Beyond Acquara

I got some news today about what became of my guide dog I had to give up, M2. It is kind of surprising how much this news made me happy and sort of helped me put closure on the whole guide dog debacle of ‘o9. I had been trying to keep tabs on her progress, but there are confidentiality rules so I was only able to get limited information about her from the school. I had heard she went back into guide dog training and was doing well, and then I didn’t hear much else.

Well, today I got an email from the woman who raised her. I met her at my graduation and we exchanged emails, so she and I are not bound to confidentiality rules. Well, she let me know that M2 has been retired as a guide dog and that she was taking her back to live with them permanantly.

I would have been happy for M2 if she had been a guide dog for someone else, but this was actually my best case scenario for her. She doesn’t have to transition yet again to another setting, she will go back to those she is familiar with. She obviously had a strong bond with them when we met at graduation. They have 5 acres and other dogs, cats and horses which is about a dream come true for a dog like M2. And no little kids around to give her anxiety. Also, she is only about an hour and a half away, so I could actually take the kids and visit if I want to (she invited us.) I think it would be very good for the kids to see that she is okay and happy.

From what I gathered, she did fine in guide dog training, which did not surprise me. But then they had her stay with a foster family and work on her in-home behaviors and that is where things failed (also doesn’t surprise me) so she was retired (or “career changed” they call it. Tee Hee). I have to admit feeling a little vindicated about this. But moreover, I feel like M2 knew some guide dog things, but was not meant to be a guide dog and she will be much happier with this arrangement.

Interestingly, her puppy raiser said that she was surprised that M2 was matched with someone with young children as young children weren’t her thing and caused her a lot of anxiety. So, I think in the end, it was just a bad match most of all. Tonight is her first night home with her new/old family, and I hear she is happy and its like she never left.

I don’t know if this makes sense to anyone else, but this whole guide dog experience has been quite an emotional trauma for me. I felt sad and guilty and somewhat unsure of my decisions and my abilities and it was just a confidence shaker and, of course, very disappointing. I worried about the stress and trauma I was putting M2 through as well. Finally, this news makes me feel at least a little bit better about the whole thing. Like I did the right thing and like she is in the right place now and she will be okay and happy and have a good life. And it makes me feel a bit better about getting another dog sometime in the future. Like with the right circumstances and match, I will find another guide dog that will be as great as experience as my first one.

Sorry to be all going on and on about my continuing dog woes, but this was just something that made my day today and sort of puts some closure on my life with M2.