By KEITH UPCHURCH

kupchurch@heraldsun.com; 419-6612

DURHAM -- Melanie Taylor was one of the first people to get a service dog from Eyes Ears Nose and Paws, and the help she's getting from the 17-month-old golden retriever has made the dog pure gold in her eyes.

Taylor has brain cancer, which has taken away part of her vision and her ability to drive.

But about three weeks ago, she got the service dog, named Little B, from the nonprofit in Carrboro, and now her life is better.

Little B is highly skilled even at his young age, although he's still in training. But he helps Taylor, who lives by herself except for him, to get around. He helps her to navigate trips around the neighborhood, to the doctor's office or the mall, walking by her side and alerting her to possible dangers or obstacles.

He stays with her as she uses a special mini-bus to travel, and knows the command Go In, which directs him to roll up in a circle under a restaurant table or doctor's office chair, for example.

Taylor is allowed to take Little B to any public place, but private businesses can sometime present a problem, as she recently learned when she went to a nail salon and the owner initially tried to keep the dog out. When she explained that he was a service dog, however, the owner consented.

Taylor tries to stay active, and Little B is helping make that a reality. Recently, she flew with Little B to Atlanta to visit her daughter. "It was hard," she said of the flight.

Space was tight, and Little B struggled and was upset by "lots of noises." The airline also got upset, she said, because Little B kept getting into the aisle.

"He's trained to really take care of me," she said, so he seldom becomes distracted and makes Taylor the center of his attention.

Little B is especially good at preventing her from walking into things like a wall, and can pick up items like a coin or television remote control and return it to her, although he's trained not to pick up food from the ground.

"It's pretty amazing," she said.

He helps her up and down the stairs at her three-story home in Meadowmont, and at the mall, he'll keep her from running into obstacles. At an intersection, he waits until she says it's time to resume walking.

When Little B is working -- and that's anytime he wears his service dog vest -- he knows that's he on duty and shouldn't interact with others.

Taylor is considering getting a special 911 emergency button for her phone, which would let Little B push it in a medical emergency. He already knows how to do that, and can also open doors that have a handle that pushes down.

But Little B also has playtime, and Taylor has given him his own toys. When playtime is over, he'll bring the toys to her and keep her home free of clutter.

Taylor says she and Little B bonded immediately, and having him has improved her life.

"He's a beautiful dog," she said. "He's made me feel more comfortable in the community. He protects me, and wants to please me. I knew when I met him that he was the dog for me."