“Service Dog Fridays” are long days for Levi and I, with six hours of driving, three hours of training, and they’re exhausting.
Last Friday, however, I was out of bed before the alarm. This long trek wasn’t really a trek at all — I was three hours from seeing Schooner, the big Great Dane I’d turned in a month earlier.
It had been a long month, full of mixed feelings and transitions.
I didn’t miss the trail of slime and slobber he left wherever he went. I didn’t miss his bed-hogging ways or his snoring. But man, did I miss his silly, sweet, goofy self. I missed his singing, his groaning, his laid-backness. I missed him a bunch.
Thankfully, I had a new service pup in-training, Levi, to occupy my time and to fill my days with ridiculously cute moments that lifted me out of the doldrums from missing Schoons.
It was all I could do to walk calmly into the training center, focusing on Levi and his people-greeting skills, and not running directly to Schooner. I could hear him singing his “woo-woos” and my insides felt like they were vibrating from the excitement of seeing him again.
The reunion was splendid.
Everything a girl could hope for. I may have cried. He was as excited as I was, as you can see from the video. I was so very happy to see him, but I was also a little sad because seeing him again reminded me of just how much I missed him…
I’m counting the days until I can see him again.
Talk to me: have you been reunited with a dog you fostered? What was the reunion like? Please share in the comments below, I’d love to hear your story.
Oh my goodness! How lovely to reunite… I don’t know if he was allowed to lick your face, but I’m sure he wanted to! Such love and happiness in that video, in his behavior and your voice.
He’s not much of a kisser, unfortunately. It was heavenly to see him again, I think he and I both enjoyed it immensely!