It was on a Wednesday in 2016—the day before Thanksgiving—when Nicole certified with Diabetes and Mobility Assist Dog Tuesday. Nearly eight years later, their bond seems stronger than ever.
“She is just a part of me like another limb. She’s always around, and [it’s] comforting to me to have her with me. It feels weird if she is not right next to my side,” shares Nicole.
Staying by Nicole’s side means not staying still very often. As a busy mom of three children, ages 16, 14, and 11, Nicole has Tuesday’s service cape at the ready and says, “Tuesday is just part of the family so she pretty much goes wherever we go. She’s flown with us on vacations, goes to most sporting events for the kids, and goes to the cabin and camping with us.” She adds that if her Goldador (Golden Retriever and Lab mix) isn’t with them at sporting events, other families ask where she is. “She is just such an amazing dog and is so well trained! She does amazing wherever we go.”
Another regular outing for them is to Nicole’s work. “I am a syntonic light therapist, and Tuesday comes to work with me and just hangs out on her bed under my desk,” says Nicole. “Most of my patients don’t even know she is there, and if they do, they just adore her!”
Anywhere, and at any time, Tuesday is keeping a close nose on Nicole. “Her main job is alerting me to low blood sugars. She has also learned to alert me to highs.” When asked if Tuesday has provided help in a situation that otherwise might have become dangerous, Nicole responds, “Oh yes! She has saved me from many low blood sugar incidences before they became critical!” Tuesday even makes sure Nicole realizes when her continuous glucose monitor is beeping by alerting her if she misses it. “She is so smart and intuitive too. She loves to work and will do just about anything for a treat!”
Nicole mentions, “Mobility-wise, I am doing pretty well, so we just practice those skills to keep them fresh.” One way they have shown off Tuesday’s skills is by demonstrating to Nicole’s children’s classmates. She says, “Tuesday and I have done presentations on service dogs in my kids' schools over the years. We even had a PowerPoint presentation.”
Nicole has stayed involved with Can Do Canines over the years too, sharing scent samples for training and supporting the organization financially, “especially on Give to the Max Day,” she explains. “And I use a dog walking app to help donate money to Can Do Canines.”
With Tuesday advancing in age, Nicole knows some tough decisions will need to be made soon. “Unfortunately Tuesday just turned 10 years old, so we are thinking about what retirement looks like for her, and I am hoping to train another service dog to take over when she does retire.”
Until then, Nicole will continue to enjoy what she calls “the Tuesday pretzel”—when her silly dog “twists under herself” to scratch her backside “and even smiles” while doing so.
Whether it’s from having a reliable helper or an entertaining partner, not a day goes by when Nicole doesn’t give thanks for Tuesday!
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