[nagdu] Dogs and stress

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Fri Oct 23 17:57:21 UTC 2009


Rebecca,

Guide dogs are very good Zen masters! /smile/  My poodle guide is very
visual in her interactions with people; she likes to look them in the eye
and make them smile.  As a result, I am the smilingest pedestrian you are
ever likely to meet!  If I notice her slowing down or getting uncertan, I
pay attention to my face and what I was thinking about, and realize that I'm
working through some frustration or other in my head and getting negative
and that it's showing in my expression.  So I just let a smile be my
umbrella... /grin/

Yeah, Mitzi has that play thing going on, and she gets very excited to see
other guide dogs, especially in settings where she's used to being the only
dog.  Pet dogs in one of those places, really get her excited.  We work on
it when I have the opportunity, and she did well in our first professional
gig involving another guide user with a young dog.  Whew!  Okay, she
embarrassed me a couple of times before the meeting while the other handler
and I were letting our dogs get used to each other.  /smile/  But I have
some hope we can work it out as she keeps maturing and gains experience.
We'll see.

Excited hops and barks to your playmate! /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Rebecca Ilniski
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 2:39 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Dogs and stress

Hi everyone.  I don't get in here too often to post but wanted to come in
and say that I agree with Cindy that we have to make an attempt to appear
more relaxed as the dogs can feel our stress through the leash.  Sometimes
this is difficult but am working on it.  I have a dog who tends to be very
dog distracted and he's the first that I have had that has gotten away from
me at times.  I've discovered that relaxing doesn't only do well for my dog
but it does for me too.  I've been working with my school and we haven't had
too many issues lately regarding my dog around other dogs.  He is fine
around other guides but with pets for some reason he either wants to play or
who knows?  I certainly wouldn't want to take him to a convention.  That's
pretty bad that I would have to say that but I just don't feel that he would
do well in such a setting.  I've never said this about any of the dogs that
I have had.  But I love him to pieces and he's very good in all other
situations especially at my workplace.  As far as dogs throwing up in the
morning, I've started giving Nuncio a small biscuit before bedtime and that
usually helps.  He hasn't gained weight and this hasn't affected him any.
Just my two cents worth on these topics.  

Rebecca Ilniski and Nuncio
facebook: http://facebook.com/rebeccai5
twitter: www.twitter.com/bookworm1999


_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast
.net





More information about the NAGDU mailing list