Click! Suki learns to Find an Empty Seat

The three dogs (from top counterclockwise: Sunny, Suki, and Petel

ٍSince Thursday the weather has changed, and heavy rains have fallen all over the country. We were issued raincoats and the dog feeding and brushing room at the end of the hallway is now equipped with plenty of towels for drying off wet doggie paws. It is well known that when it is pouring rain outside dogs take a particularly long time when going out to do their business, as you stand holding the leash and getting soaked!

Since the pecan grove is now a flooded soggy mess, we have had to postpone the free run until things dry out and Ami demonstrated the fascinating technique of clicker training. Instead of issuing a command and then forcing the dog to perform, this technique is based upon enforcing desired behavior with a click from a clicker held in your hand and then immediately rewarding the dog with food. The dog soon learns to associate behavior-click-reward and will want to repeat the desired behavior. When the behavior has been learned, you then add the command. There is, of ocurse, a lot more to it, but that's it in a nutshell.

We started off teaching the dogs to find an empty seat. After several bungled attempts at the sequence of presenting my fist to Suki, clicking when she nuzzled it, and then rewarding her with a tidbit from a pouch hidden behind my back, I was then told to place my fist on the couch, and to click the clicker and give her a reward when she placed her nose on my fist on the couch. The next stages were to teach Suki to approach the couch, and, finally, with the harness on, to lead me to the couch. After that Someone sat in the empty place. At first Suki insisted upon still leading me to the same place, but she soon learned to find an empty spot and led me to it! I added the command "chair" and we were set. Suki had learned something new. You can use this technique to teach a guide dog to lead you to a vacant chair, a garbage can, an ATM machine, a mailbox - just about anything – on command! All three dogs were excited and eager, thumping their tails as the others went through the learning process.

More introductions to friends: Jane, Bill, Shelly, Hali, and Debbie came to visit with presents of a cake for me and a package of chewies for Suki. Within a short time Debbie and Jane were on the floor stroking Suki, who slept blissfully through most of the visit. It seems she is a bit more hesitant with meeting new men: she gazed at Bill hesitantly at first, then when I led her to him began to wag her tail and be more friendly.

A White Dog on a Dark Street

It was thrilling to introduce Suki to my parents for the first time. She sat down in front of them and solemnly gazed at them quietly, seemingly observing them carefully as each tentatively checked the other out. By the end of the afternoon all were friends and Suki was thumping her tail and being patted on her head. I led Suki through the obstacle courses while my father photographed her progress with a video camera, even documenting the one mistake she made and my calling her back to repeat the obstacle she had missed: the four-foot-high horizontal bar that she can pass under, but which she forgets that I cannot.

Suki soon made up for that mistake in the evening walk that we took through Rehovot after dark. For an hour we walked down crowded streets, narrow passageways, and crossed busy intersections.
I found myself walking down a dark street unable to see where I was going. All my instincts screamed at me to slow down or I would bump into something, but suddenly the realization came: I have a guide dog. I don't have to be afraid of walking in the dark any more. I can trust her. Unable to trust my own vision on the dark at all on the dark, crowded street, I had no choice – everything was in Suki's hands (or, more accurately, Suki's eyes). I did not see the phone booth, the motorcycle parked on the sidewalk, or many of the dozens of other obstacles that we walked past. They were reported by my classmates who made comments each time we met up and compared notes. I would have never been able to manage the narrow piece of sidewalk where there was not even room for Suki and me to walk side by side. I felt tearful as we stood at the next corner waiting for Ami to give us the next instructions of the route. I realized that the idea had finally sunk in that I could trust Suki implicitly even when I could not see at all. It had taken a walk at night in order to drive that idea home, and I felt teary-eyed as I praised this wonderful creature, and hopes she would soon learn to trust me as much as I now trusted her.

Ups and Downs

After tackling the city bus yesterday morning, it was now time to tackle the mall and moving stairs. I had read on the Internet that it was dangerous to take a guide dog on an escalator. Nightmares of doggie claws getting caught in the cracks between the steps had me feeing rather jittery as I stood at the feet of the escalator in the mall with Ami. I was soon to learn that - just like the simulated traffic hazards - Suki could handle it, and my fears would be assuaged.

I will begin with saying that I hate malls. The brightly lit and noisy space, the . white floors and glass doors and the bright flashing lights present a jumble of confusing and wearying surroundings. People mill around, loudspeakers and music blare, and it is all disorienting. I usually want to leave as quickly as possible. Ami and I entered the mall and he produced an old-fashioned key with a circle at one end and a flat tab at the other - this was the shape of the layout of the mall that I could hold and feel. I now had a layout of the mall in my head and knew where I was going. He pointed to the place where the cylinder of the key joined the circle. "Here's where the escalator is." ."

When we got there Ami explained how to make sure the escalator was moving in the right direction by checking out the direction the handrail was moving, then drop the handle of Suki's harness, hold the leash close, and step onto the moving stairs with the dog. I put a foot forward, and off we went. Suki stood next to me on the stair and as we ascended and approached the top I inserted a hand through the top of Suki's harness like grabbing a suitcase. Just before we reached the end of the the escalator I lifted Suki up slightly off the ground into the air - just enough to allow her front paws to safely clear the dreaded crack where the steps disappear underneath! That was all there was to it. We got off and Suki received the praise she deserved.
The dogs have been trained to love moving stairs by being encouraged with tidbits and rewards each time they ride them, and they are now eager to get on one at any time. It seemed that for Suki it was like going on the roller coaster at an amusement park - lots of fun! We rode back down and then up again, paraded around the second floor of the mall, and settled down in a coffee hshop to wait for the others.

Moral of the story: You can't learn swimming by correspondence, and you can't learn to work with a guide dog on the Internet! Not everything you read about them is true.

Wheeling and Dealing - Riding the Bus!

Crowded busses are no holiday and are even more of an adventure iwth a guide dog. After reviewing the various problems of riding busses, we set out for Rehovot to give it a go. Every problem that we discussed was there to be dealt with: the driver stopped the bus far from the sidewalk, forcing us to descend into the road before getting on. Disregarding Suki and her harness slung over my shoulder, the driver insisted upon seeing my certificate (for those of you living abroad, blind passengers ride busses for free). I then sat down in a seat that was given to me by a particularly nice woman, but found myself having to choose between having Suki sit with me and deal with the grumblings of the old man next to me "Ahem ahem, a dog on a bus? why? Why?” etc) and having Suki block the crowded aisle. It all seemed a bit hectic, but we managed to get off, get back up onto the sidewalk, and make our way back to the coffee shop. This afternoon we hit the mall in Rishon LeTzion!

Several interesting tips: Bet you never knew:
If your dog is dripping wet and you have to enter a store, bus, taxi, etc., and you don't want her to shake herself off all over the people inside, blow gently into the dog's ear or face while still outside and - Presto! - the dog will shake herself off!

When going through revolving doors, check whether the doors are turning clockwise or counter-clockwise. If clockwise, keep the dog on your left as usual. If counter-clockwise, enter with the dog on your right so that there will be room for the dog in the wider part of the cell.

When entering a bus stop, command the dog to sit. This will prevent her from assuming the role of street cleaner and neatly vacuuming up the crumbs, candy wrappers, sunflower seed shells, cigarette butts, and other residue people leave on the ground in bus stops.

What I learned the hard way after Suki’s leash inadvertently became unclipped from her collar:: Never let go of Suki's leash in he hallway. She will go streaking down the hall into the feeding and grooming room hoping to find the food container open and waiting!

Suki Deals with Israeli Drivers

I got out of the car in Yavneh today with more than a bit of apprehension. Today we were to practice the fine art of dealing with drivers who surprise you by suddenly pulling out of driveways, drive across crosswalks, and leave you and your dog unprepared. Another member of the staff joined us in a separate car and coordinated these "surprises" with Ami by walkie-talkie.

We began cruising down the sidewalk and as I approached a driveway the "dummy" car suddenly approrached and cut in front of us. Suki stopped on a dime! Ten points.

We then continued to a crosswalk, where I was told to deliberately give Suki a wrong command as the car approached. Ami gave me a tap on the shoulder as the car reached a point about three meters to my left.

Suki, Kadima…Suki stood her ground as the car passed us by. Twenty points.

The next exercise had me cross a street with a traffic island in the middle, stop, and then stop out into the second half of the road as a car approached. Halfway across the car hove into view and Suki stopped dead in the middle of the road, preventing me from entering the car's path. Thirty points for Suki!

Towards the end of the route the car not only pulled into a driveway, but also stopped directly in front of us, blocking our path down the sidewalk. When the motor stopped I commanded Suki to go forward and she neatly led me around the obstacle. She chalked up a hundred points or more in the entire exercise, performing perfectly every time.

When we returned to the center and had fed and groomed the dogs we were treated to a short ride through the fields on a tandem bicycle. Volunteers ride with blind people and go on outings around the country. The ride was relatively short since it was quite hot, and I am afraid Udi did most of the work, but it was thrilling to go speeding (quite fast) through the surroundings fields whizzing up and down hills.

A note about the new hybrid cars: these are a true hazard for people wno do not see well as well as for people who do. The new cars are extremely quiet and are considered ecologically advantageous because of this, but a car that approaches a pedestrian quietly at high speed is a true danger for those of us who rely more on our ears to assess approaching traffic! Equipping these cars with some gadget that makes artificial noise would help a lot.

We have been told to keep in mind that the dogs are trained to do this, but we cannot solely depend on them to judge, and have to be extra careful.

A taste of Real Life

We are now one week into the course and it is hard to believe how much we have already learned. There is so much to learn and so many tasks to perform, but little by little I am getting used to working with a guide dog. During the last two days we have done walks with obstacles deliberately placed across the sidewalks. These include various structures that Ami builds with poles, rubber cones, and branches. Signs are placed next to these contraptions that say "Guide Dogs in Trainins" so that other pedestrians who encounter these things will know what is going on.) Suki approaches these roadblocks, stops, explores them, and turns around in a circle leading me back and around to face the obstacle again as if to say, "Can't get through here, let's find another way." In real life these tricks are meant to deal with cars parked on the sidewalk, piles of prunings, building sites or broken sidewalks, etc. I then turn Suki into the road (if there is no traffic), walk out, and then tell her to get back on the sidewalk as soon as she can. It is amazing what she can do!

Friday afternoon we were treated to a simple two kilometer walk along a straight sidewalk. Moshe, Liron, and I set out one after the other and Ami drove back and forth alongside in the car to check if we were OK. Suki and I cruised along with no tasks ahead but to simply walk along the straight route. When I got to the end there was Ami, cheering and slapping everyone on the back at the finish line.

It was then time to introduce Suki to the family. We were told to first greet our guests and then bring the dog outside in order to avoid too much excitement. Suki greeted Yael and Rotem sitting neatly before them, tail wagging. We then took a walk around the campus and Rotem explored the obstacle courses and the maze in the pegan grove. The promised game of checkers was then played in the lounge.

I am beginning to imagine what life will be like with Suki at home: taking her on walks, going to town, getting on trains (at this point this seems terrifying, but we will be taught how to do that as well). Suki will be on stage with me at Jacob's Ladder in December for sure!

It is rapidly becoming obvious how intelligent this dog is. Suki now knows that if I remove her leach and collar from the wall, she sits waiting for me to put her collar on. I don't even need to command her to stay still. Yesterday she all but walked into her harness when I held it in front of her. I am sure she could learn to find a bench, a seat, garbage cans, an ATM machine (though I think I'll have to continue to punch in the code). She is, after all, only a dog.

The First Week

We are now one week into the course and it is hard to believe how much we have already learned. There is so much to learn and so many tasks to perform, but little by little I am getting used to working with a guide dog. During the last two days we have done walks with obstacles deliberately placed across the sidewalks. These include various structures that Ami builds with poles, rubber cones, and branches. (Signs are placed next to these contraptions that say "Guide Dogs in Training" so that other pedestrians who encounter these things will know what is going on.) Suki approached these roadblocks, stopped, explored them, and turned around in a circle leading me back and around to face the obstacle again as if to say, "Can't get through here, let's find another way." In real life these tricks are meant to deal with cars parked on the sidewalk, piles of prunings, building sites or broken sidewalks, etc. I would then turn Suki into the road (if there is no traffic), walk out, and then tell her to get back on the sidewalk as soon as she can. It is amazing what she can do!

Friday afternoon we were treated to a simple two kilometer walk along a straight sidewalk. Moshe, Liron, and I set out one after the other and Ami drove back and forth alongside in the car to check if we were OK. Suki and I cruised along with no tasks ahead but to simply walk along the straight route. When I got to the end there was Ami, cheering and slapping everyone on the back at the finish line.

It was then time to introduce Suki to the family. We were told to first greet our guests and then bring the dog outside in order to avoid too much excitement. Suki greeted Yael and Rotem sitting neatly before them, tail wagging. We then took a walk around the campus and Rotem explored the obstacle courses and the maze in the pegan grove. The promised game of checkers was then played in the lounge.

I am beginning to imagine what life will be like with Suki at home: taking her on walks, going to town, getting on trains (at this point this seems terrifying, but we will be taught how to do that as well). Suki will be on stage with me at Jacob's Ladder in December for sure!

It is rapidly becoming obvious how intelligent this dog is. Suki now knows that if I remove her leach and collar from the wall, she sits waiting for me to put her collar on. I don't even need to command her to stay still. Yesterday she all but walked into her harness when I held it in front of her. I am sure she could learn to find a bench, a seat, garbage cans, an ATM machine (though I think I'll have to continue to punch in the code). She is, after all, only a dog.

My Dog Suki!

I am now sitting in the students' lounge in Beit Oved with Suki at my feet relaxing after a morning's walk and training session. When I arrived on Sunday I was shown my former room and got unpacked, waiting eagerly for the moment when Ami would enter and give Suki to me.

There are three people on this course: Moshe, who was on the previous course with me who now has Sunny, and Litron, a young lawyer from Tel Aviv who has Petel, the dog I had on the short evaluation course.

The first meeting was largely about legal matters oregarding the contract that each guide dog owner has with the Center and the legal obligations of each side. Stories of lost dogs that had been retrieved quickly, others that had not, and other tales made me realize what a valuable piece of doggie I am being given on a permanent loan.

Ami then issued each of us a new leather dog harness and a plastic bag with a collar, leash, brush, whistle, and other supplies that we will need. This was almost as exciting as getting the dog - it was really beginning to happen.

The next morning after breakfast we were told to go to our rooms and prepare to receive our dogs. I waited with what I can only describe as pure excitement. There was a knock on the door.

"Yes, Ami!"

Ami entered with Suki, detached her from the leash and Suki walked into the room. I reached out for her for the first time.

"Bracha, here's Suki. Good luck!"

Shaking with excitement, I hugged Suki and stroked her lovely fur. She is what I describe as French vanilla ice cream colored, with slightly darker ears and a feathery tail. I soon had two front paws on my shoulders and a wet tongue licking my face. (The jumping up will have to be discouraged, but for the moment I did what we had been told and gave her only affection, with no discipline.

Days here are spent doing two walks in town, walking the obstacle courses on campus, lectures, and other activities. There never seems to be a dull moment. I can still hardly believe that this beautiful dog who has been so wonderfully trained to lead me through the streets - even blindfolded - is really mine.

Waiting for Suki

It is hard to keep from counting the days until October 18th. I have lots to do to get ready to leave home for almost three weeks, but time seems to crawl by. Stacks of clothes, lists of things to do before I leave, people I have to notify that I will not be here for three weeks, the house, the dogs, the plants: all have to be tended to.

I know there will be a lot of issues to be dealt with. My two dogs, Saoirse and Nuala, are going to be v e r y jealous of a new dog that is allowed to go everywhere with me. They will have to be given an extra dose of TLC every day. I will have to approach my usual taxi stand, the swimming pool, the beach, restaurants, stores. I hope they will not make problems, and if they do, they will have to be talked to quietly and patiently. (Guide dogs must be allowed in these places by law, but, as with many things, the law is one thing and what happens on the ground is another.)

Walking around with a cane is, to say the least, not to my liking. Despite the disorientation and confusion of walking through Nahariya at night, I can do without the people calling out to me when they see me in the street waiting for the light to change, the woman who grabbed my arm crossing the street, etc, the crowd at the train station in Tel Aviv who called to me as I approached a bus stop: “Yamina, geveret, Yamina!” (Right, lady. right!) as if I were a soccer player charging down the field with the ball and my route is going to determine whether the team wins the game! They mean well, but I am looking forward to not having people constantly treating me as an exhibition and assuming I need help even when I don’t ask for it. I have a strong feeling that with a dog things will be different. I imagine Suki with me everywhere I go. A big improvement.

I am very aware that there will be things in my routine that I will have to give up or change. No more hour swims far out in the sea: leaving a dog on the beach for an hour and swimming far out, as I did today will no longer be possible. I will have to reserve long swims for times when there is someone on the beach to sit with Suki, or take her into the water for a short paddle in the shallows instead!

Meanwhile, the deliberations continue within Machsom Watch regarding the Machsom Watcher with a dog…. Several of the women see no problem in my taking a dog with me to stand at the checkpoints. I cannot leave Suki home, and I know that this will be perhaps one of the things I will have to “give up” for a guide dog. I would hate to leave, but the last thing I want to do is to scare or upset people or make them feel uneasy by having a dog near them. Palestinians have enough to contend with at the checkpoints as it is. Moslems relate to dogs more or less the way Jews relate to pigs, and there is also the added “bonus” that people are accustomed to dogs are used at checkpoints being used to sniff out people’s cars, which is very upsetting. People are told to remove any food or any copies of the Koran from the car before the dogs are allowed to jump into the vehicle – sometimes with muddy paws, which the handlers care little or nothing about.

Whatever happens, it will all be worth it. I can hardly wait for Suki to be mine. I still don’t know what I have done to deserve this lovely gentle creature, but I guess I am very lucky.