My current service dog, N (too unique name to share I think?) is a little miracle.
She can do a number of helpful commands, such as "cover me" (especially useful in public bathrooms, when she can tell me who is where), "let's go" (where she finds the exit of a building, which she memorizes as we go -- she'll sometimes even say she has to pee if something seems amiss), and "go potty" (where she goes to the side and pees or poos instantly if she has to go).
She also detects the coming on of dissociations and will prevent me from going to classes, or other places. She can get me through crowds really well. She lays on my chest if needed (very grounding) and also does a silly pose -- her butt in the air and her head upside down on the ground, while shoved up against me.
She can stay on my chest while waiting for medicine to kick in, and will prevent people from getting too close or helping me up if it's not time yet (she knows). Her only exception is a paramedic or police officer or firefighter -- uniformed people.
She will prevent me from hurting myself if I'm really out of it (she has saved my life) and she is a higher energy dog than most service dogs which is great because I'm always wanting to go out and socialize, and jog and go running.
She's amazing, though occasionally has focus problems. I used to let her nap in college classes and in restaurants, so now she likes to doze lightly in certain settings -- but it seems to be okay. I think her needs are being met :)
She also wakes me up from nightmares.
Sometimes her opinions outmatch my own. She's insisted I have breakfast before going to the library on multiple occasions.
She saved my mom once also, when my mom fell in the street. She did something similar for me, when I landed on my kneecaps and couldn't walk -- she flagged down a car. Not my first choice, but... it worked out!
Unfortunately she's absolutely gorgeous including blue eyes, so people like to comment on her, a lot.. Luckily, I'm rather social. I've grown into it pretty well.
I wish she was immortal.. I'm afraid I'll never find a dog as wonderful again. We do everything together, just like any best friend :)
She gets distracted by cats, always. She loves cats so much. It's probably her biggest weakness... despite all the work we've done on it.
My brain is so used to her that.... well, check this story out!
Funny story:
One time I was hanging out with friends in college at dinner, in a campus dining hall -- therefore, N was on duty. Being very serious. I had no need to pay attention to her.
The person sitting next to me, J, was sitting chair-to-chair with his new girlfriend, L. J and L were holding hands.
After a moment, J (a close friend, although not that close) leaned over and put his arm around me. I knew so because my brain sensed that his arm was around my body, specifically around my shoulders.
I sat very still, to be sure the arm didn't fall/slide off. No one else at the table seemed to feel that anything was amiss, either, and we continued our conversations. It truly didn't feel odd somehow. Even L didn't stop what she was saying to question it.
After the meal, my friends started to stand up to leave, but I waited a moment, politely allowing the arm to leave first. Then, J stood, patting my shoulder and saying "good girl" -- only THEN did I realize that he's had his arms around N's shoulders, not mine!
I told him not to do that again (of course), but it was such a weird feeling to suddenly be aware that N isn't really a part of my body. lol
Apparently this phenomenon is known to be a phantom limb type of thing -- Google "phantom nose illusion" if that's what it's called. Basically, a professor made students identify fake limbs as their own, or get rub the nose of someone sitting in front of them while their nose was rubbed, creating an illusion that the stsudent's nose was three feet long!
So, my brain was thinking of N as part of my body. I thought it was hilarious. She's obviously not, but that's how close we are, to sometimes get illusions about where the end of our bodies are. Lol
