[nagdu] 2 things in one

[Daniel Sweeney]

Hi all,

In order to not clutter up the list with too many posts, I am putting a
couple of thoughts in one email.

 

The first one came to me yesterday when I was out with Cass in our nasty
Denver single digit weather. The walks were icy, snow-packed and some had
snow melt applied and some had sand or salt. When I was preparing to leave
my house in the morning the temperature was -4F, and Cass refused to walk in
her boots. She just lay on the floor and would not get up for love or money
- or the best food reward put to her lips. Since I had little time to deal
with this, I quickly applied my Musher's wax on the paws and got going. I
was making connections that were short since a friend was picking me up
close by. At one point during the day I realized CASs was pretty cold so I
stopped and took my t-shirt off and put it around her so she would have some
protection. It was actually a sweatshirt. I figured I had a coat on and I
could stand to lose a layer and be fine. That did the trick just fine. Then
I realized I had forgotten my Musher's and her paws were lifting off the
ground. I quickly sought a protected area with warmer walks which thankfully
I found pretty quickly. We waited a bit and then I decided to just call a
cab for the rest of the day. Through all of this ordeal I noticed when I put
the shirt on the girl, she put her head on my shoulder and then licked me on
my face as if to say "thanks, papa", and when I got home and started to get
us unpacked from the day, she stayed in place and did the same thing instead
of shaking herself off and cruising to the kitchen for her usual drink of
water and romp around the living room. She just stood there licking me while
I took my boots off and tried to get myself together.  It was as if she knew
I had a rough time of it and she knew I was trying to look out for her. Now
I know most of you already know I am a crazy guy to begin with, but don't
you think it might be a possibility? This brings me to my first question
(officially). If you could ask your guide dog 3 things about your
relationship, what would they be?

I know it sounds silly, but it IS close to the holiday, and it is on my mind
how our guides perceive their jobs, or if they do at all.

 

Secondly, it is the weekend so I can't contact my school about the boot
thing, but has anyone had a problem with their guide refusing to move with
them. She wore them last winter about 4 times is all? I know it is not her
favorite thing in the world, but she never refused to get up. I didn't think
I should pull her up or give her a more harsh correction than I did. I have
been faulted for not giving harsh enough corrections. I have improved on
that and Cass has improved completely in the areas I had been having issues
in the past. This was different. Cass is a "soft" dog, and I did not think
she deserved more than she got. So, I ask you for your thoughts on the
matter.

Thanks to all, and to all a good day. Oh, those darn holidays.

 

Daniel and Cass

 

BTW: Welcome to the newbies. I am Daniel in Lakewood, Colorado with Cass, my
second guide dog from GDB, Oregon. She is a yellow lab. She is everything my
first was not. He got me hit by a truck, but there was no hard feeling, only
sadness to lose him because he was the wrong match.

 

 

 

 

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips

Be careful to have it more fully in your heart

 

-- sT. fRANCIS OF aSSISI