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CD • News • Leader • Press Thursday, January 24, 2013
CHIT-CHAT
LITERARY BITE Kessen’s adventure: journey from service dog to author
Kessen is not a normal dog. Yes, he has fur and four paws and barks like the rest of them, but he’s far from average. For starters, Kessen has written a book. Or rather, his human, Jennifer Rae Trojan, wrote a book from his point of view titled “Kessen’s Kronikles.” But he’s also special for another reason — Kessen was raised by West Chicago residents Jennifer and Charles Trojan to be a service dog. Unlike pets, service dogs are raised with rigid rules, and begin training at 6 months old. After learning 32 commands in 12 to 14 months through puppy raisers, service dogs are sent to advanced training, or puppy college, where they spend six to nine more months learning added skills before they are matched with an individual. Successfully graduating is a feat only three out of 10 dogs achieve. The Trojans have hosted four potential service dogs at their home, with hopes they’d complete service training. Their first and fourth dogs graduated, while Kessen, their second dog, and Brightie, their third, didn’t make it: Kessen because of kennel stress, and Brightie because she was too big of a diva. Instead of just letting Kessen and Brightie go, the Trojans took the duo back into their home and retrained them as assisted therapy dogs. Both lab/golden retriever mixes have become part of the family, and help new dogs adapt. Even though the dogs get to play and have fun like normal canines, Jennifer realized service dogs have a unique perspective on life, and decided to tackle that idea head on in her book.
Why did you want to raise service dogs? My husband and I have been puppy raisers for service organizations since we retired as high school guidance counselors. I’ve always loved animals, but with long hours of work, it was unfair to the dog to have one at the time. I was looking into organizations with service animals, and we connected with one and became puppy sitters. We weren’t sure if we wanted to give up our time to raising a dog, and we didn’t really know the requirements or how to proceed. So we did some puppy sitting for a year and a half of potential service dogs. That way, we got a feel for commands and expectations. After we did that, we decided to raise our own.
What’s it like to raise one? The responsibility is a big one. When you don’t have a dog for a long time, and
Find the book What: Jennifer Rae Trojan of West Chicago wrote a book from her dog’s point of view, “Kessen’s Kronikles: The Adventures of a Cross Country Canine” More info: Available at sites such as amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com; email kessenskronikles@gmail.com then you get a list of structured rules for service animals, it’s a lot different than a pet. They’re not pets. They can’t play tug, because a big portion of a service dog’s job is to retrieve dropped items. If it becomes a game, that’s confusing to them. We could never say fetch or throw a ball because it can’t be a game to them. Isn’t it hard to act like they’re not a loving part of the family? Yeah, it is very hard. Initially, there was a lot of handler error because when the dog comes up lovingly and puts his head on your lap, you have to ignore him, and that’s hard to do. We have always tried to distance ourselves because all of the dogs are not ours to keep. We have to keep telling ourselves that. We have them for 12 to 14 months, and even though they become a part of the family, they have to go on to their next chapter. When you see what the dogs do for others, what we do is all worthwhile. These puppies leave paw prints on our hearts — in our eyes they never get old because they leave us so early in their lives, and the next chapter in their lives is geared towards helping others. What’s not to love about that? What made you write Kessen’s story? I have to put in a lot of work with the dogs, but only other dogs can teach each other certain things. Dogs teach each other behavior. So the book is written from his point of view, starting when Kessen was taken from his siblings and mother in California. I wrote the dedication … a couple years ago; but I didn’t do much about it because I needed a hook. Then, when we were traveling cross-country with Kessen, we were in a car accident in Albuquerque, and I realized that was the hook. It was interesting to write from his point of view, because there are a lot of things you don’t realize — like going over a wooden bridge for the first time is scary for a dog. — ALLISON HORNE
Kessen is the inspiration for “Kessen’s Kronikles: The Adventures of a Cross Country Canine.” Submitted photos
Jennifer Rae Trojan of West Chicago relaxes with Kessen and Brightie.