Before I start, I need to put some context. Due to being on Jury service my Hearing dog was having the time of her life on holiday cover with a fellow Hearing Dogs for Deaf charity volunteer. Prior to her returning I was given the opportunity to board a Guide Dog in training on her holiday cover whilst her normal boarders were having a short break. As Jury service hours fit well with times that the Guide Dog would be in training at Big School, she’d had a couple of nights alone with me albeit slightly intrigued with sensing that another dog uses my house. Thankfully my Jury service was cut short so I was able to collect my dog and bring her home prior to picking up the Guide dog at the end of her school day.
Despite being treated like royalty on her holidays she boisterously greeted me and having got home and had a couple of walks she was uncharacteristically extra clingy. The looks she gave clearly showed that she too had sensed that another dog had used my house. I collected our boarder for the upcoming weekend and released her into my garden. Now was the nervous bit. Placing myself between the conservatory door and the boarder, I tentatively opened it and called for my permanent resident to come and join us.
ROUND ONE: A nervous dog stood behind me and a surprised and clingy jealous dog stood in front of me giving me a look that said ‘What the - - -‘ . Awkward but having already found out a bit about the Guide Dogs character and a lot about my dogs’ character I was still confident that all would be well as long as they were given time and space to sort themselves out. I wanted their first meeting to be in the garden to allow the space that may be needed. Worry – Me? Whilst the meeting wasn’t quite as boisterously friendly as my greeting earlier in the day, it certainly wasn’t deserving of my rising tension. Roo, my dog came outside to weigh up April, the Guide dog. In line with the character she’d displayed over the last couple of days, April immediately took on a submissive stance. The two jostled and bustled onto the lawn and after a very short period both just turned to face me as if to say ‘Is this what you wanted?’
The tension hadn’t totally disappeared so I spent some time walking around the garden. Giving each individual praise and fuss, initiating mini games with toys scattered around and essentially backing up the natural hierarchy they had built themselves. Roo was the put out host and April the submissive guest happy to compete at times for the toy being thrown. Having left the conservatory door open I allowed them to decide when they wished to continue their ‘getting to know you’ inside.
After some time two rain-soaked girls ventured inside and kept a distance that Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer would condone.
ROUND TWO: Meal time was fast approaching. If there’s anything that’ll cause serious commotion then surely this’ll be it. I weighed their kibble allocation under their watchful gaze and my earlier tension at the door paled compared to my tension now. Undeterred I placed Roo’s bowl down in her usual place – stepped between the two of them and coaxed April with the lure of her bowl into a separate room. Eureka – my ploy worked. April inhaled her allocation and then wandered around looking to see if by chance I’d dropped any in the transportation stage. I decided to have a cuppa to reward myself for a successful operation. This however involved walking past Roo’s bowl to get to the kettle. Roo moved back into the lounge and April pounced on what was remaining whist Roo was out of sight. Strike out the Eureka! April’s on a diet.
Bowls removed from view, I retired with my coffee to the lounge only to be pounced upon by an uncharacteristically clingy Roo. Hey I loved it! I was wearing shorts and her warmth in pinning me down was quite welcome. Both girls were quiet. Both keeping each other in their peripheral vision but at least they were accepting of each other even though it was begrudgingly so on Roo’s behalf.
ROUND THREE: OK Roo has had enough. This is her house after all. She’d communicated her discomfort with the situation adequately to the guy she lived with, me. What else could she do to make a stand against this situation that she’d had no input in? Well she disappeared upstairs to sulk. There she stayed all night until I decided it was time for bed. She pranced downstairs in prima donna style and breezed past a calm polite April and waited at the conservatory door to be allowed out for her routine security check of the garden borders and assistance in watering the lawn. April followed at a safe distance and carried out a second check. Phew at least I knew there were no uninvited pests in the garden! Bedtime biscuits in hand I settled April in the lounge and Roo on the upstairs landing. Well, the first few hours had gone by without conflict but not totally without discomfort for the 3 of us.
ROUND FOUR: It's a new dawn. It's a new day. It's a new life for me. And I'm feeling good. Would my girls feel the same way? Deep breath and head downstairs with Roo overtaking me at the bottom and barging into the lounge. A smiling April is stood waiting to be greeted and offers a wagging tail in return. Totally ignored by Roo I give her some fuss and praise for being a perfect house guest for another night. Then I wander through to open the conservatory door to allow both girls out into the garden. Have I been hallucinating? Had the events of the previous evening just occurred in my dream? Roo, having seen April still there had clearly decided that she’d change the frosty approach she’d demonstrated the previous evening but there were terms attached! Play. If I tease you with this fluffy toy, will you chase me? April obliged, hesitantly at first but as the game progressed the boisterousness intensified. These girls have clicked I thought. I left them to their chase game briefly to set up their breakfast bowls. They followed me in and not wishing to put a spanner in this new entente cordiale I repeated the separate feeding area approach.
Suitably fed and watered unfortunately for me it was time for April to go to Big School, the Guide Dogs training centre. Shame as the post play scene was encouraging.
April safely set up in the boot space and Roo harnessed into her usual back seat position we drove off to drop April off.
ROUND FIVE: Part of my agreement of boarding April was that I’d not walk her off lead. It’s a sensible precaution set by the charity. Their clever dogs are extremely valuable and there are lots of health and safety issues as well as common sense issues to be considered before you allow someone not actually employed by the charity to freely exercise their priceless assets. April’s trainer texted me asking whether I would be willing to attend a training session with her regarding free running (exercising the dog off lead) so that, if she was comfortable authorising it, I’d be able to free run April over the last weekend I had her as a guest. Following the exploits of the girls earlier, I jumped at the opportunity so that a more enjoyable weekend could be enjoyed by all.
Being someone who is familiar with dogs I was aware of some of the traits, recall methods, behavioural signs to look out for etc. Regardless of how competent you think you are, having the opportunity of having a professional trainer not only give you tips but highlight why certain things are required is to be accepted with glee. Simple things are common sense right? Common sense however needs to be validated against what the required end result is. An assistance dog provides assistance. These professionals match the dogs skills with their recipient’s needs. A blind user would not understand why a dog has led down showing politeness to another dog. A family pet is encouraged to chase a tennis ball – no problem in that heh? – well there is if a dog leading a blind person sets off at a canter!
That lovely word Eureka comes back! I was given authority to free run April in an appropriate location. Pumped up with excitement I set off with April towards my car to hear a polite ‘They walk on the left!’ comment directed at me. I knew that – I just need to buck my ideas up to avoid confusing the dogs with MY inconsistency.
Well the first few rounds of the Hearing dogs meet Guide Dogs have resulted in a great experience. The free running was a huge success with both girls enjoying getting wet and muddy. They’ve forged a bond and I’m now relegated to just being a facilitator. A fabulous weekend awaits with more of the following:
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