Dog Day

And what a day this has been. We were told that we'd get our dogs at ten. Before that, we had to listen to some very abreviated lectures, and we all heard what dogs we were getting. I found out that I would be paired with a little black lab girl called Posh! Doesn't it just fit! I was amazed, because I would have asked for a black female if I had thought I could get one that matched my personality, but I've never asked for a particular breed or gender, since the matches at Guide Dogs tend to be phenomenally good. But then, at last, after an interminable wait, I got to meet her. They said she was little! They were not kidding! She's a little pocket dog, for sure! Not quite 20 inches tall, and weighs about 47 pounds, I think! I forgot to record our meeting, and the number sort of flew out of my head, but it's about that. She's very, very sweet, and a very good girl. She has a bit of spunk to her, but she's not crazy. Perhaps that means she'll look out for me, like other ones have in the past! They tend to give me these really sane dogs, which is amazing!

 

We did a little obedience work, and I learned about giving her her food rewards. This is a totally new thing for me, and goes against everything I've ever been taught at this school, but I'm keeping an open mind. And I will have to admit that doing it was great fun. I'm still not convinced about its usefulness in actual guide work, but it was fun, and it convinced her that I'm a wonderful person!

 

We had a grooming lecture, in which I not only brushed her lovely self, but brushed her teeth and cleaned her ears. And still, she didn't hate me. But at the same time, I got her three toys, a bone, a kong, and a tug ring. The kong was her hands down favorite,  but she lost it about one minute after I gave it to her. I got someone to help me find it, but we're going to have to work out the best way to play with it while we're here. It'll be easier at home.

 

So, that's my dog day. Altogether wonderful! And now, I'm tired, and Miss Posh is fast asleep. I'm going to wake her up to kiss her goodnight! And tomorrow, I'll find out what it's like to work a dog who comes up to my knees! Amazing! Night!

 

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