[nagdu] Our first year

[sblanjones11]

Congratulations, Wayne & Gucci, and here's to many more wonderful years!
Thanks for the great post!
Susan & Rhoda

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Wayne Merritt
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 9:37 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: gsdguides; doggie-den
Subject: [nagdu] Our first year

Greetings. How do you summarize a partnership or a year's worth of events,
emotions and feelings? Today is the first year anniversary.
One year ago, I was matched with my current Seeing Eye dog Gucci. It all
began when I was sitting in a chair in a lounge in Morristown, waiting for
my future match. When my trainer brought her over to me and introduced me to
her, she pretty much set the tone by putting her front paws in my lap and
without hesitation giving me that first lick on the face. Though I was
initially wary and unsure of how things were going to work out, after having
not worked a dog for 9 years, Gucci took those fears and that uncertainty
away by putting one or both her front paws on my arms, chest, and even
shoulders. I clearly remember one of the first nights that I had her, when
she put first one then the other of her front paws on my shoulder and held
that position for several minutes. When I asked a trainer about this later,
he said that she was showing that she was comfortable with me.

Then, all too quickly we were on the plane coming home and I was in tears at
one point, having fully realized what I had done in getting her and fully
appreciating having her. AS time went on, things were perhaps not as smooth
as I might have liked, but we both were adjusting to each other and a new
lifestyle, as well as her adjusting to my home and work environment.
Countless times I have patted her on the bus, run my fingers through her
triangular Shepherd ears, or just stayed calm when she was looking at me for
direction. Now we're a year later and we've come up with different games and
things we do when at work and at home. She's attuned to me and I to her. Any
uncertainty I had felt in walking with her through the open parking lot of
my apartment complex, is now gone as I trust her to make the right turns and
guide me safely to and from the complex's office. Sure, she might get
distracted or turn when she's not supposed to, but I've also let my mind
wander at different times and not realized what she was trying to tell me or
point out to me.

She still walks between two people that are spaced out but having a
conversation, which I don't pick up on until we're already through, and then
I'm apologizing. And she still pauses when coming to a crowd or upon someone
with a  cane at work, of which there are many people that use canes at work,
but I'm glad I got her and that she's mine. It is fun to weave back and
forth through the people and that's something I'll never get tired of.

So thanks Gucci for the memories, the past year, the times of running around
the apartment or playing tug with the rope, or just for laying quietly under
my desk and having people forget that you were there because you were so
quiet. For being there for me when I needed comfort from waking from a bad
dream, being nearby when I'm in the shower and just keeping your eyes on me
when not on duty, and for being there for me at the many doctor's
appointments that we've been to over the past year. And for being there and
having fun all the other times. I got worried back in May when I had dropped
your leash at the horseback riding place, but that brief instant at which
the leash was on the ground, when I called, you turned back to me as if to
say, "Don't worry, I'm here." For getting me back to our apartment last fall
when the taxi had let us off on the other side of the apartment building.
That particular event happened just a couple of months after we had returned
to Austin and I was so proud of you and impressed with your abilities.
Here's to more years of loyal service, fun times and good companionship!

Wayne & Gucci

--
My blog:
http://wayneism.blogspot.com
My websites:
www.wayneism.com
www.whitecaneday.org

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