The feel of the dog is so familiar.

It must be similar for those people who can see. But, I was thinking about this this morning. First thing in the morning, my little black lab guide dog leaps off her dog bed and bounces over when she notices me stirring. She comes over wagging her whole self, eager to start a new and exciting day. I was patting her softest ever ears, her stocky body, her softish short lab fur. Feeling through mmy hands near her shoulders the wagging of her whole self. This is my dog. And then, it occurred to me that the first time I touched her, she seemed so strange. So much shorter than my golden guide before her. So much more stocky. Such short fur and so little of it. Before that, the dog I touched all of the time had long fur and lots of it. Curly under the neck and curly when she had a bath or got wet. A long slowly wagging thin, feathery tail, Taller, longer legs. The sounds too are familiar. Gia squeaked when she got excited. She had a high pitched bark. She made certain little noises when you patted her or when she settled down to sleep. Tulia snores. She makes different noises when you pat her. She moves differently. Her paws sliding and swishing on the floor. When I had both of them, I knew who was moving around, who was there, who was wagging to let me know where she was. Interesting how sounds and textures and shapes of dogs become so familiar so quickly.

Driver's license?

While  in a store yesterday paying for a purchase, the gentleman behind the counter asked for my driver's license as ID.  This happens quite a lot.  It happened more when I didn't have a guide dog with me.  Tulia was right there by my legs so I said, "Do you imagine I have a driver's license?" as I pulled out other ID.  "Why wouldn't you?" he said and then Tulia moved and he said, "What is that there beside  you?"  He sounded a bit scared.  "My guide dog," I said. "Oh oh I'm sorry.  I didn't notice.  Oh what a cute dog!"  I had thought he might be dog phobic but he just hadn't seen how I entered the store I guess.  Tulia is better than a driver's license any time!

Sounds of a thaw

It is too early for it to be truly spring, but yesterday it lifted my heart to notice changes in the weather.  I'm sorry to all of you skiers out there.  But, it is nice to know that spring is headed our way.  First, I noticed bird sounds.  More bird sounds than I have heard in a few months.  The sun felt warmer on my face.  I also heard the drip drip drip of snow melting off the roofs and snowbanks.  I heard a pile of snow swish and then topple from our roof.  There were big puddles on the sidewalks which my guide dog hates.  But, she didn't need to wear boots yesterday.  There was a different smell in the air too.  Not quite a spring smell but nice none the less.  I'm always glad when I don't need hats and hoods that muffle sounds or gloves that blindfold fingers or thick boots that cover up tactile landmarks I can feel with my feet.  And Tulia will be happier when she doesn't need boots most of the time too.

Thos dangerous hanging plants.

I have a long day ahead of me.  Or, I guess I should say that Tulia and I have a long day ahead of us.  We are tv reporters again for the blind curling and then off to the banquet.
This morning I am learning stories, blogging, and getting all things ready.
Went for a walk with Tulia to the coffee shop this morning.  As we approached through the indoor mall, Tulia stopped and bounced on her paws.  Gia used to do this too when encountering some kind of barrier where we couldn't move forward.  They bounce as if to say, "I can't we can't we just can't go that way.  We can't do it.  Oh oh oh we can't we can't we can't."  I did what any good guide dog handler would do.  I probed forwards with my feet and with my hands.  Found nothing.  Encouraged tulia forward.  Again the bouncing.  The bouncing on the spot.  A woman came up and said, "Everything is clear ahead of you."  I told Tulia forward and she moved very tentatively ahead a little.  A few leaves from a hanging plant very gently brushed the top of my head.  I stepped back and hugged tulia.  She saw that even though the sighted person didn't.  The lady was amazed.  Once she moved aside, Tulia swerved to avoid the dangerous hanging leaves and off we went again.  The lady kept saying, "Amazing.  Amazing.  That is just amazing!  I can't believe it."  Yes Tulia you are amazing! 

Afraid of dogs?

I met someone yesterday who said she was terrified of dogs.  My guide dog was out of harness and others were patting her.  This lady came right up to her too.  I don't know if she patted her but she didn't run the other way.  Over my years of having guide dogs, I've met several dog phobic people who tolerated and even grew to love my guides.  One person even made quilts for them.  I am not sure if it is their training, their calmness, their ability to read people, or why exactly these dog afraid people warm up to my girls.  Of course, there are some who don't.  But, there are more who do.  Here's to the guide dog making friends wherever she goes!

Finding my way around snow obstacles

After I wrote my blog post yesterday about icy sidewalks, someone asked me about how I found my way around snow obstacles.  How I figured out what they were and got around them.  Well, it is similar to other random obstacles in my path of travel.  The garbage can, the bike, the car parked across the sidewalk, the sandwich board, the shopping cart, etc.  I never know when I am about to come upon one of these things.  If I am using a white cane, I have to touch it, figure out what it is, and think about how to get around it.  With my guide dog, if there is room, she will usually take me around these things.  If not, she has to stop and show them to me.  Then, together we figure out our strategy.  Snow is similar.  It has fallen.  It has been shoveled or not.  It is in our path of travel.  Often there are large banks at corners or at the end of driveways.  Snow is tricky though.  Some snow is soft enough that we can just plough through it.  Some is hard and boulder like so you either have to climb over or get around it.  It can make for some mountaineering adventures for sure.  More winter travel adventures tomorrow.

Icy sidewalks

People often ask me how I get around in the snow.  With banks to clamber over, mounds of snow in our path, icy sidewalks.  I tackle first, the icy sidewalk question.  I do wear ice grippers on my boots when I know it is going to be particularly icy.  These, I have to choose carefully though as they can hurt my guide dog's paws if I get ones that are too sharp.  I also have to remember to take them off quickly before going inside as they are dangerous when walking on floors.  If you wear them outside, you can fall inside with them on.  If you don't, you are safe inside but can fall outside!  I imagine that sighted people scan upcoming sidewalks for icy patches.  They watch others, watch the ground.  I listen.  Do I hear others slipping.  And, I walk carefully.  All of my guide dogs have gotten to the place where they recognize ice and slow down for it.  Unfortunately, I have had to fall with each dog before they figured this out.  I fell last year on ice with Tulia.  She instantly jumped into my lap and was concerned that she made a mistake.  This morning, some sidewalks were snow covered.  Some were icy.  It was terribly cold when we headed off for our yoga class.  We were walking along over snow covered sidewalks.  We turned a corner.  The sidewalk was shere ice.  I started to slide a little.  I wasn't wearing ice grippers.  Tulia slowed right down.  Then she curved herself in front of my legs and stopped, bracing me.  No one taught her to do that.  She stood there.  Her little black body against my legs.  Wagging.  I hugged her.  Then, as we carried on up the icy sidewalk, I heard the neat sound of doggy boots on the ground on a quiet saturday morning.  A pitter patter sound.  tulia remembers ice and has figured out what to do.  Slow down, be careful, and if necessary, provide a brace for moving legs.  Good good girl!  Lots of kibbles inhaled at the next corner.

Knows how to play the crowd

Yesterday, I was having coffee with a friend.  Tulia had her boots on and I decided that I wouldn't take them off in the coffee shop.  If I did, I would have to put them back on again when we left.  If I am somewhere for a long time, I do take them off.  I probably should have as we were there for a while, but I didn't.  Tulia does not like being inside with her boots on.  She sat up and gave the eye to anyone who would look at her which probably included everyone in the coffee shop.  They would often say how cute she was.  How good she was.  I think she was begging that someone would come and remove her horrible purple boots.  They do keep her feet warm and salt free and she is grateful for that.  When I put them on before leaving the house, she immediately wants to charge out of the door so she can work and then get them off sooner maybe.  She does really like to work though so maybe it is just happiness about our next great adventure.

Great things about being blind. Thanks to the chain saw person.

As my guide dog and I walked down the sidewalk yesterday, I could hear the loud whine of the chain saw up ahead.
Whenever I hear loud noises ahead of us, I start thinking about whether or not I should change routes.  If there are loud noises near an intersection, I cannot hear traffic patterns and so may not be able to direct my dog effectively to tell her when to cross a street.  So, I heard the chain saw as I got closer to the corner and I wondered about walking a different way.  but then, as we approached, the chain saw stopped.  I listened for the traffic patterns, when the light changed I directed my dog forward and crossed the street.  As soon as I was across and walking again up the sidewalk, the chain saw started behind me.  whoever was operating it, thank you so much.  Maybe they know how important it is for me to hear things around me especially in street crossings.  Or maybe they thought it would scare the dog?  For whatever reason, thanks for your kindness and consideration.  You made my morning yesterday.

Great things about being blind. Safety in traffic.

When I decided to try getting a guide dog, I thought about how nice a dog would be to have around.  How they would help me to travel around more quickly.  I didn't think much about their work in traffic.  But, all of my dogs calmly and competently have saved us from being hit by vehicles.  Bikes, cars, taxis etc.  It is not true that our guide dogs read traffic lights.  They don't.  The dog and handler work together as a team.  When we reach an intersection, I tell the dog when to go forward by listening to the way the traffic is flowing.  If it is unsafe to do so however, the dog will refuse to cross.  But, it isn't in these situations that my dogs have saved us from being hit.  It is the vehicles who speed out of parking lot entrances without looking, one cab that actually drove on the sidewalk and Gia pulled me out of the way, and yesterday someone coming out of a driveway fast without looking where they were going.  My guide dog and I were out for a walk in the early quiet of the morning.
We were walking along a street where buses travel.  As a bus went by, we also had to cross a driveway entrance.  I could only hear the bus but hadn't heard anything as I approached the driveway.  Tulia stopped dead.  I felt a car go by and heard the tail end of it after the bus left.  The driver was obviously going fast and not looking!  I hugged tulia and gave her kibbles but she just walked calmly along.  Yes this is my job.  Yes it is good.  Yes we're okay.  No big deal.
Always, these incidents with traffic make me feel closer and more bonded with my guides.
Especially with crazy driving these days and people driving while texting, I'm so glad I have that extra set of eyes with me all of the time.

Great things about being blind. Kindness in the heat.

We are maybe coming to the end of an extreme heat wave here.  Yesterday it was 36 celcius with the humidex felt like 46 celcius.
Yikes.
We stayed inside as much as possible but did go out a little.
Last evening, someone offered me a bottle of water for Tulia.
I actually had two bottles of it in my bag and a portable bowl.
I thanked them anyway.  He said, "Well take it for yourself then."
I didn't as I had quite enough.
However, it reminded me of a very hot day a few summers back.
My last guide dog, golden Gia, hated the heat.
Tulia seems to like it for the most part but Gia did not.
She would always try to get us to go into air conditioned buildings, to walk slowly in the shade, or to climb on a passing air conditioned bus.
With all of that lovely long golden fur, who could blame her really.
One hot day at the bus stop going to work, someone offered me water for her.
At a coffee shop, someone else offered water, on the way home, a third person did.
I'm usually well equipped and don't need to take them up on it but it is always so wonderful to experience the kindness of others.

Great things about being blind. The guide dog who taught me the most.

Today is the birthday of my second guide dog yellow lab Margaret.  She is no longer with us.
She is the guide dog who was the hardest to work with but probably taught me more than all of the others.
I received her six weeks after losing my first guide to cancer.
In class, she started going crazy for other creatures.  Dragged me out across the floor to see a dog.  Interested in squirrels, dogs, a chicken.  Any creature that moved.
I was offered a dog switch but said I wanted to try working with her.
Even though we only worked together for 3.5 years, I'm glad I did it.
As a dog, Margaret was a real one person dog.  She stuck right beside me all of the time and was very loving and effectionate.
She had excellent house manners and was generally calm and quiet except when she saw other creatures.
Then, she would jump at them to play.
Once she got in one sniff and got them excited, she would stop and pretend she had nothing to do with the situation.
I worked and worked to minimize the animal distractedness of her.
It did improve somewhat but never went away but I learned so much about training methods and obedience and my guide dog school was so supportive and helpful.
Margaret had chronic ear infections.  We found out they were caused by food allergies.  Through this, I learned what is in dog foods.  How to analyse good ones from not so good ones.  A lot about allergies.
Margaret was a worryer.  If she bumped you into something one day, she wouldn't want to walk past that place the next day.
So, that needed some work too.
She started showing me in no uncertain terms, that it was time to retire.
She didn't want to get on the bus.
She didn't want to cross certain streets.
After retirement, I tried keeping her but it didn't work out so I gave her to a friend and she had a wonderful life as a very spoiled pet.
I thank her for all she taught me that has made me a much better dog handler.
Happy birthday Margaret.

Great things about being blind. Guide dog initiative.

I like my guide dogs to have lots of initiative.  I like them to be able to make decisions and let me know what they think of decisions I make.  I had one guide dog who was very non-confident in this way and it made me feel less confident too.  I know that guide dogs with very high initiative can also be stubborn.  It is part of the package.  The three guides I've had with high initiative, Gwenny, Gia, and now Tulia have all been stubborn and showed it in different ways.  I remember Gwenny's stubbornness but not always how she showed it.  Gia would sit herself down and bump me with her head.  "No.  I don't want to turn left.  We always turn right here."  Or
"No.  I hate the heat we are going to that air conditioned store not up the sidewalk."
Yesterday, my friend and her guide dog and Tulia and I went to this enclosed park so the dogs could run and boy did they run and play.  They love playing with each other.  When we left the park, Tulia did not want to go.  She wouldn't guide me at all.  Standing with feet planted, tail tucked in, or trying to turn me back to the park gate.
So, I took out my white cane.  I figured I would heel her to the sidewalk and then do obedience and show her that when it was time to leave, it was time to leave.  As soon as she saw the cane in my other hand, she worked away from the park.
"Oh how embarrassing.  You're not using that white cane are you?  Okay okay I'll work."
Later in the day, we reached a street corner where we almost always turnleft.  I wanted to go straight.  Tulia did not.  She stood her ground.  She was firm.  I got her to sit and then told her forward.  She slowly went forward and then more confidently but about ten feet later, we found the sidewalk was all full of construction.
Tulia stopped.  I could almost hear her say,
"Ah.  At the park you were right but right here I am right!"
ha ha ha!
I laughed, Turned us around, and went back to the corner and turned left as we usually did.
So we were both stubborn twice yesterday and once each of us was right in her decission.
I do love my high initiative girl even though it means lots of creative thinking from time to time.

Great things about being blind. Nice working dogs conversation.

The other day after our yoga class for blind people, three of us were at the nearby coffee shop having beverages and snakcs.  Yes, and our three guide dogs were there too all quietly lying under our table as we talked.  A gentleman approached and said what a pleasure it was to see such happy, well-behaved, well-taken-care-of, working dogs.
He said that he is a dog trainer and trains dogs for himself and others and that his dogs love working.
He talked about how much dogs love to have jobs to do and what great workers they are in all kinds of areas.
It was such a refreshing conversation.
Many people think guide dogs are sad and hate what they do or never get a chance to play and relax.
If a guide dog shows you they really don't want to work, then they retire.
This happened with my second guide.
She gave me clear signals.
She did not want to get on the bus.
She did not want to walk past construction zones.
She did not want to cross certain streets.
When I picked up her harness, she did not come to get into it.
So, believe me.
My dog likes her job and her life.
She is busy, active, and experiences many interesting things.
She also gets to play, sleep, eat, and relax.
Thanks to that man wherever you are for a great conversation and your understanding.

Great things about being blind. That dog is working.

The public continued to amuse me yesterday.  A little bit of our interactions were infuriating but mostly amusing.  I can't believe this happened three times in one day.  Since it did, I figured it worthy of a blog post.  Tulia and I were walking along the sidewalk when a dog on our right (not too close to the sidewalk) started barking excitedly and jumping.  I could hear the nails clicking and the collar rattling.  Tulia looked over.  I told her to continue and she did.  All the time, the man is saying, "Now Jasper.  That dog is working.  You can't go up to that dog."
I always wonder in these cases, how does you dog understand you telling him/her that the dog is working?
And how does the dog know what to do when encountering a working dog?
Not sure why people say this.
Maybe to tell me there's a dog there.
Anyway, Jasper didn't get the concept.  He strained on his leash, made choking noises, barked and bounced.  We were carrying on getting further from him.  The man kept saying,  "Now Jasper.  That dog is working.  You need to stay here."
Okay.  He did stay there but didn't seem happy about it.
Next, there was a dog tied to a post.  It jumped forward and barked at Tulia.  A more aggressive bark.  The man with the dog said,  "Don't bark like that.  That dog has an important job to do."  The dog was running forward and was about a foot away.  Tulia was distracted.
She too is a dog by the way.
I stopped her and got her to sit.   Then I asked if the man could hold onto his dog and maybe get it to sit.
"I'll try," he said sounding a bit doubtful.
Then, he proceeded to explain to his still barking dog, that my dog was special and working and not to be bothered.
A simple, "No.  Quiet.  Sit." or something would have done better I think.
I decided Tulia was focused and we proceeded on.  She looked at the dog a little but was good.
Then, last night, just as it was starting to rain and when we were coming back from our last walk, this man approached with a dog.
He says to me.
"Now I have a dog here."
I knew he did.  You could hear it huffing and pulling and bouncing.
"I have a dog here and my dog doesn't know a seeing eye dog from a hole in the ground.  Can they say hi."
I explained not when my dog was working in  her harness.
So then he says to his dog,
"That dog is working.  Be good.  That dog is working.  We are going to walk past that dog."
Again, the dog had not read the memo on how to deal with working dogs.
The man had to pull his dog up the street.
Tulia does not like rain and was more focused on getting us home all dry than on the last dog we met.
So, any thoughts as to why these people tell their dogs, "That's a working dog?"
Maybe I should start saying to Tulia, "Oh Tulia that's a non-working dog.  It isn't as well behaved as you?"
Bet that would earn me a few enemies.

Great things about being blind. Which dog is best?

Over the past couple of days, two people, both total strangers, talked about my guide dogs.  They have both seen my last two guides in action.  Tulia (my current guide who is a tiny black lab) and Gia (my retired golden retriever guide who lived with us after her retirement last fall until  she died of cancer this past winter).
One woman came up to us on the street.  There was a lot of construction.  It was hot.  Tulia was having some difficulty figuring out the way.  So was I.
Tulia does not always like strange surfaces under foot and was hesitant to cross this surface of bricks and go past the machines.
I had stopped to listen and figure things out.
This woman came up and said, "Your new dog isn't very good.  Not as good as your old one is it?"
I was incensed.
I hate when people ask me to compare guides.
All of my guides have been different and similar in some ways.
It is like people comparing kids.
Besides, it was a complex siutation and I was trying to figure it out too.
I said very nastily to her that all of my guides have been wonderful.  They've all had quirks and personalities and which of us people also hasn't made a mistake or had a rough day?
She thought about it and said, "I never thought of that.  I just thought they were perfect all of the time."
I said, "They're dogs.  They're not robots.  NOne of us is perfect."
"That's true," she said, and then she said,  "I like goldens better than labs.  YOur other dog was so beautiful but I guess this one is good too."
Okay!  Now we get to the bottom of it.  She prefers long golden fur.
The next day, Tulia was guiding me through a crowded local building.  She slowed down, was very careful, and found the door outside without hesitation.
A man came up and said, "That dog is so much smarter than you're other one isn't she?"
"No." I said and then asked if he had a lab preference.
Turns out he did.
I gave him the same speech I gave her.
He seemed happy to converse about it.
He too thoughts guides were always perfect.
I smiled as we left the building.
I'm so glad to have met and worked with these four wonderful doggy souls who each give me so much and teach me a lot.
Each one has been different and unique with strengths and weaknesses and it has been and continues to be a pleasure getting to figure these out and work together.

Great things about being blind. The dog on the bus seat.

I'm pretty much a person who sticks to most of the guide dog rules.  Although the dogs aren't working while at home, I don't let them on furniture or give them our food etc.  Someone was looking after my first guide for a weekend.  I'm not quite sure why she wasn't with me, but she wasn't.  On the Monday after getting her back, I got on the bus to go to work.  I said, "Gwenny sit." and the next thing I knew, she was sitting, on the seat, right beside me, with her head on my shoulder.  The driver laughed so hard he had to stop the bus.  When I got to work, I called the person and asked,  "Did you let Gwenny on your furniture?"  There was a long silence and then they admitted that they had.  They asked how I knew and I told the bus story.  I do know some guide dog handlers let their dogs on the bed, on the couch etc.  It's just my preference not to.  Poor deprived tulia who is now sound asleep and snoring on her large and comfortable bean bag bed.

Great things about being blind. The dog on the bus.

Yesterday, I wrote about the bus driver I liked.  It reminded me of a story about a bus driver and a dog.  My first guide dog and I were waiting for the bus one time.  There was a loose dog there.  A very well behaved loose dog just standing beside us.  The bus pulled up and Gwenny and I boarded the bus.  The loose dog trotted on behind us.  The driver said, "Is that your dog following you?"  I told him no and that I had no idea whose dog it was.  The dog got on, I sat down, Gwenny sat down under my seat.  The dog sat down beside us.  The driver was laughing so hard.  I was laughing.  So were many other passengers.  He wasn't sure what to do but then someone came running up and the dog was his dog.  Had wandered out of his yard to the bus stop.  He took him or her away.  It really was so funny though!

Great things about being blind. That is a vicious dog!

Yesterday, Tulia and I were walking down the sidewalk.  Tulia is a guide dog.  A little shiny black labrador female guide dog.  Tulia wags a lot.  She is a little over 50 pounds.  She is short and still has a cute puppy face.  tulia was wearing her harness and her leash but there was nothing near her face.  This woman said.  "Oh that must be a dangerous dog.  Let's cross the street.  It's wearing a muzzle!"  The man with her said,  "It isn't wearing a muzzle.  That's a seeing eye dog."  "No.  That woman isn't blind.  She's walking too fast."
Well, they did cross the street.  I don't know what in the world she saw or was thinking!
Ah well.  We had the sidewalk to ourselves!
Tomorrow, stay tuned for the story of the bus driver and the pit bull in disguise.

Great things about being blind. Being with wonderful blind people.

We spent the evening last night with some blind people and some sighted people, and several guide dogs.  It was in honour of a friend's birthday.  Much of the time, we spent out in the yard.  Since I don't have a yard, it is always nice to do that.  The three guide dogs ran and played, drank water, chased toys, and then would hang out with us or around our feet.  It amazed me that Tulia often came and sat by me even though she was off leash and loose.  I'd put my hand out and there was her little black head.  She is such a fast runner.  she would often get the toy and then let other dogs steal it.  It was so amazing to be there with such wonderful people.  We come from diverse backgrounds and locations.  From Newfoundland, to the prairies, Ontario, someone even originally from France.  Someone else from another country too.  We have different careers, family situations.  We might not have met if we hadn't been blind.  We had a fabulous dinner, cake, and lots of chat and laughter.
If I hadn't been blind, I might not have met these great people and guide dogs.