Kids ask the best questions: guide dogs and vision loss – Part II
Schools are Cooper’s (and my) favorite places to visit
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The kids aren’t quite this little, but I love the photo.
Cooper and I Visit schools to raise awareness for blindness
I get lots of opportunities to talk about vision loss with the children; and thanks to Cooper, they’re very receptive.
The kids and their questions always make my day and as I mentioned in this post about questions people ask, education begins with the children.
From the kids
- Does Cooper know any tricks?
Besides showing me doors, steps, curbs, and the cashier at Starbucks? Yes, he does some cute things for treats!
Cooper likes playing hide and seek. He’ll wait in the kitchen while I find a place to hide. When I say, ‘Cooper come!’ he starts a mad dash to find me.
It only takes him a minute, maybe less, to find me even when I’m under a pile of blankets or in a cupboard, and he always hears me — dogs have excellent hearing! He gets a dog-treat when he wins, which is every time! Cooper would be a great detector dog if he had time for a part-time job!
⏰ This one isn’t really a trick but Cooper can tell time perfectly! Or I should say, he knows 7 AM (breakfast), noon (snack), 5 PM (supper), and 7 PM (bedtime snack). I never need to check my watch, he sits and stares at me till I remember what time it is.
‘Thank the snack gods Pat has me to remind her,’ Cooper is thinking.
2. Where does your guide dog sleep?
Cooper has a comfy dog-bed right next to my side of the bed. He also has a dog-bed in the living room and one next to my computer.
Sometimes when I get up too early (for him) in the morning, he’ll sneak onto my bed and snuggle himself in, I think he likes my pillow.
3. Who pick up your guide dog’s poo?
The blind person picks up after their guide dog. I never leave Cooper’s poo laying around, he’s a 90 lb. Lab x Bernese Mountain Dog and his poo is not small.
So, this is how I do it: I wait till Cooper has found the perfect spot, when he squats, I feel his back so I know which way he’s facing. I pet his back all the way to his tail and I know that’s where the poo will land – right under his tail.
I point my foot toward the spot a few inches from it and get the little bag ready. I put it inside out over my hand, like a glove and when Cooper steps forward I know where the poo will be. I pick it up, turn the bag out and tie it. Easy!
Finding the trash can
Cooper will lead us to the trash can and point at it with his nose — then we’re done. More about picking up
4. Does Cooper ever get something wrong?
Yes, sometimes Cooper gets it wrong (sometimes I do too). For example, at a train station one morning, I said, ‘let’s find the door,’ and he walked us straight to the window!
It was a tall window that looked like a door but – no door handle for me to grab. A lady standing inside motioned to the door so that Cooper understood and he led me to the door. The lady held it for us.
Thank you lady at the station!
5. What was the scariest thing that happened?
One morning Cooper and I were waiting in the station when a really tall fellow who seemed to be high, walked right up to me, towered over me and said loudly, ‘I wanna pet your dog.’ I was like, ‘he’s working so No, don’t pet the dog.’
But he insisted. Cooper and I stepped back a bit while the guy was saying, ‘why not?! I’m gonna pet the dog!’ And just as he reached toward us, two security officers stepped between the tall guy and me.
They told the guy, ‘you WON’T pet the dog, he’s doing a job for the lady.’
The guy started arguing then turned to run up the escalator, but there were two officers. One followed him up the escalator and the other took the stairs to meet them at the top. He was cornered and they led him away.
Thank you security officers, for stepping in!
6. This question was for me: Do you still have to cook?
Yes, I still cook. There are lots of kitchen gadgets and tricks that help blind people work smoothly in the kitchen. More about how blind people do things.
My husband has threatened to start doing the cooking but I’m not ready for that yet! I’m joking, he does fine from time to time but I actually enjoy cooking.
7. What was the funniest thing that happened?
We were in training at the mall. Cooper was guiding perfectly, leading me around people and obstacles until, unexpectedly he walked right up to a guy wearing sunglasses and a blues musician hat, relaxing in a chair.
Blues guy was smiling and minding his own business, watching me and my dog get closer and closer. When we got right up to him Cooper was close enough to lick his face.
The guy was laughing and he blurted out, ‘I think he knows me!’ and I said, ‘it seems like it!’ then Blues guy said, ‘he really doesn’t know me, but I love dogs and he probably sensed it.’
He kept laughing, I laughed but our instructor didn’t laugh… I got nervous. Then I saw her smile just a bit, and she took the opportunity to explain the signs that a guide dog might need a break.
Doing random things like this was a sign that Cooper was probably losing his focus and needed a break.
Another sign of fatigue is when the dog shakes, like he’s shaking off water after stepping out of the bath.
A sign that the dog is hot is the pads of their feet are wet or damp. It’s because dogs have sweat glands in their pads. This is a good time for a rest.
We found a place to sit with a coffee and a snack for Cooper. We had been busy for a few hours and Cooper was probably losing his focus when he spotted the smiling guy that obviously (to Cooper) loved dogs!
Cooper and I have been a team for four years and now he’s got a shortcut for letting me know he’s tired. He walks me directly to a bench and places his chin on it. He’s a clever boy.
You might be wondering why he takes this liberty
He doesn’t go ahead and show me to a chair very frequently so when he does, I know he needs a break. We sit down.
This is a pic of Cooper in front of a comfortable chair he led me to in the store. I remember complaining to the friend I was with that day, that I felt like sitting down. Clever boy, thanks Cooper!
Thank you for reading about Cooper and me!
