Yesterday Carol (Sebastian’s human) told me what a ‘caf’ dog was ... as opposed to a working dog.  I’ve never heard the expression before but it’s one of those colloquialisms that’s unique to NZ ... well, certainly to Auckland that is .... it’s like the ‘ladies that lunch’ in Kloof back in SA, AND here in Remuera!  Chocolat is a ‘caf’ dog .... like the ladies who do lunch, she’s a dog that does coffee ... accompanies her human to cafes ... not that I go to cafes that much but she does come with me when I do ... and she does LOVE her caffeine on the beach in the mornings. 
I love the expression ... it made me chuckle!!


I’m quite certain that my hound enjoys being a ‘caf’ dog ... she knows nothing else and she’s discovered a taste she enjoys!  I don’t think all ‘‘caf’ dogs have a taste for caffeine like mine does but we’re starting to educate them .... Bella now knows what the dregs of a flat white taste like .. and she quite enjoys it .... and as for Indy, he’s a guzzle-guts of note ... he loves them!!

Taking your hound with you to a café or restaurant certainly isn’t unique to NZ ... but it wasn’t something we made a
habit of doing in SA.  It was unusual to see a hound at a café in SA and it certainly wasn’t encouraged like it is here.  I love that my hound gets to be so much a part of my life ....

I spent the afternoon at the Royal New Zealand Association of the Blind ... learning a bit about their history and what services they provide to the blind in NZ.  I see several ‘Puppy Walkers’ on my rambles each day but was surprised to learn that there are only 260 working Guide Dogs in NZ ... not because there isn’t a demand for them ... there is .... but because it costs so much to train them and because only 50% of the puppies bred for the purpose meet the exacting standards.

Another thing I learnt is that because Chocolate Labradors come from a recessive gene, they don’t generally make good guide-dogs .... the Foundation doesn’t use any Chocolate Labradors for breeding ... if one comes out in a litter they’ll allow it to attempt the training program but they won’t breed from them.  Guide dogs generally have a working life of 10 years and ... as for cars here in NZ ... 
they have to have an annual “warranty of fitness” too! A trainer visits each guide dog on an annual basis and takes them for a walk to ensure they’re still doing their job properly and that they haven’t learnt any bad habits.   Puppies go through a vigorous training program .... not only do they have to learn to ‘lead’ ... not walk to heel like a pet does .... but they also have to learn when NOT to obey a command.  

The specific purpose of a guide dog is to lead the blind person around objects that they would normally see .. nothing more than that.  But in leading a blind person around objects the dog has to be aware of the height of objects .... a dog can walk under a table but a
human can’t ... so the dog has to be taught to look UP ... not something dogs normally do ... unless they’re chasing seagulls!!

Another surprising fact I discovered was that over half of the members of RNZFB are over 80 ... and the majority of them suffer from Macular Degeneration which is age related.  Our guide had glasses for us
all to try on which mimicked the effect certain conditions have on the eye.  Macular Degeneration is horrible ... it affects the central vision ... all you see is what’s on the periphery.

I left there with a new respect for the “obstacles” a blind person has to face ... and an appreciation for having 20/20
vision.  I get to see the ‘beauty’ in each day .... even when the sun’s not shining ..... I get to really look at my world in minute detail .... each and every leaf ... each and every rose petal ... each and every water droplet as the hound shakes herself dry!  I don’t ever want to lose the ability to do that ....

Each morning starts with a new 24 hours .... they are one of the few things in this world you get “free of charge”.  What will YOU do with the gift you’ve been given?