[nagdu] always taking the dog was guide dogs

[Linda Gwizdak]

Wow, Rox!  That's amazing what you teach your dogs.  It makes alot of sense 
as well. I know that regular service dogs don't get the same kind of "down 
time" as a regular guide dog does.  I like how you are able to have two 
service dogs so they can "spell" each other and they both get adequate rest 
and down time.

I like how your dog can help you at the office! (grin!)  Wish I could teach 
Landon to do the laundry!! LOL  I do wish I could teach Landon to alert me 
to someone at my front door - I don't hear people at my door when I'm in my 
bedroom on the computer.

Take care,

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 4:43 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] always taking the dog was guide dogs


> Lyn,
>
> I train all of the tasks myself.  Usually I have two dogs at a time. 
> They both don't work at the same time.  Right now I have Laveau who is 
> 2.5 and who has completed guide dog training, is almost finished with 
> hearing dog training and will then begin service training-- tasks like 
> retrieving objects etc.
>
> I have Mill'E who is 7.5 years old and who is trained in these areas. 
> However Mill'E has some degenerative joint disease in her knee and she 
> shouldn't walk much.
>
> Laveau does all of the "outside work-- guiding, sound alerting and  such 
> while at work our out in public etc.  Mill'E takes over at home  and does 
> sound-alerting, retrieving, and other tasks.  I Sometimes (as  in once a 
> week or so) leave Laveau home and take Mill'E out.  This  does two things. 
> It lets Mill'E do some guiding (which she loves) and  it lets Laveau 
> practice staying home alone.  I think that being able  to stay home alone 
> is a very important thing for a dog to know how to  do and since she 
> wouldn't normally get that chance, I make sure to  keep up the practice. 
> When I take Mill'E out to work, I make sure  it's a situation which 
> doesn't require a lot of walking.  So if a  friend and I went to lunch or 
> on the days I'm at work and cleaning out  my office she might come.  She's 
> great at helping me clean; she runs  stuff to the trash, retrieves the 
> things from low shelves, etc.
>
> I know this is not how most guide dog users do things For years I 
> struggled to make my needs fit the traditional guide dog set up, but 
> really this is what works for us and that's what counts.  The burnout 
> amongst dogs who work for multiply disabled handlers is quite high if 
> there is no other backup system in place such as another dog or a  human 
> PCA or caregiver.  I'm an independent cuss and don't like  depending on 
> people much so I find that this works for all of us.   I'll probably have 
> to start training my next dog once Laveau turns  about six or seven or so. 
> That's a long time away thank goodness!
>
>
> 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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