July 22

Bienvenue! The past two days have been very interesting! Yesterday morning, Eric asked the parents to come up to the kids house to see an execise they were doing with the dogs. Karen, one of the trainers, explained that while these dogs are very smart and very well trained, they are still dogs and there are times when they will be tempted to do things they should not! Karen explained that the kids need to ensure that the desire for the dog to obey their commands, is stronger than the desire for the temptation. This is done through correction when they are not listening, praise when they resisit and the desire to please the master out of respect and love that their dog feels for them. Some of the temptations might be food, other dogs, cats, squirrels, a ball, etc.
After explaining this to the kids, Gilles brought his two small chihuahuas into the room and set them free, running and barking around the room! The kids instantly worked at keeping their dogs at their sides and they did a fantastic job. It was quite amusing to see these two tiny dogs playfully running around these very large, serious working dogs!

Then, without warning, and keep in mind that these kids couldn't see it coming, Giles and Karen came through the room dropping bits of cheese on the floor in front of the dogs and at times putting it directly under the nose of the dogs! For the most part, the dogs did as they were trained and withdrew from the temptation as  Lu Lu and Peggy, the chihuahuas, devoured the cheese from the floor. The kids then showered their dogs with praise and treats from their pockets. It was amazing to see and the relief on the faces of the kids was evident! Karen explained how important it is that their dogs be able to resist temptation when they are working; a distracted guide dog can be a very dangerous thing for these kids. This is also why people, while well meaning, should not pet the dogs while they are in harness and working. Dogs love to be petted and to receive attention. However, this, too, is a distraction for the dog while he is working.
Today the kids took their dogs to the mall and, again, the parents were invited to come along. The kids were seated at some tables as you enter the mall and one at a time they were called to walk with their dogs through the mall.With a trainer following a short distance behind, they walked through the food court, into various stores, through crowds of people, and back to the tables, all the while obeying commands, avoiding obstacles, traversing escalators and resisting temptations. All of the kids and dogs did beautifully!
As expected, the kids and their dogs got alot of attention. This community is very familiar with Mira and, I'm sure, quite used to seeing these dogs. In spite of this fact, there were a few people who asked to pet the dogs and the kids kindly explained why they couldn't and the people appeared to be understanding. This, too, is a great experience for the children to have here so they will be prepared to handle this situation when they return home.
Here are some pictures from the past two days:

Gilles and his chihuahuas. Lu Lu and Peggy.