[nagdu] Shopping shopping shopping!!!

[Julie J.]

How I shop hasn't changed at all since adding in a guide dog.   I usually 
have my shopping assistant push the cart.  Sometimes I will hold on to the 
handle and have the assistant pull it though.  I generally have a list that 
I give to the reader person.  When we get to the general area I always ask 
about sales or new products.  The reader tells me what's available, prices, 
brands, sizes and sometimes I need info from the ingredient labels.  I'm 
picky about foods and my family has particular food requirements.  I tell 
the reader which product I want and generally have them hand it to me before 
putting it in the cart myself.  This gives me the opportunity to know 
exactly what I'm getting.  For some odd reason every time I buy Jell-O the 
reader always gives me the sugar free variety, then they are amazed that I 
can tell it's the sugar free sort by touch.  It's considerably lighter 
weight than the sugar sort and once you've eaten a sweetener that makes you 
ill, you don't forget not to buy artificial sweeteners.

Generally I work Monty in the store, following along as I talk with the 
reader person.  If the store is really busy, I'm not feeling particularly 
well or the aisles are narrow is when I'll hold onto the cart handle and 
have Monty heel alongside of me.  He's not too keen on walking behind the 
cart, so generally he's out far enough on the left side so he can see around 
the cart.  It doesn't bother me and I let him walk where ever he likes so 
long as he doesn't pull on the leash and is reasonably close.

If I've gone shopping with my husband, he drives us home.  If I go by myself 
then I carry the stuff home in a backpack.   If I go by myself I'll ask at 
the service counter for an employee to help me with the reader tasks.  I 
keep meaning to get one of those little pull behind carts, but so far I 
haven't purchased one.  a long time ago when my Kiddo was little, we used to 
take his red wagon to the grocery store.  He'd ride in it on the way there 
and on the way home he walked behind it and made sure nothing rolled out. 
It saved me a lot of cab fare.

Monty does have a dog backpack.  If I know I need to purchase more than I 
can carry I will take along his backpack and he can carry some of the stuff. 
He's a big strong dog and the harness I use works fine with the backpack.  I 
don't have him carry a ton of stuff, but  the few times I've had him carry 
things for me, it's been a huge help.

Julie