Elli is my service dog. She's been on national TV, the front page of the Sunday paper, but doesn't do radio interviews. It took 3 years to get her to "speak" on command. She has over 90 other other commands. Besides helping me by pulling my wheelchair, picking up whatever I drop, and helping carry the groceries, Elli was trained to wake me up when my father's ventilator alarm went off. She saved him twice.
Elli is now a senior, but still loves to work. She can't pull me very far anymore, and gets tired easily, but if I leave her home she howls at anyone who will listen until I get back. She still loves to go to court and meet new people, but I'm not working right now. I'm taking it easy on her, because she should have retired 3 years ago. It would break her heart if I left her home and took on another service dog, and it would break mine to give her away, so we'll just walk a little more slowly and do a little less and play a little more so that her last years will be as happy as her first.
