[nagdu] New dog... Err.. Not-so-new, now!

Jen&Nixon jenandnixon at gmail.com
Mon Feb 18 20:41:18 UTC 2013 

Aiken is trained on my right as I have a left shoulder that I've dislocated
over six times, and now have arthritis on that side, plus it can easily
dislocate easily. 

I should also share, as I forgot, not only am I severely vision impaired;
but I'm also quite hard-of-hearing or deafblind, as the proper label is in
Canada *grin* 


Jen McEachen and Aiken
Pampered Critters Pet and House Sitting Services
Prince George, BC
pamperedcritters at gmail.com / www.pamperedcritters.ca 
"Like" us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pamperedcritters
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Janice Toothman
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 5:36 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] New dog... Err.. Not-so-new, now!

Hi Jen,
I am curious. If you don't mind sharing, the reason Aiken was trained to
work on your right side? Thanks in advance.
Janice
On 2/17/2013 7:07 PM, Jen&Nixon wrote:
> *Note, I ended up being long-winded!*
>   
> Well, Marsha asked for it, so thught I'd do it publicly instead, so 
> all is aware... I tend to read the group more since I'm always 
> "fur"ever behind messages, I run my own business plus have two 
> volunteer jobs (volunteer resources coordination is my main duties at 
> both places, Red Cross and Canadian Cancer Society). I have other 
> minor stuff I do as well and live at my own place after so many years 
> with my parents for so long until an apartment came along, which was a 
> complete fluke! I had watched the building get constructed beside the 
> Red Cross I volunteer at; which originally was going to be for 
> seniors, until they opened up the application for people with 
> disabilities... I was on a house-sit job in April 2012, saw the ad in 
> the paper, shared the information with my mother, who couldn't grab 
> the article fast enough and pull out her phone fast enough in sheer 
> excitement... LOL! A month later, I was packing up moving! April was 
> also the month I found out there was a suitable match for me, for Dog 
> #3. Nixon retired in February 2012. My chaotic lifestyle wasn't going 
> well for Nixon and he was getting up in age as well (He'll be 10 in 
> May). I unpacked and make sure all was ready before I left for San 
> Rafael, in two weeks. I was pretty much burnt out after three weeks 
> training due to the unexpectedness of everything that was happening in my
life at the time, I even took a week off from work after I got back from San
Rafael.
>   
> Training did go well, although due to my knowledge of dog training, I 
> think I intimidated my instructors, including the apprentice that was 
> matched up to work with me, who was 7 1/2 months pregnant! I wondered 
> how she was keeping up with me in class! My stomache couldn't handle 
> the food (we were staying in the hotel during the new dorm being 
> rebuilt), safety issues, plus my sinuses acting up to high gear (none 
> of these are an issue at the Oregon campus, and may request this, even 
> if it takes far longer to find that suitable dog that best meet my 
> needs and re-train the dog on the right side). I applied for a new dog 
> in the summer of 2011, when I started to see signs of Nixon's work 
> starting to slip so started to work him only on a part-time basis and 
> only routes he knew well and could do well. It was almost a year 
> before I got a class date due to the Canadian winters, they don't feel 
> comfortable sending Canadians down, but I am hoping they will 
> re-consider in the future especially if I narrow the campus down next time
around, as finding that right dog that best fit my needs take time.
>   
> Aiken has been trained to guide on my right side. He's a spunky, 
> funny, stubborn, and absolutely adorable 2-year-old golden / labrador 
> cross. His personality is the complete opposite of Nixon. Nixon is so 
> mellow and slow and just takes things in with a grain of salt. Aiken 
> has challenges that I can work with, due to my dog-training knowledge, 
> and the staff knew I could handle a dog with the personality he had. 
> Since he's a cross, he does have the spookiness tendency and 
> stubbornness when it comes to wanting to go one way, when I really am 
> insistent going the other direction. Since my schedule is *NEVER* the 
> same each week or even day, he strives so well on that. His tail 
> *NEVER* stops wagging as he guides me. The bond took quite a while to 
> kick in compared to Nixon, as it was love at first sight, and we had 
> *NO* issues what-so-ever. Aiken had some relieving issues, but it has 
> decreased enough that I can handle it and am able to live with it. He 
> doesn't relieve indoors, and has learned over time that you don't 
> relieve right in a middle of a crossing. We are coming up on our
anniversary in June as a team, and we are doing *EXTREMELY* well.
>   
> One of my favourite pictures that mother sent me when Aiken went to 
> the "farm" for a few days while I was on a pet sit job (the dogs when 
> they met weren't comfortable having Aiken on the premises...), Aiken 
> and Nixon were curled up on the couch together. It was absolutely 
> adorable. I'm willing to send it if anyone wants to see it ... there's 
> enough contrast on it for those who are low vision. Nixon doesn't like 
> to play so Aiken learned early on, you can't play with him, and Aiken 
> is very playful ... once he does the labrador loops, he can be under 
> control easily and quickly... lastly, his house manners are 
> phenomenal! He doesn't touch food at all on my table, or if I spill 
> his own food on my floor, he will just sit there and stare at me, "Whatcha
do that for???" LOL!
>   
> So, there's a novel of Aiken... yes, I know it is funny I have another 
> famous person's dog name... Richard Nixon and now Clay Aiken. LOL!
>   
> Jen McEachen and Aiken
> Pampered Critters Pet and House Sitting Services Prince George, BC 
> pamperedcritters at gmail.com / www.pamperedcritters.ca 
> <http://www.pamperedcritters.ca/> "Like" us on Facebook: 
> www.facebook.com/pamperedcritters
>   
>   
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