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. :)

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.

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 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 Frustrated

I'd be lying if I told everyone that everything is just rainbows and sunshine over here. Most of the time I'm a pretty upbeat, happy person, but like any person I have my days. Today is one of those days. When I started this blog, I promised myself to write everything; the good, the bad and the ugly. My goal was to try to capture, as accurately as possible, what it was like to live as a blind person and so this is where today's post is coming from.
It's not really the most horrible thing in the world, but I have been without a working dog for four months now and I am going absolutely crazy. The last time I didn't have a dog, I was a teenager, living in my parents' house which meant that I usually had a way to get to where I needed to go. Not to mention, I had not experience what it was like to work with a guide dog yet.   My current situation gives me an even greater appreciation for what my parents did for me. Now, I'm a grown woman, living in a still somewhat foreign country, with things that need to get done and things that I want to get done and I can't. I'm stuck. I don't think I've ever experienced this in my entire life.
When this all started, I thought I'd be okay. I figured that a few months and a dog would be found, but it's going on  four months, which feels like a life time right now, and it's not easy. I hate relying on others to get me to where I need, or even, want to go. I feel like I have to pick and choose what activities I need to get to, or want to get to, so that when the really important ones come up, I can get there. It's like I have so many "I'll get you here" tickets and I have to "spend" them wisely and a lot of times those get spent on things that I have to do as oppose to what I want to do.
Is this precisely what's going on? No, not really, but this is just how I feel right now. I think what worries me even more is that the month of December is a complete write off and so it will be going on six months by the time a dog MAY be found and there's no guarantees with that either. It's just frustrating.

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. ;)

Six Hundred and Counting!

That's right.
Nearly seven years since I started this blog and this is my six hundredth post. It's kind of amazing to think that I have managed to spew my verbal diarrhea out into the electronic world of the internet for this long. Seriously, who reads this stuff?! :)
It's also interesting to see how my writing style has changed. It's gone from "crazy, angry, advocacy" girl, to "more crazy, more productive, slightly more eloquent, still rants about certain issues" girl. Life is full of so many surprises.
I had started this blog to chronicle the adventures my first Leader dog Jetta and I had together. The blog has seen a few name changes going from "Jess and Jetta's Adventures" to "At A Glacial Pace" in honour of my second Leader dog Glacier. After his retirement this past July, I thought that perhaps it was time the blog had its own name, one that reflected me, but could also incorporate my successor guide dogs; whoever they may be. Hence, "Walking Barefoot in the Sand" replaced the previous titles. It's a long story as to where that name came from and maybe I'll tell it some day, but today, on my six hundredth post, I have some potentially exciting news that I think it quite fitting for a six hundredth post on a blog about a girl moving through life guided by a four legged companion.
In my previous post I talked about how a potential dog had been found to replace Glacier, but that he had been scratched off the list because he had skin allergies. After thinking about it for a few nights and talking to Mr. K about it, I emailed my trainer and expressed my certainty that I could deal with a food allergy. In fact, Roscoe has had food allergies in the past and I had forgotten about them because the allergies have been managed so well with diet. I also told the trainer that if it were an environmental allergy, such as being allergic to grass, that I was not prepared or equipped to deal with that type of allergy in a working dog. A pet sure, but not a guide dog. I then went on to say that I respected and trusted his judgment and was in no way attempting to convince him to train this particular dog for me. I just wanted him to be aware of where I stood.
A response came back this morning simply stating, "training started."
I'm not entirely sure what that means. Did he bring that dog into training or did the trainer himself go into class with other clients? I think it's the first so I have my fingers crossed.
There are other stages that the dog must pass in order for us to be matched permanently, such as us meeting and me actually liking the dog or he liking me, but at least this is a start. I'm trying not to get too excited just in case things don't work out, be it his allergies or we just aren't a good match, but it feels good knowing that something is happening. I am not just sitting around waiting. Well, I guess I still am, but  judging by my interpretation of the email this morning, things are progressing and progress is always good.
So, there you have it: the six hundredth time I've hit "create new post," wrote something potentially interesting or potentially not and hit "publish post."
Thank you everyone for reading! :)

Of Course It's About Dogs

Today's post will definitely give you  your fix if you're craving doggie news. It seems like my life the past couple of days has been entirely doggie centred. No different from most days I suppose, but yesterday was an extra dose of dog.
First thing's first, I said I'd bake cookies for a Guide Dogs fundraiser that was to be held on Saturday-AKA, yesterday. I thought I'd bake the treats in the morning in order to ensure freshness, but both batches were a bust. My Garlic, Cheddar Chicken bites didn't bake long enough and then my Pumpkin Peanut Butter cookies baked too long. That'll teach me to try to multi-task while baking for an event.
 Despite my baking fiasco, I was ready to be picked up by 11.45 to head to the venue.  I spent an afternoon at a working dog show, attempting to raise funds and awareness for Guide Dogs UK. The event was quite interesting as I've never been to a dog show before and I certainly got my fill of various breeds of dogs. Of course I was working very hard fundraising, but part of fundraising is chatting with people right?
...and petting their dogs...right?
I saw some of the coolest breeds, including a Mastiff who weighed 240 pounds. That dog was a stinking pony! He was beautiful though. I also got to pet one of those dogs who look like they have dredlocks. I can't remember what they are called...some kind of Afghan something or other. I asked how long it took to bathe one of them and was told that it can take anywhere from two to three hours.
Yikes!
There was also a lot of beautiful Border Collies, Huskies, Great Danes and Newfoundlanders that I just had to pet. Oh, and I can't forget the champion Pyrinese I got to pet. She was beautiful.
We did manage to raise some money, but I think most importantly Guide Dogs was recognised as being out in the community and was maybe given some publicity. I also think it's good to put faces behind the organisation and there were at least three  guide dog owners there with their dogs. I was there too, but certainly minus a guide dog. I was impressed by all of the dogs' behavior considering how many strange dogs were about, sniffing/barking/peeing on things. The three workers did their jobs and for the most part, kept their noses to themselves. A few of the puppies in training were a bit more excitable, but that's to be expected.
It was interesting for me to see each dog/handler team and the various breeds. Not one of those dogs were the same. There was a female Golden Retriever German Shepherd cross. Apparently Guide Dogs has had a lot of success recently with this mix of breeds. She was lovely. There was another female, but she was a Golden Retriever Lab cross. She was adorable with gigantic front paws. I've seen a few of those at LDB and they all seemed to be great workers. Then there was a male Flat Coated Retriever. I had never seen that breed before so it was a treat to pet him.
My guide dog trainer, and dude who is currently looking for my replacement dog, was my eyes for most of the afternoon. He was also my driver and we got to talking. Apparently, a week or so ago a potential dog came up for me, but only three days after my trainer heard about him, it was discovered that the dog has skin allergies. He's being tested to see what exactly he's allergic to, but it would seem that I will miss out on this one. The trainer sounded disappointed. I asked him if it were a food allergy and he said they weren't sure yet. I feel as though that if it were a good match and it was only food related, that I could deal with it. It's nothing to have a dog on a good diet and I don't mind cleaning ears frequently. I clean my dogs' ears about once a week now.
The trainer is always hesitant to give out dogs that have these conditions for a few reasons. First, a person who has been waiting for a long time may think that he/she can take on a dog with that sort of issue and will say yes, only to discover later that he/she really can't handle it. Then, everyone feels guilty/bad and the person just ends up on the waiting list again.
Second, it's hard to tell how an allergy, or something of that nature, will progress. If we can control it  with food now, will it stay that way for all of its life or will it become worse and worse?
Roscoe has food allergies and we control it by feeding him a fish based food, or raw feeding, and treats that I've made. Anything else and it flares up. However, I can see where the trainer is coming from and he is the expert. Fingers crossed that someone else comes up soon or that it is discovered that this guy's allergies aren't that bad and that diet can fix it.
That said, if it were discovered that his allergies could be controlled by diet, it doesn't mean I'll like him. Here in the UK, we get to meet our potential dogs first and decide whether or not we think he/she will work for us. If we think so the dog goes away for six weeks to complete his/her formal training and then we go into training with him/her. I very much appreciate that I get to be a part of the selection process. I just have to make sure that when the time comes for me to choose, I attempt to be as objective as possible.
So that's where that stands.
Mr. G has also sent an update as to his busy life as "Archio dog." It would seem that he is working in the archaeology field with his new dad and mom and being very helpful when it comes to digging; maybe a bit too helpful in some spots. His jaws of steel have also worked their magic and he has managed to destroy a hard hat...a hard hat! You know, the things that are supposed to protect your heads if machinery fall on them? Either that hard hat sucked or Glacier's got some impressive chompers. My vote lies in the latter.
As for the crew that we have now: Otis is growing like a weed. He turned four months old today and despite several growth spurts he's still quite small. That said, it's surprising how heavy he actually is. With how cold it's been out he has needed a sweater to do his business outside. We felt a bit ridiculous getting a sweater for a Bulldog, but Otis is now the proud, or not so proud, owner of a "Build a Bear" skull and cross bone hoodie. He looks damn cute in it. It was cheaper to buy him a hoodie from the children's store than to get him a dog sweater. Once he grows out of this hoodie we'll have to buy him a dog specific coat, but for now, he will keep wearing his Build a Bear hoodie. So cute!
And what about the other two?
Let's just say Roscoe has been nicknamed "Ranger Roscoe" and Hermione has been deemed "Hermione, the great Huntress." Whenever I go for evening walks, I always take both Roscoe and Hermione. It's kind of dark down on the cycling path and I feel safer having the bigger presence of Roscoe roaming with us. This evening I took the two out for an off leash run and both dogs assumed their respective roles.
Roscoe was off scouting through the under brush and popping out to check on me while Hermione was off holding perfect points at birds, squirrels and bugs. We stopped to talk to a woman who has a JRT named Florence, who was shocked to see Hermione point at a fleeing squirrel. She may be a toy breed, but her hunting instincts are still there.
Otis isn't quite big enough to accompany us on our longer walks, so we haven't determined his sudo personality yet, but if I were to call him anything right now it would be:
"sleepy, lazy Otis."
He definitely lives up to his Bulldog breed description.
As for Hermione the Great Huntress, she didn't catch anything. Probably because she was wearing her bear bell so that I knew what she was up to. Ranger Roscoe didn't seem to think there was anything threatening in the under brush. We have seen foxes in that general area and so I get a bit nervous walking later in the evening, but there are way less people you have to navigate at those times. As everyone knows, I am probably one of the worst cane users in the world. That not only applies to university campuses, city streets and shopping centres, but also to bike paths. So, our walk was quite relaxed and uneventful; despite the fireworks going off in close proximity. Neither Roscoe or Hermione were bothered by the loud bangs or bright lights. I'm not surprised by Roscoe's lack of reaction, but that seemed odd for Hermione. She's a nut about everything. Maybe she felt safe with Ranger Roscoe at her side. ;)
So, was that enough "doggie dish" for you?

She's Still Got It: Jetta the Jitter Bug

It's been just over four years since Jetta my first guide dog retired. She basically retired herself in typical Jetta fashion and moved into a squishy retirement with my parents. I can't believe she's going to be twelve this December.
When I called home the other day Mom and I got to talking and just as we were about to get off the phone she said, "Oh, I almost forgot."
She proceeded to tell me that my dad, being the goofy guy he is, had decided to wrap two "thank you" gifts my parents had bought for family members in Christmas wrap. He finished off the roll and stood chatting to my mom in the kitchen just holding on to the roll; presumably to put it in the recycling. Suddenly, the roll started bouncing around in his hand and he looked down to see Jetta pulling the tube out of his hand. He let her have it and off she went to shred it into little bits in the living room.
This story had me in stitches as it is definitely something Jetta would do. Actually, it really had me laughing because it used to be one of mine and Jetta's Christmas traditions for me to (pretend) attack her with the empty tubes (lightly) whacking her on the head and poking her in the butt; kind of like we were jousting. Well, I guess I was jousting, she was just trying to eat the thing. Not necessarily "by the books" guide dog/handler behavior, but I guess you learn what you can do with your dogs and what you can't. It's good to know that the old girl still remembers and that she's still got her characteristic spunk despite being a senior citizen.
Oh, Jetta. :)

The End of the Story

So, do you remember me saying that it was the demise of me becoming a foster parent? I wasn't joking. I don't think we'll ever get to foster for that rescue again, but I learned some very valuable lessons.
When Flick arrived I felt very overwhelmed. There were a lot of things that seemed to go wrong, or at least were a miscommunication between myself and the rescue, and I think these elements and several others lead to high stress levels for everyone involved; including the rescue volunteers.
I had been under the impression that when Flick arrived she would have everything she needed. I was told she came with bowls, collar/lead, muzzle, crate, coat  and food. When she arrived the only things she had  were her collar/lead, her muzzle which was too big-and apparently we wouldn't have even gotten that if her trainer hadn't given the woman who picked her up one-and a crate that had one door rusted shut. I was handed her leash and the woman said she'd come up and see how everyone got along. When we had chatted on the phone the day before she had asked if she could come up with her new foster dog and I said of course, thinking that we'd all sit down and have a chat about fostering and what that particular rescue expected. No one had done this with me yet and the only things I knew about Greyhounds was what I had read online. I thought she'd come in and give me a quick break down of the breed and allow me to ask any questions, but that is not what happened.
Flick, the volunteer and I went up to my flat to introduce Flick to the resident dogs. Hermione was the only one  out and about at the time as I didn't want Flick to be overwhelmed by dogs and also because Hermione was our greatest concern with regards to Flick's chase instinct.
As I suspected, Hermione wasn't a fan, but that didn't really surprise me. Hermione is, as I've said before, a "B" with an itch and can take some time to warm up to other dogs. She's fine with humans and will launch herself into their laps, but she will hang back and observe other dogs until she knows what they are like. She doesn't bark or growl and isn't rude, she just doesn't get super excited. I figured the two of them would figure it out eventually once Hermione realised that Flick wouldn't hurt her. The only problem was that when they first met, Flick excitedly went to sniff Hermione and whacked the already sore and drugged Hermione with the basket muzzle. If you have ever been hit by one of those, you will know they do not feel good. Hermione let out this horrible noise-I think it was more drama than anything-and removed herself from the room. She disappeared into her crate for the remainder of the day. Mr. K came out at that moment with Otis, whom Flick couldn't care less about, and Roscoe came too. I began to get concerned when Roscoe gave her the cold shoulder since Roscoe is our friendliest guy out of the bunch. He loves to play with other dogs, but I thought it was maybe because she was a different breed that he hasn't seen much and she was wearing the basket muzzle.
After Flick accidentally whacked Hermione, the volunteer was quick to high tail it to the door. I think she was in our flat for a total of five minutes and just showed herself to the door. I had so many questions and the first meeting of everyone had not gone quite as well as I'd hoped, but my opportunity to ask questions/raise concerns was walking out the door. As I stood there tongue tied and surprised at her sudden departure, I told Mr. K that I was confused because there wasn't any food for Flick and the woman had told me that Flick hadn't eaten that day. Mr. K told me to go down and ask her about food and so I did.
I was told, shouted from across the street, that we were to turn in receipts for Flick's food. I didn't have a problem with this method, but that is not what we were originally told and we didn't have any food for her right at that moment. We didn't have bowls either or a jacket. It's October in Scotland: Greyhounds need coats even if only for evening or early morning walks. I had so many more questions, and was also concerned as to how I was supposed to keep Flick warm when out relieving and walking, but the woman was basically in her car closing the door, so I went back upstairs.
Upon my arrival back upstairs, Mr. K was none too pleased about this new arrangement. I can't blame him. As I said before, it's not that we minded, it's just that we had been told something different and we were completely unprepared for our new arrival. We also found out quickly that she had not been relieved before she was handed over as she nearly went on the floor, but a quick "Flick no" cut that short. Thankfully, she is house trained and went instantly when she was taken outside.
There was a lot of stress in our house and so I decided to take Flick for a walk. We went for a good two hours, stopping in a local park to people watch. I introduced her to other dogs, but that was slow going because I think people were nervous of her due to the muzzle. After our walk, I came home to a still very stressed out Mr. K and a Hermione still hiding in her crate. I sat on the floor in front of her crate and talked to her, petting her and encouraging her to come out. I kept Flick nearby on leash and petted her too, trying to get the two girls used to each other. Hermione did eventually come out, only for dinner, and went right back in her crate. We tried putting Flick in her crate and having the household dogs wander about her, but Hermione still wouldn't come out and Flick made such a racket we were worried our neighbours would call the police. I didn't know what to do and so tried calling the woman who was supposed to be my contact for anything fostering related, but she would only text and sent me to voice mail when I called her.
I was tired, stressed and frustrated and knew that wasn't a good combination for any of the dogs, never mind the humans. I needed help and I wasn't getting any. So, I called the woman who had dropped Flick off in the first place and talked to her. She gave a few suggestions for getting the girls used to one another and just said to give it some time. I began to realise that I was not equipped to give Flick what she needed.
I spent the rest of the day attempting to help Flick to settle in and show our dogs that she meant them no harm. Mr. K was still not convinced and when Flick lunged at Hermione that was the last straw for him. Not being able to see, I wasn't sure if the lunge was a "let's play" or a "I'm going to eat you" lunge. Mr. K had been holding on to the leash at the time and I was sitting on the floor playing with Hermione. When we received a phone call from another person-apparently she was in charge of transport, but I didn't find that out until the next day-I told her what was going on. She suggested she come over and see if she couldn't help the two settle in together, but I think Mr. K was at his wit's end. I was feeling very stressed as well.
There aren't many things I will openly admit I cannot do as a blind person, but fostering dogs with potentially high and unpredictable prey drive, may be one of them. I felt on edge, waiting for Flick to go after Hermione, or even Otis, again. I thought I could do it, but I couldn't. I love Greyhounds and think they are gorgeous and loving creatures, in fact I had quickly fallen in love with Flick, but I think our household is not set up to accommodate the needs of a   raw Greyhound. That admission does not come easily for me, but there it is.
When the third person called us back, I said we'd keep Flick over night, but that she needed to have a new home the next day. It was one of the hardest conversations I've had. It wasn't Flick's fault. She actually was a really great house guest: she was perfectly house trained, which was a relief.
That night was a long and trying one. We were awakened by one dog or another almost every hour. Roscoe was the only one  who slept soundly I think. At five AM I finally took the two girls out into the living room in order to let Mr. K get some uninterrupted sleep. I sat on the couch, snuggling both dogs and thought that maybe we could do this, but then when Hermione tried to give Flick kisses and Flick growled at her, I went back the other way again. What finally made me feel as though I had made the right decision for everyone was when Flick actually lunged/growled/barked at Hermione when Hermione was just standing on the floor looking up at Flick who was laying on the couch. If I hadn't had the leash taut, Flick may have injured Hermione.
With all of that in mind, I think Flick is a great dog. When she went after Hermione, her self correction made her realise that she had done something bad. She instantly flipped over and started whacking me with her paws as if to say,"Oh no! I got carried away!" She was perfectly house trained, took treats gently, walked nicely on the leash and was a huge cuddle bug. She also had the benefit of being absolutely gorgeous. Flick was a brindle Greyhound, with her markings being larger so that she actually was marked like a tiger. Her coat was actually quite healthy and shiny. She did have a shoulder injury, from what I could tell, but I think that would heal in time. I have absolutely no doubts that she will get adopted very quickly.
Mr. K and I had a chat after she left and we both agreed that if we had been in a different situation-bigger flat, Hermione not healing from surgery, Otis being full grown or at least house trained-we would have kept her as a pet. Instead of wearing the "I failed as a fosterer because I had to give my dog back in 24 hours" t-shirt, we'd be wearing the "I failed as a fosterer because my foster dog is now living permanently in my home" t-shirt.
So what have I learned from this?
I've learned that it is okay to say no and that sometimes it could possibly solve a lot of heart break in the long run. I've learned, that despite what I think, I cannot possibly do everything or save everyone. Fostering may be something we will only be able to do  a long ways into the future when we really don't have any pet dogs, or at least not new puppies. Or, perhaps, fostering is not something I will ever be able to do due to my life's circumstances, but that there are other ways for me to help.
Despite all of this, I have no hard feelings towards the rescue. I think I just talked to too many people who probably assumed the person before them had given me the "welcome to the fostering Greyhounds  club" speech. A lot of what went wrong was also my fault and i take full responsibility for that. They are holding an online auction in the upcoming month and I've offered to make a hand tied fleece blanket and a Halloween themed doggie goodie basket. I know I can handle that at least.
Where do I go from here?
Up. LOL
Hermione is going to be a year in a few months and I am thinking I may enter her into some beginner agility classes. She is crazy good at jumping/running/turning/going through/over things and actually enjoys it. So, I'm going to work with her on her basic obedience in order to get it a bit more reliable and then see in January if we can't get involved in some sort of agility club.

Back to School

Yesterday was my first day back at school in just over two years. My MSc Performance Psychology course will run from September 2012 until August 2013 when I turn in my dissertation.  It was such a weird feeling to pack up my laptop bag and head off. Settling down into the little squishy desks was a familiar feeling and sitting through two hour lectures was also very familiar. Despite the cramped, uncomfortable desks,  I love it.
Monday night's class is Understanding Research Methods, another familiar thing. This will be the fifth research course I've taken over my university/college career, but I am thinking it will be a welcome refresher.
Today was a bit of a longer day with two classes, each running two hours with a two hour break in between. This means I leave the flat at 1 and don't get back until closer to nine, but again, both classes are interesting and I am really enjoying the content so far.
My only issue has been navigating the campus. Tenie had run me through the various buildings once when the head of the program gave us a tour, but I think I probably should have gone a few more times. Thankfully, Mr. K has been amazing, and since he still has the only  working guide dog, in our family he accompanied me these past two days and helped me find where I needed to go. "Two heads are better than one." I know today was a long day for him as he had to sit and wait through the two classes. I can't fully  express how much I appreciate his help. We really are in this together.
As for the work load, there seems to be quite a bit of reading, so I think Hermione and I will be spending a few hours a day holed up in the local cafe, drinking coffee and reading. Hermione will be sitting in the front window people watching. My instructor tonight suggested that we should be spending about nine hours a week on each class. To be honest, I'm not sure if he's going to get that many out of me, but I'll give it my best shot. That is a lot of time as a sighted person, imagine trying to do all of that listening to a screen reader yammering on at you. Completing course work takes at least half as long for a blind student as it does for a sighted student. Nine hours a class could very easily turn into closer to eighteen. I know the blind folk going to law school would probably mock my aversion to 27, or in blind time 60ish, hours a week of class work, but that is why I'm not in law school. That, and I'd be a horrible lawyer.
 I have one paper due in my Performance Planning class in twelve weeks that is 4000 words and another 1000 word paper for the Stress, Anxiety and Coping class. Plus, other various assignments and another larger paper. It's really not that bad and since it's a subject I enjoy, I think it will be easy to get it all done.
So, with a fairly long day behind me and a lot of reading/writing to do tomorrow, I think I shall "hit the hay," as they say.
Good night, all.
PS: We got another update with regards to our potential foster pup today. We were told her name, but I will keep that a surprise just in case she gets to move in with us.  She is a small female who is still in kennels and she is being small dog tested this week. If she is classified as "trainable" she will be moving in and I am so excited. So, keep your fingers crossed that F**** will come to be our first foster hound. Any guesses as to what her name may be?

A Visiter

Thursday turned out to be a   really nice day, here in the capital of Scotland. I was a bit skeptical in the morning as it was quite chilly and the wind was blowing quite hard, but thankfully, the sun decided to make an appearance and it didn't start raining until our visiter had gone home.
When I heard a knock on my door just past ten AM Thursday morning, I happily ran to it and flung it wide.
"A boy!" I said excitedly as I squatted to put my arms around a very big, Yellow Fellow.
"And a girl!" I said just as excitedly as I hugged L.
If you haven't already guessed, L had brought Glacier to visit for the day. The best part was that in greeting, Glacier ran down the hallway picked up a toy and began prancing about with it; typical Glacier. When I released Roscoe from the living room, the two dogs went crazy, hopping around and trying to frolic in a very small space. Hermione was excited too, but I think it's just because everyone else was excited. I think she remembers Glacier, but she has always been more strongly bonded to Roscoe.
Realising that the dogs definitely were not going to calm down any time soon, L and I took all three across to the cycling path and released the two big boys. Glacier and Roscoe made quick business of "doing their business" and then took off like shots, running along together like they always did. It was so good to see both dogs enjoying being together and also seeing Glacier react to L when she called him back or asked him to sit. He really seems to have bonded to L and her boyfriend and that makes me so very happy.
Hermione wasn't left out of the mix either. Eventually, I decided to let her off leash and see how she did. She impressed me. I had put her cat collar on with the bell, the one that allows me to know where she is and what she's doing, and off she went. She stuck pretty close to L and I, only venturing out if she followed Roscoe. She even was quite good at stopping on the grassy shoulder with L and I to allow cyclists to go by. I don't think I'd free run her by myself because she is so small and it is difficult to know what she may or may not be getting into, but it is good to know that Hermione can free run if there is a set of working eyeballs around.
Back at the flat, with hanging tongues and muddy paws, everyone was toweled off and all three dogs took a nap. Glacier curled up on my feet just like he used to and it felt nice to have him there again. At first it made me a bit worried, but when we decided to go get some lunch for the humans, Glacier was quick to look for L to see what he should do. We took the dogs with us to the dog friendly cafe down the street and both of the big boys passed out immediately. Hermione had a pee accident, which was completely embarrassing, but I guess that is what I get for letting her drink her fill a short period of time before going into a public space. We won't do that again; totally my fault. Thankfully, the cafe staff weren't angry and just simply said,
"it happens and who could really get mad at that cute face?"
Hermione was good about letting us know she had to go again and I got her out in time and set her down, where she promptly "insta peed," as we call it. All of this time, Glacier slept curled up in a ball right beside L's chair. He even got up to watch for her when she got up to go use the bathroom. Part of me was sad that he didn't look for me that way anymore, but a larger part of me was so grateful that he had bonded with them so well and was a thriving, happy boy.
We spent the rest of the afternoon just chatting and had one more shorter off leash run after the dogs had their supper. Again, Hermione went along off leash and although she was a bit more adventurous, she still came back when I called her. Glacier and Roscoe were the tag team of the cycling path, greeting every person and dog that went by, backing each other up like old times.
It was a very worn out Glacier that accompanied L out to the bus stop at the end of the day. Roscoe and Hermione were equally as tired and slept for the rest of the evening. As I always say,
"a tired dog is a good dog."
This was the first time I had seen Glacier in a month. He's been in the area a few other times, but I opted not to see him in order to ensure his bond with his new people was forming. I thought that enough time had passed, and L and her boyfriend had done enough with him, that it would be okay for us to see each other. I had also left it up to them to bring him by when they felt he was ready. Judging by his reaction to me, Roscoe and then to L, despite us being here, I would say he was ready.
Roscoe was a bit out of sorts the next day. I think he was a bit confused as to why Glacier only stayed for a short time, but after a good working session with Mr. K he seems to be back to his regular self.
Hermione didn't seem any different, but again, I think that is because she was always more of Roscoe's little sister than anything.
As for Mr. G: he is a big, healthy boy who hasn't gained any weight. His coat is healthy and he is definitely happy. L tells me stories all of the time about the things they have all done together and I don't think Glacier could have gone to a better home. Just this week, Glacier's been to the beach at least four times, digging in a dirt pile at an archaeological dig, to visit us and, of course, to the pub multiple times. It was so good to see him  and strangely enough, the visit didn't make me miss him more. In fact, it did the opposite: seeing him so happy and responsive to L, who isn't even his primary caregiver, relieved a lot of stress for me. It reassured me that by re-homing Glacier, I did what was best for him, and at the end of the day, that is what is important for a dog who has given so much of themselves to a working partnership.

Guide Dog Replacement Update

It has just been over one month since I retired Glacier and it is finally today that I've been put on the waiting list. Originally, I had been under the impression that I was put on the waiting list to get a new guide dog as soon as Glacier retired, but I was quite wrong. So, the three months to a year of waiting starts today. As I am sure you are all aware, this does not make me very happy. However, a guide dog trainer-the one we've been dealing with since we moved here-assessed me today and although I do not feel much better about the very long wait, I am feeling much better about the process.
The application process for this particular guide dog school is much different than that of Leader Dogs for the Blind, the school where I got both of my previous guide dogs. I think, in a way, each program has its pros and cons, but that in the long run, I will benefit greatly from the Guide Dog Organisation's approach. Sure, I have to wait much longer, but the success of the match is much higher.
When I applied for my previous guides, I did not spend any time with the trainers before hand. The interview process wasn't very vigorous either; with me just having to have a videotaped walk to get Jetta and not even having to do that to get Glacier. All the trainers had to go on was the answers I had filled out on an  application that didn't even address lifestyle, what sort of worker I needed Etc.
My assessment today was much more in-depth and that made me feel more confident in getting a good match. Also, having been involved with the trainer for a year instills confidence.
We chatted for almost two hours about my lifestyle, what characteristics I'd like in a dog, if I preferred girl/boy or breed of dog and many other important things that I think will make this matching process so much better.
We did an empty harness walk, which is similar to the "Juno" walk you do the second day you arrive at LDB. This walk is used to determine voice inflection and walking speed. This particular walk was also used to determine my ability to follow directional changes, posture, stride and my preference for how strongly the dog pulls on the harness.
We covered some other important aspects of a working dog suited to me, such as, willingness to work, adaptability and a few other characteristics. We discussed the various environments I would be taking my dog into and whether or not I ever left my dog at home. We even talked about what sorts of transportation I would take on a regular basis. Again, it all made me feel excited and confident about deciding to go with the UK organisation instead of flying back to North America.
The trainer reiterated that he couldn't guarantee a time frame, but that he'd rather me go two months more without a dog, struggling to get around, than get a dog quickly and spend the next four to eight years struggling with my working relationship. I've already been there done that. I do not want to do that again. I had to agree with him. He also said that he wanted to give me a dog that was brilliant when I got him/her, but was that much better at our six month check-up because I worked with the dog. I took this as a compliment and ensured him that he wouldn't be disappointed.
So now that all of the paperwork is done, all I can do is start my waiting game over again; a game I thought I had started a month ago. Sometimes there are necessary evils in life and waiting for the right working partner is just one of those. It stinks being reliant on others because my cane skills are so terrible, but once I meet and am matched with my new dog, it will be all worth it.

Carried Away

There is one thing that I have learned since moving to Scotland and that is: you can never count on the weather. If you leave your home and it's sunny, bring along an umbrella anyway, or if it's raining, you may want to wear layers so you can strip them off if it gets too warm. I've also learned that if you're going to let the weather dictate your life, you will never leave your house. So, yesterday morning when I took Hermione out for her first bathroom break and it was raining, I was fully prepared to have to get wet when walking her later in the morning. It was certainly a surprise when I left the flat a few hours later to feel the sun shining strongly. I had dressed for rain and immediately started peeling off those layers I mentioned because the sun was so warm.
The day before we had some crazy rain, mixed in with some hale and thunder and lightning and so Hermione had had a very short walk in the morning. It's one thing to brave a bit of rain, it's another to go prancing about in lightning and hale storms. Even if I had tried to go out for a walk, I think Hermione would have tried to drag me right back inside. Knowing that her walk had been cut short the day before and that I was heading out later on for a swim and she would have to go into her crate, I thought I'd make our walk a bit longer than usual.
We walked our usual path, meeting a few cyclists, runners and other walkers along the way. The paths are pretty quiet around 10 AM and so I was able to enjoy the sunshine and birds fairly undisturbed. Hermione pranced along beside me, trying to drop her nose to the ground a bit more frequently than normal. After it rains scents really come out for the dogs and she always is  all nose the day after a good rain.
We meandered up to a local park and I stepped off the paved pathway to let Hermione frolic in the grass for a while. When she is on leash walking on the paths, she is expected to walk nicely, but at the park I let her have a bit more fun. She always makes me laugh because she springs after flying objects and when she comes to the end of her leash, she stands on her hind legs looking after her "prey;" be it a leaf, blade of grass or a bug. I've thought that I should invest in a flexy lead, only to be used in a field for play time so that she can have a bit more running freedom.
After our little romp in the park, I wasn't quite ready to go back and after a quick time check, we took a different branch of the path we've never walked down before. I've run down this particular path on occasion when out training, but running it with a sighted guide and navigating it with a white cane are two different things. This path has also just been paved and much easier to use a cane on than some of the older paths. The smooth surface lets the cane just glide over the top, whereas, the more broken, jagged paths catch the cane. These catches often result in shoulder jarring, elbow wrenching, gut stabbing or a combination of all three. This is why I prefer to use a guide dog.
We strolled along, the sun soaking into our skin and/or fur. It was so relaxing that I hardly noticed that we had been walking for almost an hour; and that's an hour one way. As we wandered under yet another under pass-there are a number of these crossing above these paths because the paths used to be the tram tracks-I figured I should check the time. I was supposed to meet a friend to swim at 11:30. Since we had left the flat around quarter to ten, I thought we had plenty of time, but when my phone screeched electronically at me that it was 10:43, my state of relax quickly vanished.
I could not believe that we had been just sauntering along for almost an hour and I hadn't even noticed. It was so enjoyable and peaceful walking with Hermione, with the sun shining and the quiet that only a heavily treed area can bring. Everyone we had met had been in great moods and I guess I had just gotten into a groove, or the zone as we athletes like to call it, and time had just got away from me. I think it's really important to have something that gives you that kind of release.
Prolonged stress  can have so many adverse effects on your body that somewhere along the way, it's important to find an activity that just lets you breathe and forget what time it is. I think, humans on a whole and I'm not excluded from this, are really good at thinking ahead and being worried about what's happening next. As opposed to just being in the moment and really experiencing it. This theory could be applied to many aspects of life; just living in the moment and really experiencing it because at the end of the day, it's our experiences that we have left and we are the ones who shape them and take them for what they are. Yes, I was just walking my dog. Certainly it is not life altering, but that feeling of just living in the moment and experiencing it was so incredible and definitely not done on purpose. I'm surely not a great philosopher, nor have I been trained in some specialised field of psychology, but sometimes it's really refreshing to actually experience life instead of leaping ahead; especially when it just sneaks up on you.

Up, Up, UP!

Yesterday afternoon Tenie, Carmen, Roscoe and I climbed Arthur's Seat. Hermione was not invited as there is no way her little puppy legs would have gotten her to our destination. Arthur's Seat is a gigantic dormant volcano that can be seen for miles around Edinburgh. We can actually see it from my flat window, despite us being kilometres away. Since arriving in Edinburgh, I have wanted to climb the summit, but we've just never had the chance yet. So, when Tenie said it was on her bucket list of things to do before leaving Edinburgh, I was very excited.
We had a tasty lunch at The Haven, a little cafe that has the most amazing food, and then hopped a bus downtown. Roscoe came along as a non-working dog and I think he thoroughly enjoyed his time. The only unpleasant part of the whole excursion was this crazy, little yappy dog on the bus to Arthur's Seat who was snarling and snapping at people, babies and Roscoe. Of course the owner wasn't interested in doing anything about it and just kept saying, "oh, he's harmless. He's just a puppy. He's just noisy."
That dog was not a puppy and there is a difference between being noisy and lunging for babies' faces. I'm surprised the bus driver didn't ask the woman to get off the bus. I would have been mortified if any of my dogs behaved in that manner.
Tenie took Roscoe and walked him so that Carmen could guide me. The 255 metre above sea level climb took us just under an hour and it was quite enjoyable. The sun was out for the most part, which is a rarity in Scotland, and there was a light breeze. There were a lot of other people climbing the peak, including a tour group from Italy who cheered when each of their members reached the top.
The climb itself had various parts that proved challenging in their own right. The first part wasn't bad, just a gentle slope with stairs cut into the side. We then walked along a road that gradually climbed upwards. It was after this road that the part that demanded a bit of fitness came along. It was a fairly steep incline up a grass covered hill. It was here that Tenie unleashed Roscoe and he took off like a shot, running as fast and as hard as he could. He charged right over to some Australian tourists and introduced himself enthusiastically. They loved him and rough housed with him a bit. He then found his next victims; some people having a picnic. He tried to take a sandwich and so he went back on leash for the rest of the climb up, which was fine because after the grassy slope, the terrain turned quite rocky and we didn't want him to injure himself running about like a maniac.
We picked our way over rocks and used man made foot holes to propel ourselves up. In places the rock was quite smooth and finding the correct place for a foot became tricky. We just went slowly and I felt with each foot before planting it. Tenie and carmen were also good at watching where my feet were going and would often help by saying, "move left" or "right and up a bit."
As we got closer to the top, the rocks became even smoother and I found myself doubled over feeling with my hands before stepping forward. There were sheer drop offs on one side and so I thought this style of climbing was safer.
Once at the top, we stopped for more photos and then found some weather smoothed stones to sit on and have the oatmeal cookies Tenie had brought along from The Haven. It was amazing being up so high. Of course I didn't get the benefit of the view, but you could hear noises from down below that you otherwise wouldn't have heard due to noise pollution. For instance, there was a marching band playing lively tunes that kept floating up to us. At one point, it began to sprinkle, but the sun was still out and going down would have taken another hour, so we weren't in a hurry to go anywhere.
After hanging out at the top for a while, we slowly made our way back down, carefully picking our path. The climb down included a lot of me squatting and sliding from one rocky out cropping to another, but once we made it back to the grassy slope, it was smooth sailing. We let Roscoe run again and he bolted straight for another tourist, but thankfully she was excited to see him. She took a lot of action shots of him bounding through the tall grass and running on the straight stretches. We were all very impressed by his athleticism. He definitely had to be brushed free of the grass seeds that attached themselves to him during his mad galloping.
The bus ride home was not nearly as eventful as the one to Arthur's Seat and when we got home, we all pretty much flopped on to the couch and didn't move. Roscoe was still tired today, sleeping in late and napping for most of the day. If only Hermione could have come and been that sleepy.

Hermione: the Great Fluffy Hunter!

As most of you know, nearly from the first days Hermione was allowed outside to start learning how to potty like a big girl, she has been delivering me very strange and sometimes scary as Hell gifts. There have been so many incidents of her carrying in rocks, sticks, branches and chunks of concrete that I have lost count of how many times I've had to stop her at the front door, check her mouth and say,
"Hermione, drop it."
She just can't help herself. If it blows in the wind or sticks up out of the ground, you can pretty much guarantee she is going to try to carry it away and attempt to sneak it in the flat. There have been a few times where I've been half asleep or pre-occupied and she's managed to get an item or two past me: like the fully intact banana she brought up for breakfast one morning, or the disgusting tampon she smuggled into my bed. She's brought home a vine from grapes, completely stripped of fruit; a hunk of soggy bread; leaves; flowers; feathers...the list could go on and on. So, it's no surprise that last night she added one of the oddest things to her ever growing  treasure list.
Before purchasing Hermione, I did hours and hours of research on small breed dogs, trying to determine what breed would suit Mr. K and I the best. When I read up on the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel I thought the breed sounded exactly what we were looking for. All of the websites agreed that the Cavalier is the ultimate lap dog and fantastic companion. We were sold. The problem is, none of the websites warned us that these little toy dogs still maintained some very strong hunting/seeking instincts. In the last month, Hermione's performed and held two perfect points without any training. Sure one of those points was at a bug-the other was at a bird-but the form was perfect regardless.  She seeks and destroys bugs with a relentless ferocity and she most certainly is going to murder her favourite stuffed bear with her vicious death shake.
Lap dog, my butt!
Last night, Hermione demonstrated her honed hunting skills yet again, delivering one of the most strangest prizes.
When returning from the last potty trip of the night, I noticed that Hermione was just a bit too eager to get back to the flat. This is a sure sign that she has something she shouldn't. Upon inspection, it was confirmed that she had something clenched in her little chompers, but I couldn't figure out what it was.
"Hermione, drop it." I intoned and she spit her coveted prize on to the hard wood floor. It hit with a strange thunk; a sound not resembling a stone, chunk of concrete or a stick. I had her sit and began searching the floor in the vicinity of where I had heard the foreign object fall and was completely appalled wen my fingers struck something soft and slimy.
"Oh! Babe!" I shrieked from the hall.
"Hermione...!" I spluttered.
"She...erm, I think she got a snail!"
At least, I hoped she had got a snail. I didn't want to run down he list of my other options of creatures that were slimy and squishy. Mr. K said that he wanted to see this strange slimy critter, so with Hermione's collar in one hand and a clean poop bag in another, I scooped Mr. Slime up  and brought him into Mr. K's office, where I promptly turned our visiter out on to his desk top.
Mr. K, not having much more vision than me-which is nothing-gently, and bravely might I add, poked and prodded the little guy. After his thorough inspection, he confirmed that Hermione had indeed carried in a snail and miraculously had not injured him. As we sat and discussed the oddity of a puppy carrying home a snail, Mr. Slime started poking his head out of his shell in order to explore the foreign world he had just been so rudely plunked into.
Not knowing anything at all about snails, but knowing that he was uninjured, Mr. K and I decided that Mr. Slime should be returned to his natural habitat. I had a vague idea of where Hermione had probably snatched him from and so back outside I went, proud puppy bouncing along in one hand and slimy snail clutched  safely inside a poop bag in the other.
Mr. Slime must have decided that the bag was safe because by the time I got him back to approximately where he had come from, he had attached himself rather firmly to the inside of the bag. I think me shaking him out was more violent than his trip in Hermione's mouth. He plopped out on to the dirt with a "thunk" and after making sure he was upright, Hermione and I  headed back home; to bed where we were supposed to be going in the first place.
When I relayed our adventure to the owner of the little cafe down the road-where we go pretty much every day-she told me that after it rains here, all of the snails come out. It all made sense, but I hadn't even thought about snails just hanging out where Hermione could make them her midnight snack. Either way, "all's well that ends well" and I think this slimy situation ended well, with the snail back outside and Hermione and I  snug in our own beds...snailless.

My Good Deed of the Day Gone Stinky

This morning I woke up much earlier than the rest of the people in my flat. I say "people" because Tenie had come over for dinner last night and some massage therapy and didn't feel like walking home. So, she stayed the night. Hermione seemed anxious to be up this morning, so I got up fed her and Roscoe and decided to take them for a walk along the cycling path. I took Mr. K's cane since mine still has not arrived, and headed out with the thought that I'd let Roscoe run leash free. That way, I could use the cane, keep Hermione under control and Roscoe could still come along; tiring him out for Mr. K.
It wasn't particularly early-around 10-but I figured the paths would be empty since most people would be at work during this time and the kids are going back to school tomorrow. I've walked this path probably close to a hundred times now and it's not all that busy during the mid morning. I don't worry about Roscoe off leash as he's quite friendly, well socialised and knows to stay out of the path of cyclists, but his over enthusiastic greetings seem to be a bit much for the majority of the UK population. It's something that I've noticed before and still can't figure out: dogs here-and I am generalising-are not expected to greet people while they walk by or to play with other off leash dogs.
Personally, I think it's impressive that people can walk down a path and their dog, for the most part, ignore the other dogs on the path. The trend in North America seems to be that dogs meet and greet others around them and then carry on their merry way. Not so much here.
The first part of our walk went pretty well. Roscoe greeted a few other dogs, but usually stuck near me. I think he felt responsible for me even though he wasn't working. He's not my guide dog, but he takes himself very seriously and he shows signs of concern for my safety as well as Mr. K's. There would be times when Glacier and I would fall behind, or get cut off from Mr. K and Roscoe due to crowds, and Roscoe always stopped and waited for us without Mr. K even needing to say anything. So, I think this sense of responsibility may have been at play during our walk this morning.
He found a few dogs to say hello to whose owners didn't seem to mind and he stopped to greet a family with a small child. He is a larger Labrador, but incredibly gentle and the parents took the time to help the child pet Roscoe in order to demonstrate that big dogs are ice.
As we carried on, I was beginning to become concerned at the amount of people on the path. I thought about leashing him, but we were at least a half an hour's walk from the flat and fighting with cane, Hermione and Roscoe just wasn't something I was excited about. We continued on a bit further, Roscoe running ahead and always returning to see where I was; Hermione hopping along on her leash. We came across a man with another Black Lab who seemed a bit put off that Roscoe wanted to play with his dog. He explained that his dog had been attacked on the weekend by a Pitbull and that his ear was very injured. I called Roscoe back to me and had him sit, waiting for the man and his injured but leash free dog to get past us.
I think when out using public spaces such as those, people have a mutual responsibility to be respectful of the other people and/or animals. I didn't mind having Roscoe sit and wait until they had passed, but I think it was the man's attitude that sort of irked me. He acted as though that because his dog was injured, all other dogs should leave him alone despite him running free and engaging the other dogs in play. If Roscoe had some sort of injury I was concerned about, or Hermione for that matter, they would stay on leash to minimize any damage and accidents that could occur. It's not someone else's fault if my dog is injured and I let him/her run free and their dog wants to play with him/her.
Anyway, maybe he felt badly about being sharp because he told me to make sure I stayed on the pavement when walking because there were lamp poles in the grass that he didn't want me to walk in to.
After our little encounter with Mr. Grumpy/Helpful, I started to rethink my overly ambitious good deed of the day. As we moved away, I released Roscoe and he took off like a shot in the direction I was walking. He had been panting pretty hard and I guess I shouldn't have been shocked when I heard a gigantic sploosh from the other side of the path. All I could do was laugh. Here I was, trying to do a nice thing for Mr. K and the one thing he hates the most happens; smelly, wet dog.
I called Roscoe back, but by that point there was nothing I could do. He was soaked from the top of his head right down to his tail. I don't know if he fell in or dove in, but he was dripping wet and so stinky.
Between my walks with Hermione and some of my runs, I have been down that branch of the path numerous times, but I was completely unaware that there was water down there. The worst part wasn't that he went swimming, or wading or whatever he did, the worst part was the smell. The water must be stagnant and so the stench coming off of Roscoe is something else.
After his little dip, I put his leash on and just dealt with the difficulty of using a cane and walking two dogs at once. I put Roscoe's leash around my waist and that seemed to make the whole thing a bit easier. Considering how badly he smelled and how wet he was, I wasn't about to let him go running down the path to greet people and get them soaking wet and stinky. Goes back to that mutual respect thing.
Luckily, Roscoe dries quite quickly and he was practically dry by the time I got home. I toweled him off and laid a towel out for him to lie on. He still stinks something fierce and I haven't quite decided what to do about that. I could either give him a bath, which I really don't want to do. He sheds so much and bathing him in our bath tub would be one giant pain. I've also thought about running over to the Azda nearby and picking up some dog specific anti-bacterial wipes and dry shampoo in the hopes of getting the stink off of his fur; and whatever is causing the smell.
Whatever I decide to do, something needs to happen because my good deed of the day has gone very stinky.