Winter 2013 - Parishes Online

Winter2013 Les Nouvelles 21
Puppy walking part 2
By Sue de Gruchy
As the deadline for the spring issue of
Les Nouvelles de St. Martin arrives,
Hilly is six months old and has grown
significantly since she arrived at the
end of last August. She has more than
quadrupled in weight (now over 20kg)
and has a gleaming set of adult teeth.
Hilly is now wearing her third collar (there’s still one
to go in our equipment pack) and has advanced from
a blue Guide Dogs “puppy” lead to a smart white
leather “adult” lead – just as well as she chewed
through the blue lead whilst we weren’t looking! Hilly
also now has a smart blue jacket proclaiming “Guide
Dog puppy in training” for when we’re in town and
shopping. It means we’re welcome in shops,
including supermarkets, which is an essential part of
“puppy walking”, but I have to say it does feel very
odd to take a dog into a supermarket! The jacket
also helps as we sometimes have to ask those we
meet not to give Hilly any attention – still very difficult
as she’s so pleased to meet everyone, but she has to
learn to ignore people, and dogs, when she’s on the
lead as she will be a “working dog”.
The Puppy Walking Supervisor has visited every month and we’ve
taken bus trips; learnt how to negotiate manual and automatic doors
when entering shops; and how to groom the dog. Apparently it’s
possible to get a good shine on the coat of black Labradors using
chamois leather but that’s optional – and an option I probably won’t be
doing.
In addition to the usual day-to-day activities we’ve also introduced
Hilly to some local events which may, or may not, be part of her future
life as a Guide Dog. Hilly attended the preview evening at the Annual
“Biggest” Book Sale last October organised by the Guide Dogs for the
Blind Association (Jersey Branch) and popped in to Les Pres Manor to
see “black butter” being made by the St Martin’s Methodist Church
members. We also took Hilly to the Remembrance Day service at the
Cenotaph VLJ (not a flinch when the cannon was fired but she found the
marching troops bearing down on her a little unnerving) and, in the last
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Abovet: Hilly at the black butter making in October 2012
week, watched the New Year’s Day swimmers at St Catherine’s
breakwater, although did not join them, and neither did I!
Despite her increased size, Hilly is still very much a puppy and loves
playing with other dogs when on a “free run”. Plastic flower pots and
leaves are still great fun to chase in the garden, especially when they get
blown around by the wind, but other things that move are also a great
source of entertainment whether it’s washing going round in the
machine or the wheels on the supermarket trolley which turn tantalisingly
in front of her nose. The first few months have certainly been lots of fun
and there’s still another six months or more before Hilly moves on to
training school – so look out for the next instalment!
For further information about Guide Dogs and “Puppy Walking” see
www.guidedogs.org.uk
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