Well, my intensive training has come to a close, and my adorable Reva girl is safely back in Toronto after sleeping through the majority of her first ever plane ride. The training was exhausting and exhaustive, often involving 12-hour days crammed with trips and lectures. But I truly can't say enough about the guide dog school I attend; they anticipate every scenario, conduct all training with exemplary patience and courtesy, and provide fabulous dogs to their graduates! Reva is much more lively and playful than McClure was even in his younger days, but she is fiercely focused on her work whenever the harness comes out and loves nothing better than to earn praise through her guiding prowess. She stops on a dime on street corners, crosses roads with confidence, weaves expertly through crowds and seems to have an excellent memory for landmarks and buildings I point out to her. She's had two tests this week: one in training when she guided me expertly through downtown Manhattan, and today when she put in two nearly flawless miles on our first solo walk in Toronto. It's a lot of work getting a new dog adjusted to my home life, and the transition involves a lot of emotional highs and lows, but I feel good about things so far and feel sure I've got a winner here!!

At long last, I have better pictures to show you all (thanks, Marianna, for posting them)!
http://s709.photobucket.com/al.....8;newest=1
http://s709.photobucket.com/al.....8;newest=1

P.S. Maya, I'm sorry we didn't get to connect while I was there! Hopefully I can come back to the area soon and have more control over my time.