New Guide Dog Journals Day 9

Last Updated on: 2nd April 2013, 05:07 am

Back to the grind with us all. I have no idea what this day will look like since everybody’s got their own customized routes to hit. I know tomorrow afternoon we go over to GDB campus but today is a great big mystery.

Oh and thanks to Carolyn the awesome nurse, I have trimmed bangs. Yea I won’t look like crap for my picture.

There’s something funny I keep meaning to write down. Every time the hotel chef walks past our table, he says “Guide Dogs in the house!” It always makes me chuckle.

It’s so hard to explain to a first-timer the difference between new team bumps in the road and holy crap problems that need addressing. Like one guy’s guide has bumped him into a few things. Sometimes that happens while they’re both figuring each other out. But if it keeps up despite reworks, then maybe it could become a problem. It’s gotta be so hard when you only have a week left and then you go home…although to be fair, the real anxiety, for me, always waited until the last week to appear, so this would be just par for the course.

I’d have to look over my Trix journals, but I gotta say we’re getting through everything and my brain isn’t a pancake. The question, I suppose, is do the first-timers’ brains feel like pancakes? It’s hard to know because as a first-timer, I never wanted to admit my internal feelings. But they look like they’re doing ok.

Hey Steve. One of the first-timers says he waited so long to get a guide dog because he couldn’t stand the thought of picking up poop. Hmmm.

I’m terrible at measuring a half a cup when I only have a full cup measure. I’m a terrible guestimater.

I’m still not sure I’m getting Tansy’s poop. Now I’m starting to wonder if she’s a walking pooper and I just don’t know it.

We’re starting to exchange contact info through our phones. Yea.

What am I going to have for breakfast? Think I might get from the buffet.

One classmate said something that has got me curious. He looked at me and said, very seriously, ”
Carin, I have to ask you something. Do you ever wake up not feeling like it’s the best day of your life?” Hmmm am I really that bouncy? This could either mean that he likes my bounce or I’m really annoying. I’m going to hope it’s column A until I hear otherwise.

I finally know why Tansy kept stopping at a specific hotel room that we’d never gone to. The smartypants classmate who has it had rubbed kibble on the door frame. Well mystery is solved.

It’s raining today. This is good, believe it or not.

I’m sitting in a coffee shop waiting to go out.

My door’s still being a tool. Is it me?

I feel a bit antisocial sitting at this coffee shop alone, surrounded by people, typing away.

I have to remember to show off my Aftershokz headphones. My classmates are interested.

This morning we walked through some busy traffic, did some clicker training with a pole, and went through a grocery store. All went pretty well. She picks up patterns really fast. This is a blessing and a curse. I can’t do anything wrong or she’ll pattern to that.

We did food setups and greeting people setups. I think she knew they were setups.

I just got some news. I get to talk to the one who did most of Tansy’s training. That’s tomorrow afternoon. Rockin.

They’re trying to get me a safe I can reach. They really want me to use it.

Now with these routes, they’re trying to simulate how we’d slowly cut back on food reward. We also did more clicker. It takes so long to train a skill, but god does it ever get engrained. We were clicking for a pole and when we passed it again, she tried to target it without me doing anything.

I had relieved her at around 11 a.m. and she pooped. Then I took her out to relieve at around 1:30 and she peed. I figured that was all she had to do. Then we headed out and without giving me any warning I could perceive, she stopped mid stride and started pooping in harness. Oh no oh no. I’ve never had a dog poop without some warning.. Poor dog, I thought she was sniffing so I corrected her and so she sort of sucked her poop back in. Then when I gave her another chance to relieve, she couldn’t go.

One of my classmates has a migraine. Don’t let me get another headache.

I have no idea what’s to come for tonight. I know there are 2 night routes but other than that, I am without clue.

I really didn’t get wet much at all. A couple of my classmates got royally soaked.

Man suddenly I’m tired. I’m afraid I might fall asleep in this coffee shop.

So all the way back to the hotel, Tansy whined on and off. We got back here and immediately I took her out to relieve and immediately she relieved. Yucky icky goo poop.

She’s hilarious with her kong. She runs around with it, waves it at me and then continues snorting and running in circles.

I gave her the flee stuff and she took it rather well, but not before jumping on Danielle…again. What did I say about progress?

I was told why she wouldn’t leave her crate when I called her…it’s because she’s probably been told to stay there until they physically come and get her. Oops.

Now mom and dad have called to ask if I want a ride home from the airport. Rarg I have booked a shuttle. But not only do they want to drive me home but they want to try and install things. Yarg not now.

They also seem deeply disturbed that Tansy pooped in harness and is a jumper. “That’s not good at all!” Dad says, as if it’s the end of the world. Um Trix had some issues at the beginning. It’s all part of them growing up and learning what I will and will not put up with.

I have to work on her chompiness while taking food when we’re clicker training. I haven’t mastered this whole put it in a fist until you get it to the mouth thing.

I think that’s all for now. I swear there were other little bits I wanted to say, but they evade my exhausted brain.