Every dog has his day

This morning, as I wait to head off for what I hope will be our qualifying walk, I have found myself reflecting on just how amazing Guide Dogs are. 

 

When I have worked with any of my dogs for a long time I can become complacent – a good working partnership becomes almost effortless and it is easy to forget just what remarkable work our dogs do.  Jay’s arrival has served as a powerful reminder for me of the resources, commitment and hard work which have shaped the fantastic dog I now have:

 

Research into animal behaviour and health

Careful breeding

The volunteers who care for the brood bitches and stud dogs

The puppy walkers who must have opened their home to a little black bundle of energy who, thanks to their love and care, left them a happy and well-socialised dog

Everyone who sponsors puppies or contributes to the charity in other ways

The Trainers – for early and advanced training

The boarders who offer the dogs a home while they are in the final stages of training..

And others I have forgotten to mention, including me, I suppose!

 

Guide Dogs for the Blind is an amazing charity whose work has hugely enriched the lives of many blind people over the past 80 or so years.  While I can manage to get out and about without a dog my dogs have taken so much of the stress out of and added so much enjoyment to daily life for me.  I will never forget someone I met when I was training with my first dog – he had lost his sight very suddenly and had totally lost his confidence and ability to leave home unaccompanied.  Yet, after four weeks’ training, he was heading home with his head held high, full of confidence and determination to start again.  Years later I met someone who knew him, and they confirmed that he was a changed man when he returned home with Molly, his little yellow Labrador.

 

Today’s photo is an action shot taken this afternoon – just me and Jay, for the first time.  We have qualified! 

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and that it will have given you a glimpse of all that goes on behind the scenes in developing new partnerships between Guide Dogs and their owners. My particular thanks to Roy for taking and editing the photos for me – I know they have been greatly enjoyed.

 

Although we have reached the end of our training this is just the beginning for Jay and me – I have no idea what I will be doing  or where I will be in 7 or 8 years time, but I hope that Jay will be working with me and contributing to my sense of freedom and independence, throughout this time.  

Just Visiting

I am running out of ideas for interesting photos, but thought This one is worth including because it shows what I hope, by this time tomorrow will be reality and not simply a staged photo. 

 

All being well, Jay will be an official Guide Dog within 24 hours.  Over the past few days, as the training has been less intensive, I have focused on other areas of life which are important if Jay is to be the kind of Guide Dog I can take anywhere without concern about his behaviour.  He has had several runs – his recall is excellent, also visits to a couple of dog-friendly homes.  I find that he is very excited when we first arrive but quickly becomes calmer and able to settle.  He doesn’t seem unduly distracted by biscuits or cakes I am offered – I could tell you a few tales about two of my dogs in particular and the way they helped themselves to things they were never intended to have.  My first ever dog, Yvette, once pulled over a Christmas tree to get at the chocolates!! 

 

I have to say that, since Jay’s arrival my personal habits have improved.  Jay, like another of my dogs, loves to pick up socks and knickers – clean or dirty, if they are left where he can reach them.  Next weekend we will be staying with friends and I must warn them about this habit to spare them potential embarrassment!

 

This morning we practised our usual route into the centre of Worcester and then did a local route for part of which I can safely let Jay off the lead.  His confidence is clearly increasing.  This means that he is beginning to test the boundaries – slowing down to sniff interesting things and veering slightly to the left when crossing the road (if he believes we will be going that way anyway).  These are minor things which I can easily correct; he is a sensitive and willing dog and only needs gentle correction to remind him of what is and is not acceptable.  Poor dog – he doesn’t know I have been a Guide Dog owner for more than a quarter of a century and that there is no way he is going to get away with anything much.

 

Tomorrow we will use the route from here to County Hall as our test route – I do hope it isn’t raining as I haven’t yet worked Jay in the rain and some dogs are not too keen in the wet and can be aware of the increased noise of the traffic on wet roads.  We have been so lucky to have trained while the weather has been good – it has been a pleasure to be outdoors. 

Nearly there!

I must buy another bed –Today’s photograph shows just how much competition there is for Jerry’s.  He usually wins but is clearly prepared to compromise, at a push. 

 

As I start to write today’s entry I have both dogs nearby – Jay is chomping noisily on his Nylobone and Jerry is just lying quietly by my chair.  In some ways it is strange having the two dogs – one is special because of the time he has been with us and the close partnership I have developed with him, and the other because he is very engaging and because I know we will work well and have a lot of fun together. Somehow I have to make them both feel equally special.  With Jay this is easy because he now works with me and because he loves to play – Jerry is a much gentler dog and I tend to find him  standing nearby waiting to be noticed.  I make sure I take plenty of time when I groom him because he enjoys this personal contact.  Jay is surprisingly good at understanding that I don’t want him poking his nose in.

 

We headed off as planned this morning with Karen shadowing us in the car, she tells me that she gets a few funny looks doing this!  The only slight glitch was in the Tesco Express car park when Jay took me to Karen’s car rather that back onto the pavement – he meant well!  The route we take to our church Centre was very successful today.  The first time we did it Jay was very excited because of all the dogs running in the open area we work through on the way.  By now, although there are still plenty of other dogs, he has become much steadier – and that is only in a week.  He is a very responsive dog and is far too willing to please to be stubborn – unlike Jerry who can be very stubborn.  This has always surprised people who don’t know him really well because he always seems so easy-going – which in many ways he is

 

Tomorrow we will do some consolidation work in the City Centre and on Friday, if all goes to plan, we will Qualify.  For the next few months Karen will still be checking how we are doing, advising on the best way to tackle new routes and just checking that all is well. Although our training has taken very little time I am already missing the freedom which comes with harnessing my dog and heading out whenever I want to, so I will be delighted when we do qualify. 

Bus Jaunts and Bionic Jaws

Today’s photo shows Jay with a durable but soft toy fish I chose with great care an hour or two ago.  He seems to take great pleasure in dismembering any toy he is given (apart from Nylobones, Kongs and  rubber rings).

  I now realise that the greater the challenge of the toy the more he will delight in dismembering it  and revealing the innards.  Sadly, the fish lasted very little time before he had succeeded in removing it’s nose and unearthing the stuffing inside.  Oh Jay!!

This morning, after a day off,  I think Jay was keen to have his harness back on.  We still had some bits to fill in on the route to the Learning and Development Centre, so we caught a bus part of the way and then tackled a complex crossing.  Most Worcester crossings have little knurled cones on the posts which rotate when it is safe to cross, so it isn’t the crossings themselves which cause us some difficulty -  it is the positioning of the posts themselves.  In theory this is simple - they are supposed to be positioned on the side of the crossing where the nearest traffic is coming from.  The problem is that in places they are on the same post as stinky rubbish bins or else are so far away from the actual crossing (often on a kind of plinth) that it can be difficult to locate them.  Also my arms aren’t always long enough to stand at the kerb and have one finger on the little knob to check when it is turning.

The final bit of the route is also tricky because it involves crossing a car park at an angle and picking up the pavement at the other side.   This is one of the hardest things to do if you can’t see much or at all, because once you are in the middle of an open space it is easy to become disorientated and miss the gateway or other landmark you are trying to find.  For me this situation is where my dogs really come into their own and both Jerry and now Jay take me safely to the Centre entrance. 

Tomorrow Karen is going to send us off sort of unaccompanied, although she will be following in the car.  It will be interesting to see how Jay works without her reassuring presence. 

I haven’t given my contact details anywhere on this blog, but if you have any questions or comments please do post them and I will answer anything which comes up in tomorrow’s posting.

"Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon"

Today’s photo has no particular significance, it’s just cute.  Both dogs enjoy pottering around the garden while we do a spot of clearing up.

 

For the past week I’ve been able to train in the mornings and the afternoons, but Karen will begin training with a new partnership this week, so we will do mornings only – apart from tomorrow when we have the whole day off while she spends time settling the next dog. 

 

Today we revisited the route we have developed into and around the centre of the City; Karen is beginning to step back more which means that Jay has increasingly to use his own initiative.  There is quite a difference in his work when Karen isn’t offering as much support, but that is entirely normal and he will gradually learn to rely on me for direction and himself to get things right.

 

We have now completed our first week’s training and have covered a lot and made very good progress.  Jay enjoys his work and is pleasingly settled and happy at home with us.  In the coming week we will fill in a few gaps on routes we have been practising and Karen will increasingly step back as we work – eventually following in her car.

 

There will be no update tomorrow. 

 

Friends and Fun

We have had a fairly energetic morning so Jay was happy to relax when we got home.  Jerry had a less energetic morning but decided to relax with him.

 

Yesterday was an exciting time for Jay.  My sister and my daughter have both come to stay for the weekend – two new people to play with!  Last night he twice whined for the first time at my door (this shows how sensitive he is to changes in his household pack).  When Karen arrived we repeated the route to work because this will be one of the most important routes for Jay.  He was a little reluctant to leave his new friends and the toy he had been playing with, but he soon settled and worked well. Once at County Hall we carried on to the Countryside Centre.  This involved a trip along a path just outside the woods – lots of interesting smells, other dogs and open space.  Not surprisingly this is a very exciting route for Jay and he is inclined to pull.  Every so often, when I feel that he is pulling more than I am prepared to tolerate I have to get him to sit for a moment to help him to calm down and understand that he mustn’t pull.  I am always surprised that this helps the dogs become more calm, but it does.  It takes time and patience but is worth doing.  We caught the bus back.  So that’s another route practised. 

 

The best bit of the morning for me was letting Jay have his first run.  Because I have a partner who can drive and shares my enjoyment of country walks our dogs get lots of exercise as well as their work.  I have always thought that it is really important for the dogs to be able to let off steam and have a good romp.  It’s also fun to take well-behaved dogs out as they come back when they are called – this always impresses!  Jay did come back when he was called, even when he had just dived into an ornamental pond – lots of other dogs do it too.  He is half Water Spaniel after all. 

 

Jay, Karen and I now have the rest of the day off - I think that  we could all do with it! 

"Who's been sleeping in my bed?"

For the first time since his arrival Jay is beginning to chill, as you can see.  He has found a place he loves to settle – the only problem is that his chilling-place is Jerry’s bed.  So far this hasn’t been a problem because Jerry stayed over in Cardiff last night with Roy, but I am in no doubt that Jerry will, rightfully, lay claim to his bed on his return.  While it is not entirely certain that Jay and I will qualify together in due course, I think you could safely put money on it, so this weekend I am going to buy him a bed of his own. 

 

Today has been varied and very satisfactory.  We started by doing some traffic practice.  It’s widely assumed that Guide Dogs decide when it is safe to cross a road and lead their owners safely to the other side.  In general this is a myth!  Dogs are reckoned to have the traffic sense of the average four-year-old child.  I reckon that my traffic sense, as someone who has never had sight, is far better than that of a young child, so I make my own decisions (or ask for help if I’m not sure). Traffic practice involves team work between me, my trainer and a carefully-briefed car driver.  All we can really do is reinforce Jay’s traffic sense by praising him when he takes a decision, in certain circumstances, to stop.   This is one of the situations when he is allowed to disobey my “forward” command.  Our practice involved a car pulling across the pavement and out of a drive in front of me.  When we are close to the car Jay should stop until the car has passed; I then have to tell him to carry on.  We also did road traffic where a car comes towards us from the left or right once we are on the road.  Again, Jay should stop until told to carry on.  I’m sure you will agree that driving at blind people and their dogs is not generally considered acceptable behaviour, and I know from speaking with our instructors that they sometimes incur public outrage or even police interest when carrying out this exercise.  Anyway, that is another thing ticked off the list of things we have to do before I can qualify.

 

We have also fitted in a trip to the Vet to get Jay registered and a visit to the pet shop to check out the dog beds on offer.  I couldn’t leave without buying Jay something, so he now has a yellow rubber ring – great for tugging!! 

 

This afternoon we retraced our route into town – taking in the dentist, etc, along the way.  There was a lot of noisy traffic, a busker (Jay really found him distracting) and groups of pedestrians everywhere, of course.  I am delighted with Jay’s progress – he learns routes quickly and he clearly remembered much of what we did the last time we went in.  This is easy to tell because he finds the doorways, counters and steps without much hesitation.  The way it works is that, when I know we are roughly where we need to be I give Jay a “find” command.  He will then know what I am looking for because he will remember what we did last time we were in the same place – that’s how it works.  At this stage I need to be very consistent in the routes I take and the shops I visit.  As Jay becomes more confident I will be able to vary what I do, but not yet. 

 

Tomorrow will mean work as usual for us, though we will start a bit later in the morning.  I am hoping to give Jay his first free run; he deserves a bit of frolicking in the woods and squirrel-chasing.  I don’t think I’ll be taking him near the river for a while yet, though.  

Trainers, Toilets and Trains

Today’s photo is of Karen, our trainer.  She is reluctant to feature, but it is important to recognise that our trainers have to train a wide variety of dogs and new owners in all weather and many differing environments, she is a key part of the process which should end in me qualifying with Jay.  Behind every successful partnership there is a good trainer! 

 

Today I have to mention something which we generally refer to as “spending” – the dog’s toilet habits.  While I don’t intend to spend too long on this, it is important to understand that the dog needs to establish a good “spending routine” so that it doesn’t get caught short while it is out working.  We have all become understandably sensitive to piles of something unpleasant deposited in the street and, if this is to be avoided, dogs need to “go” at appropriate times.  I am spending time every morning encouraging Jay to do just this in the garden by telling him to “get busy” – the command used to encourage the dog to perform.  As yet I haven’t persuaded him to do this before Karen (our trainer arrives) though he is then happy to oblige.  So my challenge is to succeed in persuading him to “get busy” before Karen’s arrival.  Should I let you know if I succeed?  I’m not sure.

 

We’ve had a very busy (no pun intended) day today.  This morning, while we were waiting for a suitable train, we headed from the station into town again to practice Boots and M&S.  After a 2-minute train ride between stations we walked from Shrub Hill Back to Sight Concern’s Centre.  On the way we called in at the Learning and Development Centre so that Karen could work out how to teach Jay to get from the road to the main door.  This is tricky because it involves crossing a car park, but Jerry managed it so I am sure Jay will too.

 

Trains are tricky for dogs – there is a lot of noise, high steps, gaps between the train and platform and often well-meaning travellers whose help is not always needed or helpful.  When getting and and off I always give my dog a long lead so that it can jump safely up or down.  I am now extremely careful because one of my dogs did twice slip between the train and the platform.  He was fine but I would not want that ever to happen again.

 

This afternoon we had Mark, Karen’s trainer with us; he watched her watching me.  We went back to County Hall.  All went pretty well, but Jay can sometimes become a bit bored when he has to walk back from somewhere when he has only just got there!  It’s understandable, isn’t it.

 

I think we have now walked most of the routes which Jay will need to work.  Over the next few days Karen will gradually begin to step back to see how Jay and I get on.  He is likely to be anxious at first without her reassuring guidance, but he should then become more positive as he realises that he and I are going to work together from now on.  It all takes time and patience.

 

We have now had four very busy days and this evening is the first time when I feel noticeably tired.  I expect Jay does too.  For me relaxation will include a nice glass of wine – for jay it will probably be a game in the garden and  chewing his nylo-bone.  Tomorrow we will do some traffic practice and repeat some of the routes we have done to date.  This will be good for Jay because it will help his self-confidence increase as he recognises and tackles tricky obstacles, junctions and me as a handler.

 

Incidentally, today I have made it onto page 3 – not the Sun, the Worcester news; they  have run a little feature on Jerry’s retirement and Jay’s arrival.  Good publicity for National Guide Dog Week. 

 

Guide Dog Takeover and Jay's first shopping trip

As you will see from today’s picture, Jerry still has work to do for the Guide Dog Association.  We are in the middle of National Guide Dog week, and Jerry has been doing his bit by looking cute while Roy hopes people will pop a pound or two into his collecting tin.  Worcester has been full of GD instructors, working dogs, puppies, retired dogs and assorted volunteers.  It was quite a turn-out! 

Roy and Jerry walked in and, although I have been saying for some time that Jerry has been slowing down, it is the first time Roy has walked anywhere with him for some time.  He was very struck by how much Jerry has slowed down, and this just re-enforces that now really is the right time for Jerry to retire. 

 

As for Jay and me we walked into Worcester this morning, stopping along the way at a few key places – the Dentist, my Hair Dresser, Boots and M&S.  We came home on the bus (which didn’t phase Jay at all).  We will do this exact route once or twice more before he qualifies; this will help him to gain confidence and purpose when he is working.  Jerry has never been one for shopping but I am hoping that Jay will enjoy the experience and accompany me on a few shopping trips.

 

This afternoon we repeated our walk to our church – the one where we encountered lots of dog distraction on Monday.  Jay was less excited today and clearly remembered the route.  There is one tricky point where he has to find a path which leads off the main footpath, and he did seem to remember where it was – very encouraging.  He is a clever dog and learns new routes quickly.  This tendency may cause him, from time to time, to guess that I want to find something, perhaps a shop or house, which I don’t want to visit.  It’s important always to praise the dog for being helpful and then gently to encourage them on to the place you really do want to find.  Telling the dog off when it is trying to help and please you can cause a loss of confidence in their own ability.  Isn’t it complex – there is so much more to training and working with a dog than most people would ever imagine.  A good working partnership looks so effortless, but so much will have contributed to the success you observe.

 

The other thing we did this afternoon was what is called “off kerb obstacles”.  This involves placing a deliberate obstacle on the pavement so that the dog has to decide whether it is possible to pass safely or whether we will need to go into the road.  Parked cars, barriers around holes, A-boards, discarded bikes, these can all cause problems.  Needless to say, Jay did well in taking me to the kerb to show there was an obstruction and in taking me back onto the pavement when it was clear.  Clever dog! 

 

Tomorrow we are going to do trains in the morning and, in the afternoon, my trainer (Karen) is going to be observed herself.  She is about to complete her own training as an instructor.   

Cheese and Wheelie bins

Today’s photos show just how well the dogs can pose for the Press – also what lies behind the cute images!

 

Today we started our training by repeating one of the routes we did yesterday; I’m pleased to say that Jay clearly remembered the route we had taken.  This is very helpful in one way, but it also means that I need to control his anticipation.  For example, if I tell him to sit before telling him which way to go, but he knows that we will be turning right, he may try to sit sideways or turn right before sitting (which is not doing as he has been told.)  The problem with this could be that one day I may want to turn left at that point and, if he is used to deciding which way we go, I will have real problems getting him to go where I want to.  So, right from the word “go” I have to make sure that he pays attention to the commands I give him. 

 

On the route there is an annoying pelican crossing where the post is set a long way from the kerb.  You will probably know that there is now a revolving cone on most posts which rotates when it is safe to cross, so I need to stand where I can put my finger on this little cone.  Jay would naturally go to the kerb, but I can’t easily reach the post from the kerb, so we have to train him to go to the post instead – hence the cheese, which Karen pressed onto the post to give him a reason to find it both this time and in the future.

 

It will be interesting to see how readily he finds that crossing post tomorrow, won’t it!

 

This afternoon we walked up to County Hall.  It’s quite a long walk but not really too challenging – apart from the fact that it is Tuesday – bin day!  The pavements can be narrow and the bins are often not pushed back out of the way, so it was really difficult for Jay to avoid them entirely, which meant that I brushed a few.  In these circumstances I have to make sure he knows that he has slipped up, but I mustn’t do it in such a way that he will become over-anxious on bin days.  Training is always a fine balance between correction and praise for the dog.  Most dogs have a strong wish to please, and too much correction will damage their self-confidence.

 

Jay was surprisingly well-behaved at CH; so much so that I was able to introduce him to some work colleagues.  He did, however, show a lot of interest in the smells exuded by our office carpet, and I found myself wondering what exactly he could smell – or perhaps it’s best not to know!

Before heading back home we posed for a Worcester News photographer.  All things considered the dogs were very co-operative – I wonder why!

 

So we are at the end of our second day’s training which has, I have to say, gone fantastically well.  I am sure that we will have an off day at some point, but so far, so good!

 

 

Training begins

Here is a photo of Jay, ready for  action.  You’ll see that Jerry has no intention of being upstaged. 

Karen (our trainer) arrived at 9 this morning to begin our first day’s training.  Like most other Guide Dog owners who have had their dogs for a long time I have developed bad habits and shortcuts when working with my dog.  With a new dog it is really important that you use the correct foot and body positions, hand signals and tone of voice when communicating with your dog.  The first thing we did was a simple route round the block, first one way, then the other.  This enabled me to practice the turns and other manoeuvres which form an important part of basic training.  This went well, so, inspired by success, we did a walk from home to our Church (which has a nice coffee shop).  This is quite a long walk which takes us through a grassy area where lots of dogs enjoy a run.  The inviting open space and other dogs (like the Jack Russell which dropped its ball at Jay’s feet) meant that this was an exciting walk for him.  Like all dogs he tends to pull when he is excited, so Karen took me through some basic obedience training – a dog which respects its handler will be much better at responding to instructions like “steady” which I will need to use quite a lot during our first few months.

After a good break we did a much simpler route to a local shop this afternoon.  Tomorrow we will revisit the shop and then, in the afternoon, it’s off to County Hall.

I’m extremely pleased with our progress today.  Jay is a lovely dog to work with – responsive, willing to please and intelligent.  I think one of the things I am happiest about is his reaction to having the harness slipped over his head.  Jerry and Jay are both a little harness shy, which means that they don’t like the harness being passed over their heads.  However, this afternoon Jay positively shoved his own head into the harness – surely a sign that he is raring to go!

Tonight he is accompanying me to a trustees’ meeting at Sight Concern Worcestershire.  This will give him some great practice at lying quietly through a meeting – something he will be doing a lot of over time!

Jerry has now realised, I think, that Jay may be here for longer than he thought.  When Karen arrived today he made it very clear to both Jay and Karen who is top dog.  I don’t have a problem with this – Jay doesn’t seem fazed and Jerry has been with us for a long time, after all.

Top Dog!

If you were unsure which of the Js is which in the earlier picture you can tell on this one – Jerry is the one with the grey bits.

 

Every day, or half day, brings something new at present.  Today I have been reminded how reassured Jay is when he is attached to one end of his lead and I have the other.  It is much easier to get him to lie quietly when he is on the lead.

 

This evening we had a visit from Jerry’s “second family” - friends he usually happily stays with when we are away and can’t take him with us.  I am pleased to say that Jay didn’t jump all over them, he just wiggled a lot!  He then sloped off to the hallway to bite the eyes off a cuddly toy – something he has been scheming about throughout the day.  What I find interesting is that Jerry displays little concern if I pay attention to this newcomer, but when his friends visit he isn’t at all happy if Jay gets more than what Jerry considers to be his attention entitlement.  Now I know which of the dogs has the upper paw, and it isn’t Jay. 

 

All the things I have learned about Jay (and probably he about me) this weekend should stand us in good stead this week as we start our training.

 

Saturday Night, Sunday Morning

Good news!  Jay spent a very peaceful first night, or rather, I did.  I’m presuming he was fine because he didn’t whine at our door or wander up and down stairs all night.  Good dog!!  I do wonder if he is more relaxed because Jerry was spaced out a few feet away from him. 

 

Jay is very quick to learn and eager to please and readily settled on his bed while we had breakfast today, albeit secured to the leg of the sofa just in case. This may not sound very important, but our dogs have always been expected to settle on their beds while we eat, so we need to make sure he understands and co-operates.

 

I took Jerry to Church with me (I was singing in the  worship team which was on today) and, at the end decided on impulse to pop Jerry back in the car and bring Jay out for a few minutes.     People were very sensible and didn’t overwhelm him and, I must say, he behaved very well, nut jumping up at anyone.  I did notice, however, that he was very interested in crumbs on the floor, so this is something I will need to monitor.

 

Jay is settling very well, and I think we will both be ready for our first training tomorrow, hopefully in the dry!

 

One or two people have told me that they find it hard to distinguish which of the two Js is which – can you tell which is which in the attached picture?

 We did try to get one to hold a toy but they weren’t having any of it! 

I’m intending to have a quiet time for the rest of the day, though I may arrange for someone to pop in so that I can see how Jay responds to visitors.

 

 

Settling Jay

This morning at about 10 Jay arrived with his trainer, Karen.  I have met him on two previous occasions, but he was so wiggly that it was difficult for me to feel his overall body shape and size.  One of these visits was our “matching” visit, so I already know from the walk we did that he walks at a speed which suits me, is very voice and harness responsive and that his guiding tension is comfortable.  This is a good start.

 

Karen spent some time explaining how she handles her dogs.  This is very important because trainers’ approaches to their dogs can vary, and it is important for me to carry on with the approach the trainer has been using.  This shouldn’t be a problem, because I feel at ease with the the way Karen talks to and treats Jay. 

 

While he doesn’t jump around all over the place Jay was initially curious, restless and constantly exploring the house and garden.  He clearly loves to play and could become very demanding if he was allowed to.  I love playing obedience games with my dogs but am taking care to make sure that is me, not Jay, who decides when we play.  Twice today I have put him on a lead and secured the lead so that he has to rest for a while.  The first time I was sitting at my desk and he whined in protest for a few minutes.  The second time I was baking and didn’t want him hovering behind me.  He seems not really to mind at all and finds this temporary restriction reassuring.  As I usually spend quite a lot of time during the day sitting at my office desk I think I will make sure that, while he is training, Jay spends some quiet time near my desk at home each day.

 

Jay learns quickly and is already so much more settled than he was this morning.  We left both Jay and Jerry in the car this evening while we did our shopping; both dogs were happy and relaxed when we got back to the car.

 

Jerry is a bit put out by Jay’s presence, I think.  He has been extra good today – coming whenever I call either dog and showing what a good dog he is by instantly doing whatever I ask.  I will have to take care to give both dogs time and attention, though Roy will increasingly take responsibility for Jerry, I think. 

 

It will soon be time for bed.  I’m hoping for a peaceful night, but it will be the first night Jay has spent with us, so I’m not banking on undisturbed sleep.

 

 

Saying Goodbye

1st October

Today is the last day I will work with Jerry, my guide dog for the past eight years.  Tomorrow my new dog, Jay, will join our family.   I have had the privilege of being a Guide Dog owner for the past 27 years and my dogs have been with me at so many momentous times in my life – when I started my first job, when my children were babies, when we moved house, etc.  .  The partnership with each dog is very different and very special and although I know that now is the right time for Jerry to retire, I am sad that this special relationship we have is about to change forever.  We work so well together as a team and there are times I could never have managed without him – like the snow last winter as I trudged up to work through a landscape where it was difficult to tell, because of the blanket of snow under my feet, whether I was on the pavement, the grass or even the road – but Jerry knew and we arrived safely.

Jerry is the first of my four retired dogs I am able to keep. It isn’t fair to leave retired dogs on their own all day, they are used to company.  He is almost as much my husband’s dog as mine, and Roy will be able to have Jerry with him for much of the day. 

I thought long and hard before deciding to keep Jerry; some retired dogs are not happy to be left behind, but Jerry is a laid-back kind of dog, and I don’t think he will miss his harness too much.  I hope I am right.  Time will tell.

I have been reminded today of how many fans Jerry has – he now has a hand-made retirement card, five more cuddly toys, a new bowl about a year’s supply of treats I should think: a gift voucher and so many good wishes.  Jay has a lot to live up to!