Week 5 - Maya to become a guide dog in training

I have had some disappointing news this week, my supervisor telephoned me, to tell me that Maya has not passed her x-rays, as one of her hips was not perfect, although nothing to worry about, she is fit and healthy, it just means that Guide Dogs would rather not use her for breeding. She will now continue to train to become a Guide Dog. I will keep her a bit longer, as she will now need to be spayed before she goes in for training, she hasn't long finished her season, and as Guide Dogs will only spay a bitch 12-16 weeks after their last day of season, Maya will not be spayed until the end of April, so she won't leave me until at least May. Wheras if she has got through the x-rays, she would have left me quite soon.

It is a shame really, as she is such a confident girl, nothing seems to unnerve her. I have taken her to a rememberance day parade, with a band playing, she showed no reaction. Recently when out walking with her, an ambulance went zooming passed us, with lights flashing and sirens blaring, I stopped to let her take it all in, and she just watched, cocking her head from side to side, like the pendulum of a clock. Another time a workman was digging the pavement up, using a pneumatic drill, and Maya walked passed as though it wasn't there. It would have been nice to pass her confinent genes on to her puppies. I have had previous dogs that would have given those situations a very wide berth.