New Guide Dog Journals Day 11

Last Updated on: 4th April 2013, 02:07 am

Holy crap I can’t even keep track of what day it is.

I’m writing this one up at the end…only this time I’m sitting up in a chair so if I fall asleep with my keyboard, I’m in trouble.

Today started off with us all going to San Francisco. We all walked different routes. I crossed wide streets and road a bus and dodged people and had to walk near noisy construction and lots of stuff. At one point I think 4 of us boarded the bus at once. Jen, my main instructor from the last class commented on how quick I got the Tanserino into position. We only bumped into one pedestrian and it may not have been all my fault.

Then we headed back to the lounge and we were told that we needed to do that quiz I was talking about, but even if we didn’t do well, it just meant they had to go over stuff with us. I did the quiz in about 5 minutes using the iThing and got 100% so yeah it wasn’t hard at all.

Then we had the airport security chat. We don’t go to the airport anymore. We just talk about what our rights are, i.e. they can never separate you from your dog, and you don’t have to take their gear off and the whole have the dog sit, make a long leash, go through, hopefully you don’t beep, then call your dog so pooch is the only searchee, or go together and both get groped. Then they set up some chairs like the metal detector and had instructors pretend to be uneducated TSA agents. It was amusing.

Then we went back to the mall so we could do escalators again and walk through a food court. Tansy walked through there without a gentle leader on and even lay down next to a piece of pretzel and didn’t go for it. You go girl.

We managed to run and get Rose a box of Sea’s Candy. We hope she likes it. Also got something for Tansy’s raisers (I won’t say what it is since they could be reading). Then we headed over to campus and let our two dogs have a romp. I think I’ve explained the whole thing of us being paired up? I hope I have anyway. Well the two of us went to the paddock so our dogs had fun. Both dogs had awesome recall.

So after that, we came back to the hotel and we fed and relieved the doggies, although Tansy didn’t go. I think she did her thing in the paddock.

Maintenance came by and fixed my door and my safe once and for all. Only took them most of my stay. Oh well at least the next occupant of this room should have a smooth ride.

Earlier today a couple of students had said they felt like pizza. So we ordered pizza and ate it outside by the fire pit. It was a really fun dinner full of laughs.

After that, I gave Tansy some water and was grooming her when the phone rang. IT WAS HER RAISERS! Eeee! Unfortunately I couldn’t answer the phone because I was chasing a runaway doggie toothpaste tube.

When I managed to skype them, they said they wanted to meet with me on Friday and possibly see Tansy before graduation.

Hmmm I think I may be able to go with them to dinner, but legally I don’t think I can take Tansy since technically she hasn’t graduated. Will have to figure out logistics.

I don’t think I mentioned this but Tansy is the first puppy they raised. Wow. I know Trix was her raiser’s second, but she’s the first dog that graduated. Hmmm I’m always getting to be people’s first. Hope I don’t break them lol. Well I didn’t break Trix’s raisers so this is good.

I think I managed to write everything down.

Oh I finally found out the reason for why they say booties on the rear paws on escalators. I guess dogs are more likely to get their front paws out of the way, but they’re less aware of their back feet.

Oh one more thing before I fall down. As we pulled into campus, Tansy tried to put her front paws up on the van window as if she wanted to climb out. Why? She saw her primary trainer again. If this is what she does for her, what will she do for her raisers?

Oh and I fail at practical jokes but we all know this. Adam had to pick up Danielle and said “Let’s play a joke on her and tell her we had a horrible afternoon.” So I’m desperately trying to think of a tale to create and all I could come up with was “Some kids laughed at our dogs and their booties.” Yes, I fail.

Ok screwing off for real this time.

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4 Comments

  1. Hmmm, you could have said a pack of wild dogs came out of no where and Adam had to go all ninja on them to protect the guide dogs.

    Yay for raisers first pup! Jayden was his raisers first too. It seems like there’s a lot more freedom staying in the hotel than there was in the dorm, or maybe there was just as much freedom but I was too exhausted to partake haha!

    Two more days of training, wow!

  2. Carin, have you mentioned to anyone my concern about the lack of color contrast between a black dog and a dark brown harness? I so wish there were some way to make the fact that Tansy is a working dog more obvious to drivers and pedestrians alike. I know that wouldn’t help morons, but it might help the rest of us!

  3. Ro, that would have been awesome lol. I told my classmates and they laughed. Yeah I dunno. I remember groups of classmates ordering food but I think that since class is smaller, it’s easier for us to move as one unit.

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