Světlana Karfusová / Sometimes I hear this comment while I'm with my dog on a tram. Because I'm the very one concerned – I am blind and I have a guide dog – it makes me wonder, if the sufferer is really my dog who is with me all day or the others that are locked at home all day. Let's just employ the principles of logic here.

A dog was domesticated to help people. If it doesn't get its essential workload it might develop mental disorders – so much for people who think their dog is a sofa decoration. Dog's don't really feel better if all they have to do is lying about your livingroom. Even if it isn't trained for any service, it needs to stay adequately busy. Walks alone are a not enough, dogs are intelligent creatures and people themselves are competent enough to find some enjoyable activity for their dogs.

In the guide dog training school in Brno, dogs are in touch with people all the time. They visit work, schools, banks, shops etc. They are never alone and never bored, have no chance to destroy your home as a protest against being left alone. When a puppy – or future guide dog – reaches one year of age, it starts attending guide dog training school. My dog used to attend Milan Dvořák's school in Brno. The philosophy of this school is to maintain as much contact as possible between a dog and a person. Dogs are brought to school by their caretakers, they do different kinds of excercises with their trainers during the day and when they are done they can have a rest in a common room with other „students“ where they have their own private spot, too.

The training is based on revising the orders untill they are fixated in a dog's head, untill he understands what is that we want.. But there are no punishments, no scolding. Everything works on basis of positive reinforcement. My dog Aimee, when I was dressing her up into a harness for the first time, was really impatient and after I said "go" she reacted instantly. Aimee considers guiding a game, responsible, but very interesting. It is a great gift when a trainer is able to present work as if it was a game. Consequently, dogs consider the work as their treat.

Not all people can have a guide dog. Milan Dvorak observes what is the person's background and personality, if they are able to take care of the dog and what environment would the dog be going into. I had to go through the same procedure. When we first met, he asked me quite a lot of questions: what I do, what neighbourhood and environment I live in, where and how often I am going to walk with the dog. You might ask what all these questions are good for. The answer is simple and logical: along with people's nature and personality a good trainer is able to choose a suitable dog for them. For example, an energetic person mustn't get a slow-tempered dog and vice versa.

I had a chance to visit my dog within her training, get acquainted with her, play with her and feed her special bribes so that she liked me and was looking forward to me.

Very gradually I started to work with Aimee in her harness so that she realised that in the future she will have to learn to follow my orders, not just the trainers'. I was really surprised with her behaviour with a harness and without it. When she was not wearing a harness she was playful, while wearing it she was excited but focused. It was very important that I showed Aimee the place I live in so I arraged regular weekly visits. Every week the trainer brought her to my home so that she wouldn't feel uncomfortable there later on.

All the things that have been mentioned just assume that a psychical well-being of a dog is very essential, no matter if it is a puppy or a grown-up. We always keep in mind that the moves from a caretaker to a trainer and eventually from a trainer to an owner must be gradual, peaceful and comfortable for the dog.

A trainer still keeps an observant eye on the master-guide dog couple even after the dog was handed in. I still keep in touch with the trainer and I've had my dog for 3 years now. The school is ready to offer any kind of help even after the dog has taken its service.

Now I see I still haven't made it clear if my dog is really the poor guy that I keep "locked up" in the harness all day. Let me, then, describe our typical day for you.

In the morning I go with Aimee for a walk, just like you would go with your own dog. The only difference is that she can stay out longer, run more and do other interesting excercise, that you would probably not let your dog do because you are in a hurry to work.

Then we go to the faculty where I study. Everybody loves my dog there – she is allowed to lie by the teachers' table, everybody pets her and they are all apologies if they happen to step on her paw. She can freely run around the lecture room even during my lectures. If she needs to sleep all students would be honoured if she chose their feet as her pillow. I always carry her bed with me but, oh, those nice smelly shoes... The only disadvantage is she might be quite demotivating sometimes – when she starts snoring in a lecture room some students tend to imitate her.

Then there is a 2-hour break, but I don' t relax in the lobby or go for luch. I take my dog to the park which she loves, because there is usually a gathering of her dog soulmates at that time. When we enter the park I let Aimee go off her harness. After she spots her friends on a meadow, she pokes my leg with her muzzle to make sure I don't mind if she goes. I just tell her: go ahead and she disappears within seconds. I must say that after these long walks it is quite hard to start learning again, but ther's nothing better than a satisfied, sleeping dog.

After the school has finished we take a tram home. Aimee is excited because she knows soon we will be going out for a few hours. We always meet a big group of about 15 dogs in a park near my home, she runs and plays with them to relax.

Our weekends aren't passive either. We don't sit at home and watch TV, we go out for walks. If another person goes with us, he leads the way and we take different paths. If not we would only walk places I know well. I let Aimee run loose and she can do whatever – playing, running, swimming. Sometimes a person stops as and says that the dog should be guiding me. I respond that she is not a robot and she needs her freedom.

In summer, when the scorchers hit, we go out early in the morning. We usually go swimming about 5o'clock in the morning when the weather is still not so hot, either to Marianske udoli or a quarry near my home. If she has her swimming excercise this early in the morning she gets adequately tired and then is comfortable sleeping at home. When I offer her a walk early in the afternoon she pretends she doesn't understand or even that she doesn't exist. If she needs to go out she lets me know, but only for a minute and only in the shade.

I always emphasise that my dog gets enough excercise. She is much more cheerful and satisfied then, she is excited to work because she knows her treat will be a long refreshing walk. For my dog, who accompanies me all the time, it is much easier to be happy, worked-out and relaxed than it is for the one that is at home alone and has nothing to do. He is very likely to tear at some of your stuff just to show you the loneliness and boredom he has suffered.

An inevitable part of our walks is visiting a pet shop where I buy Aimee her treats. She chooses her toys herself – she would always snatch the most interesting thing, not matter if she likes its sounds or material. At home then, we often play hide-and-seek. I hide and she seeks or I hide her toy and she has to find it. She is very single-minded so she would never give up unless she finds it.

I have taught her some orders that have nothing to do with her guide dog job. They serve her amusement and development. Aimee can roll over, crawl, beg, give both of her paws etc. She loves learning new things and if you accompany that with a treat that only makes double pleasure.

I visit my friends with my dog, too, unless some of them suffers allergies. Aimee prefers people who are dog owners because they can play together and later on the visit usually ends up with a joint walk.

I hope I managed to make it clear what the relationship between me and my dog is like. I hope that I was able to point out all the different activities we do together and thus proved that a guide dog is not a sufferer. Maybe, next time you see a blind person and their dog, you will perceive them as a well-organised couple. Judging from the devotion in its eyes and the concentration while it's guiding its master it should be clear what their relationship is like.

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