by John Tovey
‘Well done, Dez!’ she said, handing me my treat, patting me lovingly.
That night, I thought I’d text Stan to let him know how things were going.
‘Itz great here,’ I typed. ‘I’ve met up with my family and I’m learning lotz of new thingz. Give my love to the rest of the gang, Dez x’
Stan replied almost immediately. ‘Hi Dez, we all wondered how you were getting on. It’s great to hear from you. Glad you’re enjoying it there. Take care of yourself, S x
Ps: Why do you keep spelling things wrong with a Z instead of an S? Don’t they teach you spelling at Guide Dog School, eh? Lol x’
‘Oops!’ I giggled (I’d never been good at spelling).
Each night that followed, while the others sat around chatting or watching TV, I’d sit in my kennel, swotting up on everything we’d learned, because I was determined to become the best guide dog the school had ever seen.
‘Well done, Valdez, you’re going to make a great guide dog!’ the teacher said one day, after class. She patted me fondly on the top of my head and I was so thrilled, I thought I’d burst.
‘Congratulations, little bruv,’ Vicky whispered proudly.
It felt good because all my hard work was slowly starting to pay off. Finally, I’d learned to control my hunger because I’d stopped letting my belly rule my head. Instead I worked hard until soon I’d become top of every class!
‘Is this where the teacher’s pet lives?’ a voice called as a paw knocked against the wall of my pen.
My nose was in a book but I glanced up to see a familiar golden head dip around the corner.
‘Star!’ I cried, dropping the book and running towards her.
‘Hello, Dez. I was in the area, so I thought I’d just drop by…’
But she didn’t finish her sentence because I was kissing and squeezing the life out of her.
‘It’s so good to see you, I’ve really missed you!’ I sighed, holding her close.
‘Me too! Now, everyone tells me that what you don’t know about guide dog training isn’t worth knowing, so I’m hoping you’ll help me.’
‘Of course I will. Now, come here,’ I said, patting a cushion on the floor. ‘Take a seat.’
I told Star all about left and right, the walking in a straight line, and trying not to pull on the lead. ‘That’s the tricky bit,’ I sighed, ‘knowing when to slow down and when to speed up. You have to see how fast they’re walking and take your lead from them.’
Star shook her head, saying, ‘It’s hopeless. I’m never gonna remember all of this, Dez.’
‘You will. It just takes lots of practice, that’s all.’
The months passed and soon I was walking along wearing the harness without complaint. Then it was time to learn how to guess distances. The trainer would walk me by an object, such as a chair, but then she’d stop and tap it. At first I thought she’d gone completely mad because she started tapping the top of doors, the side of chairs, even the edges of lamp posts. I was baffled until something clicked inside my brain: I realised she wanted me to be able to judge how far or how close things were. I needed to know if I could get through a space with someone at my side, because once I had an owner, I’d have to be their eyes. We practised again and again, until I knew it off by heart. I was so good that I knew exactly what to look out for and how to react.
Despite coming top of my class, my walking speed was a real problem. I was a fast walker, and I knew Guide Dogs would have to match me with someone who walked quickly so I could keep up with them (and them with me). Soon, I was ready for my final exam – the blindfold walk. I was shaking like a jellybean because it was my big moment and I didn’t want to mess up so I tried to remember everything I’d learned in class. I remembered the main thing was to keep calm and think about every single thing I did, because if I put just one paw wrong, it’d all be over. My mouth felt dry, and my stomach churned like a washing machine as my trainer led me towards the busy main street.
Keep calm, Dez. Keep calm, I repeated over and over to myself inside my head, but my legs were trembling and my paws were sweating.
‘Come on, Dez, I know you can do it!’ the trainer encouraged me.
I knew I’d have someone watching me, giving me marks, and I felt really nervous. My trainer was blindfolded as we walked along. Traffic whizzed by; it made me gasp because it was both noisy and smelly. I tried my best to concentrate because I knew if I messed this up then I’d never become a guide dog. We walked for ages, but now I knew how to do things safely. If anything, I was so safe that they called me the ‘road safety dog’ because I always watched, waited and listened before crossing. I’d find somewhere safe to cross but I’d stop before we reached the kerb. Then I’d take my time, sit down and look out for traffic. When it was coming, I’d let it pass because I knew it wasn’t worth taking the risk and, when it was safe, I’d cross but I never ran because I had to be in control at all times.
‘Well done, Dez!’ the trainer said as we reached the end of the test. She pulled off her blindfold, bent down and gave me a lovely ear rub. ‘You were a complete star!’
So, have I passed, then? I asked, looking up at her.
‘Top of the class!’ she grinned, patting me fondly on my back.
Whoopee! My tail began to wag and it wouldn’t stop. I’d passed and now I was officially a guide dog – I could barely believe it.
‘I passed today!’ I squealed later down the phone to Mum.
‘Oh, Dez, I knew you would!’ she cried. ‘I told you that you were my special boy. You’ll be top of the list now, just you wait and see, because everyone will want you!’
CHAPTER 12
LAST ON THE SHELF
I waited and waited for someone to come and take me to my new home. Every time one of the mobility instructors walked in, my heart would lift, but they always chose another dog instead of me. It was the instructor’s job to match each dog to each person but it seemed there wasn’t a match for me.
‘What’s wrong with me, Star?’ I cried, one night after dinner. ‘Why doesn’t anyone want me?’
Star shook her head.
‘I dunno, Dez. I don’t understand it. I mean, you came top of your class.’
But it didn’t seem to count as, one by one, I watched as Vicky, Vinnie and Vesper left me behind. Soon, it was time for Star to go too.
‘I know someone will want you. You’ll be chosen soon, I promise,’ she said, giving me a final hug goodbye.
I willed my tears to go away because I wanted to believe her – that there was someone out there, waiting for me – but the more I wished for it to happen, the more disappointed I felt when it didn’t. Soon, everyone had been given a new home – everyone apart from me. To make matters worse, a new intake of dogs had arrived.
‘See him over there,’ one pup whispered to another, ‘no one wants him. He’s clever too – it’s just he’s a really fast walker, so they can’t find anyone to match him with.’
The other one glanced over.
‘It’s so sad,’ she sighed.
That made me feel even worse. Soon, I felt so sad that I could barely bring myself to eat.
So much for my big dreams, I huffed as I lay on the floor, trying to work out where it had all gone wrong. The following day, I was still feeling sorry for myself when the door swung open as the trainer showed someone inside. My head bobbed up hopefully, but then I heard her speak.
‘Gwyn is just through here,’ she said.
I sighed and let my head drop back down sadly on my paws. Both women were just walking past my kennel when the mobility instructor stopped and looked at me.
‘What about this one, with the white left paw?’ she asked, holding out her hand to stroke me.
I was so delighted to be noticed that I stood up and started wagging my tail wildly.
‘This is Valdez, or Dez. He’s a beautiful boy, he’s just a little fast and erm… over-enthusiastic,’ the trainer explained.
‘Is he now?’ the wom
an replied. ‘Well, I recognise this one. I saw his picture on the Guide Dogs webpage, and I think I may know just the person for him.’
She grinned as I realised just what it was she was saying.
Pick me, pick me! I woofed. You won’t regret it, I promise. I’ll try my very best. I won’t let you down. Please pick me! My tail wagged so much it made my whole body swing from side to side. Soon I was having trouble staying on all four paws.
‘Hello, Dez. My name is Emma,’ she said kindly, dipping down to give me a lovely ear rub. ‘I think I know just the person for you.’
I liked Emma immediately. She had such a kind and gentle face that I desperately wanted to try my best for her.
‘I’d love to take them both – Valdez and Gwyn, if that’s okay?’ she asked.
Yessssss! I whooped, my paw punching the air with delight. A new home and a new start! I could barely contain my excitement.
Emma went off to collect the other dog, a German Shepherd called Gwyn, and we were both put in the back of her car.
‘Excuse me,’ Gwyn said in a posh voice. ‘Do you mind? You appear to be standing on my foot.’
‘Oops!’ I giggled, trying to look out of the window. ‘Sorry,’ I panted. ‘It’s just I’m so very excited. You see, I’ve waited for this for such a long time…’
‘Err, yes,’ Lady Gwyn sniffed, looking down her nose at me. ‘I can tell. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to rest during the journey because I like to feel refreshed when we arrive at our destination, so a little peace and quiet would be rather nice.’
Gwyn folded her legs elegantly beneath her like a ballet dancer and curled up on the floor. She rested her pretty little face on her paws and closed her eyes.
‘So, how long have you been waiting? I mean, are you excited about going to your new home? What do you think it’ll be like? Do you think—’
Gwyn raised a paw to stop me.
‘When I said “rest”, I meant no talking. Now then, paws on lips,’ she said, holding a paw haughtily up to her mouth.
‘But I… b–buu…’
‘Shush!’ Gwyn snapped. ‘I SAID paws on lips!’
Her voice was so shrill that I immediately clamped a paw over my mouth.
‘Thank you,’ she sighed. ‘Now, if you could stay like that for the whole journey, then I’d be most grateful.’
Gwyn settled down once more and closed her eyes. Moments later, she opened one and looked directly at me.
‘By the way, I didn’t say for you to stop breathing.’
I let out the breath I’d been holding inside as it came rushing out.
GASP!
‘Thank goodness for that!’ I panted.
Lady Gwyn tutted and turned away disapprovingly.
‘Honestly, working-class Labradors! Where on earth do they get you from, hmm?’ she muttered, before settling down to sleep.
Soon, the car had pulled up outside a house and Lady Gwyn stepped down onto the pavement.
‘See you again soon, I hope,’ I said, grinning like a lunatic.
Gwyn turned back to look at me. ‘Yes, yes, I suppose… if I must!’
A short while later, we’d pulled up outside another house and Emma opened the car door.
‘This is Yvonne’s house. She will be your boarder, until you’re ready to go to live at your new home,’ she explained, leading me to the front door.
Yvonne was lovely and gave me lots of love and cuddles. As Emma left, I wandered over to the window to watch her go, but then she did something quite unexpected. Instead of driving away, she locked the car and walked into the garden of a house only a few doors away. I glanced up at Yvonne, a little puzzled.
‘Yes, Dez, that’s right,’ Yvonne said, rubbing the side of my face. ‘Emma is our neighbour.’
CHAPTER 13
THE SURPRISE
‘Oh no, not you again!’ Lady Gwyn sniffed as she hopped daintily into the back of the car. ‘I thought I’d be mixing with a better breed of dog.’
She sniffed, holding a white, lacy handkerchief up against her nose as though she might catch something.
‘Hello, Gwyn,’ I said, slumping down on my bum so that I could scratch an itch near my collar with my back paw.
‘Urgh! I do hope you haven’t got fleas!’ Lady Gwyn screeched, backing away from me.
‘Nope,’ I said, a daft grin sweeping across on my face. ‘Just an itch that needs to be scratched, you know.’
I knew it wasn’t funny but I couldn’t stop smiling because I was just so happy to be there.
The car started up and fired into life as Emma drove along the road.
‘So,’ I said, trying to make conversation, ‘I wonder what our new owners will be like.’
‘I already know who mine is,’ Gwyn replied, fixing me with a withering stare. ‘Why? Don’t you know who your owner will be?’
‘Nope,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘But it all adds to the fun, I suppose, doesn’t it?’
I stared ahead as Emma indicated and pulled the car over, parking up by the side of some trees.
‘Looks like a park, looks like a park!’ I woofed excitedly, as I danced around in the back of the car.
‘Oh, for goodness sake!’ Lady Gwyn snapped. ‘I do hope you can control yourself, because I don’t think I can stand four months of this. It’s like, I don’t know, it’s like living with a toddler pup or something!’
Just then, Emma opened up the back door.
‘Right, who’s first then?’ she said, looking down at us both.
Pick me, pick me! I panted, holding my paw up in the air. Please, miss, please pick me!
‘Oh, for goodness sake! Go on, go! Hurry up and get it over with,’ Lady Gwyn huffed, lying down again. ‘Then at least I’ll be able to have a bit of peace and quiet.’
‘Well, it looks like you’re first, Dez!’ Emma decided. ‘Come on, then!’
That day, I practised walking on the lead and the harness. I knew I’d have to do another walking exam with my new owner, so I needed to practise so I’d be ready for it. I tried my best to concentrate because I wanted to show Emma just how good I could be.
‘You’re doing great, Dez,’ she said, encouraging me. ‘I just need you to slow down a bit because you always give 110 per cent!’
Sorry, Emma, I barked, looking up at her with big brown eyes.
The next few times we went out, I tried my best to calm down.
Slow, slow, slow… I said, trying to tell my paws to move a little slower.
‘Better,’ Emma said, beaming down at me.
I was so thrilled that I wagged my tail furiously in the air. Finally, I was starting to get the hang of it! After three months, I was beginning to feel ready for my new home and owner, even though I was dreading my last and final guide-dog walking exam. I thought about my new owner.
What will he or she be like? I wondered.
That morning, when Emma came to pick me up, she told me that Lady Gwyn had already left for her new home. My stomach knotted inside.
I hope I’m not last on the shelf again… I fretted.
But I needn’t have worried, because Emma had a plan. She sat down beside me and began to explain.
‘Right, Dez! Today, you’re going to meet someone very special. His name is John Tovey and he needs a guide dog. I think you’ll like him, Dez, because John’s a worrier, like you.’ She smiled and paused for a moment before continuing. ‘Anyway, the plan is, I need you to walk with him, but because he’s blind, he won’t know it’s you. Do you understand?’
I nodded my head to show that I did.
‘Right, John has already been out walking with a few practise dogs, so he’ll think you’re one of them.’
Okaaay, I thought, sitting down for a moment. I’d wondered where this was leading.
‘He’ll actually be walking with you, but I don’t want him to know it’s you otherwise he’ll be a bundle of nerves. He’s just like you, and I can’t have you both a bundle of nerves, so you see, Dez, it
’s a surprise – and it’ll only be a secret until the walk is over. That’s when I’ll tell John it’s you. So you mustn’t say anything or let the cat out of the bag, do you understand?’
Cat? I sprang up onto all fours and glanced around.
Cats? Cats? Nobody said anything about cats!
‘I mean,’ said Emma, realising my confusion, ‘you mustn’t tell John it’s you – well, not until after the walk. That way, I’ll know if you two are meant to be together.’
Ah, right! Now I get it.
Emma put me in the car and we drove to a flat in a little village on the outskirts of Bristol. I watched nervously as a tall, slim man with dark hair climbed in and sat in the passenger seat next to her. My ears strained as he started to talk in the front of the car.
He sounds really nice, I thought, excitement rising inside me. Calm down, Dez, I told myself, as I took a deep breath. Remember what Emma said: don’t get too giddy because this is important. This is your big chance – you mustn’t blow it!
When Emma opened the car door, I didn’t rush out; instead I sat and waited until she told me it was okay to jump down. Then I stood as still as a statue while she looped my head through the metal harness. I tried to remember everything I’d been taught at Guide Dog School.
Keep calm and think about what you’re doing. And whatever you do, don’t walk too FAST!
John took the brace as I waited for the command. I could feel his hand trembling on the harness. Emma was right, he was as nervous as I was.
‘Right, I’d like you to walk with Volley,’ Emma said, her voice loud and clear.
I winked at her to let her know I understood. For the next half-hour I would pretend to be Volley, whoever he was. Emma looked down to check I was ready – I was. John called out and asked me to go ‘forward’. I recognised this immediately, it was a guide dog command for walk. I put one paw in front of the other and began to move along slowly. Soon, we were walking along pavements and stopping at roadsides, as Emma watched and observed. I looked up to try and guess how I was doing, but she was so busy watching, I couldn’t tell. The walk went so well that I felt as though I’d been with John for years, not minutes. When we finally came to a halt, a wide grin spread across Emma’s face.