The Art of Determination

Last night, Mom and I took both the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood. I decided to let Mason have a break, and walk with just a leash and no harness since I know the route well. About half way through the walk, he tried to go in to the grass. I knew what he was going to do, and even though he wasnt working, I didnt want him to do it. I was trying to avoid having to carry the smelly bag for the rest of the walk. However, Mason decided that he was going to go whether I liked it or not. He made one last pull towards the grass. Once he was there, he lay down, stuck his tail up, and went. I had no idea that a dog could go in that position, but apparently he can. I guess he was trying to show me that he has enough determination to do what he wants when he chooses to do so.

Dogs and Dating

Something I've been thinking about lately is whether your love life and your dog life should mix. There are several different answers to this. For the dog handlers, some would say that yes, their dog would definitely accompany them on dates. Others meanwhile might feel that certain things, such as holding hands when walking, would be hendered by bringing doggie along. As for the other half of the couple, the answer may be just as difficult. Some may be real dog lovers and would love having a dog along, while others might feel that their dates are focusing on the dog and not them. Here's how I like to do things. On a first date with a person, Mason would probably stay behind. This way, I can focus all my attention on her, and scope out what kind of person she is when it comes to things such as how me having Mason along would be for her. After the first date, I'd allow him to come. By then, any person who actually cares about who I am will realize that there may be times when I need to stop and address a situation with him, and realize that I'm not ignoring her on purpose. Everyone is different. Some may never bring a dog on a date, while others would allways bring their 4 legged friends. In the end, it's up to the handler to decide. If your date really cares about you, then he or she will respect whatever decision you make in this department.

At Home Grooming

For most of the time I've had him, I've been taking Mason to a groomer once every month or two to get a bath, get his nails trimmed, and get whatever other hygeen needs he has taken care of. However, last month, that all changed. I started thinking about it, and after much deliberation, I decided to start grooming him myself.
There are several pros and cons to going to a groomer, all of which I considered when I made this decision. The pros are, it's convenient for the owner since you just drop them off and pick them up and the groomer handles everything, so you dont have to make sure you clean their ears or trim their nails often enough. However, when going to the groomer, dogs can become fearful and exhibit signs such as shaking, whining, an unwillingness to leave their master, or in some cases, aggression. The aggression is usually a last resort, but some dogs learn that it gets strange people away from them rather quickly. Also, professional groomers can be expensive, and your dog can't allways get bathed at your conveeniense.
However, there are pros and cons to doing it yourself too. When bathing your dog at home, you can do it whenever you want, you save money, and your dog is less stressed out. However, it can be time consuming, you have to remember not to neglect things such as ears and nails, and it creates more work for you.
However, after thinking through all of this, I decided that I'd rather have more money in my pocket, and a happy dog. Sure, I know there is a little more work involved, but once you get used to it, it's not that bad. Luckily, Mason's nails aren't a problem since he grinds them down on the sidewalk. However, since he is a golden, his ears do need some extra attention. However, I think he still prefers me to unexpectedly corner him and quickly squirt the cleaner in to them over sitting for hours in a cage in a strange place with strange people, waiting his turn to get groomed. But in the end, each person's situation is different, and it's up to you to decide what works best for you and your dog.

Everyone's Favorite Gadgets

First off, I want to dedicate this poste to Anneliese. She's the one who enspired me to write it, so she deserves all the credit. Anhyway, last week, I started working downtown at the store operated by the Center for the Visually Impaired. I've been working with the different technical devices they sell. Let me tell you, with their selection, you will never suffer from boardum. When it comes to devices for totals, they mainly work with companies like Humanware and Levelstar. When it comes to some of their devices for people with low vision, they work with a few other businesses. However, since I don't work with those items, I have no clue who they are.
Let me start off with the stuff I was working with. I got to play around with the Victor Reader Stream, the Trekker Breeze, the Idee Mate, and the Icon. The Stream is a tiny machine about the size as a deck of cards. Basically, it's a book-mp3 player for the blind. The coolest part is it holds all its data on an SD card, like the one you would use for a camera. The 2 great things about this are, you have an unlimited amount of memory, and the cards are easy to find. The trekker breeze is a type of GPS. However, it doesn't lay out the whole route for you. Basically, it just tells you when you've reached a landmark that you've previously rechorded in to it. I don't know why people find it useful, but I guess some do. The Idee Mate is a device used for scanning bar codes on different foods, books, and games. It reads all of the information to you, and allows you to rechord additional information about the item. Also, it comes with lables with bar codes that you can attach to your clothes and file folders. This way, you can tell what color shirt you're wearing, or what file you just put a paper in. The Icon is basically a PDA. You can either write in it by texting, or you can get a docking station for it. It has a calendar, a journal, and a voice rechorder. Also, you can use it to play digital books.
Along with the items above, the Center sells a variety of CC TV's and magnifiers. As you may havde allready figured out, we're coming out with more and more technical devices for the blind every day. Who knows what people will think of next.

First Day On the Job

Today, I started some volunteer work at the Center for the Visually Impaired in downtown Atlanta. Basically, I work with the technology they sell in their store. A lot of people who buy the stuff either don't have the time or patients to read the instruction manuals that come with the things they buy, or they may simply learn better from an actual person instead of a book. So, when people like that buy something from the center, I'm one of the people who will be working with them. Anyway, for today, they wanted me to just take a look at the devices they have, and get familiar with the ones I don't normally use. The trick was that I was sitting at a long table that didnt have room to fit a dog under it, or a corner to tie him too. Therefore, I was wondering how my social retriever would handle this arrangement. It turned out that I had nothing to worry about. Instead of constantly looking for people the way he normally does, he spent most of the time sleeping. I guess he figured that since he was in plain sight, everyone who wanted to could admire him without him having to make his presence known. Hopefully, this behavior will continue when I start showing customers around the store. I'll keep you posted.