[nagdu] Fourteenth anniversary

[Wayne Merritt]

Congrads Tracy! I always enjoy reading of these anniversaries from
people on list.

Wayne and Gucci, A.K.A., my Designer Dog

On 2/16/11, Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net> wrote:
> Today is the 14th anniversary of my meeting with Echo.  I never had more
> than 7 anniversaries with any other guide dog, so it's pretty amazing to
> me.
>
> On February 16, 1997, I walked into the instructor's room at GDB San
> Rafael.  Echo came racing in from the outside dogrun, and immediately fell
> over to have a bellyrub.  She was so cute, little and bouncy, with really
> soft ears.  We had trouble for a while, because she was a sensitive
> flower, and I wasn't used to that.  Mark the excellent Aussie trainer had
> to come out to New York and fix us, but, after that, we were fine.  Well,
> I say fix us, but really he had to fix me, mainly by adjusting the way I
> was holding the harness in a tiny way. After our rocky beginning, Echo
> worked until September, 2006, and has been enjoying a well-earned
> retirement since.
> Once at national convention, I met a GDB rep who had taken care of Echo's
> mother, Chime.  She said "I bet she's real sweet, but with a wild streak."
>  That's a great description of the Ech.  Mostly she's a sweet and
> sensitive marshmallow, but then Demon Dog comes out to play.  I remember
> when I first met Demon Dog.  I'd taken Echo out to the playpen, or corral,
> at GDB, so she could run around a bit.  She ran off to the other side, a
> ways away, and I heard ferocious barking.  I thought "That can't be my
> sweet dog!" but it surely was, barking at some kids playing on the lawn.
> Then I tried to get her to come back to me, and she raced around like an
> insane nut.  Even though Echo is really old now, Demon Dog still comes by
> sometimes and gets her to run around and jump up and down, when I'm being
> too slow to get her breakfast.  But I bet it was Demon Dog who gave Echo
> the stuff she needed to work in the Big Bad City, so it's OK.
>
> I don't really expect to get a 15th anniversary, so I wrote a lot about
> this one.  Though I never expected to get 14, either.
> Tracy and the irrepressible Ech
>
>
>
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