Category: blindness

I never know how to begin these posts, but here we are again on a Friday that does not feel like a Friday.

Today’s obedience session with Treble started off with a bang. Not one dog but two were running around her, often moving next to or in front of her. I also think that kibble was being tossed around as well. I kept telling myself, ‘okay, she’ll get this last down stay sequence and we can head to breakfast.

Narrator: It took six down stay sequences.

After breakfast, I took a nap and then headed out to do our country route and shorelining, which I think I explained in a different post. We walk with the dog in an area that has no sidewalks and they stay on the left hand side, close to the curb. If a car comes, we stop, turn left to the curb so that I can make sure that she hasn’t drifted, and then click and feed. I’ll be honest, shore lining is not my favorite but it’s one more tool in the arsenal. I was so glad when we were finished.

After that, I went to the souvenir shop and purchased a water bottle (apparently I want a collection of them), a collapsible bowl with the Guiding Eyes logo, a keychain in the shape of a bone which I’m sure I have and have probably lost much like I’ll likely lose this one, and a black lab stuffed animal. Don’t judge me. It was cute and soft, damn it!

I killed some time and then after lunch went to our vet lecture. Dr. B. discussed the importance of choosing a good food for your dog, getting them physicals, making sure that they are vaccinated, choosing a good vet, and a lot of other good information, but I really want to get to my favorite part. More about Treble!

Guiding Eyes has a veterinary facility on campus. They are able to keep their finger on the pulse of every dog, communicate with guide dog handlers about their dogs and work with your own vet if needed. They are supportive and can often provide a second opinion.

I took Treble over and got a year’s supply of Vectra and Heart Guard. Heart Guard is a pill that you give them once a month as a heartworm preventative. Vectra repels mosquitos, ticks, and fleas, and prevents the latter bugs from bothering your pup.

It turns out that Treble is 58 pounds. We want the dogs to be within three pounds of their target weight, which for her is 57. Her birthday is June 15 and she will be turning two years old.

Treble’s brother is also in class. Spoiler alert, his name is not Bass.

He is also a yellow lab with a brighter coloring than Treble. He is a very sweet boy and his handler and I enjoy calling them the dynamic Brother and sister pair, but not the Flowers in the Attic kind. We would have been so disappointed if they weren’t related!

The day was pretty easy. Tomorrow is traffic check day. I don’t feel nervous about that, but I’ll be glad of when we’re done.

This is the time during the class where people have hit a brick wall. we have our portion of graduation to plan, class is stressful, we’re tired, we are ready to be home, and frankly, I want to work on building new routes and establishing patterns with Treble on my own. I’m glad to be here, the instruction is excellent, but I’m just wanting to be done and introduce Treble to her new life and all of the people who will adore her.

to that end, I’m having to find ways to keep myself calm. I am doing this by taking myself away from others, watching a fun show, talking to friends. I wish I had my go-to of reading books right now, but I think I just need to listen to some podcasts.

Next week will pass quickly, but I’m just ready to  be home and doing my own thing. This is just a reality of class. It isn’t anyone’s fault, but sometimes tempers can fly. I think we’re doing okay for the most part, but I am feeling irritated and antsy, but can’t necessarily give a good reason as to what caused it other than what I wrote above.

I am in a lot of pain. I tweaked my knee again and it just hurts all the time. I am very frustrated with myself because I seem to feel like I shouldn’t let out a single complaint. I just take my ibuprofen and try not to mention it, but today felt damn near unbearable. I’m used to knee pain, but having an injury be exacerbated is just hard. I also had an epiphany that hey, maybe I don’t have to hold all of that in, but here we are. I try to be optimistic but I’m just not feeling it right now. Hopefully a good sleep will clear up some of these doldrums that aren’t all class-related  that I’m quietly struggling with right now. It is hard to even write this out because there is no concrete reason, it just is.

The bright spot of my day was having classmates tell me that they have been reading this blog and teasing me to post twice a day. I told them that they are lucky they get once a day. It makes me happy that people who are going through this process are finding my words helpful in some way.

After a meeting tonight, I had a very good play session with Treble, who is now sprawled out and sleeping.

Food report

Breakfast: bacon and toast? I honestly don’t remember! Wow!

lunch: Grilled cheese sandwich

Dinner: shrimp over rice and zucchini and the last strawberry shortcake popsicle.

I want to start by thanking all of you for your comments, whether on Facebook, Twitter, or via this blog. I am so glad that I have been able to write consistently about this experience. It has been very, very good for me and I am so thrilled that people are learning more about what it takes to go through this training.

An earlier comment asked me to explain more about the process of going up or down an escalator. First, I lower the harness handle and hold the leash, heeling the dog next to me. I put my foot on the beginning of the escalator, holding my right hand out so that I can touch the rail. If the direction of the slide of said rail is coming toward me, then I’m about to go the wrong way on the escalator. If it’s going away from me, I step up or down, telling my dog ‘let’s go’ as I heel them aboard. I personally like to have Treble slightly behind me for this. I slide my hand forward and when I feel the incline of the escalator rail level out, I step down and say ‘let’s go’ once again.

My first dog, Lexus, had been trained on escalators but when I went to get on to one, he plopped down and refused to move forward. So there I was, getting further away from him. I tossed the leash back up to the top so that I wouldn’t drag him down and then had to hurry back up the stairs to get him. That was quite a harrowing experience, but he sat at the top and was like ‘hey that was fun!’

Today’s obedience challenge included a black lab on the loose, wanting to play. I gave treble a series of instructions that she needed to follow, which she did quite nicely. She really loves dogs and I’m getting so much better at reading her cues and finding what works well for us.

After breakfast, we headed to Yorktown to work on a route that we repeated later on tonight. Dogs have great vision and it’s great to know that while I hate traveling on foot at night, I can do so with Treble. The route was relatively easy and we also got some practice walking through a parking lot.

When we returned, we had a traffic check exercise to prepare us for the real thing on Saturday, and really, any time that we are working with our dogs. These dogs are trained to do several things, depending on the specific circumstance when it comes to cars. They can either stop, slow down, or they will back up. It depends on what the car is doing at the time. Today, we simulated this experience with shopping carts that were pushed toward us as we were walking. On Saturday, instructors will be driving cars and doing traffic checks so that we know how our dog will react and trust them to follow them in such a harrowing moment. If I am crossing a street and a car pulls out in front of me, Treble will react. These dogs have been trained extensively in this.

Unfortunately, especially now, distracted driving or drivers who just don’t seem to care about anyone’s right of way except for their own can make for dangerous interactions for guide dog teams and other pedestrians. It is extremely frustrating and terrible.

After lunch, we prepared for picture day. We took a class picture and I want you to imagine getting twelve people plus instructors in the proper pose for pictures, while expecting the dogs to remain sitting nicely. squeak toys were used to keep the dogs focused on the camera. Treble wanted that squeaker so badly!

After pictures, I played Seed ships for a while, took a nap, and listened to some music.

Our lecture tonight was on obesity in dogs, and I will try not to get on to my soap box. People would often stop me during my travels to tell me that my previous dog looked under weight. Each dog in the class has a target weight that they need to maintain. I am very rigid about my dog only eating dog food or occasional treats or carrots. Please, puppy, eat every baby carrot because God knows I won’t. If they gain excessive weight, it can put undo stress on their organs, their skeletal system, and be a detriment to them. Many dog owners have it in their mind that excess food equals love and this simply is not the case. Excess food for dogs likely means that they are begging at the table when you don’t want them to be, or struggling to do the very basic of tasks without being miserable. However, I cannot change the minds of people who are set in their ways of doing this, so I just worry about what I can control. The general public can be quite insistent, though, and people will try to feed guide dogs without even asking the owner. That is another rant that I’m far too tired to commit to this evening.

Our night route went very well. Treble worked hard and I had to slow her down just a little. I am so glad that she has such drive and confidence.

I  appreciate your comments and your questions. Tomorrow will be the vet lecture, which I am sure will be quite lively.

Food Report

Breakfast: pancakes and bacon

Lunch: kale salad with apples, pecans, chicken, and feta cheese. Maybe it was walnuts. Maybe I do not have a sophisticated pallet if I don’t know the difference.

Dinner: sausage and peppers over rice and a vegetable medley and apple pie

Hey look at this! We have reached the double digits which means that I have a week and some change left of training. We also have a whole lot of consistent writing which makes me extremely happy.

After the usual routine, Treble and I made our way to obedience. I have to tell you that I’m struggling with getting up on time but I am sure it has to do with making bad life choices in staying up late.

Today, treble had to follow my commands while the instructors liberally made use of the sacred squeaky toy. The instructors told me  that Treble had this look of ‘I really want to do the right thing but it’s so hard’ on her face. She did a wonderful job.

After breakfast, we headed off to White Plains. Today’s route included working past some distractions and heading to Starbucks, where my lactose intolerant self finally asked for dairy alternatives in my drink. Look at me being a responsible adult!

My instructor took time and asked me about the things that I am hoping to do more of before I go home and I said that I’d love to work in more crowded areas such as stores, narrow sidewalks, etc. I’m not sure that I really had a good answer but those were the things that I considered. I also mentioned more bus work and indoor work. It was very nice to see how far Treble and I have come since the first day of meeting her.

During lunch, some people were talking about difficult routes that they experienced today. I reminded all of us that it can be that way sometimes and said that last week around this time, we were struggling to keep our dogs in control while attempting to eat lunch.

After lunch, we did a relay route. One person would leave to head toward the van which was a few blocks down, then another person would leave. Up until that point, the instructors have either been right next to us or directly behind us. It felt great working with Treble and realizing that I really do have this. I am making clear decisions, I know when she’s getting off track, and I know when she is doing her very best work. I am able to read her cues so much more now. We’re really working with her to stop air scenting and ground sniffing.sniffing.

Once we got back to the school, we had an optional distractions exercise that I took part in. We sat outside in chairs while the instructors threw balls and frisbees, and crushed pine cones. sometimes the ball would be bounced right in front of the noses of our dogs. If they didn’t move, we’d give them food to reward them and continue to establish where their focus should be.

The lecture involved traveling in areas where there are no sidewalks. Ideally, you want the dog to be on your left, while you are between them and the cars. You stop, turn to the left, and make certain that you are still on the side rather than having drifted on the road.

After dinner, a lot of us went back outside on the patio, playing music and singing. Let me tell you, a class can sometimes make or break the overall experience. This class is hilarious. We are always singing, laughing, and admittedly, we are pretty loud. I’ve gotten to know so many students and it’s been wonderful.

Later on, we gathered around the piano and one of our classmates played. He is very talented. The dogs do so great with the noises. None of them are afraid or make noises when there are loud  sounds.

I have had Treble for a full week now and this experience has been fantastic. I truly love this dog and am very happy about our progress. The parking is getting much easier although sometimes I’m still like ‘is she peeing?’.

Food Report

Breakfast: omelette with ham, cheese, onions, and peppers along with a side of toast and strawberry jam

Lunch: Grilled Cheese sandwich

Dinner: Tilapia, baked potato, and asparagus? I don’t remember. I started this post last night and now it all seems like a vague memory.

I am really tired tonight so this is going to be very short.

After the morning routine, we went to obedience where today’s distraction included a loose German shepherd playing around the dogs while our dogs were expected to stay focused on us, receiving correction when needed and treats when they did as asked. This is great training for them because people walk their dogs in public often and we don’t want them to be distracted.

After breakfast, it was off to White Plains. If there was any van pool karaoke, I wouldn’t know it since my sleepathon yesterday caused my schedule to be screwed up, so I catnapped on the way.

Today’s route involved going to CVS, where we practiced indoor work. The dogs need to be cognizant of narrow aisles, other people, displays, and other things that can serve as obstacles. Treble was an absolute rock star.

I want to preface what happened next by saying that these dogs, as extensively trained as they are, can still make mistakes. Sometimes they are small, but sometimes they are not. Treble didn’t clear me of an obstacle and I slammed my knee in to it. I have bad knees, and so if I fall or injure them, the pain is horrible. I lost my footing and almost fell. It all happened so fast. Someone behind us blurted out, ‘She didn’t see that?’ I don’t know if she was referring to me or Treble, but since her immediate question wasn’t, ‘Are you okay?’, I could only assume she wanted to be a part of the non-helpful club. So many things were happening at once. I was embarrassed and I instantly just wanted to leave the situation. My knee was hurting because of slamming in to the pole and I was trying not to cry. Spoiler alert, I cried. I wanted to power through the situation, but wasn’t in a place where I could just do that. My instructor was wonderful and just allowed me to have the time that I needed when I would have just pretended everything was okay. I would have defended Treble to this lady had my knee not been throbbing.

After that, we reworked the obstacle, at my insistence, and Treble navigated around it perfectly. This just reminds me, though, of how people can be stupid. While some of it is probably not realizing how extensive training is, many times it is simply people blurting out things they shouldn’t. It is such a crappy feeling when your dog makes a mistake and the public just assumes they are not trained. When I shared with my therapist’s office that I would be getting a new guide dog, the first thing out of one of the staff’s mouths was ‘Well, I hope you get a smart one and not a dumb one. One of our clients has a dog and she was so dumb that she ate a Kleenex and the handler didn’t even know!’ I asked if she told the handler and she said no. I reminded her that dogs are not perfect and sometimes will do things you do not want them to do, but if it is a good team and the handler knows what is going on, they will take steps to correct it. But you don’t know what you don’t know. Dogs can be little stealth monsters. The idea that she just watched this dog play four-legged shredder with a Kleenex on the floor without taking two seconds to alert the handler is crappy. Happily blurting out ‘I thought that dog was trained!’, when something needs to be reworked is crappy. If people aren’t going to be helpful, then shutting up is always free. I don’t mind educating people, but there are some in this world who aren’t interested in the whys and hows and only make snide remarks which help no one.

The second route went much better and Treble worked past dog distractions which have earlier gotten her off track. This is definitely a learning process for the both of us.

Tonight’s lecture was on elevators, escalators, and overhangs. I was so tired that I dozed off during it so will need to look it up online.

After dinner, I went to bed, only waking up for park times. I crashed hard until around 11 and so I’ve probably screwed up the sleeping schedule again.

But tomorrow is a new day with new possibilities. I write about the hard stuff because training is hard. It takes a lot to become a seasoned team and what we learn here is the beginnings of that. It is good that mistakes happen here so that we are better equipped in handling them and we can work on them. Tomorrow will be better!

Food report

Breakfast, toast with strawberry jam and sausage patties

Lunch: Turkey wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon

Dinner: Delicious and delightful shrimp scampi over noodles.

Today was one of those days that I just didn’t realize I needed so much.

This morning, we did our usual of park, feed, water, park again, and obedience. Obedience is becoming a lot more distracting for Treble.

Today, one of the instructors threw the bouncy ball repeatedly, dribbling it so that she could see it. While that was happening, I gave Treble commands and a lot of praise. She did a very lovely job of keeping her focus on me and I know that was hard, particularly because we’d played in alumni hall the night before. While Treble may seem reserved, she plays with unrestrained joy. I particularly love how she attempts to fit herself in the entire box of toys, or the way that she seems to deliberate over each possible fun thing. Will it be the bouncy tennis ball? The squeaky?

Narrator voice: After lengthy deliberation, Treble chose both.

After breakfast, we practiced putting boots on the dogs. I am about as coordinated as a bull in a china shop, so poor Treble had to put up with my fumbling. She then had the opportunity to run around in alumni hall with them on. I don’t see myself having to use them often, but they are always good to have in case of very hot or cold temperatures, especially if salt is being placed on the sidewalks.

When we were done with that, I became very well acquainted with the bed for about two and a half hours until lunch. After lunch, it was me and the bed all over again. I’ve probably screwed up my sleeping schedule, but I don’t care. I really needed the sleep. We have been so busy all week long that it was nice to have a wonderful day of rest and rejuvenation.

I talked with a couple of friends and then left Treble in the room while going to dinner. We are starting to leave our dogs in our rooms for longer amounts of time so that they can become used to being separated without them  barking or howling. Treble is always so happy to see me when I return.

I better end this here, as Treble just jumped in to my lap which is her sign for ‘let’s get out of here, lady!’ We’ll probably go do more playtime once again, which is fun.

Also, I am starting to get a better idea of when she is peeing or pooping, so I’m glad that this is starting to come together for me. She seems to be feeling some better and is parking more consistently.

Food report

Breakfast: Grilled blueberry muffins with butter and a bowl of fruit

Lunch: Philly cheese steak sandwich

Dinner: Roasted chicken, potatoes, broccoli, and apple pie