Many of you will know through meeting me, either professionally or personally, that I negotiate most places with an assistance animal, or specifically a Guide Dog.
Well some of my blog topics are on the serious side I know; so this time I wanted to share with you another aspect of my life, and at the same time maybe make you laugh with me, at some of the funny things that happen as I navigate the world with one of my dogs.
1. It's often about FOOD!
Yep, it's a topic on all of our minds I know, but it's usually one of the first things I am asked about my dog. "What does he eat?", people ask me, usually managing to sound fascinated. "Do you have to pay for his food?" Sometimes I'm hard pressed not to laugh, when people say "What does he like for dinner?" or "do you cook for him too?" My dog starts wagging his tail and salivating at the idea of a good fillet steak of course, but the answer is no. Still, the best one I've ever had would have to be, "How do you tell his food and yours apart? if they are in the fridge?" Hmmm, his is not, and I don't usually get my food out of a big plastic barrel nor do I generally settle for kibble, but look ... each to their own.
2. Some people even assume he can read.
So picture this. I'm travelling along in a train one day, when little Johnny says to Mummy "Mummy, how does that dog know when it's his station?" "Well if you look up there," Mummy replies patiently, "See those signs Johnny? He reads them!" Ummm, no! He might recognise the wording of an audio announcement he's heard for a long time, or know the turns in the road that a bus or car takes, but he generally doesn't read the newspapers.
3. "Hello, you must be Jenny, or Sally, or ..." Louise, perhaps?
Yes indeed, this one has happened to me on a number of occasions. Usually it will be someone who walks up to me out of the blue, and who knows someone who also knows someone called Jenny, and this person happens also to be blind! When I look back at them and tell them that in fact I'm Louise, the person generally stands there looking a bit put out, and says "But I thought you were Jenny. She's got a black guide-dog!" Ah yes, I reply, but there is more than one black guide-dog out and about.
4. "Can I pat him?"
There is the inevitable question that people who love dogs ask. Of course the answer might be "yes", if he's not working. When people reach out and pat him as he's crossing at the lights? I tend to be less enthusiastic; put simply, I'd rather get to the other side safely. It's also a fairly safe rule of thumb for people to ask me first, rather than to say indulgently to their over-excited children, "Oh all right, you can pat him!" Not a safe rule to follow with any dog they don't know, I would have thought.
5. "He must be your best friend!"
Yep, it's a comment I get often; about as often as "oh he must be a great partner!" Look, he's absolutely fantastic believe you me. He thinks that most things that I do are cool, he is devoted to my service, and for the record, I am devoted to him too. But a best friend? Well look, like most people, I have one or two of those, and they are the human kind. He doesn't usually offer advice, or tell me when I've said enough!
6. "Is that a blind dog?"
Yes, that's probably still the best comment I ever get! Really? I tend to say "I hope not, because if he is, we're both in trouble!"
And the main point to take away from all of this? I might have a chuckle at people's funny ideas, but I never usually mind the questions! Questions are how we learn.