[nagdu] We are home

GARY STEEVES rainshadowmusic at shaw.ca
Tue Jun 28 18:16:24 UTC 2011


Hi Bertha:

It is now about a year since I arrived home with Bogart. I think the biggest lesson I have learned is to not sweat it. Yes, it will take a bit of time to get used to your dog, understand your dog and so on but all generally works out. Last thursday we had a lousy walk home from work. Bogart just wasn't with it. Had to get a major correction for almost walking me off the grass onto a road because on the other side of the road was a playground with balls and kids. I made him sit and down before we headed off again. Then a dog leaped out at usfrom a townhouse yard. I think there was afence but who knows. So now Bogart is totally jumpy. then as we were about to cross another road a bicycle turns the corner and instead of having a bell to ring it was a air horn. The moral of the story  is that the next day Bogart worked great. Also, I used to freak out if he didn't eat one day, or if he was eating grass on our evening walk (which of course makes him throw up), or if his poops  were too soft, was he acting weird, too tired?, etc. Basically a year later I'm able to see all these things and decide if they are out of the norm. I know that when I travel with bogart he will eat about half of what he normally eats. I still bring all the food but bring most of it back home. I know that some days he will eat a lot and others very little. And on it goes.  

In  the spring I was away for 9 days at the beginning of April, took him on a 5 day trip to Montreal and was away again for 2 weeks in May. The first couple of days after he'd come back from where he was vacationing (with two dogs and someone at home all day) his work was a bit distracted but it all came back. I just had to stay patient and control my fears that I had ruined him.


I wish you the best of luck and certainly feel free to ask all of us here if you have questions or concerns.WE'll all give our thoughts and then you'll do what you want anyways. :)

Take Care
Gary

----- Original Message -----
From: B Avila Guerrero <guerrero.avila at sbcglobal.net>
Date: Monday, June 27, 2011 2:33 pm
Subject: Re: [nagdu] We are home
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>

> Thank you, I believe that as good as our training was, now that 
> we are home
> is when things can either go great, or terribly bad. I choose to 
> believethey will go well. I am a first time handler and not to 
> offend anyone, I
> feel the same way I did when I had my first child. Not certain 
> if I am doing
> anything right. But thousands of you are doing it every day so, 
> we can too.
> thanks for the encouragement *Smile*.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
> On Behalf
> Of Tami Kinney
> Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 3:05 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] We are home
> 
> Welcome home, both of you. Now the real hard work and learning begins.
> But it will be worth every second.
> 
> Enjoy learning your new neighborhood with your chocolatey-good 
> partner!
> On Sun, 2011-06-26 at 13:30 -0600, B Avila Guerrero wrote:
> > Hello All,
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Just wanted to let everyone know we are home.
> > 
> > Godiva and I arrived Thursday afternoon. Our time in New 
> Jersey was great
> > and I can't say enough about the Seeing Eye. We received excellent
> training
> > and were treated with the upmost of respect and dignity.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > We worked very hard and the month was very intense and at some 
> times,stress
> > full. However, our Trainer/Instructor was always  there, 
> with a kind word
> > and a gentle smile. His encouragement made all the difference 
> in the
> world.
> > 
> > We put in a great deal of hard work, but I do believe now that 
> we are
> home,
> > our work really begins. Being at home is very different from 
> being in
> > Morristown.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > We have had a few good days here in Colorado and have ventured 
> out around
> > our neighborhood. I don't know our neighborhood very well as I 
> had just
> > moved to this house early May. But we will get acclimated and 
> do well.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Bertha 
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > B Avila Guerrero
> > 
> > of Texas
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
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