Time's flying by so fast

[chelle_gdlj]

So today we did a morning workout that involved different types of traffic that you would encounter when working your dog. So our training supervisor simulates what it would be like to have a car in various situations come at you and what you & your guide dog will react to it. For example, our TS drove the van into a parking lot that Maylee and I were crossing from the left not really waiting till we had safely made it to the other side of the ramp into the parking lot or another situation was a car backing up into the sidewalk area that we were working. I hope that makes sense because I'm tired and finding it a little hard to explain right now in written terms. We did great and most of the work was just following Maylee's training instincts like backing up fast when she is or speeding up while continuing forward. There were situations where I had to be aware of when the car pulls away and give her the command forward or give her other commands that would make her go around a parked car in a driveway that juts out to the curb. I found this part of training really helpful and reminded me of some of the reasons why I wanted a guide dog instead of a white cane.

I took this afternoon off to soak and relax my feet. I felt like I was getting a shin splint in my left leg, so I also doing the yoga exercise that prevent and help shin splints. No matter how much walking you do before you attend class, nothing really prepares you for walking with a dog because you walk so differently then you normally would.

Tomorrow is our mid-training review and I'm hoping for really good review. Cross your fingers for us! Time to join my dog in some shut eye.

PS more cute pictures to come