[nagdu] always taking the dog was guide dogs

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Lynda,

I'll trade you a poodle and coonhound team!  Trust me, you will know when
someone is at your door!  /lol/

Actually, are girls are quieting down for the most part, unless they're
really bored and just need the excitement of going nuts when someone knocks.
/smile/  They're starting to use more constsructive methods of letting us
know we need to answer the door.  Whew!  Our regular friendly visitors are
used to it and just automatically do their part to cut through the nonsense
and loudness.  It's a little hard to communicate with a random stranger
trying to sell you something or convert you to something when your eardrums
are being shattered.  Which is fine, except that they may be delivering you
a package with money in it, and then you *don't* want them to go away.
/grin/

I, too, find myself being both impressed and daunted, Rox, when you describe
your overall training and the time it takes.  Most of the time, I just
assume your dogs do cool stuff and don't think about how much longer it
takes to train all the added tasks.  I'm still recovering from training my
dog just to guide and not get in trouble!  Whew!

I do love the two dog solution.  And I like the humor you have with your
dogs.  Making it all fun for them -- and for you -- is also a good
preventative for burn out. /smile/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Linda Gwizdak
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 11:32 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] always taking the dog was guide dogs

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
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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/linda.gwizdak%40cox.n
et 


_______________________________________________
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