Nine month assessment

Gypsy and I had her nine month assessment this week with our supervisor and passed with flying colours. 

I am now actually teaching her to guide! I didn't expect that, but if they progress well then puppy walkers are helped to teach the next stage. So I am now teaching her to walk ahead, with her rump by my leg. I'm teaching her to notice obstacles in our path and to weigh up whether to wait (if it's a group of people) or go round (if it's a sign, dug up path etc).  The next stage will be stair behaviour.  She is great with any kind of stairs, but I need to learn what to do, how to teach her to indicate where steps/stairs are.Here is a You Tube clip of someone being guided by a dog - the dog has sooo much to think about, but the benefits are very clear. The clip shows the route taken using a white cane, then the same route taken with a guide dog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHHmtX5Wmuo

The down side of Gypsy's progress is that she may possibly go to Big School early, at 11 months, which would be the end of April - next month!

I will be heartbroken when she goes, of course. But the way I see it - I would never have met her if I hadn't puppy walked her, she would have gone to someone else. I just hope she gets a really active owner as she isn't a couch potato at all - she loves working!
If she does leave early the new pup will arrive in June. 

I have asked for another yellow girl