Journal #6: June 17, 2011
Well, today has been a VERY trying day for me (and most likely for Leon, too!) We did basic obedience and retrieval in the morning and then went as a class to the Longwood Village strip center in Kennett Square.
Leon did very well in TJ Maxx –he opened the front doors with the door hook without much difficulty. He was heeling nicely next to my scooter and maneuvering as asked in the store. I found some London tea that I am excited about and we had a positive interaction with a store employee who asked me if I was training him –and was very understanding when I didn’t wish to give out his name. She wished me luck.
Well, her wish must not have worked. We all took our dogs to the mulch area to give them a chance to do their business. I gave Leon a few minutes and he did nothing, so we went on to Staples. We got only a couple of feet inside the door and Leon started pooping on the floor! I ran out the door with him as fast as I could, trying to get him outside! He had already finished by the time we got to the door, so we turned around and cleaned everything up (with Darlene’s much appreciated help!) I went outside and gave Leon a stern lecture (taking him back to the mulch area) about how that is where he is supposed to do that kind of thing –NOT inside. Ever. I was very, very upset and spent several minutes crying outside—so embarrassed and feeling like a failure even though I did what I was supposed to do. The trainers and other successors told me that this kind of thing just happens sometimes –and that I did the responsible thing in cleaning it up –and that it doesn’t make me a bad handler that this happened. The stress of team training probably played a big part.
So, shaken up by this, we went into Super Fresh with trepidation to go up and down a few aisles (after we first navigated into and out of the restroom.) Leon did very well –was very responsive to my commands to heel and to go back behind my scooter in narrow places. I got some groceries and toiletries. Then we met up with the rest of the class at Starbucks (they had finished at Super Fresh a good bit before I did.) Leon did very well there also –he is getting pretty good at walking with my scooter, though we did run into each other a few times today. He wore his boots because it was hot out and, though he was obviously not happy about having to wear them, tolerated them and did not raise a fuss about them (like Pebbles always did.)
The public I encountered today seemed overall more friendly in a way versus when I didn’t have a dog. I’ve seen more smiles on people’s faces and people stop and watch the dogs work. People also seem to be more understanding of taking a while to do something in the store (though that is all me and not because I have Leon –I am normally a slow shopper.)
Today was the first day those of us without alert dogs got to take our dogs home. Leon and I have had a pretty uneventful evening. He played with his plush tractor some, took a nap and then played with his tractor some more. I ate dinner and the two of us watched a movie together. I attached his leash to my belt loop and he’s been walking around the office with me very nicely –no pulling and very watchful of my movements.
What I like most about having Leon with me is that I have company rather than being here in the office by myself (the office cat, Taz, likes to spend his nights out doing whatever he does, so I’ve been by myself most of the week.) It’s nice to have a movie-watching buddy and somebody to play with/talk to. The most difficult thing about having Leon here with me is relearning how to do things with a dog attached to me –cooking soup in the microwave, remembering to say “leave it” when I drop food on the floor (an inevitable occurrence whenever I make dinner) and to watch where I’m going so I don’t trip over the dog. Leon did well, though, when I dropped my cup of pudding on the floor –I said “leave it” and he did –didn’t even try to go near it while I cleaned it up. I was proud of him –he had sneaked stuff off the floor a few times today, so it made me happy to see him resist temptation this time.
Out of curiosity, why didn't you want to give out his name to the employee at TJ Maxx?
ReplyDeleteBecause the first thing out of a person's mouth when you tell them a dog's name is to say the dog's name --the dogs are trained that their name comes before an active command (heel, touch, tug, look at me, etc.) and they respond readily and eagerly to their names. So I give out a pseudonym of, if I feel a person is receptive, explain why I cannot give out my dog's name.
ReplyDeletePebbles' public pseudonym was Goober. I have decided that Leon's will be Pistachio (to keep with the trend, you know.)