McLean Puppy Chronicles: What happens when you do the unthinkable and open yourself up to raise a puppy to give away to someone else: You create joy and freedom for a visually impaired person. We're puppy raisers for Southeastern Guide Dogs. Read about our journey.
I just had a 6th grader come in at the end of first period to pet Berkeley. There were 5 minutes left in the class period. He said, "I set myself a goal to finish all of my homework in time so I could come and pet Berkeley."
He was the only one to do so. Sixth graders are focused. They can also be very serious about what they love. Take the daughter of one of our faculty members. She doesn't have a dog at home, so she considers Berkeley her dog. She really does. She came to see Berkeley the other morning and got to have to have Berkeley all to herself. I told her she was in charge because I had to help a high school student. You would have thought I had given her a pound of chocolate. When she left about five minutes later I got the tightest hug I think I have ever gotten.
Fifth graders, on the other hand, are cheeky. Where PreK through 4th take the rules so seriously, fifth graders have a sense of humor about them. When I run into them, they glance down at Berkeley and then quickly back up to me. They always have a gleam in their eyes that says, "I know she's supposed to be invisible, but I see her. I'll just pretend." It's the big smile that gives them away. I always smile back.
Her Royal Highness's (HRH's) day went really well. I gave the first presentation to Middle Division. It went pretty well. We showed the video and then I went on stage with her and two of the Animal Club members who went with me to pick her up (a third was too shy to come on stage). After thanking Animal Club for their fundraising efforts I reiterated the rules: When she has her coat on it is like she has on Harry Potter's cloak of invisibility. No one can see her. Just ignore her. Then I told the kids that they could come by before school or after to pet her as she had her coat off in my office. Then HRH started to get sassy. She looked at me and gave a few exploratory growls
"Berkeley..."
"Arf!" A full bark, with defiant head toss no less.
"Do you want to go to timeout?" I had forgotten we were on stage. Fortunately, all the middle divisioners laughed and Berkeley did not bark again. Score one for the threat of timeout!
Next was the Upper Division convocation. That was the one I was very nervous about because it was my division. I knew all the kids much better in upper. We were on after the cheerleaders. It's tough to go on after cheerleaders. Especially with a dog who gets all jazzed up by their cheers. I swear. I think she must have been a cheerleader in a former life. She stared at them, entranced by their loud, synchronous word poems and wild gesticulations. It must be a labrador thing. Bingo loved the cheerleaders too.
Here's a short video of HRH watching the cheerleaders cheer. I could only film the back of her head so I made the video very short. 8-)
After both of the convocations we found out that there would a photographer from the St. Petersburg Times who would be coming by to take some photos for a story about HRH's first day at school. He was very nice and seemed to think HRH was as cute as we all did. After he had taken some photos and left, I finally had time to sit down and eat lunch. HRH was beat, so I let her sleep it off in her crate. A couple of hours later, she was still in her crate with the door open and wouldn't come out. He's a photo looking into the crate at the sleepy royal miss.
She was so annoyed with my taking that photo that she immediately turned around (see photo below)!
One the English teachers came to visit her and I pulled her out of the crate for a sit and pet (after all, she had been napping for 3 hours!). She sat for a few minutes then she looked at George and sighed and turned and walked back into the crate. Poor George! But royalty needs its beauty sleep and she is more beautiful than most.
