Suki and I Together from October 19th, 2009 to October 19th, 2010!

Liron, Moshe, and I on the Course One Year Ago

Suki is letting me take over the blog for a day. I've made it clear to her there are a few things I want to say. Suki and I have been together for an entire year as of today! It's hard to believe that an entire year has gone by since Ami walked into my room at Beit Oved and gave Suki to me. I remember our first days together – a lot of affection, some frisking about (including a shredded roll of toilet paper all over the carpet of my room when I left Suki unattended while I was in the shower), the fear we all felt before going on the traffic simulation walk and then seeing how Suki stopped whenever the school car pulled up deliberately alongside us, and finally, the real thing – Suki stopping in the middle of a side street to prevent us from walking into the path of a car speeding around the corner, and a walk through pitch dark streets in Rehovot at night. It was then that I knew I could trust Suki, and I know now more than ever that I can depend on her. Just the other night I crossed a busy intersection in the middle of Tel Aviv. I would have been terrified to do it without her, but off we went, and she performed perfectly.
It's not always easy. We still get hassled a lot and there are days when I come home frustrated at people's ignorance and rudeness. But Suki is always there, tail wagging, wet nose prodding, as if to say, "Hey, you've got me, it's not so bad. We'll show 'em." And so we do. Walking everywhere with a beautiful white dog is always exciting, and I am so proud of her.
Sure, we've gone lax in a few things: Suki still barks and gets upset if she is left alone in the house. We have to work on that. And what about that sitting down at the top step of descending stairs, and pausing with her front paws on the bottom stair going up? Sometimes Suki, er, jumps the gun and knows what is coming and does not wait for my command. But a couple of days with the clicker and she'll brush up on that quickly - just like she learned to locate ATM machines, seats at bus stops, mailboxes, and garbage cans. .Oh, and I almost forgot – water fountains, but that she really taught herself. I never showed her. But my thirsty golden retriever knows where the water fountain is at the train station and leads me to it every time.
So, Sookers, we'll keep up our agreement. You take care of me and I'll take care of you. And no more of that sneaking cat food, avocados, and accepting candy from the life guard at the pool. I want you to be healthy for a long time.
Today we are going to have a special day together. You'll get a run on the beach and a swim in the sea, a walk through town, and, oh Okay, a new toy. You deserve it.