In July 2022 a big cuddly gentle giant moved into my house for board and lodgings. He had already been puppy socialised and was ready to take on the challenge of being trained to be a Guide Dog. I arrived at the training centre to have a meeting with his trainer so that she could fill me in with her initial assessment and then having been given his personal possessions in a lovely kit bag and a bag of kibble, I duly met him and coaxed him into the boot of my car. The journey home was quiet. He was clearly comfortable in a car and had led down awaiting whatever was thrown at him.
I introduced him to my Cocker Spaniel in the back garden initially so that they had the opportunity to meet in an open space. A cursory sniff was given by both and then they started investigating different parts of the garden. Oh, I thought. That did not go badly but it was hardly extremely encouraging. After some time getting used to the new environment we moved inside and again the two of them essentially ignored each other. My Spaniel even decided to vacate the room we were in and sulked elsewhere for the rest of the night.
This coolness between them lasted longer than I anticipated. It was not that they did not get on or were nasty with each other, rather they were just happy not to interact. At the weekend I took Mojo on a field walk that we often do. It is a safe off lead place and I had already determined that his recall was good. Off we walked or so I thought until I looked behind me to see Mojo led down. I coaxed him to come to me and he duly obliged and thanked me for the treat that was offered. On again? Oh no! this behaviour was repeated and so what would normally be an enjoyable amble through the fields became a battle to keep him motivated to keep up.
When I dropped him off on the Monday morning for his training, I mentioned his seeming lethargy as I was concerned that a young dog should show such lazy traits. Little did I realise at the time that this cuddly monster was a master of manipulation. His stubbornness is common, I am told in Golden Retrievers! He was happy to move if there was a treat to be had but equally happy to assume a comfortable position led in the grass if not.
Over time I realised it was my behaviour that needed to change in order to get him to keep up. Ignoring him and carrying on with the walk with my Spaniel finally made him reluctantly follow, albeit still lag behind us. I am a dog walker that enjoys watching the antics of dogs free running so having to constantly check behind me to ensure Mojo was ok was a bit tedious. This issue eventually was removed by the two dogs starting to acknowledge each other and interact. This breakthrough I think gave Mojo the confidence to copy my Spaniel’s investigative behaviour and check out smells etc. in the wooded areas where we walked. Eventually running together to investigate and share what they had found. This finally made the free running aspect of boarding a whole lot more enjoyable.
Dogs have their quirks – Mojo is no exception. If someone asked me what his favourite pastime was, I would be hard pressed to distinguish between lying down or getting muddy. There is however no mistaking the fact that if the two can be employed at the same time, then that is his number one pleasure! A good friend of mine that I used to work with organizes some great walks which I’ve joined with my Spaniel. He was putting out feelers to see who would join a walk and I replied advising that I’d have 2 dogs instead of the usual one and that if anyone objected then I’d try to arrange for Mojo to be covered that weekend. I also posted a picture of him and his mud passion. Overwhelmingly the response was ‘You have to bring him!’ – so – I did. The walk was organised with a break for a pub lunch. No worries – I had lead flashes showing that both dogs were part of service dog charities and regardless the pub was dog friendly in the bar area. Half an hour before we reached the pub Mojo could hold back his excitement no longer. A mud filled puddle was there for the taking! He emerged in a blackened state. Upon arriving at the pub I stood in the entrance looking at the land lady and advised her that I was more than happy to remain outside. ‘NO!’ she countered. ‘All dogs are welcome here!’ so we entered and sat in the corner and I had a fabulous lunch whilst the dogs settled nicely (thankfully!).
All good things come to an end. What started as a strained relationship with my Spaniel when he arrived quickly became a cycle of teasing, wrestling and play. Our time with Mojo has come to an end. This big cuddly gentle giant who arrived in July has quietly and unassumedly taken to the training he has been given and has joined the ranks of the Formula One of dogs, an accredited Guide Dog. I could not be more delighted for his new blind companion. Not only will they be given the opportunity to benefit from his incredible guiding skills learnt over the last few months but they will be benefitting from the sheer love, pleasure, and devotion that he emits. Their feet never need to be cold. They never need to endure anything without the reassuring hug he can provide. Their daily stresses will be eased by his gentleness.
His journey has been impressive since he smoozed his way into everyone's heart and along the way he has left his loving mark on many people including the lady that is the brood holder of his mum, the lady that he joined in order to learn his puppy manners and socialisation skills and then me who benefitted from a well-grounded dog to enjoy free running with once his training chores had been completed during the week. A big thank you to all who have been involved in his journey and a special 'Good luck' to his blind recipient and may they have a joyous ongoing journey!
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