Trooper

Trooper, a 16-pound schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle)

The other dog bootie has dropped.

Last May my application for a service dog for the deaf was accepted by Dogs for the Deaf in Central Point, Oregon, and I was put on the waiting list.

Yesterday, a little more than six months later, an email arrived: "I have good news. We have a dog that just completed his training that we think would be a good match for you.

"Trooper is a 16 pound Poodle/Schnauzer mix."

It's early days, but it appears that Trooper and his trainer, Laura Burke, will arrive in Evanston some time during the week of December 7.

Will Trooper and I bond? Can I be trained to help him with his lessons? What adventures will we have together?

This will be interesting, and I'll be blogging about it frequently in the months to come.