OK, OK. I know; I missed a day. Trishna's and my first day at work was yesterday. Let's face it. Our fatigue caught up with us, and we went to bed at 9 p.m. yesterday.
So work is going pretty well. Most people have read my tips on what to do around Trishna and are following them to the best of their ability, except the eye contact thing, which apparently is pretty difficult for you sighted people. I'm telling you; don't look into her eyes, because after that, it's all over. You will turn into a big, giant mush, and you won't be able to keep your hands off of her. At least, that's what I've been told.
Trishna's adapting very well to campus. She guides well and hasn't run me into anything. My coworkers are very sweet, because they get nervous if we walk close to an obstacle. But so far, Trishna's done very well. I think it's going to take a little while for folks to get used to our new speediness, and to the fact that it's not their job to tell me where obstacles are anymore.
So, many thanks to all of my coworkers who are working very hard to be very good around Trishna and for working on adapting to this new relationship.
I wish I had more stories to tell, but to be honest, I've been in all-day meetings for both days, and she lays quietly by my feet. She didn't even pick up the Hershey's Miniature that someone dropped right by her nose earlier today. Good girl, Trishna. However, she had not had quite enough exercise today, so Heather's stray socks seemed to be fair game.
Well, it looks like we've come to the end of an experience. I wanted to write this blog so that you would know the transition I have been going through with Trishna. I hope you've learned something and had a few laughs. I know I have. It warms my heart to know that so many people found this blog through their friends and have truly enjoyed it. Many of you have sent me comments and kind words, and they really do mean a lot. It's been my pleasure to share this time with you, and Trishna and I will continue to have new adventures every day for a long time to come. Be well.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Welcome Home Trishna
Well, we all made it. Heather, Trishna, and I arrived home at about 3 p.m. today. And then all three of us proceeded to take a nap. Trishna did very well on the long drive; she had very nice car manners. Although she is a bit of a princess, and she doesn't like to lie on the seat belt buckles on the backseat. Yes, I let her ride on the backseat. She rides on the floor in other people's cars or on public transportation, but in my car, I make the rules. Well, Heather makes the rules, but she doesn't mind either.
Trishna is a very resilient dog, so she doesn't get stressed by new restaurants, traveling, or things like that. So the trip was quite enjoyable. She even wove her way through In-and-Out Burger when there were three bus loads of teenagers in line.
I wanted to share with all of you a few tips for meeting new Guide Dog teams, and some things to think about. These are things that I'm going to need to ask those of you who are close to me to follow for the next four to six months. They're not easy things to do, but you have my gratitude for trying your best. And if Heather can do it, you can too. :-)
OK, I'm going to give you the hardest one first: As hard as it is, when you first meet us as a working team, please do not touch Trishna, talk to her, or even make eye contact without asking my permission. I know how hard this is, because Trisha has big brown eyes and cute little eyebrows. Everything about her encourages you to touch her, so you must stay strong. It is so important for Trishna to bond to me in this new relationship, and if she views other people as "the fun ones", she may be less inclined to work for me. And that would put our safety at risk. The rules were much more relaxed with Stacey, but remember that Stacey was a much older dog and we worked together for years.
Next, when I do let you meet Trishna, we'll probably have her meet people one at a time. Approaching her calmly and letting her sniff your hand is always best. She's an active, enthusiastic dog, so I'm going to want to keep her as calm as possible. Be warned: she is a kisser. If you don't want to be kissed, you might not want to say hello. We're working on it.
Finally, please know that Trishna and I are a young team, and she is a young dog. She, and we, will make mistakes. You may see me have to rework a situation or even correct Trishna. Trust me, the correction doesn't hurt Trisha; it just reminds her that she needs to keep her mind on the job. I've been very well trained on how to correct her, and I promise I will not hurt her. But it might surprise you. Remember it's been 13 years since I've had a new dog, and Trishna is only 2. We're both very well trained, but we're still figuring each other out.
Those are the three big things. We'll see how things go at work tomorrow. :-)
Trishna is a very resilient dog, so she doesn't get stressed by new restaurants, traveling, or things like that. So the trip was quite enjoyable. She even wove her way through In-and-Out Burger when there were three bus loads of teenagers in line.
I wanted to share with all of you a few tips for meeting new Guide Dog teams, and some things to think about. These are things that I'm going to need to ask those of you who are close to me to follow for the next four to six months. They're not easy things to do, but you have my gratitude for trying your best. And if Heather can do it, you can too. :-)
OK, I'm going to give you the hardest one first: As hard as it is, when you first meet us as a working team, please do not touch Trishna, talk to her, or even make eye contact without asking my permission. I know how hard this is, because Trisha has big brown eyes and cute little eyebrows. Everything about her encourages you to touch her, so you must stay strong. It is so important for Trishna to bond to me in this new relationship, and if she views other people as "the fun ones", she may be less inclined to work for me. And that would put our safety at risk. The rules were much more relaxed with Stacey, but remember that Stacey was a much older dog and we worked together for years.
Next, when I do let you meet Trishna, we'll probably have her meet people one at a time. Approaching her calmly and letting her sniff your hand is always best. She's an active, enthusiastic dog, so I'm going to want to keep her as calm as possible. Be warned: she is a kisser. If you don't want to be kissed, you might not want to say hello. We're working on it.
Finally, please know that Trishna and I are a young team, and she is a young dog. She, and we, will make mistakes. You may see me have to rework a situation or even correct Trishna. Trust me, the correction doesn't hurt Trisha; it just reminds her that she needs to keep her mind on the job. I've been very well trained on how to correct her, and I promise I will not hurt her. But it might surprise you. Remember it's been 13 years since I've had a new dog, and Trishna is only 2. We're both very well trained, but we're still figuring each other out.
Those are the three big things. We'll see how things go at work tomorrow. :-)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Graduation
It is official. We are finished! I am writing from a hotel room in the middle of nowhere. Trishna is chewing on a bone; Heather and I are together; all is right with the world.
On to more important things---Graduation!
Twelve people graduated today with their new Guide Dogs. Morning started out very slow, with a dormitory meeting and description of what was going to happen at graduation. Then I was off.
First, I took Trishna to the fenced enclosure to run off some of her energy. Because here's the thing you need to know about my golden girl. If she doesn't work or get exercise, she gets a little crazy: really hyper and mischievous or destructive in the room. Yes, she is still a dog, not a saint. And as we did not have a workout in the afternoon the day before, I knew her energy had been building all night, and I didn't want her to be a crazy mess during the ceremony.
After her exercise, it was back to the room to finish packing and then off for one last trip to the gift shop to purchase the items that I just couldn't live without. Then, we had an early lunch and a quick change of clothes, and all of a sudden, Trishna's puppy raisers were at my door. They are a very nice family from the San Joaquin Valley; they've raised 16 puppies for Guide Dogs, and the mom is a puppy group leader. They brought me a photo album of some of Trishna's puppy pictures, which I thought was very sweet. She was quite the ball of fuzz.
After about an hour of visiting, they took Trishna, and I was escorted the stage. Each of us graduates was given an opportunity to speak in turn, and then we were presented with our dogs by the puppy raiser. And then each puppy raiser said a few words. All in all, a nice day. Good weather, nobody spoke too long, and people seemed to really enjoy themselves. This is the time where it really sinks in that this is really my dog, and we get to spend probably the next decade or so together. I couldn't be luckier.
I want to thank everyone who came to my graduation today. I had quite the crew; eight people decided to come and sit in the hot sun to support us.
Thanks to everyone who's been reading. This experience has been life-changing for me, and it's touching to know that so many of you were experiencing it along with me. I'm going to do two bonus posts, one tomorrow when we actually make it home with some tips on how to support a new Guide Dog team and one after our first day of work together. I've really appreciated all of your support and kind words. I really do believe that I have the best dog for me, and I have to say, as many of you know, I loved Stacey-dog with all of my heart, and she was also the best dog for me. But Trishna is probably the best dog I could've had for me at this point in my life. And sometimes, when I look at her, I sense a little spark of Stacey that has been sent back to me. So, here's to our safe travels for tomorrow and the days to come.
On to more important things---Graduation!
Twelve people graduated today with their new Guide Dogs. Morning started out very slow, with a dormitory meeting and description of what was going to happen at graduation. Then I was off.
First, I took Trishna to the fenced enclosure to run off some of her energy. Because here's the thing you need to know about my golden girl. If she doesn't work or get exercise, she gets a little crazy: really hyper and mischievous or destructive in the room. Yes, she is still a dog, not a saint. And as we did not have a workout in the afternoon the day before, I knew her energy had been building all night, and I didn't want her to be a crazy mess during the ceremony.
After her exercise, it was back to the room to finish packing and then off for one last trip to the gift shop to purchase the items that I just couldn't live without. Then, we had an early lunch and a quick change of clothes, and all of a sudden, Trishna's puppy raisers were at my door. They are a very nice family from the San Joaquin Valley; they've raised 16 puppies for Guide Dogs, and the mom is a puppy group leader. They brought me a photo album of some of Trishna's puppy pictures, which I thought was very sweet. She was quite the ball of fuzz.
After about an hour of visiting, they took Trishna, and I was escorted the stage. Each of us graduates was given an opportunity to speak in turn, and then we were presented with our dogs by the puppy raiser. And then each puppy raiser said a few words. All in all, a nice day. Good weather, nobody spoke too long, and people seemed to really enjoy themselves. This is the time where it really sinks in that this is really my dog, and we get to spend probably the next decade or so together. I couldn't be luckier.
I want to thank everyone who came to my graduation today. I had quite the crew; eight people decided to come and sit in the hot sun to support us.
Thanks to everyone who's been reading. This experience has been life-changing for me, and it's touching to know that so many of you were experiencing it along with me. I'm going to do two bonus posts, one tomorrow when we actually make it home with some tips on how to support a new Guide Dog team and one after our first day of work together. I've really appreciated all of your support and kind words. I really do believe that I have the best dog for me, and I have to say, as many of you know, I loved Stacey-dog with all of my heart, and she was also the best dog for me. But Trishna is probably the best dog I could've had for me at this point in my life. And sometimes, when I look at her, I sense a little spark of Stacey that has been sent back to me. So, here's to our safe travels for tomorrow and the days to come.
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