Dr Kelly Fleming

Life is a journey, each person's journey is unique.

disability

  • Bobby Meets His Trainer

    Today was a big day for Bobby and he took it in stride. I met with the person who will help me train Bobby to be a Service Dog. And in appropriate poodle-like fashion and with a hint of his unknowing future skills, he was curious about her but didn’t approach her and then totally Read more

  • A Successful Team – Service Dogs and Their Humans

    For 21 years I had dogs that were trained by an organization. I received each of them without any knowledge of what they were like as puppies and the time they spent at school learning skills. I was told nothing about their personalities. I was simply shown how to maintain the skills they had learnt. Read more

  • Heartbreak Turned to Joy

    Denied a successor service dog from the organization I was with for over 21 years was a different heartbreak than I’ve ever experienced. I have had 3 Standard Poodles from one organization that trained them for 21 years. After a long interview process with them last summer, I returned home and opened my mail. I Read more

  • Bobby’s Update to His Human Followers

    An update from Bobby ❤️ The world is an exciting place when you’re 4 months old and 2 ft tall. Big machines that make noises. Tall things that kinda look like Mummy but walk on 2 legs. And wow ! All those exciting smelly things outside that you must taste. Everything goes in your mouth Read more

  • Life Has Amazing Surprises

    My 40s were difficult years. Right after my 40th birthday I was diagnosed with breast cancer and 4 surgeries in 4 years, broke my back (again) in 2019 that took 6 months bedrest to heal and then covid in January 2021 which I battled for 4 months, and more hospital visits and stays than I Read more

  • Bobby – Service Dog in Training

    The difference between receiving a trained service dog when they are over 2 years old and having a puppy that you train yourself with the assistance of a trainer: Bobby doesn’t know that Mummy’s disabilities are different. He doesn’t know anything about walking on leash with a walking person because he knows Mummy has some Read more

  • The Innocence of a Puppy learning to become a Service Dog

    The difference between receiving a trained service dog when they are over 2 years old and having a puppy that you train yourself with the assistance of a trainer: Bobby doesn’t know that Mummy’s disabilities are different. He doesn’t know anything about walking on leash with a walking person because he knows Mummy has some Read more

  • Ahh! My Biggest Challenge

    My biggest challenge for the next year will be training Bobby to be a Service Dog. Oh, he’s a smart little guy. I’ve only had him for one week but the things he has learnt in that time amaze me. He challenges me to learn new things to teach him. He’s becoming really good at Read more

  • Service Dog in Training

    I’m not one to ask for help. Aside from my wheelchair, my independence comes from having a Service Dog. I have never been more than 6 months without a Service Dog in 21 years. It has now been 16 months without a Service Dog and life has been extremely difficult without the independence they give Read more

  • When Life Feels Upside Down

    We all have those days that just seem off. Everything we planned to do gets turned upside down. How do you handle those days? I’m interested in hearing from others as to how they cope when things just turn out the opposite to what they have planned. For me, it can be quite a struggle. Read more