SSD And The City: One Year Ago Today...

One year ago today I sat patiently (okay, maybe not so patiently. I was nervous, excited, and anxious) to meet my new best friend. I didn't know anything about the dog that the trainer would be bringing into my room.

What felt like an hour, was really only a few minutes. Then the knock on the door came. I opened the door and there he was. She said "This is Troy. I'll come back in a few minutes to let you know when to come back to the classroom". Troy looked a little nervous too and I wasn't exactly sure what I was supposed to do. I took the leash from the trainer's hand and went over to the bed. I sat down and just stared at him.

Is this really my dog? It was all so crazy and hard to believe. 30 seconds ago I was alone in my room and now I have this adorable creature attached to my wheelchair. I knew this day would come, but I guess it was more of an idea until it became my reality.

The first thing I did when the trainer left was text my boyfriend and my mom. I said "It's a boy and his name is Troy!". They were just as excited as I was and couldn't wait to find out everything about Troy.

I then decided that I needed to take a picture of our first moments together. So, I sat on the floor with Troy and took this picture. The quality isn't great but to this day, it's still one of my favourite photos of him. He looks happy but nervous, excited but scared... Troy and I had very similar emotions that day. Here is the picture I first took of him:

A few weeks later, we graduated from the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. Since then, my life has completely changed. If you're interested in hearing what we did each day at training, please feel free to look back on my blog to the posts from December 2014.

Very shortly after getting home from training, my brother committed suicide on Christmas Eve. This was a very difficult time for my mom and I but having Troy with us made the world of difference.

In the spring, I decided that the program I was studying (Bachelor of Child and Youth Care) wasn't for me. I dropped out at the end of my second year. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do afterward but having Troy by my side made me confident that it would all work out.

In May, my boyfriend's sister (Elise) had to have emergency brain surgery. This was very unexpected and stressful for our family. Troy made a world of difference during this time as well. Elise and Troy are very close and staying at their house without her there was very confusing for Troy. He was worried about everyone. Then one day we took him to visit her in the hospital. We also brought our friends Shelby and Frances along. Here is a picture of Frances with Elise a few days before her surgery:

When Elise came home, 5 days after her brain surgery, Troy didn't leave her side. He cuddled with her on the elevated pillow while she napped. He helped us all take care of her :)

A few months later, we decided to go to the cottage in Muskoka with Zak's family. We were there for 3 nights and Troy had so much fun while we were there. He was off-leash most of the time and there were a few dogs to play with as well. We discovered that he is terrified of the lake and was slightly concerned when I was swimming/kayaking because he wanted to be by my side but refused to get wet. He eventually realized that sun tanning on the grass wasn't so bad and realized that I was fine. After that, he just hung around the shore with his daddy while I swam with Elise. He can't wait to go back next year for an entire week!

Here are a few cute pictures of Troy at the cottage:

In September, Zak and I both started new programs at Sheridan College. I am currently in the finance program but am planning on switching to the 3 year Marketing with co-op. Troy is loving going to school with mommy and daddy every day! He says it's much more fun than just being with his mom in class.

My mom and I also recently moved into a brand new condo. Troy loves our new place and he has met a few doggy friends that he can play with as well! He plays with his toys in the hallway as it is carpeted and fairly secluded. It is also closer to Zak's house so we have been going over there more often. Troy loves his daddy's house because there is a big backyard and another dog to play with!

Here are a few pictures of our new condo:

We have been very busy this year and Troy has done an amazing job keeping up with the craziness! I have seen a huge change with our bond over the last few months. We bonded really quickly even while at the school, but it has strengthened even more since then. I am so grateful to everything his foster family did with him in the early years. I am also very grateful for everything that the Lions Foundation has done for us both. We participated in the Oakville Walk for Dog Guides last spring and Team Troy will be doing it again next year for sure!

Troy has made such a difference in my life. Obviously he helps me pick up things that I drop, open doors, and bark for help if I need it, but it goes far beyond those skills. I have met some incredible friends through Dog Guides that I would not know otherwise. My confidence has increased so much since coming home with Troy. Although I have brittle bones (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) and I have Troy to help me with my physical disability, I have also developed an anxiety disorder in the past 6 months. Some days it is nearly impossible for me to get out of bed but having Troy makes it a little less difficult for me because I know that no matter what happens, I have my sidekick with me and he can keep me safe. I truly don't know what I would do without him in my life.

Here are a few more pictures of some of the things we've been up to over the last year: