[nagdu] Trinity

[Danielle Larsen]

Hi Everyone!

So, I post pretty sparingly on this, and any list, but I wanted to take a
second to give you all an update on some things.
I have been working with an incredible dog, Trinity, owner training her as
my guide dog. sheis the first dog that I have owner trained. We are still
working out some kinks but she is doing an exceptional job for what i need
her to do!

Trinity is a little older, but that hasn't stopped her from being
interested or enthusiastic about her work. She just turned 3 on July 7th. I
adopted her from a rescue group here in New Jersey. She adores working, and
wags her whole body from head to tail when she sees her harness. She is a
dedicated worker and puts her heart and soul into it. She definitely has a
lot of fine tuning left but the skills she needs to develop are skills I
strongly believe she will improve with time. I am confident in her success!

Trinity and I are also raining a Seeing Eye puppy, who is due to go back on
August 26th for formal harness training. (For confidentiality of TSE
purposes we will call her D-Mess). D Mess is a golden lab cross who is just
over a year old. She is so ready to return to TSE and although we will miss
her tremendously I am excited for her new adventuers.

Once D Mess goes back I will have a little more free hands to focus on
wrapping up Trinity's training. It worked out that Trinity and D Mess were
both at the same socialization phases together and I took them both
everywhere with me. My girls both go to work, run errands and are overall
always together. I make time each day for Trinity's harness training, time
for D Mess to practice skills etc. Trinity has spent a lot of time on leash
to ensure that we are very bonded, whch has worked well. We are co raising
D Mess with another raiser as well, which helps free up some hands also

My girls have  both been getting what they need, and are learning fast! Its
hard to believe at the beginning of this year owner training was a hope of
mine and now it's turning otu to be the best decision of my life. Trinity
is tan black and white, with big eyes. She's short, with a narrow chest.
she is a mix between a lab, shepherd with a little bit of beagle. She has
got the loyalty and caring heart of a beagle, with teh shepherd drive, and
the lab flexibility and love for life. This combination has made her an
incredible guide and I am lucky to have her every single day!

She knows all of her obedience, forward, left, right, how to walk faster
and slower, leave it (usually). She does well with obstacle clearance btu
we need a little mroe time working with overhanging objects, stopping
before going upstairs (we got stopping before downstairs though lol).
Country work is another area where we are still working, but I think that
will come with experience etc. We are getting to knwo each other and
understand each of our needs. As we do this is getting better and better!

Trinity is sensitive and has a hard time with very harsh corrections. She
does well being trained on praise, but we like to use a clicker coupled
with a lickity stick for extra fun :)

Anyway, I"m sure that this rant was rather lengthy, but that's whats up
here in a nut shell :)

Hope you all are doing well. Hugs to your four legged friends

Danielle, Trinity, and D-mess.