[nagdu] MBTA was Re: beginning to use a cane

[Tami Kinney]

William,

I'm a poodle addict! /lol/ Once you've tried out your first one... /lol/ 
Mitzi poodle is a 5.5 year old owner-trained guide. I obtained her from 
a private breeder in my State who listened to my babbling over the phone 
about what I wanted in a companion dog in light of my plan to get a 
guide dog at some time in the future, and with such an attentive 
audience, I went on to blurt out that if the companion dog turned out to 
have the right stuff, I would just train it to guide myself....

"I have exactly the right dog for you," she interrupted.

She was right. Instead of the large red male we had been discussing, I 
took the small black female she recommended. She, it turned out, had 
donated a couple of pups to a west coast guide dog training program 
getting a poodle line going, so she knew the temperament tests and what 
to look for in a guide dog prospect. Mitzi had the right stuff! And then 
some. The breeder has since donated some breeding dogs of related lines 
to that same guide dog program, and when I meet a poodle or doodle guide 
from there I always wonder if we should call it 'cuz. /lol/

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. My plan for Mitzi's 
retirement replacement is either poodle or dobie, and I definitely want 
to owner train again. The mutt [puppy who chose my partner (DD for 
Daisy's dad from his still much missed coonhound) and which he chose at 
the same instant keeps demonstrating that she has the right stuff, so... 
We've started just adding those little extras with a view that I will 
train her to guide for the next two years or so, just in case Mitzi 
decides to hang up her harness before I plan for her to. /smile/ So at 
least now I know what I will be doing for fun and entertainment in my 
spare time for the next two years. Of course, with such an excellent 
professional older sister to learn from, Zay has a much better chance of 
success than Mitzi did with a first time guide dog user as a trainer, 
whom she then had to train to be a respectable handler right at the 
start of her own career. /lol/ And so, the adventure continues.

Tami

On 12/24/2011 10:21 PM, Mark J. Cadigan wrote:
> What breed of dog do most of you use?
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "William Vandervest"
> <timelord09 at att.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, December 25, 2011 1:18 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] MBTA was Re: beginning to use a cane
>
>
>> Hello, I got my 1st dog from Leader Dogs for the Blind and brought him
>> home on June 23rd 2011, he is a black lab named Lynard and i am VERY
>> satisfied with him and with the training i recieved at Leader
>> William And LD Lynard
>>
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