[nagdu] Guide dog starter age

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Love the image of black dog in purple sweater!  Still working on saving up
for purple Laveau style harness for her poodleness.  Who is much cooler than
she was a few days ago.  /lol/  So now I'm wondering if she will need a coat
when I take her out this afternoon, since we're taking a quick hop there and
back again in the car.  But mommy does worry.  /smile/

It's actually the similarities in build and temperament, combined with the
short coat, that has me leaning towards the dobie side.  The cost of keeping
that luxurious black coat of Mitzi's in line gets really old sometimes.
Please, when can I spend money on me?  /lol/  Hers is extra thick and dense,
too, so when I let her grow a bit, brushing and combing soon become the sole
reasons for my existence.  Now that she's all short and sleek again, I can
just wipe her off with my hands or give her a quick swipe with a washcloth
if I think she might have picked up some dirt I didn't get.

So who knows.  I am being pulled to the dobe side and will soon become your
eager apprentice!  /grin/

Unless Mitzi follows the plan and lives forever, naturally.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of The Pawpower Pack
Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 10:09 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog starter age

Tami,
Come to the Dobe side, Come to the Dobe side! mwhahaha!
I met another Doberman service dog at an abilities awareness event  
held at an elementary school just two weeks ago.  Laveau and the other  
Doberman were the only two assistance dogs present at this event and  
they both behaved fantastically.  The only trouble you may have is  
that Dobes do get cold in the winter.  I live in New Orleans, the big  
sweaty (GEAUX SAINTS) and even Laveau has to wear a coat or sweater in  
the winter.  I am very lucky that a friend who is a very talented  
seamstress made her a purple sweater to match her purple harness with  
a flap for the handle.  It has served her well this winter, but if we  
lived somewhere where it snowed she'd need a coat.

The one thing that's different about having a Doberman is that they  
watch *everything*.  I thought my border collie did that but she  
doesn't have anything on my Doberman.  Dobermans are velcro dogs and  
you will never do anything by yourself again.  If Laveau can't be  
right next to me than she is staring at me, and the only time she  
doesn't stare at me, she stares at my sign language interpreters  
because I swear that dog knows more ASL than I do.  It's enough to  
give anyone a complex!  If I were sighted and had to watch her  
watching me, it probably would.

Hope her Poodleness can work forever but if she can't, you should come  
to the Dobe side.
(grin)
Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
"It's wildly irritating to have invented something as revolutionary as  
sarcasm, only to have it abused by amateurs." -- Christopher Moore
pawpower4me at gmail.com

Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss

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