Après Moi le Deluge!:

Hoping to get Suki out for a well-deserved run, I looked hesitantly at the dark clouds coming in from the west and decided to chance it. And determined to outwit my increasingly cunning golden retriever who is beginning to make an automatic left turn for the basketball court rather than go straight, I decided to go to pick up the mail first and then go for a run.

I was lucky I made that choice. As we ascended the steps to the grocery store and mailboxes, the skies opened up and within seconds a noisy and drenching downpour began. Suki stood in fascination, watching as sheets of rain poured down, and everyone came outside to watch as all the drainage ditches filled up and became rushing torrents.

“Sorry, Suki. No run today.” It was more than ten minutes before we were able to think about walking home again. We returned home with Suki determinedly shaking herself every few meters to attempt to rid herself of the drops still clinging to her fur. I couldn’t resist photographing her standing on the edge of our bridge: the noisy rushing water just slightly below the edge. A few more centimeters and we will be washed out!

Tipping the Scales at 32 Kilo 200 Grams

We had a big day yesterday: our first real visit to the vet for a shot. I didn’t really mind half as much as Bracha thought I would. She told me I had to have it so that I wouldn’t get sick.
First of all, the vet gave me a treat. That already started me off on good rapport with him. Then he gave me the shot, but Bracha held me and stroked me, so I knew everything would be OK. Then I got another treat from Bracha afterwards. So, by my reckoning, two treats was worth that little pin prick.

Then I got weighed. Wow! I gained a little more than two kilo since I left Beit Oved. That’s OK because I think I looked and felt a little thin and stressed out after those three weeks of hard work on the course. And maybe a bit is due to those avocados I keep stealing off the ground whenever I get a chance. They are irresistible, but er, I don’t think they’re very good for me because sometimes I feel a bit sick after I eat them. But I guess I’ve still got my girlish figure because people keep telling me I’m pretty. Goodness knows, I love to eat, but I don’t want to get fat! Who needs a fat guide dog?

I guess I really have a weakness for food. And the clicker. Bracha even got me to go past the corner where I thought I saw/smelled that ??? again. I kept stopping every few meters because I really didn’t want to go, run in the green field or no run, but Bracha kept coaxing me on with a click and a treat until suddenly we were in the middle of the green field again. Than Bracha let me run. I still don’t like the ??? but I guess with enough persuasion and of course, tidbits, I can forget about it and keep walking. But Bracha knows that I really, really, don’t like that flat wagon with the men on it and the buckets of funny green fruit and all those barking dogs. There are too many of them. And they all speak Thai.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Bracha got that idea of using the clicker on me when I pull the sit-down-and-don’t- budge maneuver from Ami. Bracha knows darn well she can’t move 32 kilo of golden retriever that is glued to the ground with concrete without the clicker. Ami could use a clicker to get me to do just about anything – even go up and down escalators for the first time!

And am I ever glad he did. I love them.

The Solution: Click!

After numerous instances of what I have begun to call the frozen dog episodes in which S|Uki freezes and will not move, I decided to consult with Ami. I described to him the numerous incidents in which Suki refuses to budge - all of them in Ben Ami where she evidently encounters a lot of things that she is not familiar with from her previous trainins and life with her foster family in Tel Aviv. Some of these I have not been able to identify : others such as the yard full of dogs and a wagon with buckets of anona fruits sitting on our road, are very obvious and Suki does not want to approach them.

Not surprisingly, Ami suggested that I work with the clicker and coax Suki to move forward, using positive reinforcement of the hand signal - a circular movement with a fist extended with a piece of food inside. So we set out in the direction of the green field again. This time I was determined to get Suki to go in and have a run.

At the corner Suki balked and would not turn right towards the field. It took about a half dozen clicks to get her to progress towards the entrance to the field. There she stopped and balked again. It took another half dozen clidks and rewards, short walks forward and praise and rewards, to get her far enough into the field to put on her collar, unclip her leash and harness and let her go. Suki ran happily in the field, once in a while spinning about to assess her surroundings, and she got her run. Hopefully that will be positive reinforcement enough to get her to go back there again.

So once again the clicker proves its worth. Ami also told me that three months after the end of the course they pay another home visit to see how things are going. We'll see what we have to show them by then.

A White Dog in a Green Field

Note: this is one of the pictures taken by Nurit Teitelman a year ago. Suki moves far too fast for me to follow her with my camera!

I think we are very fortunate to live on a moshav where there are so many places to run. I don't mean the basketball court: I mean the big open fields. Yesterday we went to a big empty field far from the road and I got to run free. There was high green grass and some nettles but I didn't mind because it was so much fun just to run back and forth as fast as I can. Occasionally I would come running back to Bracha and Barbi just to assure them that I knew where they were and that they were not lost in the field, and Bracha would give me a pat and a treat and send me off running again.

Today Bracha took me back to the big field again. I know she meant to let me go free again, but there was a ??? there and there was no way I was gonna go in, run or no run. I know Bracha was disappointed, but I don't think it was only the dog barking in the house next to the field that made me sit down and refuse to go. I hope Bracha will take me back there again when the ??? is not there any more. I would really like to run and leap in that field again.

Disappointed, I turned Suki around and headed home. Again, I saw nothing close enough for me to see that I could attribute as being the reason for Suki balking at the beginning of the field. Horses? An animal? A strange smell? Sorry, Suki, no run today. Your loss. Maybe some time we'll figure it out. But I will take you back there again.

If Only Bracha Knew...

The way I look at it, lots of people like dogs. In fact, they all seem to have had one. And they all seem to have had one “just like me”. I don’t understand how this can be. Lots of people come up to us and talk, and it usually goes like this:
- Oh, what a pretty dog. (in masculine! I"m a GIRL!)
- Actually, it’s a she….
- Oh, what a pretty dog! (This time in feminine). She’s a Labrador, right?
- No, she’s a golden retriever.
- Oh, I have a dog just like that.

How can everyone claim to have a dog just like me? Especially when they tell me that their dog behaves badly, barks, begs at the table, destroys things in the house, and all kinds of other things that I learned not to do ages ago. And if they have a dog just like me, how come they think I’m a Labrador like Sunny? Makes me wonder…and they all say their dog is terribly fat. Why don’t they make sure their dogs keep their trim figure like me?

Then come the other questions:
- Are you training her?
- -no, she’s my guide dog.
- Can I pet her?
- Please don’t. We’re about to cross the street and she’s working. Petting her disturbs her concentration. (Boy, does it ever! I’ve enough trouble trying to keep my mind off that little barking mouse on the corner and that piece of bread on the sidewalk without being distracted by people petting me on the head, making silly noises, and waving their hands in front of my eyes when I’m trying to look where we’re going.)

Hey, I thought "Aroma" coffeehouses were only for people, but I guess this one’s mainly for guide dogs because there’s a water bowl right outside for dogs to drink. Today the bowl for dogs outside was empty, but a nice man came to our table and brought me the bowl all filled up and held it for me while I drank. Then a lady brought coffee for Bracha, too. That was really nice of her to remember that Bracha was with me and wanted a drink, too!

I know that I am very good: getting on and off busses and trains is old hat by now and we do it like pros. Yesterday I stopped at every curb, walked nicely, evaded pedestrians, even found the way around a big scary truck that was blocking the entire sidewalk, and best of all, I decided to find our place on the bus even without being asked. I saw an empty seat and I turned right into it and lay down on the floor. Bracha praised me no end.

At the pool Bracha put me outside on an old towel in the sun with a brand new bone, and I was so happy that I didn’t even notice that she had left me and was swimming in the water again.

But that ????? at the gate of the moshav is freaking me out. When it’s there I just can’t get myself to keep going, and yesterday I sat down in the road, but Bracha said firmly that this was no place to sit and that it was dangerous, scolded me, grabbed my harness and made me go forward and get back up on the sidewalk. I was really sorry. It’s just too much to handle. After all, I may be well-trained and smart, but underneath it I’m only a dog.

If only Bracha knew what was there. Then she’d understand.

The Mystery Lurking at the Gate

Suki has been becoming easier and easier to work with. We seem to be moving closer and closer to being that “team” that everyone talks about. She anticipates many things: she leads me to the bench at bus stops, and yesterday we boarded a bus and before I could tell her to move into an empty seat, she found one, turned into it, and lay down on the floor. We have been to the pet store near Yael’s house only once, but when I approached it to buy a small sack of dog food to keep at Yael’s house, she pulled towards it eagerly. No doubt that in addition to remembering the location of the store, she also remembered the treats that the owner had given me for her. For Suki, food is a great incentive.

Suki’s great love for escalators - encouraged by Ami’s positive reinforcement during her training - has only increased with time. Each time we approach one, she eagerly pulls towards it, and stands on the metal plate in anticipation. Then we step on and the tail starts wagging as she gazes at the view of the ground below dropping away as we ascend. If she could, she’s shout “Wheeeeee!” She’s like a kid on a merry-go-round at an amusement park. She does, however, have a mind of her own, as I was warned when I asked what it would be like to have a golden retriever as a guide dog. She attempts to go places that she likes such as the basketball court or the pet store, the bakery (maybe she likes the smell and is hoping for a tidbit) and turns reluctantly away when cued to go elsewhere. I’m sure these places are well-etched into Suki’s mind.

However, there is something at the gate in the entrance to Ben Ami that makes Suki pull the “I won’t go” stunt. She actually sat down and refused to move. Since she did this on the side of the highway there was no way we could remain there, and I had to grab her harness and pull her up until we reached the safety of the sidewalk. This is obviously not acceptable, but there is something there that is spooking her. I have decided I will have to go there with a person who can see what is going on and maybe we can figure out what is bothering her.

30 Kilo of Golden Retriever Won't Budge

Yesterday the rain that had been falling incessantly for two days finally stopped, and I decided it was time to get out for a couple of good long walks. Eager to see the river after so much rain, I set out up our road towards the river. I had never taken Suki all the way up the road before because the last time I had tried it two strange dogs had come out and barked at us, and Suki had refused to go further.

Hoping for better results this time, we passed the four obnoxious pinchers at the corner who yapped at us as we passed. We then approached a house where there are no less than seven dogs behind a fence, and that was it. Suki did one of her dog statue things: she stood resolutely in place, and refused to go further.

"Suki, kadima." No go.

"Suki, yashar!" Still no go.

Forward leash correction and yet another command. Still no go.

I turned Suki around and tried a second approach. Suki went a bit further, realized what I was trying to do, and sat down firmly on the road.

I decided to try the tactic that my friend Carol had described that is sometimes effective with reluctant horses: I extended a dog treat in front of Suki and once again commanded her to go forward. Nope. She would go no further, and not even food would persuade her. She was evidently scared of those dogs, who were now all barking hysterically, either for her sake or mine. It seemed we had reached an impasse.

I turned Suki around and headed back down the road. Instead we went to the big green field on the other side of the moshav. Who am I to argue with 30 kilo of determined golden retriever?

I know that in principle it is not good to be in a situation where you have to give in to a dog. However, I saw no reason to fight this out with her. I do not have the physical strength to make her budge, and I would not have been able to move her forward without exerting harsh measures. I saw no point. If Suki thought those dogs would do me harm, than she was doing her job. And if she thought they will do her harm, well, she is a guide dog, but underneath that she is, after all, a dog.

"Take her hand and show her..." Oh, come on...

It’s all wet outside! For the last two days that water has kept coming down from the sky, and no matter how hard I shake myself it won’t stop. I keep looking back to see if Bracha will get the hint and do something to make it stop, but I guess she can’t. But it’s nice afterwards when we come home because she dries my back, tummy, and paws off and then I curl up and go to sleep.

Hooray! We went to the basketball court again anyway! There was no way I was gonna spend another day cooped up without a good run. I found something marvelous to play with over there, too: an old deflated basketball. Boy, did I have a great time! Every time Bracha called me and said “tnee” I dropped it at her feet and she made that clicking sound, praised me, and gave me a treat.

Then we went to Tzvi and I located the dowar as usual and put my nose right on the mailbox, and I got praised again, and Bracha was proud of me. Bracha tricked someone into thinking I understand those little squiggly marks on the mailboxes. She told them I knew our box was number 151. Psst! I don’t. It’s just that I know where our box is among all the boxes. Bracha opened it and there was a piece of paper in there and we went inside to get a registered letter.

Inside there was a lady holding forth and complaining to Tzvi about something or other, and we had to wait quietly and patiently until she finally started winding down. Bracha gave the piece of paper to Tzvi and he gave her the letter. Than he asked her to sign a piece of paper saying she had gotten the letter.
Bracha said, “Show me where to sign, Tzvi. I can’t see it.” So Tzvi took his pen and made an “X” near the little box where she was supposed to sign. Bracha tried to put the pen next to the X, but it was difficult for her to find the right place. Tzvi asked if Bracha wanted him to sign instead, but before Bracha could answer, suddenly the woman who had been complaining piped up again.

“No,” she said. “Take her hand and show her the right place.”

I didn’t understand why she didn’t talk to Bracha instead of telling Tzvi what to do. It was almost as if for her Bracha was a piece of furniture and not a real person and others have to speak for her and tell her what to do because she isn’t smart. It was creepy, like she saw me and assumed that because Bracha has a guide dog she also can’t hear or think for herself. (Let me tell you, I can’t even quietly chomp on a stolen avocado in the orchard without getting caught because no matter how quietly I chew, Bracha hears me and takes it away!)

Anyway, sure enough, it seemed that Bracha didn’t like her attitude at all, because she asked the lady, “Would you please speak to me directly? I don’t see very well, but I CAN hear.”

The lady must have felt just like I did when I got caught snitching the cookie off the coffee table the other day, because she didn’t answer and scuttled out the door in an awfully big hurry. Then Bracha told Tzvi she was tired of looking for the little box where she had to sign on the paper, and could he just sign it for her please? Evidently that’s what Bracha wanted in the first place. It seemed to me that was the smartest thing to do.

Then we left and walked home a new way down a street where there were lots of concrete blocks and parked cars, and I had to maneuver between them. And I know I did a good job.

It's Raining Cats and Dogs!

As they say, it is raining cats an dogs. This saying evidently comes from times when people had thatched roofs and if it rained hard enough, the dogs and cats who would sleep on the roof of the house, would fall into the house as the sodden thatch gave way under their weight.

Keeping an active young dog cooped up in the house in inclement weather is about as difficult as keeping small children occupied when they cannot go outside to play. Yesterday it poured all day, and today doesn’t look much better. Leaving aside our dire need for rain, it’s rough. We managed a couple of walks to the grocery store and back, and Suki longingly pulled towards the basketball court, but I quickly cued her to turn left and go back home. It was already drizzling again and the basketball court was no doubt a lake. Suki continually stopped to shake herself off and looked at me as if to say, “Can’t you do something about all this water coming down on me?” The front yard is good for kayaking and I wonder if the bridge at the end of our path will be washed out. Suki roams the house, engaging in occasional fits of running about. I kept her occupied with her favorite toy and bone and even did a couple of discipline lessons with her. I also taught her to present her paw and shake hands – just for fun. Later friends came to light Hanukah candles, and the children spoiled Suki and gave her a lot of attention. That even deterred her from the doughnuts on the table!


Last night was a three-dog night as described by the Aborigines – so cold you have to sleep with three dogs! Not only was it cold, but even Nuala, who usually likes to sleep outside, begged to come in from the downpour and try and get away from the thunder.

It's MY Party!

Well, Bracha told me it was my birthday. So naturally I assumed that, the whole party yesterday was for ME. The moment I walked into the room I saw that whole table filled with cakes, cookies, and doughnuts, and as far as I was concerned, it was my birthday party and all those people and all those goodies were there to celebrate for ME! So I did what was natural: I went up and grabbed a cookie. You can imagine my surprise when Bracha shouted a firm "No!" and took the cookie away and made me settle down in a corner. It then turned out that it was Hilla's birthday, too. But I was nevertheless treated nicely and petted and enjoyed myself, and I remembered my nice new bed at home. SO Happy birthday Hilla! We were born on the same day! And I hope you enjoyed the cakes!

Happy Birthday Suki!

The day that we met we were both scared and shy.
You looked a bit anxious, and hey, so was I!
You sat down beside me for the very first time.
I reached out to hold you and knew
That those long days of waiting were through.

So we walked in the sun and we walked in the rain
Through the gray city streets and down green country lanes.
We hiked on the sand dunes, we walked through the fields.
You led me and showed me the way
And I’m so glad that you’re here to stay.

Many paths lie before us through darkness and light.
But if you’re here beside me than I’ll be all right.
We’ll stride forth together towards what lies ahead.
We’ll work as a team, you and me
And we’ll learn what true friendship can be.

Now some people sing about fair weather friends
And others sing ballads of love when it ends
But we’ll stay together through thick and through thin.
When the going gets rough, you’ll be there
To stick close by my side everywhere.

So walk on beside me as we go on our way
Through the dark rainy nights
And the bright sunny days.
You’re my steadfast companion,
My friend and my guide
And I’ll always be happy with you by my side.

Suki,
Today you are two years old. Of those two years you have only spent the past two months with me, but it seems we already know each other pretty well and I can’t imagine what things were like without you .
Things were a lot simpler without a dog with me all the time, Getting on busses, getting into taxis, setting out without all the paraphernalia I need to get you through the day, entering turnstiles, revolving doors, elevators. People would leave me alone on the train. Now, as Ariieh z”l said, “Everyone wants to pet my dog.”

And things were a lot harder. I walk faster, I could have never manipulated myself through the dark streets strewn with motorcycles, curbs, pedestrians, and poles, not to mention those damn concrete hemispherical globes they insist upon putting on the sidewalks – without you. You are more than worth all the work and care and hassle that goes into working with a guide dog!

The nice soft cushy dog bed was delivered together with the sack of dog food yesterday, and I think you deserve it. You work hard, and goodness knows you’ll continue to work hard, and you need a nice comfortable bed to get onto at the end of the day.

Yesterday we went to the first meeting of the Israeli Association of the Blind Assisted by Guide dogs. The entire room was filled with dozens of dogs, and Yael and Rotem, entering at the end to pick me up, were totally amazed. But in my unbiased opinion you were the prettiest dog there – even the lovely black poodle Chetz (Arrow) whom I met with his striking lion haircut and his lovely owner Oriah, wasn’t half as pretty. But that’s my unbiased opinion.

So I am looking forward to many years together, Suki. I promise to take good care of you and you take good care of me and we’ll go far.

It sort of seems like any other day, but Bracha says its my birthday. I remember being with my foster family and with Ami, but I guess this is home now. That’s why I break into a mad run around the house every time we come back from one of our trips. I guess I just want to let my energy out after working all day and I’m glad to be back home.
Bracha took the fluffy bed out of its cellophane wrapper last night and put it down. She explained to me that she didn’t buy me the pink striped one because it was too small, and either my ears or my tail would be draped all over the floor.
So I’m happy with this one. At first I wasn’t sure what it was because it was so springy, but it was nice and soft. But she put it in the place where I sleep in the living room. That left me no choice but to stand and bark softly until she got the message that I wanted the bed in the bedroom next to hers where I like to sleep at night. I do like to keep an eye on things and that way I can immediately get her up in the morning when I wake up. So she moved it in there and then I curled up on it and was happy and went right to sleep.

But the best present was that Bracha wrote me a song! I’m so happy! She must love me an awful lot.

Wow, this is the life! A new bed! Thanks, Bracha!

Ugh! What a Terrible Place!

By now Suki feels at home on the train!

Ugh! What a terrible place Bracha took me to today! Everywhere we walked everyone was shouting “There’s a dog!” “Look at that dog!” (always in masculine.. when will they learn that I am a she???) You’d think they had never seen a dog before. And all the children were constantly petting me and I was startled all the time by people putting their hands all over me, even though Bracha told them to please stop and that I didn’t want to play any more. Which I did not. The whole place was filled with noise and people and flashing lights and we both hated it. The only thing good about it was that there were lots of moving stairs and I was so happy going up and down that I wagged my tail to show it. But besides that it was awful, and Bracha swore she’d never take me there again, at least not when it was Hanukah and full of children.

Later we drove to a quieter place and it seemed that the people there were not feeling well, so I put my head in their laps and wagged my tail and they petted me. They seemed to like that a lot. I hope I made them feel better..

It’s only two days till my birthday! I’ve been promised a trip to the pet store! I dropped the hint about the pink striped bed again…and I’ve promised to stop barking at the pool if I have something to, er, chew on while we are there. Get it, Bracha?


Never take a guide dog to a mall – particularly during Hanukah. There is too much noise, too many people, too many children and Suki was soon spinning around startled at people who kept trying to pet her from behind. It was impossible to fend them all off.

Later, in the rehab ward at Bnei Tzion Hospital in Haifa Suki quietly made her presence known by walking up to several wheelchair-bound patients who petted her and were delighted with her. There is nothing like a pat on a dog’s head and a wagging tail to make anyone feel better.

First Run, First Shower, and School Chauvenism

“My Dog’s Better than Your Dog”
An amusing encounter took place yesterday outside the hospital where I ran into S., a guide dog owner that I had heard about who works in the hospital. S noticed that his dog was distracted and I explained that I was passing by with another guide dog. He asked where my dog was from and when I told him he immediately embarked on a chauvinistic pep talk about how much better his dog (that came from Sasa) was and how much better trained. I coolly attributed his (supposedly) better control of his dog to the fact that he was using his second guide dog and I had been working with Suki for less than two months, told him that I had heard that both schools produce excellent dogs, and went on my way.

At the pool the life guard (a different one from the other day) insisted upon calling the manager to inquire if my dog was really allowed. When he found out she was, he immediately became friendly and said he’d keep an eye on her. He also kept an eye and gave some well deserved sharp words to an old man who shouted that dogs were not allowed and that he was going to the authorities. “No problem,” I told him. “Go ahead.” One wonders just why a dog lying quietly beside the pool is so disturbing for people. Have they nothing else to do with themselves but complain?

Free at Last!
I never thought it would happen, but I finally got to run through the fields today like Bracha promised I would if I was good. I tried really hard to make her see that I would always come back to her - including this afternoon when my leash slipped out of her hand in the yard. (I came back a little too hard and fast and Bracha fell over, but she was laughing and petted me, so I guess it was OK. Then we walked and walked to a place where there were lots of open fields and Bracha took my leash and halter off and I ran and ran! It was much more fun than the little fenced in-place. But I did get very muddy and when we got back Bracha gave me a warm shower and dried me with a towel. Then I lay down tired and happy in front of the stove and went to sleep.

When my friend Barbi showed up for an afternoon walk, I decided that this was the day I would let Suki loose in the fields. We reached the empty fields near the river where there is no traffic except for an occasional tractor, and excitedly I unclipped Suki’s leash! What followed was the sight of a happy dog racing over the furrows, leaping over the thistles, and rapidly transforming herself from a white dog to a white and brown one as Nuala and Saoirse looked on and trotted about. Once in a while Suki came back to me as she had done on the dunes in Yavneh, and I rewarded her with a treat each time and sent her running again. That was it – I had done it! But I think next time I’ll wait till the weather is a bit dryer…

What's in My Dog's Mind?

The more I work with Suki, the more I get to know her and begin to understand what goes through her head. Yesterday while working on the no-curb crossing at the end of the road again, Suki began to stop at the edge where there is no curb, but instead of standing facing the road, she insisted on turning to the right and standing in front of me. I kept pulling her around and pointing ahead. I then realized why she wanted to go that way: to the right there is a flower bed witha curb leading down to the road. Perhaps she wants me to head for the curb, which is a more logical route for her than no curb at all. She has been taught to look for curbs, but she has not been taught to avoid stepping on the flowers…

During yesterday’s play session I called Suki back to me and when she came I presented her with a treat, but she was very excited and grabbed it out of my hand too hard. I yelled “NO!”, crossed my arms, and turned my back on her for a few seconds. If a dog could begin sobbing and saying “I’m sorry, (sniff), I’m sorry!” that was what she would have done. As it was, Suki lay down, put her head on her front paws, and looked as remorseful as a dog can look.

If we reach the corner where we turn right to go to the basketball court and I give her a cue to turn left and head home instead, I can almost imagine a sigh of disappointment as she slowly resigns herself to the fact that there is no play session now and makes the left turn. .

Suki’s wagging tail and the doggie smile as she successfully leads me to a bench at the bus stop or the train station can only be an expression of happiness at being able to do her job, understand what I want and to please me. This is bolstered even more when others are looking on amazed at a dog that puts her nose on a bench when I say “Kisay!” I can almost imagine her saying, “See how smart I am. Bet your dog can’t do that.”

But the head on my knee, the eyes closing, and the sigh of contentment as we lay on the lawn at Ginnosar listening to music, says it all.

Yes, they all Get Along!

One of the most frequent questions friends ask me is: "How does Suki get along with your other dogs?" The answer is that she gets along just fine. As mentioned earlier, the Teitelman family had two other dogs, so Suki is used to living in a home with other dogs. However, it's not easy to get all three to pose for a photo...

Here are Saoirse and Suki bedded down together next to the stove on a cold rainy night.

Come on Suki...we're off to Tel Aviv again.

Mistakes and Successes

Owning a guide dog makes you aware of people’s strange ways of keeping their personal esteem when they know they have lost a fight. So it was with Yossi, the manager of the pool in Nahariya who told me I needed to write a letter asking for permission to enter with Suki, and then called me up to tell me I had been “given permission” to enter the pool with Suki.

Entering the pool today I was not hassled by the guard, and was greeted by the secretary who informed me that I had to renew my subscription. No problem. I stepped through the office door, and was told, “You know how hard Yossi fought for you?”

Riiiiiiiiight, I said to myself. What a laugh. Like a mercenary, he wants to be on the winning side. Out loud I asked what there was to fight about. I had the right to enter the pool by law from the beginning and there was no need to fight for it with anyone. No matter. I was given a discount and a very convenient payment arrangement and all was settled. And there was no way I was going to put Suki on the patio with puddles on the floor and threatening black clouds in the sky.
Today she sat next to the life guard, but unfortunately decided that an occasional bark would convince me to get out of the water. Next time I’ll have to bring her a new toy to chew on and hopefully that will keep her quiet.

Guide dogs learn to stop at every cub and wait for your command to step down into the road. Since they are “programmed” to do this literally, they have trouble understanding that there are some roads that have no curbs. This is confusing and if you are not careful you are liable to walk directly into the road without realizing it. For this reason I’ve been working with Suki on the crossing at the end of our road in Ben Ami. One side of the road has a curb. The other does not, and Suki tends to “miss” it and walk straight into the road even if I command her “straight to the curb”. Evidently a “zebra” striped crossing is not enough to signal that there is a road ahead.

We’ve also been working on locating mailboxes – not just the one where I pick up my mail (Suki knows that she has to put her nose against box number 151!) but also the red mailbox in the square in Nahariya. Today I also led her to another red mailbox in front of the post office and rewarded her with a click and a treat when she led me to that one. Eventually I hope she’ll locate any mailbox.

Next we’ll work on locating ATM machines…What word should I use to coach Suki to them? MONEY! Suki, Moooooneeeeeeee!

I guess it was a good morning though I know I goofed up a couple of times. Darn it, I keep forgetting that the place where we cross the road has no step up or down and cars come by there anyway. Why don’t they put a step there?
When we got to the swimming pool today suddenly the people were all very nice. Evidently they wanted Bracha to keep using the pool, take out that little plastic card, and pay more money. But, hey, this time I didn’t have to stay outside in the little patio, It was full of puddles. So instead Bracha tied my leash to the place where the man sits and watches the people swimming back and forth. He petted me, called me by my name, and gave me water. It was warm and dry there but then I got rather unhappy because Bracha got into that water and started swimming away! I barked and she came back and then she swam away again and I barked again. I wanted to tell her, “Either come back or let me go in the water, too!” This did not please her at all. In fact, it made her swim away again. Guess barking in the pool was a mistake.

Then I er, well, I, uh, made a mess on the sidewalk and I know that was wrong…and I had my harness on, too. We talked about it afterwards and Bracha said she would give me more time to get all of my business out of the way next time we come out of the pool and I said I’d remember to finish when I was given the opportunity. She also told me I must not bark in the pool because that makes the crabby old ladies angry and then they start the business of “This is no place for a dog…bla bla bla..."

I really do want to go swimming, though! Or get in that water where the bubbles come up…oooh!

Jig, Reels, and Soft Green Lawns

Suki sunning herself on the lawn at Ginnosar

We spent the weekend at a place where there was more water than I have ever seen before. There were boats on it and waves, and I couldn’t figure out why people kept complaining that it was smaller than it should be: it looked like an awful lot of water to me…I liked walking along the paths and up and down the little bridge that went over the river. And those lovely luscious green lawns where I spent hours lying and sleeping in the sun were lovely. Only problem was that every time I fell asleep, someone would start petting me and fussing over how pretty I am and wake me up again. And then the next morning there were people holding all kinds of strange things on their laps making that music again. I went to sleep next to Bracha’s chair, but suddenly Bracha and everyone else started stamping their feet, and I wondered what was wrong.. Bracha only stamps her foot when I make a mistake and bump her into something in the street, or when I forget to stop at a curb. Then she stamps her foot three times and shouts “Zehirut!” (Be careful!) at me, but Bracha didn’t seem to be angry at all: Actually she seemed quite pleased and happy. So I gave up wondering what all the foot-stamping was about and went back to sleep again. All those jigs and reels sound the same to me after a while…but if Bracha’s happy, well, so am I.

Suki is now sleeping, much like me, exhausted after a fun weekend at Jacob’s Ladder Folk Festival. Folk festivals are not for sleeping – neither for participants nor for their guide dogs. Suki was admired by all, and it seemed that every time she lay down to sleep someone would want to stroke her and she would stir a bit as if to say, “What, again?” and then drift back to sleep again with music playing in the room at full volume.

What to do with Suki when I am on stage? There was hardly room for her on the edge of the stage amidst the wires and microphones, but that problem was soon solved: Suki curled herself into a neat little ball at the feet of the stairs leading up to the stage, so I clipped her leash to the steps and just left her there, where, to my great chagrin, she slept through a set of polkas and a rousing version of Cunla and the full jig afterwards. She all but sighed afterwards when I woke her up and slipped her harness on to go back to the room. She also slept through most of the Irish session the next morning – apparently trying to catch up on lost sleep from the evening before. She did enjoy the attention and laying out on the grass in the sun.

Next summer when I can let Suki off leash in an open area she will have a wonderful time on the beach. She is definitely the festival dog.

A Dog's Life

I thought today would never end. First we got on a bus to Nahariya, and the driver asked why I didn't have a muzzle. Bracha explained to him that I was a guide dog and didn't need one. How ridiculous to think that I would bite someone! What does he think I am, one of those pit bulls? Then yet another bus and WOW! We met a real mobility teacher who came to meet us and show us the way to Migdal Or, and she said I was a lovely dog and was working well and being given good commands. That made me feel proud.

Then we went to a room where Bracha had to sit and twiddle her fingers in front of a screen just like she does at home. I hardly saw the point of the trip all the way there just to do that, but we got to take the train back again, and I got to ride a long flight of moving stairs, too.

I did get a run on the basketball court. Boy, I needed that after being cooped up all day under chairs on the floor. And then off to one of those lectures again. I'm tired. It's a dog's life all right.

My birthday is coming up! I will be two years old! I think I've dropped enough hints of getting that pink striped bed that we see in front of the pet store. It looks lovely and soft. I think I deserve it, too.

Suki and I Promote Guide Dogs

Yesterday I boarded the train to Tel Aviv and settled Suki down on the floor under my seat. A young man approached me and asked me if I had a guide dog, explaining that he himself was blind. He was a student at Hebrew University and came from Peki'in. We soon began chatting and he moved over to sit opposite Suki and me. He explained that he used a cane and that he had thought of getting a guide dog, had even spoken to Yael at Beit Oved, but he lived with his parents and his father was reluctant to have a dog in the house.

"Does she destroy things in the house? Does she pee in the house? What do you do when it's raining?" All these questions made me think that this young man had no experience at all with dogs and that his father was obviously afraid that a guide dog would badly disrupt the household. I gave him my phone number and told him that I was no expert: I was only beginning to use a guide dog myself, but that if he decided that he wanted a dog he was welcome to come and visit with his parents and see how well-behaved, clean, and quiet Suki was. I have a feeling tnat any guide dog would be a great asset in the campqaign to pursuade his reluctant parents. When we approached T|el Aviv I got Suki out, put on her harness, and stood her in the aisle, letting him pet her and feel how clean, brushed, and well kept she was. I hope he decides to pursue getting a dog.

Arriving at my daughter's house in Givatayim, Suki settled down in her appointed place in the house. She seemed a bit bored, so I went out to the nearby pet store, where she was admired by the owner who sold me a new sterile bone and threw in a few dog biscuits as a treat on the house. Back upstairs Suki settled down with her new bone. DId I say "upstairs?" I now appreciate moshav life even more - It's much easier to walk out the front door at home than it is to walk down three flights of stairs every time I need to take Suki out and then climb back up again! Dog owners in the city have it rough!