Suki's Earlier Days

Suki romping last December with the Teitelman Family who fostered her for a half year. The two other dogs who were Suki's companions are Tinka and Kroovi.

Suki is a golden retreiver and was born on December 15th, 2007 at the kennels in Kibbutz Afikim. She was then purchased by Beit Oved, together with Sunny (Moshe's Labrador retreiver) and several other puppies. After that she was in a home of a woman whom I don't know for six months, and in August of 2008 she was moved to the home of the Teitelman family - Ayelet, Nurit, Neta, and Nir in Tel Aviv. She remained with them until February of 2009 and was then returend to Beit Oved for her final training period.

The Teitelmans gave Suki a warm, loving foster home and she was rainsed together with two other dogs - Tinka and Kroovi - a fact that no doubt explains her rapid adaptation to my three-dog home! Suki passed the guide dog course with flying colors and I hope the exciting evening in which they were reunited with Suki and met me, her new owner, was as rewarding for them as it was for me.

Pictures of Suki a year ago reveal her as a frisky, beautiful white-colored golden retreiver. The family marveled at how much slimmer Suki looked - they were accustomed to her being a bit more roly-poly, as you can see in the pictures sent to me by Nurit.

Homecoming!

It is hard to believe that just 12 hours ago I was still at Beit Oved, packing, eating breakfast, and going from one staff member to the other saying goodbye. All three of us could say little but we all felt the same: we were excited and eager to begin our new lives with our dogs, but more than a bit apprehensive, afraid to leave the hothouse-like, safe surroundings of Beit Oved where we had been pampered and cared for for three weeks, bereft of all responsibilities except to learn how to work with our new companions. It was not time to say goodbye and to step out into the world.

Two vehicles stood open and waiting: one would be driven by Ami who would take Liron and Moshe home, and the other by Roi who would take me back to Ben Ami and give me an additional day of coaching on Sunday. Refael appeared with our sculpted ficus trees and helped load them and our other belongings into the car. Members of the staff came out to say their goodbyes to the dogs they had worked with and to wish us good luck, and Moshe, Liron, Ami, and I posed for a last photo of what Ami now terms the first clicker training course. Emotional goodbyes were said, promises to email and write, and we were off.



Roi and I chatted as we drove down Road 6, and Roi advised me on how to best handle the first meeting between Suki, Nuala, and Saoirse. I was apprehensive - I would now be totally responsible for Suki, and the open fields and orchards of Ben Ami and the front yard would be all too tempting for an active, curious dog if the front door was inadvertantly left open for a moment!

Two hours after we left Beit Oved we pulled into the front yard. I took Suki and led her into the house for the first time, allowing her to explore all he rooms at will. We then returned to the front yard, where she had her first encounter with Saoirse and Nuala. There were a few frisky moments, bgut later in the day Saoirse and Suki were seen lying calmly side by side, a big black dog and a big white one.

Right now it all sdeems more than a bit overwhelming - I find it hard to believe that I will be able to do anythying else all day but care for dogs! I imagine things will get easier in time, and all in all, I think we got off to a pretty good start.

Reunions and Goodbyes

Our final walk was, according to Ami, the most challenging, but for me it was far less difficult than the night walk in Rehovot or the walk in the rain through Rishon. Ami dropped us off in the middle of the crowded market in Ramle. We were given instructions to walk through the market (no simple matter with the numerous stalls, shoppers, and obstacles), find the fence at the end, and turn left on Herzl Street. From there we were left on our own to find our way to the Regional Courthouse on Weizman Street. Starting out with Suki through the crowded market, walkie-talkie in hand (in case we really got lost and had to notify Ami), Suki and I were accosted with the noise and smells of the market. Fruits and vegetables were a blur of red, yellow, green, and orange as I passed stalls, and Suki maneuvered through people with carts and baskets. I began walking down Herzl and asked directions. "You've got a way to go, about 300 meters, and then turn left." Was that all? I encountered Moshe and Liron on the way but we left each other, eager to accomplish the task on our own. When I turned left a woman offered me help and I assured her that I could find my way in. "But there are stairs there," she replied, concerned.

"It's all right. My dog will help me on the stairs."

I mounted the steps, pulled out the walkie-talkie, and yelled "I'm here!" and sat down next to Liron. That was it. We were now, hopefully, equipped to begin working with a guide dog wherever we went.

Returning to Beit Oved we began the bureaucracy of signing forms, receiving the dogs' medical reports, a nd signing membership papers to the center. We then began a summary of the course.

I spoke to Ami, but felt my words were inadequate. I told him that I now felt that I was in control of my life again, that no matter what my vision was life in the future I felt confident that I could handle it, that I had received their product that was amazing and stunning, and that I felt I had all the tools I needed to work with Suki. I also said that even though the course was over I realized that this was the beginning, not the end, and that we had years of our lives together. "I want to say thank you," I said with tears of happiness of which I was unashamed. It was impossible to express everything I felt upon receiving this lovely, gentle, and intelligent dog as mine to have.

At 5:30 our guests arrived - the families who had raised our dogs as puppies. Ayelet, Nurit, Neta, and Nir walked into the room and Suki's response was overwhelming: she stood on her hind legs and began licking Nir, and tranced with excitement. Anyone who things that dogs don't remember people from a few months ago are dead wrong. It was an exciting meeting and they were all stroking Suki and hugging her. We exchanged phone numbers and emails, and they were given a framed photo of me standing with Suki. They deserved much much more and if they want I will be glad to bring them Suki for a visit.

An Emotional Reunion: Suki, now a Full Fledged Guide Dog, at her Reunion |With the Teitelman Family who Fostered her as a Puppy

Our bags are now packed and thank goodness I am being driven home tomorrow. I don't think I oculd make it home on the train tomorrow with my suitcase, knapsack, my bouzouki, three kilo of dog food, a sack of supplies that I bought in the pet store, the three-foot high ficus tree that I sculptured with Ramael, the bag of souveniers and presents from the shop at the Center, and, oh yes, Suki

Almost Through!

Suki in the van on the way to one of our many walks in town

Tomorrow will be the last day of the course! We have one more walk in the morning, followed by formalities such as a meeting during which we will sign the lease stating that we are taking our dogs on loan from the center. We also have to complete other formalities and forms. After that we will meet the puppy foster families who raised each of our dogs as puppies before they were brought to the center to be trained. In the evening we will have our final party, and the next morning we will leave after breakfast – Ami will drive Moshe and Liron home and Roi will drive me up to Ben Ami. It is strange to think about coming home and parting will be difficult but I imagine we will all meet up again sometime and sit down to coffee together in Tel Aviv with our three dogs and reminisce about the hours of SheshBesh in the lounge, the adventures of walking through the pouring rain in Rishon Letzion, riding on the train to Azrieli, and all the other in-jokes shared by three people who have lived together for three weeks. Each of us will go back to their own private lives, but we will now have a companion to help us that we did not have before.

It will be wonderful to walk through Nahariya with Suki and strange to be without Ami behind me with his constant help and coaching - "Good, follow her!" or "Leash correction!" or "Move inward, overhanging leaves!" Suki and I will now begin the process of learning to work together. I trust her implicitly, remembering the moment this morning when I began crossing a side street and a car suddenly turned into the street without warning and Suki stopped in the middle of the road, preventing me from moving forward until it was safely past. I know I can trust her. Our attachment can only grow stronger. It is now the end of our time in Beit Oved together, but the beginning of a long relationship. I look forward to it!

Train Training and Rain Raining

This morning we set out to walk the route in Rehovot that we walked yesterday, this time on our own, but a cloudburst soon forced us to change plans. We ended up at the train station in Rishon Letzion, where we boarded a train for Tel Aviv. The plan was to get off at Azrieli, and we hoped for a bit of parading around and shopping, but the train was so late in arriving that we had time to use the restrooms and return back to Rishon on the next train! Definitely the first time I have ever taken a half hour train ride in order to use the ladies room! We tackled the route in Rehovot in the afternoon instead, and we were treated to the strong smell of eau de wet dog on the way home in the car. Suki is now dry, brushed, and clean again.

As of today I have had Suki for two weeks, and in three days I will take her home with me and begin working with her taking routes where I ordinarily go at home and in Tel Aviv and nahariya. Working with Suki, often trusting her completely in traffic and in the dark, I have gotten to know her personality (or perhaps "dogality" – well.

Suki is extremely intelligent and eager to please, as are all the guide dogs. She is eager to learn, as demonstrated by the clicker training that we tried a few days ago. She is responsible for leading me properly when we are walking, but she is also sensitive – jumping at the squawk or a parrot in the pet store, and starting at a gust of wind from several large colored pinwheels in a yard we passed by. She is well behaved and quiet, but can get up to mischief – no one else was present at the scene of the crime in my room who could possibly have been responsible for the shredded roll of toilet paper on the rug or the tipped over waste basket and the chocolate wrapper on the floor, so it must have been Suki! She has just the right amount of pepper and mischievousness but is easy to handle. I love walking with her and giving her commands (clues) even in a soft voice, and watch her respond, offering her praise as we go. She also has a few extra "features" that Ami taught her – all the dogs on this course are unusually cooperative about walking to the curb and stopping at the edge, which is extremely important, but Suki also knows how to "walk" into her harness or into the loop of her collar if I hold them in front of her. My imagination runs wild thinking what else I can teach her to make my life more convenient.

Rainy days in the lounge - besides working with our guide dogs, what we really learned on the course was how to play shesh-besh. We had a running tournament going throughout the course. Above: Liron and Moshe battle it out.

Running Free!

After maneuvering through a complicated route in rehovot this morning (followed by the usual stop for coffee) we returned for the usual routine of feeding, brushing, and obedience training. After lunch we set out for Yavneh for what we (students and dogs alike) had been waiting for - a free run along the dunes in Yavneh. After all, even guide dogs have to have exercise and fun. They work hard and need to run off tension. our dogs have been dealing with a lot since we received them and began the course. Now the time had finally come to let them have some real fun.

We climbed up the dune overlooking the neighborhood where we had spent so much time in the first days of the course walking along the broad, empty sidewalks and quiet streets just learning how to turn corners and cross empty streets. At the top we simultaneously released all three dogs. They took off joyfully leaving their footprints in the sand, but as we continued walking they retained a constant distance from us. I blew my whistle twice and Suki came running back together with Petel and Sunny. We prainsed them, gave them tidbits, and sent them off again. From far away it was difficult to see the sand-colored Labrador retreivers, but as they approached Suki's bright white coat and feathery tail became visible. The dogs returned and we attached their leashes and harnesses, and we returned to the car where they each drank about a liter of water. They had finally gotten a chance to work off two weeks of tension and pressure of constant changes that they have gone through in the past two weeks. I imagine Suki happily running through the fields at home. A dog's life!

Our First Outing

Saturday marked still more introductions – Hilla and Itai who had not yet met Suki arrived and again I was terribly excited about introducing Suki to the rest of the family. They were delighted with her and after a short tour of the campus we set out in two cars for Rishon Letzion to go out to eat. Best of all – Ami had given us permission to take the dogs out! I notified the staff that I was leaving with Suki and stuffed her in the front of Yael's car under the dashboard. I was taking her out for the first time without Ami behind me watching. There would be no calls of "Good, good, go with her," or "Correct her, leash correction," – I was out on my own.

We soon reached the area of the promenade by the sea at Rishon Letzion and got out. Hilla was amazed at how fast Suki and I strode along, going up and down the curbs of the parking lot, descending the stairs to the sea, and entering a restaurant. Suki was well behaved throughoug the meal and stayed neatly tucked under the table.

The only slip-up was when we walked out onto the sand to let Rotem go down to see the water and put her feet in. The sky was clouding up to the north and it looked like more rain was approaching. I removed Suki's harness intending to let her "do her business" and she suddenly began to romp about and leap around, thinking that she was to be released for a run! Her strength and power – enhanced by two weeks without being allowed to run free – amazed me, and I realized I was in over my head and I had better get control of the situation. My greatest fear was that Suki would somehow get off her leash and I would have to call her back – something that I had only limited knowledge of how to do. I sat her down and put her harness back on again and she neatly led me back to the car and I tucked her safely back inside. It had been our first outing, and I was thrilled at having her with me, but a bit dubious of the idea that in five days I would be on my own with her.

We returned to the "hothouse" of Beit Oved and after changing Rotem's wet socks (the result of one wave that came too close) we sat down to dinner and Yael and Rotem left. She was disappointed that I would be leaving and she would not be back in Beit Oved again to see me. I assured her that Suki would be with me all the time now, and that she would be her friend as well.