Posts tagged "Nina":

A Visit with Hulu

Today we went on the bus to visit our friends Sara and Hulu.

Hulu is going to stay a while with Sara. We thought she might have to go to the prison program right away, but it has been decided that she needs to stay outside for a while longer.

We took a short walk around the neighborhood for practice. Nina was working on curbs and ramps, lining herself up properly and keeping me safe. Hulu was working on walking beside Sara and not being distracted by blowing leaves and noisy school children. She had to walk on a metal grate. Nina already knew this device and made a point of us going around it.

Hulu still jumps up and tries to play with me as if I was another dog, using teeth but not hurting. She is such a sweet thing.

Playing in the Water

Hulu has discovered the fun of splashing the water in the community water bowl with her front paws. It causes much human excitement and a tsunami in the dining room. The men at the prison are going to have to break her of this habit. You can't tell a guide dog user "Your new dog will flood the area where you put her bowl."

Nina is unsure about water. This summer we introduced her to a wading pool. She will jump into it, bite the water, but she is not keen on sitting down and refuses to lay in the water.

To be sure, she is a messy drinker. I have her bowl on a tray with a towel underneath the bowls. I have to change the towel frequently as it gets saturated.

Dog News

Today we learned that our new friend, Hulu, will be leaving us sooner than we expected. Next week she is going off for a several month stint in a medium security prison where the men will drill her on her commands. Nina went there, too.

We also learned that Therman celebrated his birthday with 11 other dogs at the school for the blind on the west coast. Therman was raised to be a guide dog, but he is too easily distracted by other dogs when he was in harness. Therman is both Nina's half brother–they have the same father–and her cousin since their mothers are sisters. Therman looked very happy with his dog school friends. They were all sporting birthday gear.

Meeting Hulu

We met Hulu today. Nina and I got off the bus and went to the car. Hulu was waiting in the passenger footwell. Nina got into the back. Immediately Nina and Hulu met each other over the console. It took Sara and I a little bit to get both girls settled in their respective places.

We drove to the coffee shop. Although the temps were in the 50s, we sat outside by the fire pit. It was too noisy inside. The dogs behaved themselves though Hulu needed a lot of encouragement to be still. She is still learning.

When we went back to the house, the dogs had fun playing. Lots of roughhousing.

We will visit again soon.

Looking Forward to Meeting Hulu

I am looking forward to meeting Hulu. She is a five-month black Lab who is in training to become a guide dog. I am certain Nina will have fun playing with her.

Labor Day 2025

On Labor Day we went to Doctor's Park. We had a lovely time.

I brought my WFPB lunch while the others ate sandwiches.–pub