Oh Boy! A New Toy!

Just as I thought we were going to go home yesterday without buying me anything, Bracha told me to go to the pet store. I had already turned into the bakery, the hardware store, and just about every other shop that we usually go to, and when Bracha said, "Suki, pet store!" I pulled on the harness and made a beeline for it. We came out with some yucky stuff that Bracha put on me against fleas and ticks, but I hardly cared, because we also came away with a wonderful new toy – a kind of kong shaped like a yoyo that can be opened and closed by unscrewing it so that Bracha can put treats and peanut butter inside! I was so excited when we got home that I hardly noticed the new bag of treats that she's keeping for the festival next weekend so that I will be quiet and happy. So here I am with my new kong. Am I ever a lucky dog!

All Four Paws off the Ground

Boy, did I work hard on our trip to Haifa and Tel Aviv this time. We did the usual route on Monday going to Haifa to see Emma, whom Bracha placed on the floor so that she could see me through the glass of the doors to the terrace. I looked at her quietly and she looked at me. She has definite potential, but I hope she learns not to pull my fur like the little boy did at Sarid. That hurt and I had to get up and walk away. I think Emma will be nicer to me because she knows that Bracha cares for me.

Anyway, the next day we set out on a route that I had never seen before, and it was horrible. There were big trucks on the sidewalk and people were unloading things, cars were parked all over the place, and we had to go down into the street to get around them. But the worst was that a man threw down a large piece of metal that he was working with, and it made such a loud crash that I jumped high in the air. Bracha bent over to steady me and my heart was pounding because I was so scared. I had barely gotten myself oriented again ant started walking, when he dropped another one and I jumped again! I thought all my fur was gonna fly off, and I think all four of my paws were off the ground! At last Bracha and Yael and Danit sat down at a nice coffee house, where I could drink water from the pretty purple bowl they gave me and go to sleep. How are dogs supposed to contend with such terrible loud noises? Even the train going by in the station is not as scary as that. I don't care what Ami told Bracha on the course about not putsy-mutsying me when we see another dog or something scary, and teaching me to deal with it. I think that noise was loud enough to startle even people. I am, after all, only a dog.

Then Bracha took Rotem swimming in the pretty pool with the colored lights in it, and it was full of toys and rubber mattresses and looked like a whale of fun, But nope, I was not allowed in and had to be tied up on the side near the door. Why don't they have pools for dogs? I barked once or twice, but that didn't convince anyone either. But Bracha comforted me afterwards and told me that next week we are going to the Key-neret and then I'll be able to go swimming and run on the beach! I can hardly wait! And there will be music, too! I bet Bracha's gonna spend hours with that bouzouki she likes to hold in her lap and play with, and then I can be free to relax and chew a bone and sleep on the lawn all weekend! Hooray! A vacation!

Suki, we've got him!

This morning when we left Ben Ami for Nahariya, it was quite early and for a change there was someone at the stoplights from Ben Ami who told Bracha when the light was green. That was better than the last time when the light changed when we were still in the middle of the road and we both got the heebie-jeebies! When are they ever going to put in that beeping stoplight they promised?
Anyway, when we were crossing I saw that there was a yellowish colored bus in the lane that turns into the hospital, so I trotted across and we walked quickly to the bus stop so we could catch the bus before it left. We got there in time, but it stopped far away from the curb and let passengers off, and the people who had been waiting at the bus stop had to run to the door to get on. So Bracha told me, "Suki, ladelet!" and I went into the road and up to the door. But the driver slammed the door shut and drove off. Bracha was so angry she stamped her foot and swore.

Soon another bus pulled up and we got on. The driver was very nice and a man got up and gave us the front seat. When we got to Nahariya Bracha stayed on the bus, and when the driver asked her if she wanted to go all the way to the station she said yes, she had a complaint to lodge in the bus company office. When the driver asked what had happened Bracha told him, and he got really angry. When we pulled into the station Bracha asked the driver what number the bus was that was parked in front of us, and he said it was the number 7. It was the same bus that had not stopped for us! And it had that different yellow color, too. So I knew that someone was going to get a good lashing!

When we got to the office there was a new, young man in charge, and Bracha told him what had happened. He took his time about doing things and tapped a lot on his computer keyboard. But Bracha insisted that she heard the bus turn the corner, and that she knew it was a city bus and not an intercity bus, and that it had arrived at 7:25. She also said the bus was a light yellow color, not orange like the rest of the busses.

Then the man tapped some more on his computer and found the driver of the bus, and called him. He claimed that there was no one at the bus stop, and that he hadn't stopped at the hospital stop because there had been a car there. Bracha got really angry and said that she had seen people get on and off and that there had been no car blocking the stop, and that the driver had just not wanted to take her because she had me along. See, these people don't understand that Bracha can see a bit, and that she was aware of what was going on! I think the driver was lying in order to avoid getting into trouble. Finally after we had been sitting there for the better part of an hour the man told Bracha he was new on the job and wanted to run things as well as possible. Bracha told him politely that she was not there to waste his time or hers, that she wasn't just making things up, and that either he gave her the name and number of the driver so she could report him, or she would lodge a complaint against the entire company office in Nahariya. Then the man gave her a piece of paper with the driver's name and number on it. "That's it, Suki," said Bracha. "We've got him. Let's go!" And we left.

So now that this is my blog and I am in charge here, I think it's important to note that Bracha and I have been together now for a half a year! On the morning of October 19 Ami brought me into Bracha's room at Beit Oved and we began our life together. The first three weeks were spent in the "hothouse" environment of Beit Oved, where we learned to work together. Ami was watching everything we did and was always walking behind us, so it wasn't like it is now where we have to make our own decisions. Sometimes Bracha would put a blindfold on and let me lead her without her seeing anything – just so she'd learn to trust me. After a few instances in which I stopped in front of advancing cars when we were in the middle of a driveway or the street, she was convinced that I would do my job.

I think Bracha knows me pretty well by now and I know her. She knows when I'm trying to get her to do something like walk in the direction of the train station or the pet store where I think we ought to be going, and I know just how far I can go with standing and insisting that we go where I want to before she gives me a hard and firm correction and reminds me who's boss. She also knows when to help me when I get skittery and see something that scares me, and then she never gets angry. Last week when I saw that old tire lying on the sidewalk in front of the garage in Ben Ami I stopped in my tracks. Bracha's friend told her there was an old tire on the sidewalk, so Bracha put down my leash and walked to the tire and put her foot on it just to show me it was harmless. I felt sort of silly, and walked up and sniffed it. Now I pass it by without even thinking about it. And I know that Bracha will always take good care of me because she put medicine on me and helped me get rid of my hot spot that itched and itched, and today I got a hold of a piece of wood in the yard and started chewing it, and a big piece got caught between my teeth. Moshe, the nice man who lives upstairs who owns the dog Shandy saw it, but he was scared to take it out. Bracha just reached into my mouth and popped it right out for me. I know she'll always take care of me and she knows I'll take care of her. So I reckon we've got a pretty good deal going for both of us.

Run Run Run Run Run!!

OK, I admit it. The run I took this morning wasn't one that Bracha planned. She was just letting someone into the house and I wandered out. And continued to wander into the neighbor's yard, which I know is safe and fenced in. So I got a good run around until Bracha called me, blew her whistle, and rounded me up. I don't think she gets excited any more when I run away. She knows I'll come back. So I sat down in front of her and let her put my leash back on.

I can't really complain though. Yesterday Bracha finally took off my Elizabethan hat and I didn't scratch the place under my ear any more. So I think we're through with it. And then we went for a walk and there was no way I was not gonna go into the river. I think it would be a great idea just to let me get wet, put some dog shampoo on me, and let me go back into the stream for a rinse! I'd get clean and have fun at the same time! It would be like an automatic dog wash. And to think that some people in the city have to PAY to have their dogs washed and the dogs don't even have any fun while they are being washed!! I'm so lucky!

Bracha has told me that in addition to all these good things, this is now MY blog! She says she has enough to write at work as it is, and that I can do all the writing here. Once in a while she might make a comment or two, but she trusts me to do a good job. We think a lot about Alvin, Arieh z"l's dog, and his great blog, and I guess we ended up doing something similar, except this one is in English. So Bracha and I are changing the title of the glot to "Tails of a Guide Dog." I'm so proud!

No Steak for Me?

Usually there is no meat around here because Bracha doesn't eat it. But yesterday when everyone came for Independence Day lunch there was not only meat around. Bracha was actually cooking it over a fire! And when everyone started eating it and people asked if they could give me the bones, I perked up my ears from inside my Elizabethan hat (yep, I'm still stuck with it but Bracha says only a couple more days). Anyway, Bracha said no. But to give her credit, she asked people not to give Nuala any, either. I guess she felt that it would be unfair if Nuala got steak bones and I was not allowed any because I'm a guide dog and there are strict rules about my getting table tidbits and people food. So there was nothing left to do but sit and dream about steak while the wonderful odor (which Bracha can't stand) wafted over the yard. I lay down, put my head with my Elizabethan hat on my front paws, and went to sleep dreaming of steak and spicy hot dogs (which I'm sure would make me feel rather, er, unwell.)

But I did have a lot of fun being petted and fussed over and listening to people marvel at how well-behaved I am. And Julie, the funny little dog that I met at Sarid at Pesach was there, too. Julie is a….now let's see if I can get this right…a calve a leer King Charles Spaniel. She looks like a toy that needs to have batteries inserted in order to make her jump, and her ears are so long that sometimes she actually trips over them! Far as I'm concerned, all she is good for is looking cute, which she does very well. But I don't think she could guide a mouse. I wonder what King Charles did with a dog like that? I guess she'd be good for sitting in his lap while he sat on his throne and told everyone what to do.

I did spend far too much time tied up on the patio to keep me from wandering off into the avocado orchard, but we did get out for a good run and Bracha took off my hat so that I could have a clear view. And today when she asked me if I wanted to go "run run run run run " I jumped right up. Yep, I knowhat that means. It means off-harness and off-leash in the fields!

Black Dog and White Dog

Suki and Yagu: Showing a guide dog puppy how it's done!

I think I've lost track of all the trains, busses, cars, and places we've been in for the last three days.

Anyway, we managed to handle both the reception area of the airport, the train station, the huge arrivals hall, and the street outside where we had never been before, and we managed to navigate the horrible street and central bus station in Tel Aviv at night! Bracha hugged me and gave me a treat afterwards because she said I did such a good job getting her through there.

But we did have some fun on this trip, too. At Sde Boker we met Yagu, an 8-month old black Labrador puppy from Beit Oved who is being raised by a couple of students. They left him in the care of someone at Sde Boker and Bracha said we should meet. So we went out to that wonderful place where there is a plain and a cliff overlooking Nahal Tzim and they let both of us off the leash. I almost caught a lizard, but it got underneath a rock. So we ran and ran. Yagu was a bit rambunctious about coming back when he was called, so I came back right away when Bracha blew her whistle just to show him how it's done. Then Bracha gave me tidbits and gave David some to give to Yagu, too. Then we ended the walk and Bracha put me back in harness, and yep, we showed him what being a guide dog is like and how it's done.

At the little folk festival Bracha got on stage to sing and Margaret, the nice woman with hair the same color as my fur, held me and petted me. Then Bracha sang the song about me and Margaret walked up at the end and let me get up on stage with Bracha and everyone clapped their hands. I'm not sure whether they were clapping for Bracha or for me, but I didn't really care. I was so happy.

But when we got back to the lawn, oh my, did we make a mistake. There were little burrs from the clover all over the lawn, and after we had romped about for a while I looked at myself and YUCK, I was covered with dozens of the little things. They were in my fur, under my ears, in the places between the pads on my paws…everywhere! Bracha had to sit with a brush for the better part of an hour and gently pull them all out of my fur. I'll never go on that lawn again! And Yagu, being a Labrador with smooth fur, got up and walked away without any of them stuck on him! I guess my softer golden retriever fur is like a vacuum cleaner when it comes to burrs.
But I'm so glad to be home I hardly mind the fact that Bracha put the horrible Elizabethan hat on me again! I still feel a bit itchy under my ear, and the vet told us that we must not let me scratch it and then it will go away. I'm getting tired of that smelly stuff Bracha keeps putting on it anyway. I'd like to get rid of it. But oh, my soft pretty bed again! I know everyone tried to be hospitable and gave me little rugs to sleep on, but it's just not the same…


Suki and Yagu getting acquainted...

And relaxing under a rock together after a good run

Get this thing offa me!

Yesterday we had a hard day of getting around Haifa, Tel Aviv, and the crowded street in Ramat Gan. It just seemed like every time I thought I could lay down and rest a bit I was back in harness and at it again. In the evening I was so tired that I lay down at the bus stop and tried to go to sleep, but Bracha got me on the bus and we got on the train. We finally got home late at night. And Bracha promised me a couple of days of "off work time" so that I can get rid of my hot spot and recuperate and rest, because we are going to go away for the entire weekend.

She also, admittedly made it clear that if I didn't stop scratching the hot spot under my ear she was going to have to put one of those degrading collars on me like the vet told her to do. It's called an Elizabethan hat, but why anyone named Elizabeth or any other name would want to wear a hat like this is beyond me.

Well, this morning Bracha put more medicine on me, but at noon, I forgot and scratched. And that was it. Bracha looked at me long and hard. I imagine she felt bad because my hot spot isn't clearing up, and felt bad that I hadn't succeeded in holding up my part of the deal, and before I knew it I had this awful thing on my head.

How very degrading!

Hot Spots?

I usually like to tell a bit about any veterinary problems that Suki has so that others can learn from them. Did you know that dogs can have "hot spots?" The assistant for another vet in Nahariya gave Suki a pat in the beauty shop and I told her about Suki's irritated area under her chin that I have been trying to treat with antibiotic cream for a week. I was, I explained, not happy that it was still there and was going back today to have it looked at again.

When we arrived Avi called us in and Suki balked a bit at the door. No doubt she's caught on that this place means things like getting a shot. I explained that a week had gone by and Suki's sore was still not better despite my repeated applications of antibiotic cream that Noam had recommended. Noam, the assistant, picked up a surprised Suki and lifted her onto the examining table. Avi was not totally pleased with Noam's recommendation of the previous week and decided to change the treatment to a cortizone cream and, to Suki's dismay, a shot. There was no way Suki could wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent her from stratching the spot since it would prevent her from working, so this would have to suffice. Suki was then lifted down from the table and made a beeline for the door. She has stopped scratching the area and hopefully it will now heal.

"Hot spots" are, in this case, not a lively Tel Aviv nightclub but a painful sore that occurs when the dog has been irritated by a flea bite or insect bite and they scratch the area until it gets aggravated, red, and sore. The area feels warm to the touch, and that's why it's called a hot spot. And of course, wouldn't you know that our golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers are especially susceptןble.

Something Lurking Under the Trees

So what if Bracha is invited to friends who have a large aggressive dog? So what if all I would get to do is lie under the table all evening? I still hate staying home alone. Bracha left me with my favorite toy filled with a bit of peanut butter to chew, and she left a light and the radio on, but I knew very well that this was only to appease me for being locked in the house for the evening. So I did my best to cry mournfully and dramatically to make sure she'd hear me when she left. After that, having been on a good long hike in the afternoon, I admitted to myself that I was tired and went to sleep until Bracha came home and took me out. And then I made sure to show her just how much she needs me.

We no sooner got out into the yard than I sensed that there was something strange out there – some animal or something – and I stood in place, spread my front paws out in a wide stance, refused to budge, and began to bark! There was no way she wouldn't realize that I knew something was lurking out there under the trees. I don't think Bracha saw what it was, but she took my word for it, or I should say, my bark for it. Anyway, she didn't insist that we walk out under the trees and just let me do what I had to do on the lawn.

When we got back inside Bracha told me that she had spoken to one of her friends and claimed that people don't respect the wishes of guide dog owners as much as they would respect dog owners who can see. Why else, she says, would people pet me without asking permission, or feed me without asking if it's OK? Do they think that Bracha doesn't realize they are doing it? And would cab drivers yell at someone who left potato chip crumbs all over the taxi as much as they yell at us for leaving a few of my hairs on the floor? And why did Bracha have to work so hard convincing the man at the restaurant to let me in when I lay quietly under the table but those children were allowed to shout and run all over the room and bother everyone? I think I was a lot better behaved, but no one questioned whether the children could come in or not! Bracha's friend said she was just being paranoid, but, then, he doesn't know what it's like to walk around with a guide dog.

I have a feeling Bracha is right. It's called "dis cream a nation" or something like that.

And Still More on Hair...

Returning home from Nahariya I made the mistake of agreeing to get into the same cab I had gotten into last week with the driver who complained about dog hair. Again, he demanded that I produce a towel, which I did not have, and began to complain even before I got in. I objected that I had enough to carry without having to bring a towel with me everywhere, and that it was his responsibility to provide service and my responsibility to keep my dog as clean as possible. Evidently if other passengers leave mud, sand, papers, or other litter this does not merit a major tirade, but only guide dogs make the cab dirty (and only blind people get yelled at.).

Sure enough, when we got home I got out, took the rubber mat that Suki had sat on and shook it out. But that was not enough. He got out of the cab to inspect and make sure that he had something to gripe about.

"The WHOLE CAR is full of hair."

"The whole car??" I asked incredulously. "You're exaggerating."

"Other people have to ride here too! Next time I'll take you and charge you the rull meter rate and then you won't come with me any more."

"Don't worry," I retorted. "I don't plan on riding with you again."

"It's too bad you can't see all the hair," he said.

That did it. "IT's too bad I can't see a lot more important things than how much hair is in the car." With that I walked off. He was still shouting.

I decided I'd had enough and wasn't going to leave this behavior go by without taking some action. Thinking about the hours I spend brushing Suki to remove excess hair, I walked into the house and called the cab stand. I explained to the dispatcher quietly and politely that I didn't want to ride with the driver who had taken me home, and told her what he had said. She agreed with me, said that I had a right to take his name and report him, and apologized for his bad behavior.

I'd rather avoid the fights than report drivers. There are plenty of drivers who are big fans of Suki and who are happy to take us.
It's time to start giving out stickers again.

Look at all that Hair!

Yep, it works. I hate to sound like a commercial, but the "Furminator" really gets off a lot of hair. The first time I brushed Suki with it the lawn was littered with bunches of hair that had accumulated on the brush. And now Suki likes being brushed again. She lies on the grass, paws waving in the air, luxuriating in the thorough brushing that she gets every three or four days. This treatment alongside with the the regular daily brushing seems to cut down the amount of fur in the house significantly. Even the cab driver whom I convinced to take us home the other day did not complain about doggie hair on the floor.
Suki's main entertainment today, however, was a bird that accidently flew into the house. It flapped and banged frantically into the window until I got it open and let it out, while Suki pranced about excitedly hoping for a good chase and gazing at the top of the kitchen cabinets in hopes of more fun.

Fences are for...crawling under!

Well, here are Nuala and I running through the grass. We got what was promised today - two long hikes through the fields. And Bracha thought it was a bit chilly for swimming, but when I saw that we hadn't made the turn to the gully where the stream runs and that the water was on the other side of the fence, I simply realized that there was no other solution than to find a little hole and crawl under it. And then I was in the water and happily splashing about. I don't think Bracha was too upset, since I was clever enough to find the hold in the fence myself. And now I know exactly where that hole is, so there's no more denying me a swim when I want one!

And now that I've been fed and am lying on the floor all tired out, exuding a strong scent of my favorite cologne Eau Du Wet Canine, well, what could be better? There is nothing left to do but let out a long, loud doggie sigh of sheer contentment...reflect on the supposed hardships of being a guide dog, and drop off to sleep...

A Holiday to Rest!

Finally, a holiday when we don't have to travel! Bracha has promised me a long hike tomorrow - maybe even to go swimming in the river, and frankly I think I deserve it. We have been on the move for the past week, on busses and trains and crossing busy streets and I've been working very hard. Not only that, but I got taken to the vet again. I'm still not sure whether I like going there or not. When I realized I was going to get another shot and I saw the needle, I was afraid because I remembered what had happened last time and I started for the door, but Bracha saw that I was scared, caught me and held me and spoke to me softly, and it was really not so bad. And then I got a treat, too. Then the vet shaved off a little bit of my fur because I had an itchy place and Bracha wanted to take care of it. So now I am brushed, fed, and happy (except for those pills that Bracha made me swallow that tasted really awful) and ready to relax a bit. And maybe one of these days we'll go back to the sea. Now that is the epitome of fun!

Story or two of the Day

One of the Israeli guide dog users found this story on an international guide dog site:

A man with his dog stopped a woman in the street and asked her directions of how to get somewhere. The woman bent down and whispered the directions into the dog's ear...

Yesterday Suki and I attended an Irish music session at my friend Yossi's house. We had spoken previously and agreed that since Yossi's dog was rather aggressive towards other dogs, I would bring Suki but that it would be better to keep the dogs separate. I kept Suki next to me at all times and she sat quietly next to my chair, but when I got up to take her out to the nearby field, Jemma, Yossi's dog, barked at her and was rather menacing. Suki, who as usual only wanted to play, was rather upset, but we got through the day without mishap.

Between reels a friend approached me and looked at Suki.

"Is she's supposed to help you?"

"No," I answered. She DOES help me."

He continued to tell of his neighbor who is the national champion in golf for the blind and has a dog. He explained that the man has provided with a personal driver who accompanies him everywhere since he is an injured IDF veteran, and seldom uses his dog. The dog, who spends most of his time at home, got loose and ran into the street and was injured by a passing car. He asked scornfully, "IF these dogs are supposed to help you across the street, why didn't this dog even have any road sense to stay away from moving cars?"

I explained to him that no doubt the dog was getting more than a bit "rusty" if he was not being put in harness and used as a guide dog and walked regularly, and that no, the dogs are not supposed to know when to cross the road. We are the ones who tell them. Knowing what Suki is like and how she can run when she wants to let off energy, I'll bet he was going pretty fast.
And who can stop in time to avoid hitting a large dog running at full tilt? (This is why I keep Suki far away from cars when she is off leash!)