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Thursday, Mar. 13, 2003-2:48 a.m.
"nightmares!"
Axel's Diary, 3-13-03: Did you know that Dad sometimes has dreams with me in them? Yah, he told me so! He said tonight, he had a very strange nightmare (and if HE had trouble understanding it, then you KNOW I don't... wow was that weird!)... but he said during the nightmare, I was with him in it!! (I wagged my tail very hard at that too, so Dad would know how very much I appreciated him getting me to come sit for a few minutes tonight when he woke up with it- I like that part of my work a whole lot... when Dad feels icky at night, he can come wake me up! I will snuggle him and sleep on him and otherwise make him see that everything is OK!! (In fact, one of my tasks is to respond to a command he can give me- I will look very hard all over the house, if he asks me to... there is never anyone there in the middle of the night, but it makes him feel so much safer... I like doing it. Sometimes, he gives me the command when there was a strange noise!! I get very distressed and I try to sniff out the source, and then I sit down and point with my nose while wagging my tail so he KNOWS I found it- and see? it is never anything too scary!) Tonight, Dad said I was doing my job in his dream- he said that in the nightmare, he would become very upset over the weird things or the bad people in it, and he would want to get up, but it was very dark, and I would come up, and stand by his bed or by him wherever he was, and I would put my head on him, or in his hand... that's what I can do in real life, so I licked him a little to say 'thank you for remembering I am here, even when you dream!' At least, that's what I was trying to tell him. I can't TALK, you know. I don't think Dad knows what *I* dream about... but sometimes I wake up with a start and a little yelp, because even dogs have nightmares! That's one reason we understand when our people do! Sometimes though, my dreams must be very good, because I sigh happily, and stretch out when I wake up, and look very very content. Dreams are a strange thing... i'm glad that I can be here for Dad, and I'm glad I can share my life with you all too! I know some people wonder what a Service Dog does for his people (or her people. There are girl service dogs too!)... but you want to know a secret? This snuggleing-after-a-nightmare part? YOUR best furry friend can do it too... really! I get training to learn my tasks... but some of my job isn't just all tasks and commands. Some of it is like tonight, when I am here to cuddle, and just say 'hey... it was just a nightmare. but i'll sit with you till you can go back to sleep, Dad.' Axel, via owner/handler David
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