Dog Day - Part 1

It's here! Happy Dog Day everyone!

In the guide dog community, the day you start training with your new guide dog is referred to as Dog Day. In most cases, Dog Day is the first time you get to meet your dog. Typically the school is very tight lipped about your match, and you don't get to learn any details about your dog before you actually meet them. The night before Dog Day is usually filled with nervous energy, resulting in poor sleep. There are so many questions swirling around your brain, like: what gender, breed, and color will my new dog be? What is their name? Oh God, what if it's a bad name?! (Trust me, there are some really strange ones out there...) Will we bond quickly? What if I mess things up? etc. etc.

A few of these questions I already had answers to this time around. I had specified a LONG time ago that I wanted to work with a German Shepherd, and I was placed on the shepherd waiting list. I had also requested a male and the school was able to find me a boy. My dog's trainer reached out to me last month and let me know that there was a dog in training that looked like an excellent match for me. We met for a test walk at the beginning of September and the match got approved. Since I already got to meet the dog and knew his name (a pretty good one in my opinion), the thoughts keeping me awake last night were more excited in nature than anxious. It took over two hours to fall asleep and I woke up before 5 am, so yeah, pretty par for the course before such a big day. The same feeling you get before your birthday or another favorite holiday. Imagine knowing that you are meeting your new best friend in a few hours. It's enough to keep anyone awake.

As wonderful as Dog Day is, it's best when celebrated infrequently - every 7-8 years or so. Guide dogs go through training for 2 years, are matched with their handler, and ideally work until they are about 9-10 years old. Dogs can retire early for a number of reasons such as, if they develop health or behavioral issues, they don't adapt well to a new environment after a move, experience some type of trauma like getting attacked by a pet dog or getting hit by a vehicle, or simply decide they don't want to work anymore, to name a few. A dog that can work until 9-10 has had a long, successful career, and they absolutely deserve the comforts of retirement after so many years of service. Retirement is usually harder on the human handler because they will have to change the relationship with their longtime partner and get to know a new dog who is fresh out of training. The two partners in a guide dog team need to learn to work together, it's like learning to dance. Bonding can also take a long time, especially if the handler is carrying baggage from their previous guide. It often takes a good year to become a solid team.

All of that to say, Dog Day is wonderful, exciting, emotional, and should be savored because it doesn't come around too often.

The boy will be arriving soon, so I'm going to make some last minute preparations. More to come!