Kambo - week two class

Week two of training with Kambo, and things are becoming more complex. The basics of learning how each other move, following Kambo safely and the various cues needed were covered in week one, week two brings opportunities to practise and develop those new skills. Of course, the best place to practice is in the real environment that Kambo and I will be sharing. Off to the shops we go – a simple task one might think, however for a blind person, shops present a whole list of challenges. Finding the correct shop is the first issue, I need to be aware of where I am and where the required shop is. It is not possible to step out of the door and ask Kambo to ‘find Tesco’! Whenever we go out, wherever we go, we work as a team. It is vital I know where I am, where I want to go, and how I am going to get there: Kambo will ensure the route we are following is safe and accessible, avoiding narrow gaps, obstructions and other obstacles that might impede our safe passage.

      

Once we find the shop, Kambo will locate the door for us, be that an automatic door or a fixed door that I need to open. Once in, it’s a challenge to find what we went in for (ever noticed how supermarkets ‘refresh’ every few months, moving everything around, so you struggle to find things?). Some stores are very good, and will assist blind customers to complete their shopping.
One place many of us like to spend a few minutes to relax is a café or coffee shop. I know I love my coffee – and a bun, but don’t tell anyone! Kambo will take me to the counter, where I can place an order, and then locate a vacant seat for me – very useful when doing so without sight is a challenging in the least! Staff will assist to take the hot drink to the table for me, not safe to carry a hot drink and ask Kambo to find a seat; Kambo’s welfare and safety always come first. Kambo will locate and indicate a vacant seat, showing that we are at a suitable place. Once seated, Kambo has an opportunity to relax, too; his harness comes off and he will lie close to me, away from feet that may not realise he is there. Many places will offer a welcome bowl of water for him, a chance for him to refresh and replace moisture lost.
Other things we need to locate are lifts or steps (NEVER escalators, they are simply not safe for a dog’s feet; the risk of serious injury is too great). Steps present no problem to us: Kambo will locate the bottom step going up, and stand with his front feet on the first step – now I know we are at the steps, we are square to them, and where the first one is. Equally, when we are going to down steps, Kambo will stop at the top (ever noticed the funny raised lines at the top of some steps? They are an indicator for blind people, as are the bumpy areas at crossings and path corners). Aware that we are at a set of steps going down, I can then locate the edge of the first step with my foot, and then we can safely descend. It’s very technical, but very safe, too! For blind people, steps can present a serious, and potentially very dangerous, challenge. Having a well-trained guide like Kambo removes the danger.

Kambo and I live in a small town, about 15 miles from Belfast. Whilst we have a good choice of shops etc., there are times when we need to go into Belfast. The train is our preferred choice of transport – driving stopped being an option for me years ago! We are very fortunate that we have very new trains, introduced in the last few years. These trains have been thoughtfully designed, with ample space for a disabled person including a blind person with a dog. Equally fortunately, the trains in Northern Ireland do not suffer the over loading so familiar to users of other UK rail services. Kambo has been taught to locate the button that opens the doors to the train carriage, and to find the doors once open. On locating the door, he will stand with his front paws on the step of the carriage, indicating where we need to go and how far it is to the step. This is actually a difficult task, as a dog – like us – will instinctively be wary of the gap between platform and carriage step. Gentle encouragement and lots of praise are needed, with positive actions from me to minimise the delay in boarding after the step is located.
Once boarded, Kambo will again seek out a suitable seat for us, and ‘tuck in’ between my feet once I am seated – this way, he is safe from being accidentally stood on by other passengers passing by. If he can, he will go under the seat in front, completely safe from being stood on. People often do not realise he is there until we are ready to leave the train, and he pops back out! Leaving the train is a reverse of boarding it – finding the door, the button to open it, waiting for the door to open fully and then indicate the step. We will step off together, and then pick up the route away. Whilst I might expect to go in one direction, a change of platform will throw that out, so I have to trust Kambo if he says we need to go another way!

      

Of course, options for travel are not always limited to trains – buses, taxis and private cars are options we will use.
Kambo will locate a bus stop, the bus door once it arrives, the step up and wait for me to obtain a ticket once boarded, then find us a seat. He then quite happily enjoys the opportunity to watch the world go by.

         

Of course, the vast majority of our training takes place during the normal day, reflective of what we will do once class is completed.  But what about when we need to go out and it is dark – winter nights, or we want to socialise (always get funny looks when we go to the cinema, blind people enjoy films too).
One evening, we complete a ‘night walk’: our chosen route is to our local pub – might as well make our destination worthwhile, after all, the shops are closed (my excuse and I am sticking to it!). No problem to me, it is the same day or night, but for Kambo the world is a VERY different place!
Distractions that are not visible, for instance the many smells left behind by other dogs (or cats) – the equivalent of ‘doggie news’! Car headlights coming towards us and shadows or silhouettes that may look a bit strange at first to him. Concentration can be easily broken, it is important for me to be aware of where we are, what is happening around us, where we need to go, and to encourage Kambo to remain focused.  As always, concentration and team work are essential for our combined safety, and are always paramount.
Two weeks into our training, and we are working well. My confidence has grown and Kambo and I are developing an understanding of each other, encouraged by play time in the evenings, grooming (an opportunity to develop the bond we share), and just being with each other. I often hear comments such as ‘they must make a big difference’; our dogs certainly do. They become almost as one with us, sharing so much of our lives, close to us, understanding us, trusting us. Equally, we share those same emotions with our dogs. It’s a two way process, built on love and respect for each other. Yes, having a Pathfinder Dog does make a big difference to us – we have a very special companion, a friend and sometime confidante (we all share our secrets with our dogs, you know!).
One more week to go – wow, we have come so far already! These are exciting times indeed!

Bonnie – a tribute to a Pathfinder Pioneer.

In June 2010, I was blessed by Pathfinder Dogs by becoming human companion to Bonnie. After successfully completing three weeks of extensive training together in Belfast and Carrickfergus, Bonnie qualified as one of the first Pathfinder Dogs, and became my guide. I had already been advised that Bonnie was a ‘challenging’ dog, who could be quite aloof and difficult in some ways. In those early days, I was to discover that she lived up to those remarks quite well! At times, she could indeed be a little distant from us humans – but she not only tolerated but seemed to fully accept the cats we had in our home, who took to not only sharing her cosy bed with her, but cuddling up close to Bonnie. Bonnie needed lots of love and understanding to bring out the very best in her, that was evident, but it was also evident that behind that aloof exterior was a big softie, just waiting to burst out. 

Bonnie was thrown into the deep end from the outset – soon after qualifying, we flew to London. There is nothing more challenging for a Pathfinder Dog (or any dog trained as a guide to a sight impaired human) than working in a busy location such as London, but Bonnie ate it all up! From the relatively quiet and sedate streets of Carrickfergus (with its unofficial ‘shared surfaces’), the hustle and bustle of Belfast city centre, to the madness of London’s streets, Bonnie took it all in her stride. Truly adaptable to anything we could throw at her, she thrived on travel and visiting new places, including the various towns around Northern Ireland where she greeted many members of the public on fund raising and awareness days. 

Bonnie could at times be challenging, and certainly tested the patience of us all at times. But patience is what was needed to win this little lady over, and that is what we had for her. We were repaid with barrels of love and attention from Bonnie, who we often called ‘Boo’. We all enjoyed our special free time on the beach, now referred to by us as ‘Bonnie’s Beach’, located on the outskirts of Carrickfergus, and forming one small part of the Belfast Lough shoreline. Here Boo would dig large holes in the sand to roll in, and swim in the sea (one of her favourite pastimes, regardless of water temperature), rescuing her favourite toy – her football. 

Unknown to any of us though, Boo had a hidden and serious illness. On a routine visit to our vet, Farmhill in Carrickfergus, it was noticed two of her toe nails were unusually worn down, an indicator of her dragging that foot. Tests were carried out, x-rays obtained, and consultations with numerous experts undertaken. Eventually, the evidence pointed to a serious and sadly incurable neurological condition, whereby compression of the nerves from the spine to Bonnie’s back legs was causing discomfort for her. The condition was degenerative and called for changes to our routine. I have always, and will always, maintained that our dogs give a lot to us during their years of service as guides, and in return we owe a huge debt of care and consideration to them. Taking everything into account, we reduced Bonnie’s work load as far as possible, and protecting her already worn down toenails, as well as her foot. Aware that the illness was degenerative, our first concern was to monitor Boo closely and be led by her own safe mobility. Bonnie’s welfare was paramount over my own mobility.

 

Various homeopathic remedies were tried with Boo, with some considerable improvement, before we were compelled by degeneration of the condition to use prescription medication. Sadly these did not work, and Bonnie’s illness degenerated rapidly – much quicker than anyone associated with her expected. Bonnie began to show signs of severe discomfort and began limping heavily on her worst affected leg. She was examined by a vet with specialist knowledge of her condition, as well as by both partners at Farmhill Vets. At that point, in conjunction with Pathfinder Dogs, the decision was made to withdraw Bonnie from service as a guide, pending official retirement by Debbie, our Pathfinder Dog Instructor – I was not prepared to cause discomfort to Boo, or to any dog in my care, just for my own mobility. A new course of medication was prescribed in the hope that it would alleviate Bonnie’s discomfort, with symptoms becoming more evident in her other leg. This medication, like its predecessors, failed to improve Bonnie’s condition or effectively reduce her discomfort. 

On the advice of the vet, after a heartfelt and open discussion between myself Anne, founder of Pathfinder Dogs and Debbie, our Pathfinder Dog Instructor (all with extensive experience and knowledge of German Shepherd dogs), it was recognised that there was no longer any veterinary intervention that could be offered for Bonnie. With an extremely heavy heart, permission was given to the vet to put Bonnie to sleep, thereby releasing her from a painful, terminal illness. Bonnie went to her favourite beach for a final, extended free run, which she enjoyed enormously. Sadly there was a heavy price attached, as the condition she had took a heavy toll, showing us exactly how bad it had become, hidden away by a brave, courageous dog who never squeaked once. 

On Monday, 20^th February 2012, our wonderful, courageous and very much loved Bonnie was quietly and peacefully put to sleep in my arms. Bonnie slipped away quietly, with many tears falling on her head. Her pain had ended, before it reached a point where she would be unable to move at all. In the weeks prior, her ability to move had become reduced to no more than ten minutes of exercise a day. Sacro equinas is a serious, degenerative and painful condition, not easily diagnosed. I am eternally grateful to Anne, Eddy and Debbie from Pathfinder Dogs for their unending support, and to John and Arthur, partners at Farmhill Vets in Carrickfergus, for their care of Bonnie.

Bonnie was cremated and has returned to us, where she will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Boo was loved and appreciated far more than mere words can convey. She was a pioneer for Pathfinder Dogs, and will remain in all of our hearts and minds as a very special lady indeed.

Thank you for everything, Boo. One day, we will meet again on the Rainbow Bridge.