Off to the big smoke

Well today is the big day where we go to the big smoke, the centre of the Canadian universe, Toronto that is. Our day got off to a slow start because Leah, one of our classes trainers, called in to say she wasn’t feeling very good. There has been a flu going through the special skills class. In the end she was able to get in and help us out with our city adventure.

d talked to Courtney Wednesday night to see if I could sit in the back seat with John since we are the biggest and have the biggest dogs. She said that they could actually move the back seat further back which would give us much more room. I was hoping that it was just going to be john and me back there but the seating arrangements didn’t quite work out so on the way out we had jade beside us and on the way back we had katjia in the back seat. It was great to have the extra leg room but it sure was extra bumpy back there.

We finally arrived in Toronto and parked close to Runnymede subway station. Once we had all unloaded from the van we moved in two groups through the parking lot to a little park where we had to take our dogs out of harness to relieve them. Bogart was so excited he was bopping all over the place. He did go pee which I thought he would. However, unexpectedly, he did a number two. Well what an opportunity for me since I had told the trainers that I needed to still learn how to pick up their pooh. So Courtney came over while he was finishing his business to give me tips of how to position myself. With a little guidance from Courtney I found the gift and grabbed it. Before you faint my hand was , of course, inside a plastic bag. So once I had grabbed Bogart’s digested supper, I simply pulled the bag over my hand and, presto, poop in bag. Then Courtney told me to do the bag up in a knot and off we go. Gary has done the one thing that has been one of the reasons for not getting a dog over the years.  Bogart, in his infinite desire to help me learn, also had another movement when we finished our walks and were relieving the dogs before our trip home. What a helpful fellow eh?

Once we were all happily relieved we got to walk over to Bloor street, cross it and head east. We ended up at a nice restaurant/pub whose name escapes me at this time. So the plan was to sit four of us down while the other four headed off for their first dog guided trip into the subway. I was in the group selected to stay behind with John, Katjyia and Michelle. John and I decided to share some fries and gravy while waited for the others to return. When the waiter came with our order he tripped on Bogart. I didn’t hear Bogart make any noise, he just jumped up. When the waiter tripped, I was worried about Bogart but I also was envisioning hot fries and gravy ending up in my lap. The poor guy was beside himself with apologies. Bogart rearranged himself when I asked for a sit and down and lined up his back with the bench of the booth. This would due until everyone returned.

Once the others returned We had the opportunity to order lunch. Being that I had already had fries I ordered a burger with a Caesar salad. Once we had our chance to go the excitement began. It is much different walking along a busy street such as Bloor street with our dogs compared to the Oakville streets hat have much less traffic and noise on them. I’m starting to see that Bogart has a thing for groups of young women. He had me almost inside another group of talking women. This might be a good thing but not something to encourage.  Apparently the school once had a lab that would go up behind women with short skirts and Polk his nose up there. Just saying hi I’m sure but not really appreciated.:)

So the only real problem we had walking along Bloor street was that I was leaking sunglass lenses. I wear cycling glasses with different lenses I can put in . I carry them in a carrying case that I attach to my backpack. I didn’t know that they could fall out but I learned as I was walking along Bloor. I thought I heard the sound of plastic on the ground. Leah grabbed them and asked if they were mine. Well surprise surprise, they were. Then I realized I was missing my clear lenses. But along came a nice pedestrian with them. That was great. Saved me some money. Luckily being blind I probably don’t notice the scratches on them. 

I had Bogart go “right inside” to head towards the subway station. I had given him the instructions right inside. Find the door, right inside. He was making the appropriate move when a bus stopped beside us and started making all kinds of noises. Not just the normal beeping when they lower the bus but these new buses make a horrible hissing sound that always scares me too. So Bogart made a very quick dash in the door at that point.

Once we were in there against the wall we each started down the stairs. The command was “Bogart, find the stairs.” He went to the beginning of the stairs and stopped. I found the railing and then gave the forward command. He moved nice and steadily down the stairs until the first landing. He continued to the first step and stopped again. Again, I gave the forward command and off we went. Once on the main floor I told him to find the counter. It’s hard to know if this would always work so smoothly since he was following other clients. However, one other client went through the gate that had been opened by a TTC employee. I wanted to go through the turnstile with Bogart. So he found the counter and walked me forward to the turn style. At that point, I dropped his handle, pushed myself through the turnstile and he came through after me. The leash went through on the left where there is a bit of space between the end of the turn style and the railing.

Then the command is “Bogart, Right, find the stairs” This puts us heading for the stairs going the direction we are looking for. Again he finds the stairs and we go through the same process.

At the bottom of the stairs we follow the diagonal wall to the platform. We want to go to the designated waiting area since this is where the cameras are if we have any problems. Also, there is a conductor on the trains and this is roughly where his window is. We are told, when walking along the platform, to keep giving the command “over left or over right” depending on which side the wall is on. The goal is for us to keep close to the wall. We should feel our dog move out from the wall to go around things like garbage cans and/or benches but we want to get him back over to the wall right away. We are told to not give any commands when the trains are coming into the station. It is really noisy. We are also told not to give hard corrections in here either. Our goal is to keep the dog paying attention but not make him anxious. Once the subway has stopped we give the command “Bogart, find the door.” He then walks forward to the nearest door. Once inside the train it is the same as on the bus as far as finding a seat and putting the dog under the seat at our feet. Getting off, we as for a find the door, forward, find the door and off he goes. Again we find the wall before proceeding. Next we head off towards the stairs, asking the dog to over right (or left) and when we feel the opening for the stairs we ask him to find the stairs. In some stations this will be escalators and the dog will respond to the command “find the escalator”.

Once at the top of the escalator I asked to find the turnstile which he did. We went through and then I asked for another “find the stairs”. He did that too and up we went. Once at the top I asked for a “find the door” and off he went to the door. I’ll need a command for “wait while I put on my sunglasses Bogart” but we haven’t managed that one yet.

After this we just walked along the street back to the park by the van to relieve our dogs and get back into the van.

Bogart waited until I was in the van, out of his sight, to throw up all over the sidewalk. I thought that was rather polite of him don’t you?

The ride home was pretty much uneventful.
Traffic had us over an hour late for dinner. Luckily the two main cooks here, tony on weekdays and Janis and weekends, are very understanding and accommodating.

Bogart and I decided to have a fairly relaxing night. Tomorrow I have a camera person coming from The Accessible channel to film part two of our guide dog story. In case we film anything in my room I will tidy up and let Bogart get his beauty sleep before his big film debut.