Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:29 pm Post subject: Oysters first train ride.
Well I bit the bullet today and took Oyster on the train.
Oyster waited patiently in the queue, while I checked out whether I needed a ticket to ride or not and she totally ignored the Russian guy beside me, shouting down his mobile phone (it all sounded a bit angry ).
We when through the gate ok, then she saw the flight of stairs up to the platform .
Well we got to the bottom and she decided there was no way she was going up them. I tried the jolly hockey sticks voice, the nice tasty treats but, nope, she would not budge. So, as I could hear the train rumbling into the station, I had to lug her up the stairs (all 18 kgs of her). Anyway, she arrived on the platforn completely unphased, I was, however, out of breath and glowing prefusely.
The train rolled in and taking no chances, I lifted her over the gap and onto the train. She then sat at my feet like a pro, completely at easy with the movement of the train.
We got off the train at the next station and I realised that there was another large flight of stairs to climb, so I jolly hockey sticksed her towards it, only for her to plonk her bottom down and refuse to climb even the first step. Anyway, I thought, I've got loads of time until the train comes, I'll just wait it out until she decides she is going up them. So I stood there like a lemon, a couple of steps up and her at the bottom, refusing to budge for quite a while (almost the time until the train was due).
Oh well, that wasn't working, so I thought I'd try another tactic, so I bent down and lugged her up the stairs nearly all the way, then half a dozen steps to the top I put her down; she didn't have a choice she had to go either up or down, thankfully she gave in and went up...YAY. Going down the stairs to the other side of the track was no problem at all...strange pup .
The train ride home was uneventful, it was like she'd been doing it all her life. Coming down the stairs at the station in a big crowd was uneventful too, although there was a bit of argie bargie (to say the least ) going on at the ticket barrier, between the ticket attendant and a passenger (no blows were dealt, but at one point it did look likely ), so we waited in the background until all was calm, before we made our exit.
So in total, trains are no problem, shouting and arguing are no problem, going down huge scary flights of stairs are no problem, but going up stairs are a different matter all together . I think we may have to have another go at the stairs next week.
Oh and just incase anyone is worried about her joints, the stairs are all part of her Guide Dog training. GDBA just ask, to make sure the pup goes up and down in a sensible manner, rather than bombing up and down.
Well done Pup - Jules too!!!! We've sent off the application from to GDBA, so watch this space If we do get accepted I should think after Christmas, so lots of time to cross all the bridges mentally. I hadn't thought about the station stairs being more daunting than the train - aren't pups peculiar?
I hadn't thought about the station stairs being more daunting than the train - aren't pups peculiar?
No me either .....She goes up my stairs at home with no problem at all, so I didn't really think anything of it until we were there. I had had visions of her not liking the train and perhaps fidgetting, whining, or even peeing herself...but NO.....Trains are fine by her......but she would rather Mummy carry her up the scary stairs.
I can quite see why the GDBA get them to do stairs early.....I mean in a few months time there would be no way I could lift her up and carry her, she's a heffalump already.
Good on you for sending in your application too .....Oooooo it'll be exciting once you get your GDBA pup, I hope you don't have to wait too long....I sent in my application forms in July and I got Oyster about 6 weeks later...So you may not have as long a wait as you think
Isn't Xmas in about 6 weeks - we'll have a houseful, so would they place a pup at that time?
I would doubt it....although you may get one soon afterwards ...It just depends which litters are ready and at what time. As soon as you've had your home visit, get puppy-proofing the house, as it could be any time after that....I had just under a week to prepare, as they had two pups that they were desperate to get into homes.
Awww bless Oyster! She sounds like she had a busy day
Pheebs refuses to go up stairs too I suppose we did it the wrong way round when she was a baby, we prevented her and taught her that she shouldn't climb our stairs - we've never had a stairgate yet she has always apatiently sat at the bottom waiting for us to come down.
Pheebs won't even go up the woodland path steps in the woods but she'll quite happily climb the verge at the side of the steps
well done pup.........I used to take raven to meet the train when she was really young,I was waiting for her to bolt when she saw this highspeed noisy train approach,she did'nt bat an eyelid....I must take Bailey to see what he makes of it all.
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).
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Anyway, she arrived on the platforn completely unphased, I was, however, out of breath and glowing prefusely. 
We've sent off the application from to GDBA, so watch this space 
but she'll quite happily climb the verge at the side of the steps 
