Week 9 with Usher

It has been a very busy week in the puppy walking household, Usher and I have been packing boxes in preparation for moving house in two weeks.  Well, lets just say I have been packing, Usher has been jumping in the boxes, running off with bubble wrap, trying to chew the boxes, you get the picture!  He has been in the sort of mood that just gets him into loads of mischief.  Every time I have opened the washing machine Usher has put his head in it, every time I have put something in a cupboard, Usher tries to climb in.  Alfie goes to sleep so Usher stalks him and bounces on his head.  So what I have done is lots of basic training just to keep his brain occupied and try and praise and reward the good things and redirect the not so good things.

We have been to puppy classes too, Usher and I really get a lot out of them.  We did an outside recall this week and I took the whistle.  Since Usher arrived with me as a tiny puppy, when he gets fed he is asked to wait until I blow three times on the whistle, then he can eat. This is so when I blow the whistle on a free run, he comes back straight away. A guide dog owner would not be able to see where their dog was when off lead, so it is essential that their recall is rock solid and they come back every single time. The recall in class was in a field with horses right next to it, which was good from Ushers point of view as he has never seen horses before. So we had the horses on one side of us and the rest of the class on the other and Usher had to run down the middle to me. No pressure then! I need not have worried as Usher flew down the field at the sound of the whistle and practically leapt into my arms (note to self: work on Usher's brakes as soon as possible).  Usher now knows that he doesn't get his treat until I have hold of his collar. This is so he cannot just grab the food and run off.

The other big thing this week has been Crufts.  I have never been before, however the opportunity came up this year to go.  Guide Dogs were having a stand there, so I wanted to go and say hello and see all the dogs, watch some of the displays and get some toys for Usher and Alfie. I have been watching on television this week and Usher has been absolutely fascinated in what is happening on the screen, I took a photograph of him looking really closely at all the dogs doing agility.   Usher is too young to visit Crufts, so he had a babysitter at home, so I went on my own.  I had a fantastic day, but what I did not expect to have was a profound experience that I think I will always remember.

Whilst talking to the people on the Guide Dogs stand, I met a man called Andy Guiel the Education and Demonstration Team Leader for Guide Dogs.  He said that he would take me on a blindfolded guide dog walk so with some trepidation I put the blindfold on and I honestly could not see a single thing.  Very quickly my balance became peculiar, I felt like everyone was brushing past me, all the noises suddenly went from being background noise to almost annoying and I felt myself sway a bit.  Andy put his arm on my left elbow and it really helped and gave me an anchor, I then stopped feeling like I was going to fall over.  He slowly guided me for a couple of minutes and showed me by gentle pressure on my arm how to convey meaning and expression, a little nudge to say 'quick the Boss is watching' or to move left and right or to get me to move behind him in case of obstacles. I felt incredibly vulnerable, my steps shortened, I couldn't concentrate, let alone see anything.  How on earth do visually impaired or blind people know where to go?  Andy introduced me to his guide dog, I gently took hold of the handle with the fingers of my left hand.  Adapting to the speed of my now much reduced pace, he carefully guided me through people and stands, if someone crossed our path he would stop and wait. If I moved too far to the right of him so the handle was at too much of an angle he would stop and wait.  Andy asked him to go left and right, and he just did and I followed.  We passed other dogs, bits of crisp on the floor, leaflets, bright colours and he didn't flinch, startle, pull or deviate from his job.  When it was time to take off the blindfold I was amazed how far we had come, and yet how exhausted I was.  I can honestly say that it was a moment I will never forget, not everyone is as lucky as I was and able to take off the blindfold.  To have just a tiny glimpse of what it feels like to have your vision impaired, yet to be guided in confidence and safety by a guide dog and to experience how that made me feel was humbling and really put a perspective on things for me. Some day Usher could be doing that for someone, getting someone out to work, to do things they want to, when they want to, to just live their life. This is why I do it, this is why I puppy walk and why I feel so passionately about it.  As one of the guide dog owners said to me, " he really is my very best friend" and that is exactly what I want for Usher.  When he is old enough to leave me, I want to be able to wipe the tears from my eyes, so he can be the eyes for someone else.