Day 16

My last day!

Ulga ate all but a handful of her breakfast. I’ll take it.

Breakfast was a cheese omelette, melon, and a scone.

After breakfast, Sarah and I did a thousand things. First, we met up with Alexis, the instructor who is driving me home tomorrow. She wanted to get an idea of how Ulga and I work together. We went to CVS to practice “follow” and finding items in a store. We did a bunch of difficult crossings including ones with angled intersections and traffic islands. Snapped pictures with the Morris Frank and Buddy statue. Ulga is very photogenic, apparently.

We were going to go to the bank to practice rope lines, but the bank was closed. It wasn’t a huge deal. We walked through a park to work on distractions and angled paths. Finally, we hit up Whole Foods to do grocery store work. We had already practiced “follow”, so this time Sarah followed me with the cart and cued me on which aisles to turn down. Ulga was very good, even in the meat department.

At 11:00, we had a lecture about dog interference. This is a much better (well, less scary) way of saying “Here’s what to do if another dog attacks your guide dog”. Melissa also comes in for part of this lecture now to discuss various states’ service dog protection laws. (Apparently, only West Virginia and Montana currently do not have such laws. Interesting thing I learned today.)

Lunch was turkey noodle soup, a cheeseburger, potato salad, and blueberry pie.

In the afternoon, Sarah, her other student and I went to the mall. We worked through the food court. Working a shepherd around food is totally different than working a lab. Ulga has no interest in scavenging. Sniffing? Sure. But she is very meh about food. We had smoothies, then navigated to Lush. The store was empty apart from the employee, so Sarah had me do clicker work and target the checkout counter. Ulga likes the clicker game quite a bit. I bought a thing, and then we wandered around some more, doing some intense weaving through crowds and obstacle avoidance. Both dogs did really well.

When we were leaving the mall, a big thunderstorm hit. It was a really fun drive back to the school.  

I had my vet visit via phone. Ulga sustained a few injuries during her time in the kennels, but all of them healed well. I also got her Home Again tag and rabies tag.

Then I went to see Angela to pay for things and get my paperwork. My paperwork basically was my ID (which means nothing legally, but is a really nice memento with a cute picture). I also got a smaller version of her rabies certificate that’s easier to travel with, and a copy of the class picture. So Ulga is officially mine now.

She ate all of her dinner. Yay!

Dinner was chicken parm, linguini with marinara, tossed salad, and coconut cake.

I packed some more after dinner, then crashed hard. After 8:00 park, I went to the common lounge to hang out and say goodbye to people. I’ll be sad to leave, but I’m also really ready to go home.

And that’s that. Ulga and I are an official team. I am leaving after breakfast tomorrow morning, and should be home by 10:30 or so. When next I write, I’ll be in my own house, probably in my own bed, surrounded by my best girls. Cheers.

Day 15

New York City day! It’s going to be very hot, but the alternative is going tomorrow when it’ll be hot and rainy.

Ulga ate a little more than half of her breakfast. Sigh.

Breakfast was waffles with blueberry sauce and sausage.

I had my exit interview at 9:30 before leaving for the city. It was with Dave Johnson, the director of training (I’m pretty sure that’s his title). It went well. I gave some constructive criticism (I hope) and praised the things that were praiseworthy.

New York City is almost back to normal. Fewer tourists, but most places we went were still decently crowded. Because of COVID, Ulga didn’t get to train in New York at all. This was her first exposure. She. Was. Amazing. I was so so proud of her. The worst thing she did was try to go after some pigeons. We practiced revolving doors, she did them like a champ. She chose escalators over stairs. She hardly brushed me against any pedestrians. The weather was brutally hot, but she took it in stride. Many a dog has cracked under New York City pressure. But Ulga was great. Perfect? Oh god no, but for her first time there, I really couldn’t be more proud.

We met up with Brian and his students for lunch at Ben’s Deli. Ulga tried to escape by Houdini-ing out of her harness. Sarah came to the rescue. 

We walked around some more after lunch, and this time we didn’t make Ulga wear her boots. Her pace picked up and she was a lot less pouty. Some clearance errors, but that was to be expected. She was working her floofy tail off.

We left Port Authority a little after 2:00. When we got back to the school, I talked to Ruthanne a little bit so she could send the “your puppy was matched!” letter to Ulga’s raisers. Ulga was worn out. I don’t blame her.

She ate all of her dinner! I think she is morally opposed to breakfast or something.

Dinner was shrimp and broccoli stir-fry, a vegetable eggroll, and rice with an apple turnover for dessert.

After dinner, the retrains had the going home lecture. The usual stuff; how to introduce new dog to other pets and family members, don’t expect too much too soon, keep your dog on leash for at least two week and give it incremental freedom, Etc. Etc.

I found out that I’m going home Wednesday morning, so tomorrow is my last working day. We are doing a grocery store, a convenience store (because narrow aisles), some crossings with islands (and the obligatory picture with the Morris Frank and Buddy statue), and probably a mall. Revolving doors were originally on that list too, but the place we had lunch today had one, so we accomplished that already. I also have my virtual vet visit (that’s fun to say) tomorrow afternoon. They call us on our room phones because COVID and give us our dog’s health history and other pertinent information. So exciting.

I need to pack. Tomorrow will be a busy day. Cheers.

Day 14

I got up on time, and Ulga ate about two thirds of her breakfast and peed. I’ll take it.

Breakfast was fried eggs, bacon, and blueberry scones.

I thought about going to the leisure path after breakfast, but a classmate came in and said it was already getting hot, so I decided not to. Maybe this evening once it cools down.

After like a week and a half, Ulga has suddenly decided that she likes her bone. Okay, then. Last night before bed, she snuggled in my lap. Maybe she’s actually starting to like me.

At 10:30 park, it was a zillion degrees and the bees were back. She had no interest whatsoever. Ugh.

I talked to Mom and some friends before lunch. Lunch was black bean soup, a roast beef wrap, and a brownie.

In the afternoon, I tried to nap but didn’t succeed. I hung out on the patio with some classmates, and we ordered smoothie bowls to be delivered because again, it was approximately a zillion degrees. I forgot to give Ulga her post human lunchtime snack, so of course she threw up bile on the patio. Sigh. I thought it might not happen as we hadn’t really done much work, but I was wrong.

She ate all of her dinner! and parked successfully!

Dinner was barbecued chicken, macaroni salad, corn on the cob, and a cupcake with cream cheese icing.

I crashed hard after dinner and slept through 8:00 park time. I win the prize. Ulga was fine though, and I took her out around 9:15. She showed me the wrong door back into the building (my fault, not hers), and I got trapped in the entrance to the elevator for longer than I would like to admit. (It was about a minute, but it was a very confusing minute.) We got ourselves back on track though and headed back upstairs. I spent a little time in the common lounge before bed. I sat on the floor with Ulga and she put her head in my lap. It was very sweet.

I was too tired to finish this post last night, so it’s being posted Monday morning. Weekends aren’t that exciting around here, but that’s okay. Cheers.

Day 13

She ate her breakfast and she peed at 5:30! The end times might be nigh.

Breakfast was French toast and sausage. I had the sausage and scrambled eggs.

This morning, we walked Patriot’s Path. It’s a paved walking trail through the woods. It’s got uneven ground, pedestrians, overhead obstacles, other dogs, Etc. Ulga did really well. We had to rework a few low-hanging tree branches. Very typical for this stage; she’s still learning how much space we take up together.

I got stung by a bee at 10:30 park. I’m fine, but Sarah had me go to the nurse to get the sting looked at. It’s at the base of my left thumb. A very inconvenient place. The nurse cleaned up the sting and gave me a benadryl. I didn’t have anything to do in the afternoon, so I wasn’t worried about being drowsy.

Lunch was tomato soup, a mozzarella and vegetable sandwich with pesto, and carrot cake.

I crashed hard in the afternoon, thanks benadryl. I woke up in time for Ulga’s dinner, which she ate all of, thank all the deities. It was so hot outside. There’s a light breeze, but the humidity is like 100%. It’s not fun.

Dinner was barbecued ribs, potato salad and green bean salad with an oatmeal carmelita. I had fruit instead of the dessert.

Tonight, the new students and whichever retrains chose to attend are watching Harnessing Freedom (the Seeing Eye public relations video) and Partners in Travel (the video that teaches orientation and mobility instructors to work with guide dog teams). As a retrain, this was optional for me. I opted out. The videos are available on the Seeing Eye’s Youtube channel, and it might be 10000 degrees in the common lounge right now. No thank you. I groomed Ulga instead. The rake was a good investment. It’s easier to handle than the comb, she likes it better, and it works really well on her very long tail.

So, let me give the breed breakdown for the class. I am obviously not going to discuss any student demographic information; firstly, that’s no one’s business, and secondly, this blog is my experience, no one else’s.  Anyway. There are 12 people in this class. There are 6 shepherds, including Ulga. At least one is sable, and at least one is bicolor. And obviously Ulga is a traditional black and tan. I can’t remember the coloring of the other three. There is 1 golden retriever. There are two lab/golden crosses, one black, one yellow. And the last 3 are labs, 2 black and 1 yellow. No siblings in this class. It’s a very shepherd-heavy class. Some of that is due to COVID; a whole bunch of shepherd litters were born around the same time, and then by the time some of them were ready to come in for training, quarantine had started. 

Oh, I ordered Ulga a crate yesterday. I still don’t know exactly where I’ll put it. Rusti’s is in the living room by the front door. I might put Ulga’s on the other side of the front door, but she has the tendency to give 1 alert bark, and that’s not something I want to encourage. But she also likes to look out windows and observe her domain. I’ll figure something out.

Tomorrow, Sarah has the day off, So her other student and I do, too. It’s supposed to be super hot again, so I don’t have any strenuous activities planned. I might take her to the free run area to play ball. She likes her ball a lot, and she has pretty good recall, unlike a certain Roobear I know.

After last parktime (which was fine), a classmate ordered pizza for us all, and we ate and hung out in the common lounge. It was nice, as retrains leave this coming Thursday.

I’m tired. Benadryl is still kicking my butt. Cheers.

Day 12

I didn’t sleep in! Yay! Ulga didn’t eat breakfast again! Boo!

Breakfast was pancakes with Taylor ham. I had scrambled eggs and the Taylor ham.

This morning, we took a bus to Madison. Ulga behaved like a perfect lady, sliding right under my seat and lying down. When we got off the bus, we walked to the train station and practiced platform refusal. Basically, you face the platform edge and tell the dog “forward”. Any moved they make (except going forward, obviously) is acceptable. Ulga body blocked me, forcing me to turn right, putting herself between me and the platform edge. It’s honestly one of my favorite things these dogs are taught to do.

Then we rode the train back to Morristown. Again, Ulga tucked herself nicely under my seat. Sarah said she looked relaxed but alert on both the bus and train.

When I got back, I… did something. No idea what it was now though. Mid morning park was uneventful.

We had the access and advocacy lecture at 11:00 with Melissa, whose exact title I forget. Basically, she’s who you call if you have a question about legal stuff. We talked A LOT about the new Department of Transportation regulations for flying with a service animal. We have to fill out a form for each airline before flying. It’s a hassle, and it’s happening because of people passing their pets off as emotional support animals.

Lunch was white bean and escarole soup, spinach salad with grilled chicken, mango, strawberries and blueberries, with cappuccino layer cake for dessert. I think my slice of cake was bigger than my head.

In the afternoon, we did a short country trip on a road with no curb line to follow. Ulga did really well. Then we went to the courthouse to practice going through a metal detector, simulating what it’s like at airports. We had to repeat it because Ulga broke her “rest” and rushed through after me. She did much better the second time. She was a little freaked out when the officer wanded her, but then she threw herself on the ground when he knelt down in front of her asking for belly rubs. Oy.

We walked around the courthouse, taking advantage of its many twisty hallways and many stairs. She did really well.

It was free donut day at Dunkin, so of course we had to take advantage of this. It was a popular idea, apparently, as we met Ruthanne, Erin, and their students there. Ulga lost her little mind and tried to lunge out of the van, screaming like a tiny pointy-eared banshee. Now she has to wear her gentle leader in the van because this excitement is ridiculous and I won’t tolerate it. So that was a fun battle.

While we were in Dunkin, the skies opened up. It was torrential. We waited until the rain let up at least a little before heading back to the van.

Ulga ate all of her dinner! … And refused to do anything at park time. Because she is a camel.

Dinner was teriyaki salmon, roasted asparagus, and rice (no rice for me), and blueberry sour cream pie for dessert. This was the pie I was thinking of the other day when I said I remembered the blueberry pie being better.

We had a clicker lecture with Lukas. It was long, but fascinating, as always. We also got our treat pouches, clickers, and targets. We discussed how to make new ones if we ever lose the targets, too. 

She peed! At 8:00 park! (Look, I’m going to get excited every time that happens. I am easily pleased.)

Not sure what’s on tomorrow’s agenda. It’s going to be 91 degrees, so I’m guessing/hoping something inside. Ulga has already put herself to bed. Cheers.

Day 11

Well, my streak has been broken. I slept through 5:30 park. In fact, I slept right until Brian called us down for breakfast. So I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off.  And of course, Ulga refused breakfast again. Rargh. She also refused to park. It was raining, you see, therefore everything was awful.

Anyway. Breakfast was egg and cheese on a hard roll. And copious amounts of coffee.

We had part of the morning free. Sarah gave me the equipment I ordered, as well as Ulga’s harness. Up until now, we’ve been using old harnesses that were returned to the school by graduates. But now we have our own. I wish we got to oil and assemble them like we used to, but we don’t.

For freelance this morning, we went to Dick’s because since Century 21 closed, it’s the closest store with an escalator. Escalator training hasn’t changed since the last time I did it. Ulga was fine. We also worked on weaving around displays. She did great.

Next, we walked to Target, which was in the same plaza. We practiced “follow”, when you tell the dog to, you know, follow a specific person. Of course, Ulga was more than happy to follow Sarah. I replenished my diet Coke supply.

Oh, remember how yesterday, I said I thought we did something at 11:00, but I couldn’t remember what it was? I did remember. We took pictures. We took our class photo (except it was socially distanced and they’ll photoshop us closer together) and the pictures for our ID cards.

Anyway. Back to today. After we got back, I popped into the common lounge to check out Seeing Eye merch. I got a German shepherd mug and a hoodie.

Lunch was lentil soup, vegetable lasagna, broccoli, and raspberry sorbet.

This afternoon, we did country work. This is when there are no sidewalks, so the dog hugs the edge of the road, keeping the human as far from the traffic as possible. It was good. Ulga is a very responsible girl.

Then Sarah read us our puppy profiles. Ulga was raised in a family with three daughters.  She grew up in Pennsylvania and went to a bunch of different places.  She loved her kids, and was protective of them. She grew up with a chocolate lab who was 12. They were buddies, although she tried to get him to play with her, and she often wore him out. There is more, but I have forgotten some of it. We get the profiles emailed to us now, which is nice.

Time for the pet store! Of course, Ulga was sniffy, which was not a surprise. She stayed responsible though. I got her an ID tag and a monkey Wubba. She loves it.

Back at the school, Ulga ate all of her dinner! And she peed! Hey, sometimes, it’s the small victories.

Dinner was grilled strip steak, a baked potato (I didn’t eat that) and cauliflower. Really really good chocolate mousse pie was for dessert.

Tonight’s lecture was odds and ends. Freedom in the rooms, free water, leaving the dogs alone, Etc. In fabulous news, retrains got the option to leave before the infamous “dear George” letter was read. I was the only one who jumped at this chance. Why, I do not know. But I’ve heard the letter twice now, and that was plenty.

I really have to do laundry. Mmph.

It was raining at 8:00 park, so of course Ulga refused to do anything. Sigh. I think she was a camel in a former life.

My laundry is in the dryer. It was kinda necessary; I am out of clean pants.

Tomorrow, in theory, is bus and train trips, and something else I’m forgetting.

That’s it for tonight, folks. Cheers.

Day 10

I was so tired this morning. Ulga refused to eat even 1 bite of her breakfast. She might be on hunger strike. Ugh.

Breakfast was French toast and bacon. I had yogurt, granola and bacon.

My solo was second. I had another cup of coffee and hung out in the common lounge.

At 9:00, I parked Ulga successfully, then I took her back inside to have a second crack at breakfast. She ate a little, probably about a third of the portion. Sigh.

Our solo went quite well. She was pokey, as expected. Also, we kept encountering Ruthanne and her student, so that was fun. I was iffy about one crossing, but Sarah assures me I judged it correctly. A car was pulled waaaay into the crosswalk, so Ulga brought me to the left around it (the correct decision, as going right would have put me in parallel traffic). She didn’t correct back to the right to bring me to the ramp out of the street, bringing me to the actual curb instead. It was fine, it took me like 2 seconds to figure out what happened, and she picked up her line of travel as soon as we were out of the street.  One teeny clearance error; my ankle rolled into a tree cutout on the sidewalk, but honestly, she would have had to scrape herself along the wall to have that not happen. I still asked for a rework though, and she got it perfectly the second time. Much better with the dog distraction today, and she handled the barricade like the professional she is.

And that was Elm Street. May it be like ten years or something before I see it again.

We are giving our dogs their probiotics now. Ulga ate hers out of my hand like it was a treat. She wouldn’t eat her breakfast, but happily crunches down a capsule filled with powder. Weirdo.

Speaking of breakfast, I got her to eat the rest of hers when I got back from the solo. She ate from my hand mostly, and some from her bowl. This is so foreign to me.

Did we do something after mid morning park? I don’t think so. Maybe I had more coffee. I honestly can’t remember.

Lunch was cream of mushroom soup, an eggplant parm sandwich, and French fries with a blondie for dessert. 

In the afternoon, Sarah took K (her other student) and me into Madison, a nearby town. We just walked around, practicing weaving through sidewalk cafes, a mid block crossing or two, and we also got to be reminded why Sarah matched us with our dogs; we weren’t in Morristown, and Ulga’s pace and pull improved by magnitudes. And we got Starbucks on the way back to the school, always a plus. Oh oh, we passed a little kid, and they offered Ulga pizza. She refused it. … I do not have a Labrador anymore. Madness.

She ate all of her dinner! It took approximately 3000 years, but she ate it! I will not complain.

Dinner was Korean style chicken, sugar snap peas (my favorite!) and peanut sesame noodles (which I did not eat). There was lemon meringue pie for dessert.

As I was getting up to leave dinner, something startled Ulga and she growled like a ferocious beast. I corrected and got all up in her grill about it, and yelled for Erin (one of the instructors on duty) over my shoulder. Turns out Ulga was sleeping, and as I stood up, one of the servers approached to take my drink and plate away, and she startled Ulga. Erin told me I handled it well, and the server walked up to Ulga, who was very sheepish. “Oh, uh, I… You’re a human. A human I know. I… I am going to chew my butt and pretend this never happened.”

Next was the vet lecture. Why does this lecture always seem to take forever? The head vet came in and told us all how we might kill our dogs if we’re not careful. (Okay, that’s not fair. She was reenforcing the idea that we need to proof our homes as if we were coming home with an especially smart toddler.) She also discussed eye exams, encouraging all of us to take advantage of the ACVO free eye exams next May (yay for living close to Cornell). She went over the vaccination protocol that The Seeing Eye follows, as well as heartworm, flea and tic preventatives. She also talked A LOT about how important it is to keep our dogs lean. The last time I saw this vet was at the graduate reunion in 2019, and I got a small lecture because Rusti had gained 3 pounds in 6 years. So. Yeah. I channeled Thumper’s mother and kept my mouth shut.

Moving on. We are provided with 3 months of heartworm, flea and tic preventatives, and we can purchase a further 6 month supply at cost. This is the third time I’ve been here, and each time, it’s a different set of preventatives.

Of course the lecture ran over, so park time was late. Ulga is ethically opposed to 8:00 park or something. She had no interest whatsoever. I asked Erin if she wanted a very nice German shepherd.

I have no idea what’s going on tomorrow. It’s supposed to pour. Again. Yeesh. I’m super tired. Bed is in my near future. Ulga has already put herself to bed. Cheers.

Day 9

Brian woke us up with “When Two Become One” by The Spice Girls because he thinks he’s hilarious.

Parked, fed, watered, Etc. 

Breakfast was fried eggs, hashbrowns and toast. I had yogurt and granola and some toast.

I was second trip, so I groomed Ulga. I forgot to say, but those with shepherds and goldens are issued steel flat combs along with the pin brush and finishing brush, and those with labs and crosses get zoom grooms. Ulga does not like the comb at all, which is why I bought a rake. I have a zoom groom at home as well as a Furminator, so we’ll see which tools work best on her coat.

Elm Street went well enough. Perfect traffic check with the hybrid car. We did have to repeat a crossing once because her head was off in Lalaland somewhere. We also had to repeat the planned dog distraction a few times because she wanted to make friends with Latte the poodle. Oy. Overall, though, it was fine.

Then we had the dog care lecture, where we practiced cleaning ears, brushing teeth, and pilling the dogs. I forgot to mention (again), but at mid morning park, all the dogs are getting probiotics. Every time Sarah tries to pill Ulga, Ulga throws a fit and eats the pill like a treat. Strange creature. Anyway, I got her vitamin E tablet down her gullet and still have all of my fingers, so I’ll call it a win. Ear cleaning and teeth brushing were uneventful. I mean, she wasn’t a huge fan, but she didn’t protest all that much either.

Lunch was carrot bisque, a steak and veggie wrap, and cheery crumble with fresh cream.

I was first trip. Again, all in all, it went well. Our crossings were much better. We did have to repeat the dog distraction a few times. I had to administer my first two-handed correction, and my first high collar with this dog. She has very much entered the phase of “Hmmm, how much can I get away with?” The answer is… as little as possible. We had 2 unplanned dog distractions after the planned one,and she handled those much better.  Overall, I think we’ll be fine tomorrow.

We had the massage lecture. It was given by Ray and Bill, the instructor assistants for this class. (Side note for longtime Seeing Eye grads, Bill is Pete Lang’s son. How cool is that?) Ulga really seems to like massage. It’s basically an extension of belly rubs, which are her most favorite.

Ulga only ate about half her dinner. I took her out to park, then tried again with dinner. She ate it all with some coaxing from me. Oy, shepherds.

Dinner was romano-crusted cod, mixed veggies and rice (I did not have rice). Dessert was cheesecake.

We didn’t have a lecture this evening. I was going to go to the leisure path, but I laid on the floor in the common lounge snuggling with Ulga instead. She really seems to like it and need it from me at the moment.

She refused to park at 8:00. Then she huffed at a bird flying around the park area. I told her I was selling her to the circus (my standard threat when my dogs are being completely ridiculous).

Tomorrow, the Elm Street solo. I think we’re ready. I just have to be on top of her as far as dog distractions go. We got this. Cheers.

Day 8

I woke up on time, but I was seriously dragging this morning. Ulga peed. It was wonderful. She ate all but a handful of her breakfast, but was happy to eat the last bit out of my hand. It was almost like she forgot that little bit was still in the bowl.

Breakfast was banana pancakes and sausage. I had yogurt and granola and the sausage.

I was first trip. Before we left, we gave her a chance to park. It was successful. Always a good way to start off a trip.

We started Elm Street today. It’s slightly different than usual in that we aren’t starting at the downtown training center because of construction. Instead, we park on Elm, head to Blakely and turn left onto Morris. Then we have 5 short blocks (King, Pine, Wilmont, Spring, Dumont). Some traffic patterns can be difficult, so it’s very important to listen carefully before making the crossings. After Dumont, we walk to South Street and turn left. It’s a very loooong block. We cross Pine again and walk another loooong block. Then we turn Left back onto Elm and find the van. I think I got all of that right.

Anyway, this route, like I said,has some more complicated traffic, a more difficult barricade setup, traffic checks with a hybrid car (and whatever natural traffic checks we get), lots of dogs, lots of pedestrians, narrow sidewalks, wide sidewalks… You get the idea. Ulga and I did pretty well. Everyone hates Elm Street. That’s just the way it is. She was a little sniffier, a little more distracted. Very typical Elm Street behavior.

At one point, she got distracted by watching 2 birds having a fight in the street. I corrected, they flew away, we moved on. In a few yards, we were approaching a bush on our left side. I’m pretty sure Ulga was about to sidestep right around it, but these demonic birds came flying back out of the bush and directly into Ulga’s open mouth. She leapt up onto her back paws because who the hell expects birds to fly into your mouth? I had no idea what was going on. Sarah explained, and we had to take a minute to collect ourselves. Oh guide dog school…

When we got back to the school, I got to go to coffee break. I had a cookie. So much excitement.

We had a meeting about equipment orders. Basically, we can buy extras of the equipment provided to us and also get some of the things that aren’t provided. I got a grooming rake for Miss floofy-tail, a harness pouch, a collapsible water bowl, an extra leash, an audible beacon for her harness (a flashy light to use at night, and it makes a sound when you turn it on), and a copy of our class picture (which we take on Wednesday).

Lunch was tomato soup, a barbecue pulled turkey sandwich, and peach pie with ice cream.

I was second trip in the afternoon, so I took a very short nap. Again, it went mostly well. No birds tried to be kamikaze birds, at any rate. She was pokey. Again, typical Elm Street behavior. I promised Ulga that we only have to do it 3 more times, and she’ll never have to do it again.

Back at school, Sarah and I did practice targeting a specific door using the clicker. In this case, as Ulga is spot on at finding the doors I use on a regular basis, we targeted a random staff office door in the basement. It went very well. We did a short round of obedience back upstairs, and that also went well.

After dog dinner, we had a second successful park time! What madness is this?

Our dinner was meatloaf, mashed potatoes (which I did not eat), and peas with tiramisu for dessert.

There was an optional meeting for retrains about transitioning to a new guide dog. I did not attend for various reasons. I caught up on phone calls instead, which seemed like a more productive use of my time.

We got a pee at last park time, for which I am eternally grateful.

How, I ask you, am I so tired? It’s not even physical tiredness. My brain hurts! It’s not even 9:00 yet and I am pretty sure I am heading for bed as soon as I post this. Tomorrow is Elm Street 2 more times, and Wednesday morning is the solo. Then we start freelance! (Freelance is when you work on all the stuff that’s applicable to your home life. Buses, trains, grocery stores, traffic islands, Etc.)

Heh, Ulga is having a massive dream next to my desk as I type this. Silly girl. Okay, that’s it for tonight. Cheers.

Day 7

It was only misty at park time, but Miss Princess Paws didn’t do anything. Sigh.

Fed, watered, Etc. Breakfast was fried eggs, bacon, and blueberry scones.

I was second trip. I think I hung out in the common lounge playing Song Quiz on the Echo with some classmates.

Before heading out, I gave her another chance to park. Successful on both fronts, thank god.

Our solo was great. We had 3, count them, 3 natural traffic checks.  (I crossed at the appropriate times, but there were just a lot of turning cars this morning). She handled them beautifully. It was still raining, so her pace was quite slow, but that’s not unexpected. She’s bored and cranky. She was a little sniffy, but except for one time, a verbal correction refocused her.  Not a single clearance error. We almost turned down a driveway once, but corrected quickly. All in all, after what, four days? I’m very pleased.

Sarah did a brief round of obedience with us. She’s doing great with that too.

And [drum roll] here’s what you’ve all been waiting for. Her name is Ulga. (Honestly, I don’t know how I end up with dogs with ridiculous names. Sarah said that my next 4 dogs are already picked out and they all will have ridiculous old woman names). I posted pictures on Facebook and Twitter, and if I can figure it out, I will include pictures in this post as well.

Moving on. Ulga is so so good at finding our chair in the dining room. Of course, next week sometime, they’ll change the seats again to mess with us. Anyway. Lunch was cream of broccoli soup, a Philly cheesesteak sandwich and macaroni salad with chocolate cake for dessert.

Walt gave us a traffic lecture. Basically, reenforcing the ideas of not rushing our dogs in the street and not pushing the harness handle forward. I was so tired. It was very hard to pay attention, but I succeeded.

We had another park time in the rain. Ulga peed. Huzzah. We have a Catholic priest in class. I asked him if Noah was coming back with all this rain. “Well, it’s happened before.”

I brought my computer to the common lounge because it’s the only place I can connect to the wifi. It isn’t working in the room for some reason.

Dog dinner and park time was fine. She peed again.

Our dinner was chicken piccata, linguini (I didn’t eat that) and green beans with coffee ice cream for dessert.

We had the evening free, so I went back to the lounge. A lot of the class went out to the leisure path and hung out in the gazebo, but I was cold. Maybe tomorrow.

She peed! At 8:00 park! It’s a miracle! Of course, Ulga and another shepherd got into a staring match and play growled at each other, so that was fun. She was very remorseful, but very clearly misses kennel playtime.

Tomorrow we start Elm Street. Oh joy, oh rapture. At least the weather’s supposed to be better…

Let’s see if I can figure out how to post some photos. If I can figure it out, well, I guess you’ll know. Cheers.

Day 6

Lea woke us up with “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head”. Oh hee hee, ho ho. It was only drizzling at park time, but it was cold. She had a successful park on both fronts! And she didn’t poop on route later!

Fed, watered, showered, dressed, caffeinated. Breakfast was sausage, egg and cheese on an English muffin and melon slices.

I was first trip, and of course it was pouring. Mom was right in telling me to buy rain boots. Yeesh. We did reasonably well. One overhead clearance error, which wouldn’t have happened in dry weather. The tree branches were being dragged down by water. She was a little pokey and more sniffy than usual. Typical in the rain. At one point, she took me close to the building line and tried to hide under a chair to get dry. We treated it like a clearance error. She handled the traffic check and barricaded sidewalk like a champ. Every error that has happened has been completely understandable, and she never makes the same mistake twice. At one point, I splashed through a puddle and it sent so much water up into her face. I felt super bad.

Mid morning park was fine. Still rainy, though.

We got heights, weights, and birthdays. She is 53 pounds and 22 inches tall. Her birthday is September 5, 2018. Her sire is Farley, and her dam is Gem.

We also got bells and booties. They’re issuing different bells now. They have a different tone, which is a good thing, as I’ll be able to tell her jingle and Rusti’s jingle apart. The putting on of the booties was hilarious as always. She clip-clopped down the hallway like a little horse. When I was removing them, she yanked her back paw out of the boot, and took off running down the hallway (still wearing one boot) to find Sarah, the other student in my class, and her dog. Oy. All’s fun and games until the dog escapes…

Lunch was navy bean soup, a tuna BLT with cole slaw, chips, and a pickle with blueberry pie for dessert. I remember the blueberry pie being better last time. Oh well.

We had a 1:00 park time, which I forgot was happening. It was not raining, but it was cold. Successful, though. I put a load of laundry in, and then Sarah and I practiced targeting my new seat in the dining room with the clicker. She’s a little rock star, which is cool, as shepherds traditionally aren’t as food motivated as the retrievers.

I flipped my laundry to the dryer, and then Sarah took us to the leisure path, a path that loops around campus. We can use it for exercise with our dogs from dawn till dusk. There are 2 gazebos and some benches, and when it’s not freezing, it’s pretty.

Then we did obedience drills. She was much, much better today. Way less goofy.

My week 1 evaluation went well. Sarah is very pleased with our progress, as am I. I’m having to handle her slightly differently than my previous dogs, and that’s taking some getting used to, but I think everything will come together in time.

Dog dinner and park time. So exciting.

For dinner, we had shrimp scampi over rice (I didn’t eat the rice), zucchini, and garlic bread with coconut cream pie for dessert. She found our new chair with no trouble, even though Ruthann was right next to us. Progress! She still kind of loses her mind a little bit when she sees Ruthann in the hallway, and whenever she sees Sarah, but it’s getting better.

Then we watched the going home video. It is a video that we can send to friends, family and coworkers to let them know what it’s like to have a brand new guide dog join the family. I’ve seen it approximately ten thousand times (or like, you know, five or so). If you are curious, it’s available on The Seeing Eye’s Youtube channel. We also were read the letter that we can send home, which summarizes the information in the video.

I think, for reasons that only she understands, that she’s opposed to 8:00 park. This is the third night in a row that we’ve pranced around out there forever and a day with no results. And it was cold tonight! Now I’m sitting here with a cup of decaf tea trying to warm up. Sigh.

Tomorrow is solo day. I think we’re ready. If it rains like it did today, I will cry. (I think I’ll be crying.) Then we have the afternoon off because Sarah has the afternoon off.

Oh man, I just read that the guy who sang this morning’s wakeup song died today. Very weird.

That’s all the news that’s fit to print. Cheers.

day 5

Last night was quiet. She did start whining as soon as she heard the Echo alarm go off, which was followed quickly by the intercom. She peed quickly this morning. “Gee, I wonder why you had to go so badly,” I said.

After I showered, I got my customary latte and waited for breakfast. Breakfast was orange French toast with marmalade and ham. I had scrambled eggs, ham and wheat toast.

I was second trip, so after breakfast, I spent time in the common lounge because it’s good practice for settling her in social situations.

Our South street route was almost perfect. She handled the traffic check like a pro, as well as a set up dog distraction. Also, for the first 3 blocks or so, we were following a pet dog, and I didn’t even know. She pooped in harness again, which, ugh. I know it’ll work itself out, but it’s a little frustrating. We had 2 small clearance errors, but both of them were completely understandable, and she reworked them nicely.

When we got back, we had the introductory clicker lecture. Basically, it explained what clicker is, how it’s used in dog training, and how The Seeing Eye specifically uses it. All clicker work after this lecture is optional. I, of course, will be doing it, as I find it very useful.

Lunch was black bean soup, a blackened Cajun chicken wrap, and poundcake with strawberries and whipped cream for dessert.

I was first trip this afternoon. She was a little more pokey on this trip, which isn’t surprising. She’s very bored. But again, she handled the traffic check and dog distraction very well. Not a single clearance error, and no poop. We had a small encounter with a pet dog at a sidewalk cafe. He wanted to play, and then she wanted to visit with his people. But she was easily refocused.

Also, I lied. The South Street solo is Sunday morning, not tomorrow morning.

Okay, okay, fine, I will reveal the breed, as it’s pretty obvious by this point. I did get a German shepherd. She is quite petite (I find out her height and weight tomorrow I think), and she is a classic black and tan. Her muzzle is black, her head is mostly tan, except for a black line down the back of her skull. She has a pretty dainty head and relatively small ears. She has the classic black saddle and tan legs. I… forgot to ask what color her very long fluffy tail is.

None of you will ever guess her name though. I will reveal that and post pictures soon.

Sarah came by and we charged the clicker. She takes treats so daintily! It’s madness. I forgot, we also did a brief obedience session in the morning. Her heel, come, sit is fine. Her sit, down, sit… less fine. SHe wants to roll over for belly rubs. So that’ll need some work.

Her dinner and water were uneventful. Park was fine. It had just started raining.

Dinner was roast pork with gravy, roasted potatoes, and yellow squash. I asked for no potatoes and extra squash. Dessert was very good key lime pie.

This is the first night instructors have gone home. Lea is here, and so is Jen, one of the apprentice instructors in our class. Lea gave the senses lecture and read “The miracle of the Blind Man and the Seeing Eye Dog”, or whatever that article by Peter Putnam is called. We also got Huckama balls for the dogs. The Seeing Eye doesn’t issue Kongs anymore. The balls are made by Ruffware, the same people who make the boots we’re given in class..

Then it was park time in torrential rain. She was less than impressed. We paraded around like a bunch of idiots, and most of the dogs were like, “Are you kidding me?” She had her ears pinned back, and not in the happy shepherd way. Lea sent us inside, and I dried her off as best as I could. She has been pouting ever since.

Lea did not make her traditional milkshakes, because COVID. (I feel like everything is “because COVID”. Ugh.) Instead, she got a bunch of different ice cream bars and sandwiches, taking food allergies and sensitivities into account. I had a very tasty no sugar added peanut butter chocolate bar thing.

I hung out after ice cream for a bit, but my girl and I are both very tired. South Street again tomorrow morning. Please, rain, let up a little. And in the afternoon, I’m not sure what is happening. If memory serves, heights, weights, birthdays, parents, and the issuing of the boots. But honestly I have no idea.

Right. Bedtime. Cheers.

Day 4

Last night, she settled down relatively quickly (once I remembered that the light was on and that I should probably turn it off). She whined a little during the night, but it wasn’t too terrible.

I woke up at 5:30. Go me. We used to feed and water the dogs first, then take them out to park. Now, though, we immediately go outside, then feed and water them. She wasn’t super interested in breakfast this morning. I had to scoop up a couple handfuls of kibble and let her eat out of my hand, and then she decided that oh yeah, food is pretty okay.

She was very sad when I put her back in her crate so I could take a shower. But I put some music on and when I closed the bathroom door, she settled down.

I was able to have a pre-breakfast latte in the common lounge. Because caffeine at guide dog school is a necessary commodity. 

Breakfast was a burrito with egg, cheese, sausage, and potatoes with salsa on the side.

I was second trip, so I hung out in the common lounge chatting with other classmates, getting her used to settling under a chair.

This morning’s trip was a repeat of yesterday afternoon. We had our first sidewalk barricade, and she had to take me onto the grass to get around it. She did really well. Overall, it was a good trip. She was super bored though, which I totally understand.

When we got back, we had mid morning water and park. So exciting. She is crying less at park times when she sees Sarah and Ruthann. It no longer sounds like I’m murdering her.

All the dogs get a probiotic now at mid morning park. For now, instructors are pilling the dogs. My girl wouldn’t let Sarah pill her, but happily crunched down the pill. Weirdo.

Then we had a meeting about traffic, as we were getting our first traffic checks in the afternoon. Basically, this is how our dogs were trained to deal with traffic, this is what their senses can and cannot tell them, praise calmly in the street after a check, throw a party when you get to the curb and out of the street, do not test your dog by intentionally telling them “forward” when you know it’s not safe. Also, do not rush your dog in the street. Better to have them be slower and more cautious; that’s how you know they’re looking around and paying attention.

Lunch was turkey noodle soup, a veggie mozzarella sandwich (it had eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and tomatoes) with an oatmeal carmelita for dessert. I think the sandwich/salad plate was tuna. All of the dogs are settling much better at meals now.

I was first trip. We did the Maple South street route. It incorporates more traffic, busier sidewalks, more businesses, more noise, Etc. It was hot, but we did pretty well. She made a couple of right side clearance errors, which is very typical at this stage. She was excellent at weaving around sidewalk obstructions like outdoor seating. We had a barricade where she had to take me out into the street, then back up onto the curb. She was perfect.  She did try to bring me to some people eating lunch outside at a fancy steakhouse. The girl’s got good taste.  She also parked on route, but honestly, I was kind of expecting it. She eats a LOT of food. What goes in must come out. She handled the traffic check beautifully. When I was waiting for Sarah to bring the van around after our trip, Walt said hi as he walked by. “Thanks for trying to kill us and not succeeding,” I said. “That’s why they pay me the big bucks.”

She’s much more calm in our room. She only cries a little when she hears Sarah in the hall, and I even got some tail wags. As I’m writing this at my desk, she is lying quietly beside me.

I groomed her, which she really seems to enjoy. That’s a good thing, as it is definitely going to have to be a daily occurrence with this girl.

Then I hung out in the common lounge for a bit with other classmates. She decided that it would be a grand idea to throw up some bile. I’m not worried; pretty sure she was just hungry. She obviously felt bad about it though, and I kept telling her she wasn’t in trouble. Poor girl.

She ate all of her dinner with no coaching from me. Huzzah. Park time was successful.

We can finally work the dogs in the building, thank god! Up until this point, we’ve been heeling them everywhere, which means sitting at the top of every staircase going down, and the bottom of every staircase going up. It’s maddening, but it reenforces that changes in elevation need definite stops. So, we worked the dogs down to dinner, and it was fabulous. Well, she kind of got a little distracted by Crosby the cat in the hallway, but she didn’t lunge for him or anything. She just couldn’t decide which way to go around him, and poor Crosby couldn’t decide which way to go either. It was kind of funny.

Dinner was grilled flank steak, broccoli, and a baked potato (which I did not eat). There was a banana cupcake with peanut butter icing for dessert.

This evening’s lecture was the dog food lecture. Sarah gave it, and it was the shortest dog food lecture I’ve experienced, for which I am very grateful. Seeing Eye’s position on food is if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. My position is … very much not that. And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Erin (another instructor) fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about animal actors after the lecture, and we all died laughing as she read some of the articles. A nice way to cap off the evening.

Less nice was my girl refusing to do anything at last park time. I was out there for half an hour. Sigh. Sarah gave me her extension in case there’s a midnight emergency.

And that was today. Tomorrow, we do Maple South twice more, and we solo on Saturday. If all goes well, I might reveal breed and name over the weekend sometime. Some people have already guessed breed. No one will ever guess her name. I don’t even know what kind of hint I could give about it.

Anyway. That’s all I’ve got for tonight. Cheers.

day 3

Again, I woke up right on time. Come on, body, continue with this good trend please.

Breakfast was at 6:45. I managed to get ready quickly enough to have a latte in the common lounge before we were called down to the dining room. Breakfast was egg, cheese and Taylor ham (or pork roll if you’re from South Jersey) on a hard roll.

After breakfast, we had a lecture about praise and correction. The infamous Fuzzball sound clips were played. Then there was a brief lecture about fears. During this time, our dogs were getting bathed and prettied up to meet us.

At around 8:20, Sarah knocked on my door. I sat on my bed with my leash, and Sarah brought my new dog in. Again, I’m complying with The Seeing Eye’s wishes and will reveal name and breed when it’s appropriate. I will tell you that I have another female. She really enjoys belly rubs.

Usually, we’d spend the morning bonding, then discuss a few things like heeling in the house, gentle leaders, how to position the dogs at meals, Etc. The afternoon was going to be brutally hot though, so we went into town in the morning instead.

Our first route went well. We walked up Maple Avenue, crossed over, then walked back down the other side. Her work is very different from both Hester and Rusti. It will take some getting used to, but overall I like her style. She’s very smart, and also very bored. SHe’s a holdover from a previous training cycle (again! I’m destined to get holdover dogs, apparently). Ruthann had her for 4 months, and then she went to Sarah. And she is obsessed with both of them. And the whole world has to know how sad she is that her 2 favorite people are ignoring her.

She drank all of her mid morning water, and she peed at our first park time (Seeing Eye’s command for when we take the dogs out to empty). Huzzah.

Lunch was… well. SHe’s a wiggle worm and very much did not want to lie still. I think I ate. I had beef barley soup, a turkey romaine salad, and raspberry sorbet. It was all good, I think.

I n the afternoon, we had the meeting about heeling in the house, fitted gentle leaders, and then went to the grooming room for that lecture. Holy. Moly. She sheds like a monster. I got away with minimal grooming with Roobear. I don’t think that’ll be the case this time around.  Luckily, she likes being groomed, so it’s fine.

I tried to spend time in our room with her, lying on the floor next to her and rubbing her belly. She liked it well enough, but wouldn’t stop crying. I went to the common lounge and chatted with some classmates, and was able to get her settled. Ugh, is this dog going to force me to be an extravert?

She ate all of her food at dinnertime, and drank all of her water again. Yay. It was approximately five thousand degrees outside at afternoon park time. She was not impressed.

Human dinner was chicken marsala, egg noodles, and mixed vegetables with yellow cake with chocolate sour cream frosting for dessert. I need to know how to make this frosting because it is delicious.

We had the rest of the evening free. Again, I tried to hang out with her in the room, but she wasn’t having it. She was more than happy to settle under my chair in the common lounge and people/dog watch, though. SHe was much quieter. Still a bit of a wiggle worm, but I have to keep reminding myself that it’s only our first day together, Rome wasn’t built in a day, blah blah blah.

Again, she drank all of her water at 8:00, and we had a successful park time on both fronts. Yay!

SHe’s getting the hang of “go to your place”, which at this point is basically me leading her to her crate while saying “go to your place”, and praising like mad when she goes inside. She’s in her crate now and has finally decided to be quiet. I don’t think she’s napped at all today.

Tomorrow morning, we will do the same route on Maple Avenue, and in the afternoon, we’ll start practicing the Maple South route, which we solo on Saturday morning. (A solo is when we basically do the route alone. THe instructor is behind us at a distance, but they’ll rescue us if we get into real trouble.) We also start doing planned traffic checks tomorrow afternoon. (A traffic check is when the dog stops for a moving car. Sometimes they full on stop, sometimes they back up and push us back with them. A planned traffic check is when a Seeing Eye staff member drives at us so we know how our dogs respond when faced with this situation in the real world.)

Okay, I am physically and emotionally exhausted. Bedtime very very soon for me. Cheers.

Day 2

I woke up on time! This is huge, as during my last class, I overslept constantly. Showered, took meds, and even had time to go to the common lounge for a cup of coffee. Huzzah, Etc.

Breakfast this morning was waffles with blueberry sauce and bacon. As usual, the food is wonderful.

After breakfast, we had a meeting with Walt, the class training manager (dude in charge, basically). He talked about the different breeds a little, how matches are made, and corrections and praise. 

The first Juno walk in town went well. I need to remember to actually wait for Juno to move after I say “forward”. Oh bad retrain habits… I also need to remember to keep the tension in the harness handle and to relax my wrist. Overall, though, Sarah was pleased. She gave me a few hints about new dog, but I’m keeping quiet on that for now.

Lunch was chicken tortellini soup, zucchini, mozzarella and sun-dried tomato tart, pesto pasta salad, or a chicken salad sandwich with chips. I had soup and the sandwich.

I took a brief nap after lunch. Then it was time for the second Juno walk in town. It went well. My elbow position was much better, as were my curb approaches. I still need to remember to keep my wrist relaxed.

While the instructors were having their final match meeting, we met with the president of The Seeing Eye and the advocacy specialist (her dog sniffed me on their way out, and it was very hard to ignore her). The president talked about the history of The Seeing Eye and… other stuff. I just reread Love in the Lead (the history of The Seeing Eye), so it was all very fresh in my memory. I honestly tuned out for some of it because I am a bad bad human.

Dinner was broiled fish, asparagus and corn cakes (I didn’t have the corn cakes, but did have extra asparagus). It was a classmate’s birthday, and her parents live nearby, so they sent cupcakes for dessert.

We had a fire drill with the loudest alarm ever. Yeesh. But then I got to pet Sarah’s lab and shepherd and Ruthann’s (another instructor) labs, so I guess the fire drill didn’t suck as much as it could have.

After, we went over the agenda for tomorrow. Wakeup is at 6:00 a.m. again. Breakfast is at 6:45. At 7:30, we have a meeting about praise, correction and dog fears. And sometime between 8:30 and 9:00, dogs are issued.

The Seeing Eye has asked us not to post on social media about the dogs we get for the first day. I’ll probably reveal the gender, as that’s kind of inevitable, but I’ll respect the school’s wishes and will reveal when I see fit.

We had that last lecture outside on the patio, which wasn’t finished the last time I was here. It’s lovely. It’s also connected to the free run area that we get to use sometime next week with our dogs.

We continued to stay outside for the traditional wine and cheese party. I had 2 small glasses of chardonay and talked to some classmates. This is a really great group of people.

It’s only 8:30, but I’m exhausted. As a natural introvert coming out of the COVID times, being around people this much is draining. I’m heading for bed very soon.

So tomorrow’s the big day. Let’s hope I sleep well and tomorrow isn’t too brutally hot. Cheers.

Day 1

Here I am at The Seeing Eye. I got here around 2:30. An instructor picked me up from my house and drove me here.

My instructor is Sarah. We’ve already done building orientation (I remembered most of it) and the Juno walk (I have a lot of bad habits to unlearn). Sarah is mean and won’t give any clues about dogs yet. She said I’m getting a Great Dane.

There is only 1 other person in my small group. A benefit of COVID, I guess, is that we’ll be getting a lot of individual attention.

I got to see Jan, who was Hester’s trainer (she also trained Rusti for a bit).

I swear, dinner was the exact same meal as the first dinner when I trained with Rusti. Turkey and gravy, green beans, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and tiramisu.

We’ve already got grooming supplies, a blanket for the dog to sleep on, and a tie-down cable. The grooming kits have changed a little. The pin brush is the same, but the finishing brush is an oval with a nylon strap that you put your fingers through. The thumb rests alongside the brush, and there’s no standard handle. I like it. We also don’t get steel combs anymore, which is fine with me, as they didn’t really work for either of my girls.

House rules are basically the same as always. We wear masks indoors, except when we’re in our own rooms. The tables at meals don’t have linens, and plates and cutlery are plastic for easier sanitation.

We got leashes and bones this evening. I forgot how stiff a new leash can be. Over the next few days, I’ll be messing with it to soften up the leather. Nylabones are no longer being issued. We get Benebones instead. It looks like a giant wishbone. We’ll get Kongs later on in class.

Tomorrow, wakeup time is 6:00 a.m. Breakfast is at 7:00. I think we’re going into town to do more Juno walks. All of the instructors on this team are young. There are fourteen students, including me. A decent number of Canadians, which is interesting. Several first-timers, which is not surprising for a summer class. There’s a woman celebrating her fiftieth year with Seeing Eye dogs. I think she said she’s getting her eighth dog this time around.

How is it only 8:00? How am I this exhausted? Yeesh.

I think I’m heading for bed very soon. I miss my Roobear, and I kind of just want to stop thinking for a while. Cheers.

Endings and Beginnings

It has been almost 8 years since I updated this blog. In that time, Rusti and I have moved a few times, had a few issues, and had more than a few wonderful times.

 

Rusti is now ten years old. She’s slowing down. She tires easily. That time all service dog handlers dread has come; Rusti is ready for retirement.

 

The past year has been kind of hellish. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every part of life all over the world. Rusti and I haven’t been able to do much work because most businesses were closed. I’m struggling with feelings of anger because this last year of our partnership has been kind of ruined. I just want to scream “It’s not fair!” And hide under the covers with Roobear.

 

But that’s not productive or healthy.

 

So on May 24, I’ll be heading back to The Seeing Eye for my third guide dog.

 

There are a few things to do before I head into class. Next Friday, I have an appointment with my PCP to fill out the medical form. I haven’t been to class in 8 years, and understandably, the school wants an update on my health. I also need a negative tuberculosis test, which is always fun.

 

On May 4, I receive the second dose of my COVID-19 vaccine. I’ll have full immunity (well, as much immunity as can be expected, according to the CDC) on May 18.

 

I also have to buy things, pack, not lose my mind… You know, the usual.

 

I’m just going to try to spend the next several weeks being present with Rusti. She’s such a lovely dog and has given me so much over the past 8 years. I owe her so much, including my life.

 

For now, I’m going to go hug my dog. Cheers.

pictures

Rusti and I have been home for just over two weeks, and things are going quite well.  I’ll write a more substantive update a little later, but here are a bunch of pictures of Rusti (and sometimes me).

 

day 16

Last day here.  As usual, I don’t know how I feel about anything.

 

Breakfast was an omelette, bagel with cream cheese and melon.

 

In the morning, we went to the courthouse.  Morristown’s courthouse is weird.  It has twisty-turny hallways, random flights of stairs, people everywhere, random windows… You get the idea.  It also has security checkpoints so the dogs get practice with those.  Rusti did great.  She sat and rested until I called her to come through the metal detector.  SHe stopped at every single random stair we came to.  She is actually super cautious about stairs, which I am okay with.

 

To get to the courthouse, we walked through town some.  Had to hike up a major hill (Ann Street, for those who know Morristown), and that was not my favorite thing in the universe.

 

But anyway, like I said, Rusti did a great job in the courthouse.

 

After we came back to campus, I packed up some of my stuff.  I dropped a pair of socks in there somewhere.  This becomes important later, I promise.

 

Morning park was called, and when I called Rusti, she came right over and let me hook the leash to her collar.  She kept avoiding the harness though.  She ducked her head, danced away, and was acting like a goofball.  I finally ranged her into her harness and out we went.

 

Once out there, she just stood stock still with her head up and ears pricked.  I kept trying to get her moving, but she just stood there.  All of a sudden, Kristin said “What’s in your mouth?”  “Um, my mouth?  Nothing…”  “No no, not your mouth, Rusti’s.”  (I’m thinking it’s a bug or a leaf or something.)  So Kristin bent down and pried Rusti’s jaws open to find… a balled-up pair of socks.  She had just been carrying them around like, “Look what I have!  I brought you a present!”  Kristin was cracking up.  I told Rusti she was a weirdo, and she wagged her whole body.

 

After that fiasco, I went to Pauline’s office to settle up.  I paid for the equipment I ordered, a picture, the microchip and the groceries I got. Pauline gave me my graduate ID card. Apparently, it’s a very cute picture.

 

Then Kristin came to take us to see the cat. Solo, the cat that was here the last time I was here, has retired and is taking a well-earned rest with… someone on staff. I forget who.  Anyway, Mikey is the new kitten who harasses all the dogs.  Ruti was so so so excited when we went into the office where Mikey was.  For some reason, she loves the woman in that office, even though they’ve only met once before.  And then there were puppies in someone else’s office.  And then Mikey came out.  Rusti didn’t know what to do with herself.  “Ohmygod hi hi hi! Kitty! New person! Puppies! Hi kitty!” Mikey just sat on the floor in front of Rusti and was thoroughly unimpressed by the whole business.

 

So Rusti and Meg’s meeting tomorrow should be interesting.  If Rusti gets too exuberant, I’m pretty sure Meg will smack her on the nose and that will be the end of that.

 

Lunch was cheeseburgers, potato salad and blueberry pie.

 

In the afternoon, we went to the mall.  Kristin worked with each of us separately.  We wandered around, and Rusti was great in the food court.  We did clicker work, just to practice the targeting process.  Our target was a vending machine.  She did fine, but after the session was over and we were walking back to the rest of the group, she took every opportunity she could to show me other glass display cases with things in them. Because jewelry, Coke, same thing.

 

Then we all had ice cream as our last hurrah.

 

Dinner tonight was chicken parmigiana, linguini marinara, salad with coconut cake for desert.

 

Jan, who was my instructor during my first class (as well as Hester’s trainer and Rusti’s trainer for a bit, too) came and sat with us at dinner.  She also had S and E (two other table mates) as students in other classes.  So it was a great catchup session, and I’m glad I got to see her before I left.

 

After dinner, we had a meeting about dog attacks.  Because that’s exactly how I want to spend my last evening here, cringing in horror/trying not to cry.  Sigh.

 

Ever since then, I have been packing and finding random things that have disappeared up until now.

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And now I am falling asleep as I write this, so that’s it for today’s post.  When next I write, I’ll be home. Cheers.

day 15

New York City day, yay!!

 

Brian woke us up with “Wake me UP Before You Go Go”, and that was just way too happy to be allowed.  I like the song, but not at 5:30 in the morning.

 

Breakfast was waffles with blueberry sauce and sausage links.

 

In the morning, I hung out in one of the lounges until about 9:30 or so.  Then Kristin and I headed into the city with Brian and two of his students, D and K.  D is a 75-year-old grandfather who plays the banjo, and K is a mid-thirties guy who owns a cafeteria in Manhattan. They are like the ultimate odd couple.  D, in general, is just plain odd.

 

Needless to say, the drive in was by turns hysterical and headache-inducing.

 

We parked at the Port Authority, and Kristin and I headed for the subway, while the other three went… somewhere else.

 

Now, the forecast said that there was a slight chance of showers.  It did not say that there was a definite chance of a deluge.  You can see where this is going, right?

 

We took the subway up to 59th Street.  Rusti did so well.  She is so different from Hester when it comes to city travel.  Hester was like, “Excuse me, coming through, I will knock you over if you don’t get out of our way. My giant labbie head will part the crowd!”  Rusti is like zig, zag, zoom, “Excuse me, pardon me, so sorry, but move please.”  Hester was like a pickup truck. She got the job done, but she wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty and throw some muscle around.  Rusti is like… I don’t know, a Rangerover or some other high-class SUV.  She has no problem getting down and dirty, but she does it much more gracefully, and all of a sudden, you’re at the down curb and are like, “How did I get here? There were other people on that sidewalk? She wove around an open basement entrance? Who knew?”

 

I am not explaining this well at all.  Basically, Rusti is much more cautious and subtle than Hester, and it is going to take some getting used to.

 

We got off the subway at 59th Street and when we came upstairs, Kristin informed me that it was pouring.  Our plan was to walk through Central Park, see the horses and the pigeons, then walk down to 45th and 9th and meet Brian and his students for lunch.  I had no raincoat.  Because I am dumb and believed the weather forecast.  So we decided to forego Central Park and just walk down to 45th and 9th.  This was a walk of about 14 short blocks, and 2 long between-the-avenues blocks.  Rusti was so, so good. SHe was obviously miserable, but she stuck it out like a champ.  She took me around as many of those slippery grates as she could, and when we reached down curbs that were actual curbs instead of ramps, she was extra cautious, like, “Do you see this?  No really, do you?  THere is a step there, dummy.”  She also showed me every single revolving door we passed.  No regular doors, just revolving ones.  It was pretty funny.

 

By the time we got to the restaurant (It’s called Five Napkin Burger), we were drenched.  I literally had to wring my shirt out over the bathroom sink.  It was good times.

 

Lunch was good.  I had a bacon cheddar burger and sweet potato fries.  Kristin and I also split an appetizer of onion rings while waiting for the others to show up.

 

After lunch, we walked back to Port Authority.  It was beautiful for those four blocks. Like totally different weather.  We stopped at a Starbucks and I got coffee because I was freezing.  Rusti was very careful while I had the coffee in my right hand.  This is something not all guide dogs can deal with. A lot tend to make lots of clearance errors and bang your right elbow into things when your arm is up like that.  Rusti did not.

 

So we got to Port Authority and went in the back way.  We walked through the crowds and around all sorts of distractions.  Rusti was like “Pft, I got this.”  We took the elevator to the parking level.  Aaaaand it was torrential rain again.  We all waited under an overhang while Kristin ran (literally) to get the van.

 

So it was a mostly good trip. I am super proud of Rusti and am so glad we get to work with the dogs in New York.  There is really nothing quite like seeing your dog take on that city like they’ve done it a zillion times before.  It’s such a confidence builder in the dog and in you as a team.

 

When I got back to campus, I put on dry clothes (yay!) and did my exit interview.  It was pretty straight-forward.

 

Tonight’s dinner was shrimp and broccoli stir-fry over rice, a vegetable egg roll and an apple turnover for dessert.

 

After dinner, the retrains had our going home lecture.  Basically, remember to establish a park schedule, don’t stress the dog out with introducing it to everyone and their mom on day 1, keep meetings between new dog and the retired dog/other pets on neutral territory, Etc. Etc.  Somehow, this went on for two hours.  In my last class, I think it went on longer than that, plus we were in a room with no air conditioning, the couches in that room were so soft and comfy, it felt like they were swallowing you, and the person giving the lecture had a very soothing voice.  Luckily, this time, none of those things were true, so I managed to stay awake the whole way through. Go me.

 

Tomorrow is my last day of training.  No idea what’s happening.  Possibly a grocery store, possibly a mall, possibly something else entirely.  We’ll see.

 

I did some packing tonight.  Rusti is very interested in the suitcase, but she doesn’t seem too concerned about whether or not she’s coming with me.  Ah well.

 

Okay, that’s it for tonight.  It’s later than I thought.  Cheers.