Meet Rick! My Service Dog (In Training)

Meet Rick! A two and a half year old Belgian Malinois, 80 pounds. Handsome and I weren't we thought ready to have a new hound after Mike the Dog’s passing last summer, but the stars alined. Originally named Rex, this rescue came from a foster who would you believe it, went to my same high school a thousand miles north of where we live in florida?

Why “Rick?” Happened by accident. Sometimes with ET, I experience word confusion, like I just can’t spit my words out as intended. Well, I was having issues saying “Rex” and “Rick” came out and he responded to my command, so we have a Rick! 

We start a seven month service training course with a local company we used to train Mike the Dog (that was a basic training course) and this will include 130 hours of training specific to my disability, including responding to falls and helping me get up when I go down. I’m really excited, but it’s also a whelp moment - crap, I do need an extra set of paws to help me on my day to days! But a few years ago, I decided to own this as much as my Essential Tremor owns me, so it’s kinda a pat myself on the back moment.