PAALS Talk
Since I love dogs, let’s talk furry friends. I volunteered for Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS), an organization that trains dogs to assist people with mobility challenges, autism, and PTSD. Although I’m not one of the three professional staff trainers, I take dogs to places like Lowes, grocery stores, shopping malls, and parks. The outings teach dogs to focus on cues and their handlers and not the environment. My volunteer work with PAALS sparked the idea for THE PUPPY BARTER.
Skipper
One of my first student dogs was Skipper, a big yellow lab. I was assigned to sit with Skipper for thirty minutes. We use the cue settle, which tells the dog to lie down. This allows the handler to groom, brush teeth, clean ears, and clip nails as needed. It also allows a quiet bonding time. Skipper laid his head on my thigh and sighed. Although Skipper settled with me, he didn’t gain the confidence to qualify as an assist dog and underwent a Career Change. Since he was well-trained, dogs like Skipper may be issued for classroom, nursing homes and hospital setting uses to calm people in stressful situations. Working with the dogs warmed my heart and sparked the book idea for THE PUPPY BARTER.
Must Love Dogs
Although I like all animals, I’m a dog kind of gal. In THE PUPPY BARTER, I wrote a scene where the hero takes a service dog into a building supply. Think Lowes or Home Depot. The frazzled hero has to juggle the leash, the treats, and the obstacles with the heroine following behind. This is how Palmetto Animal Assist Life Services (PAALS) trains service dogs. As a volunteer, I walked a service pup through Home Depot. I was a wreck watching the dog, the floor, and where I was going. Plus, the pups seem to glue their noses to the floor. Think nails, screws, and chemicals, oh my! By the time the exercise ended, my dog could’ve sniffed me from fifty paces. It was a lot of fun tormenting my hero with this experience. The heroine, of course, is a rock star trainer. So, when you read that scene, picture me, and be glad you weren’t forced to ride home with me afterwards.
A Colorful Puppy
My canine heroine Skye in THE PUPPY BARTER started out as a yellow lab in version #1. In version #2, I wrote her as a black lab. In my published version she’s a chocolate lab. Why? Of course inquiring minds need to know and it’s not–I’m a woman and I reserve the right to change–response. Her color changed because I fell in love with the little boy model and his chocolate lab puppy used for the cover. One look at that little face and I was hooked. So, Skye got a makeover, which leads to another story. After changing her color, I started second-guessing if chocolate was the correct term for lab color descriptions. When I verified the term chocolate, I found a statement that chocolate labs are for the show ring and not candidates for training! NO WAY. In Skye’s defense, Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS), the service dog training organization where I volunteer, has chocolate students. Now, you have the inside story in case you’re questioned about your favorite romance puppy. Skye is a sweety and so is her little human friend Buddy. Icon, also featured in the story, was a rock star canine student I worked with at (PAALS). He’s a yellow lab in life and in the story. If you love dogs, this is the story for you. I hope it brings a smile to your face.
Funny Dog Breed
I attended dog grooming school in Dallas, TX just after the dinosaurs went through extinction. At the time, it was a necessity because we had three yorkies that always needed grooming. The school doubled as a grooming shop so students clipped all breeds of dogs for a reduced rate. Although a variety of types trotted through the shop, we never had a Lowchen. In THE PUPPY BARTER, Luke makes a home visit to examine two Lowchens. Why a Lowchen?
When I was researching unusual dog breeds, Lowchens came up. I thought they were interesting and added them to the story. Plus, I could give readers a clear image by describing a small sheep dog with Clydesdale feathers. Most people know what a sheep dog is and the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch is also well-known. The long hair on a horse’s lower leg is referred to as feathers because of the feather-like appearance.
