Saturday, November 24, 2012

Helper dogs

Do your dogs like to help with projects around the house?  

The acd6pack is always interested in what is going on and want to be a part of things.

Azule: "Hmmm..what's this?"

The on-going project of removing the old wooden fence and replacing it a section at a time is taking a long time.  I feel guilty when the dogs have to be in the house so that a section can be removed and a new section built when it's nice weather.  When it's time to pull apart the old sections, they can be outside and "help".  A project like this is too noisy/scary for Bill so he keeps an eye on things from a distance.

blind Brook and deaf Azule

All the blind girls somehow manage to walk on the old sections of fence with little difficulty.  I wonder if the boards are just far enough apart to match their stride as they walk.

I suppose it's just another example of how the blind ones are encouraged to be just regular dogs.  If they were to bump their noses on the boards, that's okay.  I was very, very careful when swinging the hammer and moving the old fence sections, but other than that, they were left to do whatever they wanted.  There just aren't the words, "Oh you poor thing...you can't...you're blind" at our home.

Forest

As you can see, taking the old sections apart involves lots of, "move, will ya?", "come on, get outta the way", some waving type hand gestures for deaf Azule and the ever famous and often heard, "watch out".  

Blind Breeze helped with some tree trimming.

big sticks!

Another project the dogs helped with was wallpapering.  A few people asked why not crate the dogs or have them stay in another room while wallpapering.  What fun would that be?!  Sure, the water tray became a water dish (that was an exciting find for a blind dog - a water dish in the upstairs hall), the wallpaper got walked on, some sections of paper were ripped but we had fun.

blind Brook and blind Hiker

Did you know that new paint rollers can double as a chew toy?  I didn't know that either, but apparently Callie did.



They all (except nervous Bill) want to be in the middle of everything.  It often takes about twice as long to get things done but it's so much more fun with a few dogs as helpers.

I often think that we are just keeping the fun in dysfunctional.

7 comments:

  1. Amazing that blind dogs can walk on slatted things--this can be a real challenge for sighted dogs! Maybe some things are easier to handle when you can't see them.

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  2. You have a lot more patience than SHE does. We're usually banished somewhere.

    SHE worked with blind children, so SHE knows all the things they can do, if given the chance.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  3. I prefer dogs involved in all activities, it's definitely more fun that way! :)

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  4. Dogs are usually the best project supervisors, even if they can't see or hear! It looks like they did a great job.

    Nubbin wiggles,
    Oskar

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  5. Funny, I was JUST thinking the same thing as I prepared dinner tonight; I'm so used to maneuvering around a small kitchen while avoiding stepping on dogs that I forget how odd some people would think it. And earlier I was painting the wall up the staircase with one dog on the step above me, and another just below, continually nudging me...

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  6. Anonymous11/25/2012

    Hey ACD6Pack, Jet here.

    Your humans have such great attitudes... makes all the difference in the world.

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  7. The only household project Wrigs likes to help with is meal preparation and consumption! He doesn't like noisy activities (vacuuming, anything involving power tools, mowing the lawn, etc.).

    Love all your dogs! I've had two deaf dogs in the past. It's wonderful that you've rescued these cuties and that you're all having so much fun. :-)

    Susan and Wrigs

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