Top Five Surprises

Being new to the world of blind dogs, fostering Macy has opened my eyes quite a bit, but not in the way that you might think. Sight or no sight, Macy loves so many activities—read on for my list of top five surprises!

1. She walks with confidence.

She loves (loves!) to go on walks. She scampers, plays, and manages to stay on a relatively straight path. No tentative steps for our girl. Somehow, she senses where to go!

2. She does not know a stranger.

Macy loves visitors. She greets them with cheer and accepts their rubs with joy. Everyone who comes to my house falls in love with her, even folks who claim not to love dogs.

3. She likes the company of other dogs.

Rather than thinking of them as a threat, she is a friendly little girl who is interested in playing, snuggling and walking with other canines.

4. She loves house living.
Our house is not particularly easy to navigate: steps in & out and up & down, dogs & visitors, furniture & walls. She easily learned the layout & routine, and settled in with no trouble at all.

5. She really is a cocker.
Macy loves her people and follows her favorite person around the house. She is smart, playful, & sweet, and she bonds very quickly. She is so excited to be part of a family and is eager to please. She really makes everyone happy!

Settling in for a snuggle on a lovely fall day.

The Difference between Macy & Me

Of course, Macy & I have obvious differences, mainly that she is a cocker spaniel and I am a woman. But outside of that one, we have one major difference that strikes me every single day: perspective.

I think it is only natural to put our own perspectives onto others. I try very hard to be open-minded, but I always know that my own experiences have an effect on how I perceive any given situation—including, apparently, how a dog might behave.

Macy regularly reminds that she just has a different perspective than I do.

When I think of blindness, frankly, it scares me. I admire folks who handle it with grace, but I have to admit that I would rather lose a limb than my sight. I could change my wardrobe to accommodate a different body, but my sight? I could not simply buy a different style of jacket and go on my merry way. I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEE.

Macy, on the other hand, is blind. She has no sight whatsoever, and she never will, but her blindness does not seem to bother her at all. Sight is simply not important to her happiness. She does not place the value on sight that a human might.

Lesson learned, Macy, as you are one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met!