Meet Guide Dog Manolo: His Ninth Birthday Tribute
August is Manolo's birthday month, which means it is time for those following Transitioning Through Change to meet the dog behind the harness. Every year on his birthday, it feels right to properly introduce guide dog Manolo to the people who have only met him through photos on this website.
Meet Guide Dog Manolo
Manolo is, technically, a professionally trained guide dog. He is also a Black Labrador-sized collection of enthusiasm, opinions, and boundless affection wrapped in fur. Many of the people who reach out to work with me mention him specifically. They have seen him on my website.
He is the sweetest, most affectionate soul you will ever meet. He genuinely believes every person on Earth is a long-lost best friend who has been desperately waiting to pet him. And based on the way people respond to him, he might be right.
The Volume Challenge
Manolo experiences approximately 47 emotions per minute, and his primary coping strategy is announcing them.
Excited? BARK. Confused? BARK. Thrilled you walked through the door? BARK. Simply has too many feelings and does not know where to put them? BARK. BARK. BARK.
His internal monologue appears to be: "I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN EMOTION. EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW."
He did not always bark this much. He used to be noticeably quieter. But after his predecessor, Shannon, passed away, and he became the only dog in a household that had always had two, the volume dial seemed to get permanently turned up. He began to feel everything a little more loudly, as if filling in the silence that had been left behind.
If you have ever found yourself doing the same thing after a loss, you are in good company.
A Tail That Clears Tables
His tail is almost always wagging, and it has a remarkable ability to clear any surface within reach. Coffee tables. End tables. Unsuspecting knees. If something is within tail range, consider it relocated. No warning is given. No apology is offered. He is just expressing his happiness.
One of the World's Longest Tongues (and How He Uses It)
Manolo is a renowned floor inspector. Restaurants. Friends' houses. Waiting rooms. Parking lots. If there is a floor, he will lick it. Not because there is food. Not because he is hungry. Apparently, every surface simply deserves a taste test.
Lotion is a particular passion. If you have moisturized recently and Manolo is nearby, please consider your hands and legs pre-approved for inspection. He finds scented lotion irresistible and will investigate with great thoroughness.
Then there are feet.
Manolo has a foot appreciation that is difficult to fully describe. Sandals are an open invitation. Bare toes are practically a formal request. It is not just about licking though. He will also simply lie across your feet with the full weight of his Labrador conviction, as if his job is to anchor you to the earth. More than one person has sat in a difficult moment and quietly noticed that the pressure of a warm dog on their feet, or the presence of him in the room looking cute on his dog bed, helped them breathe a little more slowly.
He does not know he is doing therapy. He is just being Manolo. But sometimes that is enough.
Chief Inspector of All Incoming Deliveries
Every package that enters the home must be thoroughly investigated the moment it arrives. Crinkly packaging is especially suspicious. That makes it extremely exciting. If it makes noise, he assumes it is probably for him. He is not technically wrong about this as often as you might expect.
His backyard hobbies include locating and consuming mysterious objects that absolutely should not be eaten. This is followed by a 24-hour period of breath capable of peeling paint and gas that should probably be classified as a biological concern.
The Toy Situation
Manolo loves toys with every fiber of his being. He also believes their purpose is immediate and enthusiastic destruction. A new toy that is not Manolo proof typically survives somewhere between three and ten minutes before becoming modern art.
He shows remarkable joy in the process. He also loves a good game of fetch or gentle tug.
Hydration, Generously Shared
When Manolo drinks water, approximately 40 percent reaches his mouth. The remaining 60 percent is generously donated to the floor. He then walks away from what can only be described as a small indoor pond, apparently satisfied.
After eating or drinking, he also enthusiastically shares tiny remnants with anyone nearby. Whether they asked or not. Generosity is among his strongest qualities.
A Dog With Standards
Manolo is not a counter surfer. He has standards. Instead, he politely stretches his nose up to the kitchen table to investigate what the humans are having for dinner, just in case quality control is needed.
Personal space is a concept he finds deeply unnecessary. If you are sitting down, he would prefer to be touching you. Ideally leaning. Possibly breathing into your face with whatever he discovered in the backyard earlier. He loves to cuddle and be within petting distance.
But Here Is the Other Side
When Manolo puts on his harness and it is just the two of us, something shifts.
The dog who barked at his own emotions and licked the parking lot becomes focused, deliberate, and calm. He navigates, watches, and makes decisions. He takes his job seriously. The enthusiasm does not disappear. It is more that it gets channeled into something purposeful. He is always up for an adventure.
He is two things at once. He always has been. The exuberance and the steadiness live in the same dog. I think that is part of why people connect with him so easily. He is not pretending to be anything other than what he is. And what he is, fully and completely, is exactly enough.
Happy Birthday, Manolo
He is not perfect.
He leaves puddles of water. He destroys toys. He barks at his own feelings. He has committed crimes against fresh air that I will not detail here.
He is also one reason I can do this work the way I do. He walks with me into spaces that require trust. He sits with people in their hardest moments. He finds everyone worth greeting with his whole self, every single time. Do not be offended though if he does not get up from his dog bed to say good-bye.
He has the biggest heart, the happiest spirit, and enough joy for an entire neighborhood.
Every day with Manolo is guaranteed to be entertaining.
He is not perfect, but he is perfect for me.