Christina: [00:00:00] Welcome to the taking the lead podcast, where we empower people to be unstoppable. I'm Christina Hapner with my cohost, Leslie Hoskins in Timothy Cuneo. And today we're going to have a little shorter episode because we've been getting some questions about some things, but first you guys, I have to tell you it's been a crazy [00:00:20] year so far at leaders.
We've been, we've had so much going on, but it's been so much fun. Um, we have, we've hit a lot of puppies in this year. We've had a lot of breeding moms who have had a lot of puppies and I got to spend a day helping out puppy care like a while back. And I was [00:00:40] going through those pictures and stuff recently.
And you guys,
Leslie: I have puppy fever. Are you going to get a puppy, Christine? Here's the thing. I have my dog duke, and he's
Christina: about eight years old. I got him as a puppy at two months old, [00:01:00]
Leslie: but you know, I'm like, he needs a friend, but then I'm like, well, I live alone with my dog.
Christina: Can I take on, can I be a dog, mom to two dogs?
That's my real question. You know,
Leslie: definitely something to.
Timothy: It sounds like, you know, [00:01:20] when a woman wants to have another baby get, have one. So you want another have another puppy. Cause it's like a little
Leslie: baby it's nice to be needed. And puppies are so squishable and lovable and super cute. And if you're thinking of a puppy in the sense of puppy raising [00:01:40] it's only a year ago, That is very true,
Christina: but they poop everywhere.
Leslie: They do poop everywhere, which brings me to, what's been going on in my world these days is we are potty training. My daughter,
Christina: I'm talking about dogs and you're
Leslie: talking about your chill. I feel like they're one in the same, a lot of the times, right? [00:02:00] Puppies, dogs, they're all out of responsibility.
Timothy: You're the what a dog or a, or a child, which one's easier to on.
Christina: So I have to tell you, my dog was very easy to potty train. I don't know about your dog. Um, she is
Leslie: not, she is actually doing, she's doing really well. She's very motivated by her pop [00:02:20] neutral, uh, underwear. That seems to be a very exciting thing in the morning to pick out which undies we're going to wear for the day.
And she's doing really well, but it is time-consuming. So it really does make me think about, you know, our clients with guide dogs. Right. I'm having to take Alice right now, which I know. Um, clients do not have to take their dogs out this [00:02:40] much, but I mean, we're setting the hour timers, right? So every hour we're going and we're trying to use the potty, um, in hopes of no accidents.
So it's a big commitment. You really have to be ready for it. Yeah. Similar to the puppy raising, I would imagine, I think I'm going to stick to dogs for awhile. There[00:03:00]
Christina: you did.
Leslie: Well, this is my last child. So this is my last time potty train.
Christina: You know, if I ever have kids, Leslie, I'm just going to send them to your house. Hey, Leslie's done it. She knows how to
Leslie: potty train. Listen, I tried future children. I tried sending my kids to my mother and [00:03:20] it didn't, it didn't work. There wasn't enough time and I forgot to send the underwear.
So all the things were against me, but hopefully, you know, we're going to get there soon, but. One of the questions we have been frequently getting. And I know I get asked all the time. Timothy, I cannot imagine how many times do you have been asked this question? How do you clean up [00:03:40] after your dog? So thinking about somebody with no vision, it take your dog outside and you have to clean it up.
Right? So what and how well,
Timothy: first of all, my neighbors appreciate that. I pick it up. So everybody needs pick that up. Do not leave it because you don't know if the little kid will run to that yard and, and that's a no. [00:04:00] Yeah, well, it's not considerate either. So, uh, what I do while glacier's doing it, you know, I could see her in the daytime, but at not, I can't see anything.
So what I do while she's doing her business, I listed. For one thing I can hear if she's doing number one. And so then I'm not really paying attention, but then I can notice [00:04:20] if it's quiet, then I take my hand and I go, go down her backside and I can kind of get the idea of where it's going to be deposit.
And I kind of point my foot towards that area with maybe a six inches of. That way when she moves, I know within six inches where my foot is, that's where the stuff is going [00:04:40] to be. And I put my hand in the bag and I pick it up and it just goes into the bag and off to the trash can. Absolutely.
Leslie: Yeah, that is definitely a question.
We get asked all the time and it's certainly something that they go over in class, your guide, dog mobility instructor. They'd spend a lot of time making sure everybody is comfortable [00:05:00] with this. Um, because we do want to make sure we're cleaning up after our dogs. That's part of the responsibility of having a guide dog and, or just a personal pet, um, is cleaning up after the dog.
We want to make sure that we're looking good in public Timothy
Christina: and Leslie. I had no idea that that's how that works. Right. I did not. Um, the
Timothy: dang rule is you're hoping that bank doesn't have a hole in [00:05:20] it. Bags have a hole in it.
Christina: So yeah, you gotta feel the bag first and make sure, oh, that would not be fun.
That would be, we've been
Timothy: there every, every dog handlers had that problem, you know?
Leslie: So part of that too, is having a systematic plan. So one thing we work with clients [00:05:40] is having a plan approach, right? So if you drop something or in this case, we're looking for, um, the pu if you will, um, and you kind of leaned down and you want to be systematic with your searching, right?
You don't just want to kind of be putting your hand everywhere. You already have an approach, right? You've got your foot, you know, in the direction, in which case it's going to be, and then [00:06:00] taking a systematic approach with that hint of the bag, either starting out, further away from you and kind of going back and forth left and right as your hand moves closer to you, or probably starting closer to you and moving left and right left.
And right as your hand moves away from you. So having this systematic search pattern, which applies to the situation, but also applies for all [00:06:20] things. So one of the things that I take a lot of time when working with clients on campus is having an approach or a system to, to find things, to locate things.
So for example, you drop your hat. Well, first thing we're going to do, like Timothy mentioned is we're going to listen, where did we hear it fall? Um, and start in that direction. And then again, take that system. [00:06:40] Whatever it might be. It might be starting with circles small and, and then gradually getting bigger to find that object so that you're not just kind of all over the place, searching for things.
Um, so little things like that, there's, there's just a way to do it. And sometimes we don't think about it. Yeah.
Christina: So I have a question. Do the dogs [00:07:00] know. Is there, are they given a timeframe on when to go to the bathroom? Because I know, I mean, I did not train my dog to go to the bathroom. Like he wants to be outside for hours and have me take him on three mile walks and he'll go to the bathroom like 10 times and I'm like, oh, there's no garbage nearby.
Now I got to carry this. [00:07:20] Are there. Those are my own personal dog. Mom struggles.
Yeah. So Timothy, I guess, does the glacier know when to go to the bathroom? Like does she know at certain times of the day she always goes out. I mean, I'm not going to lie. I was not good at like training my dog on. [00:07:40] We go out at these times of the day while
Timothy: she goes out. First thing in the morning, we get up at five 15.
And she goes out and we go out there and we sometimes she doesn't do the number two Shatara she doesn't poop. Uh, so we come in and I feed her immediately. And then within two hours of feeding her, then we go out again. [00:08:00] And if she hadn't done it at five 30, she does do it then. So it's like two hours after she eats.
And then again at noon, she goes out and again at three 30, she goes out and then again about seven o'clock and then again at 11 o'clock. So we've got. So my watch reminds me what time it is every day with a little P time to take the dog out. So [00:08:20] that's so
Christina: basically, and he didn't get duke on a schedule.
My dog do, we're going to have that talk.
Leslie: He's not going to listen. Do you think I can get my two year old on the same schedule? Let's have it. Let's have a
Christina: dog, mom, real mom meeting.
Leslie: I'm not thinking that is going. [00:08:40] So, one thing also, when we're talking about this, we're always constantly comparing right cane to guide dog guide, Dr.
Cane pros, cons all those different things. I will say. You never have to clean up after a cane that is one pro of a cane. You can simply put it in the corner. It's not too messy. There's no, for there is no [00:09:00] poop. All of the things, unless you get the cave
Christina: in.
Leslie: True. That is what that is a scenario hadn't thought of.
Timothy: Okay. But the cane doesn't give you love it. Doesn't give you a kiss and sometimes you can get stand by your cane or a rock or a crack, and he'd get jabbed in a certain area.
Leslie: And it hurts. I said there were pros [00:09:20] and cons.
Timothy: Well, that's another con right there. So I mean, like I said, it depends on your lifestyle, which you can afford if you can do it.
And if you're going to be responsible enough. So both tools are a great thing to have.
Christina: Yeah, absolutely. That is very. Very
Leslie: true. And kind of goes back to thinking about, [00:09:40] um, you know, travel and this routine and this schedule of the dog having to go out and relieve itself. So what is that like? Uh, if you're, you know, you, you can't take your dog out on the scheduled time.
We'll see,
Timothy: I'm getting. Uh, Cruz and sometime in August, and I'm already freaking out a little bit because I've [00:10:00] got to shut down glaciers, eating habits for almost 24 hours. I mean, and then we're going to be in an airport. We're going to be on a plane for seven to eight hours in this whole. Flight. And is she going to be a, will she use the facilities?
That's at the ho at the, at the airport and stuff. And it's just you're you constantly think about it. Cause I know I can go to [00:10:20] the bathroom when I need to, but she can't and you're always worried about your dog. Is she uncomfortable that she thirsty? Is she hungry? And I know the questions are, the answers are yes.
So you just want to get that day to get over with so you can get your dog to the hotel, feed them, water them and let them do their business. So. You got a plan out way [00:10:40] ahead of time. And I'm, I'm a little nervous about it. Cause it'd be our first big trip together on a cruise ship. And was she used the facilities on the cruise ship for seven days?
I've got to worry about that. Hopefully she does. So. Okay. It's easier to do it on the cruise ship. That's for
Leslie: sure. Yeah. And it's even a lot of prep work goes into that. [00:11:00] So you're really thinking about the schedule of the day, planning your flights accordingly, uh, glaciers mealtimes her park time, and then even the environment.
That's a really good point is like, where is an appropriate environment to take the dog and we'll show. You know, accepted, I guess maybe we've heard stories about, you [00:11:20] know, airports and in different situations that aren't ideal. So those
Timothy: dogs, things, their port are not the best they stink. They, they don't smell good.
And I I've taken glacier in them, a couple of them, and she's never used one. So that's got me a little concerned for a long trip day.
Christina: Yeah. And I'm sure you have. Think [00:11:40] about too, is that facility near where you have to board, how early enough you have to let her really herself to be able to board on time.
So a lot of things that goes into that as
Timothy: well. Well, actually there's an app that you can download on your, your phone is called, I believe it's called where to park [00:12:00] and it tells you where the parking areas are. Um, in the airport to take your dog. So it tells you what gate it's nearby. And so you can plan ahead, you'll know where these spots are in the airports, which is a cool app
Leslie: that have absolutely again, back to technology.
Right? We've talked about this in previous episodes, that assistive [00:12:20] technology and using different apps. I mean, really there is an app for everything these days, but how great is that to walk into an airport confidently and know where you can relieve your dog? That must take a lot of pressure off. Yeah.
Yeah, it
Timothy: does. So if we just get an app for potty training a baby, that'd be great.
Leslie: [00:12:40] Listen, Timothy, Christina, if you guys have any,
Christina: there's probably some Instagram influencers or something out there that, you know, have created something. I
Leslie: feel like there's, we're going really strong with the marshmallow technique and all that is is that she gets a marshmallow.
She goes on and what's [00:13:00] nice about that. Is that also then my, my four year old who's the older one. Um, he is now encouraging her to go potty because if she gets a marshmallow, obviously he gets a marshmallow. Everybody's getting marshmallows at my house right now, but hopefully, uh, we will be, hopefully we'll be potty trained soon.
[00:13:20] So yeah. See that wouldn't work with
Christina: my dog because he would just be too distracted by a treat to go to the bathroom.
Leslie: Oh my goodness. Well hopefully if I'm trying
Christina: to compare my dog,
Leslie: I think that's fair. I think that's fair, but I hope today we helped answer some of those questions about how do our clients.
The [00:13:40] pool, I guess he would say. So hopefully that, that helped Timothy. You did a great job explaining it. So thank you so much. And thank you everyone to listening to this short episode of taking the lead again, I'm your host, Leslie Haskins with host Timothy Cuneo and Christina Hapner. We hope you enjoyed it and please join us next time as we continue to share stories that educate about the worlds of blindness.[00:14:00]
Christina: Yes. And if you liked today's podcast and all of those who talk, make sure to hit subscribe and check us out wherever podcast drinks.