One of the things I looked forward to from the day I got my acceptance to Guiding Eyes was the New York City trip. Yes, I know, going for a training day with a new guide dog is different from going for a vacation. But I LOVE NYC for some reason I can’t quite articulate.

I got up on time, did the morning routine, and then we headed over to the closest train station. We practiced working on a train platform, which would come in handy when I got home and used our LRT. “Juno” laid under the seat like the good girl she is and took a nap. When the train pulled in to Grand Central Station, I worked with a trainer I’d never worked with before. She was fun and flexible and had no problems taking photos of me and “Juno” in Grand Central Station.

Once we left the hustle and bustle of Grand Central Station, each guide dog team and trainer went our own way. Some took a subway further down the line and then walked to our final destination – a well-known local burger spot. Others, like us, went to street level, walked as far as we could, and then hopped the subway to get to the burger place. I took an opportunity to practice my targeting skills with pedestrian controls, which were not always readily available on our prior training routes. While this impacted our forward momentum, I got some valuable feedback about timing and placement and how to target effectively. We did walk about thirty blocks, and “Juno” handled the hustle and bustle of New York like the pro she is. We encountered lots of foot traffic, little dogs, strange vehicular traffic, and construction, and my girl worked through it like it was nothing. I was so proud! Once our trainer recognized the time, we found the closest subway station and went underground so that we could meet up with everyone at the burger place. let me tell you, it was a ton of fun getting three dogs and a bunch of humans around a couple of tables! And We laughed a lot, shared the fun and interesting things we encountered, and ate some scrumptious burgers!

Once we were done eating, we realized that it was raining. And not lightly sprinkling raining; the skies would open up, and we’d get caught in the middle. Thankfully, someone drove one of the vans down, and we all piled in before we all got soaked and started to smell like wet dog! As the van made its way down the streets of New York, it got cold enough to slightly snow. I looked forward to seeing how my girl would work in the snow and hoped we’d get some more before we flew home, just because I knew we’d be arriving home and encountering a bunch of it! The van crept along, and we made it back in time to warm up, do some light training work, and turn in for the night.

And after nearly a week of teasing my friends, family and colleagues, and one of my classmates throwing out nonsensical names on social media in an effort to be hilarious, Our work in New York made me feel like it was time to reveal my girl in all of her glory. For nearly ten days, my social media world knew her as “Juno”. One year ago, I formally introduced her as Yasha – a special dog who deserves a special name. And while I can’t claim to have named her, I think it suits her very well.