[nagdu] dog breeds and owner training

[Julie J.]

Welcome Haben!

I'm Julie, the moderator. Welcome to the list.

Julie




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Haben Girma" <habnkid at aol.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 10:50 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] dog breeds and owner training


> Hi Mardi,
>
> I wonder where you live? Perhaps up north like Alaska where huskies are so 
> common? You mentioned that you could not get a program trained dog because 
> you could not leave your home and business for 4 weeks. There are schools 
> like Fidelco that do in-home training. By the way, I just joined this 
> list.
>
> Cheers,
> Haben
>
> Mardi Hadfield wrote:
>> Hi every one,  I have had many different breeds of dogs as pets, But all 
>> of
>> my guide dogs have been Huskies.  I tried a border collie, and he would 
>> have
>> been a good guide,but he was an abused dog before I got him and he could 
>> not
>> handle being out in public. Wanagi is a shepherd / husky cross and she 
>> was
>> coming along very nicely with her training, when the weather changed to 
>> cold
>> and rainy and I discovered that she had a hip problem. I think she would
>> have made an excellent guide if she did not have that problem. I should 
>> have
>> had her  xrayed, but the vet said she moved fine so I thought she was OK. 
>> I
>> will not make that mistake again. Tracy said it, not all dogs make it as
>> guides.  I kept Wanagi as we did bond, right from the start. She is still
>> very special to me.  I hate that I have to retire Nala. As much as I 
>> loved
>> Lily, my first guide, Nala is a much better guide and she really loves 
>> her
>> job. I have continued to work her only because she does not want to 
>> retire
>> yet. But I know that when the weather here gets hot, she will not be able 
>> to
>> work. I am going to try out a german shepherd tomorrow. I hope this dog 
>> will
>> work out.  If I were able to walk and use a guide dog, there would have 
>> been
>> several dogs that I tried out that would have worked. Finding a dog that 
>> can
>> keep up to my pace with the wheel chair and remain in the right position
>> next to the chair, is not easy. I am spoiled,as Nala was perfect from the
>> very beginning, when I got her.She learned very fast and really enjoyed
>> working. The first time I took her on the bus, she went up on the lift 
>> ,just
>> like she had been doing it all her life. In the time period of 4 
>> months,she
>> was a finished, trustworthy guide dog. This time is not so easy, as I 
>> just
>> can't seem to find a dog that even wants to work, let alone keep up with 
>> me
>> and stay in the correct position.Things would be much simpler if I could 
>> get
>> a program trained dog,but I just can't be away from my home and other
>> animals and my business for 4 weeks. So I will keep looking for that so 
>> far
>> allusive dog. I know that I will find it , I just hope it is soon. I love
>> Huskies and for me they make a good guides, but I am open to other 
>> breeds,
>> if that dog can do the job for me.   Have a great day,  Mardi and
>> Nala,semi-retired
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>
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