Saturday, October 20, 2012

Hanford train trip

  Once a year my Fresno guide dog group has a meeting where we take the Amtrack train from Fresno to  Hanford to allow the pups a chance to experience riding a train. Well today was the day for that trip. Since I do not have a puppy of my own right now I took another raiser's puppy named Atlanta (female yellow lab) for them. One thing about taking the train usually something happens, and today it happened to be that our train was an hour late. The plan was to take the 11:35 am train to Hanford get off walk some get some ice cream, and then head back on the 2:42pm train. Well since our train was an hour late that would have meant almost no time in Hanford (and no Ice Cream ) so we asked if we could change the time we came back to the 5:06pm train which worked out perfectly since we weren't rushed then. Once the train arrived we all got on and enjoyed the train ride (it was about a 30 min train ride). We then got off in Hanford and met up with one of my friends from Bakersfield and her Guide dog puppy Warren. No one in my group knew they were coming so it was a fun surprise for them to finally meet Warren since they had met his dad Shawn. After that we walked around some of Hanford, did obedience, and did some games to see how the pups did with their commands. It was then time to head over to get ice cream. The place we go to has the best ice cream, but sometimes not the best customer service. Our waitress came up to us and asked if our dogs were service dogs and what type were they. We explained that they were guide dogs for the blind and we were training them. The waitress told us she needed to speak to her manager but did not think we would be allowed to have the dogs in there. We told her that we have been going there for many years, but she could talk to her manager. In the end we were allowed to stay, but you could tell the waitress wasn't to happy. After ice cream it was time to take lots of pictures of the pups, and rest before getting back on the train to head home.  I had lots of fun, and Atlanta was a good girl for me.



Guide dog puppy Nikon taking a nap while we eat ice cream
Atlanta being good while I eat my ice cream

Nikon getting his picture taken
Atlanta in Hanford
Warren loves having his picture taken
group walking through Hanford
Puppy in training Graham didn't know what step he should lay on
Atlanta posing for pictures
Puppy in training Ivana 
puppy in training Frank




2 comments:

  1. Oh I hate that. I don't mind it if it's the first time you have ever been in the place, but when you go there often and have never been asked to leave before it's a little annoying to have someone go, "I don't think you're allowed to have those dogs in here." And you just know that when you tell them you've been there many times before and never had a problem they think you're lying. *grumble*

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  2. yeah I would have been mad if they had kicked us out. one of the main reasons we changed our time coming back was so we could get ice cream so if i had missed seeing my parents for nothing id have been upset luckily they let us stay.

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