Being a guide dog handler is probably the best choice I’ve made since going blind. It gives me much more than just a canine partner and increased safety. Sometimes it even brings comic relief.
A few months ago, I left work and walked around the corner to relieve my guide dog, Bailey. We began the usual routine, and then he started to do something odd, he lay down. I bent to try to make sure he wasn’t eating anything, and, being a Labrador, he sure was munching on something. I pulled him away and made him spit it out but he’d already swallowed it. I needed to know what was all over the sidewalk, so I got out my phone and called AIRA. The agent identified the scattered items through the camera on my mobile phone as French fries, to my relief. If Bailey was going to be corrected for temptation, I needed to know what had done the tempting. The agent’s quick and accurate scan of the area confirmed it was something that would not cause Bailey any harm. This helped me breathe a sigh of relief; it was only a few French fries. We could deal with it.
This is also a reminder that while Bailey has an advanced canine degree as a guide dog, he is still a dog and will give into temptation. The counterbalance to this is knowing that when he does his job, when he pulls us from a driver turning right on red as we try to cross a street, or when he shoves me away from the speeding bicyclist hurtling down the sidewalk, a few French fries is acceptable.
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<span class="vcard author">by annchiappetta_nxovue</span> |
<span class="tags">tags : <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/tag/guide-dog/" rel="tag">guide dog</a></span> |
<span class="comments"><a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/2019/07/10/guide-dogs-in-rochester/#respond">0</a></span>
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<article id="post-1379" class="first post-1379 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-blindness category-guide-dogs-uncategorized category-relationships category-writing">
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<h1><a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/2019/06/23/doing-the-dog-thing/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Doing The Dog Thing">Doing The Dog Thing</a></h1>
<p><time datetime="2019-06-23T16:07:23+00:00">June 23, 2019</time> | <span class="categories">Filed under <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/category/blindness/" rel="category tag">blindness</a> <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/category/guide-dogs-uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Guide dogs</a> <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/category/relationships/" rel="category tag">Relationships</a> <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/category/writing/" rel="category tag">writing</a></span></p>
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<p>Many people just don’t understand the ups and downs of being a guide dog handler. Sure, most folks can appreciate the challenges, like having to be blind or significantly visually impaired to be eligible to work a guide dog, or, the dedication it takes to train with one. Yet, the daily routines and tasks may be a bit esoteric for the non-initiated to appreciate. </p>
<p>Here is a situation my current guide dog and I have been facing; I hope the details aren’t too vague or beleaguered. I would add this situation to the category of occupational hazards for working guide dog teams. Not a deal breaker but something that could become a challenge if not addressed with care and patience. </p>
<p>Our office has a rear entrance with a vestibule. The first door opens out and, on the right, the outer door opens out and to the left. One must open the first door, slip past it, let it close, and then go through the second door. Sounds simple, right? Not so with a guide dog. There is barely enough space for one person to get around the inner door when exiting; when entering, one must let the outer door close, then open the inner door slowly or risk injuring the dog. On the way in, the dog must be given the opportunity to come around on the right of the person, then be ready to step back with the person as the door is pulled open. It is confusing and takes practice to navigate it safely for the handler and dog.</p>
<p>We managed to avoid an issue for five years, but then our luck wore out.<br />
Bailey got bonked with the door one day last week and yelped in pain and surprise. He wasn’t paying attention and got hit in the head while we entered, then the following day, as we were walking past the stairway door in my building, he and I were almost hit as it was swung into our path by our neighbor. Neither of us was hurt, but the next day bailey stopped in the hallway and I had to pressure him forward to walk past the door. I imagined his thoughts as we passed, “Is that door going to surprise us again?” </p>
<p>Being door shy is a problem but totally workable to overcome. We worked on the office door issue first, with treats and praise. First session went well, and I think he will be fine. I also used praise to urge him past the stairway doors in my building, which he seems to have relaxed about when passing. </p>
<p>It is these occurrences that remind me he isn’t quite human and will behave in ways I might not be sympathetic about at first. I must remind myself to think like a dog, and go back to guide dog training 101: how can I help my dog feel confident again? When I apply it, I find the solution to a hurdle like door shyness. The most satisfying part of overcoming something like this is that I helped my dog with the issue, we found a way to solve the problem together. I used the skills taught to me by a group of expert instructors who love what they do. I listened to my dog, applied the tools, and made it easier for my dog to adjust and get past the negative experience. The bond of mutual trust is the cornerstone of a great team — and when trust is present, something like door shyness can be overcome with it, using reliable training tools and care.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thought-wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/FollowYourDogEBookCover.jpg"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.thought-wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/FollowYourDogEBookCover-200x300.jpg" alt="PD Yellow lab Bailey lying next to water, blue sky above and his image reflected in the water beside him." width="200" height="300" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-904" /></a></p>
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<span class="vcard author">by annchiappetta_nxovue</span> |
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<article id="post-1375" class="first post-1375 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-blindness category-guide-dogs-uncategorized category-poem category-relationships category-writing category-writing-life">
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<h1><a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/2019/06/16/first-book-revamped/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to First Book Revamped">First Book Revamped</a></h1>
<p><time datetime="2019-06-16T19:32:19+00:00">June 16, 2019</time> | <span class="categories">Filed under <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/category/blindness/" rel="category tag">blindness</a> <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/category/guide-dogs-uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Guide dogs</a> <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/category/poem/" rel="category tag">Poem</a> <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/category/relationships/" rel="category tag">Relationships</a> <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/category/writing/" rel="category tag">writing</a> <a href="https://www.annchiappetta.com/category/writing-life/" rel="category tag">Writing Life</a></span></p>
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<p>Yes, readers, my first book, Upwelling: Poems C 2016, www.dldbooks.com/annchiappetta/ , a slim volume totaling 60 pages, is being recorded and prepared for Audible.com. This is an opportunity that transpired because of who I knew, aka, networking. </p>
<p>I hope this format will help me get my work to more readers. I hope it will help generate income, too; what I am hoping for the most is for an agent or publisher to become interested in my work. </p>
<p>Each step taken is one step closer to being represented.<br />
It is hard to keep going, though, and sometimes it feels like all the effort, the self-promoting, and the book signings and readings are sucked into<br />
a black hole.</p>
<p>What keeps me going is working with other creative professionals, like Lilly, who has done a fantastic job, capturing the nuances and emotions of poetry.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thought-wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/UpwellingEBookCover.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.thought-wheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/UpwellingEBookCover-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1376" /></a><img class=)