[nagdu] Middle-aged Ben

Fri Sep 23 20:00:58 UTC 2011

Well, she turned 5 this summer, and I don't believe that one for
second. /smile/ Poodles mature later and live longer than other large
breed dogs, so if she qualifies as being middle-aged, she sure doesn't
let it show. /lol/ When we get to the park during times when there are
yearling's and other under threes, I will listen to the activity and
observe as it moves around, marveling that my dog is now a grown up! So
mellow, theses, so settled, not so bursting with out of control energy.
Not so wild an crazy... It will suddenly occur to me that familiar
jingle sound accompanied by a flit of black should have been cluing e in
to the fact that my mellow old dog, on the verge of decrepitude is not,
in fact, lying quietly in the shade while her joints freeze up. She's
pretty much the wildest most active creature in the park and perhaps a
mile or so in any direction. /lol/ When the pups wear out and leave, she
will be throwing the ball to me to kick and throw so she can run after
it and around and throw it up and catch it before whizzing back for
another round... Until another wave of energetic pups come in for her to
run circles around... OMG! 

Still, it is sobering for me to think that she has been a career girl
for long enough that she is just getting into her prime for the next..
what? 4 years? 5? Poodles are new enough on the guide dog scene, I don't
think there's a really good barometer yet for planning ahead for rule of
thumb retirement age. Still, I'm thinking that I can reasonably plan to
start looking more closely for those signs that she is wearying of the
job and begin to finalize my plans for her retirement so I am prepared
when she's ready to give me her letter of resignation. /smile/ That's
going to be just plain weird for me, since it will be my first
retirement and replacement. But DD is quite happy to assume that he will
have a Mitzi poodle then to spoil and coddle to his heart's content. I
have a feeling she will adapt to this without too much difficulty. /lol/
Whether I will or not is another question!

Tami

On Fri, 2011-09-23 at 15:04 -0400, Tracy Carcione wrote: 
> Tami, darned if I know how he got to be middle-aged!  But here he is,
> going to be 7 in a couple weeks.  Amazing!
> I guess Mitzi must be middle-aged, too, though that seems crazy.
> Tracy
> 
> > Tracy,
> >
> > Mitzi says to tell Ben the Laveau style with all the extras is *very*
> > comfortable! She believes it is as comfortable as the sports style. She
> > likes it! /grin/
> >
> > How'd Ben get to be middle aged when I still think of him as a young
> > dog? /lol/
> >
> > Tami
> >
> > On Fri, 2011-09-23 at 13:10 -0400, Tracy Carcione wrote:
> >> Thanks Buddy.  This is exactly the kind of thing I needed to know.
> >> Benny
> >> is slowing down a bit, now he's middle-aged, so I do have to be careful
> >> not to overwalk him sometimes.  The Laveau sounds like it might be what
> >> I
> >> want.  I like the TSE harness, but I think a Pawpower harness will be
> >> handy to have.
> >>  Thanks for your input.
> >> Tracy
> >>
> >> > Hey Tracy,
> >> >
> >> > You're right: the total freedom of movement in the sport style harness
> >> > handle does require some care, as you can, if not careful, over walk
> >> your
> >> > dog. It seems unlikely that the handle would flip up in the way you
> >> > indicate, although I suppose that is a possibility, albeit a slim one.
> >> > However, the handle does move far enough that it could literally go up
> >> > over your dog's nose, but the backward pressure as your dog moves and
> >> as
> >> > you move would probably preclude this. Though it would be very
> >> possible to
> >> > over walk if you're not careful. The advantage is that you can make
> >> > extremely tight turns.
> >> >
> >> > It's not on the sight, but order the sport harness, and in the
> >> comments,
> >> > ask Bob to make you the Laveau style. This is a sport style with
> >> > stabilizer loops. I have one for Leno and absolutely love it. The
> >> loops
> >> > keep the handle at  a natural angle, the handle can't go up over your
> >> > dog's head, but you still feel all the movement through the shoulders
> >> the
> >> > way the straps are configured. Truly, I think the Laveau style gives
> >> the
> >> > best of both styles. It definitely has a different feel from the
> >> standard
> >> > American harness as you'd get from school. You really feel, not only
> >> the
> >> > pull into the front of the harness, but also the shoulder movement to
> >> some
> >> > extent. I quite like it.
> >> >
> >> > To tell you the truth, the only real reason I wanted another harness
> >> was
> >> > the removable handle. It's the one feature of Seeing Eye's harnesses
> >> that
> >> > I wish we had but don't. I don't have any issue with their name on the
> >> > back strap or anything of that nature. So, yes, the harness with loops
> >> > still has a removable handle. Just thread the handle through the
> >> loops,
> >> > then snap it together. The plastic backpack type fasteners that Bob
> >> and
> >> > Rox'e use are surprisingly sturdy; I think you'd have to try pretty
> >> hard
> >> > to damage one. Now having said that, beyond the removable handle, I
> >> really
> >> > enjoy using my Paw Power harness. It's lightweight, gives great
> >> feedback,
> >> > and looks sharp. Definitely count me as satisfied. And I got mine with
> >> all
> >> > the options: reflective tape and padding, I mean. Bob assures me the
> >> > reflective tape is sewn on, not glued, so it will hold up just fine in
> >> the
> >> > laundry.
> >> > --
> >> > Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> >> > Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On Sep 23, 2011, at 10:56 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> I'm thinking about getting a Pawpower harness.  It would be nice to
> >> have
> >> >> something I can throw in the wash, especially with winter crud coming
> >> >> along.  I'd also like something where I could detach the handle.
> >> >> What I'm not sure about is which to get, sport or standard.  I need
> >> to
> >> >> be
> >> >> able to tell instantly when Ben is stopping for traffic or dodging a
> >> >> pedestrian.
> >> >> I'm a little worried that, with the sport, the handle might flip over
> >> >> his
> >> >> head.  I'm a little worried that, with the standard, it would be
> >> harder
> >> >> to
> >> >> take the handle off and on because of the stabilizer loops.
> >> >> What do those of you with Pawpower harnesses have to say?
> >> >> Tracy
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
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