The guide dog Narnia is an important aid for visually impaired Gry Berg (44). When the temperatures get too high for Narnia, Berg has to cancel plans.
Less than 20 minutes ago
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Most of us want to get out and enjoy the warmth when temperatures creep into the 20s. For the visually impaired Gry Berg, however, the heat becomes a limitation.
– I have to change my plans. I choose long work sessions for Narnia, says Berg.
–Berg estimates that Narnia cannot work for more than an hour at a time in hot temperatures.
– When it starts to get to 24 degrees, I notice Narnia is very tired.
This means that Gry must move his plans to days with lower temperatures, or leave Narnia at home.
Wasn’t a shopping trip
On Wednesday, Berg had thought of a shop at the Colosseum center at Majorstua. This is just over a kilometer to walk from my job as an adviser at the Norwegian Federation of the Blind. The shopping trip was shelved as soon as Berg saw that Wednesday’s temperature would be 27 degrees.
– Narnia would have been very tiring.
–When Berg cannot take Narnia with her on trips, she has to take a taxi or orient herself with a mobility stick.
– It’s not a crisis, it always works out. But it can feel a bit limiting when I can’t take Narnia with me, she explains.
– I save a lot of energy
– Narnia makes it easier to orient myself. I save a lot of energy when I go out, if I have Narnia with me, she says.
Berg is helped by the guide dog Narnia to find footpaths, pavements, stairs and roads, with simple commands. “Narnia, search lane left”, “Narnia, search pavement”. In addition, Narnia discovers obstacles on the way.
–Depending on aids
When Berg was 27, she was diagnosed with the eye disease Retinitis pigmentosa, which causes her vision to gradually deteriorate. Now she only has light sense, which means she can distinguish between light and dark. Outdoors, she is dependent on aids such as a mobility stick or a guide dog.
–Berg is clear that not all dogs are as sensitive to the heat as Narnia. Her former guide dog tolerated the heat better. In a year’s time, Narnia will also be retired and Berg hopes that her new guide dog will also withstand slightly higher temperatures.
– There is no perfect guide dog, but Narnia is getting old now. A younger dog may be able to tolerate the heat better.
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