Kiyoko turned 14 months in November and has grown into quite a calm, well-behaved pup that can be trusted wherever she goes. She has excellent house manners, walks well on leash, and her recall is always spot-on.
She has some dog friends that we walk with regularly, and she also had a couple of dates with PADS Rooty after class this month. First, they practiced sharing space in a car, then hit the trails, had some fun sharing a stick, and afterwards, both settled nicely at our table for lunch at a local restaurant.
We went to the local Remembrance Day ceremonies, where a crowd of people gathered to honour Canadian veterans and the lives lost. The service started with a parade of all those in uniform, then we listened to some speeches, observed 2 minutes of silence, while eight military jets soared across the skies, and then we watched the laying of many wreaths around the Cenotaph. Kiyoko was up near the front of the action and sat politely for the ceremonies, watching.
We reached a milestone in PADS class this month. We had FOUR pups milling around the gym all at once, OFF-LEASH with their handlers! We worked up to it slowly, adding one dog at a time, until we had all four. We were all quite proud of ourselves!
Kiyoko did not hesitate in the slightest as she walked across a cattle guard twice on a walk in Kelowna on the Thompson Flats with a friend, balancing perfectly on the large pipes. She did not even think of finding an alternate route. Good girl!
We travelled to North Vancouver to visit our daughter for a few days at the end of November. The first day, we went on an epic 17 km walk, starting with a walk to the SeaBus, riding the ferry downtown, then walking all the way west to and around Stanley Park. Then, instead of turning back, we decided to carry on and walk ACROSS the Lions Gate Bridge and ended at Bridge Brewing for a well-deserved pint and rest! The bridge was a bit hairy because we were sharing our path with cyclists who barely slowed down to pass us. Kiyoko was totally calm, and we got across without any mishaps, even though sometimes the traffic passing us was quite loud. I was SO proud of BOTH of us, for I do NOT like heights! The next day, we went to watch our daughter play dodgeball in a very noisy high school gym, where there were 4 games happening simultaneously. What a crazy and vicious sport!
Kiyoko also had her eyes tested in Kelowna this month. The results of this and her GDBart (Guide Dog Behavioural Response Assessment Test) next month will tell us IF she goes further for breeding assessments OR goes to Advanced Training. Time will tell where her future will be.
Submitted by: Chris Buitinga
