Day 369 All melted!

Until now, our morning walks (7AM) were always in the dark, but now it started being lighter!

The moon still accompanies us though

 The icy river started melting. It's going back to normal

Not so safe to walk on anymore... maybe I should stop

But then also the snow of the park started melting, and then there was river everywhere! That's not so normal!

I'm not allowed to go in the water, but here is the dog zone, where else can I go?

 It got warmer and warmer as the day went by. By the end of the afternoon, most had gone! We went walking next to my school, and I was so disappointed! :(

Noo!!! My icecream!

The change that happened within 2 days apart!

Day 359 Frozen

As a guide dog, I am not allowed to go in the water. What about ON the water? No I am not Jesus, but yes I can walk on water, hehe. Well under one condition, it has to be frozen ;) Hehe.

Anyway I always knew I could go on ice, but I figured I wasn't allowed, since it would probably be dangerous for me to lead someone (let alone someone blind on it). But Jennifer had never been on the island in the middle of the pond, and really wanted to. So she bravely sent me out first -_-. Yeah, what a good owner/trainer she is...

Nicky: Ah great, send me first, hufff

Yippidee doo daaaa

The pond really was completely frozen, as it has been for weeks now.

Aw great, NOW she dares, how brave...

Jen and me on the island

Day 358 Morning at the castle

This morning we went to Spielberg castle hill.

I look exactly like the statue!

There is a statue of the black female wolf that nutured the two baby humans, that eventually led to the creation of Rome, the Italian capital. I used the statue to lecture Jen on the nobility and importance of black wolves, and how we should be treated with utmost care, and concluded I needed more treats. Jen say "yeah, yeah, blah blah blah...

The view from the castle is great, we can see all the parks in Brno, and plan our day to go to each of them. Or sit down here and do nothing.... We always do Jen's solution, that's not fair!

View on two of the most famous Brno-things!

One of Brno's most famous people is Mendel, a guy who worked on peas, and somehow figured out new things about genes. Jen has a hole in hers, she should go see this guy.

Day 358 Meeting Glisse baby guide dog

Today I met a baby guide dog. She's 8 weeks old and her name is Glisse. She is Gandalf's brother.

I was never that small... right?

She's a chocolate labrador. She's so small I could make a snack out of her in one bite. But I can't eat her because chocolate is bad for dogs. Pity :(

Glisse with her working jacket on

Has to be picked up in escalators so she doesn't get stuck!

Her working jacket is bigger than her. It looks a bit like a cape. Maybe she is super-dog or something!

She doesn't go to school like I do yet. That part of training will happen when she is one year old. For now, she studies with her daddy Roy at the library.

Roy and Glisse studying anatomy

Glisse is particularly good at studying the internal eyelid anatomy... zzzzzzz

Day 357 Agility park study

Today is Sunday, and I have no school and no Dajan. Jen needed to study, so compromised on studying at the agility park, so that she could study while I play with other dogs. Except when we got there... It was completely empty!

and we will just HAVE to play fetch!

Absolutely empty!

I guess Jen will have to entertain me on the agility course!

I guess people get the hint when it's freezing temperatures and the sky is grey. I sure don't!
Anyway, after running around for an hour, Jen said we should call it a day and took her bag to go home. Then a dog showed up. Then a few more. In a couple minutes, around 8 dogs were running and playing along.

Jen could finally sit down to study... keeping an eye out on me! 

Day 354 part 2: Snow guide dog

Today Dajan and I found a snow guide dog. He wasn't very obedient though, the only thing he knew was lay/stay (lehni/zustan).

He was like a Swiss Shepherd. But when Jen put his yellow working jacket on (which looked and smelled suspiciously a lot like mine), his ears fell off... very suspicious indeed!

Day 354 Gandalf and the police

Today Dajan went to the police. Actually both her and I have family working there. But she didn't go for family, Jan had stuff he wanted there.

Waiting room

There was a lot of waiting to be done. Contrary to popular belief, the police station was not that fun. On the table there was a brochure saying not to be blind. That looked curious! (But then Jen saw the rest of the text, it was about homeless people and about helping them)

Brochure

Some police dogs are trained to find drugs. Dajan and I find that quite peculiar, as drugs are illegal, we wouldn't think the police would be searching for some. Dajan and I excel in finding food. Now that's more useful (well Dajan also excels at finding poop and removing it. She is quite a hygienic dog if you ask me!)

Poo-sniffer dog! What an awesome title!

On the way home, Dajan met Gandalf, a barely two month old puppy, on his way to become a guide dog too.

Dajan being jealous

Jennifer knows Gandalf's sister, we will go meet them sometime!

Day 352 Ducks

Every night I dream of bones. Then when I wake up in the morning, I lick Jen's face to tell her I'd really like a bone. And Jen answers "ooooh how sweet! Good morning cuddles for you Mety!" Nooooo she doesn't understand anything!

I need a bone. Like now. (cat added to maximize effect)

 By the guide dog school there is a river. Dajan and Jan picked me up from school today, and we went for a walk by the water.

Weee ducks!

We would have hunted them, but they were in the water and we are not allowed. The closest we ever came to them, was when Jan threw a snowball and Jen ducked :)

Finally, for being so good, we got what we deserved, we went to the pet store, and weeee we got huge cow leg bones!

Dajan working on hers effectively

Any duck treats here?

Day 350 Shopping yet again

When Molly moved out, she took some stuff that belonged to her (a few pans, a few towels, etc..) so we went shopping for new ones.

In the bus to Tesco

And to IKEA

Dajan came here a long while back, when she was a wee puppy. When she says wee, she actually means it. Jen took so long to decide what she needed to buy, that she didn't notice that Dajan needed to wee. First and only accident she ever had in a store!

Checking out towels... we need one for our muddy pawsies too!

Jan needed a light. Go figure...

 In IKEA they have a restaurant. Jan ordered meatballs but couldn't eat them all. Jen stole them and used them as dog treats. I was very obedient the next few days (yum!)

Very tired from the shopping

Day 345 New year resolutions

This year started off a bit bad. Jen came back to get me (well that's not the bad part). And I went back to the city with her. And everything I did when I used to be a puppy came back to me. The nervousness around crowds, the inability to focus when other dogs are around, the unsocialized behaviors around other dogs (including growling, bullying and baring teeth), the leash pulling, the everything! I considered it holiday-mode. Jen was disconcerted.

We started a strict regimen. She said she would give me a ton of park hours and a lot of treats, in exchange for good behavior. Oh, and a muzzle.

Made me wear a muzzle! :(

In exchange I had to do my best to gain my good habits back. It wasn't easy, as I had so much pent-up energy, and that the city was quite stressful for me, but I did my best. (mostly I was tired because Jen uses the technique of "a tired dog is a good dog")

On the flipside I got to see Dajan again!

Dajan wagging her tail and butt so much she can barely run!

Luckily, this only lasted a week, and then I became better again. But this was worrying. Jen said my blind person needs to be someone who lives in the city, because I tend to "forget" my city behavior if I don't live there, and won't be able to perform well. The guide dog school said it's worrying indeed, and hope I'll step up my game...

Am I that bad? :(

Day 339 Year 2012

Happy new year!!