Day 5: Taking Our Booties For A Walk

Today we took our booties for a walk.  It’s been hot here in San Rafael, low to mid 90s all week.  That means hot dogs and hot dog feet.  So today, I put Nicole's little booties (more like tennis shoes) on her. 

You can see the booties are cuties.  They have rubber soles and nylon tops, with a Velcro strap to hold them securely on her paws. 

With the booties on, we walked through downtown San Rafael again, working on a fast pace.  Today she went right to her trot with very little prompting.  Again Angie used the clicker to mark the behavior we wanted to reward.  And again Nicole stopped on a dime to get her high value reward, little chunks of meaty treats. 

It’s a case of be careful what you ask for.  I found Nicole’s original pace too slow.  Now I feel like I’m running for a bus when I try to keep up with her.  And again we were both panting by the time we finished the walk. 

Also today I took her a short walk from the dorm to a play yard.  Another student accompanied us with his dog.  Nicole played by herself for a while.  The other dog played by himself for a while.  Then they played together.  They romped and wrestled.  One would grab a toy and run, while the other chased along behind.  It was fun to watch her play and get tired doing something other than tow me around.

I find that more and more she’s looking to me for direction, affection and approval.  Right now, she’s sitting under the desk in front of me, with her head resting on my thigh.  I take all of that as a sign that she and I have begun the process of bonding, a key part – they tell me – of becoming a successful guide dog team.

A short video of Nicole walking with her booties on.