So much better!

Today was just lovely! We were supposed to work on sidewalkless streets and country roads, which, generally speaking, are easy, mellow routes. But first, Erin took me back to Gresham to work on the downtown streets, since I'd missed out on yesterday. She also gave me a new harness handle, which has a very strange shape, but which makes walking much more comfortable for both Posh and me. Puts just the teeniest bit more room between us, so I don't walk on her little feet. We didn't have that awkwardness of the first couple of blocks, as we had before. It was just smooth from the first. The dog is incredible. She just doesn't make any mistakes! The walk was uneventful, but isn't that the best!

 

Then on to the sidewalkless route. I would like to point out that the lecture tells us that the first feature of these routes is that there no sidewalks! Duh! Do ya think? Anyway, Posh was excellent there, too! Especially good at showing me the cars people parked on the streets, and then skirting them perfectly. Have I mentioned that she's a lovely worker?

 

I've always loved those country road walks. I've never quite seen the point, since it's just a straight shot between the two buses, but it gave us our first time of walking without an instructor being close. Enormously peaceful! The only problem was that it was pretty hot, and I worry about Posh getting too hot. You can feel how her black hair absorbs the sun, and I got to hear her pant for the first time. We had the option of walking the road one way, or round trip, and I opted for the round trip, more or less against my better judgement. But I felt like both of us could use the push. We did just fine, but I think we were both more than happy to get to the bus!

 

Then we had a little tour of the campus without our dogs. So, while Miss Posh kicked back on her bed with her bone, I walked a bit more in the sun, and hopefully learned something about the layout of the campus. I still don't think I could just take off with her for a walk around it, but maybe later. We'll have one more tour with the dogs, and maybe then I'll feel confident enough to go for it!

 

Tonight, there was a session for the retrains, where we told about all of our past dogs. What wonderful, tender stories! It is so hard to explain that bond that forms with these dogs, but in that group, we all understood.

 

Which brings us up to now, and a long and lovely day it has been! Night all!