Announcing...the 9th ADBC!

How time flies! Martha, over at Believe in Who You Are, has called for submissions for the 9th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival.

Martha's theme is MOMENTS. What a wonderful theme. As she suggests, participants can write a blog post about a single moment in time...

• The moment when your puppy or dog learned a task
• The moment you and your dog felt like a team for the first time
• Last moments working with or being with your dog
• Favorite moments, funny moments, embarrassing moments, ETC

Anyone who is involved with raising, training, using, or otherwise involved with an assistance dog can participate.

The deadline is October 31.

To enter the 9th ABDC visit Martha's blog post here, and comment with:

1. Name of your blog: E.G. Believe in Who You Are
2. The title of your post: E.G. My Favorite Moments
3. The link to your post: E.G. http://learninbabysteps.blogspot.com/my-favorite-moments.html

I am excited, not only to read all the submissions, but...I already have an idea!

Stay tuned...

 

ADBC--it cometh again!

The 8th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC) has just been announced by Brooke, at her blog "ruled by paws".  (For background information about the ADBC, and links to past issues, visit this link: About the ADBC.)

Brooke works with a guide dog and her blog is about her adventures with all of her pups. She is hosting this edition of the ADBC and her choice of topic is...drum roll please...

"Marchin' to Your Own Drum"

Brooke listed some examples on her post to help us get started. Here they are!

• Does your assistance dog fit the traditional mold? (does he or she have any special quirks or behaviors?)
• Does your dog do things differently from past partners (or the partners of friends)?
• Why did you choose to go with a program dog after your owner-trained one retired? (or vice versa)
• Why did you choose a non-traditional breed for your partner?
• Did you have to overcome any sort of resistance from family, friends or employers when deciding to partner with an assistance dog?
• Have you witnessed any unique or special assistance dogs in action? (what made them stand out?)
• Did you have preconceived notions of what an assistance dog should look like, only to have them changed by witnessing one in action or reading about one?

As a puppy-raiser, and not an assistance-dog handler, I might add a few more ideas:

• If you've raised multiple puppies, how have they been different?
• Are there "required" techniques that you struggle with? (For example, loose-leash walking.)
• Have you ever experienced a conflict for your decision to raise puppies (either within yourself, family members, or at work?) How did you handle it?

Visit Brooke's post (ADBC Call for Submissions) to submit your entry to the Carnival. You will need to comment on her post with the name of your blog, your name, the name of your post, and a URL to your post. Deadline is "7:47 pm" on July 29, 2012. Brooke will compile and "publish" the 8th edition on July 31st.

Thank you Brooke, for hosting!

Stay tuned for my entry!

It's here! The 7th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival!

As promised, here is an overview of the 7th ADBC. For those of you not keen on the ADBC, check out Sharon Waschler's post, "About the ADBC" on her blog, "After Gadget."

 

While there was not a huge response to my chosen topic of EFFECT/AFFECT, or "How has a working dog in your life IMPACTED other people and/or the relationships in your life?" the posts that were submitted are thoughtful and honest.

To those who tackled this sensitive topic, I thank you for sharing.

It was interesting to me that two bloggers, who are handlers of assistance dogs, remarked that people are often more interested in their dogs than in them. Even as a volunteer puppy-raiser I get a taste of this when out and about in my small town with Future Leader Dog "Scout." My husband Andy says, "I don't even exist. First it's 'Hi, Scout' and then it's 'oh, it's that lady with the puppy.' Who am I?!"

At any rate, I pass the hosting baton on to Tori, at her blog "The Average Blog by an Average Blogger" for the 8th ADBC in July. Stay tuned!

THE 7TH ADBC POSTS

Lyssa, at her blog, "Downunder Assistance Dog," wrote "The Knightly Effect." Knightly is a nine-month-old Golden Retriever that she is training to be her assistance dog. Lyssa's post explores the many effects that Knightly has had and continues to have on her life (and her husband's life)...from getting her out of bed in the morning to keeping her out of the hospital.

Khills writes about how training her mobility assistance dog, Shai Ezer, "suicide proofs her." Her blog is "Shai Ezer-Helper Beside Me: Training My Service Dog," and her post for the ADBC is "Not Easily Broken: Dancing With Shai." Khills uses pictures to illustrate the journey she's taken with Shai after a 2009 diagnosis of the "intruder" MS (her term for the disease). Because everyone in her family "had to deal with it (MS)," Shai helps maintain the "family's equilibrium."

Sharon, over at her blog, "After Gadget," is responsible for starting the ADBC way back in the fall of 2010. (Where does the time go?) Her post "Service Dogs & Friends: Familiarity Breeds...Confusion?" is a sincere exploration of how the "raising, training, and handling" of her own service dogs has had a negative effect on the relationships with people in her life. In turn, these relationships have made it more difficult to actually train and work with her "dog partners."

L^2's post, "Impacts on Relationships," at her blog, "Dog's Eye View," examines the positive and negative impacts that working with her guide dog, Jack,  has had with people in her daily life, and "those I encounter once in a blue moon." Although Jack has eased the worries of her parents, L^2 says it has been difficult to get her family members to NOT treat Jack like a "pet." Read how this makes her feel toward spending time with them. Dealing with the general public has been negative for the most part--L^2 says she feels as though she and Jack are a "form of entertainment." Still, she likes the idea of raising awareness and hopes she has smoothed the way for other guide dog teams.

L^2 brings up an interesting take on how having her dog take center stage affects her interactions with "friends" and how she has established "new relationships" within an on-line community of handlers and others who are involved somehow with assistance dogs. That the blogging community sometimes acts as a "second family" is one of the benefits I wasn't expecting when I began blogging a few years ago.

My post, "The affecting effect of dogs..." is a personal note on how my love of dogs makes the relationship with my aging parents a sometimes-uncomfortable situation to manage. Yet, it always amazes me how these creatures demonstrate the true meaning of "unconditional" love.

READERS! Please take a few moments to meet my blogging friends by following the links above to their posts and their blogs.

Looking forward to the 8th ADBC Tori!

ADBC Deadline One Week Away!

Only one week to the deadline for the 7th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival!

As of today, I have three submissions.  

I NEED MORE

I'm guilty myself of pushing the deadline, so I know there is still time.

To spur some thought on the subject ("How has a working dog in your life IMPACTED other people and/or relationships in  your life?"), here is a comment my friend made after I posted a link to the ADBC on FaceBook:

sorry I wasn't following this...my favorite topic...I would hope that the working dogs do not crush or bruise the people or relationships in one's life...

Looks like I am not the only one who likes wordplay! Subsequently, my friend sent me the following email, expressing her dislike of the word "impact." (FYI, she is not an assistance dog puppy-raiser, trainer, or handler. Her exposure to the working dog world is through me--and she is very supportive!)

Hi patti:

I apologize for joining the discussion late. In fact, I don't know if this is relevant at all, but here is where I landed on "impact." Thank you for the indulgence of my personal spin.

OK, I give....but not without a fight. I'll chalk it up to the general disdain a "child of the 60's" had for business and it's warped use of language. Living in the business world for several decades does not lessen the skin crawl, it neutralizes the affect (or is that...impact) somewhat. New twists on words are created and popularized annually.

Here's what the OED [Oxford English Dictionary] says, after, of course, acknowledging the use of "impact" as a verb (adverb, as well):

The phrasal verb impact on, as in when produce is lost, it always impacts on the bottom line, has been in the language since the 1960s. Many people disapprove of it, saying that make an impact on or other equivalent wordings should be used instead. This may be partly because, in general, new formations of verbs from nouns (as in the case of impact, action, and task) are regarded as somehow inferior; in addition, since the verbal use of impact is associated with business and commercial writing, it has the unenviable status of 'jargon,' which makes it doubly disliked. Compare with enthuse (usage).

I'll continue to "doubly dislike" the overuse of that rather violent word, but will not crusade (OK, it was a gentle protest) against its use any more. I know that my personal use of language has deteriorated through osmosis...to the degree that I probably don't even recognize my own errors.

Oh, what we won't give up! But at least I now know why.

So, here are additional thought provokers, inspired by my friend:

Does your assistance dog "crush or bruise the people or relationships" in your life?

How does the raising, training, or handling of an assistance dog make an impact on your "bottom line?"

How has the presence of a working dog (whether raising or handling) affected your work life?

Let's get those submissions in!

 

ADBC Call for Submissions--TAKE 2

Today was to have been the deadline for the 7th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival. (To learn more about the ADBC, visit Sharon Waschler's blog post: "About the ADBC.")

Unfortunately, I have received only one submission (thank you Lyssa!), and a few requests for a deadline extension.

So.

A NEW DEADLINE.

TWO weeks from today.
Mark your calendars!

MAY 9.

To (hopefully) make things simpler, I will clarify and narrow the topic for this edition. I apologize if my convoluted sense of humor with the always-pesky words effect/affect caused anyone grief.

The following question is really what I intended.

"How has a working dog in your life IMPACTED other people and/or the relationships in your life?"

This can be how raising a puppy, training a service dog, or being the handler of a service dog has effected the people around you. Good and Bad. Better or Worse. Fun and/or not-so-fun. If you'd care to, share how it has impacted your relationships with them and what you are doing to deal with the situation.

A comment made on my blog by a handler's spouse about the effect of "having an animal in the house" is what set me thinking.

By scarletsfire on my page "Why I Raise Puppies for Leader Dogs for the Blind"

As the wife of a LD partner I can tell you that our lives have indeed been enriched. We are blessed beyond measure and greatly reap the benefits of the work of fabulous volunteers and trainers. As hesitant as I was to have an animal in the house, thanks to all the work it has been smooth sailing. Who knew there was such a thing as doggie etiquette? But thanks to the teaching that our LD come to us with, there hasn't been much to adjust too. But there have however been a lot of things to love about having a LD around. You all really make it easy for us non-partners to get accustomed to having a LD around.

To read my original post calling for submissions, follow this link: 7th ADBC.

Lyssa took my original topic to heart and wrote about the effect of raising and training her own assistance dog. Check out her insightful story,  "The Knightly effect."

To participate in the 7th ADBC, make a comment on this post with the following information:

1.  The name of your blog (for example: "plays with puppies")

2.  The title of  your ADBC post (for example: "My Father Hates Dogs")

3.  The link (URL) to your ADBC post: (for example: "http://yourblogname/postname")

I am up to the task of compiling the overwhelming amount of posts I will get on this topic. BURY ME WITH POSTS!

I will publish a synopsis with links to all posts by MAY 15.

The 7th ADBC IS COMING!

A CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

to the

7th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC)

This quarterly carnival started in October of 2010 by blogger Sharon Wachsler on her blog, After Gadget. For more information about just what a blog carnival and the ADBC are, and for links to the six prior issues, check out this link to a post on Sharon's blog:

http://aftergadget.wordpress.com/about-the-assistance-dog-blog-carnival/.

I am honored to host the 7th issue of the ADBC. Part of my responsibilities is to choose a theme. This is harder than it seems. In struggling to come up with a topic, I first considered the theme of LOSS. Retiring a working dog, making the difficult decision to put down an ill and suffering dog, or returning a puppy to the organization that will teach the puppy its job.

But, April evokes feelings of spring, and new beginnings. I wasn't sure I wanted to tackle such a dark topic in a month that begins with April Fool's day.

It just so happened that on March 1, I received the following comment on my blog page, "Why I Raise Puppies for Leader Dogs for the Blind," from the wife of a Leader Dog handler.

scarletsfireMar 1, 2012 11:18 AM

As the wife of a LD partner I can tell you that our lives have indeed been enriched. We are blessed beyond measure and greatly reap the benefits of the work of fabulous volunteers and trainers. As hesitant as I was to have an animal in the house, thanks to all the work it has been smooth sailing. Who knew there was such a thing as doggie etiquette? But thanks to the teaching that our LD come to us with, there hasn't been much to adjust too. But there have however been a lot of things to love about having a LD around. You all really make it easy for us non-partners to get accustomed to having a LD around.

The concept of the effect of a working dog on family members of the handler had never occurred to me before. It got me to thinking about some of the things the family must adjust to by having a dog in the house, where perhaps there had never been. Feeding, "parking," dog hair, vet bills--even the new independence of the the handler might prove challenging for some. Luckily for my commenter, the effect of her husband's new partner proved to be an easy adjustment, and a positive one at that!

As for myself, accepting my career-changed puppy, Gus, back into our home had an unexpected effect. The addition of Gus increased our four-legged family members to three (my old mutt Gypsy, and my 4th Future Leader Dog puppy, Scout).

Three big dogs is something to manage when it's time for taking a walk, or traveling. Our recent trip to Green Bay, WI via the U.P. brought home the effect of having three, instead of two, dogs--a "lifestyle" change we didn't anticipate!

Couple all this with being the "writer" that I am, I decided to play around with those pesky words, "affect/effect."

How's that for an April Fool's topic?

AFFECT/EFFECT

Which word do you use?  Here are some definitions that might help you decide.

Affect: (noun) used in psychology, emotion or desire as influencing behavior or action, a psychological term referring to an observed emotional state, After surgery, still under the influence of the anesthetic, my puppy wagged her tail without affect. (transitive verb) have an effect on, make a difference to; touch the feelings of someone, move emotionally, a more general term that suggests moving one to tears or some other display of feeling, The affecting blog post about the loss of a working partner.

Effect: (more common as a noun than "affect") a change as a result of something, Helping raise a Future Leader Dog puppy has had a positive effect on my nieces., (verb) cause something to happen, Leader Dogs for the Blind effected a list of "In-for-Training" standards to give puppy raisers a training goal.

Affect and effect are both nouns and verbs, but the word effect is used more often as a noun than is the word affect. Affect as a noun is most often related to the field of psychology. And, the two words are used differently as verbs--affect means "produce and effect on" or "influence," whereas effect means "bring about." (Seems like a small difference to me.)

I don't know about you, but even with all these examples, I still get confused with AFFECT/EFFECT.

So, in spite of that, how has working with, training, or being exposed to a working dog affected your life, or those of your loved ones? Has the introduction of a service dog or puppy-in-training had a positive or negative effect on your family members?

Use AFFECT/EFFECT any which way you please. Just have fun and let us now the effect of your experience in the assistance dog world!

Who can submit posts?

From Sharon's initial post about the ADBC:

Anyone who meets these criteria can submit a post:

• You have a blog (or someone who will let you post on their blog);
• Your post relates to the topic of guide, hearing, or service dogs (including psychiatric service dogs, autism service dogs, medical alert dogs, and any other task-trained assistance dog), even if your blog is not typically about assistance dogs;
• Your submitted post relates to the theme for that particular issue.
• Note: You do NOT need to be an AD partner (or puppy raiser or trainer, etc.), to contribute. Any blogger, regardless of whether you are affiliated with the assistance dog community or not, can submit.
• Note: Although it is not required, you are strongly encouraged, if you do submit a post, to make the post and your comments section as accessible as possible to people with diverse disabilities.^[1]

In other words, posts can be about puppy raising, service-dogs-in-training (SDiTs), assistance dog programs/schools, retired SDs, perspectives on ADs from people with disabilities not partnered with ADs, or anything else relating to the topic of assistance dogs. Posts from personal blogs as well as from AD organization blogs are welcome.

To participate in the 7th ADBC, make a comment on this post with the following information:

1. The name of your blog (example, "plays with puppies")
2. The title of your ADBC post (example, "The startling effect of puppy-breath")
3. The link (URL) to your ADBC post (example, "http://yourblogname/postname")

"Captcha" is disabled on my blog, but I do monitor comments. Please be patient for the publication of your comment. If you'd rather email your post, send it to pattibrehler (at) gmail (dot) com.

The deadline for the 7th ADBC is April 25th, so you have six weeks to submit a previous post that fits the theme at hand, or (preferably), write a new one!

I will compile and publish all submissions on April 30. (If you can't make the deadline, let me know and I'll add it as soon as you get your post "live.")

Guide Dog Puppy Sponsorship Auction

Fellow blogger, Laura (she writes the blog "Dog's Eye View"), is hosting a Guide Dog Puppy Sponsorship Auction to raise money for Guide Dogs of America. Laura's second guide dog, Jack, is from Guide Dogs of America, and this auction is her way to give back to that organization. 

Laura's first guide dog was Leader Dog Willow, a yellow lab from Leader Dogs for the Blind. At that time Laura supported Leader Dogs in several ways, including her photo of LD Willow on Leader Dogs' 2007-08 holiday card.

At any rate, please take a moment to check out the items up for bid at Laura's auction by clicking HERE.

You might also want to check out my own contribution to the auction--my first "chapbook" of poems and photos inspired by raising Future Leader Dogs. Here is the link to my "puppy poetry and photos" book: puppy poetry and photos.

I will also donate $5 to Leader Dogs for the Blind in the name of the winner.

So put a bid in!

The auction runs from February 25 through Sunday, March 4 at 10:00 pm.

Here is the front of my chapbook. Cover is glossy photo paper.

The back cover.

An inside peek. There are 36 pages of photos and poems, some of which have never been published on my blog.

Assistance Dog Blog Carnival Links

Cyndy Otty, blogger of Gentle Wit has hosted the 5th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival. The theme for this edition is Achievement. Please visit her post with brief descriptions and links to posts from participating bloggers at: Assitance Dog Blog Carnival #5: Achievement.

Take a few moments to peruse these posts, they will give you a new perspective on the role these amazing assistance dogs play in real people's lives.

TGIF

Fellow blogger L^2 (at Dog's Eye View), wants to give back to Guide Dogs of America, the organization that partnered her with Guide Dog Jack this year, so she's running an on-line auction to raise money to sponsor a puppy.  Her auction has over 60 really cool items on which to bid, including a "chap book" of puppy poetry and photography by ME!  There's still plenty of time to head on over and make your bid--the auction runs through Sunday, August 14 at 10:00 pm Central Time.  (L^2's first guide dog, LD Willow now retired, came from Leader Dogs for the Blind.)

Please visit L^2's on-line auction here: http://gdpuppysponsorauction.blogspot.com/p/about-auction.html!

Meanwhile, THANK GOODNESS IT'S FRIDAY
(at least that's what FLD Gus thinks)


Yesterday, while Andy visited the Ogemaw County Habitat for Humanity ReStore in West Branch, I worked FLD Gus up and down the main drag.  Loose leash heel, holding SIT, DOWN, and STAY each for 30 seconds, staying comfortable next to heavy traffic.  Believe it or not, West Branch is a busy place!

Even though there is only one traffic light in the downtown area, FLD Gus and I made the most of it.  Do you know how many times we crossed with the light within 45 minutes of walking through town?

More than a few (I think I can count six times).

On the drive home, FLD Gus took his usual position in the back seat.

Looks like FLD Gus is ready for the weekend.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!

4th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival!

The 4th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ADBC) is up!

Click on over to Kali's blog, Brilliant Mind Broken Body to read submissions from service and guide dog handlers, trainers, and puppy-raisers on the topic of THE DIFFERENCE.

This summer edition of the ADBC couldn't come at a more appropriate time--this week is the International Assistance Dog Week!

Thank you Kali, for hosting this engaging event!

My post for the ADBC is titled "Living the DIFFERENCE."  Click on the title and you'll be right there.

To learn more about what a "blog carnival" is (and catch up on the first three ADBCs), visiit Sharon Wachsler's website:  http://aftergadget.wordpress.com/about-the-assistance-dog-blog-carnival/.

 

HAPPY READING!

Tuesday's Training TIP: More on LOOSE-LEASH HEELING

Sharon Waschler is a published author and dog enthusiast who trains her own service dogs.  Recently, a post by Sharon on her blog, After Gadget, about loose-leash heeling caught my attention.

She was frustrated with Barnum, her current service-dog-in-training--he pulled on his leash.  Sharon has helpers who walk Barnum and each of them reported that he was "fine" on-leash with them.  Unable to reconcile this, Sharon observed her walkers and discovered that Barnum was, indeed, pulling.  Because he was not lunging at things, her walkers thought his behavior was acceptable.  With a bit of coaching, her walkers matched their methods with hers, and Barnum is improving.

The loose-leash method of training that Leader Dogs for the Blind requires of all its puppy-raisers, volunteer dog-walkers, and trainers should really be called "backwards walking."  Whenever the leash has ANY tension whatsoever, you walk backwards at the same speed at which you were walking forwards until your puppy looks at you. The theory is that your puppy will soon figure out that he will not get where he wants to go unless his leash is loose.

(For more about loose-leash heeling, read my posts from July 27, 2010 and April 19, 2011.)

This is a good theory.  In practice, at least in my experience, my puppy learns that when I walk backwards it is time to high-tail it back to my left side.  As soon as we return to walking forwards, it is totally okay (in his puppy-mind) to have a little tension on the leash.

Arrggghhh!

Admittedly, "backwards walking" is a hard-learned skill that improves with experience, practice, and consistency.  And I mean a skill that is learned by the puppy-raiser  (me) who is attempting to teach this to her puppy!  I don't think that each of my three Future Leader Dog puppies have been "better than the one before."  With time, and some effort, MY proficiency is developing.

Yet.  FLD Gus is nine-months-old and I'm frustrated with our stutter-stepping walks.  When I read Sharon's post ("A Loose Leash Walk"), I realized I had forgotten one important step.

Here are some HINTS, prompted by Sharon:

• Walk backwards FURTHER.  Even though FLD Gus twirls around and hustles back to my side, his attention is forward.  As soon as we travel ahead, he reverts to tension, slight at it is, on the leash.

• Walk backwards until your puppy LOOKS AT YOU.  I noticed that FLD Gus doesn't look at me when I reverse.  If he isn't straining to look ahead or at whatever is distracting him, he is looking down, NOT at me.  This is the important step I forgot!  I don't wait until he looks in my eyes before I continue forward.

• Praise your puppy AS SOON AS HIS EYES MEET YOURS, and then go forward.  After several longgggg series of walking backwards, FLD Gus started to look up at me as if thinking, "Why are you still walking backwards?"

• REPEAT as necessary, even if your projected 20-minute walk through the neighborhood only gets you to the corner and back!

Now that I am working with FLD Gus on loose-leash heeling this way, I see progress--it only takes one or two really long backwards walking before he looks up; as we continue, I find the need to back up is less.  FLD Gus decides to walk more easily before me, his leash draping looser at his shoulder.

YAY!  And thank you, Sharon, for reminding me just exactly what I need to do!

REACTIONS: Meeting LD Mike's New Handler

 

Today's post is my submission to Sharon Wachlser's quarterly ASSISTANCE DOG BLOG CARNIVAL, hosted this time on the blog "The Trouble Is..."  The topic for this third Carnival is:  REACTIONS.  To read my submission to the 2nd Carnival, read my post: "Decisions at Beary-Wood Lodge," and to the 1st, read my post: "My First Future Leader Dog Puppy."  When the third Assistance Dog Blog Carnival is up for reading, I will post the link so you can enjoy reading about REACTIONS from the various perspectives of Service Dog users, trainers, or other raisers.

Definition of REACTION 
-taken from the online dictionaries Merriam-Webster and The Learners Dictionary.

: a response to some treatment, situation, or stimulus

: the way someone acts or feels in response to something that happens, is said, etc.
: in chemistry: a chemical change that occurs when two or more substances combine to form a new substance


THE SITUATION

I did not hurry from Anne's, where I stopped to wish her a Happy Birthday and pick up Sofia; rather, I hesitated as long as I could.  I had less than one hour to drive seven miles to drop Gypsy and FLD Gus off at the townhouse, then drive 17 miles more across town to Leader Dogs for the Blind.

My opportunity to meet LD Mike's new handler, Eric, was scheduled for 6:30 pm.

And yet.

I delayed.

FLD Mike was a special puppy.  Loving, intelligent, easy-going.  Sofia, my quiet supporter, stayed my tears seven months ago when we returned FLD Mike to Leader Dogs.  (To read about Mike's return day, check out my post from September 10, 2010.)  My last view of him was his wagging tail as he bounced away at the left side of Mike, a Leader Dog employee, his blocky-Lab head turned up to the other Mike in a grin as if to say, "So, what's next?"

He never looked back.  At me.

I was hoping that Sofia would keep me grounded this day.  I wasn't sure of my reactions.  An unsuccessful match in February send LD Mike back to Leader Dogs in March and my emotions felt like they had been on a Mac Woods Dune ride--the thrill of dieseling up and over the crest of a colossal sand dune only to leave my stomach behind on the weightless descent left my mind scratchy with sand.  I wasn't eager to jump back aboard.


THE STIMULUS

• What would I feel when I saw this puppy that I had raised for almost a year?

It was important not to jeopardize the budding relationship between LD Mike and Eric, so I did not want the exuberant-body-twisting, tongue-lapping-Lab greeting like Rosie gave me last year when she was career-changed.  But I cannot lie--I hoped he would at least recognize me.

• How would Eric accept me; what questions would he have of me?

Eric hailed from Barcelona, Spain and could not speak English.  We would have a translator, but I wondered how we would fill our one-hour meeting.  Leader Dogs encourages puppy-raisers to give the handler photographs of our year with the puppy.  I assembled an album from digital pictures on my computer and hoped the Spanish titles translated correctly.  (Did you know that Microsoft Word has a translation function?)  I also brought LD Mike a new dinosaur-shaped Nylabone.

• What could I say to Eric?

Again, I didn't want to do or say anything that would cause Eric to question his pairing with LD Mike.  I knew that if Leader Dogs was confident that LD Mike was right for Eric, then I must also be confident.


WHAT HAPPENED

A group of puppy-raisers and family members were gathered in the lobby of the Polk Residence at Leader Dogs, where the handlers stay during their 3 1/2 weeks of training.  Sofia and I were the last to arrive.  Bev, from Puppy-Development, gave last minute instructions before we were taken to meet the handlers, all of whom had agreed to meet the puppy-raisers of their newly matched Leader Dogs.

Eric and Mike, another Spanish handler with her yellow Lab Leader Dog, and two translators were staged in the piano-room lounge.  Sofia and I stood in the hallway waiting to be introduced.  "Look," she said, "there's Mike.  He's staring right at us!"

A dark-haired, handsome young man dressed in blue-jeans and an "arty" long-sleeved t-shirt sat on the edge of a black leather couch talking to a woman seated next to him.  A black Lab lay facing us at his feet, on leash, not in harness.

Eric and LD Mike.

The next few moments were a blur.  We were led in and Eric popped to his feet.  LD Mike sprang up next to him, and the woman, who turned out to be the interpreter, stepped forward and asked us our names.  Before I could answer, Eric reached out, I reached out in a mirror-image response, thinking we were going to shake hands.  His hand bumped my arm and suddenly, unexpectedly, LD Mike's leash was in my hand.  Eric took a step back.

Oh no!  I exclaimed.  Please, I said to the woman, Tell him I should not have his leash.  Mike is HIS dog.

The translator spoke to Eric in Spanish and quickly returned Mike's leash to him.  It was an awkward moment.  A flurry of "holas," "hellos," and chair procurement followed and then Sofia and I were seated next to a stiff-on-the-edge-of-the-couch Eric.  The translator sat on a straight-back chair across from us.  LD Mike was on all fours next to Eric, straining to get a sniff of the other Leader Dog who was sprawled out on the floor just beyond his nose.

"Mike, NO," Eric said (in English).  He  tapped his hand on his thigh and gave a little tug on Mike's leash.  Mike turned.

After about ten minutes of tentative questions and short replies between the triangle of Eric, the translator, and me, the prospect of another fifty-minutes seemed interminable.  I offered up the photo album.  Eric's face exploded with delight as the translator described, page by page, the pictures of puppy-Mike's growing up adventures.  I hope the titles are okay, I told her.  She smiled at me and said they were just fine.

I offered up the Nylabone.  Eric thanked me, opened the packaging right away, and LD Mike stole it out of his hands.  Eric laughed heartily when the translator told him how Mike set about chewing off the dinosaur's head.

Maybe it was the photo album (Eric never set it down).  Maybe it was the Nylabone.  Whatever it was, Eric slid back into the couch and began talking.  He talked and talked to the woman, who translated everything back to me.

I learned that Eric's 21st birthday is one day after Mike's birthday, and that there will be a gigantic party in Barcelona this September.  I learned that Mike was the oldest Leader Dog in this month's class, and Eric was the youngest student.  Mike is Eric's first Leader Dog and this was Eric's first time to the U.S.  Eric came here to Leader Dogs for the Blind instead of going to "ONCE" (the guide dog school in Spain) because it was only an 18 month wait instead of four years.  I told Eric that he was brave to come to the United States by himself to get his first guide dog.

Eric lives with his parents (they do not have a dog) and he has a sister; he attends a school that the translator said is like a Community College and studies Administration and Communication.  He also works two jobs--the translator struggled to explain, but said that one job is "like a waitress?" and the other is "massage?"  Eric laughed, saying "Si, si" when I told  him that he could relax Mike with a massage.  He also was amused with my story of FLD Mike snoring during a lecture in my Postmodern Literature class at Eastern Michigan University when he was just a few months old.

Eric knows that LD Mike did not match up with a previous person.  He thinks it might be because of how hard Mike pulls, but he (Eric) is strong, and is very excited, and happy, to have Mike as a partner.

Fifty minutes flew by.  My face hurt from smiling.


WHAT WAS SAID

Eric wanted to know if it was easy for me to train Mike.

YES.

He also wanted to know if I taught Mike to find things.  When Eric drops something, he has trouble finding it.  Mike has been finding whatever it is for him, placing his chin on the item until Eric can feel along him and locate it under Mike's chin.

No.

Eric leaned forward and talked with animation to the translator.

"Eric says that he asked Mike's trainer if she taught Mike to do this, but she said she did not.  She thought that perhaps you did."

No, I said, shaking my head.  I never taught him that.  Maybe Mike is just figuring out how to help you.  We all settled.  And smiled.  Could this be possible?  I, for one, would not be surprised.  At all.


REACTIONS

It seemed as if the match between LD Mike and Eric was meant to be.  Sofia thought that maybe Leader Dogs should consider matching by birthdays--"After all, remember that Rosie's birthday is the same day we moved into Mom's house."  (To read about how career-changed Rosie found Sofia, read my post from April 5, 2010.) 

I was pleased when Eric asked for my contact information.  When I asked if we could take a few pictures he jumped right up to get LD Mike situated.  Then he asked if I would send him copies.  YES!

Our "adios" and "good-byes" felt as awkward as our "holas" and "hellos," but for different reasons.  Eric thanked me for Mike and it was all I could do not to grab him (Eric, not Mike) and give him a huge hug!  I was surprised to feel a mother's instinct and pride.  Instead, I reached out, gave his shoulder a squeeze, thanked him for meeting with us, and wished him all the best with LD Mike. 


Strangers frequently say, "I could never do what you do, raise a puppy like that.  I would get too attached and could never give him up."  I struggle to reply, sometimes saying, It's not what I'm giving up, it's what I'm giving.  And besides, I can always get another puppy!  Or I say, It IS difficult, but you just do it and know he'll go on to help someone.

I will struggle with this answer no longer.

Without hesitation I can easily reply, If you saw the joy that a new Leader Dog brings to a person, YOU could do it too!

Sofia reaffirmed this when she said, "Anyone could see how HAPPY Eric was to have Mike!  I think they were meant to be together!"


CHEMICAL REACTION

The dog I saw with Eric was no longer MY puppy, FLD Mike.  At some point in our hour I asked Eric if we could pet Mike.  "Of course!"  Mike came to us, sniffed, and let us pet him, but, as Bev observed, it was like he was thinking, "Okay, hi, that's nice.  Now, where's that chew toy?"  LD Mike was a dog who graduated from a challenging training program, encountered a detour, backed up, resumed, and still decided to go on to lead an exceptional life. 

Leader Dogs for the Blind is the catalyst for the change occurring in LD Mike and Eric.  Like the definition of REACTION in chemistry, the guide dog and the human are combining to form a working team.

LD Mike found his person.  He is Eric's dog (eyes) now!

Eric and LD Mike, with me.

A happy Eric, LD Mike, me, and Sofia!