First things first: the food… Breakfast was waffles with blueberry sauce and bacon and coffee. I’ll just say right now that copious amounts of coffee were consumed today along with much water for keeping cool and hydrated. Lunch was a delicious black bean burrito and vegetarian tortilla soup. I hit on a great idea of having a Kashi granola bar for a mid-afternoon snack–I brought a stash of them from home. Dinner was teriyaki meatballs with steamed cabbage over rice and a lemon bar for dessert.
I have been fighting a little war with the nebulizer–my morning treatment took a total of two hours. I had to break it up into two sessions, and that was not so pleasant or effective. I am trying another strategy this evening and hope to have a shorter, much more potent treatment. It is needed for many reasons. For one very important one, I need some good rest for tomorrow.
The walks went well today. We walked in town and did some more experimenting and discussion about speed, how hard I would like the dog to pull, etc. I learned that every instructor does not interpret the words “light pull” in the same way. I think of pull in comparison to my first dog… Elli was a stocky dog and a rather hard puller. She loved to be on the go and could work anywhere and anytime. She had nerves of steel and once sat in the front row at a Christian rock concert without batting an eye. She barked at the doorbell–not out of protectiveness but because she expected to be included in whatever was about to happen.
When I trained with my second dog, I had had a recent injury to my left wrist. I wanted an extremely light pulling dog, and I got one. She was a good worker; but she didn’t work for very long. She was what I needed at the time.
My last two dogs have been medium pullers. Meghan was a quicker walker, and Loretta would not speed up no matter how fast I asked her to go. I remember bringing it up in training… my trainer said, “You said this was the speed you liked.” I learned my lesson. Somehow, I have to strike a delicate balance between walking fast enough that I am meeting my need for the young dog who is going to slow down once the excitement wears off and walking slowly enough that I am being realistic about what I can do.
This evening, we have prepped the room for the arrival of the dogs. The floor is clear of enticing socks, shoes, and other fun things. The dog “home” is ready. In the “old days,” the dog area consisted of a mat or carpet square near a tie down. This was the dog’s place when the dog was not hanging out with us (e.g. when we were in the shower, sleeping, etc.) so that the dog was safe while not being directly monitored. In the long ago past, we never got to a point of giving the dog time loose in the room. That is different now; and we will have this time later. Not yet, though. The other thing that is different is that now the “dog home” is a soft-sided crate. We still have the dog mat, and it fits in the crate. We don’t get to bring the crate home with us; but it sure is tempting to get one.
Dog time is in the morning. We will meet the dogs and have a little time to be acquainted, and then we will take a short walk on campus. In the afternoon, we will walk in town. In the evening, we will groom for the first time.
I am not really nervous about this the way that I have been in the past. I told someone earlier that I feel like I’ve “gone to the other side of the experience” in a manner of speaking. I don’t have mentors in this class. I am one of the mentors. I am the only person in class who is getting a fifth dog or more. I feel emotions, certainly; but they are rather tamped down. Mostly, I am just observing the process and ready to bring it on. So bring on the rest and the dog!
Then again, perhaps a good deal of the lack of nervousness is about that change in me that I prayed for…
- 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
