Christopher Reichel & Mobility Assistance Dog Allie (Alice)
Author: Vera Mariner
“Calm. Hard Working. Sweetheart.” is how Christopher (Chris) Reichel describes his Mobility Assistance Dog, Alice, better known as Allie. She is a beautiful black Labrador Retriever and she lingers at Chris’ feet for his interview with a Can Do Canines team member and his mom. Chris was born with Cerebral Palsy and lives with an anxiety disorder which means Allie is the perfect blend of calm energy and a well-trained assistance dog.
Allie’s purpose in life is to help Chris and she loves her work! With Allie by his side Chris is active with family, friends, and his jobs; he doesn’t let his mobility challenges slow him down. For Allie, helping Chris includes retrieving dropped items, opening and closing doors, tugging Chris’ walker to him, and “getting help” (alerting someone, like mom, to help Chris). It is clear that Allie excels at the technical aspects of being a Mobility Assistance Dog, but she is also Chris’ friend; she keeps Chris calm in stressful situations.
“Allie is the dog who LIKES to do everything.”
In fact, Allie is super-smart and goes the extra mile for Chris; she is so in-tune to Chris saying “go get help” that even when it’s discussed in the interview she goes and gets help! Chris and his family figured out how to prevent Allie unintentionally running for help when it isn’t needed; for conversational use they coded “Go Get Help” to “GGH.” Allie is pretty impressive!
In the beginning, things didn’t always go that smoothly for Chris and Allie; a Can Do Canine does not come on a silver platter. Although the dogs are well trained prior to being matched with a client, training with a dog like Allie is a mutually diligent process involving human and canine. One-on-one training with Can Do Canines’ trainers takes discipline and thorough commitment as well as follow-through by the individual. Therefore, not only is Allie trained but so is Chris. The team’s training included several public outings to grocery stores and malls as well as many in-home sessions. The training process wasn’t limited to Chris and Allie, as family members were also an important part of the process. In the end, all of Chris’ and Allie’s hard work paid off–they are ready to graduate.
Just because Allie is an assistance dog doesn’t mean she isn’t hilarious and fun. Chris tells his audience that Allie is a bed hog and likes to steal the spotlight in a charming and delightful way.
The affable Chris offers some incredibly wise words for first timers who are contemplating an assistance dog. “There’s a waiting list” and “be patient with your dog as you train.” He wants to make sure you know that training together is a journey and a process that is unique with each couple. Different dogs learn at their own pace.
Also, Allie is a “successor” dog. This is Chris’ second Mobility Assistance Dog. Allie succeeds Odie who passed away on July 20, 2015. Chris wants you to know “successor” dogs shouldn’t be compared to their predecessor.
As Chris begins a new job, Allie will be at his side doing what she does best: keeping him calm and collected as he ventures out on his life journey. He admits that he has learned and grown a lot while having Allie.
At Can Do Canines, this is all music to our ears. Your support made it possible to provide both Odie and Allie to Chris. Thank you so much!
Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:
Puppy Raisers – Marianne Malko
Dog Source – ADI Breeding Cooperative
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