My neighborhood was fairly quiet; and Elli and I could walk on residential sidewalks most of the time. Elli had to learn to ignore toads, which were plentiful in Texas during the summer. With my cane, I never thought about toads. With Elli, I knew about every toad we encountered–at least, until she learned to ignore them.
On one block, our route took us past a holly tree that overspread the sidewalk. Elli was trained to avoid overhanging objects; but occasionally she had her mind on other things (like the toads). This was apparently the case the first time we encountered the holly tree.
I ran into the tree at full speed. Thorns stuck in my arms and face. Elli stopped. I followed the procedure for correcting her for running me into a tree. I shook the holly tree, thorns and all, and said, “Pfui!” through my tears. I then took several paces back and commanded, “Forward.”
Elli took some tentative steps forward, turned left and walked into the street, making a wide berth around the holly tree. After passing the tree, she turned back toward the sidewalk and got back on course. I hugged her and praised her loudly.
A few weeks later, some relatives came to visit from out of town. I decided to take them out to watch Elli work. Elli and I set out, and the relatives followed at a good distance.
When we encountered the tree, Elli went out into the street. But she would not go back to the sidewalk. Instead, she looked back at my relatives, ensuring that they, too, skirted the tree.
Looking back at incidents like this, I realize how well Elli and I were bonding already, just in those first few weeks. It is normal for a person to wonder whether the bond with the dog is working. It takes some time for the relationship to become cemented. But a dog begins to show that she will work for the person early in the relationship. One of my later trainers said, “When you go home, you are your dog’s trainer.” Whatever behaviors I reinforce, the dog will continue.
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- Learning From My Younger Self - February 10, 2024
- more reflections on ITD - June 30, 2023
- On travel while at ITD: reflections after day 1 - June 27, 2023
- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
- Job Descriptions, Inclusivity, and Equity for People with Disabilities - October 15, 2022
- Traveling without a Guide Dog: Experience with Cane and Walker - October 14, 2022
- Disability and Church, Intersection - June 11, 2022
- Review: When Chronic Pain and Illness Take Everything Away - June 11, 2022
- Grammar and Style Resources for Writers - June 9, 2022
