[nabs-l] Mobility Methods

[Lora and Myrtle]

I received my first dog guide from Leader Dogs in Rodchester, Michigan. She
is 21 months and still very much a puppy. She is a very hard worker. She
likes to bark and growl at other dogs while working. It is definately a
playful growl and I am working on this with her. I received her in July. She
is a very very smart dog and very sneaky when it comes to food. She learns
routes within the first couple of times of doing them. she is a very
stubborn dog who walks fast (which I love). I love having Myrtle and
wouldn't go back to a cane full time. I have been taking her to football
games with cannons (when we score a touchdown). Usually she does pretty good
except for these last 2 games when the cannons went of during the halftime
show (as part of the music) and which I play in. She shut down after that
and refused to work. I definately learned that you can't force a dog to work
that doesn't want to work. Myrtle is a yellow lab.
Sorry for the long post.

On Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 6:38 PM, Kolby Garrison
<kolbygarrison at triad.rr.com>wrote:

> Hello Laura,
> Sunny is a reissue. She was too strong for her previous handler, so the
> handler chose to give her back to GDF in hopes that she would be retired
> and
> become a beloved pet or be reissued if the right person came along. My
> trainer told me that if I had not come along that Sunny would have been
> retired because there was not anyone else who could handld her Golden
> Retriever combination of softness and stubbornness and her energy level and
> very fast pace. The independence and freedom that she gives me are
> priceless, and she herself is invaluable. Sunny absolutely loves to work,
> and though I wish that our working life would be longer and that I had not
> missed out on 3 or so years with her I cannot imagine having a better dog
> for my 1st Guide Dog. Her enthusiasm, exuberance, energy, dedication, ETC
> are beyond measure.
> Kolby
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> Of Lora and Myrtle
> Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 7:22 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Mobility Methods
>
>  Congradulations you found a match with sunny. Why is sunny so old
> compared
> to other dogs that are issued out? Was she a donation dog?
>
> On Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 2:32 PM, Kolby Garrison
> <kolbygarrison at triad.rr.com>wrote:
>
> > Hello Everyone,
> > I knew that I wanted to partner with a Guide Dog as soon as I was old
> > enough
> > to understand what a Guide Dog could do. After graduating High School I
> > went
> > to Guide Dogs For The Blind in San Rafael, California to receive my 1st
> > Guide Dog, but things did not work out for me there. The 2 dogs that I
> was
> > matched with were not the right dogs for me, and I came home without a
> dog.
> > I was devastated and my confidence became nonexistent. I learned my
> College
> > campus using the cane with the help of a wonderful Orientation And
> Mobility
> > Instructor who helped me realize my independence potential, and who
> worked
> > with me for hours on end making sure that I was ready by the 1st day of
> > classes. I applied to The Guide Dog Foundation For The Blind, because I
> > knew
> > more than ever that a Guide Dog was the right thing for me. My confidence
> > increased, and by the time my home interview with GDF rolled around I was
> > confident and independent with the cane. I was accepted to GDF and
> matched
> > with Sunny in June of this year. She is a 5 year old female Golden
> > Retriever, and she has changed my life. The lack of tactile feedback took
> > some getting use to, but I will not ever go back to using the cane as I
> > have
> > said before. People talked to me when I was using my cane just as much as
> > they do now that I am partnered with Sunny, and yes even Guide Dog users
> > have to ask for help. Learning new routes is just as difficult with a
> Guide
> > Dog as it is with the cane, and I will be very interested to see how
> Sunny
> > responds to the new routes, buildings, and classes that we will be
> working
> > on very soon for the upcoming semester.
> > If anyone has any questions concerning why partnering with a Guide Dog is
> > the right thing for me personally, please do ask. I am of the opinion
> that
> > individuals should use the methods that work best for them in all
> > circumstances, and working with a Guide Dog is what works best for me. I
> am
> > enjoying all of the discussions on this list about various aspects of
> being
> > a blind student.
> > Thank You,
> > Kolby
> >
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Lora and Leader Dog Myrtle
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-- 
Lora and Leader Dog Myrtle