[nagdu] First Year with Diamond!

[Shanna Stichler]

Hi everyone,

I forgot to write this earlier, what with being out of town yet again, 
but as of August 14, Diamond and I have been a team for a whole year 
already. The 1 year mark is key for me because the first year with a new 
dog is always the roughest. This was particularly true with Diamond, 
because I had a very hard time letting go of my previous dog and 
transitioning to a new, young, high-drive puppy who had to learn more or 
less everything about being a guide dog. Diamond and Nestle are polar 
opposites except in their love of guiding, and training a dog from the 
ground up was much more time-intensive than I expected. I thought I knew 
how much work it would be, but I don't think anyone really does until 
they actually start the process.

Having said that, I now am proud to have such a beautiful, brilliant dog 
at my side. She loves to work, and is a fun, interactive companion out 
of harness. She is my perfect match who is always up for an adventure 
and takes everything I ask of her in stride. Our next goals are 
performance titles, specifically obedience and tracking!

I hope everyone and your dogs are doing well.

Best,
Shanna and Diamond