The first of these jobs is getting the phone. Mom and I are here by ourselves most of the time, and if she has a problem she tells me "get the phone" and I run to get it so she can call for help if she needs to. Mom usually keeps the phone in one spot so I know where to go to get it, but, sometimes she hides it just so I can practice finding it in case it is somewhere else. She keeps it in a special case made just for me to grab on to!
The second important job is helping Mom get up from a chair or the floor if she needs me to. When she wants me to do this job she puts her hand out and says "Cody, brace". I move under her hand and spread my legs out enough to stand firmly in one spot for support. I don't move until she says "okay". She usually also says "Thank You" and "Good Boy!" but I can move around and wag my tail for that part. If she needs some leverage, she can give me something to hold on to and tell me "Pull" and I can help her in that way too!
The third important job is to get Dad. If she is somewhere in the house and gets weak or needs help, she calls me and I get Dad. Now you are probably wondering why she doesn't just call for Dad in the first place, and the reason is that he has a hearing problem, and she sometimes gets a weak voice, especially when she is tired (which is also when she is most likely to need help). See why she needs a good boy like me around? I can hear her even when she is whispering, or just tapping on the floor. Plus, I'm usually hanging out wherever she is anyhow.
Love n' Slobbers,
Cody
Notes from Mom
One of the first things I wanted to teach Cody was "get the phone" but not knowing whether or not he would have a hard bite when picking things up, and not wanting him to crush my kind of expensive phone, I decided I should make a case. I knew this would also make it easier for him to pick up, and that he would appreciate a soft case more than a hard one. We had a small padded nylon case with hook & loop closure, which I believe used to hold a camping light, so I just made a wooden case to fit inside that. The top and bottom are made from 1/8" birch plywood, and the 3 short sides are 1/2" square basswood (all available from most hobby shops). Before I glued it all together I sanded, and sanded, and sanded the wood - especially the pieces that would be on the INSIDE so that my phone would slide out easily. After gluing, I rounded the outside edges and smoothed the outside as well, though I don't take it out of the case. This case has worked very well for Cody, and I also can use this inside his backpack when we go for a walk, without fear of my phone getting damaged.
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