Ask Mr. Seamus
Home Pages to Braille
and in spirit
Mascot Seamus & Bubba
Mascot Seamus
SCBR Senior Mascot
Rainbow Bridge
9/6/03
Still lives within these pages as a
ghostwriter - ink slinger, in spirit!
RESOURCES
* General Links *
*
Medical Health Links *
*
Training *
*
Special Needs Links *
*
Responsible Dog Ownership *
UPDATED 7/3/08
Braille Tales
Age 7
Bubba Knows
Rainbow Bridge
9/16/06
askmrseamus@yahoo.com
Ask Bubba Knows,
an earlier interview by
Ms. Braille, all ears!
NOISE PHOBIA, hear me know!

BRAILLE - Bubba, I understand when you first came to live at the Oceanview  
Innigan, you were better known as the Phobia King - Chickenhearted and
sometimes called plain old chicken poop!

BUBBA - True, true, true! Having been impacted and crushed by a moving
vehicle and left near dead on the side of the road at about age one, this put the
fears of many forthcoming phobias that later in my life I eagerly wished to have
overcome.

BRAILLE - So sorry to hear of your younger hardships. What were some of the
experiences that scared the crap out of you?

BUBBA - To say the least Braille, I was a nervous wreck about everything I
attempted to do in my life for the first three years. I truly felt like a failure, if
there was an emotional dog, I was the target for copping out. I was anxious, had
persistent fears and worried, and had developed some irrational, excessive, odd
and complicated behaviors. I would sooner had eaten myself to death in a
locked room with my head stuffed into a forty pound bags of dog food. Many
humans had already given up on me.

BRAILLE - It sounds like it was a great thing that you found SCBR and your
adopted family worked to help you to overcome your cowardliness. Exactly
what were some of your fears and phobias?

BUBBA - Space does not permit me to speak of all of them, but I'll try to give
you a few examples.  

1. )  Had a fifty five gallon barrel stove get caught on my cable runner that
chased me to the end of a sixty foot run. It hit the stop and my fifteen foot lead
of which I was still attached to flew me ten feet into the air breaking my Lupine
safety collar. It was NOT a gentle landing! I feared my own back steps and
yard for many weeks.

2. )  It seemed like I was always getting hit in the back legs and butt as I left
doorways, especially those walk pads that automatically opened a door. I know
they were sneaking up on me! I found it difficult to go in and out.

3. )  While attending my first BRAD at the Grand Opening of a Petco store, the
noise inside was overwhelming. One of those metal shelving units fell apart.
Nearly having a heart attack, I lunged into a cinder block wall trying to escape.
It took more than six months of reassuring that I would be safe to walk in a
store.

4. )  Not to mention, I had issues with getting on elevators, being in parking
garages, fire trucks, honking horns, trains, mail, trash, FED EX and UPS trucks
coming into my neighborhood. Fireworks and thunderstorms set me off. I was
timid, yet sensitive to all loud sounds, yes NOISE PHOBIA!

BRAILLE - OMG, Bubba how did you ever survive and have success in getting
beyond to live in the REAL WORLD another seven years?

BUBBA - My Mom worked with my trainer in desensitizing my world. It was no
easy task, took two and a half years. At best, I learned to trust that she would
keep me safe, yet NOT coddling the worst, but bringing out the best in me. I
was made to do the things that I feared worst.  There were no drugs or miracle
magic, only daily life practicing of what I could do best, basic obedience, plus
more experiences. Sound effects Cd's of all kinds became apart of my life, by
way of our stereo system, loud and louder.  John Philips Sousa marching
banding never showed up to get my food and those rumbling thunderstorms
became a way of life, as a matter of fact.

My Mom changed my view. I no longer had the front living room windows to
see or hear the things I feared most. I no longer had to bark or did I have to
protect my house. I went off duty, off guard. Those back of the house windows
were trauma and drama free. Picture peaceful birds and pleasant views. I began
to appreciate the finer things in life. What was past had passed and many
wonderful experiences came to me. I was count reconditioned and now balanced.

BRAILLE - Wow Bubba, you must of been proud of yourself! What honorable
stuff did you do after all this training and what would you want other dogs and
people to know?

BUBBA - I continued to train in all sort of formats, both private and later
public. My Mom made me do stuff that a normal dog would NOT do. As my
levels of confidence improved, she enrolled me in therapy dog training classes.
The day we passed the test, she knew I had made many miles and markers.
Most of my NOISE PHOBIAS were behind me. I was now a public dog allowed
in public spaces, nursing homes, schools and loved nothing more then to share a
piece of birthday cake at the local library with a room full of children who had
been reading to me all summer.

Later, I went forward to take the AKC CGC and passed. Then became a tester
dog for both of these tests, where other dogs would pass four to six feet near
me, never to flinch, but pay attention to my Mom.

My words of wisdom to those who fear, fear NOT you can succeed by NOT
ever giving up with practice!

BRAILLE - One must say, Bubba Knows!

EDITOR'S NOTE:  
Those days of Bubba Knows are well remembered. He came
to me as a dream. The whisper of a breeze, the roar of thunder and a splash of
rain, as an agent of change and a true friend. He changed my life and become
the friend of many during his. Inspired by a spark of lightening and as an
inspiration, I still do celebrate his life forever.

Shortly after adopting Bubba in July 1999, no monetary value could replace
his gifts other then the return of time. Like the pioneer who paved their wares
while attending the university of hardknocks, experience was and still is a
great teacher and the best.

One moves forward, while staying focus on the task at hand. One never loses
sight of the values and efforts of what SCBR does as an organization. Our
volunteers in numbers and strengths outweigh our weaknesses and
imperfections of a few. One may forget the reality of a perfect world and no
need for a rescue, however we are not their yet. Many have come to realize this
and remain. ONLY are fraction of a few clouded brains and even fewer have
come and gone only to fine the grass no greener then here. Martyrs are made to
think perfection, perfection is doomed to burn out. Leaders are born far and
few and the secret is only a few.

I have NOT lost sight to the fact that we do it for the dogs and many more have
been placed with success rather then failure. As a volunteer for nine years it
says who we are as an organization and we stand by what we do forever. You
may not see me. I may be invisible, but know that I am still here after nine
years. Like the starfish story, we only except what we can return. For dogs like  
Braille, Mascot Seamus and Bubba and all the rest, had we not been here, we
may not have been enrich by their lives'. No doubt in my mind that dog is man's
best friend.
Wishing All a Safe
&
Happy Fourth of July
Fourth of July, here in the South means a hot day of at least ninety degrees, a
messin' of Fried Chicken, Mac & Cheese, a fixin' of field greens, sweeten' tea
and a cement slab for a one hour private fireworks show.
Seven years ago this fourth of July, Baby
Braille and her sister Dusty found their way
from San Antonino, TX to Second Chance
Boxer at nine weeks of age.