And so, more about poop. When the supervisors were here last week, we talked about Rockwell’s poop schedule. I had had such a difficult time getting it normalized and so that he didn’t have to go in the middle of the night, I was quite pleased with the way it had turned out. Which is to say, he pooped right after breakfast, a second time on his morning walk later in the morning (any time between 9 and noon) and then finally right before bedtime, when I took him out for another walk around 10pm.

I was told that when dogs learn to poop during a walk, it can be very difficult to change this behaviour and that can flunk a guide dog. Guide dogs must never poop while guiding and preferably never poop on any walk. Well this set me back a little. So that morning, after they left (it was still early), I determined to “fix” Rockwell’s pooping. Before our late morning walk, I let him out in the yard and asked him to “get busy”. He promptly obliged by producing a lovely poop. Then we went on our walk and he didn’t have to go at all.

In the evening, I also asked him to “get busy” in the yard and he pooped there too! I had thought he had to “walk it out” but apparently not. Since then, he has been most accommodating and has only pooped in the yard. I realize that it has only been a week since we fixed this issue but it has been a hectic week and he has maintained the no-poop-on-a-walk rule very well. Even when my father walked him by himself when he was visiting, Rockwell pooped before the walk in the yard and didn’t go again. Also, I know that dogs are opportunists and they will often surprise you with a poop when their schedule says otherwise and so this may still happen. But I will be pleased to report this progress to guide dogs on their next visit.