Munchkin and Mandy

Munchkin is the quintessential introvert. She doesn't want to be seen, let alone noticed. She just wants to be left alone to wander as she will about the woods, free to be herself, a very timid, very small long-haired Daschund. She trusts Donna, and not too many others. But this morning she seemed to almost welcome us as she moved about the trails and in between trees on the steep slope leading down into the ravine.

It's clear she's happier now that Mandy is no longer taking all of Donna's desperate attention. Desperate to try to control a much larger and younger dog than Munchkin, though Munchkin isn't old at all, just nudging six. Mandy was supposed to be kept on leash all the time, and away from people and other dogs. But Mandy had other ideas, as a puppy. She loved people and wanted nothing more than to leap happily all over them, to have them respond to her good-natured, if somewhat overpowering presence.

After all, Mandy is a Labrador Retriever, known for certain traits and Mandy exhibited all the wrong ones for a working dog whose future was to be able to guide a blind person safely and with a keen penetrating focus on that person and that person only. It was a losing battle right from the start. Donna felt she wanted to do something worthwhile, and it occurred to her she might take in a puppy for the CNIB seeing-eye program and in that way contribute to someone's future well-being. She's a nurse by profession and she wanted to extend her humanitarian instincts in this way.

It was a noble thought, but it just didn't turn out well. We'd see her struggling to contain Mandy's enthusiasm and it was a 'no-contest' struggle. Donna is a healthy woman and though not physically imposing, has a certain degree of both physical strength and determination. She met her match with Mandy who quite early on became physically imposing and was certainly imbued with more than her share of physical strength and determination.

Mandy was determined to be what nature intended her to be, a puppy, enthusiastic, playful and loving. Commands were useless, patience unending, but accomplished little. Those walks with Mandy were exhausting and gave no satisfaction whatever. During those months little Munchkin was feeling fairly well neglected. And nor did she want to be around Mandy, either.

Donna and her husband, a French-born oncologist met, where else, in a hospital setting. He is as devoted to dogs and to doing good as she is. But they're also devoted to their daughter, who has lived in Australia with her own husband for years, and they delight in travelling there, sometimes staying for a month or so, particularly now they've got a grandchild.

They were given the option of adopting Mandy because she failed the adaptability and acceptability tests as a guide dog. And they were torn with indecision. In the final analysis they determined that they couldn't take on permanent stewardship of Mandy. And Munchkin is beyond pleased.