His Majesty’s There to Serve Him : Profile: A teen’s guide dog is always there, at school and home, performing everyday tasks most people take for granted.

It’s been said that a dog is man’s best friend, and you’ll get no argument from Brent Geier, a sophomore at Troy High School, whose golden retriever, Majesty, is far more than just the family pet.

For the past 3 1/2 years, Majesty has helped Geier, who has muscular dystrophy, perform the everyday tasks that most people take for granted.

“I just tell her what to do and she does it,” said Geier, who was been in a wheelchair for six years with the disease that is characterized by a progressive wasting of the muscles.

Majesty accompanies Geier to school, trotting beside his motorized wheelchair as he goes from class to class. She sometimes carries small items for him and responds to spoken commands to pick up anything he’s dropped, such as pencils.

“Dog guides can be used also for the blind or hearing impaired,” said Geier, who added that not only do such dogs provide physical help, but also give their masters confidence in their independence.

Geier can’t always count on people to be everywhere to help him, but he can rely on Majesty. “Her greatest physical help to me is to pick up stuff I can’t reach,” he said.

Unfortunately, at school, Majesty is often distracted from her tasks by students who see her as a pet and not a dog at work.

“She’s friends with everybody,” said Geier, 16. “Everyone pets her and she loves it. But they don’t usually pet her while I’m driving (my wheelchair).”

During class, Majesty sleeps by Geier’s side.

“She’s good when she’s asleep. She has doggy dreams where she cries and whines,” said Geier, who added that all his teachers love Majesty.

Sometimes, when there are a lot of students around and they’re making a fuss over Majesty, she forgets about doing her job. “You have to expect it,” Geier said. “She’s just a normal dog.”

To regain Majesty’s attention, Geier said, “I just tell her ‘No.’ I don’t yell; I just raise my voice a little to show her I’m not playing around.”

Although there is a limit as to how much Geier will allow Majesty to play at school, at home is another story. “She is more playful at home,” he said. “She plays with other dogs.”

At home, Majesty will fetch the TV’s remote control and turn on and off the lights.

“They’re together 24 hours a day; they’re best friends,” said Linda Geier, Brent’s mother.

Geier and Majesty became partners through Canine Companions, an organization in Rancho Santa Fe that provides specially trained dogs to people with disabilities. Geier was on a waiting list for a year. After being told he would get a dog, Geier had to attend a two-week training camp in San Diego to learn to handle his new companion.

“On the first three days of boot camp, we learned some of the commands and how to treat the dogs,” Geier said. “Then, on (the fourth day) we got the dogs and began to learn with them . . . and to love them.”

When Majesty first arrived in the Geier household, the other family members were told to keep their distance and not pay attention to her for about a month, giving Majesty and Brent time to bond.

“There’s still some distance because she’s Brent’s dog,” Linda Geier said. “But we still sneak in some petting every once in a while.”