 |
Maggie |
| "The Dog!" |
|
Maggie |
| "The Dog!" |
August 24, 1999
Dear NGRR,
Last year my son and I adopted a golden named Maggie. Apparently she had been left at the vet's office because she had tested positive for heartworm and the owner could not afford the cost of proper medical treatment.
My son, who is 6, and myself diligently cared for Maggie until
she was on her feet again. She accompanies us to school every morning and afternoon,
getting more than her share of attention from children and staff alike. We have come to be
known as the ones with "The Dog!" She is gentle enough that my son walks her and
thinks he is just the big man!
What makes Maggie special is not her gentle nature or obedience but her perceptiveness to me. I have a seizure disorder which is not controlled. Maggie is never far from my side. She is everywhere that I am and sleeps by my bedside every night. My son was the first one to notice that Maggie's behavior would change before I had a seizure. She is not a jumper and is certainly not a hyper dog! Maggie will get in front of me and run circles around me and a few times has actually jumped on my shoulders to keep me from leaving the house!
My family as well as I always know when a seizure is coming by our Maggie! Now that I have been able to "clue in" on her behavior, I can get myself to a safe place until it passes. In talking with organizations which train seizure alert dogs, I was told that anywhere from one hour to twenty minutes prior to a seizure, there is a chemical change in body order which the dogs pick up on. Golden Retrievers seem to be especially sensitive to this change in body chemistry. Our dog is one of a kind we think and we hope to enjoy her for many more years!
