Monday, September 19, 2005

Chris' new hobby

Hi all:
Can you beieve it? I have been together wth Chris for quite a while now
- over four *F O U R* years now - but I still discover new things on her
- as weird as this music hobby, this tennis thing on TV she is obsessed
with, these ongoing phone talks with Shadow, this constant occupation of
the computer when I need it...

A few days ago she has received quite a few boxes. I caught a sniff of
them, thinking they are all full of Hapoo treats - but <rrrrr> they just
smelled like stupid paper! Of course paper is stupid, it can't bark,
talk, move on its own or ask for food.

Chris argues this fact, because she thinks nothing on this earth that
claims to be alive is as patient as paper and contains as much knowledge
as all the paper in this world. I guess in order to understand Chris'
weird behaviour, you have to keep this attitude in mind.

She first looked through all the five boxes she got the books in them
all looked the same, but she picked one box, brought it into the living
room and took out one book. And then the marathon started:

Chris sat down, put the book beside her, tok out another braille writing
noisy monster machine, moved some small paper cards from the shelf to
the living room table and started reading and writing and reading and
writing.

From what I have spied out, she was doing some English reading and
writing. That again leaves me slightly confused. Doesn't she know
English so well that she can even joke and argue and swear and sing in
that language? She explains that speaking a language and teaching it are
two different matters, and she is preparing to teach.

O right, now you want to test your teaching abilities on fellow humans?
Poor folks, you don't know what you are putting yourselves through, she
can be pretty persistent when she wants me to understand something. But
on the htoer hand, if she brings her clicker and the yummy treats, you
wil gain a lot of weght, provided I let you share my treats, and
provided you like them <g> Two of the nephews have tried them. One only
liked the kibble, the dry stff, and the other even tred the moist ones.
Chris says they're silly ad it is disgustng to try the moist nes, but I
think they are smart and I should guard my treats and my bait bag well.
Cheers for now, Hapoo.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Me *is* smart!!!

Hi all:
I have to tell you this, just to prove how wonderfully smart I am!
You know, Chris has taught me to hit my squeaky ball so that it squeaks
with one paw. I can do it on command now. But one tme we were sitting in
the corridor, when she decided to lift the bal up, so she thought I
should jump. No jumps - I went onto the stairs that go upstairs and hit
the ball from there. Cool, eh? Task fullfilled, and I did get my treat!

And then we are going shopping right now, so when we were going for our
Hapoo walk, I thought it was harness time. And when Chris told me to get
my leash, I wanted to get the short leash that goes with the harness,
not the flexible. But once she showed me what to get, I got all of them
- collar, flexible leash and signal jacket.
I am smart, no doubt <wofwoofwoof>
Cheers, Hapoo.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

My working morning

Hi all:
Today was one of those days I had to work a lot. I noticed we were going
out as soon as Chris finished with breakfast. Without going to the
computer she got my leash out and we went for the morning walk. But I
didn't feel the need to do any major business. Instead I was granted
some time off leash and Chris played with me, which was fun.
Then we went to the shopping mall with mom. While mom went into that one
store where I am not allowed, Chris and I stayed outside, and she made
me find our car. She says when mom arrived I was doing pretty well from
a close distance, but well for the beginning - it wasonly the first
session with the clicker.
Then the three of us went into the mall thingie and first into the post
office. There I immediately found the space where Chris usually stands
and talks to the lady. We didn't stay for long this time, because Chris
had forgotten a paper with an address <heehee> how forgetful!
Then farmacy, which was boring, and then supermarket, which was very ful
of good smells - bt I was a good girl, so Chris says. Then we had a
break, the humans had ice-cream ad I got a bowl of water. Then shoe
shop, where I was so excited, because everywere tere were chairs for
Chris to sit on that I could spot, but she only sat down once and put me
down beside her, to try on shoes.
And then we drove a little and wet into one store, me only on leash. But
I did a great job leash guiding Chris, as if I wasin harness. I gt lots
of pets for that, she was eally happy, and for a reward she let me run
on a nearby patch of grass.
Then off e went to another store, where mom and Chris bought a whole lot
of things that I cannot figure out - but doesn't matter it was fn anyway
to go everywhere.
Now I a tired, and Chris is happy for I did such a good job - I am a god
guide dog after all, as if you didn't know - cheers, Hapoo.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

My new training

Hi all, me's back, finally. This Chris is killing me with al her
computering. Now to make things worse, she's found somebody else who was
from the pawpower's storm and water city that she might be able to help
- and that means more computering and emailing for her <sigh> And
besides that, it's tennis time again <rrrrrr> That means my relieving
schedule is modified in favour of not missing any important tennis
stuff. <omg> this Chris is never going to get things straight!

But on another note: She has given me back a kind of a shoe bench, from
which I can easily pick up my own signal jacket, flexible leash and
toiletting harness. That's cool, it's one of my favourite jobs! And I
get better at putting things down on the bench after the morning walks,
which means more clicks and yummy treats! I love that clicker, its
clicks sound yummy!

We have a new outside door. When coming back from outside Chris has to
get her key out and unlock the door, so we can go inside. I can no
longer jump up to open the door myself, quite a pity! But we also have a
doorbell now, with a button to hit from outside. And when I do that, mom
comes from upstairs to open the door for us, and I can give her a good
whistling concert or hand lick. I am not used to using my paws to hit
something, I prefer to put things in my mouth and retrieve them for
Chris. But this morning we had a session to hit my squeaky ball with my
paw. And whenever I manage to make it squeak with my paw, I get a yummy
click and a yummier treat. This morning was the first time I really
pawed my ball well, though I did try to get Chris to play by taking it
from her in my mouth.
Allright, computer's calling for Chris, so I better quit and run to my
house, cheers, Hapoo.

Friday, September 02, 2005

Me has worked a lot this afternoon

Sorry all woofers and human readers,
Chris has occupied my blogger time recently. She doesn't give me the
computer anymore!
Firstly, she says ebay is fun - allright, whatever.
Secondly, I think Mill'e, Rudy, Brissie and Gracy are in deep trouble,
and so must be their humans, the mama and big Pops. So Chris is trying
to help them.
I just can't figure out how she's doing that, since she spends hours
typing and typing, and nobody comes to pick up anything or to deliver
anything! The world is weird, but if she helps, let her do so! I would
help, too, provided Chris would take me on a plane and then right to the
pawpower and their human power! Then I would lick everyone, humans and
woofers, till all the bad is gone - provided the females let me be the
boss, of course!

But what I wanted to tell you - this afternoon Chris harnessed me up and
we went to the city with mom. Mom was very patient, so I had to work a
lot. First navigate through the crowded central station to go to the
streetcar platform; and once out of that we had to go to the post
office, where I had to find the exit door. Then street car again and go
to a small supermarket near the station, where I had to wait, tied to a
bike stand. Fortunately, Chris and mom didn't stay there for long.
So back into the harness, thus working mode I went, navigating Chris
through an even more crowded train station, past my favourite bakery,
followed by a noisy dog, past the usual city train platform and out of
the building on the other side. Chris says I did a great job all in all.
And once we were off the train back to home, Chris let me go on long
leash, and I did both of my businesses right there and then. And now I'm
tired, so I better go sleep, goodnight, Hapoo.