Double Duty

Dear Sophie,
The last several weeks have been insane with my defective eyes getting progressivly sensitive to light. We kept waiting for it to go away but it has just gotten worse, to where I can't open my eyes in the light. So, as usual, you stepped up to the challenge. I admit it wasn't the smartest move on my part to depend on you as a guide for tasks you weren't trained for, but I didn't have much of a choice. I need you for balance whether I can see or not so, my sweet pup, you get counted on once again to do it all.
I will say, Sophie, that you've been amazing. It hasn't been easy. It involved a whole lot of research, some private advice from my friend with a guide dog, and some serious problem-solving by our trainers. Okay, I don't think you have what it takes to be a full-fledged guide dog; you're too distractable and you don't seem to want anything to do with walking one step ahead of me. But you have your own body movements and I'm slowly learning to read them and trust you. You've only walked me into a cement barrier in a parking space and later a wall, and that's pretty doggone good for the amount of training you haven't had.
With any luck, all this won't last long and we can get back to normal around here but, as long as you have to be a guide for now, it's nice to know you can do it. You did a great job today, big girl, and did you make out like a bandit ... Frosty Paws, cheese on your kibble, and a brand new peanut-butter-filled bone! Yeah, maybe I went overboard a little bit, but once in a while you need an extra-special payday.