Celebrating Normandy’s Birthday

On Friday this week my guide dog Normandy will turn three years old. I can hardly believe we have now been working together for more than a year, and this feels like a great opportunity for me to reflect on how our working relationship has changed in that time.

I’ll admit I wasn’t at my best when Normandy and I started working together. My balance wasn’t great, nor was my confidence. In hindsight, there were a couple of reasons for these, primarily related to my general health, the fact I’d not been working with a guide dog for almost a year, and my initial challenges in adjusting to a guide dog who was bigger and stronger than any I’d worked with before.

In addition, I’d taken two tumbles while on training, certainly not due to Normandy but rather on my inability to react quickly enough to what was happening around me. Thankfully, I wasn’t injured in either of these falls, but I became just that little bit more cautious when walking in unfamiliar locations than I’d typically be. Which meant that Normandy became intensely sensitive to my needs and tried to take care of me, the precious baby.

Since then my confidence has returned to its usual level, my health has improved and Normandy and I have developed a wonderfully strong bond that shows in the way we relate. As we navigate our usual routes, it often feels to me like Normandy is gliding along next to me smoothly and effortlessly.

Naturally, there are times of laughter as either he or I make some small error of judgement on the best way to get to our destination. Every now and then he eases us out of our path to greet a young child, or he takes me to an escalator that I don’t actually need to make use of. Likewise, every now and then I get myself a bit turned around and try to walk him in the totally wrong direction, while he looks at me in confusion and tries to go where he knows we need to.

Then there was the day that a lady tried to offer us directions to what she said was the escalator, but was in fact the elevator. The information was kindly meant, but it really confused us both as we proceeded to follow her directions. We arrived at the lift, turned ourselves around and together we figured out where we needed to be.

At dialysis, Normandy has become part of the family that gathers for treatment three times each week. He has made friends amongst the patients and the medical team alike and, on the odd occasion when I don’t have him with me at the treatment centre, I’m always asked where he is.

Normandy especially loves accompanying me to the dialysis centre and I can sense his pride as we swiftly walk from the parking area to the waiting room, and from there to the treatment room. He becomes almost comically annoyed when the medical team place us on a different medical bed from the one we usually use. It’s almost as if he’s saying that we obviously need him to show us where we ought to go because we are silly humans.

Having said that, he settles down quickly enough next to whichever bed I place his blanket and toys, and proceeds to snuggle in for a relaxing few hours.

At home, Normandy has become wonderfully affectionate and playful, regularly curling up next to me on the bed with his head resting on my leg. Somehow he seems to know when it is time for me to sleep at night and happily hops onto his own bed for the night.

I’m thrilled that Normandy and Avery have become such good friends. The two of them spend hours playing in the house and garden. They are similar in age, and at least they expend much of their youthful energy playing together, or chasing one another around.

There are a few traits that I’m trying to train Normandy out of. For one thing, he becomes overly excited when he sees other dogs. On occasion he’s pulled his leash out of my hand to rush over and greet a dog. It’s at those times that I realise exactly how strong my boy is. Hopefully with time he will be less excitable.

He’s also something of a chewer, which we can testify to since losing two treat bags, a set of headphones, a Kindle, two books, eyedrops, and the lid of an energy drink bottle, amongst other small items. Strangely, he doesn’t seem to eat shoes or his own toys, only things he can steal from our cupboards or shelves. So we have to be careful where we leave items when he’s around.

When I first met Normandy I was concerned that we might struggle to form the bond that is such an essential element of the relationship between a guide dog and their owner. Now, a year on, I know that we are powerfully and closely bonded. He’s snuck into my heart and I constantly find myself smiling when he runs up to me wagging his tail with joy.

Thank you, Carol, Ruaan, Amy, and Emma for raising such a gorgeous puppy who has now grown into an equally gorgeous and sensitive guide dog. Normandy is a testament to the love and time your family devoted to him as a young puppy. Thank you also to the trainers and the team at the South African Guide Dogs Association for taking a puppy with such promise and molding him into the wonderful service dog he is today.

Most of all, a very waggy third birthday to you, Normandy. May we have many years of fun and adventure ahead of us, and may we continue to grow from strength to strength.