Last Updated on: 4th May 2016, 09:54 am
Hmm let’s fill in the gaps. After I finished up that post yesterday, some funny stuff happened. First off, while trying to let Babs out to free busy, she escaped! She ran straight for Willow, leashless! I got her back and then put her out, fed her, and she was good. Then I came out to the patio, and Anka came out and said, “Who left laundry in room?” I’m like, “Uh it was me…had a little trouble reaching the buttons.” She said, “After I finish cigarette, we go in and do laundry.” I was so scared, thought she was right ticked at me, and she’s someone I don’t want to tick off.
So we go into the room, and Anka’s reaction was priceless. She went to show me…and then she’s like, “Oh…you no reach.” I’m like, “yup, that’s why I didn’t do it before.” Oh she had a good laugh and said, “Oh I help, don’t worry, it’s ok.”
I came back out on the patio and told Sharon and Tim and they just laughed. Then we had supper, which was…hmmm…ok I guess. Oh well, can’t win ’em all.
Was that the night Anka made us fish and chips? I think so. Her idea of fish and chips was to cook fish and serve potato chips beside it. Ah, the fun of a language barrier.
After dinner, we came back and I tried to make a couple calls. Got a hold of my neighbour and told him about Babs. Then I took her for busy and did her obedience. Getting better. Then I went to see Sharon cause she said she wasn’t feeling well…asked her if she needed an aspirin. Then Margery helped me with my laundry, but she kinda messed it up. It ran for a half hour but the clothes didn’t dry. Anka saved the day once again, and Sharon helped me get the clothes out at the end. I gave Babs her bone again and she seemed to be having fun. Gotta go now. gotta meet up for lectures on fund raising and dog language??
Fund-raising when we’re not even done? Should have been a red flag! red flag!
Well that was interesting…now I understand why they tell me to stand tall. Dogs rely on dog posture to figure out the dominance/submissive positions. So if I’m always bending over, I don’t seem like the dominant one.
We talked about straight line. So you always walk to a downcurb and then say left or right…you don’t just take the path around the corner. Easy enough.
Babs is so cute. Her breathing almost sounds like a person breathing. If I closed my eyes I swear people would think I was asleep by the way she breathes. Loud loud loud.
She loves Sue. She came straight at her when we came through the door.
Margery…oh dear dear. She’s not getting it. Her hearing’s bad. I swear that’s the cause. She’s saying things that have no relevance whatsoever. And I think she’s mad at me. She’s awful quiet. Have to sorta check on her a bit later.
I talked to mom and dad last night. I think they’re surprised at how well things are going, although I can’t blame them. I was nervous as hell coming here, so I think they’re waiting for something to go wrong.
All of that comes later.
They definitely want to see me next Sunday. Should be fun. I’m a bit nervous about this afternoon’s walk. Off-curb obstacles. Yeesh. well I should probably scoot to the john and then head to lunch. Please don’t be a sandwich, please? Please?
Aww doh, it was a sandwich. Oh well, I was hungry so it was ok.
Did you ever hear me complain about GDB food? Maybe once the day I messed up my knee, but that’s it! And people talked about how much blathering I did about the food. Now you understand why.
This girl seems to really like cheesies. Don’t know why. I’ve never let her have any, but whenever I open the cheesies bag, there she is…and god she wants to lick my hands clean. My hands, my jeans, anything that has any trace of cheesy on it. Won’t even take her bone if offered.
Instructor Tim got my watch fixed. he’s a miracle man. And I won two more super seven tickets. Two more! One with encore and one without. Maybe I’m actually gonna win! heehee!
She’s sniffing my room like crazy looking for traces of…cheesy I think. I don’t know. Silly sniffer.
I thought the coolest thing I heard today though was a thing in a video that said that guide dogs are the hardest working dogs there are. Think about it. It’s dogs’ natural instinct to protect. So making a guard dog isn’t really that much of a stretch. Dogs herd each other and circle in packs,so making a sheepdog is not much of a stretch. A hearing ear dog’s job primarily is retrieval, or at least so I heard. You bring things to the person to tell them what’s happening, That’s another instinct. A dog that does work for people in wheelchairs does retrieval, pick up the keys, turn on the lights, etc. Police dogs follow their noses, natural instinct. But guide dogs must do purely learned behaviour and suppress all their natural instincts. Don’t be protectiv in the vicious sense, don’t sniff, don’t fetch. They’re the hardest working dogs. Poor things. But I thought that was the neatest perspective. And they also said that with guide dogs, the position of power is constantly shifting. I’m the boss to tell it where to go but it’s the boss as far as leading me around things, etc. Neat idea. Other than that, not much else new.
Tonight I get to buy doggy things. Doggy boots for my puppy and something for my neighbour.
Ah, the thing for my neighbour, which I now have, because he died not long after I got home and his family gave it back to me. Sometimes I look at it and think of him.
Oh, must remember to ask mom and dad if they’d be willing to empty the guider collection dog that’s set up at Walmart…apparently it doesn’t get emptied enough. I have to see where the collections are set up at Guelph and see what I can do about emptying it once a month. At least one of them or something.
Good thing I didn’t get embroiled in that mess. That would have been ugly supreme!
Wonder what we’ll have for supper tonight since it’s Anka’s night off. Well I should probably take this one for some grooming and obedience. maybe in a few. Grooming and obedience. Then busy. Then off for the walk…wherever it is. I’m still a little nervous walking with her…don’t know when we’ll fall into a complete comfortable place yet, but I guess we’re getting there.
Oh, if only, if only you knew!
Maybe I’ll read a wee bit and then head out there. Later.
Well I’m back. Something’s happening. Sometimes when I head out for walks on the streets, I feel a sense of apprehension. I guess since she’s being a bit of a loser with me when I ask her to sit at doors etc. I don’t quite trust her yet with my life. As I wait for my turn, my stomach spins. And rightfully so, the little scoundrel missed a couple curbs. Would have just walked me clean across the street. They say that’s just testing. Testing level 2. Or is it 3? Oh I don’t know.
Had a bit of a rough moment with instructor Tim, but that’s straightened out now. Don’t know if I wrote about how Babs got a bonk on the head with a door. I was opening it towards me and she didn’t move in time…and it got her. And he gave me hell about “if this happens a lot she might be afraid to face doors or she’ll start to rush through them.” But I showed him what happened. and he says that isn’t my fault. So that’s good.
We did off-curb obstacles…they take a bit of getting used to. She escaped on me again and tried to run at Amy. But I got her before Margery and Amy came through.
Arg we don’t get to shop tonight, apparently the boxes are all in disarray. So maybe Friday. Sue’s staying over tonight. Should be interesting.
Oh, and they’ve remedied the laundry situation. They put a stool in there. Yee ha, I don’t have to ask for help and have more embarrassing situations. Hahah.
I’m tired. My feet hurt. My legs were bothering me a bit when we were walking. Student Tim’s getting interviewed by the CBC. Some kind of series where he did something with his old dog and getting his new dog. Yea student Tim and Willow are celebrities.
Hmm I should busy her. Then I should hog…er, um, use the computer. Actually Sharon’s doing that.
O the phohne ringeth. Damn, missed it. But got Margery to figure out the phone. So that was cool. She’s on the phone now.
And Babs had better not be a crap-eater. I just brought her back from busy, and her mouth was full of some slobber that got on my hands and my jeans. That had better not be crap. Didn’t smell bad, but oy if she’s eating her own crap, we’re gonna have to cure her of that real real real fast. She’s chewing on her bone. Did I mention that? I’m full, and tired, and should probably send out emails. Poor lonely mom and dad.
