[nagdu] Update on Shaman

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Mardi,

Wonderful that Shaman has recovered and doesn't have lasting psychological
effects.  It is interesting that people pet a shepherd as much as they do
other dogs.

If you figure out how to electrify that handle, let me know!  /grin/  I
haven't had to deal with handle grabs for awhile, but I'm sure it's just a
break.  Why is it people can't keep their hands off the things?

Glad Nala had fun working.  I've been making more threats about getting
Mitzi out more, but then poke my nose out into the rain and suddenly
discover I have something dreadfully important to do indoors.  /smile/
She's a little trooper, though, and doesn't forget what she's supposed to
do.  Yesterday, she was a major snot monster with sniffing and distractions
when we first went out, but she still remembered the safety issues, so I was
really annoyed but still quite safe.  I did take a couple of opportunities
on our errands to do some walk about and get her focused again.

She also found a new petstore for us, right by where DD shops every week for
groceries on his way home.  They have really good prices, and most of what
we get our dogs.  Yay!  

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Mardi Hadfield
Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2010 3:31 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Update on Shaman

Hi every one, I have been working with Shaman to get him over his attack by
a pitbull. It has taken some time working him around other dogs,but when I
had him in PetsMart the other day,he did not even bark or growl once and
there were lots of dogs walking around the store. A man with a pitbull on a
very long leash let his dog come right up to Shaman and the dog sniffed him.
Shaman just stood there and made no effort to bark or growl.He moved on
immediately when I gave the forward command without incident.I was afraid he
would not get over that attack,but I guess what I am doing with him is
working. It has been cold and rainy alot lately and I have not been able to
bathe Shaman. I have noticed that he does have a pretty bad doggy odor. My
Huskies never had any doggy odor.This is my first shepherd guide and there
seems to be more odor with him than any of my other guides.I think it is a
shepherd thing as I have heard others mention that their shepherds had an
odor.Since I could not bathe him,I got some baking soda and rubbed it into
his coat and left it there for about 20 mins. I then brushed it out and
sprayed him with a doggy perfume called "Sunflower" I had several people on
the bus that day ask me if he had just had a bath as he smelled so good.I
guess this will work when I can't bathe him.People seem to pet Shaman just
as much as they would pet my husky guides. I would have thought they would
be less likely to pet a shepherd but it does not seem to matter that he is a
shepherd. I am amazed that people will let their kids just walk up and pet a
strange dog,especially a shepherd. What even annoyes me more than the
petting of my dog is when people grab the harness handle and pull my dog in
a different direction than I want to go. The bus drivers feel that they must
hold the handle to keep my dog from getting off the bus lift. I keep telling
them that my dog knows the routine and will come down after me but they
still grab that handle.I wonder if I could "electrify" the handle and use a
remote control to shock the people who insist on grabbing it.Nala has been
retired now for a while. In the beginning,I would use her on a short trip
once in awhile just to keep her happy. I had not used her in about 4 months
but I decided to use her when Rachel and her husband and I got to gether for
lunch recently.I did not think that Shaman was ready to work with other
guide dogs as he had been recently attacked by that pitbull.Nala was
perfect. The dogs got along great and we had a very nice time. I also used
Nala when I went to the bank the other day and she was still perfect. She
has not forgotten any of her training. She was so excited when she saw me
take down her harness instead of Shaman's harness. She couldn't wait for me
to "dress"her so we could go out.Nala was so happy and I think Shaman was
happy to have the day off.Have a great day, Mardi and Shaman and Nala, who
thinks she is still not ready to retire.

-- 
http://wolfsinger-lakota.blogspot.com/
http://wolfsinger2-thegoldendragon.blogspot.com
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