I wasn't really sure I was ready to write about this. I thought that maybe I'd leave it over the weekend, but sharing seems to make it more real and also seems to help me grieve in a sort of way.
I have decided to retire Glacier.
There, I said it.
After years of struggling, going back for retraining, adjusting my handling practices and my in home behaviors, I have come to the conclusion that Glacier would rather be a pet. This decision was made so much harder because when he felt like working, he was spot on and excited about his work, but when he didn't feel like working, he was not good. The inconsistencies confused me for so long that I just kept working him.
I would look at walks that we had where he did great and try to replicate that in other walks, but no matter what I did, he always surprised me. I usually didn't know which Glacier I was getting until half way through our adventure out. He's always been firing on about 60 percent, and after retraining or if we were going somewhere new and exciting, he'd run on about 80 percent, but it never lasted. We've always had problems, right from day one, but I loved him so much that I wanted to give him every opportunity, but after he walked out into three intersections last week, I had enough. His laid back attitude about things was putting both of us in danger.
There is so much I want to say about him, but don't really know how or what to say. The guide dog rep summed it up yesterday when he said that somewhere deep in Glacier's psyche, he just wants to be a goofy guy with no responsibilities. Lately, the happiest I've seen him is when he's out just being a dog, rolling in the grass or running on the beach, or even just heeling by my side like a pet; with no responsibilities. He doesn't "smile" when we get ready to go out, I think it is a drudgery for him.
I feel horrible; like I failed him somehow. I couldn't be what he needed to be a successful guide dog. The guide dog rep made me feel a bit better by saying to Mr. K that I'm such a good handler that I make Glacier look better than he is, but I still feel as though I failed him.
What i really want, is to keep him and give him the retirement he wants and deserves. I want him to be a dog and I want to be the one who gives him that, but I don't think we can keep him. I really, really want to and after retiring Jetta, I had sworn that I wouldn't give up another retired dog, but I'm not sure we are equipped to keep him right now. However, I have some time yet as I will work him until the Guide Dog Association finds me a match and so who knows what will happen in that time. I've had a few friends say they would like him and if that means he gets to stay close and still play with Roscoe on occasion, then maybe we'll do that.
Whatever happens in the next few months, I am trying to grieve for our working relationship now, so that when my new partner comes along, I'll be ready to give that relationship all it deserves. For now, I will keep on as I am and hope that we can find some way for Glacier to stay with us or at least close by. I have learned so much from him and hope that I have given back to him half of what he has given to me. I don't think he should have ever been placed as a guide dog, perhaps a wheelchair assistance or Autism assistance, but definitely not a guide dog; there is just way too much responsibility involved in being someone else's eyes for him. He's such a beautiful dog, inside and out-I know, how cliche-that it is going to be so hard to let him go.
Anyway, it seems as though I am just stringing together disjointed thoughts, so I will leave it at that for now.
Showing posts with label Retraining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Retraining. Show all posts
Saturday, July 07, 2012
Thursday, April 05, 2012
Our Household: Part 6
Of course we all know the one and only Glacier; the guy for whom this blog was renamed from "Jess and Jetta's Adventures" to "At A Glacial Pace." The funny thing is, I think even when Glacier retires and has gone to the Rainbow Bridge-let's hope we don't have to worry about that for a while-the name "At A Glacial Pace" will remain. Out of all of the dogs who have passed through my life, Glacier has taught me the most about loyalty, hard work, friendship and partnership. Without getting too mushy, Glacier has, as every guide dog owner will tell you, changed my life. But, it's been in this incredible way that I never knew would happen. He taught me to speak up for what I believe and also that I should not be afraid to ask questions. I have always done these things, but my journey with Glacier has driven these lessons home.
Let's take some time to get to know this big guy better. :)
There is nothing "glacial" about this big guy; except for his colouring and size perhaps. He walks very fast and makes quick decisions to keep us both safe. I do have to admit though, he thinks about things a lot harder than Jetta ever did and if I interrupt his thinking process, he gets flustered.
As most of you know, Glacier is a 33 kilogram, or 75 LBS, Yellow Labrador; a huge change from my little Jetta. When I first met him, I was convinced that he'd be more difficult to handle due to sheer size, but in a lot of ways I was wrong about that. He is much lighter in the harness, which means that he doesn't lean as heavily into the chest strap of his working harness. This was a shock, as I thought that if he was bigger, he'd pull harder. Of course when he sees someone or something he likes, he can pull harder than Jetta ever could, but when we are just walking along, and he is minding his own business, he is very light.
Another surprise was how sensitive he was and still is. Jetta was stubborn and required a much heavier hand to keep in check, whereas, Glacier often just needs a verbal reminder and he's back on track. It was a hard lesson to learn as I worked with him for almost two years before realising this. It nearly cost us our working relationship. Once I discovered that gentle verbal reminders and just snapping my fingers were all he needed, we began to bloom as a working team. Now, three and a half years later, I think we are finally finding our groove. I've been asked why I stuck it out so long with him and my simple answer was that because I knew he loved working and that he was good at it: I just had to figure out how to be the handler he needed to be successful.
Aside from working, Glacier loves a lot of things that you would consider regular dog things. You can't have all work and no play. One of Glacier's favourite thing to do is find a particularly dirty patch of grass or mud and roll in it until he turns into a Chocolate Lab. It doesn't matter where we go, he always manages to find a hole for his rolling pleasures. Murphy's Law; the white dog gets the dirtiest. I've also mentioned before how he loves to lie in wait for any unsuspecting passing by pup, usually Roscoe, and then run full tilt after them and tackle them.
Glacier doesn't necessarily do a lot of things that would be considered typical to a Labrador because his formal training would have discouraged such behaviors. Retrieving, for example, is not one of his strong suits. In fact, I don't even think he knows how retrieving is supposed to work. Often times, if you throw something he doesn't even chase it. He also does not like swimming, but I'm not sure if that is because of his training and upbringing or because he's just a strange sort. The one thing that is not negated by his training is his love for food. In that regard, Glacier is a Labrador deep in his bones.
Speaking of food, Glacier had a horrible habit of eating everything when I first got him; especially things that were not edible. He ate velcro, Brillo pads, floss, earphones, a doll's face...the list could go on and on. I don't know if he has an oral fixation or what, but his eating of everything got him into a lot of trouble; including surgery to remove the velcro, doll's face, pen cap, goggle strap and whatever else they found. Most recently, he decided it was a good idea to snap the end off of a soft, puppy Nylabone and consume it. That resulted in him throwing up every morning for two weeks until he finally threw it up. It doesn't matter how Glacier proof I think something is, he always manages to surprise me. His oral fixation has lead to some pretty useful and interesting experiences though.
When we first arrived here and were staying with Tenie and the girls, Tenie dropped a peach on the kitchen floor. Glacier strolled over, picked it up and brought it to me, setting it into my lap minus teeth marks. The soft peach was completely unharmed by Glacier's very powerful chompers. I think that if he had been trained to be a service dog, he would have done well. When people come to visit, he always has to greet them by carrying something to them, such as my slippers, a shoe, his bone, a blanket he's snatched from the couch...he never hurts the objects, just shows them off.
For those of you who have been reading for a while, you will know that even though he does not destroy his "gifts," he definitely has the power to do so. Glacier has one of the strongest set of chompers I have experienced. He destroyed a hockey puck in less than seven minutes and tore the top off of a Black Kong (King sized), in less than fifteen minutes. There aren't very many toys Glacier won't destroy and so we are very selective in our household as to what we buy for the boys, and Hermione as well. Otherwise, we would have a toy graveyard in our living room very quickly.
A few quick, fun facts about Glacier:
1. Glacier was born March 16, 2007. His Mom's name was Babe and his Dad's name was Sigh; both dogs were a part of the Leader Dogs for the Blind breeding program.
2. Glacier was raised in Marquette Michigan and his puppy raiser was a teacher; I believe for a Kindergarten class.
3. Glacier was not the only one from his litter to graduate from Leader Dogs for the Blind as a full fledged working, guide dog. He had a few siblings in my class; one of them was named Murphy.
4. Glacier is one of the only dogs I know who refuses to play with the Kong Wobbler properly. Instead of whacking it around to make the kibble fall out, he'd rather sit down and try to chew the top off.
5. One cue Glacier refuses to learn, or remember, is "follow." At Leader Dogs for the Blind, the guide dogs are trained to "follow" a sighted person that is pointed to by the handler. No matter who we're following, Mr. K or Tenie, Glacier decides to not follow. I don't know if he thinks they are going the wrong way or if he feels like making up his own route, he will not follow. In malls or such places, where we are all traveling as a group, I often have to heel him and take an elbow; otherwise, I will not be arriving at the same destination as everyone else. In his defense, apparently "follow" is one of the hardest cues to teach a dog and since he does everything else so well, I suppose I can give him a bit of a break. That is a new conclusion I have come to as I have worked very hard over the years to get him to follow reliably.
So, there you have it. Some old and new information about Glacier; the big Yellow Fellow with the big heart.
Let's take some time to get to know this big guy better. :)
There is nothing "glacial" about this big guy; except for his colouring and size perhaps. He walks very fast and makes quick decisions to keep us both safe. I do have to admit though, he thinks about things a lot harder than Jetta ever did and if I interrupt his thinking process, he gets flustered.
As most of you know, Glacier is a 33 kilogram, or 75 LBS, Yellow Labrador; a huge change from my little Jetta. When I first met him, I was convinced that he'd be more difficult to handle due to sheer size, but in a lot of ways I was wrong about that. He is much lighter in the harness, which means that he doesn't lean as heavily into the chest strap of his working harness. This was a shock, as I thought that if he was bigger, he'd pull harder. Of course when he sees someone or something he likes, he can pull harder than Jetta ever could, but when we are just walking along, and he is minding his own business, he is very light.
Another surprise was how sensitive he was and still is. Jetta was stubborn and required a much heavier hand to keep in check, whereas, Glacier often just needs a verbal reminder and he's back on track. It was a hard lesson to learn as I worked with him for almost two years before realising this. It nearly cost us our working relationship. Once I discovered that gentle verbal reminders and just snapping my fingers were all he needed, we began to bloom as a working team. Now, three and a half years later, I think we are finally finding our groove. I've been asked why I stuck it out so long with him and my simple answer was that because I knew he loved working and that he was good at it: I just had to figure out how to be the handler he needed to be successful.
Aside from working, Glacier loves a lot of things that you would consider regular dog things. You can't have all work and no play. One of Glacier's favourite thing to do is find a particularly dirty patch of grass or mud and roll in it until he turns into a Chocolate Lab. It doesn't matter where we go, he always manages to find a hole for his rolling pleasures. Murphy's Law; the white dog gets the dirtiest. I've also mentioned before how he loves to lie in wait for any unsuspecting passing by pup, usually Roscoe, and then run full tilt after them and tackle them.
Glacier doesn't necessarily do a lot of things that would be considered typical to a Labrador because his formal training would have discouraged such behaviors. Retrieving, for example, is not one of his strong suits. In fact, I don't even think he knows how retrieving is supposed to work. Often times, if you throw something he doesn't even chase it. He also does not like swimming, but I'm not sure if that is because of his training and upbringing or because he's just a strange sort. The one thing that is not negated by his training is his love for food. In that regard, Glacier is a Labrador deep in his bones.
Speaking of food, Glacier had a horrible habit of eating everything when I first got him; especially things that were not edible. He ate velcro, Brillo pads, floss, earphones, a doll's face...the list could go on and on. I don't know if he has an oral fixation or what, but his eating of everything got him into a lot of trouble; including surgery to remove the velcro, doll's face, pen cap, goggle strap and whatever else they found. Most recently, he decided it was a good idea to snap the end off of a soft, puppy Nylabone and consume it. That resulted in him throwing up every morning for two weeks until he finally threw it up. It doesn't matter how Glacier proof I think something is, he always manages to surprise me. His oral fixation has lead to some pretty useful and interesting experiences though.
When we first arrived here and were staying with Tenie and the girls, Tenie dropped a peach on the kitchen floor. Glacier strolled over, picked it up and brought it to me, setting it into my lap minus teeth marks. The soft peach was completely unharmed by Glacier's very powerful chompers. I think that if he had been trained to be a service dog, he would have done well. When people come to visit, he always has to greet them by carrying something to them, such as my slippers, a shoe, his bone, a blanket he's snatched from the couch...he never hurts the objects, just shows them off.
For those of you who have been reading for a while, you will know that even though he does not destroy his "gifts," he definitely has the power to do so. Glacier has one of the strongest set of chompers I have experienced. He destroyed a hockey puck in less than seven minutes and tore the top off of a Black Kong (King sized), in less than fifteen minutes. There aren't very many toys Glacier won't destroy and so we are very selective in our household as to what we buy for the boys, and Hermione as well. Otherwise, we would have a toy graveyard in our living room very quickly.
A few quick, fun facts about Glacier:
1. Glacier was born March 16, 2007. His Mom's name was Babe and his Dad's name was Sigh; both dogs were a part of the Leader Dogs for the Blind breeding program.
2. Glacier was raised in Marquette Michigan and his puppy raiser was a teacher; I believe for a Kindergarten class.
3. Glacier was not the only one from his litter to graduate from Leader Dogs for the Blind as a full fledged working, guide dog. He had a few siblings in my class; one of them was named Murphy.
4. Glacier is one of the only dogs I know who refuses to play with the Kong Wobbler properly. Instead of whacking it around to make the kibble fall out, he'd rather sit down and try to chew the top off.
5. One cue Glacier refuses to learn, or remember, is "follow." At Leader Dogs for the Blind, the guide dogs are trained to "follow" a sighted person that is pointed to by the handler. No matter who we're following, Mr. K or Tenie, Glacier decides to not follow. I don't know if he thinks they are going the wrong way or if he feels like making up his own route, he will not follow. In malls or such places, where we are all traveling as a group, I often have to heel him and take an elbow; otherwise, I will not be arriving at the same destination as everyone else. In his defense, apparently "follow" is one of the hardest cues to teach a dog and since he does everything else so well, I suppose I can give him a bit of a break. That is a new conclusion I have come to as I have worked very hard over the years to get him to follow reliably.
So, there you have it. Some old and new information about Glacier; the big Yellow Fellow with the big heart.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Still Living
It has been just over a week since Hermione has joined our ranks. Things are moving right along as expected and I'm really impressed with her progress.
She is still waking me up every two hours or so, and even though I am slightly sleep deprived, I'd rather she did that as it is helping with her toilet training. Her favourite way to wake me up is to climb on my pillow, grab my hair by the roots and pull. Maybe a more gentler tactic wasn't working. Either way, it lets me know she has to go and that I better get my behind out of bed.
Her name recognition is also coming right along. If I call her name now, she looks right at me, no matter where we are. She is still waiting to get her second set of vaccinations, but we have been slowly introducing her to public places by carrying her everywhere. there are a lot of dog friendly pubs in our area and Hermione has become a regular at one just down the street from us. If she is to be a therapy dog, I think it is important she gets used to noises and people as soon as possible. We're very careful about letting people pet her still as we do not want her catching something.
Since she seems to have a grasp on her name, we've moved on to "sit" and her response to that is even more impressive.
For every meal--she is eating four times a day-she is asked to "sit" before her bowl is placed on the floor. I only started this yesterday and she already does it. She doesn't hold it for very long yet, but the point is, her butt hits the floor when I raise the food bowl up. Since she does the action pretty consistently, I've put the word "sit" to it. Once she gets that, we'll move on to sitting without breakfast, lunch or dinner being the end result.
Glacier is warming up to her every day. He even fell asleep on the same couch with her last night, all curled up together. This is a feat in and of itself because upon her arrival, he didn't even want to be in the same room as her. I think once she has grown a bit, they will probably play quite a bit.
Today Glacier and I walked to meet Tenie at the grocery store and I was impressed with his work. He lined up and stopped at every curb perfectly and even kept me from face planting when my toe caught a raise in the sidewalk.. catching his handler is not part of his job description, but when I started to trip, he stopped dead in his tracks, planted his paws and allowed me to brace myself on his back. He's such a great guy. I'm glad to see that Hermione's arrival has not impacted his working negatively. Glacier obviously has a very important job and his reaction to such an intrusion is more important than anything else.
Glacier is not just a dog. He serves a purpose to keep me and him safe. If Hermione's presence impacted him so much that he refused to work, then we'd have to figure something out. Since everything is going well, that is not an option we need to explore.
As much as I love Hermione and working with her, it was very refreshing to walk with just Glacier this evening. There's something to be said about a smoothly functioning working team. He is used to me and I to him and we almost don't need verbal cues anymore. Going from being alert for puppy misbehaviors all of the time, to walking comfortably with Glacier is a huge reminder of just how far Glacier and I have come. It also reminds me that I definitely can trust him and to appreciate what he does for me. It'll be great to work with him on the university's campus in September.
All in all, my life is all about puppies and dogs right now. I helped C design a "human clicker" training exercise for her dog training classes. It was meant to demonstrate to the handlers how useful the clicker is and how fun training can be. It was a lot of fun and really pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Hermione has fallen asleep in my lap and since she is blocking my Laptop, I think I will leave you for now.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.
She is still waking me up every two hours or so, and even though I am slightly sleep deprived, I'd rather she did that as it is helping with her toilet training. Her favourite way to wake me up is to climb on my pillow, grab my hair by the roots and pull. Maybe a more gentler tactic wasn't working. Either way, it lets me know she has to go and that I better get my behind out of bed.
Her name recognition is also coming right along. If I call her name now, she looks right at me, no matter where we are. She is still waiting to get her second set of vaccinations, but we have been slowly introducing her to public places by carrying her everywhere. there are a lot of dog friendly pubs in our area and Hermione has become a regular at one just down the street from us. If she is to be a therapy dog, I think it is important she gets used to noises and people as soon as possible. We're very careful about letting people pet her still as we do not want her catching something.
Since she seems to have a grasp on her name, we've moved on to "sit" and her response to that is even more impressive.
For every meal--she is eating four times a day-she is asked to "sit" before her bowl is placed on the floor. I only started this yesterday and she already does it. She doesn't hold it for very long yet, but the point is, her butt hits the floor when I raise the food bowl up. Since she does the action pretty consistently, I've put the word "sit" to it. Once she gets that, we'll move on to sitting without breakfast, lunch or dinner being the end result.
Glacier is warming up to her every day. He even fell asleep on the same couch with her last night, all curled up together. This is a feat in and of itself because upon her arrival, he didn't even want to be in the same room as her. I think once she has grown a bit, they will probably play quite a bit.
Today Glacier and I walked to meet Tenie at the grocery store and I was impressed with his work. He lined up and stopped at every curb perfectly and even kept me from face planting when my toe caught a raise in the sidewalk.. catching his handler is not part of his job description, but when I started to trip, he stopped dead in his tracks, planted his paws and allowed me to brace myself on his back. He's such a great guy. I'm glad to see that Hermione's arrival has not impacted his working negatively. Glacier obviously has a very important job and his reaction to such an intrusion is more important than anything else.
Glacier is not just a dog. He serves a purpose to keep me and him safe. If Hermione's presence impacted him so much that he refused to work, then we'd have to figure something out. Since everything is going well, that is not an option we need to explore.
As much as I love Hermione and working with her, it was very refreshing to walk with just Glacier this evening. There's something to be said about a smoothly functioning working team. He is used to me and I to him and we almost don't need verbal cues anymore. Going from being alert for puppy misbehaviors all of the time, to walking comfortably with Glacier is a huge reminder of just how far Glacier and I have come. It also reminds me that I definitely can trust him and to appreciate what he does for me. It'll be great to work with him on the university's campus in September.
All in all, my life is all about puppies and dogs right now. I helped C design a "human clicker" training exercise for her dog training classes. It was meant to demonstrate to the handlers how useful the clicker is and how fun training can be. It was a lot of fun and really pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Hermione has fallen asleep in my lap and since she is blocking my Laptop, I think I will leave you for now.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.
Friday, February 17, 2012
I won!?
Helllllloooooooo everyone! Glacier here and I am so very excited.
Did I mention that I ams very excited?
Yes, excited.
The very honourable and beautiful Miss Bunny picked me! Who would have thoughts? I'm just a big goofy guy who loves his job and Miss Bunny thoughts that that was impressive enoughs to let me win Mango Minster 2012 Working Stiffs category.
Oh, soooooooooooo excited.
If you wants to read bouts it, you can go
here.
I am so excited I ams speechless. I knows! Me speechless. That nevers happens.
Nows, Mango told me that I need to write something else bouts me so that people can vote for Best in Show. I don't knows all bouts that. There is some very impressive competition, but I am goings to try my bestest 'cause that's what I do!
Fur now thoughs, I'm goin' to be celebratin'!
Are there any of those martinis left from the PAWTY?!
Cheers!!!
Did I mention that I ams very excited?
Yes, excited.
The very honourable and beautiful Miss Bunny picked me! Who would have thoughts? I'm just a big goofy guy who loves his job and Miss Bunny thoughts that that was impressive enoughs to let me win Mango Minster 2012 Working Stiffs category.
Oh, soooooooooooo excited.
If you wants to read bouts it, you can go
here.
I am so excited I ams speechless. I knows! Me speechless. That nevers happens.
Nows, Mango told me that I need to write something else bouts me so that people can vote for Best in Show. I don't knows all bouts that. There is some very impressive competition, but I am goings to try my bestest 'cause that's what I do!
Fur now thoughs, I'm goin' to be celebratin'!
Are there any of those martinis left from the PAWTY?!
Cheers!!!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Striding Along
Today was a busy day for Glacier and I. . I include Glacier because when I have things to do, that means Glacier has things to do. There aren't many places I go without my big, Yellow Fellow striding along at my side and today was no exception. Our first stop, the gym.
We left the flat around 12:40, fighting the lunch crowd clogging the sidewalks. The sun was shining this afternoon, the first time in probably a month and the weather was mild. People probably wanted to soak up as much Vitamin D as they could. I can't lie, I probably would have enjoyed staying out longer and running outside instead of at the gym if I had the means. The sun felt good soaking into my skin as Glacier and I made our way to the gym.
I had left the flat a bit jittery as there is a crossing just two blocks from the gym that makes me incredibly nervous. The crossing is very busy with buses and cars turning and I've nearly been hit by a bus there. There isn't a way to control the traffic and so you have to wait to hear a lull in the traffic and then run across. Not my idea of safe. I got myself so worked up into a tizzy, I barely noticed the sunshine at first or the crowds of people. Glacier and I made our third crossing, a busy intersection that is currently under construction, and in my nervousness I steered us in the wrong direction. I couldn't tell you where I made the mistake and I can't tell you how we got out of it, but at the time I knew how to get back to the street we were actually supposed to be walking down. The jolt of getting lost, momentarily, made me realise that fretting about the crossing that was still far off was not going to get us there safely. I started paying attention, noticing the sun finally, the people bustling about and Glacier's easy, comfortable trot. I began to enjoy myself.
We arrived at the gym without incident. At the crossing that had befuddled me so early on in our walk, an older gentleman assisted me across the road. He was very nice and asked if I was crossing before telling me it was safe. I appreciated his unassuming demeanor and that he asked. Once across that street, it was smooth sailing.
After pounding out over 5 K on the treadmill, I collected Glacier from the office and we were off again. I was impressed at his composure when we passed a playground filled with screaming, squawking, crying, laughing pre-school kids. Some of them were even riding little toys that made a racket and even though Glacier glanced at the madness behind the fence, he didn't flinch, despite the overwhelming noise.
We made it back across the dreaded crossing with the assistance of the same gentleman and met Tenie and Carmen at our specified meeting location. Then, it was on the bus for us to stop at the girls' Letting Agency, to the bank and then a stop for a bite to eat for the humans. Glacier was a super star ignoring the hordes of people out and about and curled up and behaved himself on the bus rides and at the little Italian restaurant we stopped in at. Can I just say, delicious!
On the ride home, I was impressed to discover that the bus we were taking talked to its passengers, letting them know where they were and what stop was coming up. Apparently, all of the UK is working towards making all of the fleets of buses talk, which would make my life so much easier. Taking the city bus means asking the driver which bus it is before getting on and then asking the driver to let you know when you reach your stop. It is easy to worry the whole ride whether the driver will remember or not, or if you will even hear him/her over the noise of the bus and its passengers. The talking buses are fantastic and I'm glad to see them finally being put out on the roads.
The four of us, hopped off at a different stop so that we could stop in at the vet. Guide dogs that are registered with The Guide Dog Association here have their medical expenses covered. In order for that to happen, a health book is used to document the dogs' medical information and any procedures/vaccinations Etc that may have occurred. Glacier and Roscoe's books had come in just before Christmas and we had to get them to the vet's office so that the vet could actually get paid for caring for the boys.
It was home time after that quick visit. Glacier had met a little puppy named Charlie who liked to whack Glacier in the face with his paws. At one point, Glacier popped Charlie on the head, the way he used to do with Baloo, but I put a stop to that. I don't care if Glacier whacks my dogs on the head, but he should not be bopping other people's puppies; unless he knows them of course.
We walked part of the way home with Tenie and Carmen, chatting away. We eventually reached the corner where we go our separate ways and Glacier guided me safely home. His curb work was excellent and I made sure to give the correct directions this time. I think I've said this before, but it is amazing to me what a little patience and consistency has done for Glacier and I.
In October I thought I would have to retire him. Our independent travel was definitely unsafe and Glacier seemed disinterested in keeping the two of us safe. It's something he and I have struggled with since day one, but the last couple of months he's come a very long way. I know now that his nervous/anxious reaction to big changes is to shut down, but knowing that allows me to give him what he needs to get back on his paws, so to speak. Traveling around a big city, such as Edinburgh, is so much easier for me with a guide dog and I am just glad Glacier and I were finally able to figure each other out and continue to work together.
I think Glacier enjoyed his day out as much as I did, but after I showered, fed him and Roscoe, took them out and got the Sugar Gliders' food ready, we're both crashed out on the couch; settled in for the night. Being a guide dog isn't easy, I would think; especially if you are my guide dog and i get myself so worked up about something trivial and get us temporarily misplaced. They never truly rest when we're out in public even if they are just lying under a table at a cafe. Glacier stays on alert for when I get up and when we're walking, it's his job to be watching for the both of us. I can't blame him for needing a nap after all of that.
We left the flat around 12:40, fighting the lunch crowd clogging the sidewalks. The sun was shining this afternoon, the first time in probably a month and the weather was mild. People probably wanted to soak up as much Vitamin D as they could. I can't lie, I probably would have enjoyed staying out longer and running outside instead of at the gym if I had the means. The sun felt good soaking into my skin as Glacier and I made our way to the gym.
I had left the flat a bit jittery as there is a crossing just two blocks from the gym that makes me incredibly nervous. The crossing is very busy with buses and cars turning and I've nearly been hit by a bus there. There isn't a way to control the traffic and so you have to wait to hear a lull in the traffic and then run across. Not my idea of safe. I got myself so worked up into a tizzy, I barely noticed the sunshine at first or the crowds of people. Glacier and I made our third crossing, a busy intersection that is currently under construction, and in my nervousness I steered us in the wrong direction. I couldn't tell you where I made the mistake and I can't tell you how we got out of it, but at the time I knew how to get back to the street we were actually supposed to be walking down. The jolt of getting lost, momentarily, made me realise that fretting about the crossing that was still far off was not going to get us there safely. I started paying attention, noticing the sun finally, the people bustling about and Glacier's easy, comfortable trot. I began to enjoy myself.
We arrived at the gym without incident. At the crossing that had befuddled me so early on in our walk, an older gentleman assisted me across the road. He was very nice and asked if I was crossing before telling me it was safe. I appreciated his unassuming demeanor and that he asked. Once across that street, it was smooth sailing.
After pounding out over 5 K on the treadmill, I collected Glacier from the office and we were off again. I was impressed at his composure when we passed a playground filled with screaming, squawking, crying, laughing pre-school kids. Some of them were even riding little toys that made a racket and even though Glacier glanced at the madness behind the fence, he didn't flinch, despite the overwhelming noise.
We made it back across the dreaded crossing with the assistance of the same gentleman and met Tenie and Carmen at our specified meeting location. Then, it was on the bus for us to stop at the girls' Letting Agency, to the bank and then a stop for a bite to eat for the humans. Glacier was a super star ignoring the hordes of people out and about and curled up and behaved himself on the bus rides and at the little Italian restaurant we stopped in at. Can I just say, delicious!
On the ride home, I was impressed to discover that the bus we were taking talked to its passengers, letting them know where they were and what stop was coming up. Apparently, all of the UK is working towards making all of the fleets of buses talk, which would make my life so much easier. Taking the city bus means asking the driver which bus it is before getting on and then asking the driver to let you know when you reach your stop. It is easy to worry the whole ride whether the driver will remember or not, or if you will even hear him/her over the noise of the bus and its passengers. The talking buses are fantastic and I'm glad to see them finally being put out on the roads.
The four of us, hopped off at a different stop so that we could stop in at the vet. Guide dogs that are registered with The Guide Dog Association here have their medical expenses covered. In order for that to happen, a health book is used to document the dogs' medical information and any procedures/vaccinations Etc that may have occurred. Glacier and Roscoe's books had come in just before Christmas and we had to get them to the vet's office so that the vet could actually get paid for caring for the boys.
It was home time after that quick visit. Glacier had met a little puppy named Charlie who liked to whack Glacier in the face with his paws. At one point, Glacier popped Charlie on the head, the way he used to do with Baloo, but I put a stop to that. I don't care if Glacier whacks my dogs on the head, but he should not be bopping other people's puppies; unless he knows them of course.
We walked part of the way home with Tenie and Carmen, chatting away. We eventually reached the corner where we go our separate ways and Glacier guided me safely home. His curb work was excellent and I made sure to give the correct directions this time. I think I've said this before, but it is amazing to me what a little patience and consistency has done for Glacier and I.
In October I thought I would have to retire him. Our independent travel was definitely unsafe and Glacier seemed disinterested in keeping the two of us safe. It's something he and I have struggled with since day one, but the last couple of months he's come a very long way. I know now that his nervous/anxious reaction to big changes is to shut down, but knowing that allows me to give him what he needs to get back on his paws, so to speak. Traveling around a big city, such as Edinburgh, is so much easier for me with a guide dog and I am just glad Glacier and I were finally able to figure each other out and continue to work together.
I think Glacier enjoyed his day out as much as I did, but after I showered, fed him and Roscoe, took them out and got the Sugar Gliders' food ready, we're both crashed out on the couch; settled in for the night. Being a guide dog isn't easy, I would think; especially if you are my guide dog and i get myself so worked up about something trivial and get us temporarily misplaced. They never truly rest when we're out in public even if they are just lying under a table at a cafe. Glacier stays on alert for when I get up and when we're walking, it's his job to be watching for the both of us. I can't blame him for needing a nap after all of that.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Dear 2011
Dear 2011:
I cannot believe that you are already drawing to a close. So much has happened this year. So much so, that I have no idea where to begin. I think, besides the first year I made the Paralympic Games in 2000, or perhaps my first year of university in 2002, you have been one of the busiest, craziest years I have had. So many wonderful and amazing things have happened and for those I m grateful. There have been a few tenser moments, but I am just as grateful for those as well. The harder moments have taught me much about myself and have helped me grow. Looking back, I am still in awe at half of the things that happened and feel very blessed.
***
2011 In All Its Glory
1. In January of 2011, Mr. K and I lived in a house that was not ideal; not even close. The water shut off nearly every other day and was off for at least two to three days at a time. We started looking for a more suitable living arrangements even though we had intentions of moving to the UK as soon as possible. We had four dogs living with us: Glacier, Roscoe, Aria and Baloo.
2. In February we moved into a much better dwelling and Doc joined our ranks. It was then that I really started noticing problems with Glacier's working. This was also the month that solidified our plans to move to Scotland. Before Doc moved in, we had Roscoe, Glacier, Aria and Baloo Tider tested in order to begin the paperwork to bring everyone to the UK.
3. March was filled with puppies and their pooping issues. Dachshunds who were potty trained decided that they liked the carpet of the new house instead of going outside. We knew all three Dachshunds could not come with us, as we had originally bought Doc for Mr. K's sister, and the more we looked into it, the more we realised that we should re-home our little family members. It was a painful, and difficult decision. Glacier's guiding issues were becoming more apparent. I contacted Leader Dogs for the Blind in the hopes that they could help Glacier and I.
4.. In April, I headed home to Canada with Glacier and Baloo. Glacier and I were going back to Leader Dogs for the Blind for retraining and Baloo would be finding a new home with a high school friend; as long as they liked each other. It turns out, they fell in love almost right away and Baloo moved in with her just days after getting to my parents' house. Glacier and I worked hard for twelve days at LDB and left a much happier, confident working team.
5. May came quickly and I spent the majority of the month getting things in order for mine and Mr. K's wedding. I loved being home with my family, but I missed Mr. K terribly. May was also the fateful month that started making my triathlon dreams into a reality. Our wedding was fabulous and I couldn't have asked for a better day or husband, for that matter. May was also the month that saw Doc and Aria re-homed as well. It was difficult and parts of me still wishes that I could whisk them across an ocean to be with us.
6. June was a crazy month, attempting to finalize my passport and my Portuguese identity card. It was this card that would allow us to move to the UK without having to worry about Visas. I also found out that I could in fact get pregnant, but that it was not medically advisable.
7. Glacier and I returned to SC and sweated the month out,packing and planning to leave. We had vet appointments and we tried to sell, or at least, give away our belongings that we could not take with us. My parents visited for a while and helped us get a lot of things done in preparation for the move. The house felt so empty with only two dogs in it.
8. August snuck up on us and we worked feverishly to ensure that everything was set for our departure. We ran into a few glitches, such as the State vet saying that we may not be able to fly with our dogs because things were not documented correctly on our forms. We nearly watched seven months of planning go up in smoke. I worked to get as much of the house packed up as I could and some patient friends assisted with getting the rest of the stuff out once we had flown away. We ran into a small glitch in Boston when we tried to transfer flights and the guy assisting us through the airport didn't speak english. Then, on top of that, the airline didn't have record of our guide dogs, despite Mr. K speaking at least three times to them about it over the phone. After standing at the counter for almost an hour, we were cleared. Our flight was pretty good, considering we were flying so far and we had no issues once we entered London England. We spent a few days touring London and almost walked our feet off. We arrived in Edinburgh and stayed in Tenie and Carmen's flat, which they shared with two other girls. We stayed there until we could get things straightened out for our own flat. We did a few touristy things, like going to the zoo and a few festivals as well.
9. It was in September, after some waiting and assertive conversations, that we were able to move into our own flat. Tenie and Carmen had picked it out before we had even arrived, but it took nearly three weeks for us to be able to move in. When we finally did move in, the hot water didn't work, but it was resolved. We spent the month settling in and getting to know our surrounding area.
10. It wasn't until October rolled around that I started feeling more comfortable with walking around on my own. Glacier and I experienced a huge regression in his guiding when we first arrived, which followed us basically through September. I worked hard with him, being consistent and resetting my mindset. I was to look at him as a working dog, not a pet. I knew that, but somehow in the move, I had lost that perspective. We celebrated Halloween dressed up in the Steam Punk fashion.
11. November was a great month for me. Triathlon training really started coming together with me finding a guide and receiving a whole lot of help from various sport minded organisations. Mr. K and I also brought Gus and Fiona home, our two little Sugar Glider joeys.
12. December was a month for the Holidays and even though Mr. K and I didn't go home, we had a good month. We went to the Christmas market and had a great time experiencing the food, drinks and crazy crowds. Gus and Fiona joined us that day in their bonding pouch, but Glacier and Roscoe stayed home as we figured the crowds would be liable to crush them. We had a few dessert parties with the people living at Tenie and Carmen's flat and went out for drinks one night, sampling nearly every festive mixed drink they had on the menu. The night before the girls headed home for the Holidays, one of Tenie's flat mates had us over for a delicious dinner and we were able to say farewell to everyone. Mr. K and I spent Christmas together and it was enjoyable, despite our families being far away. Even though December was a joyous month, it also brought sadness when Gus passed away due to an unfortunate accident on Boxing Day.
As for today, December 31?
Mr. K and I will be going to pick up Yoda and Plato, two new Sugar Gliders, so that Fiona may have some playmates. Tonight, we may wander to a local pub and have a few celebratory drinks and talk about 2011 and maybe even of 2012 and what it will bring.
To everyone out there: Happy 2012. May it bring you joy and be everything you hope it to be. :)
Love,
Jess, Glacier, Roscoe, Fiona, Plato and Yoda
I cannot believe that you are already drawing to a close. So much has happened this year. So much so, that I have no idea where to begin. I think, besides the first year I made the Paralympic Games in 2000, or perhaps my first year of university in 2002, you have been one of the busiest, craziest years I have had. So many wonderful and amazing things have happened and for those I m grateful. There have been a few tenser moments, but I am just as grateful for those as well. The harder moments have taught me much about myself and have helped me grow. Looking back, I am still in awe at half of the things that happened and feel very blessed.
***
2011 In All Its Glory
1. In January of 2011, Mr. K and I lived in a house that was not ideal; not even close. The water shut off nearly every other day and was off for at least two to three days at a time. We started looking for a more suitable living arrangements even though we had intentions of moving to the UK as soon as possible. We had four dogs living with us: Glacier, Roscoe, Aria and Baloo.
2. In February we moved into a much better dwelling and Doc joined our ranks. It was then that I really started noticing problems with Glacier's working. This was also the month that solidified our plans to move to Scotland. Before Doc moved in, we had Roscoe, Glacier, Aria and Baloo Tider tested in order to begin the paperwork to bring everyone to the UK.
3. March was filled with puppies and their pooping issues. Dachshunds who were potty trained decided that they liked the carpet of the new house instead of going outside. We knew all three Dachshunds could not come with us, as we had originally bought Doc for Mr. K's sister, and the more we looked into it, the more we realised that we should re-home our little family members. It was a painful, and difficult decision. Glacier's guiding issues were becoming more apparent. I contacted Leader Dogs for the Blind in the hopes that they could help Glacier and I.
4.. In April, I headed home to Canada with Glacier and Baloo. Glacier and I were going back to Leader Dogs for the Blind for retraining and Baloo would be finding a new home with a high school friend; as long as they liked each other. It turns out, they fell in love almost right away and Baloo moved in with her just days after getting to my parents' house. Glacier and I worked hard for twelve days at LDB and left a much happier, confident working team.
5. May came quickly and I spent the majority of the month getting things in order for mine and Mr. K's wedding. I loved being home with my family, but I missed Mr. K terribly. May was also the fateful month that started making my triathlon dreams into a reality. Our wedding was fabulous and I couldn't have asked for a better day or husband, for that matter. May was also the month that saw Doc and Aria re-homed as well. It was difficult and parts of me still wishes that I could whisk them across an ocean to be with us.
6. June was a crazy month, attempting to finalize my passport and my Portuguese identity card. It was this card that would allow us to move to the UK without having to worry about Visas. I also found out that I could in fact get pregnant, but that it was not medically advisable.
7. Glacier and I returned to SC and sweated the month out,packing and planning to leave. We had vet appointments and we tried to sell, or at least, give away our belongings that we could not take with us. My parents visited for a while and helped us get a lot of things done in preparation for the move. The house felt so empty with only two dogs in it.
8. August snuck up on us and we worked feverishly to ensure that everything was set for our departure. We ran into a few glitches, such as the State vet saying that we may not be able to fly with our dogs because things were not documented correctly on our forms. We nearly watched seven months of planning go up in smoke. I worked to get as much of the house packed up as I could and some patient friends assisted with getting the rest of the stuff out once we had flown away. We ran into a small glitch in Boston when we tried to transfer flights and the guy assisting us through the airport didn't speak english. Then, on top of that, the airline didn't have record of our guide dogs, despite Mr. K speaking at least three times to them about it over the phone. After standing at the counter for almost an hour, we were cleared. Our flight was pretty good, considering we were flying so far and we had no issues once we entered London England. We spent a few days touring London and almost walked our feet off. We arrived in Edinburgh and stayed in Tenie and Carmen's flat, which they shared with two other girls. We stayed there until we could get things straightened out for our own flat. We did a few touristy things, like going to the zoo and a few festivals as well.
9. It was in September, after some waiting and assertive conversations, that we were able to move into our own flat. Tenie and Carmen had picked it out before we had even arrived, but it took nearly three weeks for us to be able to move in. When we finally did move in, the hot water didn't work, but it was resolved. We spent the month settling in and getting to know our surrounding area.
10. It wasn't until October rolled around that I started feeling more comfortable with walking around on my own. Glacier and I experienced a huge regression in his guiding when we first arrived, which followed us basically through September. I worked hard with him, being consistent and resetting my mindset. I was to look at him as a working dog, not a pet. I knew that, but somehow in the move, I had lost that perspective. We celebrated Halloween dressed up in the Steam Punk fashion.
11. November was a great month for me. Triathlon training really started coming together with me finding a guide and receiving a whole lot of help from various sport minded organisations. Mr. K and I also brought Gus and Fiona home, our two little Sugar Glider joeys.
12. December was a month for the Holidays and even though Mr. K and I didn't go home, we had a good month. We went to the Christmas market and had a great time experiencing the food, drinks and crazy crowds. Gus and Fiona joined us that day in their bonding pouch, but Glacier and Roscoe stayed home as we figured the crowds would be liable to crush them. We had a few dessert parties with the people living at Tenie and Carmen's flat and went out for drinks one night, sampling nearly every festive mixed drink they had on the menu. The night before the girls headed home for the Holidays, one of Tenie's flat mates had us over for a delicious dinner and we were able to say farewell to everyone. Mr. K and I spent Christmas together and it was enjoyable, despite our families being far away. Even though December was a joyous month, it also brought sadness when Gus passed away due to an unfortunate accident on Boxing Day.
As for today, December 31?
Mr. K and I will be going to pick up Yoda and Plato, two new Sugar Gliders, so that Fiona may have some playmates. Tonight, we may wander to a local pub and have a few celebratory drinks and talk about 2011 and maybe even of 2012 and what it will bring.
To everyone out there: Happy 2012. May it bring you joy and be everything you hope it to be. :)
Love,
Jess, Glacier, Roscoe, Fiona, Plato and Yoda
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Jess's Public Service Announcement: Leader Dogs for the Blind
There is an organisation in Rochester Michigan that has made the difference in many people's lives, including mine. This non-profit organisation has technically changed the course of my life three times with matching me with my first guide dog Jetta, then my second Glacier and then taking Glacier and I back in for retraining. Some people say I'm loyal to a fault and I think sometimes they may be right, but how can I not be when Leader Dogs for the Blind took me back in after almost three years of working with a dog and giving me the time and resources to make a relationship work as opposed to just telling me to figure it out on my own or just retiring Glacier without giving us a chance?
To some extent I think people can be biased to the school where they were matched with their service dog(s). Leader Dogs for the Blind is where I got both of my guide dogs and they were also the organisation who took me back in for a twelve day retraining session in the attempt to keep Glacier from retiring. LDB also has a lot of other programs, including an advanced orientation and mobility class, which teaches and/or assists with brushing up on White Cane skills. LDB also has a strong presence in several countries around the world, as they have dogs and trainers set aside specifically for students coming in from Spain, Thailand and many other countries where obtaining a guide dog is nearly impossible due to long wait lists.
The facilities, trainers and some dogs are also designed/taught to work with people who are both visually impaired and deaf. In fact, Jetta's brother, the only other puppy in her litter, graduated as a guide/assistance dog for a deaf blind person.
Leader Dogs for the Blind is also working to make walking GPS systems affordable to blind people as most units usually cost thousands of dollars. Considering eighty percent of blind people are unemployed, purchasing something that costs thousands of dollars is out of the question. This new GPS unit was given out for free to all of the students in mine and Glacier's retraining class. There is a Declaration For Independence on LDB's website where people can sign to show their support for the advancement of this high quality, affordable GPS unit.
What spurred this giant ramble about LDB and what they do is an email I received this morning. It was sent out thanking puppy raisers, donors, volunteers and anyone else who has contributed to Leader Dogs for the Blind. Even though I'm technically a client, I received the email because Mr. K and I donated money to Leader Dogs for the Blind instead of handing out favors at our wedding that people would just toss out.
In the email, LDB thanked everyone and also stated that they are still in need of help. LDB needs more puppy raisers and also host families for female breeding stock.
First of all, I know that if you have been reading for a while now that you will know what a puppy raiser is, but let me revisit what a puppy raiser is again. Puppy raisers are families, or evens single people, who fill out an in-depth application, get visited by the school of their choice to ensure they have a safe home for a puppy and then are selected based on their lifestyle and a myriad of other factors. For example, both of my dogs' foster moms were teachers, which meant that Jetta and Glacier both got used to children, busy environments and other such things that come along with being a teacher.
Puppy raisers are asked to take their puppy out into public as often as possible and taught by the school how to teach their puppy. There are puppy classes to be attended and people to help the raiser work through the puppy's, well, puppiness. The more positive public outings/experiences your puppy has the better. These experiences lay the foundation for how they will react to what they may encounter in the future with their blind handler.
This is, I have no doubt, a huge commitment and at the end of about twelve months, the puppy returns to its school for formal training, where it begins to learn how to work in a harness. I know this part is hard, but let me tell you, we blind folk who are so lucky to get your puppy are so grateful. I'm going to try to stay away from the cliche phrases here so that you know that my gratitude is genuine, but I cannot express how thankful I am to the people who raised both of my dogs. Raising a puppy has its challenges, but I've heard from many puppy raisers that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. The commitment does require a year of your time, but if you decide after that one year that one bundle of joy was enough for you, then you are not forced to continue on.
I have always wanted to be a puppy raiser, but right now that is just not feasible. I love the challenge of working with a dog and being able to take a little fuzz butt everywhere would be awesome. Again, I'm not saying it's easy since every outing, even if just out to "park," is a training session, but how can you resist puppy kisses?
If you think that puppies just aren't your thing, but like dogs then perhaps hosting a breeding stock dog is more up your alley. I am not entirely sure of the rules with breeding stock families, but I do know that you cannot let your unfixed dogs play with other unaltered dogs. That basically means, that if you have an unaltered male as a family pet, then you would not be able to host a Leader Dogs for the Blind breeding stock female. The females also have to be brought back to Leader Dogs for the blind for check-ups and such, especially during pregnancy. Also, if you host a female, you get to have the puppies live in your house until they are ready to go to the puppy raisers. So, you get a bit of the puppy joy without having to take them out into public and to work with you.
All of this sounds great right? You want to run out and scoop up your new bundle of joy right now! Right? Or perhaps you feel like your home needs a "Mommy" to make it complete. Well, have no fear. I know how you can get cracking on that application. Or, if you're not convinced and you need more information, you can also contact LDB and ask as many questions as you want. To ask more questions, to fill out an application or to sign the Declaration for Independent travel go
here.
So, what are you waiting for? Hurry, hurry! A little Golden Retriever, Labrador, German Shepherd or combination of any of these, is waiting for you. The visually impaired person who gets your puppy will thank you. Take it from a two time Leader Dogs for the Blind graduate: these dogs change a lot of lives in ways that words just cannot do justice.
To some extent I think people can be biased to the school where they were matched with their service dog(s). Leader Dogs for the Blind is where I got both of my guide dogs and they were also the organisation who took me back in for a twelve day retraining session in the attempt to keep Glacier from retiring. LDB also has a lot of other programs, including an advanced orientation and mobility class, which teaches and/or assists with brushing up on White Cane skills. LDB also has a strong presence in several countries around the world, as they have dogs and trainers set aside specifically for students coming in from Spain, Thailand and many other countries where obtaining a guide dog is nearly impossible due to long wait lists.
The facilities, trainers and some dogs are also designed/taught to work with people who are both visually impaired and deaf. In fact, Jetta's brother, the only other puppy in her litter, graduated as a guide/assistance dog for a deaf blind person.
Leader Dogs for the Blind is also working to make walking GPS systems affordable to blind people as most units usually cost thousands of dollars. Considering eighty percent of blind people are unemployed, purchasing something that costs thousands of dollars is out of the question. This new GPS unit was given out for free to all of the students in mine and Glacier's retraining class. There is a Declaration For Independence on LDB's website where people can sign to show their support for the advancement of this high quality, affordable GPS unit.
What spurred this giant ramble about LDB and what they do is an email I received this morning. It was sent out thanking puppy raisers, donors, volunteers and anyone else who has contributed to Leader Dogs for the Blind. Even though I'm technically a client, I received the email because Mr. K and I donated money to Leader Dogs for the Blind instead of handing out favors at our wedding that people would just toss out.
In the email, LDB thanked everyone and also stated that they are still in need of help. LDB needs more puppy raisers and also host families for female breeding stock.
First of all, I know that if you have been reading for a while now that you will know what a puppy raiser is, but let me revisit what a puppy raiser is again. Puppy raisers are families, or evens single people, who fill out an in-depth application, get visited by the school of their choice to ensure they have a safe home for a puppy and then are selected based on their lifestyle and a myriad of other factors. For example, both of my dogs' foster moms were teachers, which meant that Jetta and Glacier both got used to children, busy environments and other such things that come along with being a teacher.
Puppy raisers are asked to take their puppy out into public as often as possible and taught by the school how to teach their puppy. There are puppy classes to be attended and people to help the raiser work through the puppy's, well, puppiness. The more positive public outings/experiences your puppy has the better. These experiences lay the foundation for how they will react to what they may encounter in the future with their blind handler.
This is, I have no doubt, a huge commitment and at the end of about twelve months, the puppy returns to its school for formal training, where it begins to learn how to work in a harness. I know this part is hard, but let me tell you, we blind folk who are so lucky to get your puppy are so grateful. I'm going to try to stay away from the cliche phrases here so that you know that my gratitude is genuine, but I cannot express how thankful I am to the people who raised both of my dogs. Raising a puppy has its challenges, but I've heard from many puppy raisers that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. The commitment does require a year of your time, but if you decide after that one year that one bundle of joy was enough for you, then you are not forced to continue on.
I have always wanted to be a puppy raiser, but right now that is just not feasible. I love the challenge of working with a dog and being able to take a little fuzz butt everywhere would be awesome. Again, I'm not saying it's easy since every outing, even if just out to "park," is a training session, but how can you resist puppy kisses?
If you think that puppies just aren't your thing, but like dogs then perhaps hosting a breeding stock dog is more up your alley. I am not entirely sure of the rules with breeding stock families, but I do know that you cannot let your unfixed dogs play with other unaltered dogs. That basically means, that if you have an unaltered male as a family pet, then you would not be able to host a Leader Dogs for the Blind breeding stock female. The females also have to be brought back to Leader Dogs for the blind for check-ups and such, especially during pregnancy. Also, if you host a female, you get to have the puppies live in your house until they are ready to go to the puppy raisers. So, you get a bit of the puppy joy without having to take them out into public and to work with you.
All of this sounds great right? You want to run out and scoop up your new bundle of joy right now! Right? Or perhaps you feel like your home needs a "Mommy" to make it complete. Well, have no fear. I know how you can get cracking on that application. Or, if you're not convinced and you need more information, you can also contact LDB and ask as many questions as you want. To ask more questions, to fill out an application or to sign the Declaration for Independent travel go
here.
So, what are you waiting for? Hurry, hurry! A little Golden Retriever, Labrador, German Shepherd or combination of any of these, is waiting for you. The visually impaired person who gets your puppy will thank you. Take it from a two time Leader Dogs for the Blind graduate: these dogs change a lot of lives in ways that words just cannot do justice.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Very Encouraging
I know a lot of my posts have been about mine and Mr. G's working relationship, but it's such a huge part of my life that it's hard not to talk about it. There were also so many times in the past when I didn't know whether or not just to retire him or keep going. Even though we've been working together for three years, I feel like we are a brand new team. Of course I'm not dealing with a lot of the things that a new handler deals with, like inconsistent relieving for example, but in some ways I am. Glacier and I are learning to trust one another, something that should have happened years ago, but is thankfully happening now. This is the biggest obstacle a brand new team faces, besides bonding, and it's only now that things are starting to gel.
Glacier and I have always been bonded. I think we bonded the first week we were at Leader Dogs for the Blind in 2008. We have loved each other for the past three years like any other working team, but the elements of trust and respect when it came to working was missing. These two elements are, to me, what make a working team successful. I need to trust and respect Glacier enough to let him make a decision. He has to trust and respect me enough to take a cue from me without questioning me. I wasn't trusting or feeling all that respectful and he was questioning. With an attitude adjustment on my part and an environment conducive to us working almost every day, things have begun to improve very quickly. In a month, I have gone from not wanting to go out and work my dog and contemplating retiring him for good to absolutely loving the feeling of walking confidently down a sidewalk with my big Yellow Fellow at my side. I know I've had that feeling before when we went back to Leader Dogs for the Blind for retraining, but that was a very safe and particular environment. I knew things would change a bit once out in the real world, but I just wasn't sure how much. We had to start from square one yet again upon arriving in Edinburgh.
Yesterday I went out to meet a friend to pick up a few things Mr. K and I needed. Glacier and I walked a route we've traveled only twice before on our own and instead of being nervous and uneasy the whole way, I enjoyed myself and didn't get worked up about my own small mistakes, other pedestrians' interference with our work and Glacier stopping to sniff once. Glacier seemed at ease too. He picked up the pace, which I have been wanting for so long and trotted along, moving around people and objects where necessary. At one point, someone veered into our line of travel when we were crossing a street. I think he was reading or perhaps texting, a pet peeve of mine, but either way he didn't notice us until he had run us over. The old working team of Miss J and Mr. G would have fallen apart. I would have panicked thinking that Glacier's sensitivity would take over and he'd stop guiding and we'd be stuck there in the middle of the busy street. Not yesterday; yesterday, I said, "excuse me" and Glacier kept us moving briskly toward the opposite curb despite the flustered, embarrassed side swiper mumbling an apology and trying to grab my arm and lead me across the road.
At one point, Glacier caught sight of another dog and thought that he should follow it, but with a light verbal correction, he kept us on track. Another example of where we have changed. Before, he would have just kept lumbering after the other dog and I would have to give him a harsher correction. The correction would have shut him down and then I'd spend the next two blocks over praising him for walking a straight line. I think with me treating him more like a working dog, Glacier has begun to realise the magnitude of his job.
No, we're not a new team with regards to how long we've been together, but we're new in working properly together. Every outing encourages me and we grow stronger. It's a process that should have happened a long time ago, but it's happening now. So, I suppose I'll be celebrating each little victory by blogging about it. When you're a seasoned team, the posts about how great you and your dog's work was that day usually taper off, but perhaps that is something we as handlers shouldn't take for granted. I know when Jetta and I had been together for three years I didn't think twice about how smoothly we walked to and from classes or swim practices. It blew my mind when she found my swim bag in the locker room the first time, but after she repeated this behavior more than once, I think I took it for granted. I praised her of course, but it wasn't like the first time she did it. I'm not saying we should throw parties for our dogs every time they find a curb when we are veterans because then when something earth shattering happens they will not understand how amazing they are, but I am going to make an effort to not let Glacier's outstanding work become old hat once we've solidified as a seasoned team.
It's the smallest things that really make these dogs' work significant. The fact that Glacier always takes us to our door despite there being one an inch and a half past it, is something to be celebrated. If he didn't turn left at that door and get me up close when he should, we could end up at a pub a few doors down instead; not necessarily a bad place to be, but I usually want to go home for a reason. The fact that he gets me really close to each audible signal button on the street outside our flat without walking me into the pole or being too far away that I can't find it to push the button, is something to be celebrated. A foot to the left or right, I wouldn't be able to find the pole and just an inch or two forward and I'd walk chest first into the pole. Sure, the other day when he turned around and found the door behind us I was shocked and we had a party, but it's the every day mundane things I need to remember to praise him for because without those basic behaviors I'd be lost; quite literally. It was these basic behaviors that weren't happening and with their appearance, the great, surprising behaviors have begun to sprout up. The phrase "baby steps" could never be truer. It just took a long time, a lot of patience and a lot of attitude tweaking-for both of us-and I feel safe to say, barring any crazy event, Glacier and I will be a very happy, safe and successful working team until he is ready to retire as an old man. This is a comforting thought to me because up until now, I could never say that with confidence.
Glacier and I have always been bonded. I think we bonded the first week we were at Leader Dogs for the Blind in 2008. We have loved each other for the past three years like any other working team, but the elements of trust and respect when it came to working was missing. These two elements are, to me, what make a working team successful. I need to trust and respect Glacier enough to let him make a decision. He has to trust and respect me enough to take a cue from me without questioning me. I wasn't trusting or feeling all that respectful and he was questioning. With an attitude adjustment on my part and an environment conducive to us working almost every day, things have begun to improve very quickly. In a month, I have gone from not wanting to go out and work my dog and contemplating retiring him for good to absolutely loving the feeling of walking confidently down a sidewalk with my big Yellow Fellow at my side. I know I've had that feeling before when we went back to Leader Dogs for the Blind for retraining, but that was a very safe and particular environment. I knew things would change a bit once out in the real world, but I just wasn't sure how much. We had to start from square one yet again upon arriving in Edinburgh.
Yesterday I went out to meet a friend to pick up a few things Mr. K and I needed. Glacier and I walked a route we've traveled only twice before on our own and instead of being nervous and uneasy the whole way, I enjoyed myself and didn't get worked up about my own small mistakes, other pedestrians' interference with our work and Glacier stopping to sniff once. Glacier seemed at ease too. He picked up the pace, which I have been wanting for so long and trotted along, moving around people and objects where necessary. At one point, someone veered into our line of travel when we were crossing a street. I think he was reading or perhaps texting, a pet peeve of mine, but either way he didn't notice us until he had run us over. The old working team of Miss J and Mr. G would have fallen apart. I would have panicked thinking that Glacier's sensitivity would take over and he'd stop guiding and we'd be stuck there in the middle of the busy street. Not yesterday; yesterday, I said, "excuse me" and Glacier kept us moving briskly toward the opposite curb despite the flustered, embarrassed side swiper mumbling an apology and trying to grab my arm and lead me across the road.
At one point, Glacier caught sight of another dog and thought that he should follow it, but with a light verbal correction, he kept us on track. Another example of where we have changed. Before, he would have just kept lumbering after the other dog and I would have to give him a harsher correction. The correction would have shut him down and then I'd spend the next two blocks over praising him for walking a straight line. I think with me treating him more like a working dog, Glacier has begun to realise the magnitude of his job.
No, we're not a new team with regards to how long we've been together, but we're new in working properly together. Every outing encourages me and we grow stronger. It's a process that should have happened a long time ago, but it's happening now. So, I suppose I'll be celebrating each little victory by blogging about it. When you're a seasoned team, the posts about how great you and your dog's work was that day usually taper off, but perhaps that is something we as handlers shouldn't take for granted. I know when Jetta and I had been together for three years I didn't think twice about how smoothly we walked to and from classes or swim practices. It blew my mind when she found my swim bag in the locker room the first time, but after she repeated this behavior more than once, I think I took it for granted. I praised her of course, but it wasn't like the first time she did it. I'm not saying we should throw parties for our dogs every time they find a curb when we are veterans because then when something earth shattering happens they will not understand how amazing they are, but I am going to make an effort to not let Glacier's outstanding work become old hat once we've solidified as a seasoned team.
It's the smallest things that really make these dogs' work significant. The fact that Glacier always takes us to our door despite there being one an inch and a half past it, is something to be celebrated. If he didn't turn left at that door and get me up close when he should, we could end up at a pub a few doors down instead; not necessarily a bad place to be, but I usually want to go home for a reason. The fact that he gets me really close to each audible signal button on the street outside our flat without walking me into the pole or being too far away that I can't find it to push the button, is something to be celebrated. A foot to the left or right, I wouldn't be able to find the pole and just an inch or two forward and I'd walk chest first into the pole. Sure, the other day when he turned around and found the door behind us I was shocked and we had a party, but it's the every day mundane things I need to remember to praise him for because without those basic behaviors I'd be lost; quite literally. It was these basic behaviors that weren't happening and with their appearance, the great, surprising behaviors have begun to sprout up. The phrase "baby steps" could never be truer. It just took a long time, a lot of patience and a lot of attitude tweaking-for both of us-and I feel safe to say, barring any crazy event, Glacier and I will be a very happy, safe and successful working team until he is ready to retire as an old man. This is a comforting thought to me because up until now, I could never say that with confidence.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
And That is How It's Done
Today Glacier and I had what I would call an amazing outing. Our working relationship is coming right along and he shocked the socks off of me this afternoon.
Around lunch time I decided I was hungry, but we're running low on lunch type foods. So, I harnessed Glacier up and ventured out. There is a little cafe down the street called Relish and I had been wanting to try it. I had been past a lot and could always smell delicious smells wafting out the often open door.
We exited my building and turned right as usual, but my concentration was broken by a gaggle of children trundling down the sidewalk towards us. I focused on Glacier's movements to ensure I didn't run into anyone and also to make sure he wasn't doing any sniffing. He performed well, but I had panicked for a brief moment and had lost my train of thought. We walked to a spot in the sidewalk where the tactile bumps indicating a street crossing was, but I told him "straight." He obeyed happily, but I noticed that the traffic was much too loud for us to be where I thought we were.
"Did I go too far?" I asked Glacier, more to think out loud than anything. He swung us around sharply and brought me back to the street crossing and the button we had patterned him to find.
Surprise number one.
Good boy Glacier: someone was paying attention and it wasn't me.
He didn't hesitate. He took my "straight" cue, but didn't get all flustered and lose his confidence when I made a mistake. This is progress for both of us. I have started allowing him to take over and make decisions and he has shown me that he is trustworthy; a very hard vicious cycle to break.
We crossed safely and stopped in the little park to let Glacier relieve. Then we walked back out and I asked him to "right." He turned without hesitation and trotted happily down the sidewalk to the next curb. No hesitation was nice and Glacier pulling a bit against the chest strap of his harness was also nice. The pressure gives me the information I need to follow his movements.
We crossed and I began to wonder if I would know where Relish was. I had been in once with Tenie to pick a sandwich up for Mr. K, but I wasn't paying attention because we had been chatting. On nicer days the doors are open and the tantalizing scents would let me know if I was close, but today it was cold and windy; the doors would not be open. I resolved to ask someone if I had to. I hate asking people. It's my own hang up, but I hate it. So, I prepared myself to have to do it. As we walked along, Glacier bouncing at a leisurely trot, I kept inhaling deeply. If anyone noticed they might have thought I was nuts. The best part was that I smelled it-the warm, rich scent of roasting coffee and baking.
"Glacier, right? Find the door."
He slowed and for the second time that day he swung around, forcing me to retrace my steps. I wasn't sure he was right, but I wasn't sure I was right either. So, I followed him. Worse case scenario: he found a different door and I just asked inside where Relish was.
Surprise number two.
He took the lead again and even retraced our steps. He decided that the closest door to us was behind us, so that is where we were going.
He made a good decision. As we approached the door, the smells grew stronger and when we stepped inside I knew we had found our destination.
I cannot explain how good it feels to work in tandem with a guide dog. Being totally blind, I put a lot of faith in my working dogs. I ask them to do a lot, that people with even a bit of sight don't have to. I'm also deaf in one ear, putting even more pressure on my dogs. Mr. K and I have talked about that a lot. We think that is why Jetta retired so early. Her busy schedule combined with having to be reliable 100 percent of the time was exhausting for her.
I asked Glacier to "find the counter" and he obliged, wiggling happily when he was praised for lining me up with the counter top. I placed my order, turned around and asked him to "find the chair." He took about five steps and stopped. I put my hand out to my side and there was a chair.
Surprise number three.
Glacier is usually horrible at finding chairs. He would rather walk around and investigate the space instead of finding me somewhere to sit.
I settled in and ate a huge bowl of Sweet Potato, Coconut and Chili soup and finished off a small pot of raspberry tea to myself. Fresh bread with butter was also served with the soup and I left Relish stuffed. I had a great lunch and an even better working session with Glacier. The things he did today completely blew my mind.
Our short jaunt home was flawless. He stopped on the tactile bumps right beside the other button we patterned him to, despite there being shouting, frolicking children in the park right beside us. He crossed at a trot and pranced all of the way back to the flat. I have never been happier with our teamwork before. I feel like I can safely say that Glacier and I are on the right path and by next year when I enter university again, I know I will travel the campus quite confident that we will both be safe and enjoying working with each other, which I think, is the key to us being safe in the first place.
Good boy, Glacier. :)
Around lunch time I decided I was hungry, but we're running low on lunch type foods. So, I harnessed Glacier up and ventured out. There is a little cafe down the street called Relish and I had been wanting to try it. I had been past a lot and could always smell delicious smells wafting out the often open door.
We exited my building and turned right as usual, but my concentration was broken by a gaggle of children trundling down the sidewalk towards us. I focused on Glacier's movements to ensure I didn't run into anyone and also to make sure he wasn't doing any sniffing. He performed well, but I had panicked for a brief moment and had lost my train of thought. We walked to a spot in the sidewalk where the tactile bumps indicating a street crossing was, but I told him "straight." He obeyed happily, but I noticed that the traffic was much too loud for us to be where I thought we were.
"Did I go too far?" I asked Glacier, more to think out loud than anything. He swung us around sharply and brought me back to the street crossing and the button we had patterned him to find.
Surprise number one.
Good boy Glacier: someone was paying attention and it wasn't me.
He didn't hesitate. He took my "straight" cue, but didn't get all flustered and lose his confidence when I made a mistake. This is progress for both of us. I have started allowing him to take over and make decisions and he has shown me that he is trustworthy; a very hard vicious cycle to break.
We crossed safely and stopped in the little park to let Glacier relieve. Then we walked back out and I asked him to "right." He turned without hesitation and trotted happily down the sidewalk to the next curb. No hesitation was nice and Glacier pulling a bit against the chest strap of his harness was also nice. The pressure gives me the information I need to follow his movements.
We crossed and I began to wonder if I would know where Relish was. I had been in once with Tenie to pick a sandwich up for Mr. K, but I wasn't paying attention because we had been chatting. On nicer days the doors are open and the tantalizing scents would let me know if I was close, but today it was cold and windy; the doors would not be open. I resolved to ask someone if I had to. I hate asking people. It's my own hang up, but I hate it. So, I prepared myself to have to do it. As we walked along, Glacier bouncing at a leisurely trot, I kept inhaling deeply. If anyone noticed they might have thought I was nuts. The best part was that I smelled it-the warm, rich scent of roasting coffee and baking.
"Glacier, right? Find the door."
He slowed and for the second time that day he swung around, forcing me to retrace my steps. I wasn't sure he was right, but I wasn't sure I was right either. So, I followed him. Worse case scenario: he found a different door and I just asked inside where Relish was.
Surprise number two.
He took the lead again and even retraced our steps. He decided that the closest door to us was behind us, so that is where we were going.
He made a good decision. As we approached the door, the smells grew stronger and when we stepped inside I knew we had found our destination.
I cannot explain how good it feels to work in tandem with a guide dog. Being totally blind, I put a lot of faith in my working dogs. I ask them to do a lot, that people with even a bit of sight don't have to. I'm also deaf in one ear, putting even more pressure on my dogs. Mr. K and I have talked about that a lot. We think that is why Jetta retired so early. Her busy schedule combined with having to be reliable 100 percent of the time was exhausting for her.
I asked Glacier to "find the counter" and he obliged, wiggling happily when he was praised for lining me up with the counter top. I placed my order, turned around and asked him to "find the chair." He took about five steps and stopped. I put my hand out to my side and there was a chair.
Surprise number three.
Glacier is usually horrible at finding chairs. He would rather walk around and investigate the space instead of finding me somewhere to sit.
I settled in and ate a huge bowl of Sweet Potato, Coconut and Chili soup and finished off a small pot of raspberry tea to myself. Fresh bread with butter was also served with the soup and I left Relish stuffed. I had a great lunch and an even better working session with Glacier. The things he did today completely blew my mind.
Our short jaunt home was flawless. He stopped on the tactile bumps right beside the other button we patterned him to, despite there being shouting, frolicking children in the park right beside us. He crossed at a trot and pranced all of the way back to the flat. I have never been happier with our teamwork before. I feel like I can safely say that Glacier and I are on the right path and by next year when I enter university again, I know I will travel the campus quite confident that we will both be safe and enjoying working with each other, which I think, is the key to us being safe in the first place.
Good boy, Glacier. :)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Magical
There aren't really words to describe what it feels like to walk down a street, working cohesively and confidently with your guide dog. It's a feeling that, up until yesterday, hasn't really happened with Glacier and I.
I had noticed this feeling a few times when at LDB for retraining and the one time we took a long hike when I was at my parents' for three months this past summer, but other than that, something has been missing.
handlers can become picky about how we want our dogs to move, pull or not to pull, pause or not to pause. When you're thinking about what is to happen next or how to keep everything perfect, you almost forget to feel your dog and to just let things happen. Often people will say, it's not about the destination, but the journey that got you there and this is quite applicable to working with a guide dog. It's hard to know when to take over and be the thinking entity and when to let go and let the dog be the thinker and decision maker. Somehow, I found that balance yesterday.
Around 3 yesterday afternoon, Tenie called me. We had agreed to meet at a little square and from there she would show me how to get to the pet store. Glacier and Roscoe were low on food and so I really needed to go and get some ordered. The owners of this particular shop are really good to us. They give us a ten percent discount on any items bought for the guide dogs and also deliver the cases of food that we buy.
I harnessed Glacier up and we climbed the 43 steps down from our flat and turned out onto the street. I asked him to "find the button" and he did a fantastic job scooting me close enough to the pole that I was able to push the button, but not close enough to run me into the pole. We crossed and we stopped in the little park across the street to let Glacier relieve. I could tell he was a little overly excited as he kept forgetting to "park." He eventually did his business and we were off. The first two curbs we came to, he paused at perfectly, but he was a bit unfocused. He was prancing in his harness and turning his huge head about to look at everything. We crossed a bridge and he stopped at the curb perfectly again. The light at this particular intersection is incredibly long and sometimes I end up standing there through an extra cycle because it is difficult to determine when it is safe to cross. As we waited, he kept craning his head around my legs to sniff something to my right. I think it may have been a person. Glacier is still quite sensitive to leash corrections and snapping at him wasn't working, so I just put my right foot forward, blocking him from whatever smelled so good. This move seemed to work because he snapped back to attention and started watching the moving traffic.
We hung a left and then a sharp right and we were off swerving between tables, displays and people. The most amazing thing was how comfortably Glacier moved. He guided me carefully, but confidently through some scaffolding and didn't blow one curb. He looked once at a dog and thought about turning into an open grocery store door, but he stayed focused and responded quickly to what I asked him to do. He didn't need any encouragement to pick up the pace, which is a feat in itself because I am a very fast walker and speed sometimes poses as a problem.
Upon reaching the curb where we turn to go to Tenie's flat he paused. I praised him and asked him to "forward" and to "find the curb" and he moved forward without hesitation and stopped assertively at the curb. We had a brief party and then crossed the street safely. The whole route went smoothly. I think the best way I can describe a good working team together is "fluid." We work "fluidly" with each other. There is no break between dog and handler; we are seamless. Our entire existence, when Glacier is wearing his harness, starts at his front paws and moves up to his harness body piece, into the handle into my hand and all of the way up my arm. We are supposed to flow and that fluidity was not there before yesterday.
Sure, we had some good working outings, but I felt like I was coaching him through everything. Yesterday we worked together. He would do what he was supposed to do, I would praise or ask him to do something else and the best part was that he did not hesitate. If I said "find the curb," he found it and if I asked him to go "forward" past a place where we would normally turn, he did and that is amazing. It felt so good to be partners.
What I've written here is slightly inarticulate and a bit disorganised, but trying to describe that feeling is much more difficult than I thought it would be. There was always something missing when we went out to work and I had been looking for it. I didn't know what it was and so couldn't tell anyone what it was, but yesterday, it was there. Now I can put words to it. We needed to work seamlessly with fluid and synchronized motions and we finally did it. I had gotten so used to stopping three feet from the edge of the curb and spending the next three minutes "hopping" him up. (AKA asking him to get closer). We did that once yesterday and he had stopped only about a step back further than I'd like. There wasn't a jerky "stop, go" motion approaching curbs or larger obstacles. It was-and I'm going to use this word again because I don't know what other one to use-fluid and it was a beautiful thing
******
P.S. I received an email this morning from VIP Products with an eight dollar off coupon. Since Glacier and I do not live in North America anymore, is there someone out there who would like it? Their toys can be a bit pricy, but they seriously are some of the best made toys on the market. Let me know in the comments section if you would like it. Just leave me your email address so that I can forward it on to you.
I had noticed this feeling a few times when at LDB for retraining and the one time we took a long hike when I was at my parents' for three months this past summer, but other than that, something has been missing.
handlers can become picky about how we want our dogs to move, pull or not to pull, pause or not to pause. When you're thinking about what is to happen next or how to keep everything perfect, you almost forget to feel your dog and to just let things happen. Often people will say, it's not about the destination, but the journey that got you there and this is quite applicable to working with a guide dog. It's hard to know when to take over and be the thinking entity and when to let go and let the dog be the thinker and decision maker. Somehow, I found that balance yesterday.
Around 3 yesterday afternoon, Tenie called me. We had agreed to meet at a little square and from there she would show me how to get to the pet store. Glacier and Roscoe were low on food and so I really needed to go and get some ordered. The owners of this particular shop are really good to us. They give us a ten percent discount on any items bought for the guide dogs and also deliver the cases of food that we buy.
I harnessed Glacier up and we climbed the 43 steps down from our flat and turned out onto the street. I asked him to "find the button" and he did a fantastic job scooting me close enough to the pole that I was able to push the button, but not close enough to run me into the pole. We crossed and we stopped in the little park across the street to let Glacier relieve. I could tell he was a little overly excited as he kept forgetting to "park." He eventually did his business and we were off. The first two curbs we came to, he paused at perfectly, but he was a bit unfocused. He was prancing in his harness and turning his huge head about to look at everything. We crossed a bridge and he stopped at the curb perfectly again. The light at this particular intersection is incredibly long and sometimes I end up standing there through an extra cycle because it is difficult to determine when it is safe to cross. As we waited, he kept craning his head around my legs to sniff something to my right. I think it may have been a person. Glacier is still quite sensitive to leash corrections and snapping at him wasn't working, so I just put my right foot forward, blocking him from whatever smelled so good. This move seemed to work because he snapped back to attention and started watching the moving traffic.
We hung a left and then a sharp right and we were off swerving between tables, displays and people. The most amazing thing was how comfortably Glacier moved. He guided me carefully, but confidently through some scaffolding and didn't blow one curb. He looked once at a dog and thought about turning into an open grocery store door, but he stayed focused and responded quickly to what I asked him to do. He didn't need any encouragement to pick up the pace, which is a feat in itself because I am a very fast walker and speed sometimes poses as a problem.
Upon reaching the curb where we turn to go to Tenie's flat he paused. I praised him and asked him to "forward" and to "find the curb" and he moved forward without hesitation and stopped assertively at the curb. We had a brief party and then crossed the street safely. The whole route went smoothly. I think the best way I can describe a good working team together is "fluid." We work "fluidly" with each other. There is no break between dog and handler; we are seamless. Our entire existence, when Glacier is wearing his harness, starts at his front paws and moves up to his harness body piece, into the handle into my hand and all of the way up my arm. We are supposed to flow and that fluidity was not there before yesterday.
Sure, we had some good working outings, but I felt like I was coaching him through everything. Yesterday we worked together. He would do what he was supposed to do, I would praise or ask him to do something else and the best part was that he did not hesitate. If I said "find the curb," he found it and if I asked him to go "forward" past a place where we would normally turn, he did and that is amazing. It felt so good to be partners.
What I've written here is slightly inarticulate and a bit disorganised, but trying to describe that feeling is much more difficult than I thought it would be. There was always something missing when we went out to work and I had been looking for it. I didn't know what it was and so couldn't tell anyone what it was, but yesterday, it was there. Now I can put words to it. We needed to work seamlessly with fluid and synchronized motions and we finally did it. I had gotten so used to stopping three feet from the edge of the curb and spending the next three minutes "hopping" him up. (AKA asking him to get closer). We did that once yesterday and he had stopped only about a step back further than I'd like. There wasn't a jerky "stop, go" motion approaching curbs or larger obstacles. It was-and I'm going to use this word again because I don't know what other one to use-fluid and it was a beautiful thing
******
P.S. I received an email this morning from VIP Products with an eight dollar off coupon. Since Glacier and I do not live in North America anymore, is there someone out there who would like it? Their toys can be a bit pricy, but they seriously are some of the best made toys on the market. Let me know in the comments section if you would like it. Just leave me your email address so that I can forward it on to you.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
What Mr. G Has to Say
I can't believe it, but we have been in Edinburgh for almost two months already. I can't believe how the time has flown. I have completely fallen in love with the city despite its inability to have just one weather system a day. You learn to just be prepared. I usually haul around a huge purse with extra socks, a scarf and a pair of light gloves just in case the sun disappears and it starts raining. That's just me though. What about Glacier?
As you all know, our start here in Edinburgh was a bit rough. He nearly walked me out into traffic on a busy street about a week after our arrival and he stopped taking cues from me. I had known that was a possibility, but it was frustrating and concerned me as I need both of us to be safe. Mr. K and I had a few good discussions about it and I made a few lifestyle changes; some of which have been quite easy whereas others take a bit more thought. We also had one visit from a representative from the Guide Dog Association of Scotland and a fifteen minute walk with him following behind seemed to make a huge difference. So, where are we now?
We're improving. I can't say we're one hundred percent, but there has been definite improvement on both of our parts. Glacier loves getting out and working and is a bit antsy if we stay in one day. His ability to concentrate on the task that he is given has also increased and he hasn't blown through any curbs in a week or so. He also has been crossing from curb to curb and is more willing to listen to me when given a cue. I have patterned him to find the two cross walk buttons to cross the street right outside of our flat and he impresses me each time I tell him to "find the button" and he brings me right up to the pole I need.
Glacier also seems much more attached to me ever since I changed my mindset and started seeing him as my guide dog and not my pet dog. It wasn't an easy conclusion to come to as I didn't really realise that is what I had been doing, but consciously making an effort to be his handler and not his mom seems to be working. He is a happy guy who really misses me when I have to leave him behind.
Friday when we went on our Ghost tour and he was left at home, he was incredibly excited when I got back. It's not that he hasn't been excited before, but this time it was more enthusiastic. He is also more aware of me and what I am doing; the way he was when we came back from retraining at Leader Dogs for the Blind. Right now he's curled up on my feet and if I were to get up, he'd either follow or watch me intently from his spot on the living room rug. That awareness was missing. Jetta never followed me around, but her eyes always popped open when I got up. She would pay attention to my whereabouts and what I was doing. Glacier usually just kept snoozing. Pet dogs can snooze when their moms/dads get up to get another cup of coffee, but working dogs usually need to be aware of what's going on just in case their handler needs them.
Of course I'm not going to slap Glacier's harness on in the house. First of all, our flat is way too small for that. More importantly, he needs down time too, but his awareness of my activity tells me that he is conscious of his job and that he is ready to get on duty at any minute. Roscoe has always been that way with Mr. K and I think developing that awareness early on in the working relationship creates a solid foundation for the future. Three years later, Glacier and I are getting there.
I think it's good that I didn't get here and go to university right away. In retrospect, I am very glad it worked out this way. Glacier and I needed more time to gel before we tackled a busy, confusing university campus. We will start next September and I will let him take "the lead" because our trust will have been rebuilt and our confidence in each other restored.
I was reading a fellow guide dog handler's blog earlier this week and she talked of how a lot of people have troubles with their second dog. The representative from the Guide Dog Association of Scotland had said the same thing. It's interesting to think that this situation is not unique to Glacier and I and it makes me wonder why a program has not been put in place to deal specifically with second time handlers? Regardless of our sticky situation, I am committed to making it work with Glacier. He really is a great dog and loves his job. As I've said before, as long as he still is happy working and is physically able, I will do my damnedest to work with him.
As you all know, our start here in Edinburgh was a bit rough. He nearly walked me out into traffic on a busy street about a week after our arrival and he stopped taking cues from me. I had known that was a possibility, but it was frustrating and concerned me as I need both of us to be safe. Mr. K and I had a few good discussions about it and I made a few lifestyle changes; some of which have been quite easy whereas others take a bit more thought. We also had one visit from a representative from the Guide Dog Association of Scotland and a fifteen minute walk with him following behind seemed to make a huge difference. So, where are we now?
We're improving. I can't say we're one hundred percent, but there has been definite improvement on both of our parts. Glacier loves getting out and working and is a bit antsy if we stay in one day. His ability to concentrate on the task that he is given has also increased and he hasn't blown through any curbs in a week or so. He also has been crossing from curb to curb and is more willing to listen to me when given a cue. I have patterned him to find the two cross walk buttons to cross the street right outside of our flat and he impresses me each time I tell him to "find the button" and he brings me right up to the pole I need.
Glacier also seems much more attached to me ever since I changed my mindset and started seeing him as my guide dog and not my pet dog. It wasn't an easy conclusion to come to as I didn't really realise that is what I had been doing, but consciously making an effort to be his handler and not his mom seems to be working. He is a happy guy who really misses me when I have to leave him behind.
Friday when we went on our Ghost tour and he was left at home, he was incredibly excited when I got back. It's not that he hasn't been excited before, but this time it was more enthusiastic. He is also more aware of me and what I am doing; the way he was when we came back from retraining at Leader Dogs for the Blind. Right now he's curled up on my feet and if I were to get up, he'd either follow or watch me intently from his spot on the living room rug. That awareness was missing. Jetta never followed me around, but her eyes always popped open when I got up. She would pay attention to my whereabouts and what I was doing. Glacier usually just kept snoozing. Pet dogs can snooze when their moms/dads get up to get another cup of coffee, but working dogs usually need to be aware of what's going on just in case their handler needs them.
Of course I'm not going to slap Glacier's harness on in the house. First of all, our flat is way too small for that. More importantly, he needs down time too, but his awareness of my activity tells me that he is conscious of his job and that he is ready to get on duty at any minute. Roscoe has always been that way with Mr. K and I think developing that awareness early on in the working relationship creates a solid foundation for the future. Three years later, Glacier and I are getting there.
I think it's good that I didn't get here and go to university right away. In retrospect, I am very glad it worked out this way. Glacier and I needed more time to gel before we tackled a busy, confusing university campus. We will start next September and I will let him take "the lead" because our trust will have been rebuilt and our confidence in each other restored.
I was reading a fellow guide dog handler's blog earlier this week and she talked of how a lot of people have troubles with their second dog. The representative from the Guide Dog Association of Scotland had said the same thing. It's interesting to think that this situation is not unique to Glacier and I and it makes me wonder why a program has not been put in place to deal specifically with second time handlers? Regardless of our sticky situation, I am committed to making it work with Glacier. He really is a great dog and loves his job. As I've said before, as long as he still is happy working and is physically able, I will do my damnedest to work with him.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Happy Belated Anniversary
While I was on a blogging break, a very special day passed. It did not go by without notice, despite not being able to mark it in writing. It was such a special day that I feel the need to go back and at least give it some recognition.
If you have been reading this blog for a while you will probably be able to recall me talking about the first day I met Glacier, my current Leader dog. I knew the day he bounded into my room, planted his huge paws on my chest and covered my face from chin to forehead with one slurp that he was a big goof and that I would love him. It was September 24 2008 that my life changed forever, again. I won't go into detail here about our training days. A lot of the things we did in our first formal session were repeated in our retraining class we were enrolled in at Leader Dogs for the Blind back in April. A "got ya" day is important to most pet owners, especially those who adopt and don't know their new pets' actual birthday, but a "got ya" day to a lot of handlers is a day to celebrate for years to come. Sure, I celebrate Glacier's birthday as well as Jetta's, but on September 24 or July 03, I always take some time with my dogs and thank them for the tireless and selfless work they are doing or have done.
This past September 24, which marked our third year anniversary, was no different. I woke up and sang some silly song I had made up to Glacier about it being our anniversary and then spent the rest of the day doing fun things with him. We worked quite a bit that day and I think that in and of itself is appropriate. Glacier loves to work and even though we've had some very rocky times, I think we've both learned from each other.
Upon talking with Mr. K about Glacier's guiding issues, I was able to take a step back and realise that I was being a great dog Mom, but not a great dog handler. There is a difference and I think because of how quickly I fell in love with this dog, I missed the handler part and went straight into dog Mom mode. I would let him get away with things because it was cute. I forgot to look at Glacier as a mobility aid rather than just a pet dog. I don't really know how to describe the difference between the two, but suffice it to say that even when he's not working, Glacier is expected to maintain a level of responsibility and good behavior. Yes of course he relaxes and plays when he is "off duty," but in order to keep Glacier aware of how important his job really is, a certain amount of structure is needed. I had to change my mindset and the best way for me to do that was to pretend that I was training him for someone else.
I realised through my interactions with Roscoe and other working dogs, that I was able to maintain structure and discipline because I knew that if I didn't that I could potentially endanger someone else. So, with Glacier I started taking the same approach. I still love him beyond words, but our third anniversary was different from the two previous ones. I gave him more responsibility and let him do his job. This was a skill I learned at LDB, but didn't realise exactly what was happening until we arrived in Scotland and our past came back to haunt us.
I'm not saying we're perfect, but every trip out I feel safer and more confident in Glacier's abilities. The more responsibility I give him, the stronger he becomes. So, perhaps our third anniversary wasn't all warm and fuzzy, but it was another stepping stone that we managed not to slide off of. If I want to make it to four, five and six years, I have to work in tandem with Glacier, be his partner and not his Mom.
So, here's to another five years you big Yellow Fellow.
Love,
Your girl, not your mom.
If you have been reading this blog for a while you will probably be able to recall me talking about the first day I met Glacier, my current Leader dog. I knew the day he bounded into my room, planted his huge paws on my chest and covered my face from chin to forehead with one slurp that he was a big goof and that I would love him. It was September 24 2008 that my life changed forever, again. I won't go into detail here about our training days. A lot of the things we did in our first formal session were repeated in our retraining class we were enrolled in at Leader Dogs for the Blind back in April. A "got ya" day is important to most pet owners, especially those who adopt and don't know their new pets' actual birthday, but a "got ya" day to a lot of handlers is a day to celebrate for years to come. Sure, I celebrate Glacier's birthday as well as Jetta's, but on September 24 or July 03, I always take some time with my dogs and thank them for the tireless and selfless work they are doing or have done.
This past September 24, which marked our third year anniversary, was no different. I woke up and sang some silly song I had made up to Glacier about it being our anniversary and then spent the rest of the day doing fun things with him. We worked quite a bit that day and I think that in and of itself is appropriate. Glacier loves to work and even though we've had some very rocky times, I think we've both learned from each other.
Upon talking with Mr. K about Glacier's guiding issues, I was able to take a step back and realise that I was being a great dog Mom, but not a great dog handler. There is a difference and I think because of how quickly I fell in love with this dog, I missed the handler part and went straight into dog Mom mode. I would let him get away with things because it was cute. I forgot to look at Glacier as a mobility aid rather than just a pet dog. I don't really know how to describe the difference between the two, but suffice it to say that even when he's not working, Glacier is expected to maintain a level of responsibility and good behavior. Yes of course he relaxes and plays when he is "off duty," but in order to keep Glacier aware of how important his job really is, a certain amount of structure is needed. I had to change my mindset and the best way for me to do that was to pretend that I was training him for someone else.
I realised through my interactions with Roscoe and other working dogs, that I was able to maintain structure and discipline because I knew that if I didn't that I could potentially endanger someone else. So, with Glacier I started taking the same approach. I still love him beyond words, but our third anniversary was different from the two previous ones. I gave him more responsibility and let him do his job. This was a skill I learned at LDB, but didn't realise exactly what was happening until we arrived in Scotland and our past came back to haunt us.
I'm not saying we're perfect, but every trip out I feel safer and more confident in Glacier's abilities. The more responsibility I give him, the stronger he becomes. So, perhaps our third anniversary wasn't all warm and fuzzy, but it was another stepping stone that we managed not to slide off of. If I want to make it to four, five and six years, I have to work in tandem with Glacier, be his partner and not his Mom.
So, here's to another five years you big Yellow Fellow.
Love,
Your girl, not your mom.
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Differences
It's almost impossible not to compare one thing against another. It seems to be something a person can't really get away from. Comparison isn't always a bad thing though. Ever since I moved here I can't help but compare Scotland to North America and as I've mentioned, that is not always a bad thing; at least in this case it is not.
One of the biggest differences I have noticed is how the street crossings are structured. In North America most blind people are taught that you never cross busy intersections unless you have "parallel traffic" to listen to and cross with. Basically, if the traffic to your side and not in front of you is moving, you can go. Some intersections beep and have two different tones for each crossing. For instance, say I were to be standing at the corner of a street called University and another called King, a sort of "cuckoo clock" noise indicates that it is safe to cross University, while a weird, mechanical chirping lets you know that King Street is the one to be crossed. If, as I said, there isn't an audible signal available at that particular intersection, you cross with your "parallel traffic."
In Scotland, and from what I can tell England as well, all traffic is stopped and it is then safe for pedestrians. This allows people to cross diagonally if they would like. That is a huge "no no" in North America for blind travelers. Some of the intersections have an audible signal here as well, but it is only a high pitched beeping. There are a few that actually talk and say,
"the traffic has been signaled to stop (insert street name)." Also, a lot of the crossings are what we in North America would call "indented." I think I described these when I was back at Leader Dogs for the Blind retraining. Usually these are used for "country" or "sidewalkless" travel. To indent, the pedestrian walks a ways down the intersecting street and crosses that. For North Americans, this technique is employed in order to ensure you cross straight when you do not have a sidewalk to indicate a straight line of travel. Here, for the most part, it is to avoid "round abouts" and pedestrians having to try to cross those.
These differences are not bad. They are just something I have noticed and have had to get used to. A few times we've been out and a friend has said it is safe to cross and I've been like,
"no it's not!"
because I've been waiting for the parallel traffic to drive. I'm still figuring out a trick for the crossings that do not have audible signals. A lot of the time, I can tell it is safe to cross when I hear the traffic hit their brakes and come to a stop. I wait for the vehicles to be idling for a bit before hauling butt across the street. Don't even get me started on the vehicles driving on the opposite side of the road-that was slightly unnerving at first. Again, not bad, just different. I do thoroughly enjoy that the majority of crossings have tactile strips at the curb's edge. Those are present in North America as well, but not as frequently; at least not in the cities I've been to.
I've also noticed a plethora of off leash dogs. I haven't decided if this is good or bad yet. I think there are pros and cons to having so many off leash dogs. In North America, it is illegal to be in public with an off leash dog. Here, it is common practice. For the most part, these dogs are all well behaved and stick with their owners, but not always and it is these times that make me a bit nervous. A guide dog was attacked just a few weeks after we arrived just outside of the grocery store that we go to all of the time. The dog in question was off leash and even though it put six puncture wounds into the guide dog, it was given back to its owner with a warning.
I am completely aware that these things happen in North America as well. There are irresponsible dog owners everywhere in the world, but with the leash laws, at least there is more dogs on leash and under control.
That said, it is so cool to walk down the street and see these dogs just hanging out with their owners, not even interested to go and greet our dogs even though they are leashless. I haven't completely figured out why this is, but part of me thinks that dogs may be socialised differently here. Just from observing dogs off leash in a local park and those who do not wear a leash on the streets, I do not think they are socialised to be "friends" with other dogs. They do not have play dates and they stick to their owners like glue. They are also not as outwardly excited to see strangers as North American dogs are. With all of the dogs roaming around, and believe me there are a lot, I have pet only two other dogs since I've been here and they belonged to the same person. (With permission of the owner of course).
If you go to a place where dogs can be off leash in North America, nearly everyone's dogs come up to greet you and lean into your legs for a good ear scratch. Even dogs on leash are excited to meet strangers. These are general statements and do not apply to all dogs or all dogs' owners. My experience here has been that dogs will move away if a stranger goes to pet them and a lot of owners seem put off if you ask to pet their dog. Again, this is not necessarily bad, it is just an observation and could actually be investigated further with regards to training well behaved dogs. The only thing that makes me nervous, besides the off leash stuff, the dogs not being as excited about strangers here is that they are a bit more territorial; not to be confused with aggressive.
Glacier and Roscoe have been growled at quite often and we usually scare people off at the park if we let our dogs run free. They seem to be too exuberant for dog owners here. We've decided that off leash running may have to be done at night when no one else is around so that other people do not leave the park anymore.
Do you know what else is different? The taste of a lot of the food. The meat in particular tastes different, but I like it. Sure there are things about North American food that I like, but there are a lot of things about the food here that I enjoy and one of them is that the meat has more flavour. If we make something with ground hamburger, or Mince as it is called, it just seems to be tastier. I love food, so I am not complaining.
The coffee is quite different when you go out to eat as well. I haven't quite figured out how to order my coffee so it is the way I like it, but I am getting there. Usually, the cups are much smaller and the coffee is way stronger. Again, I'm not complaining since I found the coffee incredibly weak when I was living in SC. I hardly ever ordered coffee out because it tasted like dirty dish water. Here though, is a whole different story. I have to add sugar to these little, tiny cups like a mad woman and you only get one cup. In North America, quite often coffee comes with free refills. However, the coffee is so strong here, that one small cup usually is enough for me.
There is one thing that is different that I am not so excited about. A lot of the times, not always, but a lot of the time, the public bathrooms smell awful. We've been to so many cafes or restaurants and had to pee, but have waited until we got back to the flat because it smelled so bad. I don't know why this is, but when a bathroom smells that badly, it is somewhat off putting and it makes you wonder when the last time they actually cleaned it was. That is not to say that there aren't gross bathrooms in North America because there are, but clean and non-stinky ones are more common.
I'm also so amazed by the historical architecture still standing. North America isn't that old and so the beautiful, intricate architecture is kind of lacking. Our flat that we will be moving into on Friday, for example, is near the water and was probably used as a warehouse for the ships. We are on the second floor, but have to climb three winding, steep, stone staircases to get to our front door. The stone steps are so worn from years of feet climbing them that they are warped and slanting. It is better to walk on the sides rather than down the centre because you have less chance of slipping. The bannister in both mine and Tenie's flat are gorgeous too. They are big, thick bannisters with little curly bits at the bottom. Iron pegs are holding my bannister together. There are cobble stone streets everywhere as well. It seems like if there was a cobble stone street present in a lot of North American cities, they were taken out and replaced by pavement. We'll be walking along a street and Tenie will read a plaque on a building that said it was built in the 1400's. Canada wasn't even a country until four hundred years later!
The differences are countless: they have chippies here, they do not exist in North America; the flush button is usually on the top of the tank here whereas in North America it is on the front; tumble dryers are not a common thing here, but in North America a person would be mad if they rented a place that had a washing machine but no dryer; fridges are tiny and would be considered beer or apartment fridges in North America; and so much more. Despite these differences, I love it here and the differences are what make it all the more charming.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
What About the Boys?
It's been almost four weeks since we left sunny South Carolina and landed in London. I can't believe how the time has flown. The first week or so that we were here, both Glacier and Roscoe were incredibly difficult to control. We were stopping frequently for puppy push-ups and Glacier was back to wearing his Newtrix constantly. Within the last week though, Mr.k and I have seen great improvements in both dogs and we're both quite relieved.
I knew Glacier and Roscoe would go through an adjustment period. Everything here smells different and eventhe structure of most street crossings is different. They've had a huge shock and a lot of stimulation in a very short period of time. Not to mention, staying in a flat with five other people was very overwhelming for them. They would often get crazy excited and cause mayhem and destruction with their coffee table height tails. They still swipe the coffee table clean on occasion, but most of their anxious behavior has started to subside.
What bites about this whole situation is that they have just finally started to settle in and next Friday we'll be moving them again. The only good thing is that they have both been to the new flat a few times; that way it won't be completely unfamiliar.
With this settling in comes a good work ethic. Both dogs have relaxed enough to focus on the task at paw. Their heads are mostly pointed in the right direction and stopping to sniff a particularly good smelling lamp post has decreased drastically. I've even been able to work Glacier without the Newtrix the last couple of days.
This afternoon we wandered up to a local cafe run by a Turkish family to have breakfast. Although we walked with a few friends, Glacier and Roscoe guided Mr. K and I carefully through crowds, across busy streets and around puddles. Their guiding was controlled and dependable, which was a huge change from some of our earlier outings. It used to be that Glacier was so excited to get out and work that I was being dragged along behind him, nearly powerless to stop him if he wanted to go faster. He was also insistent on sniffing and no amount of correction could deter him. I knew it would all subside, but I could feel my patience wearing thin and I was beginning to worry that the work we had in retraining at Leader Dogs for the Blind was for nothing. Since Roscoe was being a nut as well, I had hope.
Don't they say, "good things come to those that wait?"
Well, I think our waiting and patience have paid off. Of course they're not perfect, they are dogs, but improvements have been made and I have confidence in Glacier's ability to get me safely from one location to another.
Both boys are crashed out on the couch beside me. I think all of this working wears them out, but as I've said before
"a tired dog is a good dog."
I knew Glacier and Roscoe would go through an adjustment period. Everything here smells different and eventhe structure of most street crossings is different. They've had a huge shock and a lot of stimulation in a very short period of time. Not to mention, staying in a flat with five other people was very overwhelming for them. They would often get crazy excited and cause mayhem and destruction with their coffee table height tails. They still swipe the coffee table clean on occasion, but most of their anxious behavior has started to subside.
What bites about this whole situation is that they have just finally started to settle in and next Friday we'll be moving them again. The only good thing is that they have both been to the new flat a few times; that way it won't be completely unfamiliar.
With this settling in comes a good work ethic. Both dogs have relaxed enough to focus on the task at paw. Their heads are mostly pointed in the right direction and stopping to sniff a particularly good smelling lamp post has decreased drastically. I've even been able to work Glacier without the Newtrix the last couple of days.
This afternoon we wandered up to a local cafe run by a Turkish family to have breakfast. Although we walked with a few friends, Glacier and Roscoe guided Mr. K and I carefully through crowds, across busy streets and around puddles. Their guiding was controlled and dependable, which was a huge change from some of our earlier outings. It used to be that Glacier was so excited to get out and work that I was being dragged along behind him, nearly powerless to stop him if he wanted to go faster. He was also insistent on sniffing and no amount of correction could deter him. I knew it would all subside, but I could feel my patience wearing thin and I was beginning to worry that the work we had in retraining at Leader Dogs for the Blind was for nothing. Since Roscoe was being a nut as well, I had hope.
Don't they say, "good things come to those that wait?"
Well, I think our waiting and patience have paid off. Of course they're not perfect, they are dogs, but improvements have been made and I have confidence in Glacier's ability to get me safely from one location to another.
Both boys are crashed out on the couch beside me. I think all of this working wears them out, but as I've said before
"a tired dog is a good dog."
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Down to the Wire
We have just over 48 hours before we leave for London England. I can't believe how the time has flown by, both quickly and slowly. One minute, we are sitting in a coffee shop making jokes about moving to Scotland and the next we are fitting our entire lives into three suitcases a backpacker's backpack, a box to be shipped later, a banjo and two laptop bags. It sounds like a lot when put like that, but believe me, it really isn't. I've downsized my wardrobe significantly, which I think needed to happen anyway. I had a few pieces I had been holding on to since high school and probably needed to be retired. We have given our dishes away, our small kitchen appliances, our queen sized bed and practically everything else. The only things we are taking are our Laptops, clothes, some shoes and two dog toys that I managed to fit in. I have also managed to find a good spot for my Tinkerbell coffee mug that has been my morning companion for quite a few years. When we arrive, there will be a few items we may need to replace, but for the most part we managed to fit what we wanted to bring.
Actually, what happened was: we had a huge space saver bag filled with linens and we emptied that out and refilled it with clothes. Then, we filled more space saver bags with clothes and everything fit. We had to unpack everything we had already done, but it was worth it in the end. I managed to fit one quilt that Tenie's Grandma made for Mr. K and I and the other quilt she made for me when I graduated from high school will just be shipped over.
In other ways, the time has dragged on. Some days feel like they take ten years to come to a close, but I'm glad we had the seven or so months to prepare. It allowed Glacier and I to go back for retraining; Mr. K and I had our fabulous wedding; and we were able to work out the glitches that come along with moving your life to another continent.
And how are the dogs?
Well, snoozing right now, but I know they're a bit stressed. They tag teamed my stuffed cow who was the mascot for the 2008 Beijing Games and tore her to shreds. They also grabbed a piece of old mail and ripped that into bits as well. Normally, they do not behave this way, but I think they can sense the tension in the house and are concerned by all of the packing. There have also been a few people in and out, carting garbage bags full of our stuff out to Good Will and such things. So, in that regard, I think things are a bit confusing for them. I know they need a sort of outlet, but unfortunately, there really isn't anywhere for them to run or to get a good working session in; precisely why we are moving in the first place. I keep telling Glacier that give us a few days and things will get better. He'll be able to get out and work and explore new areas. He just has to deal with sitting on a plane for seven hours first. Our total travel time should take around eighteen hours. That includes the time it takes us to drive from our townhouse to the airport and the two flights we have to take.
As for our pre-approval letter, I am still waiting on it. I got an email back from the DEFRA vet saying "both are fine." The email was in response to me telling her what treatments we were using for flea/tick and tapeworm, so I think that is what she was referring to. I replied and gently reminded her that we needed the pre-approval letter in order to get on the plane on Thursday. I am hoping I hear from her soon. Either that, or I may have Mr. K call the woman he had been talking to last week to see if he can get some answers. I think we are good to go, but it would be good to have that piece of paper in my hand.
I am kind of in awe that we're actually doing this. It seems sort of like a dream, but I know when we board that plane in just over 48 hours, it will all sink in.
Actually, what happened was: we had a huge space saver bag filled with linens and we emptied that out and refilled it with clothes. Then, we filled more space saver bags with clothes and everything fit. We had to unpack everything we had already done, but it was worth it in the end. I managed to fit one quilt that Tenie's Grandma made for Mr. K and I and the other quilt she made for me when I graduated from high school will just be shipped over.
In other ways, the time has dragged on. Some days feel like they take ten years to come to a close, but I'm glad we had the seven or so months to prepare. It allowed Glacier and I to go back for retraining; Mr. K and I had our fabulous wedding; and we were able to work out the glitches that come along with moving your life to another continent.
And how are the dogs?
Well, snoozing right now, but I know they're a bit stressed. They tag teamed my stuffed cow who was the mascot for the 2008 Beijing Games and tore her to shreds. They also grabbed a piece of old mail and ripped that into bits as well. Normally, they do not behave this way, but I think they can sense the tension in the house and are concerned by all of the packing. There have also been a few people in and out, carting garbage bags full of our stuff out to Good Will and such things. So, in that regard, I think things are a bit confusing for them. I know they need a sort of outlet, but unfortunately, there really isn't anywhere for them to run or to get a good working session in; precisely why we are moving in the first place. I keep telling Glacier that give us a few days and things will get better. He'll be able to get out and work and explore new areas. He just has to deal with sitting on a plane for seven hours first. Our total travel time should take around eighteen hours. That includes the time it takes us to drive from our townhouse to the airport and the two flights we have to take.
As for our pre-approval letter, I am still waiting on it. I got an email back from the DEFRA vet saying "both are fine." The email was in response to me telling her what treatments we were using for flea/tick and tapeworm, so I think that is what she was referring to. I replied and gently reminded her that we needed the pre-approval letter in order to get on the plane on Thursday. I am hoping I hear from her soon. Either that, or I may have Mr. K call the woman he had been talking to last week to see if he can get some answers. I think we are good to go, but it would be good to have that piece of paper in my hand.
I am kind of in awe that we're actually doing this. It seems sort of like a dream, but I know when we board that plane in just over 48 hours, it will all sink in.
Monday, June 27, 2011
A Sunny Sunday
Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Northern Ontario. We were coming off of a week of rain and so the shining sun was very welcome. I got up early as usual and Dad was in the midst of preparing bacon and french toast. We chatted a bit and then he asked me what I wanted to do for the day. I'm leaving this beautiful part of the country on Wednesday to return to SC, so I said I wanted to go for a hike. I love the wilderness up here and I don't know when I'll get to enjoy it again since Mr. K and I are moving to Scotland. So, after Mom got up, we had breakfast, packed water and a dish for the dogs, we hopped in my mom's SUV and headed out to a local park.
This park is particularly gorgeous with its own waterfall, lake, streams and rolling hills. The greenery is incredible with four different types of trees growing right on top of each other. There are blueberry bushes growing amongst purple irises and various types of mosses. There are several trails weaving in and out of the forested areas which are used for hiking, running and biking in the summer and cross country skiing in the winter. I am sure there are maps that a person could get to see where each trail leads, but we didn't think that far ahead and just struck out.
The first trail was a bit of a bust as it was a long boardwalk like thing that lead to a set of stairs that went up to the falls. I didn't want to go up there as our walk would have only been about five minutes, so we turned around. The boards were a bit unstable and I think they kept pinching Glacier's toes. He was pulling like a mad man and my shoulder was aching by the time we had turned around. We turned left and took another trail, traversing a bridge that spanned one of the many streams. We stopped to do some doggie push-ups (you ask the dog to "sit" and "down" in rapid succession in order to get the dog's attention back on you) and continued along. He was still pulling, but at least he was watching where he was going now.
We followed a wide, gravel trail for a while. There were not any ground obstacles for Glacier to watch for, but he had to pay attention to over hanging branches. There were a few people out with their dogs on and off leash, but Glacier minded his own business and guided me along quite well. We took another left at an intersecting path to avoid another two off leash dogs and the trail got narrower. It was now just packed earth that was cleared of under brush. It was just wide enough for Glacier and I to walk on, with the over grown grass on the sides swiping my ankles. We walked along for a while and then ran into a few steep hills. Part of the reason I wanted to go out and hike was because of my triathlon training. I am not a good runner and the last leg of the triathlon is a 10 kilometre run. I wanted to see if walking 10 kilometres was possible and how I would feel after that.
Despite the steep climbs, I felt pretty good and left my parents in my dust. The mosquitoes were horrible along this trail and apparently they chewed up Jetta pretty good. She was walking back with my dad and at one point, Mom and I lost them. Mom looked back, but if you stopped moving you turned into a buffet, so we kept moving. Mom figured Dad and Jetta had found a path out and headed back to the truck so that Jetta wouldn't be eaten alive.
We continued weaving our way along the narrow path. Glacier successfully navigated tangled roots, fallen branches and rocks. Whenever we came to the top of a hill he would slow down and pause slightly. He would pick his way down carefully and would patiently wait for me if a rock went rolling out from under my foot. I never fell or tripped for the whole hour we were out.
We found another path that we thought would take us back towards the parking lot and turned down it, Glacier leading the way. Spider webs clung to my face and legs and sticky mosquito carcasses stuck to my sweaty chest where I had squished them, but I was thoroughly enjoying myself. Challenging my muscles, my brain and mine and Glacier's working relationship was exciting. Before I ever had a guide dog, I would have to lumber along hiking trails attached to someone's sweaty elbow. It was slow moving and sometimes quite clumsy. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but I didn't know what hiking was like with a guide dog. Moving with Glacier through the woods is much more fluid and after his puppy push-ups he was fantastic. It is almost a freeing feeling.
Our new trail was a bit more treacherous with more downhills with steep angles and more dislodged, rolling stones. Glacier did very well though and it was a great exercise in trust and reading is body language. If this dog can guide me through a forest and keep me safe, his obstacle work on the streets will be stellar.
As we neared the bottom of a particularly steep hill, Mom realised we were at the top of the waterfall that we had walked to down our first dead end trail. There was a bridge that past over the top of the waterfall and after Glacier put his front paws up on the thigh high step up on to the bridge, we were off. I wondered how he would do being up so high and the water thundering below us, but he wasn't even phased. He walked confidently across the bridge, paused at the other end where there was another three foot drop down and waited without sniffing or eating greenery while I scrambled down.
If the mosquitoes had not been so bad, that would have been a beautiful place for a picnic. There were weather smoothed rocks that you could sit on and the sun was shining through the trees' branches. The sound of the waterfalls could have put me to sleep, but as I said before, stopping meant you were bug food.
Mom went ahead at this part as it was incredibly rocky and was more of a small rock face than a hill to climb down. There were roots as steps and rocks as well. We even had a few sturdy trees to grab on to if we needed. I put Glacier on "long leash," which means I extended it from its normal three feet to six feet and let him climb down slowly in front of me. He's so long and big that if I had used his harness or held onto his "short leash" it could have injured him. He needed the extra length to maneuver himself. That said, He would wait for me at each little flat spot and for me to tell him to go ahead. He would let me place my hand on his back for stability and stared up curiously at me as I came scooting down the rocks on my bum. Actually, I was in more of a squat position: dropping my centre of gravity down low to the ground made getting down a lot safer. Plus, I see with my hands and I was able to explore the ground behind and a bit in front of me before I slid down. It takes a lot of core and leg strength to scoot down a rock face, but we made it down with no problems. Glacier was incredibly patient and quite calm, which is amazing for him, since usually he is brimming with excitement and enthusiasm.
After our little journey down, we came to a set of rickety, wooden stairs that Glacier guided me down. He paused at each platform letting me know there was another set of stairs in front of me and was not nervous despite the stairs being open. At the bottom of the flight of stairs we hung a right and made our way back up the boardwalk that we had originally walked down. It was quite narrow and Glacier did an excellent job of pulling me away from some oncoming pedestrian traffic. He kept his nose to himself and got me back to the car where we found Dad and Jetta waiting for us.
I don't know if Glacier's puppy raiser ever did anything like that with him. I know it's a first for us and I was very impressed with how he handled himself. We've walked trails before where he's been off leash, but I wanted him to work yesterday and I couldn't have asked for a better performance. When there were roots sticking up he knew just how much to move me so that I would not trip, but also made sure I didn't step off the path into the over grown under brush. When walking down steep hills, he paid attention to my body language and would brace himself if one of my feet slid on a loose rock. When I was moving down the rock face in a squat position, he would patiently wait and only move on when he was told to. With all of the good smells of the forest and sounds of the waterfall that is a feat in itself. He didn't even falter when being bombarded by the vampiric, whining, black horde that followed us relentlessly.
Glacier was given a lot of praise and a nice cool drink upon reaching the vehicle. Then we loaded Jetta and Glacier up and took them for a swim at the dog park as a reward. They were hot and needed to cool down. Besides, if you have just guided your handler over rough terrain and she came out in one piece, you deserve a nice swim. That said, Glacier only goes up to his belly and was too busy playing with two Shelty puppies to really swim, but he still enjoyed himself. :)
This park is particularly gorgeous with its own waterfall, lake, streams and rolling hills. The greenery is incredible with four different types of trees growing right on top of each other. There are blueberry bushes growing amongst purple irises and various types of mosses. There are several trails weaving in and out of the forested areas which are used for hiking, running and biking in the summer and cross country skiing in the winter. I am sure there are maps that a person could get to see where each trail leads, but we didn't think that far ahead and just struck out.
The first trail was a bit of a bust as it was a long boardwalk like thing that lead to a set of stairs that went up to the falls. I didn't want to go up there as our walk would have only been about five minutes, so we turned around. The boards were a bit unstable and I think they kept pinching Glacier's toes. He was pulling like a mad man and my shoulder was aching by the time we had turned around. We turned left and took another trail, traversing a bridge that spanned one of the many streams. We stopped to do some doggie push-ups (you ask the dog to "sit" and "down" in rapid succession in order to get the dog's attention back on you) and continued along. He was still pulling, but at least he was watching where he was going now.
We followed a wide, gravel trail for a while. There were not any ground obstacles for Glacier to watch for, but he had to pay attention to over hanging branches. There were a few people out with their dogs on and off leash, but Glacier minded his own business and guided me along quite well. We took another left at an intersecting path to avoid another two off leash dogs and the trail got narrower. It was now just packed earth that was cleared of under brush. It was just wide enough for Glacier and I to walk on, with the over grown grass on the sides swiping my ankles. We walked along for a while and then ran into a few steep hills. Part of the reason I wanted to go out and hike was because of my triathlon training. I am not a good runner and the last leg of the triathlon is a 10 kilometre run. I wanted to see if walking 10 kilometres was possible and how I would feel after that.
Despite the steep climbs, I felt pretty good and left my parents in my dust. The mosquitoes were horrible along this trail and apparently they chewed up Jetta pretty good. She was walking back with my dad and at one point, Mom and I lost them. Mom looked back, but if you stopped moving you turned into a buffet, so we kept moving. Mom figured Dad and Jetta had found a path out and headed back to the truck so that Jetta wouldn't be eaten alive.
We continued weaving our way along the narrow path. Glacier successfully navigated tangled roots, fallen branches and rocks. Whenever we came to the top of a hill he would slow down and pause slightly. He would pick his way down carefully and would patiently wait for me if a rock went rolling out from under my foot. I never fell or tripped for the whole hour we were out.
We found another path that we thought would take us back towards the parking lot and turned down it, Glacier leading the way. Spider webs clung to my face and legs and sticky mosquito carcasses stuck to my sweaty chest where I had squished them, but I was thoroughly enjoying myself. Challenging my muscles, my brain and mine and Glacier's working relationship was exciting. Before I ever had a guide dog, I would have to lumber along hiking trails attached to someone's sweaty elbow. It was slow moving and sometimes quite clumsy. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but I didn't know what hiking was like with a guide dog. Moving with Glacier through the woods is much more fluid and after his puppy push-ups he was fantastic. It is almost a freeing feeling.
Our new trail was a bit more treacherous with more downhills with steep angles and more dislodged, rolling stones. Glacier did very well though and it was a great exercise in trust and reading is body language. If this dog can guide me through a forest and keep me safe, his obstacle work on the streets will be stellar.
As we neared the bottom of a particularly steep hill, Mom realised we were at the top of the waterfall that we had walked to down our first dead end trail. There was a bridge that past over the top of the waterfall and after Glacier put his front paws up on the thigh high step up on to the bridge, we were off. I wondered how he would do being up so high and the water thundering below us, but he wasn't even phased. He walked confidently across the bridge, paused at the other end where there was another three foot drop down and waited without sniffing or eating greenery while I scrambled down.
If the mosquitoes had not been so bad, that would have been a beautiful place for a picnic. There were weather smoothed rocks that you could sit on and the sun was shining through the trees' branches. The sound of the waterfalls could have put me to sleep, but as I said before, stopping meant you were bug food.
Mom went ahead at this part as it was incredibly rocky and was more of a small rock face than a hill to climb down. There were roots as steps and rocks as well. We even had a few sturdy trees to grab on to if we needed. I put Glacier on "long leash," which means I extended it from its normal three feet to six feet and let him climb down slowly in front of me. He's so long and big that if I had used his harness or held onto his "short leash" it could have injured him. He needed the extra length to maneuver himself. That said, He would wait for me at each little flat spot and for me to tell him to go ahead. He would let me place my hand on his back for stability and stared up curiously at me as I came scooting down the rocks on my bum. Actually, I was in more of a squat position: dropping my centre of gravity down low to the ground made getting down a lot safer. Plus, I see with my hands and I was able to explore the ground behind and a bit in front of me before I slid down. It takes a lot of core and leg strength to scoot down a rock face, but we made it down with no problems. Glacier was incredibly patient and quite calm, which is amazing for him, since usually he is brimming with excitement and enthusiasm.
After our little journey down, we came to a set of rickety, wooden stairs that Glacier guided me down. He paused at each platform letting me know there was another set of stairs in front of me and was not nervous despite the stairs being open. At the bottom of the flight of stairs we hung a right and made our way back up the boardwalk that we had originally walked down. It was quite narrow and Glacier did an excellent job of pulling me away from some oncoming pedestrian traffic. He kept his nose to himself and got me back to the car where we found Dad and Jetta waiting for us.
I don't know if Glacier's puppy raiser ever did anything like that with him. I know it's a first for us and I was very impressed with how he handled himself. We've walked trails before where he's been off leash, but I wanted him to work yesterday and I couldn't have asked for a better performance. When there were roots sticking up he knew just how much to move me so that I would not trip, but also made sure I didn't step off the path into the over grown under brush. When walking down steep hills, he paid attention to my body language and would brace himself if one of my feet slid on a loose rock. When I was moving down the rock face in a squat position, he would patiently wait and only move on when he was told to. With all of the good smells of the forest and sounds of the waterfall that is a feat in itself. He didn't even falter when being bombarded by the vampiric, whining, black horde that followed us relentlessly.
Glacier was given a lot of praise and a nice cool drink upon reaching the vehicle. Then we loaded Jetta and Glacier up and took them for a swim at the dog park as a reward. They were hot and needed to cool down. Besides, if you have just guided your handler over rough terrain and she came out in one piece, you deserve a nice swim. That said, Glacier only goes up to his belly and was too busy playing with two Shelty puppies to really swim, but he still enjoyed himself. :)
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Glacial Progress
Glacier and I have been back from retraining at Leader Dogs for the Blind for almost two months now and every harness walk we take he just amazes me. We've done a lot of work since our return, including the streets of Toronto a very large city in Ontario, and even though he impressed me there, last night was just as impressive.
As of right now, my lifestyle does not require that Glacier and I get out and work every day. That said, I am working very hard to make sure we work, if not every day, every second day. I want to keep both of our skills sharp and continue building our communication skills. The way we communicate now is easy and although a sighted person watching may not think so, Glacier is a strong worker. He moves me at the last minute and a lot of people are afraid he'll run me into things, but we are a well oiled machine and last night was a prime example of that.
After my dad and I finished supper we decided to go for a walk. Glacier had gotten some indoor work in the morning as I needed to run a few errands, but I really like him to get street work as well. Each type of work requires different skills and decision making for both the handler and dog. It was a nice evening and so I harnessed up Glacier and Dad put Jetta's leash on her. Both dogs were very excited to get out.
I think what was the most impressive about last night was that almost every lesson we learned at LDB was incorporated into our walk. When leaving my parents' house we walked along the shoulder of the road and had to "indent" at an intersecting street. That would have covered the "sidewalkless or country travel"lecture at LDB, which we covered in retraining. Glacier did an excellent job of keeping me on the shoulder and taking me out just far enough on to the road to get by a car parked along the shoulder, but not too far out that I would have been in danger. I felt his huge head swing past my thighs as he checked the street and then gently maneuvered me on to the road, around the car and then back on to the shoulder. All without any cues from me.
Good dog.
Our next interesting test for Glacier was to merge onto a sidewalk from the shoulder of the road and he did it perfectly. We encountered a branch blocking the sidewalk and he moved me around it with a small step to the right. If you hadn't been watching closely you may not have even seen his movement. Quick and precise. These movements were part of my problem that I learned about in retraining. Glacier's a big dog, but his guiding is precise and unless you know him, his movements may be imperceptible.
After our branch encounter, which I wouldn't have known was there if my dad hadn't told me, we crossed another street and a set of railroad tracks; another LDB class lesson. Leader Dogs are taught to stop at railroad tracks to indicate to their human that there is something on the ground. Most dogs lose this once out of class because most people don't run into train tracks every day. Glacier doesn't quite stop, but slows down kind of pauses and picks his paws up really high before stepping over them. It's this high front paw stepping that indicates to me that there are tracks. The trainers at LDB would prefer that he stop, but I can read his body language and don't mind. He doesn't do this for any other ground obstacles, so we're all good.
We then crossed at a lighted intersection with five lanes of traffic and just as we stepped off the curb, some jerk zoomed right in front of us. Glacier slowed and pushed me back. Again, good dog. We cross the street safely and then crossed again with the light. There was an island in the middle of the road and Glacier did awesome by stopping at the "down curb" of the island before proceeding across the road. This pause let me know there was a step down and also gave me enough time to assess the traffic and determine we had enough time to get across the second half of the street.
We walked along the very busy street for a while and at one point Glacier took me up on to the grass on the right side of the sidewalk. I was about to correct him, but then heard the clicking and whirring of a sprinkler. I busted out laughing. Glacier had decided the sprinkler spray was an obstacle. As soon as we past the spray, Glacier gave a very sharp move to the left and got us back on the sidewalk. Good dog!
We continued along our path, crossing grocery store parking lots and streets. We worked our way through a residential area with sidewalks and Glacier's "traffic checking" ability was tested twice more. We were halfway across the street when someone drove in front of us at a four way intersection. I was pissed. The third and final traffic check came at a "stop" sign and the person who was supposed to stop didn't. There hadn't been any traffic coming and I had determined it safe to cross and about three quarters across the street, the car drove in front of us. I tried not to lose it in order to keep Glacier focused. Dad told me later that he gave the driver the finger. Glacier found the curb, but it wasn't where you would step up on to the sidewalk. I told him, "left" and he followed the shoulder up onto the sidewalk
Oh, Glacier. You are so good. He handled himself well in a stressful situation, with the proper responses and was confident in his harness.
The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful as we were on the home stretch. No more a**hole drivers and Glacier maneuvered the branch and parked car perfectly on the return trip. He was very happy to find the house and the door, which lead him to having some water and a cookie for his efforts.
Every time I am out with Glacier, I am grateful for our working relationship and that we were able to retrain together. There is not a trip where I don't get down and give him some good loving once we've reached our destination, but there are trips like last night that really blow me away. His work was practically flawless and his enthusiasm for his job is amazing. His "decision making" skills were tested last night and he made great decisions that kept me not only safe, but dry as well. :)
As of right now, my lifestyle does not require that Glacier and I get out and work every day. That said, I am working very hard to make sure we work, if not every day, every second day. I want to keep both of our skills sharp and continue building our communication skills. The way we communicate now is easy and although a sighted person watching may not think so, Glacier is a strong worker. He moves me at the last minute and a lot of people are afraid he'll run me into things, but we are a well oiled machine and last night was a prime example of that.
After my dad and I finished supper we decided to go for a walk. Glacier had gotten some indoor work in the morning as I needed to run a few errands, but I really like him to get street work as well. Each type of work requires different skills and decision making for both the handler and dog. It was a nice evening and so I harnessed up Glacier and Dad put Jetta's leash on her. Both dogs were very excited to get out.
I think what was the most impressive about last night was that almost every lesson we learned at LDB was incorporated into our walk. When leaving my parents' house we walked along the shoulder of the road and had to "indent" at an intersecting street. That would have covered the "sidewalkless or country travel"lecture at LDB, which we covered in retraining. Glacier did an excellent job of keeping me on the shoulder and taking me out just far enough on to the road to get by a car parked along the shoulder, but not too far out that I would have been in danger. I felt his huge head swing past my thighs as he checked the street and then gently maneuvered me on to the road, around the car and then back on to the shoulder. All without any cues from me.
Good dog.
Our next interesting test for Glacier was to merge onto a sidewalk from the shoulder of the road and he did it perfectly. We encountered a branch blocking the sidewalk and he moved me around it with a small step to the right. If you hadn't been watching closely you may not have even seen his movement. Quick and precise. These movements were part of my problem that I learned about in retraining. Glacier's a big dog, but his guiding is precise and unless you know him, his movements may be imperceptible.
After our branch encounter, which I wouldn't have known was there if my dad hadn't told me, we crossed another street and a set of railroad tracks; another LDB class lesson. Leader Dogs are taught to stop at railroad tracks to indicate to their human that there is something on the ground. Most dogs lose this once out of class because most people don't run into train tracks every day. Glacier doesn't quite stop, but slows down kind of pauses and picks his paws up really high before stepping over them. It's this high front paw stepping that indicates to me that there are tracks. The trainers at LDB would prefer that he stop, but I can read his body language and don't mind. He doesn't do this for any other ground obstacles, so we're all good.
We then crossed at a lighted intersection with five lanes of traffic and just as we stepped off the curb, some jerk zoomed right in front of us. Glacier slowed and pushed me back. Again, good dog. We cross the street safely and then crossed again with the light. There was an island in the middle of the road and Glacier did awesome by stopping at the "down curb" of the island before proceeding across the road. This pause let me know there was a step down and also gave me enough time to assess the traffic and determine we had enough time to get across the second half of the street.
We walked along the very busy street for a while and at one point Glacier took me up on to the grass on the right side of the sidewalk. I was about to correct him, but then heard the clicking and whirring of a sprinkler. I busted out laughing. Glacier had decided the sprinkler spray was an obstacle. As soon as we past the spray, Glacier gave a very sharp move to the left and got us back on the sidewalk. Good dog!
We continued along our path, crossing grocery store parking lots and streets. We worked our way through a residential area with sidewalks and Glacier's "traffic checking" ability was tested twice more. We were halfway across the street when someone drove in front of us at a four way intersection. I was pissed. The third and final traffic check came at a "stop" sign and the person who was supposed to stop didn't. There hadn't been any traffic coming and I had determined it safe to cross and about three quarters across the street, the car drove in front of us. I tried not to lose it in order to keep Glacier focused. Dad told me later that he gave the driver the finger. Glacier found the curb, but it wasn't where you would step up on to the sidewalk. I told him, "left" and he followed the shoulder up onto the sidewalk
Oh, Glacier. You are so good. He handled himself well in a stressful situation, with the proper responses and was confident in his harness.
The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful as we were on the home stretch. No more a**hole drivers and Glacier maneuvered the branch and parked car perfectly on the return trip. He was very happy to find the house and the door, which lead him to having some water and a cookie for his efforts.
Every time I am out with Glacier, I am grateful for our working relationship and that we were able to retrain together. There is not a trip where I don't get down and give him some good loving once we've reached our destination, but there are trips like last night that really blow me away. His work was practically flawless and his enthusiasm for his job is amazing. His "decision making" skills were tested last night and he made great decisions that kept me not only safe, but dry as well. :)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
A Glacier Update
With most of my posts and life focusing on wedding details or triathlon training, I haven't sat down and given you a really good "Glacier" update. It's not entirely because I've been crazy busy and doing what seems like, a million different things, but I wanted to give us some time to work on the things we had learned at
Leader Dogs for the Blind
during our retraining.
Glacier and I were placed together on September 24 2008 and struggled through the first two years and a half of our working relationship. We were having some serious communication issues and I wasn't even sure if he wanted to work anymore. With our move to Scotland looming, I knew things had to change. Either Glacier and I needed to re-bond or he would have to retire. Thankfully LDB took us back for twelve days of intensive training and I learned a lot about myself, Glacier and the way we were/weren't working together.
Glacier and I have been home just shy of a month and I am thrilled to report that we are doing fabulously. It's like I got a brand new dog without some of the problems that come with a new dog. His personality has really started to show again and he follows me everywhere. Even if I go to the bathroom he head butts the door to get in and wait for me. His recall in the house is fantastic (before we left, it was practically non-existent) and gets super excited when I pull his harness out.
Just today I was talking to Mr. K on the phone and had him talk to Glacier. Mr. G leaned his head into the phone and tilted his chin towards the ceiling. After listening to Mr. K talk for a few minutes, Glacier let out a little grunt noise and looked at me as if to say,
"well, I hear him. Shouldn't you get him out of there-that has got to be too small for him in there."
Mr. K and I laughed. It was so nice to see Glacier do something like that: it proves that my big, goofy yellow fellow is back.
Not only is his personality shining, but his work improves every day. He still gets a bit distracted, but he is much easier to re-direct with "kissy" noises and a gentle verbal "leave it." Mom, Glacier, Jetta and I took an hour walk Tuesday night along a bike trail that eventually opened up on to a residential area. I did not have to collar correct him once even though we passed other dogs, kids, cyclists and joggers. His curb work was flawless, stopping perfectly at each "down curb" and crossing each street cleanly. There was one oddly shaped curb that required him to make a half circle in order to cross safely. Mom told me to have him go left, but instead of giving him a direction I asked him to "forward" and he eventually maneuvered us to the safe crossing. I was so impressed. He didn't need me to tell him to find the curb. I think sometimes our problem is me giving him too much information. I sometimes forget that these dogs are taught to make decisions too. We are in a partnership, not an master/minion relationship. :)
In stores I will still put his Newtricks on from time to time because he can be a bit too sniffy. This head harness allows me to have control of his sniffing without getting out those leash corrections which, I must add, I am getting much better about not using.
I do make mistakes and correct him, but it's almost become second nature NOT to rely on them. The majority of the time I won't even instinctively reach for the leash. If I do, on the rare occasion I can usually stop myself. I have snapped he leash once in a while and sucked in a deep breath knowing I shouldn't have done that. What is interesting though, if I have had to use them for excessive sniffing or if I accidentally use one where a "kissy" noise would have worked just fine, Glacier doesn't shut down on me anymore. He just carries on, wiggling the tip of his tail and guiding me carefully along. I am very happy with the progress we have both made. As long as I continue to use the tools LDB gave me, Glacier and I will have a very long, healthy and happy working relationship. :)
Leader Dogs for the Blind
during our retraining.
Glacier and I were placed together on September 24 2008 and struggled through the first two years and a half of our working relationship. We were having some serious communication issues and I wasn't even sure if he wanted to work anymore. With our move to Scotland looming, I knew things had to change. Either Glacier and I needed to re-bond or he would have to retire. Thankfully LDB took us back for twelve days of intensive training and I learned a lot about myself, Glacier and the way we were/weren't working together.
Glacier and I have been home just shy of a month and I am thrilled to report that we are doing fabulously. It's like I got a brand new dog without some of the problems that come with a new dog. His personality has really started to show again and he follows me everywhere. Even if I go to the bathroom he head butts the door to get in and wait for me. His recall in the house is fantastic (before we left, it was practically non-existent) and gets super excited when I pull his harness out.
Just today I was talking to Mr. K on the phone and had him talk to Glacier. Mr. G leaned his head into the phone and tilted his chin towards the ceiling. After listening to Mr. K talk for a few minutes, Glacier let out a little grunt noise and looked at me as if to say,
"well, I hear him. Shouldn't you get him out of there-that has got to be too small for him in there."
Mr. K and I laughed. It was so nice to see Glacier do something like that: it proves that my big, goofy yellow fellow is back.
Not only is his personality shining, but his work improves every day. He still gets a bit distracted, but he is much easier to re-direct with "kissy" noises and a gentle verbal "leave it." Mom, Glacier, Jetta and I took an hour walk Tuesday night along a bike trail that eventually opened up on to a residential area. I did not have to collar correct him once even though we passed other dogs, kids, cyclists and joggers. His curb work was flawless, stopping perfectly at each "down curb" and crossing each street cleanly. There was one oddly shaped curb that required him to make a half circle in order to cross safely. Mom told me to have him go left, but instead of giving him a direction I asked him to "forward" and he eventually maneuvered us to the safe crossing. I was so impressed. He didn't need me to tell him to find the curb. I think sometimes our problem is me giving him too much information. I sometimes forget that these dogs are taught to make decisions too. We are in a partnership, not an master/minion relationship. :)
In stores I will still put his Newtricks on from time to time because he can be a bit too sniffy. This head harness allows me to have control of his sniffing without getting out those leash corrections which, I must add, I am getting much better about not using.
I do make mistakes and correct him, but it's almost become second nature NOT to rely on them. The majority of the time I won't even instinctively reach for the leash. If I do, on the rare occasion I can usually stop myself. I have snapped he leash once in a while and sucked in a deep breath knowing I shouldn't have done that. What is interesting though, if I have had to use them for excessive sniffing or if I accidentally use one where a "kissy" noise would have worked just fine, Glacier doesn't shut down on me anymore. He just carries on, wiggling the tip of his tail and guiding me carefully along. I am very happy with the progress we have both made. As long as I continue to use the tools LDB gave me, Glacier and I will have a very long, healthy and happy working relationship. :)
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Just A Little Sweat
The last two days have been big days in my short-term goal of gaining more information about Para Triathlon and rebuilding my fitness levels. Yesterday Lindsay and I headed to a Good Life Fitness, where she has a membership, and threw ourselves into our respective workouts. Before leaving the house I debated whether or not to bring Glacier, but upon reasoning that it would be well after 9 PM and thus the gym would be sparsely populated, I loaded him up in my mom's SUV.
We stopped along the way so that I could buy some workout clothes. I had accidentally left my Yoga pants at LDB and they still have not made their way back to me. After purchasing black pants, a pink shirt and a black and pink sports bra and having a quick chat with Tenie's family who we happened to run into in the store, we were set. Glacier was quite happy to be free of shopping for the time being and trotted eagerly through the gym's parking lot and through the front door.
As I got changed, I mentally prepared myself for the fact that I would probably have to tell someone to stop petting my dog. I really hoped that not too many people would take an interest in him and that I would be able to get through my workout with limited interruption. I usually don't mind explaining why he can't be interacted with when he is working, as I am acutely aware of the lack of information about guide dogs available to the public, but when one is running on a treadmill or racing their heart out on an elliptical and sweat is running down your face and you can hardly breathe, talking to someone about the dog tied to your machine is the last thing you want to do. As I said, I knew bringing Glacier into that environment would leave me open for questions, so I fortified myself against it before exiting the women's change room.
Lindsay was fantastic. She set me up on an elliptical and got the machine started for me. She set the tension and the timer and I was away. Well, as away as you can be running on a stationary object. She headed off to make her way around a circuit of weight machines she had been shown during her orientation. She told me she'd check back in when her first round was done and she would join me on the ellipticals. I was satisfied with that and focused on the task at hand.
I am very appreciative of the details Lindsay gives me because as soon as she leaves, I'm on my own; trying to figure out the sounds around me. Working out at a gym as a blind person can be intimidating. I know it can be intimidating to sighted people for other reasons, but if it is an environment you aren't used to, you can feel self conscious and also a little secluded. I can't see the people around me. I don't know what they are doing, wearing or how they are reacting to the exercises they are performing. Luckily for me, I've been frequenting public gyms for a long time as my swimming required I did "dry land" training (AKA cross training), and so I don't even notice anymore. I just tune into the music being played and start sinking into my body and how it feels. That is, until a screechy female voice brings me back to my surroundings.
It wasn't even ten minutes into my round on the elliptical when a woman came over to talk to me about Glacier. She stood right beside my right shoulder speaking loudly about how lovely the dog was. I just said "yes" and smiled nicely, even though my cells were screaming for water and oxygen and sweat was beginning to trickle out from under my bangs. Then I heard the voice move forward and knew she had stepped closer to Glacier. I knew this move on her part would mean that Glacier would be up in no time, releasing himself from the beautiful "down stay" he had been holding for over ten minutes. She started cooing and clucking at him. She asked me his name, but I pretended not to notice. The last thing this woman was needed was his name. I told Glacier to "down" sharply, but the woman wasn't getting the hint. I said it again and then addressed her, still trying to keep my cool.
"You can't talk to him. He's working. It's dangerous for him to be moving around." She kind of giggled, cooed at him again and then-as I later found out-hopped on an elliptical across from me. Lindsay told me on our ride home that she had seen her, but I had managed to get rid of her before Lindsay could get over to me. Thankfully, besides Miss Screechy, only one other person approached me about Glacier while I was pedaling my little heart out on a Spinning bike. He was part of the cleaning staff and asked if he could pet Glacier. At least he had the consideration to address me and ask instead of just squawking away at him in baby talk. I patiently explained that he was working when he was wearing his harness, even if he was just lying down. The man was very nice and understood. He moved on without incident.
Lindsay and I finished our workout by doing some sit-ups on a Pilates ball. She stood on my feet so that I couldn't lift them off the floor and assist my screaming core muscles. Glacier was very concerned and came over and laid his gigantic head on my abs. His concern acted as more of an extra workout as we both laughed and the added pressure on my stomach made me have to work hard. What a dog. :)
Showering proved an interesting affair as we had to figure out where to put Glacier so that he didn't get wet and also to ensure no one interacted with him. After a failed attempt to attach him to my shower staul, we returned him to our locker and I hooked his leash on to the spot where the lock goes through. I was a bit worried, but when we got back, he was in the same position, waiting patiently. Some people just wouldn't bring their dogs to the gym and that is their decision. Some, as I did, would. Either way, there is a lot of weighing of pros and cons whether or not to bring your service dog to the gym.
On another note, Glacier may have to get used to these settings. I realised last night that I had a lot of work to do, but it didn't discourage me. In fact, it was very exciting. I also talked to the woman who founded Won with 1 and she is a fabulous person. I think she is going to do everything she can to help me find what I need in order to be successful as a Para triathlete. She has already started looking for guides for me in Scotland. It's a long process as they provide the guides with sighted guiding training (just for walking around), empathy training (anyone who wants to be a guide because they feel sorry for para triathletes are not accepted because that is not the attitude of these athletes) and tandem cycling piloting (basically driving a tandem bike), guide running and swimming training as well. The running and swimming can be as foreign to an able-bodied athlete as piloting a tandem bike because they are tied to their athlete at all times during the race. For some athletes they are attached by the wrist during the run, for others it is the waist. In the water, you are basically tied together by your bums. The line had been posing a problem for the swimmers to finish their strokes on the side that the tether was on. So, Won with 1 got creative and somehow runs the tether from the athletes' behinds. Hey, whatever gets me to the finish line faster. :)
Won With 1 also works with incredible sponsors to get gear cheap or for free for their athletes. Costs for a blind athlete, in most sports, are doubled because they have to pay for an extra person-their guide. When I was swimming I had to pay for my guide's flights, hotel accommodations, meals and even some pool deck gear. Not cheap! Won With 1 is a non-profit organisation that tries to absorb some of those costs and make things easier for the athletes so they can focus on competing. They have even managed to make a deal with a cycling company to decrease the cost of a high performance, road tandem bike. Nowhere can you find a tandem bike for under 2000 dollars, but this particular company has agreed to sell it to blind athletes for less than that and to ship it for free. That is just amazing.
Of course the costs of this sport is going to prove difficult for Mr. K and I as we will be moving to a new country and we're both students. So, owning my own tandem bike of that quality in the near future is highly improbable. Financial responsibilities we have just to live will have to come first, so my dream of competing in a triathlon will probably be even slower moving. But as one of my fantastic readers said,
"where there's a will there's a way." :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
