A brief look back at the training camp for increasing the skills of service dogs in the countryside (16–18 August this year in Līgatne)

A refreshing breath of fresh air and sensations in the midst of our rusty daily lives is how Rinalds describes this camp.

For me, this camp will live in the memory with its heartfelt and friendly atmosphere, with people so very extremely well-suited to their vocations – trainers and rehabilitation specialists. Such were the resultant feelings that they are very hard to put into words.

All the camp participants

Rinalds with Tonijs during training

This was the first time that we took part in the camp and the benefits were huge. Individual training sessions for my husband and his guide dog, as well as training for adults and kids, who provide their loved ones with daily support, were highly beneficial to us. For over two years now, for my husband, his guide dog Tonijs has been a wonderful daily assistant, and Rinalds makes no secret of his pleasure at discovering that the collaboration with his guide dog could become even closer and more productive. From day to day, small collaborative details can be forgotten, or the dog or his master can pick up some bad habits that are problematic for their collaboration and which reduce trust in the guide dog. Rinalds is extremely grateful to guide dog trainer Egils for their training, and stresses that his recommendations and advice are very useful, as a result of which communication with Tonijs has become unbelievably effective. Thank you, Egil!
Likewise, Rinalds has noticed that our daughter has changed – she supports her dad much more skillfully and with greater understanding. For my daughter and I, this camp was not about relaxed sunbathing in the valleys around Līgatne. Every day, we provided support to people, who needed it, as well as dedicatedly attending training sessions conducted by the wonderful girls, who have mastered providing support to people with special needs at a professional level. We got a look at life from the perspective of my husband/my dad and what it is like when you are surrounded by darkness and every step is a step into the unknown – how important it is to have somebody next to you at this moment, who offers you support, and to whom you entrust your health and life. We felt how one’s perception of the world changes, when color and beauty are irrelevant, and fragments of information are provided by form, texture, smell and a breath of wind. The feelings we experienced and practical advice are very useful in daily life.

Hiking training

The organization’s veteran – lovely Tonijs

We hope that we’ll get another chance to take part in this training in future! Thank you very much to Baibiņa and Elfa for all the work they did to make it possible for us all to get together and take part. We would also like to thank the dogs’ trainers, Egils in particular, and, of course, Zaiga and Juha, that we have Tonijs – the most sincere creature on Earth.

Loving and believing in four paws
Rinalds and Tonijs, and the rest
Ligatne, August 2019
Photo: Valdis Poļakovs