Dogs have sick days, too

Hi Everyone! I'll start with the events of yesterday. Basically, yesterday was a day off, so no training took place. I relaxed, ate way to much brunch, and went out for a couple of beers with a classmate to watch the superbowl. We had fun, and it was really nice to have a day of rest, after all, that's what Sunday was made for, right? :) This morning, I went outside to relieve my dog at 7 as usual. We were standing in the hallway, when her eyes and face started to swell up. We took a look at her, and my instructor concluded that she'd had an alergic reaction to something, probably a spider bite. We drugged her up to bring the swelling down, but the shot we gave her made her very sleepy, so she couldn't work much at all today. Instead, we went into Portland with the rest of the group, and I had some good snuggle time with her on the beanbag in our lounge this morning while she slept. We were curled up together and actually both fell asleep for a little while. In the afternoon, I worked with my instructor on some little things, like my positioning when I direct my dog to the left. My instructor held the harness, and pretended to be Lenore, and off we went. Working with her this way was actually really productive and a good use of time while my girl rested back at the lounge. When we got back to campus, Lenore began to feel better, the swelling was drastically reduced, and she was feeling much less sleepy. We decided to practice positioning her under plane seats, we have some here that an airline donated to the school for practice. She did very well at this, and I was proud of her. After dinner, everyone went out on a night route, and Lenore was feeling much, much better and behaving like her old self. She clearly wanted to go, so we decided to take her and see how she felt. I took out my harness and she jumped into it, so we decided that she was ready to walk a short route. We walked her for a couple of blocks and she absolutely loved it! She walked so fast I had to concintrate on slowing her down at one point. My instructor said she was really hapy, wagging and wiggling. I could tell she loved being in that harness, too. Now, she's had her last pills of the evening, and the swelling has gone. I was really worried about her this morning, but she seems to have recovered just fine. We'll watch her, but assuming she still continues to do well, she should be back to business tomorrow. I asked whether dogs get sick pay, and everyone laughed. Tomorrow, I think we have vet consultations, and do traffic work. Not sure what else tomorrow holds, but I'm going to have some coco and go to bed, so I'm ready for it. Thanks, as always for reading!

Training, day 5

How is it already day 5 of training? I can't believe that I'm half way through class at this poingt, or that things are going as well as they are! Today was a short day, vecause it was Saturday. We went into Portland in the morning and did escalator work. Lenore did great with this, and handled the escalators like a pro, which is great, as she'll be doing thema lot when we get home! When we got back to campus, we were given the opportunity to let our dogs run free in a fenced area. Lenore loved this, though I've learned not to interact with her to much when she's playing outside, as this causes her to jump and get very excited! She ran around for a few minutes, and also spent some time sniffing and being a dog. It was great to see. When we got back inside we had a meeting where my instructor asked me how things are going with the new dog, how I liked her, and whether I had any questions. I said that I absolutely love my girl, and we talked about some things I need to do a little differently with my new dog. One of them is that I need to let her guide me and go when I say forward rather than me using the harness to direct her. This is a habit I'm eager to work on braking next week, because I want my dog to work as effectively as possible. I also want to make sure that she's able to run free somehow a couple times a week. That's one of the drawbacks of living in the city, no real great place to take her to run. GDB doesn't recommend dog parks,when I asked why, they explained that it's because you don't know the dogs there, and whether they are friendly, have had their shots, etc. This makes sense to me, but I do think that walking with Mom and Yahzee girl in Rock Creek eventually would be good, because we know the vast majority of the dogs we meet there, and that they are a good friendly bunch! I also think that I should be able to walk my dog on leash after we've bonded at home, and I feel like she's doing her routes well. Not sure what the official line is on this one, though I think that with a cane it's OK as long as I'm not asking her to work. This would at least give her an opprtunity to get some sniffing time in every evening and let me be the one who gives her fun and play as well as work. She seems to walk very well on leash from what I've observed and I just really feel like she needs to have some outside time where she's not expected to work. Do any other guide dog people out there have thoughts on this one? How do you give your dogs outside play time when living in the city? Anyways, back to my day. When I was done with my meeting, I did laundry and had dinner. After that I chattted with my classmates for a while in our living room area. I got down on the floor with my dog and she promptly did a summersalt into my lap! It was the cutest thing ever! I just love her! Now, I'm going to bed. Tomorrow is a day off, so I'll take it easy, maybe go out to lunch, but not quite sure what my plan is yet. I'll write and let you all know how it goes! Thanks for reading tonight's installment!

Training, day 4

I can't believe it's already day four of training! It's amazing how fast time is flying here, I can't quite process the fact that we'll be home in a little over a week! Today was a good day for us! We worked indipendently on a route we'd been practicing all week from the downtown center in Portland, to a relieving area where our dogs can do their business, to a Starbucks, and back to the downtown center. We did well figuring things out as a team. I got lost in a couple of places, but was able to problem solve and figure things out. Eventually, I got back on track and got where I needed to be. My dog did great work! She cleared me around pedestrians, found every curb perfectlyand even crossed the street correctly when I wasn't lined up perfectly. She's a solid little girl on her street crossings, and I'm so happy with her work! I especially loved the fact that we were able to get lost and find ourselves again with confidence and teamwork! It was an amazing feeling! When we got back to campus, we worked on patterning Lenore to find doors, and chairs using clicker training. She nailed everything I asked her to find, I am so amazed by her patterning abilities and am looking forward to testing whem with some of you're help when I get home! After dinner, chicken and a baked potato, we cleaned our dogs ears and brushed their teeth! Lenore didn't object to either one of these things, like my previous dogs have. She sat very still when I was cleaning her ears and licked the toothpaist when I brushed her teeth. I was impressed! After that, we snuggled some more on the beanbag chair (we both love that bonding experience and it's great to see her so happy and wiggly) Tomorrow, I think we go downtown again and after that have our meetings with the instructors. My instructor asked if I could bring my iPad so that we can launch google earth and bring up the crazy crossing by my house so that we can start working on the best way to work through that. Some of you will get the pleasure of helping me pattern my dog to this crossing! I hope you're ready, because it should be fun! :) That's about all I have for tonight's instrallment! I will let you know how my route and meeting go tomorrow! Thanks for reading!

Training, day three

So today was day three of training. Today we worked our usual route to Starbucks twice in the morning,and worke inside a grocery store in the afternoon. Lenore did great work every time, and I'm getting good at reading and following her. She is so fluid in her movements, and is easy to follow because I am able to feel her movements and read where she is taking me. She did great in the grocery store and was able to follow my class supervisor who worked with me when he told me where to turn. The way for following has changed a bit since the last time I was here. Now instead of telling the dog to simply, "follow," the person who I'm following is supposed to walk ahead of me and tell me when we're about to make a right or left turn, so that I can direct Lenore accordingly. If you will be working on this with me, I'll let you know in more detail exactly how to do it! :) When we got back to campus we were given the go ahead from our instructors to work our dogs in the building. This means that we can now put our dogs in harness when we go out to relieve them, as well as when we go to dinner, and do other things in the campus building. This is wonderful, as it means that we don't have to juggle dogs and canes every time we want to get something done. After dinner, I cuddled with my girl for a long time on the beanbag chair. She climbed on top of me and got silly, but was able to quickly calm herself down and just fall asleep. I just love this little lady! She is a great worker and companion for me and my lifestyle. There's been this instant chemistry between us that I haven't experienced with any of my other guides. I loved Jimmy, but he never really liked cuddling as much as she does. He wasn't a huge one for just lying down and being petted after a hard day of work, and he didn't like being petted in harness after doing something good like she does. I think the cuddling and petting really help with our bond and also help us be able to read each other when we're working as a team, and I'm so glad I have a dog who loves being petted and thrives on it both at work and at play. I am very lucky to have her! Now, she's sacked out in bed and I'm heading that way as well. The training experience really takes it out of me, but in a good and productive way! I hope things are going well for everyone! Thanks for reading tonight's installment!

Training day two

Today marked day two of training here in Portland. We practiced the same routes as yesterday, worked in the mall, and also went inside a Starbucks to give Lenore a destination. She did great! She is very focused on her work and responds to commands beautifully. All her street crossings have been perfect, which is very important and a great relief. When we got back to campus we snuggled on the beanbag chair again, she loves this and it's a great place to be together because she's not supposed to be on beds or other furnature, so the beanbag is a wonderful and comfortable thing for us. That's been our favorate place during class so far. She is so cuddly and sweet; she'll just jump in your lap, put her head down, and go to sleep, it's so adorable! I am just falling more in love with her personality every day! She does get a little excitable, but seems easier to control than Jimmy was, we haven't had to take any crazy measures like I did last class just to gain basic control! After a wonderful turkey dinner, we were issued toys for our dogs. She loves her bone, but didn't seem super excited about playing tug tonight. I'm hoping I can warm her up to playing tug, though, because it's a great interactive game that we can easily play in our tiny apartment! :) I think, though, that our major bonding might be done through cuddling, which is great with me! I'm so pleased to have a girl who loves to get and give affection! We're both pretty tired right now, she's sacked out on her bed, and I'm in my chair relaxing before the final relieving and watering time of the evening! Not sure what's in store for tomorrow, I think we have more building work and as always I have great food and great classmates! I'm not blogging about anyone ele for privacy reasons, but I will say that this is a fun group of ladies, and I'll miss them when we all go home in a little under two weeks. That's about all from me! Hope everyone's doing well! Thanks for reading tonight's installment!

Training, day 1

So our first day of training in Portland was today. We did some basic routes, worked in a mall a bit so that Lenore would have a destination, and worked a lot with mechanics of turns, street crossings, etc. I loved the way she felt when we were walking together, she was fast, but not to fast for me. It was such a liberating feeling to have a dog by my side again. I'd forgotten how hard these past few months have been and how slowly I've been doing things with out a dog. Today, for the first time in a long, long time, I felt great about crossing streets, going around obsticles, and trusting my dog. She did a wonderful jub at the up curbs and also weaving around pedestrians, things on the sidewalks, and dog distractions. Tomorrow, I think we work on more of the same, and perhaps do some more complex routes. When we got back to campus, I groomed her and we cuddled on this beanbag chair that I have in my room. I think we were both tired from the day because we fell asleep together for an hour or so until someone knocked on my door to summon us to dinner. It was the cutest thing ever, and something that I think we both enjoyed! I found out from my class supervisor that Lenore was in class with another person for about a week a couple of classes ago, but the individual decided that the guide dog life style wasn't for him, and opted to return her. One of the instructors said that it was like they'd special ordered her for me, and so far, I'd have to agree. She is such a cute, affectionate, and lovable little dog, and I can't believe that anyone could decide that they didn't want her, though I'm glad that he did because she was here waiting for me. That's about all I have for tonight. Bed comes early for both of us, because we're up at about 6:30 or so and start with breakfast at 7. I hope you're all doing well, and thanks, as always for reading!

It's a girl!

Hi everyone! Well, it was Dog Day here in Oregon! I got a small female yellow lab named Lenore. She's 50 pounds, 22 inches tall, and was born on 2/24/2010. Strangely, she shares a birthday, though not the year, with Steve Jobs. When I pointed this out to one of my instructors who is as much of an Apple fanatic as I am, she said that the match was meant to be, and we had a good laugh. Seriously, though, she's beautiful. I'm told she's a red color, and that her eyes match her coat. Today we just did some basic obedience work, but tomorrow we head into Portland for some guide work in harness. I also chatted with my classmates, and ate great food, which is all part of the experience here. I don't really have much else to write tonight, but I'm pretty tired and have a busy day of training ahead of me tomorrow, so I'm heading to bed. I hope everyone's doing well, and thanks as always for reading!