Sad News and a Phone Call I never Made

There are times when you regret not getting around to doing something: making a phone call, writing an email, runnin an errand, and then it's too late. My intention to phone Arieh Shmidt since I got home with Suki was one of these instances. Yesterday I read that Arieh had died suddenly at the age of 60.

Arieh Shmidt z"l became blind very suddenly and was given a guide dog named Alvin from Beit Oved. He then became an exemplary figure in the guide dog world, and was a crusader in the war of making people aware of guide dogs and the needs of blind people in Israel who use them. His name was often mentioned often at Beit Oved, always connected with some story or other, dynamic or humorous, or in talking about people who are at the front lines of the campaign that every one of us who has a guide dog is involved.

I didn't know Arieh well, but my son Itai gave me his phone number last spring when I announced that I was applying for a guide dog. I spoke with Arieh once or twice on the phone and he quipped, "Before, no one wanted to talk to me on the train. Now everyone dotn't want to talk to me either, they just want to know if they can pet my dog." Arieh reported that his dog has changed his life, that I should train with Ami, that I would definitely be given a dog, and that I should get a dog as soon as I could. He was assertive and encouraging. I had meant to call him, to tell him I have Suki, and perhaps to arrange a meeting. Now it's too late.

Arieh has left a wonderful legacy: a column on Walla in Hebrew entitled עובד כמו כלב (Working LIke a Dog) in which he tells of his life with Elvin much as this blog tells of my life with Suki.






I did not

What? That's "dowar" too?

Wait a minute…I don’t quite get it… I thought that “doar” meant that I am supposed to go to that silver hole in the wall near the place where we buy milk in Ben Ami called “zvi”. But evidently “dowar” also means that funny red box in Nahariya as well. I guess they are connected somehow because people are always taking envelopes out of them or putting them back inside…I know I did the right thing because I heard the clicker and Bracha praised me and gave me a treat and was happy each time I approached that red box in the middle of the street. I guess both are right.

Today Bracha went somewhere new in Nahariya. When we got there I was petted and given water, and then Bracha sat down in a chair for a long time. I got bored and went to sleep, and when I woke up, Bracha’s fur was shorter than before and we said goodbye and left. Mine, on the other hand, seems to be growing longer, because the nights are getting cold.

Hooray! Pet store again!! No treats this time, only some junk to put on me to keep fleas and ticks off and some goldfish. (Sigh)

Oh, that Smell!

Oh, that smell! All evening with this incredible smell of food and I was not given any. Even though I behaved beautifully throughout the evening. Admittedly I wasn’t hungry when I got there, but hey, I’m always up for another bite…I did a great job of cleaning the floor after the meal, and no one even had to sweep! And I did manage to get a tiny piece of that turkey that someone hid in their shoe especially for me. I know that Richie said that he really wanted to give me a treat, and I guess that was his way of doing it even though Bracha said no. And that very small person was lots of fun. he was just my height!

What is a Thanksgiving dinner like for a dog who is not allowed to have turkey? Suki overcame the endless temptation of the smells of roasting turkey (not at all tempting for me as a vegetarian.) She behaved beautifully throughout the evening. – even allowed year-old Liam to crawl around her and check out her ears and tail.
Shortly after dinner Suki suddenly became immersed in Richie’s shoe – persistently licking and sniffing. Curious, Richie reached inside to see what she was after and discovered a tiny piece of turkey that had fallen inside! So Suki did get one tidbit – her mere persistence was enough to make her deserve it.



Getting three dogs to pose for a picture is no simple matter, but here are all three dogs, finally photographed together: Nuala (6), Sirsha (13), and Suki (now just two weeks short of 2).

Taxi Drivers' Chutzpah Tel Aviv Style

Yesterday’s trip to Tel Aviv was uneventful and all too predictable. Suki was well-behaved on the train and in the restaurant where we went for dinner. I put my granddaughter Rotem to bed and then called a taxi, stating specifically to the dispatcher that I was traveling with a guide dog.

“Five minutes.”

After ten minutes a taxi drove by, and then another and another. Not wanting to miss the last train north, I called the dispatcher again to inform her that no taxi had arrived.

“But our driver said he picked up a passenger by mistake at Sirkin 22.”

Yeah, right...here we go again...


“NO, I'm sorry. He didn’t pick up anyone. He passed me by and didn't stop.”

Somebody was lying like a rug. Annoyed, I explained that I had a train to catch and that if I specified that I had a guide dog with me, would she please make sure that the driver she sent would be willing to take me and not cause trouble. After I had already waited for 20 minutes another taxi finally showed up, I made the train, and met my son Itai at the station to boot.

Suki Learns to Pick up the Mail…Or Almost…
I decided to teach Suki that sometimes we want to turn right to the mailboxes instead of going directly into the grocery store. The Russian assistant stood in the entry of the store in fascination as I taught Suki “Doar” and she headed for my mailbox, which is conveniently at the end of the row and just about doggie nose height! After three or four times (and a few tidbits) I saw sure she had it down pat. Does she know that the mailbox is number 151? Er, I think not…

A few more things to learn…How to handle a phone call when you are working with a guide dog and the person on the other end of the line hears a conversation interjected with “Forward!” “Slow down!” “Straight!” and other unrelated matter…

How to handle old ladies
Reminiscent of Ami’s imitations of Sabochka chorosho!” old ladies have to offer their own two agorot when you are out with a dog. If you are out with a baby, they will tell you that he or she is dressed too warmly, not enough, she can’t breathe in that carrier, put a hat on him…why are you feeding her ice cream? etc. With a dog people are no less generous with advice.

“Your dog is too thin. You should feed her more.”

“You really should let me give her a cookie…she deserves a treat once in a while…”

and (while standing and filling up Suki’s portable water bowl at the drinking fountain in the train station…”Your dog is thirsty. You should give it some water..”

And I thought I was the one who couldn’t see…

Living in Israel means everyone has to get involved and give good advice…

And what to say when someone tells you, “I’ve got a dog just like that at home…”
I doubt it.

Finally, Some Peace and Quiet!

I thought I'd never get a moment of rest this week to get some relaxation. I got taken to the pool, the store, even the clinic, and to the office of that nice guy called Yaron who wanted to give me a cookie last time and Bracha wouldn't let him. But I did get petted and there was a strange bird in a cage there that kept chirping at me all the time. Even the mean man who makes me sleep out on the patio at the swimming pool wasn't around, and the nice one that sits by the pool all the time watching the people swim back and forth and back and forth (I can't imagine why he does this all day) said I could sit next to him if it rained outside. I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to sleep in a puddle of water, but I know Bracha would not stand for that. But oh, I do wish I could go in the water! I think I can swim...but I'm not sure.

There are still some places in town that confuse me: there are no curbs but I'm supposed to stop there because there are cars. If I don't Bracha stamps her foot and yells "Careful!" and then I know I've made a mistake. I'll have to memorize these places. That should not be any problem. I'm a smart golden retriever, after all.

I still haven't gotten a rise out of that big old black dog - she's very sweet but my goodness, sne doesn't want to romp or play. And the other fluffy one just looks and smiles at me. But I guess we are all good friends.

Tonight we get to go to that lecture hall again and hear about Aramaic and Hebrew. It got a bit long for me, so I just went to sleep last time. But tomorrow I get to ride on the train again and go to Rotem's school. Whee!

But I can't figure out that round purple thing that Bracha throws and it flies through the air and when it lands on the ground I can't pick it up. If only I could catch it before it lands...maybe I'll try and do that. If I do I'll be Bracha will click the clicker and give me a treat.

Whoops! The Golden Retriever that Got Away (and, of course, Came Back)

I knew it would happen some time or other - Suki would run away from me. I also knew with certainty that she would come back. Which she did. I was in the yard trying to cope with a frightened but uninjured Nuala who has been bumped by the neighbor's car in a moment of carelessness and a nervous Saoirse who had just returned from the vet after being poked and prodded. Suki was excited over my coming home and I commanded her "artza!" (down). She obeyed, but suddenly she slipped out of her collar and was off like, well, like an energetic young golden retreiver who has been kept in the house for an hour and a half and wants a good run. Instinctively i ran for my whistle and raced in the direction of the road to make sure she was not in any danger of approaching cars. I called an blew two blasts on my whistle several times and after what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a minute or two, she came running back. I hugged her and praised her - and tightened her collar so that it would not slip off again! She also came back to me immediately after I accidently unclipped her leash from her collar instead of the clip on her leash to adjust its length in the middle of Nahariya.

Every time Suki is loose and she comes back to me, I become more confident that she will always come back. I believe she is already far too attached to me to really run away, but the dangers of having a dog on the loose are far too great to let it happen again.

Now I think it's time for a free run - inside the fenced in basketball court!

Suki's First Irish Music Session

My goodness! What are all these people doing? Sitting around holding all these strange objects on their laps and producing these strange sounds. Some sound like that whistle that Bracha uses to call me, but I'll be darned if I can figure it out...there's no food, and nothing terribly interesting, so I think I'll just go to sleep in the sun until something more exciting comes along...

Now what the heck is that thing? Still no food...and it doesn't even sound as if she knows how to play it properly...but I do like these sounds..what did she say that was called? A jig?

There was a lot of joking at Beit Oved about the fact that Suki would be exposed to a lot of music. She seems to have made a good start, and yesterday's session outside certainly provided Suki with better conditions for hanging out than the last encounter in the pub where she barely had room to lay down. The players who gathered in the backyard of the bed and breakfast cabins at Ben Ami all loved Suki, who seemed to find jigs and reels very relaxing...in fact, she simply lay down next to me and went to sleep. We'll see how she fares at Jacob's Ladder Festival in two weeks' time.

After a much-deserved run around the basketball court where she learned "Tnee" (give me) to retrieve and drop her toy at my feet, we then went on to my friend Bill's birthday party, where Suki was petted and admired by all and behaved, in my unbiased opinion, beautifully.
(Thanks to Ayelet Nativ for the session photos!!