[CT-NFB] Guide dog story #4

Sat Apr 29 18:40:17 UTC 2023

Isabel,

Yes, thank you! This was the most moving of all of the excellent stories you shared this week.

Best,

Nathanael

From: CT-NFB [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Esther Levegnale via CT-NFB
Sent: Friday, April 28, 2023 8:14 AM
To: NFB of Connecticut Mailing List
Cc: Esther Levegnale
Subject: Re: [CT-NFB] Guide dog story #4

Wow, Isabel!  Thanks so much for sharing Kristen's moving words.  The letter was absolutely beautiful!

Thanks again and have a great day!

Esther

Sent From Esther's Amazing and Awesome iPhone 13 Pro Max!

On Apr 27, 2023, at 1:32 PM, Isabel Rosario via CT-NFB <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Good afternoon!

I hope you all have been enjoying the stories shared thus far! Today we will be hearing about Kristen dockendorff’s experience with the hard decision to retire her guide, written in the form of a beautiful letter - 

Dear Emma ,

It is so hard to write this but that’s exactly why I need to. you are the most outwardly enthusiastic dog that I have  ever met.  your  bubbly and engaging  personality are the definition of who you are . One of the trainers called you extremely solicitous. Yes,That wonderful smile I’m told you have when you engage people,  leaves no doubt that you are a happy girl. I wish we could have had a different kind of relationship. I just realized I think I’m jealous of my friends who got to only experience your pet dog side and not have to rely on you as a working dog. I hated having to constantly ask you to do things that you were showing me by your actions that you really didn’t want to do. You are an absolute expert at making yourself happy but unfortunately that trait also lead to making our working relationship very different than just enjoying the fact that You are a very smart, engaging, happy, impulse driven, enthusiastic, physically strong, loving,  dog. 

     From the moment I met you , you came wiggling into my room at School  with the instructor atta claiming “she’s very excited” and you went running directly into the crate where somebody fed their previous dog, and went running around the room with the mud mat shaking it all over the place. The instructor says to me “I would discourage that behavior“you showed me how unbelievable your sense of smell is. Throughout the time at  School !, your impulsive  sense of smell and desire for food got you into many high collar situation‘s. I often feel  that if I were a more experienced guide dog handler I would have recognized those signs as something that was not indicative of a dog that could ignore such impulses. you spent the next four years proving to me just how much you did not want  The responsibility of making me a priority. It’s too bad that you couldn’t have been a cadaver dog or some other kind of scent dog because then  you would get rewarded for your behavior instead of constantly being corrected for it. I am truly sorry that I am the one who had to put those restrictions on you. It literally took a phone pole to the head to knock some sense into me and say “hey, this girl really needs to have her time to shine.” So my dear Emma, you beautiful black beauty, it is with a very open heart,  that I give you the freedom to be who you are with no restrictions or expectations. I will miss our adventures and all the exciting friends and places we’ve shared together but I know you will now be truly happy. You will continue to bring your infectious joy to everyone you meet. With all my sincerest thanks and love,  your mama, Kristen 

-- 

Best regards,
Isabel Rosario
Co-chair|NABS Membership Committee
President| Connecticut Association of Blind Students
President| Connecticut Association of Guide Dog Users
A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut
www.nfbct.org
Check out my podcast:https://anchor.fm/brizzys-perspective
203-993-3045
insertion point between Committee and President|, at the 81st position

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