Gucci's devotion

Greetings. I got a glimpse into Gucci's devotion today. I'm sure she's shown me other signs, but this was one of the few that have been noticeable by me, for whatever reason. It happened during my horseback riding lesson, after I had dismounted and was collecting the horse's lead rope and her leash and tryign to get things organized. I was still feeling a little dizzy. (Refer to the entry on today's lesson for more on this). And I didn't have a good grip on her leash. Sure enough, it slipped from my fingers. Other dogs, when the pressure from the leash lessened like that, might have darted away to have some personal sniffing time. Thinking back, I'm not sure that Gucci did this. I just remember calling her name in a slight panic, since as a blind guy and guide dog owner, you never let go of the leash or release the dog from the leash, unless you want something unpredictable to happen that is. In reality, Gucci might have just turned slightly to look around, but when I called her name, she turned back and took a step toward me, well within my space. I had a hand on her instantly and then one of the riding volunteers handed me her leash. I can't help but think back to that moment of panic for me though and hear Gucci saying in her own doggie way, "I'm here, don't worry." She likes being near me in my apartment, likes being in the same room and not too far away. She'll even follow me if I go from one room to the other in her attempts. She enjoys being near me in my parent's house, after she's done a patrol that is and determined the house to be safe. But this morning's experience was just another indication to me, even more so upon reflection, of that good old German Shepherd loyalty. Or, perhaps it has nothing to do with her breed. All that matters to me is that she was right there and had this attitude of, "I'm here, don't worry," verses running off like other dogs might have done. Thanks Gooch, I can't tell you how much that meant to me.