Boris Continues Advancing

So, Boris and I are out painting the town red the other night. In rural south Alabama, that translates into a trip to Wal-Mart, a video and a stop at the Pizza Hut on the way home.  I know, you’e jealous‚ can’t help it, can you? Anyway, it’s way past dark, we have unloaded at the Hut, and I have given Boris the command “find door”. As we are crossing the parking lot, he suddenly veers to the right and does the little half moon swag and then picks up his straight line toward the door. It’s one of those things that makes me go “hmmm” but I keep on going. When we leave the restaurant, we take the same path across the lot. Sure enough, about half-way across the lot, he suddenly veers left, does the half-moon jig and continues on. I have him stop and ask my husband to investigate. What he finds makes me smile. There is a small black plastic coffee cup lid in the middle of the parking lot, and that is the obstacle Boris is walking me around. To him, it must resemble a hole  and my boy is going to keep me safe! Boris is trained to do “light” guide work ‚ that is,  he has been taught to guide me around large obstacles, alert me to elevation changes and find things like doorways, specified rooms, buildings or people‚ but this is the first time I have seen him apply his training to a new scenario such as this. As we continue to work together, my trust and confidence in him will grow and our already strong bond will deepen. I am so grateful that God gives us “not the things we want, but always the things we need.” – Rachael Gibbs Taylor, PAD Boris’s owner, trainer, and partner

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *