Trained to Disobey

After my daughter’s EUA on Monday we went to the mall to have lunch.   She initially wanted Chick-Fil-A but at some point changed preferences to Sbarro’s spaghetti with extra sauce.   She was excited about eating since she had to miss breakfast due to the procedure and told me, “they have the best pasta”.  I was alarmed, concerned, shocked even, that she would place another pasta dish over her father’s so I clarified, “you mean the best other than dad’s, right?”   She must have been pretty hungry because she said that no, it was the best…ever.   "We’re not going to tell dad you said that," I told her.

After eating we went to our next stop on the regularly scheduled list of places she wants to go in the mall—the candy store.   I tell her how many pieces she can put into the bag and then we go down the rows, me calling out what each compartment is and her deciding if she wants one or more of them while she tries to convince me she should really get more than the number of pieces I’ve allotted her.

We then head to the ground floor to sit at a table by the fountain, eat some candy and then throw some pennies in.   We have been bringing the pennies Joan sent her every trip.   She throws some in each time, making wishes like to have her own chocolate factory (she really wants her own chocolate factory, making this wish frequently).   Of note though, as much as she talks about chocolate, she didn’t want a single piece of chocolate at the candy store, it was all gummy-type items.   I even asked, what with all the chocolate talk, but no, she didn’t want any chocolate, thank you very much.

Our next stop was the bathroom.   As we rode up the elevator a man got on with a juvenile dog wearing a harness indicating he was a “Leader Dog” in training as a guide dog for the blind.   We got off the elevator and I asked the man if my daughter could meet his dog in training.

While my daughter shyly petted Marlo, we talked about what it took to train a dog to be a guided sight dog.  It’s a year-long process costing about forty-thousand dollars.   The dogs are given free to those in need.   There are multiple organizations that train sighted guide dogs, this one being Leader Dogs.   A child isn’t eligible for a dog until they’re sixteen as there is a lot the blind person needs to know and be able to do before they can utilize a dog safely and successfully.

The training is intense for the dog (as well as being rewarding and fun).   For example, the dog must be taught how to obey always.   And then, once that’s entrenched, the dog has to be taught how to disobey.   If the owner asks the dog to do something and it’s not safe (cross the road, move towards a sharp drop) the dog has to refuse to obey—to keep the owner safe.

My daughter enjoyed meeting Marlo and we talked about her possibly getting a dog herself one day.   This is a choice she would make, not my husband or me or anyone else.   It’s a big responsibility and a commitment for the life of the dog.  She has time to think about it.

The Big Boy Update:  My son came in tonight after my daughter and I had arrived home from the trip.   He found me unpacking in the bathroom and launched in on a story about something that happened during the day.   I’m very glad the children don’t miss us to the point of being sad while we’re away.   I said, “hey, can I get a hello hug?”  He ran over and hugged me and gave me a back massage and a big smile and then continued with his story.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter’s decided she wants to work in a pet show when she grows up.  She’s mentioned this more than once.   We talked about what pets would be for sale in her pet shop.   Not antelopes.