Our Dog

 We've had a Southeastern Guide Dog at Berkeley for five years now.  It's become a way of life for us. I knew that, but I didn't REALLY know that.  This year, I instituted an Instagram account to try and make Dewey more a part of things.  I wasn't sure how it would work.

History class with Dewey.

One of the first things I tried was taking photos with my research classes.  That was fun!  The kids seemed to like it too.

Sort of by chance, Dewey got very involved in Homecoming. We won't go into ALL of the details. 8-)

But he is so sweet and well liked that one of the 9th grade boys wanted to use him as his invitation to homecoming.  That's never happened before! (She said yes!) 

Fans would stop by to see him. Dewey with three freshmen gathered around him.

He also developed a habit of picking someone during my research classes and sleeping next to them.  Most everyone wants it to be them.  So when I walk around and help people they are hoping that Dewey stops and falls asleep!  I get more questions, anyway. 8-)

Dewey next to his choice for the day.

 He has joined after school clubs like the Faculty/Staff Book Club.

Dewey being held by one of the members of the book club.

And while his conversational gambits are not necessarily clever and witty.  He usually doesn't whine or cry or bore us either.

What I didn't expect was what happened yesterday afternoon as I was leaving.  I had taken the long way around and had stopped to talk with the digital photography teacher about whose selfie I still needed to receive.  All of a sudden a little girl from lower division, Julia, runs up to me and says:

"Can I pet him? He doesn't have his coat on!" This is, of course, the danger when I go home of walking him to the car without his coat: that I will be mobbed.  But it was late, after 5.  Her mom ran up after her carrying her backpack and essentials and was a little out breath.

"Sure you can."  Dewey was almost asleep already on the ground.  She knelt down and started petting him.

"He's so soft.  And nice." 

Her mom looked at me. "She saw him from across the quad.  What do you call it?" We told her it was called the mound.  "She saw him and said, 'There's our dog.' And took off running."

"Well, it is our dog." She was still petting him.  She looked at me.  I agreed.  "He's Berkeley's dog."

Her mom laughed, "And your dog." I laughed.  "And mine!"

But I felt really good that as a community, we all had a Southeastern Guide Dog puppy in training that we thought of as our own.  That, for the kids, the feeling went that deep. It was a sweet moment.