by Gray Wolf's Resident
Labrador Retriever
For those of you new to our newsletter, let me introduce myself.
I'm Buck, the resident Labrador retriever at Gray Wolf Ranch.
I was adopted from the Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue Association
and have been given a home here. In return, I watch over "my
residents", teaching them to play and giving them the
kind of unconditional love that my breed is well known for.
A good life.
As each new resident arrives, it is always interesting to
me to watch them adapt and adjust, just as I did when I moved
here. Entering the program at Gray Wolf means accepting responsibility
for yourself and accepting a set of basic expectations. Because
expectations have never been an easy thing for me, I can really
appreciate the challenge! One of the hardest for me to follow
is the expectation that there are no dogs allowed in the "Group
Room", where the evening group therapy sessions take place.
They do let me sit outside the door, so I get to listen. In
the process, I've learned a lot about the expectations here
and why they're important.
A prime expectation is "housekeeping". The residents
must keep their rooms and the living areas of the lodge neat
and clean. This isn't always an easy one for young folks to
follow. Beds are made, clothes hung up, rooms vacuumed, and
bathrooms cleaned before anyone heads out to work or school
or other activities. In the evening, several residents are
assigned to "snack cleanup" and taking out the garbage.
This is an important one for me. I've gotten into trouble several
times for raiding the kitchen when food hasn't been put away.
It's best if the temptation is not left out for me. The expectations
are meant to help in developing the skills needed for long-term
sobriety. The residents are required to go to school, find
a job, or do community volunteer work while in the program.
They're not allowed to date or start relationships while in
town. And they must take part in AA while here. If a resident
gets two to three "unsatisfactory" evaluations in
a week, he's assigned additional duties, to help him learn
the importance of consistency.
Usually when residents are new, they tend to complain about
the expectations: "Why do I have to follow rules?" "You're
nit-picking." "This isn't fair!" After they've
been here for awhile, they start to see how important it is
to have some routine in their lives.
The system seems to work pretty well, and if you ask me, I
think the guys appreciate being given guidelines to follow,
even if they complain at the time. After all, they're really
learning how to function in a world full of boundaries and
to see the consequences of their choices if they decide to
cross them. And, fortunately, here at Gray Wolf Ranch they're
able to learn in a safe place with a lot of support. And the
unconditional love of a big, black Lab.
Until next time,
Buck |
