As told from the dog’s point of view — Dear Diary and Canine Friends, I think I sprained my ankle but I’m keeping quiet about it, why? Last year I broke my thumb, and they took me to the Vet. It’s not that I don’t like the Vet, he’s the nicest human of all humans I’ve met who wear…

Service dog Cooper represents Western Canadian dogs, and analysts predict a landslide win in the next election — Cooper’s announcement to run for office On this National Dogs in Politics Day, September 23, I’d like to announce that I’m running for office. Not just any office, I’d like the corner office with a window and a snack vending machine. More about snack machines in a second. The sign on my door will read Cooper…

As told by Service Dog Cooper: It began as an ordinary morning at the dog park. — A couple of dogs were retrieving tennis balls, Retrievers I’m guessing. Border Collies chased balls thrown using a launcher, I mean, those guys will easily outrun a ball thrown with an arm alone. These launchers show up at the park since backyards aren’t big enough for all the sprinting they…

As told by the dog… — My name is Cooper and I’ve been a guide dog since 2018. I’m starting to consider a retirement job. You might be asking why I’m thinking about retirement. See the grey under my chin? Guide dogs work on average seven years, maybe more, but that’s up to the dog. We…

What could go wrong? It’s a plant shelf, this will take twenty minutes, tops — I needed a cat—proof shelf. The dilemma I don’t have indoor plants, the reason is I have two indoor cats. I’ve tried keeping plants, but our mischievous black cat Zoey, who looks exactly like the cat pictured above, will play with them, or eat them. The solution A plant shelf like this one will…

The command ‘Leave it’ will help you regain your dog’s attention when he’s distracted, and may keep him from eating something that could be harmful to his health — When Cooper and I began working together, I found early on how valuable the leave-it skill could be. When a guide dog is in work mode, he is focused on the task at hand, and if he becomes distracted, saying leave it brings his…

What will I do with the empty space shaped like you? I hope my letter finds you… — Dear Friend, There it was, the picture of you, smiling at all of us, your friends and family, your people. I was about to read your post, it would be a cheerful note from your heart, a piece of your day you wanted to share with us. But the post…

It’s more fun to walk your dog rather than having your dog walk you! Teaching your dog to heel will be one of the most valuable things (s)he’ll learn, and your walks will be, not just more enjoyable, but also safer for both you and your dog — When my guide dog Cooper and I were in training, our instructor taught me how to teach him before she set us loose on the world. So, it was important that I understood how to keep up with the skills he’d learned and how to teach him new ones as…

Cooper: There are so many services that dogs do for humans, sometimes I think of the possibilities if I was not a guide dog — Cooper: I’ve been a guide dog since 2018, and my lady Patricia (Pat for short) and I have seen a lot of working dogs on our travels. At times I wonder what I’d be doing if I was not accompanying Pat, seeing* to her safety when we’re outside of home. …