[nagdu] the Dalmatian guide

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

I knew there was something I liked about you.  /grin/

Strong will is probably the major reason Mitzi and I get along so well.
She's great and responsive, but when she's in a mood....  Or when she's
practicing selective disobedience on the job.  I'm pretty sure she would
drive a lot of handlers crazy, though.  I would probably drive a lot of
other guide dogs crazy, too, so I guess she and I are even there.  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jewel S.
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 4:15 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] the Dalmatian guide

Thanks for sharing that! It sounds like the dalmations were the
perfect dogs in his life. I know I would not be able to handle the
strength of their bodies, though I am known among my friends to be
very good with stubborn cats and dogs, so I'm sure I could deal with a
strong-willed dog...I'm quite strong-willed myself

~Jewel

On 5/4/10, Jenine Stanley <jeninems at wowway.com> wrote:
> The gentleman Ed spoke of is Clayton Hutchinson from here in Columbus. He
> had Denys, yes, correct spelling, an unaltered male Dal, for a number of
> years. I worked for his company, computer conversations,  in the late
1980's
> and early '90's and knew him and Denys quite well.
>
> Denys was an amazing dog. Prior to him, Clay had a female Dal as his first
> guide. She lived to be around 15 if I recall correctly. He then got
another
> Dal, a female, but I never met that dog. He still has a Dal, not sure if
> it's the same female, I'd suspect not. I haven't seen him in nearly 20
years
> now, but for him, the Dal mindset, a strong willed dog, worked well.
>
> Denys was quite a striking dog too with black hearts around his eyes and a
> very attractive dot pattern over the rest of his coat. He was not so much
> stubborn as strong, both physically and intellectually.
>
> Dals were bred originally as coach horses to run with the carriages and
> guard the stables so they aren't exactly Disney characters,
> personality-wise. His original Dal female, Dottie, was quite the strong
lady
> who had no problem telling other dogs exactly what she thought of them. I
> met her when she was a grand old lady in retirement and she looked at me
as
> pretty much one of the lesser creatures in the office. <grin>
>
> Denys got on well though with my then dogs Sheba, the Pilot dogs
lab/German
> Short Haired pointer mix and Jerry Lee, the GDf Lab.
>
> I'd say the Dal isn't the dog for everyone, in fact not many people could
> probably handle them in their stronger moments, but they are bright to a
> fault and once you've made it into their inner circle, you're there for
> life.
>
> I'm proud to have known Clay and his Dals and it's where I did meet at
least
> a few of you on this list many, many moons ago in one of those alternate
> lives we all tend to have. <grin>
>
> Jenine Stanley
> jeninems at wowway.com
>
>
>
>
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