Josh's new best friend

The last we heard from the Ghiz family, Alex and Racine Ghiz were overwhelmed by the community that donated more than $9,000 for their severely disabled son, Josh, to have a social therapy dog.

The Thanksgiving present, some $4,000 more than the family had hoped for, came just in time for Racine, Josh and his three younger sisters to head for Kansas City to attend an intense family training session.

Four weeks later, Josh has a new best friend. Crissy is a feathery-soft golden retriever mix and the newest member of the Ghiz family.

"He's really into this," Racine said. "Josh pets her, looks at her. And when he does, he drools, a sure sign that he's concentrating on what he's doing."

And that is the main reason so many people joined the effort to bring Crissy to Jackson in the first place.

Josh is a 10-year-old from Jackson who suffers from 18 Q-minus syndrome. Part of the bottom half of Josh's 18th chromosome is missing in every cell of Josh's body. The syndrome has left the boy with many problems. He can see and hear some things, but no one knows just how much. He can't talk or walk.

He withdraws into his own world, pushing at his own eyeballs and bending his fingers backward just to feel something.

The idea was for Crissy to help Josh concentrate on the real world. And so far, it's working.

Crissy has learned 52 commands. She'll snuggle and kiss Josh, put her head in Josh's lap and sleep with Josh.

"He sleeps a lot better with her," Racine said. "He slept in on Saturday which is just unheard of."

Crissy does not go to school with Josh and she is allowed time to relax even when she is around him.

However, as loveable and soft-hearted as Crissy is, the rest of the family is keeping its distance from her for six weeks while Crissy and Josh form a bond.

Susan Bass was one of two trainers who worked with Crissy. Bass spent about three months with Crissy, then handed the dog off to another trainer who had young children for further training.

Bass said Crissy trained for about six months -- three months more than the minimum standard set by Assistance Dogs International, a coalition of nonprofit organizations that train and place assistance dogs.

During the first week of December, Racine and Josh, along with the other Ghiz children -- 6-year-old Lilly, 3-year-old Ivy and 6-month-old Gwen -- headed for Kansas City for family training with Crissy. Alex, who had canine training in an earlier law enforcement job, stayed at home to work.

For five days, for up to 12 hours a day, Racine and Josh spent time with Crissy. Josh's sisters were in on the training as well, but not as much as Racine and Josh.

Racine learned everything from canine psychology to how to read a dog's demeanor.

"She had to pass 12 tests, plus attend other psychological lectures," Bass said of Racine. "She probably has more training on the books than most dog trainers in the community."

There are many things a dog handler must know before he or she gives commands, things such as how to correct, how to praise, how to motivate. The handler must know when and where a dog is allowed and the laws that apply to assistance dogs.

But the most difficult lesson for the Ghiz family is how to establish Crissy's pack order. Dogs are naturally pack animals with an alpha male and female, the two dogs in each pack that every dog looks up to.

Alex and Racine have to establish themselves as the alpha male and female of the family. This means only they are allowed to give orders.

Even though Josh sometimes hurts himself for stimulation, Racine and Susan Bass say they are not worried that Josh may hurt Crissy.

Josh's hands are almost always open, so pulling hair is almost impossible. And though Josh waves his arms and legs, he doesn't wave them aggressively. So far, there haven't been any problems.

The Ghiz family will travel to visit their hometown in Utah on Christmas Day. And when they depart, there will be an extra member of the family on the airplane.

And when they go back home, they'll take a part of Jackson with them.

"It's been a lot of stress when you work for something that's a matter close to the heart," Racine said. "Nothing is ever gained just waiting for something to come to you so it's stressful when you put yourself in that position. But I don't think people realize the importance of support and what it can accomplish -- the snowball effect -- if everybody contributes $10. But most of those who donate don't think their contribution is enough, but it's that help, that willingness to give something that made this happen. And that's what a community is."

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635