[nagdu] stress and nervousness

Fri May 6 18:43:39 UTC 2011

Gary,

Mitzi, too.  Once she's in harness, it is easy to see that she just ready to
get out and go and strut her stuff and what are we waiting for?  I trained
her to walk into the harness the way guide dogs are supposed to, she did it
about twice and then decided such slavish behavior was not for her.  I tried
establishing a harnessing ritual for my own piece of mind...  Nope!  I just
need to allow time to play the harnessing game with her until she agrees
that she has gotten whatever it is sne needs to do there done and I can now
slip it over her head and buckled up so we can get out of the house and go.

So then we moved here with Daisy and her dad, so they're part of the game of
hide and seek and maneuvering and competing mind games.  It's ridiculous.
Especially when I'm chasing my guide dog around the house or trying to head
her off at the pass or going around DD while she hids behind him...  All
with the 3-legged coonhound dancing around and trying her darnedest to get
into the guide dog harness while trying to keep the poodle from getting into
it...  There have been times when DD was at work when I began to wonder if I
would ever get the right dog into the harness ever.  Daisy has actually
gotten snarly and guardy and even herdy with Mitzi to keep her away from
that harness so that Daisy can get herself into it.  In that case, Mitzi
will try to sneak around from behind to get to her harness because it's hers
gosh darn it...

For me, trying to survive all the movement and swirl and bouncing and
sneaking without tripping or being tripped is the best I can hope for while
I try to pretend I can get a grip on the situation because I am the human
and I really should be the one in control.  /lol/  We do not want to talk
about who's side DD and BB are on when we're planning a leisurely outing.
Just call us Circus Circus.  /lol/

If you ever figure out what the motivation of your poodle is, please let me
know.  I just cannot begin to figure out what her game is and what she is
getting out of it.  As near as I have ever been able to tell, it's all just
her little joke which thinks is very funny indeed.  I cannot avoid noticing
that I am without question the butt of the joke.

Yup.  My guide dog sure does give me dignity.  NOT!  /lol/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of GARY STEEVES
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 9:36 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] stress and nervousness

Hi:

I have always been curious about this. At my school they taught us to hold
the harness in front of the dog and it would walk in to the harness. Yeah,
Bogart did that twice and never again. I couldn't say he ever seems excited
to see his leash or harness but maybe thisw is a poodle thing. When I have
his harness I hold it in front of him and say "harness Bogart, harness".
Usually he turns his head away and then I say it again and then he'll most
of the time put his head out in order to have  harness slid over his head.
So I've never understood those who talk about their dogs being excited to
work for them. I think bogart likes working but he also likes not working.
:) Once he is harnessed up he is wonderrul. Even when I put the harness on
after I've been letting him just walk and sniff after relieving  he does
this same sort of game. But in poodle fashion, he often thinks about
commands I give him before he executes them.

interesting thread.

Gary

----- Original Message -----
From: "PICKRELL, REBECCA M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
Date: Thursday, May 5, 2011 7:04 am
Subject: Re: [nagdu] stress and nervousness
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>

> Marsha, 
> I hate to be the one to tell you this, but just because she is 
> excited to see the harness, doesn't mean she is excited to work. 
> She's excited to be with you, which doesn't always mean she 
> wants to work for you. 
> I'm sorry
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
> On Behalf Of Marsha Drenth
> Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2011 6:01 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: [nagdu] stress and nervousness
> 
> All,
> 
>  
> 
> Wondering if you all can provide some advice or suggestions. As 
> of lately
> Emma has just been this ball of stress and nervousness. It 
> started off when
> we were at school, another service dog barked at her. Now she is 
> so stressed
> and nervous at school, her behavior is almost unbearable. She 
> has the left
> hand side tendency thing. She does not guide well, and when I go 
> into that
> particular office, she will literally pull me over to get out of that
> office. But now it really does not matter what or where we are 
> going. She is
> always nervous, always stressed. I went on a women's retreat 
> this last
> weekend, and now I wish I had not taken her. She will not eat 
> her food. I
> have to beg her to eat, because if I didn't beg or coax her some 
> how to eat,
> she never would eat. She already needs to put on some weight. We 
> are seeming
> to have more bad days than good days. I honestly do not know 
> what to do. She
> wants to work, as she is excited t go into the harness, but it's 
> the rest
> that is driving me up the wall. I am not stressed, I am not 
> nervous. 
> 
>  
> 
> Ok guys, give me some good suggestions and advice here. 
> 
>  
> 
> Marsha and Emma
> 
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