A Dog Exhibition

Yesterday Bracha brushed me and fed me and we got into a car to go to a school where we would be part of an exhibition of animals that help people. That sounded fine to me. But when we first walked into the schoolyard that was filled with hundreds of people and dozens of dogs, I was terrified. I stood still and didn't want to go. Eli, the nice man who organized our group, pulled me forward, but Bracha said to wait, and she gently told me to go. Soon we were in a circle of chairs and there were five or six other guide dogs and a puppy with a blue jacket on as well! I remember wearing a jacket like that when I was a puppy, but that was a long time ago. There were Adi with June, Rafi with Larry, Haim with Chaimar, as well as Batya with her black Labrador, and Yosi. Little children came up and petted us and admired me. I soon settled down (except for an occasional romp with the puppy, but he started it, not me!) It's too bad we didn't do a procession or something a little more interesting, but it was fun to see all those dogs. There were also police dogs there and dogs that do other jobs, not to mention all the pet dogs that people brought with them. There were also police horses that trotted around the yard that made my fur stand up. And I was amazed to see that June, also a golden retriever, was much smaller than me! I'm a really big girl in comparison!

Adi and Bracha astarted telling the children all the things that we know how to do like stop at crosswalks and turn on command. Eli told us about his dog that knew arithmetic. If you would ask him how old he was, he would bark 13 times, and if you asked him how much 2 + 3 was, he would bark five times. It's beyond me to understand what that means, but Bracha suddenly asked, "How did you get him to do that?" I was afraid she would want to teach me. Eli explained that he would look into the dog's eyes and when the dog started barking he would then signal the dog when to stop after he had reached the right number of barks! Once he asked the dog what the square root of nine was, and the dog barked three times. A woman came up and said she herself hadn't known what the square root of nine was! It impressed people, but I really think I know how to do enough without doing tricks. Perhaps this is a way that people who have dogs that don't know how to cross the street make it seem as if their dogs are really smart. Personally, I'd rather ride moving stairs. It's much more fun than barking. And I know how smart I am. Bracha tells me all the time.

Going where I don't Belong

Bracha has wisely begun to ignore the grouchy people who look at us and comment, "What? A dog in the clinic?" or "What's this? They allow dogs at the pool?" If they don't like it, they can talk to us directly instead of acting as if we can't hear them but know that we can. But I must admit I overstepped my bounds when I casually got up when Bracha did not tie me up in the locker room and wandered out. I decided to explore the pool building, and slipped into the adjacent door. And there I was in the men's locker room! Bracha couldn't go in to get me out, so she stood in the doorway and whistled. One of the guys called that I was taking a shower! But I soon trotted out again. After all, I am a girl and really belong on the other side with Bracha.

And Bracha has promised to buy me shoes! They will be good to have when the summer days make the pavement too hot to walk on and I have to really trot to keep my feet from getting burned.

To clip or not to clip? So far, we have chosen not to. Not only does Ami not recommend it, but I can't stand the way it looks. Evidently golden retrievers have a double coat, and that undercoat comes off in the summer leaving relatively little hair. And the fur also serves as an insulating layer against heat and protects the dog from direct rays of the sun. And clipping might lead to hot spots if the dog scratches, so that does it. No haircut for Suki. And not surprisingly, the ones who say I should get her hair cut are the ones who object to shedding, or the ones who make money from grooming dogs...

Marking and Mischief

Bracha here, contemplating on the ability of a guide dog to assimilate knowledge as to all objects of one type as opposed to one localized object. Suki definitely knows that if I say "kisay" she has to find any empty chair - whether it is on the train platform, a moving bus, or a bus stop. She goes for it. A chair is a place for me to sit down, and she puts her nose on it, or if it's on a bus, she turns in at the first empty seat!

We also discovered that this is true regarding ATM machines. I told Suki to go left to "bank" and she turned towards a bank we don't usually go to and neaded for the nearest ATM machine. Good dog.

It is now time to start on trash cans. This is tougher because some are green, some are white, some are bins, some are round, but, well, we'll see what Suki can do.

I feel really bad about this afternoon after Bracha wrote such nice things about me in the morning. But, after being a guide dog in the city in the morning, I had to be a, er, regular dog in the afternoon. Every route we take I manage to find a broken pipe and lots of mud. It wasn't quite as deep this time as it was last time, so I managed to only get up to my chest in the stuff, but I was pretty muddy. And this time Bracha hauled out the camera!

I guess she would have remained in a good mood if I hadn't gotten into mischief when she was in the shower after cleaning me up. I got up on the table where the cat food was and was having a quiet munch when Bracha came out. One loud NO@" and I was down, in the house, and one louder "MITAH!" and I was lying on my bed with my head on my paws and Bracha was turned with her back to me, arms crossed, and looking angry. After about ten minutes I got up and slunk over to her and put my head on her knee and looked up with my big dark eyes and you know how it is. That was the end of it. I got fed, but a half of a cup less to make up for my little escapade. And now I don't think I'll be allowed in the orchard again until the water dries up. Bracha is getting a bit tired of washing me. And that shampoo is rather expensive, too.

New People and Places

We were delighted to hear that our hosts for lunch in the Druze village of Yarka permitted me to come with Bracha for lunch. They said that they liked dogs. After all, it was their private house, and therefore asking permission to bring me was the polite thing to do. So when we got there I lay down where Bracha put me in the corner and behaved beautifully throughout the meal and visit, to prove to them that they had made the right decision. Even all the children wanted to hold me and pet me, so we went outside and took pictures of everyone standing outside together. I hope they invite us back again.


The people in the supermarket werten't so nice at the beginning. When we stopped there the guards at the entrance would not let me in. Bracha started whipping out the little cards with our picture and the laws written on them, and soon the manager came around. After a phone call, we were politely allowed in. They said they had never seen a guide dog before. Bracha politely told them that now they knew and that if anyone else came with a guide dog in the future they would know what to do. One of the guards insisted on accompanying us through the store. Whether this was to help Bracha find what she wanted, or to make sure I didn't snitch a sausage from the meat counter, I don't know, but no matter. By the time we left, everyone wanted to pet me and was asking my name. So I got over the insult of being supervised by a guard while walking through the store.

Test Walk!

Besides turning around to look at the pigions in the square, I think I did pretty well on our test walk. Roi caught me at it and mentioned it, but I know Bracha knows that I am distracted by the cats near the supermarket and the pigions. I really did my best, though. I sat down and waited at every stoplight and walked nicely down the street until we got to Aroma, where I had a well-deserved drink of water and settled down under the table while Roi and Bracha had coffee. Roi checked me and noticed how very clean and brushed I was (after the triple shampoo of the day before it was no wonder!) and even checked my ears and paws. Bracha says I have to get my nails clipped and that it won't hurt. I had to ride in the car with the cage in back like I did when I was in training. I remembered that car from when I was at Beit Oved, and at first I was afraid to get in because there was another dog in the other cage who barked at me, but I knew that they were not taking me anywhere else because Bracha was in the car, too. And before I knew it we were home again! Test walk over! And we were told it was very good!

To be a Black Dog

At least just for a little while. I don't think Bracha was laughing, but she was not really angry either. I think she just did not know what to do because she was so freaked out. Here we were, about to have an evening brushing session to get me all ready for the walk with Roi tomorrow morning. Bracha took me out to the orchard and let me off leash. I was good. I repeatedly came back to her and she gave me a couple of treats. And I remembered to come back nicely, too – no charging into Bracha and knocking her over.

 

And then we crossed into the neighbor's orchard. And there it was – a broken irrigation pipe. It must have been broken for some time, because there was a mighty big pool of water, and there was plenty of black mud in it, too. And in I went. By the time Bracha arrived I was, well, a black dog. Even my face, ears, and tail were covered in the stuff. Bracha called me out and clipped my leash back on and didn't seem to like it when I shook myself off, splattering mud all over the place.

The next thing I knew we were marching home, and Bracha was very quiet. I think she was angry but knew that scolding me for getting muddy was really pointless. After all, she lets me get wet in the sea, in the Kinneret, and in the river. How am I supposed to know that there is a difference between that and getting wet in this, er, mud puddle?

So there I was, with my plastic leash tied to the water spigot in the yard and Bracha finally spoke. "Stay!" And three shampoos later and a lot of water and spraying and I was a white dog again. Then Bracha melted and dried me off with the nice soft cloth and hugged me. It's hard for her to stay angry at me for long. But I guess she won't let me near that place in the orchard again. A half a bottle of shampoo is, after all, a bit much to shell out every day. But I am now soft, fragrant, and clean for tomorrow.

I wonder what it's like to be a black dog all the time….

Fun Meetings and More Swimming

Orelia, who walked with Suki on the short evaluation course in September, came to Nahariya for a vacation in the Carlton Hotel with her dog, Katie. Katie is also a golden retriever, though much smaller than Suki and slightly darker in color. The two ladies got along beautifully and sat quietly in the lobby while we talked over coffee. Here are out two golden retrievers Suki and Katie striking up a pose on HaGeaton Street in Nahariya!


I was kept busy all weekend meeting Katie and being on my best behavior in the hotel in Nahariya, and then hosting Shmulik at home. It was nice to see Orelia again. I met her even before I met Bracha. But now Orelia has a dog of her own and she and Katie are happy and Bracha and I are happy, and that's what's important. I guess the people at Beit Oved find the right dog for everyone! Then we stood outside and Katie and I lined up with Bracha and Orelia for pictures, and I as so proud!

Not only did we get to promenade down HaGeaton Boulevard, but we then went home, received our guests, and went swimming in the sea! I don't care if it's salty or sweet, with waves or without, deep or shallow, river or lake or ocean! I love water in any form. That's it. And if Bracha comes in with me - all the better!

Getting Checked!

Next week Roi is coming from Beit Oved to see how we are doing. I'm a little nervous - I've really tried to be good and I know I am good and well-behaved most of the time. So I've made a note of things that I need to avoid doing and need to work on.

The other day we were out in the field and I was off leash. I was on one of my speed running sprees racing about the orchard, when Bracha called me back. So I charged back to her and whoops, instead of skirting by like I usually do, I ran right into her. I think it hurt Bracha because it hurt me, too. I had been going pretty fast and 34 kilo of golden retriever going full tilt is not something you want to run into you. Bracha yelled "NO!"at me loudly, and she yelled at me to sit and "Artza!" I lay down and she crossed her arms and turned her back on me to show me she was really angry. She doesn't do that often, so I knew I'd really been out of order. Then She walked me on leash for a while, let me go and called me back. This time I sat down in front of her and she praised me. I hope I'll remember that's the right thing to do from now on.

And then there's this business of er, cats. I still find them hard to resist. I look around and don't concentrate and Bracha has to sit me down in the street and call me to get back to business. And I can't resist a pull towards the pet store. It's just irresistable.

But I hope Bracha will show Roi how I find a mailbos and the ATM machines and benches. I think we'll do pretty well. After all, we've been together seven months!

Hard Traveling

We are used to getting on the train and having a leisurely journey all the way to Tel Aviv and back. But this time we had to take the bus because there were no trains from Nahariya. I don't like busses very much. The steps getting on and off are sometimes very steep and then there was that driver who shut the door on me last week. And there is very little room under the seat for me to lie down and stretch out. Just about the only good thing about taking the bus to Haifa is the escalator in the bus station!

It was a very hot day and there was a dry wind blowing. Bracha kept giving me water and it was never enough. After a few minutes I would get thirsty again and she would give me more.

When we walked out of the bus station in Haifa the guard at the gate told Bracha that there were no trains to Tel Aviv Either, and that we would have to go all the way by bus! It was so hot that there had been a fire along the tracks and there were no trains. So we went back into the bus station. There were so many people waiting for the bus that it was hard for me to stand and wait. Bracha gave me a drink of water, but it was very hot and people were the way they get when it is hot and they are in a hurry. Dogs just lie down on a hot day and go to sleep. People get hot and push each other and shout. They just don't know how to do things right.

Anyway, Bracha was afraid I'd get stepped on and decided to take action.

"I'm standing here with a guide dog. Will someone please let me on the bus before she gets stepped on?" she shouted. A man told some other people to step aside and we got on the bus. There was a man on the bus who was still shouting and angry despite the fact that he was already on the bus and had a seat, and he shouted at Bracha that she had a lot of nerve taking a dog on the bus. Bracha gave him one of her curt replies. "If you have a problem with my dog, than get off and wait for the next bus." The man was still shouting and some other people started telling him to be quiet. Finally we sat down, after another woman had left the seat empty because she was afraid of me. Everyone was very hot and angry. I lay down and did the most sensible thing. I went to sleep.

But when we got to Tel Aviv and Bracha and I got off the bus, suddenly the man shouted again, "Lady, I'd like to apologize."

"Apology accepted," said Bracha, and we got off the bus. I guess he realized he'd made a bad mistake by telling a person with a guide dog not to get on a bus. I think he should have done what dogs do on a hot day – just lie down and quietly go to sleep.

We finally got home late at night and I could finally settle down in my own bed after being woken up every time we had to switch busses. And this morning I got to go to school again! Bracha talked to the kids about me and showed me off and they were very impressed when I walked around in harness. And the most exciting thing there was that a man brought another dog who knew how to sniff out drugs. He put a tiny bag of drugs in a boy's pocket, and the dog ran around barking until he found the boy with the drugs in his pocket.

I guess he had to work hard to learn how to do that just like I had to work hard to learn to be a guide dog. But I think I like my job better.

Guide Dog Vacation

I finally woke up long enough to write a little about the wonderful weekend we had. I think Bracha is still asleepbecause we never got back to our room until the middle of the night. There was so much to do that I just could not sit still.

We got to the Nof Ginosar Hotel on Thursday afternoon. First we put all our things in the room and then Bracha took me for a long walk around the grounds and showed me around. I took one look at that water and decided right then and there that I wanted to go in right away, and Bracha promised me that the next morning we would go swimming!
Sure enough, the next morning early we headed for the beach. Bracha had barely managed to unsnap my harness and leash and I was in the water leaping about. What fun! Then the water got deeper and I started swimming. My fur was completely wet and my tail streamed out behind me and I felt like an otter rather than a dog. There were also lovely insects with blue and green wings flying over the water and zipping about, and I started swimming back and forth with my nose in the air chasing them. Soon everyone on the beach was calling out and watching me. Then Bracha came in and we swam together! I think I could have stayed in there until I was so tired I could not have swum any more, and Bracha called me out. I think swimming is just about the only thing that is even more fun than running free!
There was music all around at the festival all the time, and millions of people, and everyone liked me. Everyone said I was a beautiful dog and Bracha was very proud of me. We sat and listened to lots of music, and there was always a bone for me and a bowl of water. It was very hot – so hot that I had to drink all the time and I could hardly walk on the sidewalks because my paws would get hot.

Wouldn't you know it that on Friday night it was Bracha's time to play, so everyone sat in a circle and started up. There were hundreds of people around, and the music was very loud, but I as so tired from swimming that I just lay down beside Bracha's chair and listened to jigs and reels and dreamed about going back in swimming again the next day. I barely remember Bracha waking me up in the middle of the night, putting her bouzouki away, and taking me down in the elevator and back to our room to sleep.

I think Bracha will take me to the festival again because not only doesshe need me to get around there – she also knows I'll behave myself beautifully. I can hardly wait until next year!

Who's this New Dog?

It was a long hard day yesterday – we did our usual train ride and bus ride to Emma's house and then on to Rotem's school. On the way back to the bus I admit I made a couple of bad mistakes. First Bracha bumped into a pole, and corrected me. And there were other people watching, too. I was very embarrassed because a guide dog is supposed to do better, and they saw Bracha turn me around and, say "Zehirut!" and made me approach the pole again and go around it. Then we met Emma's great-grandmother and in my excitement I jumped up and had to be reprimanded and made to lay down on the sidewalk. I hate it when I am badly behaved and Bracha has to reprimand me.

What also didn't help was that when we got on the bus after saying goodbye to Rotem the driver shouted that he wanted to close the door and despite the fact that Bracha told him not to he shut it anyway! For a second I got caught in the door. Bracha yelled at the driver who was very rude, and felt all over me to make sure I was OK. Then she gave me a treat and petted me and assured me everything was all right. The driver then had the nerve to tell Bracha not to give me food on his bus. Bracha told him that if he wanted her not to feed me on the bus he had better look more carefully and not shut the door on me. Why are people so inconsiderate? Eventually the driver apologized and said he hadn't seen me, and we got off and I guided Bracha through the dark winding tunnels all the way to the train station, got on the train, curled up, and went to sleep. End of a long hard day.

Check this out! Does Bracha have a new dog? Nope, it's Nuala after her semi-annual haircut. I don't want my fur cut, at least not yet. I like it furry and wavy, but Nuala is like a sheep and needs to be clipped. She looks rather glamorous, though a lot smaller and a different color. And she smells, well, like me because Bracha shampooed both of us. So now I am clean and ready for the weekend!

 

 

Everyone there was crazy about me!

This morning when we got to Nahariya Bracha took me to a place where we had never been before. Bracha brushes my teeth every day or two but this seems to be a place where they take care of people's teeth. I knew they were going to take care of Bracha and not me because they all wore white shirts, and Avi and Noam, the vets, always wear green shirts. Anyway, everyone there was crazy about me! While Bracha was waiting everyone came to pet me, give me water, and admire me, so I just lay there and thumped my tail on the floor and lapped up all the attention. They made me feel so good that when Bracha disappeared into one of the rooms and left me to sit at the nice woman's desk in the entrance, I didn't object. I just strolled around there until Bracha came out. She called me and I trotted right up to her and that made them all go crazy over me again. I'll be happy to go back there any time, but I have the feeling Bracha doesn't like going there so much, and I can't understand why. Maybe they don't treat her as well there as they treat me! Still in my aura of relaxed self-assurance, I allowed Bracha to tie me to a chair in the waiting room in the next place we went while a woman took pictures of all of Bracha's teeth. I was not allowed inside because Bracha said that X-rays are not good for me. (Is this some kind of bad food?)

But then, oh my, we did go to the vet, and oh my, I had to get two shots – the one against rabies and the other against six different dog diseases, but Bracha asked if they could give them both at once and the vet said yes. So I stood right next to Bracha and she held me while the vet gave me a shot and then gave me a treat. When we left I wanted to play with the dog in the waiting room, but we were told that he was 17 years old! I guess he's a bit too old to romp with me! That's even older than Saoirse was, and she was pretty old!