It was all due to my wife Sandra taking me to her weekly puppy class that this whole story
happened. Sandra was and is my full time carer. My day care costs had risen so much that we could no longer afford them and I had to stop going, the day care gave us both the space we needed to be ourselves.  Then began a difficult period where we were both stuck at home
together, not a recipe for a harmonious life!

Well it was during this period that the weekly "puppy class" day arrived and with me in tow Sandra set off  as usual to the CPI training centre. I was sat in my wheelchair, hidden in a quiet corner of the CPI Training centre in a world of my own. Never wanting to communicate with anyone except the dogs. If anyone tried to talk to me then I'd be rude to them or divert their
conversation to Sandra. My speech was awful, my stutter to painful to the ears of everyone!

Endal, who was sat at the other end of the training centre, another misfit not prepared to work for the trainers and was not willing without an large amount of prompting to do even the
simplest tasks. Added to the fact Endal had OCD in his front legs and was limping. His future in the role of an assistance dog was very much in question. A problem dog which was causing a headache for all those involved.

The dog which at the time my wife was puppy walking , Ferdy a yellow Labrador, had started to bond with me and I think he thought even at an early stage he was really working for me. When Sandra was up at the training centre in puppy class Ferdy was always trying to look for me and not be concentrating  on working with Sandra. This was so distressing for Sandra as she was his handler and this just undermined her hard work. Eventually things came to ahead , one day at the Training centre just Sandra broke down in tears and  sat with Tessa (Head trainer) and explained the situation. Tessa said that the right course of action was that Ferdy had to come away from our home! The next course of action was that another dog would be bought in, Gracie a six week old golden retriever.

The problem of the new dog also bonding with me was considered and the solution was muted that I take on Endal as a therapeutic companion dog. Because the positive effects the dogs were having on me had become very noticeable, this seemed to be the solution to a lot of the problems. This fitted in with my then attitude  because the thought of having an assistance dog was so abhorrent to me because it meant that I had to admit to my disability. This for me was a
comfortable way of having a dog.  This solution also meant that we had a his and hers dog
situation! This was agreed and  the plan was put into action.

The morning of  February 28th  1998 our trail began, I was called to the  out side of  the training Centre and was handed Endal a year old yellow Labrador from the boot of Judith's car. Judith was in floods of tears, this was her baby for the last year and she had given Endal so much love. Sandra then handed over Ferdy to Judith  for completion of his training.  Sandra then collected Gracie and the Parton Family went from one to two dogs .

Those first few weeks were a very difficult time for both Endal and I. He had not done any of the  advanced work the other placed dogs had and his only training had been that given during  his puppy walking. I, at the time, was just so afraid to show any real emotion towards Endal
because he might and could have been taken away from me. On the days when he was limping badly he was not allowed to wear the cherished CPI jacket which meant that we were limited to what we could do.  We managed to work well together in those early days but I still held back the tide of emotion required to make the partnership complete. Weeks past by and then it was suggested that Endal and I actually go on the CPI course and graduate as a proper CPI partnership, because I'd had Endal for a while the initial week of the course we didn't need, grooming and care of the dog etc. The second week full of the practical aspects of the working relation ship was thought more beneficial to me. We graduated successfully but even during this week Endal occasionally limped  and had to be kept quiet and calm. I still felt that I had be very
reserved  in my relationship with Endal.

It was  in those early days that Endal became the "Cash Point" dog. The press came down and  he was photographed in action. After one photo shoot we went to a fund raising event at which Endal's and my worlds came crashing down. Endal went severely lame and I just could not deal with the consequences of his hurting. We visited various vets trying  to help Endal in everyway possible. All of the vets unanimously agreed that strict rest was needed. We tried so hard but  Endal would not rest, if I left the room so did he. The vets said he was not allowed upstairs, as stair would agitate the problem, so he was to be  put in the kitchen at night. On the first night Endal had eaten all of the rabbit food (1 Kg) from it's bag,  he had been jumping up and down  on to the kitchen work surface. He didn't break a thing but had been taken off thing to put on the floor and he even had the top of the swing bin stuck around his neck . Because of his actions the only option was for Endal to under go strict bed rest, that meant kennels. I couldn't take Endal myself so Alison one on the Trainers took him for me.