In my opinion, the most exciting day of guide dog training is the day you meet your dog. It’s the day you learn their name and age and breed, and maybe a couple of tidbits about them. It’s extremely emotionally charged – excitement, nervousness, grief, apprehension… there are a zillion questions and no way to get answers but go through the process of getting to know your dog. It’s hard to write about dog day; it’s unlike any experience I can think of, except for maybe having a kid? The anticipation is probably similar, and maybe some of the doubts? I don’t know; I have no kids…

We all met in Alumni Hall for the big reveals. Alumni Hall is a large open room. On one side is an open space with dog things – toys, mats, open spaces, where we did obedience daily and some training exercises; on the other side of a very movable barrier (we found out just how movable thanks to a black lab who will remain nameless) is a comfy area with chairs and tables and games and a piano I never played. We settled in on the comfy chairs, were told the name, breed, and age of our dogs, and then went back to our rooms for… the meeting.

When “Juno” came into my room, I was overjoyed. She was… happy-ish. She was very reserved, but not afraid to show what she wanted. Her tail didn’t wag much – unlike the enthusiastic tail wagging I heard on the other side of my wall from my classmate’s room. I wondered what in the world I was getting into. I was used to a dog who didn’t need a dictionary; now this dog was just so… quiet!

But after a few quick training sessions with treats – another new experience for me – she started to warm up. She was a perfect companion as I worked on my laptop, but she made very sure I got up for breaks. She ignored the toys in the toy box in the room, but showed me her funny side that evening when she rolled on her back and grabbed my hand with her paws. I knew I liked her; I hoped this was the beginning of a wonderful partnership.

Tomorrow, the real work would begin.