K-9 Craziness
So, after checking my luggage, and
after getting a complete lack of help from the ticket agent
regarding the security line, I decided to risk it. Glindy and I
made a quick run over to the puppy park, and then headed upstairs
to the security checkpoint.
The line was long, but manageable. I still had plenty of time to
make pre-boarding, so things were looking up.
About halfway through the security line, Glindy notices a stuffed
dog in the arms of a young girl in front of us. She starts to rear
up for a closer sniff--something she definitely knows better than
to do--and got a sharp no and an ineffective leash correction from
me.
The leash correction was ineffective because I had my hands-free
leash attached to the D-ring of her detachable-backpack webbing at
the time. I usually have to take her working collar off to get
through the security checkpoint, so of course she was testing the
limits.
Then, a few minutes later, the police K-9 unit decides to pay us
all a little visit. Glindy started whining and straining at her
leash, creating a wonderfully absurd visual. There I was, in the
middle of a large crowd, with a roller bag in one hand, a computer
case in my other hand, a detached service dog backpack in my
other other hand, and a frenzied dog yanking my pelvis
around like I was doing an Elvis impersonation.
Needless to say, I was not amused. I got Glindy and the
baggage vaguely under control, but she continued whining loudly,
clearly creating a disturbance. Had I been any less busy trying to
keep it all from flying apart again, I would have been
mortified.
To their credit, the TSA agents figured out that Glindy was
reacting to the K-9 unit, and pulled me out of line so we could get
through the checkpoint and away from the other dog. I suppose they
would have also been within their rights to simply eject us from
the airport, but they apparently decided to push us on ahead, for
which I was profoundly grateful.
After passing through the metal detectors, I thanked the TSA agents
for their assistance and apologized profusely for the disruption.
They passed it off as no big thing, but I definitely think credit
is due for their prompt and carefully-measured response.
After we got to the gate, a few people came up to me to offer
sympathy. No one besides me seemed to think that Glindy's behavior
had been completely over the top, and I was glad that I didn't have
to excuse it to anyone.
In fact, one lady who'd witnessed the whole thing even asked if I
minded if her young daughter petted Glindy. Personally, I
wouldn't have wanted to pet a dog who'd just behaved so
rambunctiously, much less let my child do it, but this lady seemed
comfortable with it.
Under the circumstances, I should have said no, but I really wanted
Glindy and I to redeem ourselves, so I let the little girl give
Glindy a fish-skin treat. Of course, when the little girl decided
to keep petting Glindy while she was eating, I had second and third
thoughts about whether I'd completely lost my mind, but Glindy was
now acting like the perfect service dog, and munched contentedly
without any concern about the girl at all.
The girl's mother and I gently moved her away so Glindy could eat
in peace. After that, I sat there and thanked providence that
nothing worse had happened at the airport, and vowed that we'd
begin a new program of desensitization when I got back home.
After that, the rest of the flight went smoothly. When I got to the
gate, the agents were very solicitous. They asked if I needed
bulkhead seating, and took a few minutes before pre-boarding to
rearrange some through-passengers so make a bulkhead seat
available.
And the most amazing thing? All during boarding, all the passengers
walking by my seat had to say was how cute Glindy was, or how
well-behaved she was compared to their own dogs at home.
Incredible, but true.