Expanding Our Vocabulary Part II

Louie stands on the stairs, looking for his kitten.

 Step Up and Step Down

Walking Louie on a leash is where I can confidently say that I am cheating as a dog owner. Walking on a leash is something many people can't manage with their dogs for many reasons. Louie is the easiest dog to walk on a leash, ever. He can't see and when walking somewhere unfamiliar he wants to stay right by me because he doesn't know where he is. Simple. Well, aside from the fact that he always walks at a slight angle toward me bumping into my leg. I have to be sure of my footing and where he is so I don't trip over him or knee him in his big head. I just have to face it: loving a blind dog means having some bruises on your shins. Love marks.

You wanna step up?
'Step up' is a really important phrase. When Louie and I are walking through a parking lot I tell him 'step up' when we're coming to a curb so he doesn't trip. I use 'Step down' when stepping off a curb. This seems obvious, but Louie being so good at his blindness, sometimes I can forget to remind him.

Upstairs and Downstairs

Louie knows his close, but the kitty makes a sneaky escape.

Upstairs and downstairs is the same as step up and down. The only difference being it includes more than one step. Louie is great with steps. He takes his time. If I say 'Upstairs, Louie' he will raise his head and lift his front lets higher, almost like marching. When I say 'Downstairs' he puts his head down and takes tiny steps forward waiting to find the edge. Once he finds the edge he takes the second paw and reaches for the first step.

The steepest staircase ever!
When my husband Paul and I first moved in together we got a house downtown in an older neighborhood. The house we moved into was built in 1890 something. This staircase was so steep! The steps were narrow, shallow and steep with a 90 degree turn to the left at the top. Talk about the worse place to move your bed into, ever. Louie had never been on steps that steep. Most staircases are at a pretty standard angle and he was used to that. The first time he went upstairs I was pretty worried. Honestly, more worried about him coming back down. I told him 'upstairs, careful' and taped one step with my hand and then the next. He tripped at first but quickly got it and I followed behind just in case. On the way down I walked in front of him and held onto the railing so if he started to fall I could catch him. Also by going down first with my shoes on, Louie could hear each foot tap the hard wood floor of the next step and judge the depth.

'Downstairs, Louie. Slowly'. He really took him time and concentrated. When he got to the bottom step he followed me as I turned to the right in the the living room. The bottom of the steps was the front door. He quickly learned that he couldn't run down these steps. He had to go slowly and be ready to turn, both on the way down and the way up. Louie would be careful and go slowly if I remember to ask him to.

Talking to each other

Okay, so I talk to my dog. I don't think I'm crazy but maybe strangers would. Many reasons to talk to Louie; he's a good listener, he's not judgmental, he never gets mad at me and he learns quickly. Most of all, talking to Louie helps him know where I am. So whatever I say to Louie doesn't matter so much, just saying something is what is important. Making some kind of sound. If you have a blind dog, you should use whatever words and phrases come naturally to you. Keep the short and simple. Remember, the most important thing is the way you say it. Talk fast if you want a quick movement, talk softly if you want them to settle down and always take a break if you're frustrated.


Next Installment: It's Not All Puppies and Rainbows