Livengood Service Dogs

Apparently I am “starting to get serious about my job.”

Personally, I think we are just playing the world’s greatest curb game.

Hi. I’m Baloo. I’m 9 months old, professionally adorable, and currently learning an important future guide dog skill: stopping at curbs.

In this video, I am wearing my bright red harness with a black martingale collar and short black leash while my handler and I practice curb stops over and over again. Up curbs, down curbs, tiny curbs, rolling curbs... honestly humans have put an alarming amount of curbs everywhere.

The rules of the game are simple:

1. Walk forward.
2. Find curb.
3. Slam on brakes.
4. Hear “YES!” or “GOOD BOY!”
5. Receive snack payment immediately.

Frankly, I think I am winning.

Right now, we are not using official guide dog commands yet. My handler is just teaching me that curbs are important and that stopping at them is always the correct answer. Every time I stop, I get praise, food, and told I’m brilliant, which seems like a pretty solid career path.

In the montage, you can see me moving confidently beside my handler and stopping at each curb before stepping up or down. Sometimes I pause dramatically like a tiny construction foreman inspecting the sidewalk for safety violations. Other times I stop so fast you can practically hear the elevator music in my brain while I wait for my paycheck.

Even though the humans keep calling this “work,” from my perspective it is mostly just:
Walking.
Sniffing.
Stopping.
Snacking.
Getting admired by strangers.

I may still be a puppy, but I am starting to understand that one day these little games are going to help someone safely navigate the world.

For now though, I am mostly focused on becoming employee of the month.

Lucy and Houston practicing obstacle work.

One of the most important jobs of a guide dog is knowing when to stop and say:
“Friend… there is literally a car in the sidewalk.”

When a guide dog stops at an obstacle, it’s important for the handler to reinforce that stop. The dog noticed something unsafe or blocking the path and made the correct decision.

But the stop itself is only the beginning of the conversation.

After the dog stops, the handler has to figure out why. Maybe it’s a low obstacle checked with a foot, maybe it’s a parked car found with a hand, or maybe it’s an overhead obstacle like a tree branch waiting to introduce itself to someone’s forehead.

Once the handler understands the obstacle, they decide what instruction comes next. Sometimes it’s “forward.” Other times it’s “find a way,” where the dog safely navigates around the obstacle while still keeping the team on course instead of taking an unexpected field trip into somebody’s driveway.

Guide work is constant teamwork, communication, and problem solving between dog and handler, and both Lucy and Houston did a great job here.