Ups and Downs

After tackling the city bus yesterday morning, it was now time to tackle the mall and moving stairs. I had read on the Internet that it was dangerous to take a guide dog on an escalator. Nightmares of doggie claws getting caught in the cracks between the steps had me feeing rather jittery as I stood at the feet of the escalator in the mall with Ami. I was soon to learn that - just like the simulated traffic hazards - Suki could handle it, and my fears would be assuaged.

I will begin with saying that I hate malls. The brightly lit and noisy space, the . white floors and glass doors and the bright flashing lights present a jumble of confusing and wearying surroundings. People mill around, loudspeakers and music blare, and it is all disorienting. I usually want to leave as quickly as possible. Ami and I entered the mall and he produced an old-fashioned key with a circle at one end and a flat tab at the other - this was the shape of the layout of the mall that I could hold and feel. I now had a layout of the mall in my head and knew where I was going. He pointed to the place where the cylinder of the key joined the circle. "Here's where the escalator is." ."

When we got there Ami explained how to make sure the escalator was moving in the right direction by checking out the direction the handrail was moving, then drop the handle of Suki's harness, hold the leash close, and step onto the moving stairs with the dog. I put a foot forward, and off we went. Suki stood next to me on the stair and as we ascended and approached the top I inserted a hand through the top of Suki's harness like grabbing a suitcase. Just before we reached the end of the the escalator I lifted Suki up slightly off the ground into the air - just enough to allow her front paws to safely clear the dreaded crack where the steps disappear underneath! That was all there was to it. We got off and Suki received the praise she deserved.
The dogs have been trained to love moving stairs by being encouraged with tidbits and rewards each time they ride them, and they are now eager to get on one at any time. It seemed that for Suki it was like going on the roller coaster at an amusement park - lots of fun! We rode back down and then up again, paraded around the second floor of the mall, and settled down in a coffee hshop to wait for the others.

Moral of the story: You can't learn swimming by correspondence, and you can't learn to work with a guide dog on the Internet! Not everything you read about them is true.

A taste of Real Life

We are now one week into the course and it is hard to believe how much we have already learned. There is so much to learn and so many tasks to perform, but little by little I am getting used to working with a guide dog. During the last two days we have done walks with obstacles deliberately placed across the sidewalks. These include various structures that Ami builds with poles, rubber cones, and branches. Signs are placed next to these contraptions that say "Guide Dogs in Trainins" so that other pedestrians who encounter these things will know what is going on.) Suki approaches these roadblocks, stops, explores them, and turns around in a circle leading me back and around to face the obstacle again as if to say, "Can't get through here, let's find another way." In real life these tricks are meant to deal with cars parked on the sidewalk, piles of prunings, building sites or broken sidewalks, etc. I then turn Suki into the road (if there is no traffic), walk out, and then tell her to get back on the sidewalk as soon as she can. It is amazing what she can do!

Friday afternoon we were treated to a simple two kilometer walk along a straight sidewalk. Moshe, Liron, and I set out one after the other and Ami drove back and forth alongside in the car to check if we were OK. Suki and I cruised along with no tasks ahead but to simply walk along the straight route. When I got to the end there was Ami, cheering and slapping everyone on the back at the finish line.

It was then time to introduce Suki to the family. We were told to first greet our guests and then bring the dog outside in order to avoid too much excitement. Suki greeted Yael and Rotem sitting neatly before them, tail wagging. We then took a walk around the campus and Rotem explored the obstacle courses and the maze in the pegan grove. The promised game of checkers was then played in the lounge.

I am beginning to imagine what life will be like with Suki at home: taking her on walks, going to town, getting on trains (at this point this seems terrifying, but we will be taught how to do that as well). Suki will be on stage with me at Jacob's Ladder in December for sure!

It is rapidly becoming obvious how intelligent this dog is. Suki now knows that if I remove her leach and collar from the wall, she sits waiting for me to put her collar on. I don't even need to command her to stay still. Yesterday she all but walked into her harness when I held it in front of her. I am sure she could learn to find a bench, a seat, garbage cans, an ATM machine (though I think I'll have to continue to punch in the code). She is, after all, only a dog.

The First Week

We are now one week into the course and it is hard to believe how much we have already learned. There is so much to learn and so many tasks to perform, but little by little I am getting used to working with a guide dog. During the last two days we have done walks with obstacles deliberately placed across the sidewalks. These include various structures that Ami builds with poles, rubber cones, and branches. (Signs are placed next to these contraptions that say "Guide Dogs in Training" so that other pedestrians who encounter these things will know what is going on.) Suki approached these roadblocks, stopped, explored them, and turned around in a circle leading me back and around to face the obstacle again as if to say, "Can't get through here, let's find another way." In real life these tricks are meant to deal with cars parked on the sidewalk, piles of prunings, building sites or broken sidewalks, etc. I would then turn Suki into the road (if there is no traffic), walk out, and then tell her to get back on the sidewalk as soon as she can. It is amazing what she can do!

Friday afternoon we were treated to a simple two kilometer walk along a straight sidewalk. Moshe, Liron, and I set out one after the other and Ami drove back and forth alongside in the car to check if we were OK. Suki and I cruised along with no tasks ahead but to simply walk along the straight route. When I got to the end there was Ami, cheering and slapping everyone on the back at the finish line.

It was then time to introduce Suki to the family. We were told to first greet our guests and then bring the dog outside in order to avoid too much excitement. Suki greeted Yael and Rotem sitting neatly before them, tail wagging. We then took a walk around the campus and Rotem explored the obstacle courses and the maze in the pegan grove. The promised game of checkers was then played in the lounge.

I am beginning to imagine what life will be like with Suki at home: taking her on walks, going to town, getting on trains (at this point this seems terrifying, but we will be taught how to do that as well). Suki will be on stage with me at Jacob's Ladder in December for sure!

It is rapidly becoming obvious how intelligent this dog is. Suki now knows that if I remove her leach and collar from the wall, she sits waiting for me to put her collar on. I don't even need to command her to stay still. Yesterday she all but walked into her harness when I held it in front of her. I am sure she could learn to find a bench, a seat, garbage cans, an ATM machine (though I think I'll have to continue to punch in the code). She is, after all, only a dog.