Zooming Challenge – it’s tough for a Dog!

David Griffith looks at some unforeseen Pandemic adjustments for our Guide Dogs.

I freely admit that my wonderful Guide Dog Nyle is a wimp. He is a big, cuddly, soppy sensitive Dog who adores all in his pack/family.

However, Nyle is also a conservative creature of habit. He loves a predictable safe routine. For example, he does not like it if we fail to congregate into the living room whilst he feeds. Ideally, he requires us to sit in sepulchral silence. This is required, from his point of view, so that he can then attend each of us to receive a ritual celebratory cuddle.

He will even, sometimes, refuse his food until this is all set up.

However, the Pandemic is providing challenges for all of us, including Nyle.

Not least of these adaptations is the move to online meetings via Zoom. My wife, Sue, is using this to continue her Choir and Book group.

Whilst this happens, I and my daughter leave the room, but we can still hear the voices floating out of Sue’s laptop.

However, last week after the Zoom Book Group, my daughter returned to find a forlorn Nyle lying flat on the floor, head half buried under a blanket with his paws hooked over his eyes.

Obviously, as far as he is concerned it is just too weird that my wife Sue, was having conversations with unseen Ghost voices.

Sadly, for Nyle his disgruntled demeanour produced not sympathy but gales of laughter. Nyle soon cheered up after he received a reassuring cuddle.

Nyle is actually pretty adaptable and this disquiet will pass as Zoom becomes part of the new normal for all of us.

It did remind me though that it is not only us, but our dogs who are having to adapt to new times.

David Griffith