Like a Dream Come True

Ever since Tali came to visit us here in Ben Ami and wondered what I can do in real traffic and city streets, I have wanted to show her.  And yesterday I got to do just that!  Bracha did not tell me that we were going to visit Tali.  She left it for a surprise after we finished our training session at Beit Oved where we practiced Bracha calling me and my coming back promptly.  But when we got to the train station in Tel Aviv there was Tali waiting for us!  We got into her car and when we got out I was at the house where I grew up as a puppy!  I could hardly believe it!  I ran for the gate and even passed by to see if my neighbor's dog Yosef was at home, but we ran up the stairs to Tali's house.  I was a bit miffed because now Mishmish, Tali's dog,  seems to own the place, and I ran off with one of her bones and she barked at me.  But my irritation at having another dog in what was once MY house was quickly forgotten because soon Bracha put me in harness and we started down the street.
Now, you have to understand that when I was here last over a year ago I was truly a rambunctious rascal.  I played with the cats, chewed Tali's shoes, stole children's shoes in the park, ran away with their balls, and generally behaved like a mischievous puppy.  And now I am, as you know, a serious, hard-working guide dog who is responsible for getting Bracha safely from one place to another.  Tali kept wondering how I would deal with the motorcycles parked on the sidewalk, protruding bushes, street corners, and even a sandpile that we had to walk around.  I handled it all like the pro that I am.  Soon we ended up in the park, and there were all my friends waiting for me!  Tali had called them all out to come meet Bracha and me!   Everyone remarked on how much bigger I am and marveled at how I look in my harness.    Everyone was taking pictures and all I could do was stand there and wag my tail and feel overjoyed at being in the place where I grew up.  It was one of the happiest days I have ever had, and I know that Bracha was happy, too, and proud of me. 

Refresher Training

There was a lot of talk on the phone last week about...me.  Rafi, Natanel, Ami, and Yael all know that I have been up to mischief.  I ran away from Bracha in the neighbor's yard with one of their new puppy's toys, and Bracha has not let me off leash since then.  Rafi said, "A dog who does not come back must not run free."  So here I am, shut up in the house or out on the patio tied up.  I guess I deserve it.  So now Bracha takes me out into the yard on the long leash or a cable.  She calls me and I come.  And this week we are going to Beit Oved to work on my coming when I am called together with one of the teachers.  I know this is important.  I remember when I was a puppy everyone used to love it when they chased me around with toys, but I guess this is not acceptable any more.
But it's not all bad.  I know that Bracha still loves me very much, and we are still going to the United States next month, and we are going to see Tali, my puppy walker this week!  I will get to play with Mishmish and meet all of Tali's friends, and she will see just how nicely I work in real traffic!  I know I can be good.  I just know I can.

A Visit from Yael

I knew that when Yael from Beit Oved showed up that Bracha was going to give her a full report on how well I've been doing and, er, also the mischief I've been getting into.
I will be the first to admit that I got into real trouble  yesterday.  Bracha wanted to take me to a choir rehearsal and left the patio carrying her guitar.  She accidently dropped my leash and off I went across the yard.  I thought it was a great game to grab a bone I found on the lawn and every time Bracha got close to me I lay down, barked, and then ran away again.  This went on for some time and I could tell that Bracha was getting frustrated and even angry.  She worked hard to control her temper when I finally ran back onto the patio and she was able to catch me, put my harness back on and we left.  That game was fun for me but it wasn't fun for her.  And, of course, she told Yael.
This is not acceptable behavior for a guide dog.  I need to drop what I am doing when called and come.  I know that running away from Bracha is wrong.  So Bracha and I are going to have to work on my coming and being rewarded when I obey.  That's OK with me.  I like to be rewarded and I just have to remember that if I come Bracha will give me a click and a treat.  All and all, I want Bracha to be pleased with me and to be good.
Yael and Bracha told me I did well in the following:
1. I don't pull so hard any more.
2. I walk neatly around obstacles and stop at every curb.
3. I am alert and obedient while working.
4. I lie quietly in coffeehouses and restaurants and behave beautifully.
So here are the things I need to improve.  I promise:
1. To come when I am called and listen for Bracha's whistle.
2. To stop giving in to curiosity and temptation to smell what is going on in the stores and walk in the center of the sidewalk.
3. To chew on my toys and not bottles, leaves, sticks, and plastic flower pots.
I will try.  I really will...

Take me Back to Jacob's Ladder!

Well, everything Bracha promised me this weekend really happened.  I had such a wonderful time at Jacob's Ladder Festival that all I want to do is go back there. 

When we got to the festival Bracha unpacked my water bowl, food, and treats in our hotel room and then we headed for the beach!  How wonderful that there is a large body of water with no waves for me to swim in, and even a rope stretched across it so that when dogs get tired swimming they can hold on to the big wooden beads and paddle and rest!  I swam and swam and Bracha and I even went out into deep water, where I brought back sticks that she threw for me.  And then I dried out in the warm sunshine lying on the lawn while the music played.  Once in a while I'd drift off to sleep, and then wake up when someone came to pet me.  Everyone loved me and admired me and I made a striking scene with my red shoes that Bracha put on me to keep my feet from getting burned on the hot sidewalks.  And every night I fell fast askeep on the little rug Bracha put down in our hotel room, tired out and happy.

We even saw the children from the Ma'Aleh Tzia school who Bracha spoke to three years ago!  They remembered Suki and at first some of them thought I was SUki.  Bracha explained to them that Suki had died and they were very sad, but Bracha reassured them that I was a good guide dog and that we are happy together and love each other very much.  They are much older then they were when SUki and Bracha came to their school, but they still remember!

Now, there is only one thing that I didn't like about the festival.  SOme of the music was so loud that it hurt my ears, and I shook and trembled at the Irish session because the noise frightened me.  Bracha sat with me afterwards and hugged me, and assured me that next year she would find a friend to take care of me when the session goes on because it's too loud for me and she never wants me to be frightened or unhappy.  There are times that it's better for Bracha to do her thing and I do mine.  So all in all I can say that I had a great time, and I can't wait for the next festival!