The Final Call

The GDB training staff called this afternoon and we talked on speaker phone. There will be 9 students at this session (a normal number), 3 of whom are first time dog handlers (like me) and 5 who are returning for new dogs, with 1 slot yet to be filled. I'll have 4 trainers, but 1 main trainer for the first few weeks and the others will become involved when specific issues of training arises. She asked if I'd object to using a blindfold during some sessions and I sad I did not and had worked with my O&M instructor under blindfold with the cane. She asked about specific areas I'd like to work on and what was the ideal dog I saw in my mind. I told her a 50 lb. shiny black female Lab who is energetic but socialized to cats. She said she was furiously writing down my wishes, but also asked that if it turned out I was more suited to a yellow male lab, would I object. I told her no, that all along what I was looking for was a dog who could work with me and who I could work with. She also asked if I'd have a problem with a dog that had been reissued (one that had been returned due to some problem the handler was having). I told her no, but that I would hope that the dog wasn't the problem, just the handler. She said they don't reissue problem dogs and, that, in fact, they can be better Guide Dogs than one that is brand new.

She said that the first 2 days would be introduction to the campus and some lectures, but the Day 3 is when I meet my dog. My ANTICIPATION METER is Really High!