Based upon the classic Christmas poem we all know and love, this is Cooper’s Version 2.023 of The Night Before Christmas, as told by the dog — ‘Twas the night before Christmas, in the Timmermans house, all creatures were sleeping ’cept me and the mouse. The stockings were tied to the railings, so neat since one fireplace mishap, we’d not want to repeat. The cats, they were snoring on fluffy cat beds while visions…

A wish for myself and on behalf of individuals living with a disability — It’s not every day you see a dog in church and on that particular day, one lady could not resist him… First, let me back up a bit, here’s the scene: Occasionally Mr. Dale and I, with Cooper, my guide dog, will accompany my mom who is 90, to church…

Community isn’t bots and Ai essays, it’s people, unique and beautiful with minds and hearts, pens and keyboards … and original thoughts. — I suspect I’m not alone in becoming weary of reading stories and articles put together artificially in mere seconds by Ai. But honestly, I’d rather read genuine stories, opinions, poems, diatribes and rants, written by you. How do I know which stories are written with Ai?

Remember that ‘Fall back and let me catch you’ game we’ve all played at least once? I was terrible at it, I would have to trust without seeing. — Now I’m going to try trusting a dog? I knew that guide dogs were trained in many things, but I’d never thought about the level of trust I would need, to let a dog take the lead. If I wanted to be independent (which…

People often refer to Cooper as a Seeing Eye Dog, but he’s not a Seeing Eye Dog, I’ll explain — Most people are aware that a dog guiding a person who is blind or losing their sight is a service dog, more specifically a guide dog. Why are they sometimes called Seeing Eye dogs? The first guide dogs in North America were trained at The Seeing Eye, the only school of its kind in North America at the…

One little black cat named Zoey doesn't know, or more likely she doesn’t care, that she’s supposed to be striking fear into the hearts of all whose paths she crosses… — Her name is Zoey and she’s more curious than scary, but more about her in a minute. Writing about Zoey got me wondering where the superstition that black cats bring bad luck came from. Where did the superstition about black cats originate?

One haiku and two haiku sequences, written and told from the viewpoint of Guide Dog Cooper — The first one is called: What do you take me for? I’m not a poet You want haikus from a dog? That sounds like a sneeze This one’s called: Shoveling Snow and Frisbee Dog Let’s go play outside On second thought, I see snow Playing is postponed We’ll have a fire You’ll drink cocoa or coffee While I have a nap

They just blurt out their questions without worrying they’ll hurt my feelings… — My guide dog Cooper, and I, visit schools to raise awareness about vision loss and guide dogs, in conjunction with the CNIB in Alberta, Canada. When I introduce Cooper and myself to a classroom of children, I’ll tell the kids to ask me anything, and not to worry, they won’t…

Advice from guide dog Cooper: On my day off, Mr. Dale will accompany Pat to the places I usually go with her. These are some things people say to us during a typical workday… — Cooper: this is a quick guide for Mr. Dale (the husband of Patricia), and it will give him an idea of what to expect from random people out there, aka Joe Public, and what she’ll say. I’ll add hints for Mr. Dale so he won’t have to wing it, ready…