Vomit Comet

I don’t have long to write in this, have to go again and take her for busy and then go for another half-hour stroll.

Let’s see, didn’t do much last night except be amazed by her good behaviour as I fought with the computer and the dialup internet, at least it feels like dialup here…spent longer waiting for a page to load than sending emails. Oh well, emails got sent and she was as good as gold.

So today she woke me up with a nuzzling and a lick. What a doll. Still didn’t sleep on her dog bed even though I took it off the frame like instructor Tim said. Oh well, didn’t get into any trouble, had breakfast and we all ordered things from the shopping volunteer. She goes twice a week and gets stuff for us that we need…we give the money and that’s it. Poor Anka tried to understand what we meant, English is her second language you know. And so Sharon asked for dove soap, and she wrote dove soup! Good thing instructor Tim came along and straightened her out.

WE went on another walk, and he showed me how to put the harness on. That’s gonna take a bit to get onto. Lots of intricacies.

I look at that now and go “what were you smoking?” But it is kinda tricky at first, because you have to make sure you don’t hit the dog in the head with the heavy part, and all that stuff.

Went for a walk and she crossed the street and didn’t even freak at the parallel traffic.

Past self, do you honestly think a guide dog would graduate and be freaking at parallel traffic? Honestly? You are such a complete newb. I understand being amazed by a dog knowing what to do if a car went in front of us, but *parallel* traffic? Hell, probably even pet dogs get used to parallel traffic!

Trying to get onto knowing when she’s sniffing, or distracted. They say sniffing for any distraction. Starting to get it. Came back, took her for busy, then groomed her, that was fun. She just loves it. She just loves it to death. had lunch, yeah I said that, then I just read and she slept. Gotta get her up now and we’re going again. Later dudes.

Well we went on the afternoon walk. That was fun. Let’s see. Figured out more of when she’s sniffing. She was a little more stubborn, but oh well.

A little more? I think that was the day that she insisted on running like a mad beast, I thought this was normal and I had to adjust to it, and instructor Tim said nooo! That is not the way this goes! And kept madly giving her a leash correction back to heel. It made a horrible snapping noise, and I cringed and cried out that we must be hurting her! He said nooo! This doesn’t hurt! Do it! But I was too afraid.

I was able to help Margery. Two of her fingers have gone numb from some surgery, and so she can’t read braille, so she had no idea which bills were which that came back from the shopping lady. So I did that and helped her set her radio station…and helped her with the payphone. That made me feel good and useful.

Oh instructor Tim went and got us lottery tickets, we bought them but he went to get them. Margery and I are planning, and trying to get the others in on it, to get instructor Tim something and Anka something.

Let’s see. Oh, I called home and talked to mom. She’s all happy that I haven’t had a bad day yet. I braced her for the worst because people told me there would be good days and bad days, they could never explain what that would entail, but I told mom this would be stressful, so she’s happy I was having no really bad stuff so far. I told her all the stuff that’s happened and stuff.

Oh I talked to instructor Tim about grad. He’s a bit nervous, which makes me nervous.

And he was right to be nervous, past newby self. A guide dog doesn’t come home completely ready for all situations. You have to make them feel all secure and good before you can march them across a stage that you’re not familiar with. But you had to learn that the hard way. Actually, thank god you decided to leave Babs at home for grad, but you had to learn that lesson through other means.

That was about it for today. Yes, she finally slept on her dog bed! Later, hope you’re not too bored. Although it sounds like you’re having fun reading the insides of my silly brain.

Well, after she actually slept in my room, not on her dog bed I might add, but on the floor, she gave me a morning greeting of a sniff and a lick. We got up, I had a shower, we busied, don’t know if she actually busied, I fed her, she busied again, well I don’t know…then I got dressed etc.

And there lies the problem of free busy. How in the blue bloody hell are you supposed to know what your dog is doing if they’re out frolicking and peeing and pooping, and you’re not even out with them. You should feel their prancy dance on the end of the leash, even if you don’t touch their back or pick it up yourself at first! Dumb dumb dumb!

And then we came down for breakfast, and she was pretty damn good at breakfast I must say. Then we came back and I took her for a busy again. Then we had a big meeting in the lounge and we talked about obedience exercises. Grooming and obedience, those are two things we gotta do every day. don’t know if I can remember it all. Now we’re going out for another handle walk..and then lunch and then in the afternoon, we go out to the city on our first woofer puppy walk.

Holy crap. These days I have this constant headache. It must be a sign of brain strain.

Did I say yesterday that my hands have leash burn? Well my left hand sure does.

Well she’s having a real good snooze, groaning and moaning and sighing and sstuff. she’s quite the vocal puppy. growl groan moan. I wonder if she wants to go for a busy. Probably a good idea.

We went for a busy, a handle walk and I had to leave her here. She was so happy to see me. Oh it’s beautiful to have a reunion with my puppy.

In the handle walk I learned about what to do if she doesn’t go where I want her to go. We also had van practice. That’s interesting for sure. But she’s coming. Good little woof woof. Then I ttook her for another busy, and before that I got her some water because she was lapping at the empty bowl. Poor thirsty pooch. and now I’m just sorta sitting here with her as she snoozes and we wait for lunch. She’s such a good dog. Babs and I are gonna be best buds.

I tried. I really did. But the problem was I was trying too hard to be her best bud and not her boss. I really did love that dog, although she put me through the wringer.

Oh yeah, the first day back we’re going to have to go to the disability pension place to get the service dog allowance, and I have to remember to get her registered with the city of Guelph. Tags for my woof. I still have to get my train ticket fixed because I’m being driven back by mom and dad. Man the first grocery shop with her will be interesting. Oh she’s sitting here, so relaxed. So calm. So awesome. 20 minutes to lunch. I could eat a horse. I’m a hungry hungry hippo. I’m gonna miss all this babying. Have to remember to ask Tim about the grocery store, grad ceremony, that lump on her chest,

Stop the bus! Right there! That lump on her chest was the beginning of the end for us. If only I’d known.

it looks like she’s missing a boob, but what the hell do I know about lab boob structure? Candy, the pet dog I had as a kid always had like 6 boobs, 6 or 8 if ya count those other two lumpy bumpies on her chest. It looks like Babs only has 5. Weirdness.

It’s so cute to watch her get so excited when I grab her leash, it makes me think of that song misty takes me walking. God I sang that in like grade 3 in the festival.

How funny that I picked that song. That song is about a dog dragging you along when you take it for a walk. Foreshadowing, anyone?

Puppy was woofing in her sleep. Woofing and growling at some unseen enemy. That is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.
I get to go in like 5 minutes to lunch. mmmm…lunch. I’m a hungry mamma. I’m gonna go in a second. I’m just gonna let Sharon walk with Charity so we don’t collide. That’s her dog’s name. She got Charity, Tim got Willow, and Margery got Amy. Glad I didn’t get the name Charity. I wouldn’t mind Amy or Willow, but charity. eeewww. I said to her, as a joke, when she said she’d have to register her dog, it would be a registered charity, ha ha ha har har har.

I keep thinking I must be missing something. But I don’t think I am. Maybe I’ll start making my journey. journey to the feeding trough.

The afternoon was beautiful. I read part of my book while petting Babs. She lay there and moaned and groaned and slept like a log. I don’t think she got much sleep last night with my clock chiming on the hour. Silly clock. But anyway, after that we went on our first harness walk! Oh! that was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in my life. She was as good as gold! We walked past these guys on a bike and she didn’t even so much as flinch. She is oh so beautiful. Then I made her sit right plop right in front of a property with a barking dog on it, and she did! It took everything not to just bend down and hug her! We walked for a good half hour. It was the most amazing feeling. Sure instructor Tim still had one leash on her, but he didn’t have to do much. She’s awesome. Awesome I tell you.

She had the potential to be awesome, but only when instructor Tim was there. He had the leash on her for so long during training that I never felt truly like we were an independent team. More to come on that later.

I brought her back and we took her for a busy and then fed her and another busy and then we ate and had a little meeting about the classes to come. Lots and lots of walking. Fun fun.

Past self, um, duh! What else did you think you’d be doing at *guide dog* school?

Then I came here to write and she’s been good as gold. I gave her a good rubdown. That was fun. She just loves it and I wanted to give her the best one possible after she’d been such a doll. Well I should probably take her back for a rest. Later dudes.