Day 11: Does Your Doggie Bite?

Chase got to see the inside of KTVU today for the first time.  That meant a chance to check out the comfort of the carpet next to my desk and to meet a few of the folks with whom I work.

It was our second time to walk from BART to Channel 2 and back.  Chase is becoming a veteran BART rider  He now sleeps on the train floor between my feet.  But he’s still a little leery of the fare gates.  They bang open and closed.  It’s pretty intimidating if you’re nose-high with them.  Angie is guiding me through some techniques to help him overcome his apprehension.  Instead of working him on harness through the big, wide disabled gate, I had him heel and walked him through.  Then I fed him a whole bunch of kibble treats on the other side.  The message: if you walk through, good things are waiting for you.  I suppose there might be a sermon illustration or a metaphor of some sort in that.

People at work were great.  Everyone who petted Chase first asked if it was okay.  (Here are Guide Dogs for the Blind’s guidelines on what to do when you meet a guide team: http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=resources_access_meetguide ) 

A guy on BART also asked if he could pet Chase, and I said yes.  I affirmed him for knowing to ask first.  I find I’m enjoying the interactions that come with having a guide dog.  Last night, some girls in San Rafael asked how he knew when to lead me across the street.  I explained the dogs do not read the traffic lights at all.  They wait for a command from their handler, and that people with little or no vision listen to the sound of the traffic to know when it’s safe to cross.   The first time we rode on BART, a guy asked if he would bite.  I simply said, “He’s trained to do what I tell him to do.”

Late today, we had representatives from Guide Dogs explain to us the veterinary assistance program.  They give us an allowance for annual checkups, provide annual supplies of flee and heartworm medicine, and help with other veterinary costs.  They also told us about their toll-free support line where we can call to get help or to ask questions related to our dogs, including their care, their health and how to deal with any problems we run into.

It’s really a remarkable organization.