(Picture of Polly The guide dog. Lab/retreiver mix )
If you’re a regular here, you might remember a guest post from my old friend Mark Pemberton. About a month ago, he wrote about life without a guide dog, something he’s been dealing with for over two years and the daily struggle of getting around with just a white cane. I’ve been there myself, so I know exactly how frustrating that can be.
Here’s where it gets a bit spooky. The day after that post went up, he got a call from the Guide Dogs team saying they might have found a match for him. And get this, the day Mark starts training with his new dog is the very same day I’m chatting with Guide Dogs about Major’s retirement and the search for my next dog.
Anyway, here’s Mark with an update on how things are going.
Hi Ian,
Two years of nothing on the new dog front, then suddenly, loads to tell you.
I got a call asking if I could pop down to the Guide Dog office near Euston to meet a 17-month-old lab/retriever called Polly. I reckon the trainer wanted to properly suss out how we’d work together, because he said we’d be walking for a couple of hours. And that’s exactly what we did, including a tube ride back from Camden, with lifts and escalators thrown in.
She barely put a paw wrong. After a free run in Regent’s Park, I was completely won over. Not sure it was mutual though. At one point she stopped, gave me a long look, then glanced at the trainer, as if to say, “Who is this muppet?”
As you know, the bonding bit comes later, hopefully. First step was for her to come stay with me for a few local routes and a sleepover.
On the day of her first ever visit, I was buzzing. Felt like I’d necked five coffees. And it started badly. I dropped the sweetener tub, and it exploded across the kitchen like a tiny grenade. Half an hour later I was still picking up the fallout. Had to crack on through — what harm could they do?
Now, Ian, you know how much I love my talking tech. So, I asked the Doctor Dog skill on my smart speaker. With a bit too much attitude, if you ask me, it told me some artificial sweeteners are highly toxic to dogs!
Anyway, she survived. And it was brilliant having a dog in the house again. Even if I did keep bumping into her. She’ll get used to that. I’ve just signed the Guide Dog Partnership Agreement.
So yes, it’s official. Polly Pemberton is a match. She’ll start training with me very soon, right here at home.
Best Mark.
Hi Mark.
That’s brilliant news, really pleased to hear the wait’s finally over. Now the real work begins, of course. Hopefully you’ve still got the moves! Keep us posted on how it’s all going, would love to hear more about it on this blog.
All the
Best Ian.
