Hair There and Everywhere
by Leigh Brill
There’s a dog hair in my wine glass, and I couldn’t be happier.
You might suspect that my joy is inspired by my choice of libation. That’s a reasonable assumption, but in my dog-centric life, it is in fact the floating bit of fur that delights me. I pluck it from my glass and nonchalantly swipe it on my jeans. There, the tiny hair joins countless other reminders of my newest family member.
Piper is my fourth service dog. He follows in the remarkable paw 
prints of Slugger, Kenda, and Pato. The handsome black Labrador helps me deal with the challenges of congenital cerebral palsy, and he does so with style – a style I call ‘Pi-perfect’. Although our partnership is just beginning, ‘Pi-perfect’ is my favorite word these days. For good reason.
Whether he is retrieving the telephone, steadying my steps, or alerting my husband when I need help, Piper’s enthusiasm is boundless. As a professionally trained service dog, he knows more than fifty different commands. Everything from hold, to get it, to tug, to bump. Piper even knows the word refrigerator! Yes, my smart Lab will go to the fridge, open it, grab my lunch bag, close the fridge, and bring me my food.
I keep my lunch bag securely closed of course, but to be honest, I do find the occasional dog hair on my lunch plate … and I couldn’t be happier.
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