegs dropped

Tidying your toys away

Helping Inca (my elderly dog) ie opening or closing back door for her if she wants to go out (if I have transferred to bed or sofa) and helping her tidy her toys away.

Public duties: You will be expected to come with me to help with shopping trips and must be on your best behaviour at all times when you are working in public.

You must watch me closely for signed commands to what I need you to do and stay by my side at all times in public places when you are working.

 

In exchange for this you will receive:

An home for life

All the cuddles you need any time of day or night

All Food & Medical expenses paid (and any ‘professional’ grooming costs if this applies)

Birthday and Xmas presents every year for life!

Trips out to parks,  nature reserves and holidays (where funds and transport allow)

At least 90 mins exercise (1 hour mornings,  30 mins afternoon/evening)  on non-shopping days and access to your own garden all day.

Paddling pool, agility course, and ball pit available for outdoor play. (A Flyball launcher is also planned for the near future)

Lots of doggy puzzles and treat dispensers for indoor play on rainy days!

 

So how many applicants do you think I would get?  😀

 

 

Product Review

Trabasack Media Mount

The new Media Mount by Trabasack

I first saw this product as a Prototype last year when it was nick named ‘Monti Media’

With all the equipment I have been collecting since my Ataxia started, I tend to prefer to look for things that are more compact if possible and can do more than one thing, to reduce the amount of stuff I have to take around with me.

The Media Mount is designed as a Trabasack accessory for the Connect (Velcro top) surface.  It can be used in a variety of ways.

I found it very good with the iPad so I could feed it through  the raised end and wrap it around to stop it falling off. (shown with original apple iPad case)

useful for supporting and angling an iPad or other communication device

The Prototype had a zip along the length of it so it wasn’t quite as flexible as the finished product now is.   It’s much more flexible without the zip and whilst I couldn’t wrap the ends around the end of the keyboard with the Prototype,  I can with the finished Monti and makes an excellent wrist support for typing with a keyboard.

in front of keyboard for wrist support

It is also useful for carrying anything that could slide off which you couldn’t velcro to the tray like a plate of sandwiches etc

useful for stopping plates sliding off your knee

You can bend it into different positions, its really flexible and can be used as a guide to keep persons hand in specific spot for example around a switch.

can be used for switch training to keep person’s hand within a target area

… or wrap it around a bottle to stop it falling off tray

As its soft and flexible it can be placed inside the Trabasack out of the way if necessary to hang on the back of a chair until needed.  Or it can be left velcroed to the top of it.

I think it’s an excellent product, multi-functional & well thought out. It adds further functionality to the original Trabasack Connect without adding extra weight to it

You can purchase the Trabasack Media Mount from their online store here for £19.99.

Brief Update

I didn’t realise it had been so long since I last did a post on here!

I’ve been working hard on the Forced Exercise theory with the passive trainer and had some good results.

Passive Trainer pedals

Before I first started on it I was having following difficulties:

• struggling to sit longer than an hour
• getting high levels of back pain
• struggling with control over arms due to increase in involuntary movement
• struggling with balance,  standing transfers and using crutches for a few steps

After a year doing an intensive exercise routine (voluntary.. ie wii fit  arms and legs moving at their own speed) and Forced (moving faster than I would be able to move them)  I have had the following improvements

• I can sit most of day in manual chair and now switching back to manual with powered drive wheels for better portability and to access buses/town etc.
• significantly reduced back pain and core muscles are stronger for sitting/standing with no support behind me
• a slight improvement in balance – enough to make using crutches for a few steps easier when transferring with human assistance into families houses from cars etc.
• reduced muscle spasms from the dystonia element in arms
• better gross motor control of arms (self propelling,  putting arms/legs into clothes, wii tennis etc)
• an improvement in fine motor control (fastening buttons,  zips,  not quite got laces but getting there)
• improved control for handwriting with both hands using Dexteria app for iPad (for improving Fine Motor Control).
• improved function in grip,  working up to holding pen,  stylus better for drawing with uDraw and pencils,  brushes again.
• using right hand to write with again!  (had bad writers cramp in it and had to re-learn to do signature with left hand)
• using rollator more around house than powerchair,  either walking with it (still do better with it as a reverse walker – behind me) or sitting on seat and pushing myself from room to room with feet.

My other big project that I have started recently is I’m applying for a Dual Skilled Dog trained jointly by Hearing Dogs for the Deaf and Canine Partners to alert me to household sounds,  public fire alarms and help me with daily living skills and jobs around the house.

It is a very long process I’ve got application forms in with info but now many people who are been contacted by Canine Partners for info won’t do the reports without appointment to see them or pay them (GP’S!) , so things are been held up waiting for appointments so this information can be sent off,  so I doubt I will hear anything before the end of this year about how long the waiting list maybe.

Hopefully he/she will arrive before my current dog (age 11) is unable to manage helping me or goes deaf herself and can’t alert me to smoke alarm,  doorbell etc, but I may need to do some back up research and find another solution if its’s going to be many years.

could this little guy be my next assistance dog?