"Yes, he's in training"

It's just a fact; people enjoy watching the dogs as they are being trained.  

Some try to hide the fact that they are intently observing me train the dogs, others just stop what they are doing to watch as we walk by.  Sometimes, many are inquisitive about the program or want to simply just talk to you because they find it all very intriguing. 

The most common comments/questions that I hear are: “Aw, how old is your dog?” “He is so smart!”  “Is he a Golden Lab?” “How far along in training is he?” “What are the booties/dog shoes for?” etc.  But sometimes we come across individuals who are wanting to be educated about the program, or to see how they can adopt a career changed dog as a pet.

In general, I think most people are aware of the purpose of a guide dog- that they perform services to the visually impaired. There are, however, some people who are completely unaware of what a guide dog does, to a point where it is quite comical.

Just the other day, as I was clipping along down the sidewalk at a brisk walk with my dog, I noticed the lady we were approaching, eye-balling my dog and smiling (not uncommon).  When my dog came to a halt near a sandwich board that was in our way, the woman commented something like, “Such a beautiful dog.  How old is he?”

“He’s about a year and a half.” I said.

“Is he in training?”

“Yes, he is.  He is about halfway through his training.” I replied and patted my dog on the head.

“So, what are you training him for?” She asked.

“To be a guide dog for the blind.”

And without missing a beat she said, “Oh, so he’s deaf?”

I wasn’t really expecting THAT response.  “No, he’s not deaf.  I’m training him to guide a person who is blind.”

Confused look from the lady, “But he’s deaf though!” (Said in a statement, not a question)

I shook my head. “Nope, he can hear just fine.”

Another confused look from the lady.

At that moment, I realized that some things just cannot be explained.  All I could do was smile and say, “Well, have a nice day! Enjoy the beautiful weather.  Forward!” And off we went…my deaf dog and I.