[nagdu] Working a dog beyond where others think it should have been retired
Karyn & Thane
bcpaws4me at gmail.com
Fri Aug 31 00:01:51 UTC 2012
Some of you know me from other lists, but I realize many of you are just
getting to know me. I have been working combo trained service dogs since
1998.
I know in hindsite, that it probably seemed really clear to some that Met
should have stepped out of harness and worked only in the home environment
that last year of his life.
I am sedentary and didn't have all the facts. He was my first combo trained
service dog who adapted to my disabilities as they progressed. It was too
hard for me- I was too close- and granted I had an incompetent vet during
the last several years we were together.
The only thing that helps me now in dealing with what I feel I did not do
right by him, was that I learned from that experience. Twice, I have had to
temporarily remove Thane from public access or at the minimum restrict where
I worked with him. Though the reasons are now resolved and I'll be getting
him better medical care in the future, the promise I made to myself and Met
as he was stepping out of my life, as well as to Thane, when he came on to
be trained as my first successor dog, was that I would always put my dogs
needs above my needs in the future.
I formed some remarkable memories that last month Met was with me for which
I will always cherish- memories of him out of harness, leash guiding as I
navigated with a cane for the first time until he was sure I could navigate
independently in my community without him. Once that took place, he stepped
from his role and out of my life. It was something he needed to do from his
perspective of things. It also helped me in the process of letting go of my
first service dog.
When I look back on it, I just see the happy part of that last month. I
don't see the mobility training he was doing with me from a sad perspective,
but from the perspective of my amazing service dog.
Now, however, with Thane, I am able to see more clearly. I'd like to think
it is because the experiences of Met have enabled me to grow as both a
handler and trainer; taught me how to look outside of my bond and my needs
to his needs.
It has been a real rough time with Thane though (especially since I knew
what was wrong and noone would listen). Trying to navigate independently as
a deafblind incomplete quad has had its rough spots for sure. I'm grateful
to have Thane back at my side, eager, willing, and most of all capable of
doing the job after finally getting the diagnosis of the condition I knew he
had.
We need to remember, that when we look at someone else's choices about
retirement, we have our years of experience that taught us to see things
from the perspective of the dogs needs. We also only know what is shared in
the email to the list/ forum. Often times we are just guessing about
lifestyle, how hard the dog is working, and whether or not the dog is able
in some circumstances but not in others. Sometimes also, when a partner is
struggling with the condition of their dog, there is the instinct to vent
about it- only sharing the negative and occasionally, unintentional as it
may be, the email may actually in reality be conceived in a manner that
exaggerates how bad it really is.
I will be the first to admit, I don't have all the answers. I strive to
learn as much as I can from my mistakes in my partnerships so the next dog
benefits from the lessons learned. That is all I can ask of myself.
Karyn and Thane
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