Guide Dog Training Day 3: Settling In

It's kind of funny how old habits really do die hard. Yesterday morning was my first morning with Paula and the first thing I went to do upon the alarm going off was to take her out and then get her breakfast. I had to stop myself because her relieve time wasn't for another hour and she is currently eating only once a day. I've been running dogs out even before I use the toilet in the mornings for years and it was weird not having to rush for the dog's leash and my shoes. On that note, we had a successful morning bathroom break and I was happy when Paula left me a present to pick up. Knowing that your dog's bodily functions are working properly is usually a good indicator that they are starting to settle in.
After morning bathroom break and human breakfast, we headed for our make shift lounge to have a small discussion on dog body language. It was interesting and was a repeat of a lot of stuff I already knew, but only because it's something that interests me and I've researched it to death. We talked about dog communication with each other and with humans and covered the debunked theory of Alpha dog training. I was glad we covered this.
After our discussion it was house obedience time. Our trainer took us one at a time and we wandered the hotel,practising "sit" at closed doors, lying calmly at tables and then we covered an obedience routine. The routine consisted of us standing in a wide hallway and putting the dog through a series of "sit," down," "stay," all mixed in with us walking around and away from the dog. We even hid from the dog, telling her to stay. I think Paula did well considering strange people kept walking by her and it was our first morning together. She did get up at one point towards the end of the routine, probably because she was bored, but went back into her "sit" no problem and finished the routine cleanly. The bell she wears on her play collar really helps me know if she is moving and where she's moving to. We also practised this routine outside with the trainer also guiding us in order to practice loose leash heeling. It was blowing and snowing at that point so we kept it short, but Paula did very well.
Lunch was tasty as always and everyone behaved nicely. We weren't sure if we'd be able to do our first harness walk yesterday because the weather was atrocious, but we braved the rain/snow/wind and completed our first official harness walk.
The other student went first so Paula and I were left to our own devices for about an hour. The nice thing about training this way means you get to wait in your hotel room instead of in a bus or training building. There will be days where it will be easier for the trainer to take us both at the same time and we'll have to wait in the van, but it's not an every day thing.
I took Paula out before the walk and she did her business then we loaded her into the back of the van which has ben outfitted with dog crates. She promptly began chewing on a smoked bone and seemed happy. I told the trainer that we weren't going to be able to get her out of there because she liked that bone so much. We drove a very short distance and got Paula out and geared up. This is also different from my experiences as we always traveled in mini buses and your dog would lie at your feet. I was impressed with Paula's self control as I reached into the back of the van and fastened her working collar/leash back on and waited for me to call her out. I put the harness on which she ducked away from at first. The trainer told me she used to do that with him, but eventually stopped. We both figured that if she didn't stop that we'd start using kibble to lure her through the opening and eventually she would stop ducking away. Just something to keep an eye on.
Our walk was incredibly wet and cold, in typical Scotland fashion, but it was fantastic. I had a hard time keeping up to my little bullet because I was wearing Wellies and my feet felt clumsy, but she was very responsive to me asking her to slow down. My other dogs' cue for slowing down was "steady," but Paula's is something that has completely slipped my mind right now. She worked very well despite the weather conditions and was very good when I reminded her to "straight on" when she was being too nosy and peaking into people's gardens that we past. There were a few curbs she refused to move up to when we were nearing the van, probably because she knew we were getting close to a dry place, but we reworked her up to those curbs and made sure she sat and waited for me to tell her to turn. She found the van no problem and waited patiently for me to take her gear off and get her up in the van again. It was a short walk, but it was very satisfying. The trainer obviously walked along behind my shoulder, but he let us do the work and wasn't attached to us in any way. My first few walks with Jetta the trainer had a leash clipped to her harness, but since then I've been free to fly solo.
Upon arriving back at the hotel we toweled off and sat down to have another short discussion. To be honest, I can't quite remember what it was about because we all went off on tangents about guide dog owners being responsible for picking up their dogs' poop. After that the other student and I sat around chatting and then it was feeding time for the dogs. It was our first meal on our owns and I was very proud of Paula. She went to and stayed in her bed until I blew the whistle then came charging over to me and gobbled down her food. Then it was human feeding time again.
We spent the rest of the evening just sitting in the bistro and I pretty much collapsed into bed after taking Paula out for the final time. She did both and I was satisfied with that. I did deal with some whining yesterday from time to time, mostly when the trainer walked us back to our room, but it was minimal in comparison to the day before. She also seemed to settle a lot more after our short but speedy harness work. I think working is so exciting for her that she associates the trainer with working and therefore is incredibly attached to him. We will be doing more harness work today and I really hope it will help solidify that I'm fun and exciting in her mind.
Last night she took a minute to settle again. She whined a bit and stood at the front door. When I called her name to get her back to her bed she galloped over to my bed an leaped on top of me where she continued to tap dance despite my "offs." Eventually, I managed to pull myself out and point at the floor and say "off." She promptly hopped off and got into her own bed. She slept soundly after that. So soundly, in fact, I had to poke her in the middle of the night because she woe me up with her very loud snoring. She may give Otis a run for his money in the snoring department.
I think it was a good second day and I definitely see potential here. I do recognise that I need to watch the pitch of my voice though because if I am too happy or excited when I ask her to do things she either doesn't do it or gets way too excited and rushes. This goes for both obedience and harness work. Otherwise, I am very happy.
PS: Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Guide Dog Training Day 2: Paula Arrives

Yesterday was the day that our dogs arrived. The morning started early with a good breakfast, some lessons in "house obedience" and foot positioning for harness work and after lunch the beasties arrived.
House obedience consisted of teaching us how to work with our dogs through doors and proper behavior in public spaces. We worked on telling the dogs to sit when entering and exiting doors and having them tuck in for meals. Foot positions were taught outside in the tennis court and is important when working with your dog in harness.
There are two positions so obviously named position 1 and position 2. Position 1 is the stance you take when your dog has stopped at a curb. You are standing at their shoulder. Position 2 is the stance you take when about to set off. You put your right foot back, leaving your left foot closest to the dog's shoulder to prevent the dog turning its body across yours. This basically guarantees no sniffing and hopefully a straight line of travel. We practised other foot positions that are necessary when turning at corners Etc. This was all new for me as I've never had to do a lot of foot work before. The reasoning, to me, is sound for the foot positions and so I don't mind doing them.
We were issued our equipment which consisted of grooming tools (Zoom Groom, slicker brush and comb), harness, working half check collar, bell (to know where your dog is), whistle (for recall and feeding), leash, Kong and Nylabone. The whistle was new to me as well as the concept of a "working" and "play" collar.
My previous dogs only had one collar which they wore all of the time. I bought my own bells to put on them so I knew where they were during free runs. So although that is new with regards to a guide dog organisation providing them, it wasn't a foreign concept to me. As for the whistle I actually think it's a great idea.
When feeding your dog you are to place your dog in a down stay somewhere in the room. You then put their food between your feet and blow the whistle, indicating to them that they can eat. The whistle is also used during free runs for recall. By using this technique during meals, you are reinforcing recall as the dog knows that the whistle means food at their handler's feet. It was pretty cute when I blew the whistle last night and Paula came running from her bed and dove into her food bowl at my feet.
We had a great lunch of soup and sandwiches and I tried Scotch Broth for the first time. It is not what I expected. To me broth is a thin liquid so I assumed the soup would be a thin liquid void of anything chunky. Scotch broth is the farthest thing from "broth." It is quite hardy and I was incredibly full.
After lunch our trainer went off to collect our dogs from their borders' houses. This is new for me  as my previous dogs were in kennels on site. Most of this organisation has their dogs in training living in people's homes to make the transition from training to a working dog as easy as possible. The other student said I could get my dog first because it was my first UK dog. I thought that was sweet.
Around 2.40 a knock came on my door and I opened it to admit the trainer and a very excited Paula. Her name is Paula, but it may change to Nala some time in the future. I went and sat in my chair and Paula leaped on to the bed, tail wagging. She got a sharp reprimand for this and she was quickly back on the floor with all four paws. She tried a repeat performance once the trainer left, but a sharp "no" had her springing to the floor in no time. She's a cheeky little, or not so little, thing.
The trainer left us alone for about 25 minutes so we could get to know each other. Paula spent much of that time standing by the front door crying. I've never had a dog react this way and it was almost harder than when Jetta stood staring at the door for an hour without moving. I sat patiently with her though and only pet her when she stopped whining. Every once in a while she would tap my face with her nose and eventually she lay down by my legs and rolled over for a brief belly rub. It was these short breaks from the whining that told me that we could make this work.
When she finally settled, the trainer returned to take us for a short stroll around the hotel to do house obedience for real. That went well and I was very impressed with her responsiveness. She had to be reminded to "wait" quite a bit as she likes to rush a bit, but her enthusiasm is infectious.
We had another short lecture on feeding and at some point we relieved the dogs. The day was sort of a blur and I just know that every time the trainer left us Paula would resume her crying. It got to the point where she would at least be interested in her bone when we got back inside our room, but even today she cries when he leaves us.
We took our dogs to dinner with us which sometimes doesn't happen on the first day. Both were very well behaved. Paula also relieved both times I took her out which is a relief since sometimes dogs won't go for someone new. She refused to poop until this morning, but pee was what we were worried about.
Paula was born on May 28, 2011, the same day Mr. K and I had our wedding. She weighs a wapping 30 kilograms and eats more than the male Labradoodle. She's also heavier than he is which is probably normal since the Poodle in him would make him lighter.
I was a bit concerned about bed time as she seemed to be having troubles settling. We had our last relief, or spend as they call it here, time around 9, but the other dog didn't go out until 9.30. That meant when she heard the trainer in the hall, it was another while before she settled down again. That is another difference between the two programs I have been through.
Previously, all dogs went out at the same time and also on a particular schedule. Since there are only two of us, we can decide what times to take our dogs out at. I think there are pros and cons to both, but in a bigger class like the ones I attended before, simultaneous relief times are probably the best way to go. With just having two of us we can tailor the times to our own schedules. There is some uniformity in the mornings and around bed time, but we don't go out at the same time. It also allows the dogs to do their business without being distracted by the other dog.
Also, in my previous guide dog training experiences, we used "tie downs" when we didn't have our dogs with us. Not to mention, dogs were always on leash, glued to your side. It was said to help with the bonding process and also to keep them from doing bad things. Here, the dogs do not stay on leash once in our rooms and do not have a tie down area. That means they are free to roam when you are gone or when you are sleeping. I was a bit worried about this at first, but once Paula fell asleep last night, she was out-no tie down needed. The other student said her dog got up to have a good sniff around at some point last night, but eventually got back in his bed. I think the tie downs prevent such things, but at the same time, doing it this way gives the dogs more responsibility and begins the trust bond early. I think since the dogs come to us from homes, this approach is appropriate whereas the dogs coming straight from training kennels may initially need that structure.
I think it was a very successful first day. The whining was a bit difficult to deal with at first, but we're working through it. I had planned to write all of yesterday's events out last night before bed, but it was a good but exhausting day and I just fell into bed and slept soundly; once Paula settled of course. Today, thus far, has been another eventful day. So, come back later or perhaps tomorrow for another update. :)

Guide Dog Training Day 1: Getting Comfy

As you can probably guess by the title of this post, I have successfully made it through my first day of guide dog training. The first day of any guide dog training program I know of is guide dogless. The day is spent orienting yourself to your surroundings so that you can provide consistent and reliable instructions for your new dog. The hotel we've been put up in is incredibly nice and all of the staff have been more than accommodating. There is a 20 metre pool, gym and I think the bathroom alone in my room is bigger than my bedroom in my flat.
The guide dog trainer picked me up shortly after nine this morning and then we went off to the bus station to pick up the other student. The other student is a very nice woman who is now training with her fourth guide dog who happens to be a black Labradoodle.
Arriving at the hotel, we sat in our little "lounge" which is a bedroom with table, chairs and a small love seat that has been set up for our use. The bed's been removed to allow room for seating. There is always tea, coffee and cookies available and this is where our dogs' food will be housed during our stay. This is also the room that we will use to have "lectures" of sort.
After a quick coffee break we headed to our rooms to unpack. Unloading my suitcase made me realise just how purple my stuff is. I have purple Wellies with purple liners, purple jammies, scarf, purse, socks purple Etc. The trainer took us each individually around the hotel in order to show us the various rooms we would need to know. I even got a quick tour of the gym facilities.
We had a tasty lunch of soup and sandwiches in the little cafe type thing and then it was back to learning routes around the hotel, including the area where we'll take our dogs to relieve. My dog uses grass so my relieving spot is different from that of the Labradoodle's who will be using a "spending pen." This concept was foreign to me as all of Leader Dogs' dogs go on leash, but I think the idea is that the dog is just let into the pen and does his/her business off leash. If I'm incorrect, I'll let you know once the dogs arrive.
 I may have fallen asleep briefly on the very large, comfortable bed for a moment or two. My nap was short lived as we had another quick run through some routes, a brief meeting about some housekeeping items such as getting photos for our guide dog ID cards then the other student and I sat and chatted for a while. We retired to our rooms to freshen up for supper and then it was back down to the cafe thingy for a very tasty pasta dish. We can order pretty much anything we want on the menu and judging by tonight's meal, we're in for a real treat. The food is quite good.
It doesn't seem like a whole lot when written down like this, but I'm glad we didn't have our dogs already. Learning the ins and outs of this place was enough for one day. The hotel is quite old and there are a lot of nooks and crannies one could get lost in. I'm not exhausted or anything, could be due to that nap I had, but I'm definitely ready to put my feet up and relax.
In fact, I'm off to have a bath and then it's sleepy time. We have another busy day with an early start and our dogs arriving after lunch.

Necessary Imprisonment

Starting Monday I will be whisked away to a hotel to complete training with my new set of eyeballs; a furry, four legged set at that. It's my third time going through this process and despite some differences between the UK and North America, the sequestering of students and dogs is a commonality. This lack of contact with regular day activities didn't really seem like a big deal to me until I was talking with a few friends about it and I realised that this process is incredibly misunderstood. So, me being the thoughtful person I am, I am here to, hopefully, clarify the training process for those wonderful people who have never and probably will never go through guide dog training. ;)
First thing is first, it is probably one of the most emotionally and physically demanding things I have ever experienced; this coming from a girl who has trained for and competed in three Paralympic Games. So much is riding on the outcome and you only have a very short time frame in which to make sure everything is as sound as possible. There have been and will be moments of elation, frustration, excitement, annoyance, nervousness, fear, joy and everything in between. Sometimes you can even experience all of these things all in one day if not in only one training session.
It is not only physically demanding because you are walking constantly, but you are expected to be focusing the whole time while you walk very quickly with a dog you don't know or trust yet. If it was just walking then it would be a piece of cake, but you are attempting to learn your new dog's movements in order to be able to interpret them. You spend time playing with your new dog and grooming your new dog all of which require a small amount of physical exertion. Despite the playing and grooming being small and enjoyable forms of physical activity, they shouldn't be discounted. All of these things add up over 20 plus days of doing this every single day. It's like going to work and never leaving. Of course it's enjoyable work for most, but you always have to be aware of your new dog and what your actions will do to your budding relationship.
It's also physically demanding because of the stress that the emotional roller coaster places on your body. Everyone knows the adverse effects of stress in a long term capacity and although I wouldn't say that a person suffers long term physical consequences due to stress from guide dog training, there is definitely some stress symptoms that occur.
Training with a guide dog is one of the most liberating and exciting experiences there is and none of the things I have written above is meant to take away from that, but I highlighted these aspects in order to make a point.
With all of these things going on, how is it possible to expect a person and his/her new dog to thrive in the person's every day life? What if the trainee has kids at home? If he/she is training from home, then the demands of the children will definitely be another factor the trainee has to contend with. In my case we have three other dogs in the home. It is probably better for me to be secluded with the new dog without the distraction of the other dogs wanting my attention or trying to play with the new dog. There are guide dog programs that train people in their home environments, including Guide Dogs UK, but for many people it is more beneficial to train in a controlled, quiet environment.
All of the emotional and physical demands are enough to contend with, on top of bonding with someone you are supposed to trust to keep you safe for the next nine to ten years. Why complicate things by throwing in more factors? This is why most guide dog trainees are "imprisoned" for about a month and this is why we do it willingly. We want our relationships to be successful and we will do anything we can in order to ensure the success; including forsaking our loved ones on Valentine's Day. (Ahem, sorry Mr. K).  Simply, most of us need the quiet and mostly distraction free environment to be successful.
So, starting Monday, Mr. K and I will be restricting our communications to probably text messages and phone calls. Even then, if I am in the middle of a training session I obviously can't answer my phone or text him back. He's invited to come visit me on the following Sunday, but there are specific time parameters and I'm assuming location restrictions. Presumably we'll have to stay on the hotel property. It was basically the same when I attended Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester Michigan. We'll probably be able to see each other again the Sunday after that and then hopefully I'll be home. It's just the way it is and in the long run it will be the most beneficial arrangement.
So, yes. It's odd being told when and whom you can spend time with, but training with a guide dog isn't your every day, run of the mill experience either.

A Little More About my Girl

Am I that predictable? Those of you who guessed, guessed right. :)
You are right. My new dog is a Golden Retriever Labrador cross. Apparently, according to one of the trainers, these dogs are used nearly twice as more as any of the other breeds. Flat Coated Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Labradors and Golden Retrievers are also used, but a few years ago the Golden/Lab crosses were used about 45 percent of the time. They've also started using Golden Retriever German Shepherd Dog crosses with some success, but I think this is in the beginning stages. I had hoped for one of these, but since I've already waited six months, I am quite happy with my Golden/Lab cross.
So, what else can I tell you about her?
It's actually hard because I really don't know much. I keep forgetting to ask her age, but we've estimated somewhere between 18 and 20 months. I'll have that confirmed next week. I'm not entirely sure how much she weighs, but surprisingly she's almost as big as Roscoe. That was slightly shocking for me since the majority of dogs I see here, males and females, aren't nearly as big as Glacier or Roscoe. Sure, there are some exceptions like this giant of a German Shepherd named Flint that we see out on our walks, but on a whole, the dogs are smaller. So, when I got to check her out, I was pleasantly surprised at her size. She's definitely bigger than Jetta. The trainer described her as medium sized and I would say that is pretty accurate.
She's yellow of course, having been bred from two very yellow breeds. She's got kind of highlighting like a Golden Retriever would, but isn't nearly as light as Glacier. To me, she feels like a crossed dog, but to just the average person, she would just look like a Labrador. She's just a bit thicker and her fur a wee bit longer, but she's definitely not feathery like a Golden. At some point during training, I'll attempt to post a picture. The problem is that with blogger's new interface posting photos/links/everything else that is not a regular post is nearly impossible.
Other than her name, that is all I really know. I know she likes to work and is a bit excitable, but very easy to re-focus. Apparently she alert barks at doorbells, so I'll have to stay on her about that. She seems to be quite playful and personable which is nice as well.
So, what about her name?
Well, about that.
I'm in the process of seeing if I can change it for a multitude of reasons; the most important being that I have a family member with the same name. It's weird just thinking of her with this name, I can't imagine what it would be like to work with her with it. It's just not a dog name. So, until I get that all sorted, I'll keep that to myself for now. However, I'll tell you the two names I was thinking of switching it to and you guys can either guess what her name really is or tell me which one you like better. That or you can do both. :)
Her potential names are:
Nala (from the Lion King)
and
Petra (which means rock and is also the capital of Jordan).
Can you guess which one I chose?

The count Down is On

It's only seven short/long days before I go into intensive training with my new guide dog. Short because there is still quite a bit of stuff I need to get done before going, like laundry, but it's also long because when you're excited for something like this the days usually seem to drag. However, this guide dog experience is a bit strange for me.
The last two times away training there was only me to think about. This time I am leaving at husband and three other dogs at home. It's kind of odd because although I am so excited, part of me is kind of sad because I'll miss them all; especially the husband of course. I'll be in the hotel for only two and a  half weeks and Mr. K is allowed to come visit, but leaving him behind for that amount of time, even though it's not that long, makes me miss him a little bit already. That's a good thing, right? ;)
So that is how it's different this time around. I had never really thought about it before-having to go away to get a dog and having family still at home. The last two times, all I could think about was the upcoming adventure and question what kind of dog I would get. This time around, I already know who my dog is. Another difference. Not bad, just different. In fact, knowing who SHE is makes it all that more exciting.
Woops. Did I say she?
Since training dates have been confirmed, I figured I could at least tell you that I've been matched with another girl. I always thought I was better suited to work with females and so was excited to find out I had been matched with a girl. I've seen her three times now. The first was to do our initial harness walk to see if we were in fact compatible; the second to have her meet the fuzzy family; and the third was completely by chance. Her trainer has been bringing her into our neighbourhood as promised and so one morning when out relieving the dogs, I ran into the pair going off to train in the rain. The trainer said that they were reviewing the route to the vet and the previous morning they had already gone over the route to the gym. It would appear that everything is moving right along. Now, I just have to get myself ready by getting that big pile of laundry finished so I'll have clean clothes during training.
We won't have laundry facilities on the site unlike the other training centre I've been to before. So, having enough clothes to last nearly twenty days is going to be a necessity. I also have a few essential toiletries to pick up such as toothpaste. I probably shouldn't make off with the tube that Mr. K and I share. The trainer said we could pick up anything that the other student or I may forget, but the more prepared I am probably the better. Besides, who wants to get caught without toothpaste?
Other than getting those little details taken care of, I'll spend the next week enjoying my family, fuzzy and non, and just let time do its flying/dragging thing that it does when one is excited.
PS: So: I told you she was a girl, but can anyone guess what type of dog she is?

Confirmed

Two posts in one day. I'm out doing myself. ;)
But, this one couldn't wait.
I got the call this afternoon to say that I'll be going into training with my new dog on February 11th. So exciting!
The trainer will pick me up that morning and we'll go to the bus station to get the other student. I'm assuming she's not living in Edinburgh. Then, it's off to the hotel to learn our way around and to get settled in. I'm sure I won't sleep all that much Monday night because Tuesday the dogs arrive. Again, so exciting.
It's still just under two weeks away and so somehow I'll have to keep my excitement under wraps or I'll drive myself nuts before the 11th. That said, it's so nice to have a date because now it feels like it's actually happening. :)

Explanation of the Evil Stick

Having been matched with my potential new guide dog, the excitement of being rid of the white cane is rising. If I'm being totally honest, I don't really use it as much as I should and thus my independence has suffered quite a bit since Glacier's retirement. Well, my independence sort of suffered a bit even when he was working because I was nervous to go out and work with him, but I was definitely getting out on my own more than I am now. Is my aversion to the white cane a good thing? Of course not and I know my new guide dog trainer was slightly horrified when I told him I was terrible with it and have hardly used it since being matched with Jetta in 2002, but I was just being honest. Not to mention, even though I don't use the cane, I am pretty comfortable in areas that I am familiar with and could give a sighted person directions if necessary. It's not the directions that confuse me or walking a straight line. It's not even the strange feeling like I'm floating out in space when using the cane. It's just that the cane is so slow and I get it stuck in everything. I've had this discussion with quite a few people, Mr. K being one of them, and he assures me it's because I'm using it wrong. I believe him.
When Mr. K takes the cane out he hardly ever hits objects and despite it gut checking him because the sidewalk is uneven, he really doesn't have the problems with it that I do. There's probably a myriad of factors that contribute to his success as a cane user and I am not, one of them being that I just hate the thing and can't seem to bring myself to learn to use it properly. I thought that when Glacier retired I'd get lessons and become at least an average cane user instead of a less than horrible cane user, but the instructors are so over booked that I couldn't even get on the waiting list. So, I remained horrible. The funny thing is I can get around better without the cane than with it. For example, I can walk Hermione and Otis both down to the relieving area without the cane just fine, but if I take the cane I run in to everything and get caught on the pavement. Sometimes when I'm feeling particularly ambitious and I know the cycling trail is going to be quiet, I walk the dogs-off leash-without the cane. I can walk a fairly straight line and just check the edge of the grass with my foot every once in a while to make sure I'm still along the side. If I didn't have to worry about strange objects and other pedestrians blocking my path, I could probably walk the streets without a cane, but put one in my hand and I'm all over the place. I don't know if it's because I'm deaf in the ear on the side  that I carry the cane and it makes me unbalanced or what it is, but I run into everything. Maybe it's entirely in my head. That is very possible.
When I attended a school for the blind for three years, I spent the last two years there running about the campus caneless. I used pavement/floor changes, the sounds of buildings and so many other cues to know where to go. Once you've been in a particular place long enough your body also becomes accustomed to turning at certain spots. The fancy technical term for it is "time distance estimation." I used it the other day when showing the guide dog trainer where I'd be relieving my new dog.
It was the day I told him that my cane skills were terrible. We walked from my flat, him guiding me, and me telling him where to turn or where to go straight. When we approached the relieving area I told him to turn right. He asked me how I knew that was the spot and I explained that the ground changed as well as my time distance estimation being honed for that area since I walk the dogs there multiple times a day. I don't really know how to explain time distance estimation, but it is probably the equivalent of a sighted person walking from their bedroom to the bathroom in the middle of the night and not turning on a light. You know how to get to the toilet without falling down the stairs or taking a wrong turn. Your body just takes you there. However, if someone leaves a toy in the middle of the hall or a door ajar that normally isn't open, you trip over the toy or run into the door. These things get in the way of your time distance estimation. I think this is where the cane and I start clashing.
Because my cane wielding skills aren't great and I therefore get caught on cracks in the sidewalk, garbage bins, poles and whatever else may be sort of in my path, my time distance estimation gets interrupted. When I walk with a guide dog, that isn't disrupted. Ideally, we move smoothly and a particular speed is maintained. These fluid and uninterrupted movements allow me to feel more confident in my time distance estimation. I think that is why walking around without a cane on the cycling path and down to the dogs' relieving spot is more comfortable for me. I can just get there without the constant jolting and extra arm movement that the cane use requires. The only problem with this, or perhaps not the only problem but one of the greater ones, is that people don't know I can't see.
I can't tell you how long it took for people who I see regularly on the cycling path to realise I was blind. Some of them I told just to reduce some of the confusion and others eventually saw me using the white cane on longer walks with the dogs or walking sighted guide with a friend. My lack of identifier is problematic though in the instances when I don't see a person on a regular basis and I accidentally step into their path instead of moving out of it as intended. Once, I accidentally body checked someone in to a railing that runs along the top of the cycling trail because we both went the same direction. I think if I had had a cane at least they would have known to be more aware of which way I was going and then if I had still managed to body check them into the railing, they'd understand that I wasn't just a jerk.
So really, is the cane an evil stick?
Certainly not.
It functions well for a lot of blind people who have mastered the skill of walking with it.
Would it have made my life easier in the last six months if I had had lessons and learned to use it competently?
Of course.
And yet, knowing all of this, I chose only to use it when absolutely necessary and then only in very, very familiar areas. To me, it is still the evil stick and I will always prefer a guide dog over it. That is why I can't wait until I go into training with my new dog.
However, I have learned something in these last six months.
1. I can get better with the cane if I actually try. The first times I took it out on the trail with the dogs off leash, I hardly went anywhere because of how often it got stuck. I really don't have that problem anymore.
2. I really should learn to use it. No more explanation needed. I will just need an incredibly patient teacher.
That said, bring on the guide dog training class.

Guide Dog Training Update

So just as the title of this post suggests, I'm here to give you a guide dog training update. Things have been a bit nuts with us originally thinking we were going into class on the the 25th of February, but the other student is apparently going on a vacation smack in the middle of the training session. So, the training dates may be moved up until the 11th of February instead. Since we're discussing dates, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this dog and I will be trained together and hopefully turn into a working team. This is all very exciting.
One concern the guide dog organisation had was the number of dogs in our flat. The concerns they expressed were logical, such as us having a space shortage, but it had me worried for a while that getting a guide dog was going to be a problem. There's a lot I could say about the whole thing, but in reality there's no point. I'm going into class and everything should turn out fine. It would just be interesting to know what people with children are told who are attempting to "qualify"(AKA graduate) with a guide dog.
So, I'm sure you'd like details of the new dog, but the problem is I was so wrapped up in the issue of having too many dogs that I forgot to ask if I could talk about HER. That's right: I'm getting a girl. I figure I can tell you at least that much. It's about time too: Hermione and I are outnumbered right now. ;)
Other than our little dilemma, the meeting on Wednesday went well. All of the dogs got along just fine and the trainer and I spent some time going around the routes that I'll be taking. If there is time, he is going to show her the routes in order to make the transition from training in the hotel to our area easier, but if the training dates are moved up to February 11th, there won't be the time to go through that process. Her trainer is also one of the only ones in this area target training his dogs. I really appreciate this skill because it means that she can find light poles and other helpful objects.
So, all in all, despite the one glitch, the meeting on Wednesday went pretty well. I saw her only for a brief few minutes and spent the rest of the time showing the trainer around, but it was good to be able to ask some questions and get to know the trainer a bit more. I don't know when I'll see her again, but I'm supposed to hear from the trainer on Tuesday to confirm the dates that we'll be training.

Happy Days!

I got the call. Wednesday afternoon my cell phone rang and on the other end was one of the Guide Dogs trainers letting me know that they had a potential match for me. He wanted to meet up Friday to see if the dog and I would work well together. He said that we were perfect on paper, but that was just paper. The trainer that I've been working with up until now had gone to see the dog and told this trainer to call me. That in and of itself was encouraging. So, we agreed to meet Friday for a walk and a chat.
Friday afternoon came much too slowly in my opinion. I was very excited Thursday night and didn't sleep well. The trainer picked me up just after 1 and drove me out to the area that the dog's been training in. We chatted on the drive about the process ahead and the sorts of things that happened during training if we got there. At the training area, the trainer unloaded the dog from the back of the van and put the harness on. He explained that we'd be walking along both quiet and busy streets and that he'd have an extenda leash clipped to the dog just in case I needed him. I still was incredibly nervous. I was so worried that things wouldn't work out and I'd have to keep waiting. I was also worried that I'd decide that we were a good match and be wrong just because I didn't want to wait anymore. I had told myself the night before to try to be aware of anything I might not like and to mention them. I wasn't going to go down the same path as I had taken with Glacier. I had noticed things in training and had mentioned them to his trainer, but was brushed off. I was determined not to be brushed off again.
The first part of the walk took us along side a park. The dog was very focused and despite other dogs running off leash in the park, the dog kept us moving forward. Little reminders to "straight on" helped, but the dog was very easy to re-direct and re-focus. "Straight on" was a new cue for me, so I had to keep reminding myself to say the right cue. Leader Dogs uses just "straight" and so sometimes I'd almost forget the "on" part. At the first curb we came to, we hung a right and began walking along a busy street. My left arm/hand was very tense and the trainer asked me if I was okay. I told him that it was a bit scary since I hadn't done this in a while. I made a conscious decision to relax. I knew that the dog would be able to pick up on my uncertainty and nervousness which would make the dog uncomfortable.
The trainer warned me of a bus stop that was coming up. There was also a pole in the proximity of the bus stop that required the dog to navigate me carefully through. We approached the bus stop and I could hear people waiting for the bus and just as we walked up the bus arrived. I was a bit concerned about getting through the crowd, but the dog moved cleanly through, leaning towards the bus door as if to say, "in here?" A "straight on" was all that was needed to keep us moving forward.
The walk carried on from there with many obstacles for us to work around. It was garbage day and so there were a lot of bins/bags/boxes out on the curb that we had to avoid. Not to mention, your every day pedestrian traffic, other dogs, birds and at one point the sea. Along the section where the sea was on our left, I had to keep reminding the dog "straight on" and gave the dog one small collar correction when the temptation of the sea was just too much, but again, re-directing the dog was so easy. There was no heavy corrections needed, no harsh tones either. The dog seemed to respond well to calm, quiet cues and this is how I like to work. I also didn't have to play cheerleader the whole time we were walking.
When Glacier and I used to go out, I'd have to praise him the whole time and keep talking to him or he'd lose confidence and stop working. Thankfully, this dog doesn't need that. Jett had needed harsher tones to keep her focused; not agressive ones, just a sharper tone to "leave it" or "straight." Anything less and she didn't pay attention to me. Again, none of that was necessary.
We moved between parked cars, around a van blocking the entire sidewalk and past three dogs without incident. To be honest, I didn't even know we past the dogs until after the walk and I asked if there had been any dog distractions besides the ones in the park. Suffice it to say, I was very impressed.
I also learned a few more new cues and some new body positioning. The body positioning is very particular when you're crossing streets with regards to your foot position as well as when you need to go down a side street and the dog is in the way of turning that way. The trainer had to keep on me about relaxing my arm and remind me about foot positions at crossings, but none of those issues were with the dog itself. My biggest fault was the tense arm and I had difficulty remembering to slide my right foot behind the left before telling the dog to "forward," but that will all come with practice.
 The trainer has even trained the dog to "find the pole" at particular crossings. I'm so glad he's done this because it means that it is a transferrable skill to other areas/objects. When the dog is told to "find the pole" the dog walks up to the pole and touches it with its nose.
When our amazing walk came to an end, the trainer asked me what I thought. I told him I was blown away at how easily the dog listened to cues and at how responsive the dog was. It was also very obvious that the dog loved working and that was a relief to me. The trainer had warned me that this particular dog liked to anticipate and sometimes would rush because of this, but that wasn't really hard to deal with. I just had to remind the dog to "wait" at curbs sometimes and only twice I had to bring the dog back into a "sit." I like that the dogs here are taught "wait." It was something I later taught Jetta and Glacier, but it's nice that it comes built in already with these dogs. :)
The sitting at the curbs was something I had to get used to, but to be honest, I think that it was beneficial. Before now I didn't think having your guide dog sit at curbs was a good idea and perhaps in most cases it's not, but for the way I work and the way this dog works, it's a good thing. It keeps the dog from rushing and makes me feel more relaxed at crossings. I feel like I can take my time deciding if it's safe to cross.
We talked a bit more about how the walk felt and then the trainer told me that he had unclipped the extenda leash in the last half of the route. I had had my suspicions because he'd leaned forward once and then was walking in a different position than before, but I was too busy paying attention to the dog and trying to read the dog's body language that I hardly gave it any thought. Knowing that he felt comfortable enough to let us fly solo, so to speak, made me feel so much pride in our work. It also made me hopeful that this dog was the one.
I brought the dog into the heel position at the back of the van and the dog sat. Then the trainer instructed me to remove her collar and with it, the leash. The van door was opened and the dog was told to "wait." After a few seconds the dog was told that it was all right to get in. I can't quite remember what the wording was because my head was buzzing with a million questions and replays of the walk, but it was something like "in you get" or something like that.
The humans then hopped in the van to get warmed up and the trainer asked me if I liked the dog. Of course I said yes. He asked me if I liked working with the dog and of course I said yes again. Then he asked me if I wanted to go into training with the dog. I laughed and said, "yes please." He laughed too and said that he thought we were a good match and that he wanted us to train together. So, it was decided that I'd probably go into training some time at the end of February if everything went as planned.
The trainer took me to meet the volunteer that the dog is staying with during this phase of training. This too is different than most North American schools as the dogs usually stay in kennels during harness training. Here, the dogs stay with a volunteer family so that the dogs live in an environment that is as real as possible. After that, we headed over to the hotel where we will be staying during our training together. This is also different from most North American schools as well.
When I got Jetta and Glacier, I stayed in a very large, purpose built residence building on the campus of the guide dog school. In Scotland, they use hotels. This particular hotel is very nice and all of the staff that I met were very friendly and seemed helpful. I definitely won't mind staying in that hotel for two and a half weeks.
After the hotel tour it was back home we went. We made plans to meet again on Wednesday to have the dog meet my crazy family of Hermione, Otis and Roscoe. We'll also show the dog the flat and then we're going to discuss routes that I would take on a regular basis. The idea behind that is to teach the dog as many of the routes that we will be taking as possible. I'm so lucky to be training locally so that the trainer can start early on our routes. It should make the transition for both of us a lot easier when we come home after our two and a half weeks of training at the hotel. Once we return home, the training will continue for another week or so with us living at home. I think this is so that the trainer can help with any settling in issues as well as go over local routes.
So, the point of this gigantic rambling blog post is that there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. I have met and liked my potential new guide dog. I have to wait a month while the trainer works on polishing skills with the dog, but from what I saw on Friday, I'm going to be a very lucky woman come end of February. I'm not going to share any of the dog's details just yet as I'm not sure that I'm supposed to. Besides, I don't want to jinx it. :) Maybe after our meeting Wednesday I'll be able to tell you more.

The Princess is One!

Happy birthday to Her Royal Highness, Princess Hermione Sophia of the K Family.
I don't know how, but somehow you are one year old today. It seems like a running theme of late: I just don't know where the time has gone. Of course we didn't see Hermione when she was born, or really know we were getting her until she was about seven weeks old, but her birthday is still momentous in its own wright. I'm sure she doesn't know any better, but I do, so I shall celebrate for her.
To be honest, I had a few activities planned for her since "doing things" is one of Hermione's favourite things, but the constant down pour outside has sort of put a damper on those plans. If it were just drizzling I'd still take her for her big long birthday walk, but we both get soaked just going out for five minutes bathroom breaks.
I was also going to take her to the cafe this morning with us, but the rain made me decide to leave her at home. Those beautiful Spaniel feathers get so wet and muddy that I didn't want her tracking that into the cafe. She likes to sit on a bench that runs in front of a window that looks out on to the street and if she were to get up there with her muddy, furry feet, the next person to sit down would end up with mud smears on their butt. So, again, she stayed home.
However, it will have to stop raining some day and when it does, I'll pretend it's her birthday that day and we'll do all of the things we were supposed to do today.
As for her present, I'm still torn between a raincoat and one of those LED flashing collars. Roscoe got one for Christmas and it's great for off leash runs when it's dark out; especially since it gets dark here so early in the day. The collars obviously have no effect on me, but it lets cyclists know the dogs are there and also sighted friends if they are walking with us. On the other hand, the raincoat would mean I wouldn't have to spend nearly ten minutes after we come in from just going potty scrubbing her dry.
Neither of those gifts are very fun for Hermione. So, I have plans of baking her a doggie birthday cake. I'm excited since it's my first attempt at cake. I seem to have the cookies down pat, but cake is a whole other story.
I also think either her squeaky cupcake or an elk antler is also in order. Otis got an antler for Christmas from his Grandma and Grandpa and both dogs love it. So much so, I have to hide it sometimes because they argue over it. So, perhaps the antler is the way to go.
What do the next few years hold for Miss Priss?
She'll continue to wow me with her crazy antics: just when I think she can't do something even more crazy, she goes and surprises me. I've also been in touch with some agility clubs to see if she and I can start basic training.
Other than that, she'll continue to be my beautiful little nut who makes me laugh and go crazy every day. It's amazing how she went from this little fuzzy ball that kind of looked like a wind-up toy to this fully feathered, weighing five kilograms, pretty dog. Mr. K always says-after she's done something a bit nutty-"at least she's pretty."
Happy birthday Hermione Sophia. This last year has been so much better because of this little dog.
XOXOXXOXOXO

Six Months Old

Mr. Sky Blue, as he is  known in the Kennel Club registry, is six months old today. It's amazing to think that three months have already passed since we brought him home. It's even more amazing to think that he's gone from fitting in Mr. K's palm to weighing at least seven kilograms. He's definitely heavier than Hermione now. He's still shorter, but definitely thicker as his Bulldog ancestry would dictate.
Otis is probably one of the easiest puppies we've had come through our home. He's a relaxed, chilled out  guy who likes to nap, puppy battle with Hermione, eat and nap some more. He likes to sleep in until at least ten in the morning, and probably would sleep longer if Hermione or I would let him.  Even with his late sleep ins he will also  happily take two hour afternoon naps. He's been really easy  to re-direct as well when he's misbehaving. For example, when he was teething he would chew on the corner of the pillows on the couch. All I would have to say is  "no" in a quiet firm voice, hand him his Nylabone and he'd automatically focus his full attention on the new object. Hermione used to do that, but within ten seconds would go back to the forbidden object. I had to keep on her a lot more than Otis. He also  hasn't chewed anything up even though he's definitely capable of doing some damage and he is nearly house trained. If I stick to a schedule and make sure he gets out, then he never goes in the house. He still doesn't know to hold it or ask to go out, but as long as I'm consistent with outside time, our floors stay puppy accident free. This in and of itself is a miracle.
Otis also loves everyone and has no ill will towards human or animal. He's always happy to greet everyone on our walks and has no fear when other dogs, big or small, come up to meet him. He does, however, feel he should protect Hermione which is very cute. I've read that you have to make sure French Bulldogs don't get "little dog" syndrome, so I've been really careful about staying on him about behaving, greeting others nicely and not letting him boss others around. I think, so far, he's doing well.
My only complaint about this little dude is his lack of motivation to go for walks. If you try to take him for a walk, he sits down and refuses to go. I thought that if Hermione or Roscoe were running out front he'd be more inclined to walk, but I was wrong. I wish we had a backyard because I think he'd be the kind of dog who would be happier pottering around at his own pace, smelling what he wants to smell and going where he wants. He just runs at a slower pace than me, Hermione and Roscoe. It's part of what I love about him-his chilled out attitude-but at the same time walk times are frustrating. I still take him for walks though as he needs the exercise and also the structure of walking on leash. Admittedly though, some days I leave him at home and just take the other two because I just want to walk and not have to play games to get him to walk. I may be investing in a squeak toy to see if that has any impact on his forward momentum.
I've said a million times before that I'm more of a big dog kind of person, but since we live in such a small flat, we're better off with little dogs. That said, the two small breeds that we've chosen to bring into our lives, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the French Bulldog, are some of the coolest little dogs around. Mr. K said he'd love to "have an army of Otis's." He loves the laid back and comical personality of the French Bulldog, and more specifically, our little guy.
So, happy six months little dude.

My Strange and Wonderful Spaniel: Part Two

If you are ever bored, why not drop by for an afternoon? Hermione will keep you entertained for the whole day. Well, that is until she wears herself out and finally takes a nap. She is currently curled up beside me taking sed nap, but earlier today and last night that certainly wasn't the case.
Last night was our final night with my parents visiting. I thoroughly enjoyed having them here for seventeen days and found that it went much too quickly. We spent our final evening at a local restaurant that Mr. K and I really like eating and talking until we realised that we should head home so my parents could finish packing. Upon arriving home the dogs were all super excited to see us as is normal in our home. I have been fighting a cold and so my dad helped me take everyone out for the final bathroom break of the night. Since Hermione slept the whole time we were gone, she was a complete nut when we got back inside after relieving.
She was running around, wagging her tail and squeaking Roscoe's squirrel he got for Christmas. She was also demanding that someone throw the squirrel for her, or her bear or her tug toy; it just depended on what toy she brought back to you.
I'm not sure if I've ever told you, but Hermione would have a drinking problem if she were a human, or at least had thumbs and could open beer bottles for herself. I'm not sure why since neither Mr. K or I are big drinkers, but whenever someone has a beer, and apparently other alcoholic beverages, she's all about what's in the bottle, can or cup. Last night my dad poured me a small amount of porte into a plastic cup. He said it was to "burn the sickness out." I wasn't convinced, but I started slowly sipping on it anyway since I know hot toddies definitely work. As I was perusing the internet, taking my time with my Porte Miss Diva Queen must have noticed the plastic cup on the coffee table because the next thing I knew porte was flowing over the edge of the table and the little weasel was licking it up. Of course we cleaned it up quickly and stopped her indulgence, but none of us could stop laughing. But that wasn't the end of it: it never is with her.
This afternoon I poured myself a giant glass of water and set it on the coffee table. Hermione's been all out of sorts all day; probably with the change of the population in the flat. I think she had become used to my parents hanging around. So, she had been running herself ragged all day. She usually has a nap around noon, but not today. Death shaking squirrel, tug toy and attempting to shred a magazine was much more important.
Even though she was being a nut and she had knocked over a cup the night before, I thought nothing of the glass of water on the coffee table. I figured she had gone after the cup the previous night because it was flimsy and easy to knock over and also contained an alcoholic beverage. Apparently none of these things were factors for her, either that or she learned that knocking over things was fun, because she tipped my glass of water over and started slurping up the dripping mess. There was so much water that it splashed on to the couch and created puddles on the lower shelves of the coffee table and on the floor. I'm not even sure how she knocked it over. Maybe she used her nose, but more likely she pushed it with her front paws. I think her nose wouldn't be enough to tip over that much weight. Either way, there was water everywhere. This time though, there was more mess and Otis thought he'd join in cleaning it up.
At first I was irritated, but then I laughed. It was just water and it just meant I was mopping up the floor.
I don't know what gets into her head sometimes, but she very obviously is plotting. Not only that, she's incredibly persistent. My parents had to close their door last night while packing because she kept going in and stealing my dad's leather gloves out of his suitcase and racing off with them.
As I've said before, she's a complete nut, but I wouldn't trade her in for anything. Life would be much too boring. ;)

Happy Dogmany!

It's 2013. All I can say is "wow." We had a very good New Year's Eve, celebrating in a local pub that looks out on to the water. There was a band playing, good food, even better company and a really relaxed yet festive atmosphere. It really was an enjoyable evening, even if I did wear five inch heels and walked all of the way there and back. Oh the things we do for fashion.
In my defense, they are the prettiest red heels ever!
Anyway, the point is, it was a very good night.
But what is this "Dogmany" you may be asking.
In the UK, or at least in Scotland, New Year's Eve is called Hogmany. It's a huge deal here with fireworks being fired off from the castle every hour and a gigantic street party. Apparently, this year's Hogmany street celebration pulled in somewhere around 75 thousand people. This still doesn't explain Dogmany right? I'm getting there.
Dogmany is a fun day spent in one of the city's larger parks where sled dogs race and the general public are encouraged to bring their dogs. It's held on New Year's Day and as I'm sure you can guess, we went. There's no way there is going to be a massive gathering of dogs and me not be there.
My parents and I hopped a cab downtown and brought Hermione and Otis along for the day. Mr. K was not feeling well-no, it wasn't from drinking too much the night before-and so Roscoe stayed home with him. We met a couple of our friends at the park and spent some time watching the sled dogs racing. There were races between teams of three and then races between teams of two. In one of the races with teams of three, a kid of about ten won the heat. It was pretty exciting to watch. There were so many different types of sled dogs around I hardly knew what to do with myself. It was amazing. Of course there were plenty of pet dogs about and I spent a lot of time petting other people's dogs and having photos taken of mine. There was even a novelty dog show set up and I entered both dogs.
Hermione was to be shown in the "Waggiest Tail" category and Otis was entered in to the "Prettiest Eyes" class. There was some time to kill before the show so we wandered around a bit more, getting stopped about every fifteen feet for someone to pet/stroke/hold/take a photo of Otis. Hermione was admired as well, but it was a different kind of dog person who appreciated her. It was actually interesting to take notice of the people who were drawn to each dog. Otis, for example, drew in families, young couples and just your average dog lover. Hermione on the other paw, drew in people who were breed experts, serious gun dog handlers and people who are a bit more serious about their dogs. Of course little girls were smitten with her too because of her fluffy ears and feathery tail. She truly is a princess.
When it came time for Hermione's class to be shown, I missed the call for us to enter the ring. It was really noisy, Otis was being kidnapped by a small child and I was honestly distracted by a fourteen month old Dog DaBordo who weighed 3 and a quarter stone. For those of you who don't know "stones" that is, in my opinion, weight measurement for bloody huge. I was disappointed she didn't get to go in the ring, but Otis was up next and he was a hit.
The "judge" had us all enter the ring and line up. Then she went around looking at each dog and squeaking a small squeak toy at them. This was to get the dogs to look at her so she could judge who had the prettiest eyes. The funny thing was even though it was fun and we were joking around, waiting for her judgment was actually tense and I got a bit excited. The judgment came back that a gorgeous Springer Spaniel had the prettiest eyes since he/she sat perfectly still staring at the judge during the squeakathon. Otis, my little charmer, won second prize and a mixed breed of some sort won third. When the winners were announced we all lined up to receive our prizes and the dogs were given medals and a certificate. A goodie bag with a few treats was also part of the loot. Then, the dogs, and owners I suppose, got to strut their stuff around the ring to show off for the crowd. It probably was one of the most fun things I've done with my pet dogs and to be honest, it's kind of addictive.
A lot of novelty dog shows are run in the name of charity in Edinburgh and I've thought of entering my dogs into more just for the fun of it. It would give me a reason to work with them on their obedience, a way to meet new people, give to a good cause and have fun while I'm at it.
By the end of Otis's victory lap, my feet were frozen and I think my parents had turned into snow people, or at least frost people, as well. We said our good-byes to our friends and found a cab to take us home.
It was a warm shower and a hot cup of tea for me and a well deserved treat, courtesy of Otis's winnings, for the puppies. We all spent the rest of the evening curled up on the couch just relaxing as it had been quite an eventful previous evening and next day. I think it was the perfect start to 2013.
Happy 2013 to all of you and wishing you the best in 2013.
hugs from Jess, Hermione, Otis, Roscoe, Mr. K, Hamish and Lola

Merry Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas, everyone!
I can't believe how quickly this past year has flown. I think I've said THAT  for the last four years really.
Christmas was nice this year with my parents flying over to spend time with Mr. K, me and the dogs. We had a wonderful meal cooked by my parents  consisting of turkey, SALMON,  salad, mashed potatoes, dressing and chocolate cake for dessert. I was so full after supper was over, I could hardly move; exactly THE way Christmas dinner should be. MOM AND I HAD ALSO ATTEMPTED A TRADITIONAL BRITISH DESSERT RECIPE  EARLIER IN THE WEEK CALLED MINCE PIES WHICH ACTUALLY TURNED OUT QUITE WELL. THERE AREN'T MANY LEFT OF THOSE.
Our day started with my mom making French toast, bacon and cinnamon coffee. I'm a huge fan of flavored coffees and finding them this side of the pond has been difficult. When we visited the German Christmas market on Sunday evening, we came across a vendor that sold a variety of flavored coffees and I made off with a package of Irish Cream and Cinnamon. I was really torn as there were so many choices, some of which included Blueberry Muffin and Chocolate, but I settled on the two aforementioned flavors. Mom and Dad also brought two big bags of Hazelnut coffee with them and we've been enjoying that as well. We may have also enjoyed a little Bailey's in that coffee as well this morning.
After breakfast it was gift opening time for everyone. I got a pair of "feety" PJ's (I love the silly things), a casual dress, Body Shop products and a tea set with Cavalier King Charles Spaniels on it. Winter boots and coat, new walking shoes and a hoodie were also gifts I got earlier. I was a very lucky girl this Christmas season.
Tenie and Lindsay didn't forget about us either and sent gifts with my parents for us. Mr. K got a Lego Star Wars tree ornament and I got a Tim Horton's coffee mug ornament. If you're Canadian you'll understand my ornament. If you're not, look up Tim Horton's or "Timmy's" as we Canadians like to call it and you'll understand. :) The girls also sent over a singing card that played "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" with a Dachshund on the front. For those of you WHO   don't know, Lindsay adopted Baloo, one of our Dachshunds, when we moved over here and so the card was defiNITELY fitting. They put some cash in the card so that Mr. K and I could go out to dinner together. All very thoughtful and sweet gifts.
The dogs weren't forgotten either. Hermione got her Kong Wobbah, Otis his elk antler chew and Roscoe his squeaking squirrel. I also made a batch of banana and honey treats and some sweet potato chews. Everyone seemed happy with their presents. Hermione has gone crazy death shaking her replacement toy-the last one had to be thrown out due to over use-Roscoe walked around happily wagging his tail and softly squeaking the squirrel and Otis made off into a corner to be alone so that he could chew his antler.
Once presents were opened, mom started on getting the turkey into the oven and then she and I took all three dogs for a good long off leash run. It's done nothing but rain the last week or so and it was nice to have the sun poking out today. We returned hOME nearly two hours later with three very tired dogs. Hermione was so muddy that I spent nearly ten minutes wiping her down once we got home. Her feathers are so long and SHE   is so low to the ground that the mud just clings to her. Roscoe needed toweling off as well as he decided that prancing through mud puddles and splashing about in little pools was a good idea, but he wasn't nearly as difficult to clean as miss princess butt.
We finished the evening off by calling various family members. We even got to talk to Mr. K's family via Skype. I can't say how fantastic Skype has been for us since moving so far away from our families. It was great to see everyone laughing and all of our nieces and nephew got to see us and the dogs too.
So, with a full belly and heart I am writing this out; sitting snugly in my bed in my feety pajamas. NO JUDGING! TRY THEM ONCE AND YOU WILL NEVER GO BACK. Roscoe is asleep on my feet and Otis is on my lap. Hermione took herself to bed. She actually likes sleeping in her own crate at night and will voluntarily go in. I think she needs some alone time sometimes and that is where she gets it. So, from my snug, sleepy self to you: Merry Christmas! Hoping that you had a wonderful day.
XOXO

My Strange and Wonderful Spaniel

I have owned a few different breeds of dogs in my life, but up until now, never a Spaniel. In fact, until we moved to Edinburgh I had never even "seen" a Spaniel. Since I have to pet dogs to be able to see them, I am sure this is why I had never seen a Spaniel before. Where I grew up, people had big dogs-German Shepherds, Labradors, Collies and mixes of these medium to large breeds. So, I didn't exactly know what I was getting myself into when we picked a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as our newest family member back in February of this year. Everything I read said that they were the calmest of the Spaniel family and the perfect lap dog. I haven't owned another type of Spaniel, but my condolences go out to those dog owners. ;)
How do you ever get to sit down? If I had a tail, Hermione would have me chasing it from the time she wakes up in the morning until we go to bed at night. (I say that as she naps on the couch beside me. I may be exaggerating a bit, but just a bit). :)
 To be honest, I'd never have another breed; unless I could have a Great Dane, or a Mastiff, or a Husky or...okay...you get the point.  I love her, but she is undoubtedly a nut.
You never know what Hermione Sophia will do next. She holds perfect points at unsuspecting prey with no training; she death shakes her toys and sounds like an evil Wolverine who weighs only 5 kilograms; she jumps as high as my hip or higher even though her head hardly clears half way up my calf; and so much more. We met her mom, but part of me wonders if her dad had been a Cocker Spaniel instead because of her hunting tendencies, but the breeders assured us she was a purebred. Honestly, who cares. She's one of the coolest little dogs I've met and I'm not saying that because she's mine.
I know she can be a bit much for some people, but in  her defense she's still a puppy and her training is coming along quite nicely. In fact, Mr. K and I have thrown around the idea of putting her into agility; note the comment above about how high she can jump.
Of course she has her holy terror moments where I want to pull out my hair; note previous comment about death shaking/wolverining everything. Not to mention, she must have been a paper shredder in her previous life because she will destroy any paper she comes across. And, it's not like she just comes across it and destroys. Oh no! She seeks paper to shred into little bits, turning our couch or living room floor into a shredded paper graveyard. Despite her crazy antics, she can be super sweet and she always manages to surprise you.
Most dogs aren't huge fans of grooming. Glacier used to try to make himself really small if he saw me coming with the Zoom groom; not easy for a 35 kilogram Labrador. Jetta just used to run as fast as she could; and that was fast. Roscoe pretends he's not there, but I always find him. Otis hasn't figured out how he feels about it yet. Most will tolerate it, but most don't enjoy it. Not Hermione. She loves being combed. All I have to do is pick up the comb, she hops in my lap and she stretches out to be combed. Her ears in particular are her favourite. How weird is that? If I start combing those beautiful feathery ears of hers, she goes to sleep and she won't wake up or move until I have stopped combing.
Do you see what I mean when I say she's strange?
She chases anything that moves, stalks paper victims and death shakes her fleece tug toy until it slaps her in the head violently, but get out the grooming comb and she settles in for the long haul. Mr. K thinks it's because she likes to be pretty. I'm sure he's right. She is the princes after all.

Happy Birthday Jetta!

I know I've been very absent from the blogging world as of late. I'm in the last few weeks of this semester and that means a lot of essay writing. This then means when I'm done writing for the day, I don't want to be near the computer or writing anymore. However, I could not let today pass without wishing a very special girl a happy birthday.
Jetta, my first Leader Dog, is 12 years young today. She's happily retired with my parents now, as most of you know, but not a day goes by without me thinking about her. There's something to say for having your first harness walk with your first guide dog. She certainly surpassed all of my expectations.
During your first walk, the trainer is usually connected to the dog's harness via their own leash. I remember thinking how much I couldn't wait until my trainer unhooked his leash and Jetta and I were truly walking together. I was certainly scared, but it was such an amazing experience.
Jetta and I sure had our ups and downs the first year, but after mistakes, mostly on my part, we became a well oiled working machine. It probably all started when I tried to put her harness on for the first time, and despite having practised on a huge plush dog, I couldn't get the thing on right. Knowing Jetta she was probably thinking:
"Ooooooo. They gave me the dumb one. How can I f*** with her?"
Happy birthday Jetta the Jitter Bug!!!!!!!!!

A Little Christmasy

You know it's Christmas time when Starbucks brings out their Toffee Nut and  Gingerbread lataes. You know it's Christmas when there are gigantic inflatable snowmen in the mall and decorated trees everywhere. You know it's Christmas time when...well, when things feel that little bit warmer and magical.
 I know Christmas is a favourite time of year for a lot of people and I am no exception. I just love it. It's that time of year when I feel like the magic of being a little kid is everywhere and according to social norms, it's okay to be a bit child-like. Sure shopping and preparing can be stressful if you let it, but for me, it's all just a lot of fun. The Christmas festivities haven't completely kicked off in our house, but we're getting there.
First of all, Carmen and I went Christmas window shopping on Monday. I had a few things on my list that I wanted to price check and so instead of trying to price check and buy all on the same day, which can be stressful, we've turned the whole experience into a two parter. Who knows, maybe we'll need three days; complete with Toffee nut from Starbucks. I can't say what I was browsing for because it was for Mr. K and I think he reads this blog from time to time, but I can say that I was quite happy with what I found. Carmen even had the forethought to bring a pen and paper and she wrote down the store's name, product and price. Go, go organisation!
Mr. K and I have already attempted to decorate, but were thwarted by the strings of Christmas lights we purchased for the front window of our flat. We tried to put them up with some very, cheap non-sticky tape. This means a trip out for some heavy duty tape and another attempt in our future. We also bought "Merry Christmas" garland to put up with the lights, but we didn't even bother with that when we discovered we didn't have the right hanging stuff for the lights.
As for music, I've been playing carols  when I clean, shower and pretty much every other activity. The little local cafe that we go to all of the time is having a sing along evening and Mr. K is going to play the guitar, I'm singing and one of our friend's is playing the bass. Last night was a quick run through of some carols for Mr. K and I.. We've never played/sang together before and I have to say that it was quite enjoyable. I think we need more practice though and I definitely need to figure out my lyrics.
We're trying to figure out the dogs' role in all of this. I suggested Roscoe should go to the cafe as a reindeer, Otis as Santa Claus and Hermione as the Sugar Plumb Fairy...or an elf.
Tomorrow night kicks off the festive season in Edinburgh and we're going to the Light Night which is apparently a big deal. We didn't go last year and so I am quite excited. It's basically when all of the city's Christmas lights are turned on, or at least that is what I can figure from the website. There is music and entertainment as well. Also, it means that the big German Christmas market opens Friday as well as the gigantic skating rink that is below the castle and the giant ferris wheel that shows the riders a spectacular view of the city; or so I'm told. ;)
So, things are, as you can see, slowly becoming Christmasy. The dogs' presents from Grandma and Grandpa have already arrived and just need to be wrapped. One of Mr. K's gifts arrived as well and I have a few small purchases for my parents. Mr. K and I were talking about putting up our little tree tonight and the various other small ornaments. Our singing bathroom snowman is already on his perch on the back of the toilet. Instead of holding a broom he is carrying a plunger and when someone walks in he sings "ho, ho ho, who's gotta go" to the "Up on the Roof Top" song. A great gift from my parents last year and a brilliant addition to any Christmas decor. We still have to get the dogs' gifts from us, but there is still time.
Last year's Christmas was different with Mr. K and I being on our own and I am really looking forward to sharing this Christmas season with Mr. K, our fuzzy family members and my parents. In fact, just thinking about it makes me a little giddy.
Did I mention Christmas may bring out the child in me?

Going, Going, Going!

I'm not entirely sure where the time has gone since my last post. I thought it had been only a few days, but in fact it's been over a week; at least. It's funny because some days seem to take forever, but in the grand scheme of things, this last little while has just disappeared. I've got a few things on my agenda right now and that may be where my time and energy has gone.
My parents are coming over for Christmas and the last time I did a count it was a month to go. Today, while out for a walk with Carmen and the pups, I realised that it's just over three weeks. So exciting. I've been browsing the internet for fun things for us to do while they are here and so, that is where part of that time went.
I've also noticed that every day things always end up having an element of adventure around here. I think I should have
"never a dull moment"
tattooed on my forehead.
Just the other morning, for example, I was heading on to the university campus for the entire day. I took everyone for a quick off leash run to release some of their energy so that Mr. K could get some school work done himself. I was nearly back to the flat when I realised that Hermione and Roscoe had run off. I began to panic after I stood calling them for over five minutes. Not only was I going to be late to my meeting with my professor, but I had just lost two of my dogs; despite Hermione wearing a bell. Eventually, a neighbor came down, still wearing her jammies, and was calling them with me and when she spotted Roscoe I felt a bit better, but it was short lived because Hermione wasn't with him. Mr. K came out because I had called him and just as he arrived so did Hermione, panting and frothing at the mouth. I still have no idea where they went. Surprisingly, I made it to my meeting on time.
It was on the heels of that incident  that Roscoe pulled a similar trick today. Again, nearly home after a long off leash run and romp in the park with other dogs, he takes off. It had started to rain on our way home and we were all soaked. Carmen had stuck Otis down the front of her water proof jacket because it was raining so hard. After I realised that Roscoe was gone, I leashed Hermione, who had thankfully stuck around this time and we spent the next ten minutes wandering up and down the cycling path calling for him. Mr. K was called again and he came out too. Roscoe must have been closer to him because when he called Roscoe, the big black fur ball came running. Mr. K said he thinks Roscoe was looking for us. I don't know if he got ahead of us in the wooded part and then didn't realise we were behind him or what, but he got home safe and sound. He did have a small cut on his paw that was bleeding a bit, but Mr. K put him in the bath and Roscoe and his injured paw were washed thoroughly. I think it's time for some obedience and recall refreshers for Mr. Ranger Roscoe. Wherever he went was very muddy. All we were trying to do was go for a walk!
On top of the usual doggie stuff, like Hermione having the crap scared out of her by some dog that chased her all of the way home-that's another crazy story-I've been researching for/writing essays, intermixed with group project meetings, classes and everything else you could  possibly do for school.
I also have two personal projects on the go: fundraising/training for my big run from Edinburgh to London next November and working on the logistics of setting up an online doggie boutique complete with bakery. Each project is big enough on its own, but put everything together and time just gets away from me and so does the laundry/dishes/all other house work that needs to be done.
Admittedly, some of this time escaping is my own doing in that I've taken on a lot, but on the other hand, the random weird happenings of my life, like having an entire bottle of dog shampoo bust open on the bathroom floor when I am trying to clean and making an even bigger mess, is not. I know I'm clumsy, but sheesh! Give a girl a break! :)
So what's on the agenda for tonight?
Well...I've got a load of laundry in the dryer and another in the washer...oh and one folded already. I've finished cleaning the kitchen, but still need to vaccuum the flat. That may need to wait until tomorrow though as my neighbors may not appreciate the noise. So, that scratches house stuff off the list; except for the laundry I have to finish.
I do have research for essays to complete and I probably should write some more, but I already did some today and I'm not quite in the mood. Besides, it's Friday night, right?
To be honest, there's a whole lot I could do and probably should do, but tonight I'm putting it all on hold to sit down with my puppies, probably a husband, some wine and either a good book or a movie. Tonight I am not "doing" anything else-except the rest of the laundry. Tonight I'm taking the night off which means I should stop writing now. ;)

Puppy Antics

Today I was browsing through the pet section on Amazon, scoping out potential Christmas presents for the dogs-anything to get away from studying for my exam on Thursday. As I scrolled through the toys it became apparent to me just how different Hermione and Otis are. Sure, they're both puppies, but of different breeds and with very different personalities and play styles. My two puppies couldn't be more  dissimilar if we had done it on purpose. The two look nothing alike, with Hermione having long, feathery fur and Otis's coat being very short and smooth. Hermione's ears flop and bounce when she runs and Otis's signature French Bulldog ears stick straight up off of his head. Hermione has  long springy legs, Otis has  short stumpy ones. Hermione is  finely built and Otis is  built like a brick  sh** house. You get the point.
Their personalities are so different too.
Hermione is excited by everything in life. Leaves blowing in the wind, bugs fluttering just out of reach, smells along the path and crunchy fallen leaves she can frolic in. She even gets excited by things inside. She does take naps, but it's like she sleeps with one eye open, waiting for the next thing to happen. Otis on the other paw, is a lazy, snuggle in kind of guy who sleeps like the dead. Hermione plays hard, engaging in zoomies, launching herself from one couch to another and death shaking her toys; complete with her "wolverine" growl. Otis plays too, but more slowly and uses his paws a lot more. He likes to box and often waits for Hermione to go hurtling past to launch his attack.  Despite their differences, both personality wise and physically, the two get along so well.
They love playing with each other and although I think Hermione would love it if Otis could run faster sometimes, the two are really sweet together. When Hermione finally decides to have a nap, you can guarantee she and Otis will more than likely be cuddled up together.
It's these personality differences that have challenged me with regards to training Otis. Hermione was always, and still is, ready to go. She never really had a problem learning to move in a forward movement when she was learning to walk on a leash. She was just so interested in everything around her that she wanted to go forward to see what was around the next corner. Sometimes she'd sit down or not really walk, but this was usually because she was tired and also when she was really small and something had made her unsure. Otis isn't interested in being outside. He'd rather be tucked in on the couch with a fuzzy blanket.
His refusal to move  makes it difficult to get him out to socialise and to potty train. If you take him out and he doesn't feel like going anywhere, he just sits down and stares at you. I don't want to be one of those people that drag their dogs along behind them, and I don't, but I have no idea how to motivate him to simply move. I thought that if he saw Hermione and Roscoe running ahead he'd be more inclined to walk, but this just isn't so. It's something I've been working on with him and he is sort of getting better at it, but he seems to resent the leash and being forced to put his precious paws on the cold ground. I know part of it is because he's so young and small and because it's cold outside. I bought him a little skull and cross bone hoodie from Build a Bear to help with the chill, but I'm not sure this helped at all. Perhaps he should ask for a coat for Christmas.
With these differences in mind I picked out a puppy antler chew for Otis. He loves to chomp on his toys and enjoys more stationary play. Hermione's option was a purple Wabbah from Kong. It's a toy that squeaks, can be tugged and is great for death shaking. Ranger Roscoe selected a squeaky plush squirrel and all three requests were forwarded on to Grandma and Grandpa, who will be joining us this year for Christmas. I have a few other ideas for the dogs' gifts that will have to come from Santa Paws and Mr. K and I. Maybe I'll find something that speaks to Otis so much that he'll actually want to go for short walks.