[nagdu] Meeting the dog

Steve Johnson stevencjohnson at centurytel.net
Sat Feb 27 11:52:59 UTC 2010


Likewise, Leader Dog issues the new guide on the Wednesday following the
Sunday when the student arrives.  We all know when issue day is, as we
patiently, or sometimes impatiently await in our dorm suites for that
inevitable knock.  Just prior to the introduction, the trainer comes in
briefly, and tells us what to do and what not to do so something like
...Steve, your dog's name is Misha, and she is a 53 pound black Labrador and
some other info about the dog.  Don't try to give her any commands, but
spend the next x-amount of time just beginning that bond.  Well, I can tell
you that after three black lab guides now, all I think I remembered
initially was the dog's name!  Indeed, it is a very personal experience that
is so incredibly different with every dog that can never be duplicated.  

Steve


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2010 7:06 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] Meeting the dog

In my class at TSE, they didn't tell us anything about our new dogs.  We
just had to go to our rooms and wait to be called down to the lounge for the
big moment.  So all us gals in the women's wing sat next to our doors and
stuck our heads out so we could hear the instructors tell other students
what they'd got, and listen to our classmates bring their new dogs back down
the hall to their rooms.  It was great fun!
I don't remember my actual meeting with Ben all that well.  My instructor
told me he was a black lab named Ben, and he came over to give me a sniff.
 I hooked his leash on his collar, and noticed he's a very handsome dog, and
then we went back to my room.  We didn't know what to think of each other
for weeks after that.  Ben is interested in new people for a couple minutes,
then they're old hat.  It took him a good while to warm up to me, in his
catlike way.  So it was really nice, when they took him away for a minute
near the end of class for his solo picture, and he jumped on me when he got
back.  He missed me!

Jonathan is quite right.  Every dog meeting is different and special.  You
can't figure what it'll be like, because you don't know what kind of dog
you'll get, personality-wise. Some dogs are really excited; some are just
interested, and some are "Who the heck are you?"
Tracy



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