This post may contain affiliate links; by clicking on and buying through these links I will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you: helping me to keep Blind Girl Adventures running.
Guide Dog Trainings Day 12
Ida settled really well and seemed very relaxed and content when it came to bed time.
I think I was more worried about her settling and getting a good nights sleep more than she did.
As I live in a one bedroom flat I knew she wouldn’t be too restless because she could hear and smell us from her bed.
When Grant’s alarm went off in the morning she decided to come in and say good morning to us. Ida was very happy to see us both and intruded our space to say her hellos’ and ask for a fuss, it was very cute!
Breakfast was a bit of a dance. Ida decided to follow me everywhere I went; just encase I was making something for her!
When it came to actually getting her breakfast ready she was very enthusiastic.
I wanted her to lie in her bed as I got everything prepared, but the second I walked away she would jump out and follow me!
I had to rope Grant into getting her to stay as I pottered around.
He had no luck, she would lie down for a few seconds but as soon as he moved or stopped looking at her she tried to sneak past him to find me.
We both found it very funny, and couldn’t help but giggle a little, but we knew we couldn’t encourage her excitement, so we tried to be stern telling her to go lie down.
Eventually when I was organised and ready for her to approach, she bounded through to the kitchen, skidded all over the place and finally sat wagging her tail furiously.
The waiting process was probably less than 40 seconds but in this time Ida had formed a pool of drool, that literally sounded like a dripping tap!
Both Grant and I were very disgusted, and said as such to one another!
I got Grant to clear it up… there was no way I was touching her slimy slobber!
When Grant grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, Ida thought it was time for a walk because she stood by the front door, tail wagging. She seemed rather sad that he was leaving, but I made sure to distract her and we had lots of cuddles afterwards.
Because it was our first full day together at home, and due to safety and insurance reasons I was not allowed to leave the house with Ida, we spent the whole day indoors playing lots of games and having lots of cuddles.
Due to the weather being rubbish, I decided to groom her inside. She loves being groomed and took this opportunity to start rolling on the floor and pawing at me. Although very amusing I had to be stern and get her to up stand and stay focused while I groomed her.
She did try her luck a few times but I just kept repeating the obedience training.
She thoroughly enjoyed her grooming and found it very fascinating when I started cleaning up all the fur.
I soon noticed Ida wasn’t a fan of the hoover because she disappeared and ran into a different room every time I was in the same proximity as her.
When Grant came home, Ida got a little confused thinking there was an intruder at the door… She began to bark and rushed up to the front door to investigate the noise.
She didn’t bark for long and with lots of stroking and some obedience I managed to calm her down.
Everything went to pot when Grant came through the door…
Ida bounded up to him excitedly wagging her tail and backing her body into his.
I had tried to hold her by the collar but she managed to wrench out of my grip as her focus was on Grant.
I asked him to ignore her until she settled down, which he did.
When she realised she wasn’t going to get any attention until she calmed down, she just sat in front of Grant wagging her tail and smiling up at him until he eventually said hello.
Dinner time was interesting: although Ida was more relaxed than she was in the morning, she was still very excited and it took Grant and I being a tag team for her to stop wondering through to the kitchen to see what I was doing.
The rest of the evening was spent playing lots of games with Grant and I.
Grant and I love our little pup so much already, she keeps us entertained and on our toes… We couldn’t ask for a better companion! 🙂
That is really interesting! I’ve always wondered what it must be like to train a guide dog pup. One of my school friends parents used to train them.
It’s a lot of hard work for lots of different parties involved, even the pup itself; they have to be willing to work. Guide Dogs use a lot of positive reinforcement so the dogs end up love working 🙂 xxx
An interesting read its great u are training a guide dog. It’s not something i know much about.
Hey Joanna, I’m not training Ida, she is already fully trained.
She is my Guide Dog 🙂 xxx
What a lovely post and fascinating insight into the world of guide dogs!
Thanks so much, i’m really glad it gave you an insight 🙂 xxx
awww bless her, she sounds like a charmer and these first few weeks are always the most interesting to see how the relationship develops 🙂
She is a sweetheart, even if I say so myself. She’s also a stubborn little bugger! Haha xxx
What an interesting peek into training guide dogs 🙂
Thanks Helen, glad you enjoyed it 🙂 xxx
Training a guide puppy must be hard work but very rewarding
Oh it certainly is; us blind people wouldn’t be here without everyone involved who dedicates their time, effort and energy 🙂 xxx
Glad Ida is fitting in so well, definitely going to be keeping you busy!
Sounds like a perfect companion. Mind you I
Agree with you on the drawl!! Elinor
Sounds like a match made in heaven and all is going fantastic. So happy for you all.
This is so interesting. What a rewarding thing for you to do. It sounds like Ida has settled in really well.
oh wow i always wondered what it was like to train a guide dog – it must be such a rewarding job!