Tag Archives: animals

Why drewdog2060drewdog2060?

When I make a comment or like a post “drewdog2060drewdog2060” appears which, when clicked on takes the reader to my blog. It makes me smile when people respond to my feedback by addressing me as Drew when, in fact my name is Kevin. Given the use of drewdog2060drewdog2060 it is easy to understand why people make this mistake! So why the drewdog2060drewdog2060 I here you ask?

My third guide dog was a lovely lab/retriever cross called Drew. I have wonderful memories of our time together including walks in the woodland which abuts my home. Drew was a gentle dog who was loved by all who met her, (I remember people who are usually frightened of dogs stopping to pat her).

Drew had her faults (few of us, apart from me of course are plaster saints)! I well recollect her raiding the bins in the office and helping herself to the odd lunch which unwary colleague’s had left within her reach but, despite all this she was a lovely dog who worked loyally as my guide and friend for many years.

March 2011 is indelibly imprinted on my memory. It was an ordinary day. I had gone into my office in London with Drew and on the way home popped into my favourite local for a pint, followed by a trip to the supermarket. Drew kept stopping to relieve herself. I thought she just had a stomach upset which would pass but in the night she began to pass blood. My then partner took her to the vets but, very sadly she died as a consequence of a heart attack brought on by blood loss.

I got my present companion, Trigger on 4 July 2011. He, also is a wonderful dog and has saved me from walking in front of vehicles on several occasions. Despite my bond with Trigger Drew will forever maintain a special place in my heart. She lives on in drewdog2060drewdog2060 and despite the confusion the use of her name sometimes causes I won’t be changing it.

It is a great pity that dogs have such short lives in comparison to we humans.

Drew (sorry Kevin)

Have You Compiled A Charity Anthology? If So You May Be Able To Assist

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As those of you who follow this blog will know I am compiling a charity anthology to raise money for The Guide Dogs For The Blind Association (GDBA), a charity which trains assistance dogs for visually impaired people.

I have been moved by the kindness of fellow bloggers and authors in providing a platform to promote the idea and to everyone who has submitted content. I hope that the book will be published in the Amazon Kindle store in February of this year.

I have no experience of charity anthologies and would greatly appreciate advice from anyone who has published such a work regarding how best to get the monies to Guide Dogs? I have my own author’s page on Amazon. I am, however reluctant to publish the work using my Amazon author’s account as this would necessitate me separating out payments intended for Guide Dogs from monies meant for me and forwarding them onto the charity. The simplest and least beurocratic solution would appear to entail setting up the book on it’s own Amazon page while furnishing Amazon with GDBA’s account details thereby ensuring that payments go direct to the charity’s account. I would link to the anthology from this blog and my Amazon author page but the title and monies would remain distinct from my publications. Does anyone know whether this is a viable way forward? If not how have you addressed the issue of getting monies to your charity? Any advice would be most welcome. Please feel free to comment or alternatively e-mail me at newauthoronline at gmail . com (the address is rendered in this way to defeat the scourge of the internet, spammers)!

Many thanks,

Kevin

Do Not Distract

8 Replies

As a guide dog owner I am very happy for people to make a fuss of my 4 legged friend, Trigger when he is not working. He is a wonderful dog and deserves to be fussed and played with as all work and no play makes Jack (sorry Trigger) a dull boy.

When working however it is imperative that Trigger and other assistance dogs are not disturbed. Distracting a guide dog can lead to me or another guide dog owner becoming intimately acquainted with a lamp post or the back of a number 7 bus, a fate which I am, you may be surprised to learn somewhat anxious to avoid!

The problem which I and other guide dog owners have is that many people see a cuddly dog and their immediate reaction is to call out to the animal or reach out and stroke it. I have lost count of the number of occasions on which I have politely had to request people not to distract Trigger when working due to the obvious dangers which can flow from doing so. Most people understand my explanation. However a minority either lack (for whatever reason) the ability to comprehend or, quite simply don’t care. One gentleman in my locality always greets Trigger when he is working and will often stroke him. I have explained, until I am blue in the face why he should not do this. However he still persists. What is one to do in such a situation, grin and bare it? Perhaps I should dress Trigger up to resemble the Hound of the Baskervilles. Would that act as a deterrent do you think?!

As I said above, I am very happy for Trigger to receive attention when he is not working. I do, however wish that the gentleman in my area would desist from distracting my (working) guide dog.

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Fireworks

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As I sit at my desk I can hear the distant pounding of guns. Oops, for guns read fireworks!

Personally I can take or leave fireworks. I understand the attraction to children and the role fireworks play in celebrations such as Chinese New Year and, of course today’s event, Guy Fawkes or Bonfire Night. Unfortunately my guide dog, Trigger is not so relaxed in his view of fireworks. Like most animals he hates them.

On Saturday evening I had popped out for a couple of pints in my favourite local. On the way home heaven was rent asunder by the sound of fireworks going off. A few bangs and Trigger starts to shake, however a continuous stream of explosions causes him to freeze, begin to tremble violently and to seek shelter in the nearest building. Fortunately, when the noise started we where passing my local Sainsburys and Trigger almost dragged me in there so keen was he to escape what must, to a dog with very sensitive hearing be an incredibly distressing experience. After purchasing a few items (I didn’t really need them but felt, being in the supermarket that I should buy something) I telephoned a taxi so as to avoid Trigger having to experience the racket outside. I live some 10 minutes walk from the supermarket but, by the time the taxi arrived and conveyed Trigger and I home some 40 minutes had passed.

Today I chose to work from home in order to avoid Trigger being subjected to fireworks again. I took him out at lunchtime for a walk and he is now curled up in his bed. Unlike some animals Trigger is fine inside where the sound of exploding fireworks don’t bother him but he won’t go out again this evening, the explosions would only distress him.

I don’t wish to be a killjoy but it strikes me that fireworks should be limited to a few times a year and, possibly to designated displays only. At present, even when November 5^th ends people will, no doubt still be letting off fireworks into late November/early December. Then, of course we have New Year’s Eve so Trigger won’t have a complete rest from fireworks until mid to late January. There surely must be a better way than this.

You Would Be Barking Mad To Miss It

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For anyone interested in the work of The Guide Dogs For The Blind Association, this event may be of interest. The below text is extracted from an e-mail sent to me by GDBA:

“Celebrate Christmas with Guide Dogs

London Guide Dogs’ Training School warmly invites you to our Christmas

Market on Saturday, 8th November 2014, 12midday to 4pm at Guide Dogs

Training School, 7 Manor Road, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 8ER.

There will be craft stalls, kennel tours, dog demos, Christmas cards,

refreshments and you can even visit Santa Paws Grotto!

Admission is free.

If you have any questions regarding this event please call on

08453727421 or email

Redbridge@guidedogs.org.uk.”.

Anthology to Raise Money For Guide Dogs – A Further Update

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I posted on 17 September regarding my idea to raise money for the Guide Dogs For The Blind Association (GDBA) by producing an anthology of stories and poems, (http://newauthoronline.com/2014/09/17/possible-anthology-to-raise-money-for-guide-dogs/). Many thanks to everyone who reblogged and agreed to provide material. I have now received the first story from Sally Cronin, (http://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/), – Many thanks Sally! A big thank you also goes to Dave Higgins for his kindness in agreeing to edit the anthology free of charge.

The anthology is still in need of contributors. If you haven’t already agreed to contribute and would like to do so please contact me at newauthoronline (@) gmail . com (the address is rendered thus to try and defeat spammers).

Many thanks,

Kevin

Possible Anthology To Raise Money For Guide Dogs – Update

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Many thanks to everyone who expressed support for the idea of producing an anthology to raise money for the Guide Dogs For The Blind Association (http://newauthoronline.com/2014/09/17/possible-anthology-to-raise-money-for-guide-dogs/). Thanks go especially to everyone who reblogged my post and to those who have offered to provide stories for inclusion, or other forms of assistance.

I have been asked about the theme of the anthology (a perfectly reasonable question if ever there was one)! I suggest that stories in the anthology deal with interactions between dogs and humans. However I don’t wish to preclude stories about other animals either as sole characters or as part of an animal/human relationship.

I don’t yet have an editor and would be grateful if any editor who is able to offer their services free could please get in touch. As previously explained, I lack editorial expertise and do not have the capacity to produce the final product. I will, of course render any assistance possible, including liaison with Guide Dogs. However I need the assistance of an editor to progress the project.

Many thanks for everyone’s continuing support,

Kevin

Retrievers

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Can someone please explain why my guide dog Trigger, who is a lab/retriever is adept at getting his blanket out of the dog bed, running around, tail wagging furiously, but leaves the blanket in the middle of the floor for me to pick up or trip over? I was under the impression that retrievers – retrieve? Obviously I have been labouring under a misapprehension on that score! In point of fact Trigger will greet me and my guests with all kinds of fascinating objects ranging from shoes, socks and, of course his beloved blanket. It is merely that my four legged friend point blank refuses to return said objects to where he found them!

I think that there is a case for the Guide Dogs For The Blind Association (GDBA) to train our canine helpers to put things back precisely where they found them. In fact lets forget about training guide dogs to assist blind people to cross the road, putting my shoes back in the exact spot where Trigger discovered them is far more important even if that spot was not well chosen, by me in the first place! I shall close now. I’m off to pen a letter to the Guide Dogs setting out my suggestion that they concentrate training on the retrieval and return of objects rather than on piffling matters like getting blind people such as myself from a to b safely. I’m sure they will be receptive to the idea, or maybe not!

Dogs Prefer Physical Contact To Verbal Praise Study Claims

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A study has concluded that our four legged friends prefer being petted to verbal praise and being fed over petting. Now there’s a surprise. I never, in my wildest dreams would have guessed that dogs prefer food over strokes or pats! To be fair this is a summary, in the Daily Mail of what is a rather complex piece of research and I am sure, as is often the case, that the press have simplified the findings. None the less I (along with millions of other dog lovers) could have told the researchers that canines prefer food to a good old fashioned fuss.

For the article please visit http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2744762/Don-t-bother-talking-Fido-PET-Dogs-prefer-physical-contact-vocal-praise-study-claims.html

Taxi!

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“Can you get your dog to sit down please”, the minicab (private hire) taxi driver says. I am sitting in the back of the car my guide dog, Trigger seated quietly at my feet. I therefore assume that the driver wishes Trigger to lie down which, on my command he does.

“Did you tell the company you had a guard dog?” the cabbie asks.

“Yes I told them that I have a guide dog”, (me emphasising the word guide), “drivers have to take guide dogs under the law unless they have a medical exemption certificate stating that they are allergic to dogs”.

“I know. This is the only dog I take”. Why then I ponder inwardly are you asking me whether I told the company as you have taken me previously and, in any case the law obliges you to convey guide and other assistance dogs when accompanied by their owners? I don’t pursue the matter and the vehicle arrives at my destination.

“How much do the company charge for the dog?” the driver asks.

“£5” I answer. In fact the cost of the journey from my home to my destination is £5 irrespective of whether the person being conveyed is accompanied by a guide or other assistance dog and it is illegal to charge extra for carrying assistance animals. I am tired having arisen early so fail to explain this to the driver (he should already be aware of the legislation which came into effect in 2002 and can be found here, http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/37/enacted). I give him £5 plus a tip and he goes on his merry way.

Had the company informed my driver that there was a visually impaired person with a guide dog requiring a cab would he, I wonder have picked me up? As it was he was (apparently) unaware of the presence of Trigger and having arrived decided to take Trigger and I to our destination. The law is a blunt, though a very necessary instrument and so far as the rights of assistance dog owners are concerned the legislation has greatly reduced the number of refusals to convey owners accompanied by their assistance animals. It is, however always in the back of my mind when calling a taxi, “will the driver and/or the company make an excuse that there are no drivers available when, in fact there are or will they (despite the law) refuse to convey Trigger and I”.