And all of a sudden everything seems so threatening. The handle bars on the grocery carts, the other kids pudgy little hands, the well meaning adults and their hugs and coos at baby Noah. The world seems to be aggressively trying to harm him. All this change of perspective, all this hyper vigilance ever since the diagnosis of severe peanut allergy entered into the lives of Noah’s family.
Now sanitizing wipes become a necessity. Daycares and elementary schools and even grandma’s house are threaded with the potentially deadly culprit. Scouring labels on foods becomes regular reading material. Defensive protective mode becomes the theme of everyday life.
Fatigue with worry sets in. Offensive posturing with online research, phone calls, and supportive other mother’s become a daily occurrence. What can be done? How does one heal, protect, and nurture when the enemy is so pervasive. Peanuts. So simple. Found in everyday foods. Dangerous. How can a mother spend every moment of everyday watching the toddler. The precious baby with shinny eyes, rosy cheeks and round little belly. The cycle of hyper vigilance, helplessness, exhaustion and guilt cycles every day.
Meet Linus, a two and a half year old Border Collie/Boxer mix, an allergy support dog. After four months of rigorous training, Linus has been successfully adapted to scent for peanuts. But what can Linus do? After all, he is just a dog.
Linus huddles close to Noah. They are buds. Little Noah with his wobbly two year old steps, soft voice pats Linus on the head a little more aggressively than an adult would do. Linus sits close by Noah, not bothered in the least. Noah plays with his trucks. Linus lays beside him. Noah jumps up to fetch a lego. Linus watches him intently, never letting him get too far.
What a great pet! But Linus is so much more.
Linus is a registered allergy support service dog. Trained by Senior Master Trainer, Stephen Torres at K9 Kingdom in Colorado Springs, Linus can smell peanuts within a twenty foot radius. Dogs smell directionally. When humans smell, we smell in proximity. But dogs can scent in a specific direction, pinpointing anything they are trained to locate.
What does Linus do when he smells peanuts? He sits close to Noah and barks. He does not stop barking until an adult comes. If an adult does not respond, Linus herds little Noah out of the area. It’s so cute to see Linus herding a toddler. Linus loves his job, Noah thinks it’s a game.
But Linus does even more. Because he is a registered service animal, he can go to schools, stores, restaurants, birthday parties, you name it. Always alert. Always protecting.
Perhaps the best thing about Linus is the the sigh of relief from Noah’s parents. Their peace of mind knowing that Linus can smell, alert, and act on behalf of their son gives an enormous amount of relief to the parents. his is the most important. This is the greatest attribute of Linus.
Senior Master Trainer Stephen Torres spent months training Linus, honing his skills to perfection, rigorously practicing with Linus from 6a-8p every day. Stephen is not just one of the top 25 trainers in the nation located here in Colorado Springs. He is also Noah’s dad.
| DeShae Biegalski is the Director of Marketing for K9 Kingdom. She holds a master’s degree in counseling from Colorado Christian University in Lakewood and a BA degree from Colorado State University – Pueblo in mass communications. She is a native Coloradoan but has traveled all over the United States and Eastern Europe. She is passionate about setting people free from their own personal “cages” by changing rigid thought and behavior patterns and incorporating service dogs. She is the mother of four beautiful children, one son and three girls. Her favorite movie quote, “I fear neither death nor pain, only a cage.” |
