Graduation and Going Home

Graduation was a rainy, but beautiful day. We had to have the ceremony inside instead of the outside stage. But it all worked out. Prior to the graduation, the puppy raiser was brought to my room, whom Melanie hadn't seen in 6 months. She had lived with her puppy raiser for 14 months. Of course. Melanie was estatic to see her and I handed her the leash so they could reunite, with Melanie giving her kisses and wagging her tail. It was a very touching moment and I was thrilled to meet the woman who helped nurture her loving spirit and socialized her to our busy, noisy world. She had a bag of presents for Melanie and me: a book of Melanie's baby photos, a big nyla bone (her favorite), a GDB blanket, a Christmas stocking made by a friend/volunteer with Melanie's name on it. I was thrilled to see a couple of our BVIC folks at the graduation. There were a couple of speeches by the Administration and the students sat at the front of the staging area with their puppy raiser sitting opposite with the dog and holding the leash. When each student was introduced, the puppy raiser came and stood next to the student and handed the leash back to the student. Each of the students gave a short thank you and the puppy raiser spoke. Most of the puppy raisers were very emotional about having to give up their loving puppies but all knew that it was for a very special reason and were also happy to have been a part of it. The puppy raiser and student shared addresses and phone nos. and will keep in touch as the new team bonds and grows.

After graduation, all were invited to mingle with refreshments or take a tour of the campus. As we had a long ride home, we decided to leave pretty quickly. The ride was very smooth and comfortable as my husband had rented a brand-new Cadillac to take home that very special little girl. She lay on the back floor on her rug with her nyla bone and slept pretty much the whole way home. I was concerned that we might have to stop and relieve her but she slept like a baby. When we got home, I took her to the back yard to relieve and she did so that meant I was relieved (Hooray). I fed her and let her settle down near the kitchen/dining room entrance and she was so excited and seemed to know this was home. The most surprising thing to me is that my little cat, Minime, came out right away to investigate and when I knelt down she gave me her little kis and rubbed me all over. After 3 weeks I thought she might at least be mad at me, but no, she was happy to see me! She was really curious about Melanie, and kept walking around the kitchen area, stopping, and staring at her. I think they are going to be great friends. However, our other cat, Butterfly, stayed in the closet in her bed and when I reached in to pet her she just hissed at me and hasn't come out of the closet, except to use the box, but she ate her meals in her bed. I think she's planning something. All in all, the first day home was a big success.

Day Before Graduation

Today was a wonderful last day of class. Even though it was raining on and off, we went to Muir Park and walked a couple miles through the redwoods. Melanie and I both had our raincoats on, mine was blue and hers is yellow. She is so serious when she's guiding me, doesn't wag her tail like many other guide dogs will. She walks me around the mud puddles as best she can and keeps on trucking up the paths. It was a beautiful way to end our time here. Our manuals were handed out with all the dog info we need for vet services, etc. We also got our picture ID and other official cards indicating our rights as guide dog handlers. Tomorrow is the big day where we meet our puppy raisers and let them say goodbye. We will all be introduced and given a chance to express our thanks. And then, finally, we get to go home.

Another Walk in the Dark

Last night only 3 of us wanted to do another night route, a bus to GDB's downtown lounge. It was a different route from the last night route, but still relatively easy. For me, night is the hardest to negotiate but with Melanie we did terrific. The only problem I had was when I passed the driveway into the lounge and walked up another driveway. My instructor was with me and said, ?Well, what are you going to do"? My O&M training kicked in and I started to problem solve my way out and back to the lounge. It really felt good.

This morning we went to Fisherman's Wharf, some went shopping and some of us walked along the wharf. This afternoon we had our exit interviews and then basically whatever we wanted to do. So, I started packing. Barely two days left to graduation.

SF Airport

Another exciting morning in SF. We walked through the airport and had a meeting with a TSA agent and trainees about how to get people with guide dogs through the metal detector. One by one we were led to the conveyer belt and removed shoes, jewelry, etc. and placed them in the bin. We had to put our dog on a long leash and use a sit/stay command while holding the end of the leash and walking through the metal detector assisted by a hand on the other side. Once I was through, I called Melanie to heel, which she did pretty well. Of course, the dog collar, leash, etc. sounded the alarm and they had to use the wand to check the dog. Then I was escorted to a seat where my box of items were placed. After it was done, we met again with the TSA team and gave them our feedback on how they did. It was a very positive experience but TSA said airports may differ in their approach on handling guide dog teams. The one thing they cannot do is separate you from your dog.

After getting back to the dorm I had a voice mail message from Melanie's puppy trainer who plans to be at the graduation ceremony. It usually is quite an emotional time as the puppy raiser had the puppy from about 6 weeks to a year. I also had a visit from Melanie's GDB trainer today just to say hello and visit Melanie again. Melanie remembered her well and was happy to see her. Melanie is just a sweetheart.

A Beautiful Day for a Walk

It was a gorgeous day in SF and Melanie and I got to take a long-needed walk on the Chrissay (sp?) Field walking, bike path which runs along the ocean. There were plenty of dog distractions and people walking and jogging. Melanie did very well and seemed energized with this kind of walk. I wanted to do this especially as I'll be walking a lot on our own rec trail so I'm real happy with how she responded.

In the afternoon we went to a strip mall in San Rafael where we got some parking lot work and walked through a Safeway as if I were going to be shopping. She did a lot of sniffing at all the delectable items so I had to put the gentle leash on her, the one that goes over the nose. She did much better after that, even when we went through the meat section. I did stop and look at the flower arrangements and as we were getting ready to leave the store, Melanie decided to snatch a flower and started eating it. I got it away from her, but what girl; naturally she'd want flowers instead of meat.

SF by Day, San Rafael by Night

After breakfast we were bused to Union Square in SF and walked a route through Union Square into Macys and another Starbucks. Melanie negotiated the sidewalks wonderfully but did get distracted by the pigeons and a dog. She was being a little pouty because she had to wear the little red booties as we were going on the escalator in Macy's. She did a great job on the up and down esscalators.

After an early dinner we were bused to San Rafael to do a night walk from the bus to the downtown lounge. I was still a little concerned about how Melanie and I would do because at night I am virtually blind except for seeing headlights of cars. Melanie made only one little mistake which was easily corrected and we made it quickly and safely to our destination. My confidence in her and myself has grown immensely.

Rrstful Rainy Sunday

Today, Sunday, was another rainy day so Melanie and I stayed in except for relieving. I have a great hooded raincoat but Melanie got very wet quite a few times, but she did not seem to mind it. I toweled her down and let her air dry, brushed her coat and she's shiny and beautiful. We played tug on our covered patio since she had so much energy and needed an outlet. She's a very strong, but gentle dog. Most of my day was just resting up for a super busy last week at GDB. Tonight I'm getting a massage to get me ready for what's to come. Hooray!

Brushing Melanie's Teeth

Last evening we had a chance to brush our dog's teeth and clean their ears. What fun that was, because the toothpaste is chicken-flavored and it's put on the outside of their upper and lower teeth and gums. Of course, they love the flavor so before you can actually brush their teeth, you need to get them from not wiggling all over the place to eat the toothpaste or get the tube. Toothpaste gets everywhere, on the dog's muzzle, your clothes, the chair, etc. I'm so glad she likes getting her teeth brushed but I'll have to get a big apron. The ear cleaning was easy as well, just put the liquid on a cotton ball and rub it in their ears. Melanie really liked her ears cleaned and she let me get right in all the nooks and crannies. Apparently ear infections are pretty prevalent in dogs.

Today was pretty rainy but we still took another bus to lounge route, a different one from yesterdday, one I hadn't done before, but Melanie made it look and feel so easy. In a few days I'll be doing my first night route, which I'm looking forward to because that is when my vision is basically useless and I'll have to really follow Melanie's movements closely, as well as the traffic patterns I learned under blindfold in O&M training. It's hard to believe, but there's only one week left until graduation and then we get to go home. I'm really having a ball at GDB but also looking forward to getting home with Melanie to meet the rest of my family.

On My Own

This morning, we went to a residential area of San Rafael where the dogs led us on streets with no sidewalks, just grassy or small curbs in front of homes. We learned to go around parked cars then get back onto the edge of the road. This lesson was important for me since Melanie and I will encounter some of that. Later in the afternoon, on a drizzly day, we went to downtown San Rafael where we have been working in the past with our instructors guiding us. This time the GDB bus dropped us off away from their Dowtown Lounge and we had to walk the route without instructors. Of course, they were keeping an eye on us from a distance with walkie talkies, but no need to worry, Melanie got me there in no time flawlessly. She's a little angel.

Walking in San Francisco

This morning we took the GDB bus into SF. We were on the outside of downtown in a little more residential area. We all congregated at Joe's coffee shop (similar to Starbucks) and individually walked with our instructors on a busy crowded sidewalk with all kinds of usual obstacles. I opted for the longer route and went to Lombard St. which has 3 lanes of traffic on each side which Melanie crossed perfectly. She did have a couple times where she wasn't paying the proper attention, and I had to do some obedience training, and she refocused and was fine. We got on a city bus and met up with the rest of the group.

After lunch we went back to downtown San Rafael where another student and I had a destination route. We opted to visit a couple of little clothing shops. It was so much fun having Melanie with me while I looked at all the different clothes. Maybe because she's a girl she seemed to like it. Later, we were given a head harness which goes over the nose and behind the ears, but the dog can easily open its mouth to eat or drink. It's primarily used when a dog gets so distracted that the usual obedience commands are not effective. When I put it on her it made her look like a little Doberman, but a real cute one.

Melanie and I Went to the Mall in Her Booties

Today was another busy one. We went to downtown San Rafael again and this time the head instructor drove his car in various ways to make the dog stop, ie., passing a driveway and pulling right out in front of us. Melanie stopped on a dime. Another example was getting ready to cross the street and the car turned in front of us and, again, Melanie "saved" my life. It was certainly done in a controlled way, but mimicked the real thing and Melanie knew just what to do.

After lunch, we had our individual photos with our dogs which will be our GDB ID to use as needed. There was also a group photo which we will get a copy of. After the photo session, another student, myself and 2 instructors walked to the nearby Northgate Mall. Before we left the dorm, we had to put little red booties on the dogs' back feet. Of course, Melanie looked adorable, but she was pouting a little beccause she didn't like them as much as I did. I thought they looked like little red sneakers. The reason the dogs need them is the mall has escalators and the dog's back feet could get caught in the mesh treads. Melanie and I went up and down the escalator a few times and she was wonderful. We walked all through the mall avoiding people and displays with ease. She got lots of treats and kisses, but was especially happy to get her booties off. She just licked her back feet, made a funny face and flopped down on her mat for a nap. I just love her.

Vet Visit and Clicker Training

This morning, we again went to downtown San Rafael for a destination visit, where we pick what place we want to go and the instructors give us the directions. I chose Starbucks so I could meet up with another student and instructor. We found it perfectly and the Starbucks staff were really great with us, probably because they get a lot of visits from GDB. After lunch the new students had clickerr training without our dogs. It's a technique where you use a small device that clicks at the exact moment the dog did a new command. We'll be doing it for real with our dogs soon. After clicker training, we took our dogs to the vet and he read us their medical history. Then they were weighed and had their ears checked. Melanie's ears were perfect and she only weighed 50 lbs., not 58 like they said last Wednesday. It's unlikely she lost weight, more likely an input error. At any rate, she's a healthy happy little dog.

Tonight, at 7:15, I'll be attending an optional yoga class. I did it last Tuesday as well, and it was relaxing. And for those who want to know, yes, the food is great and plentiful. I'll definitely need to be out walking Melanie a lot when I get home. It's hard to believe it's almost half over.

Yes, I Stepped in Dog Poo

This morning, Melanie and I had a great walk again through downtown San Rafael. The instructors backed way off and just told me the number of blocks, of course crossing streets along the way. We also walked into City Hall, took the elevator 3 flights up and took the stairs down. The instructors did help with that part since it was new. However, Melanie did everything almost perfectly. It was a cooler day and after our day off yesterday, she was raring to go.

This afternoon the instructors took us to the fenced outdoor dog play area, where you can take off the leash and harness and just let the dog run around and play. It was also a time for Melanie to learn to come to me when I called her (with a treat reward for returning to me, which she did with gusto. The instructors left me with her to get another student and I could play with her, throwing dog toys, etc. and then walk back to the dormitory without the instructors. All that worked out perfectly; HOWEVER, while walking around in the dog area looking for the toy Melanie decided not to bring back to me, I stepped in dog poIo which I didn't realize until I was back in my room. Well, you can just imagine how much fun it was trying to get all that gunk out of those thick ridged soles. I don't even think it belonghed to Melanie since many other dogs use it throughout the day. That's one of the hazards of a dog, but I'd rather have my shoes drying out on the patio then never to have ben with Melanie.

Rainy Restful Sunday

Unfortunately, the rain kept my plans for a lovely walk with Melanie and a picnic by the waterfall and goldfish pond on hold until next Sunday. That was okay, since I had to catch up on laundry. A couple of other students with their dogs joined me and Melanie for a box lunch in the Day Room. As usual, there was another surpise from Melanie. While the 3 of us were chatting and eating for about a half hour, Melanie was lying on the floor by my side being apparently a very obedient dog. One of the other students was checking her dog because she thought he was chewing on something. Lo and behold, it was "darling" Melanie who very quitely chewed through her leather leash and just stood up. I couldn't believe she did that without my feeling her, but she did. Well, she's still just a puppy after all; in fact, her birthday is 1/12/09, so she'll be 2 years old this January. I understand their still considered puppies untill about 2 1/2 years of age. We went to the weekend instructor's office and got a new leash. She suggested I keep her on a shorter leash so I can keep track of what she's doing under the table. She got a brand-new tug ring and played with it yesterday; however, while playing with it on her own, she pretty much chewed through that, which, again is pretty hard to do. When I get home I'm pretty sure I'll need to hide all the shoes in a safe place. She's cute but what a mouth.

Saturday is a Tired Day

The Anticipation and the hard work and too much fun is kicking in. I am really tired today, not used to such a rigorous schedule. Today we practiced correcting Guide Dog mistakes, first using the Juno handle and then with the dog. Melanie did really well, there were only a couple of little mistakes, but ones that need to be addressed and the next time she did it, it was perfect. The instructors also handed out dog booties for dogs working in extreme weather, riding escalators, or even areas that may have glass or other substances to hurt the dog's feet. They come in small, medium and large and, of course, Melanie got the small size. We put them on and it was so cute, because the booties look like little red sneakers and the dogs first start walking around picking their feet up higbecause it feels so strange, but they finally get the hang of it.

This afternoon, one of the kennel personnel gave a talk and demonstration on T-Touch, various massage-type hand movement massas over the dog for every possible ailment they might have. When I was done, I needed a massage too. The good thing is tomorrow is a free day and I can just relax with Melanie, take a picnic lunch out on the grounds and listen to the waterfall while having my lunch and playing with Melanie. This is the life!

Walking with my Guide Dog Pony

It's hard to believe I've beeann here 5 days already. I had 2 walks in downtown San Rafael today, this morning and afternoon. My little Melanie is a dynamo on our walks. I wanted a peppy dog because I'm a fast walker and once we get going, we're flying down the sidewalks. As soon as there's any obstruction or problem she slows down and carefully guides me around it and then we pick up our pace again. It's absolutely terrific. She stops at every street curb and waits for the proper command to go. Right now we're back in our room and she's on her mat on tie-down next to the head of my bed and she's chewing on a brand-new nyla bone and having a ball. I really believe we'll be best friends for a long time.

Talk to you later.

Correction to Thursday's Blog

You know I'm working hard because I said I had a petite 158 lb. Lab. She is reallShe'y only 58 pounds. That one I can handle. Well, I'm getting ready to go out and relieveMelanie for the 4th or 5th time today. She's worth it.

Sorry I'm Late

Today is Thursday and I'm sitting here with my new Guid Dog. Her anme is Melanie, she's a petite 21", 158 lb., black, female Lab. She's adorable. I've had to use GDB's computer because the no one's wireless laptops are connecting to the Internet. They're working on it but I don't when my next blog will be.

This is a wonderful experience at GDB. The instructors are great, the food is great and the students are great. You can see I'm having a wonderful time; but, there's work from morning to night. So, it's not just fun and games.

I send out my thanks to my BVIC O&M instructor especially, because without her help with the Juno harness and O&M, I'd be up a creek. Hopefully, I'll get another chance to blog before too long.

THIS IS IT!

Yikes!! The final night before I go to GDB tomorrow. I'm so glad it's finally here so I can stop cleaning floors, mirrors, clothes, organizing cat menus and cat sitter, packing/unpacking/packing again. I'm about as ready as I can be. Actually, it was good to have so much to do with all this nervous energy building up. Now my husband can have the cats all to himself, etc. I feel like I'm going to the hospital to have a baby. In a way, I am.

Again, I want to thank everyone at the BVIC for their support because without their encouragement, enthusiasm, and training, I don't see how this new life change would have happened. Tomorrow at this time, I'll be in my room trying to unpack all that stuff. Yah, I'm Happy!!