[nagdu] Guide Dog Age and Retirement

Tue Jun 11 19:44:48 UTC 2013

Gary,

That's funny. Mitzi does the same thing at harness time, or she will go 
to my husband to "hide," knowing perfectly well he will catch her. Of 
course, if I throw down the harness in disgust and grab my cane to go 
without her, I don't stand a chance of getting out the door because of 
the poodle plastered to it. /lol/ The game seems to be important enough 
to her that I don't mind playing it. A couple of times she has pushed it 
too far, so I have up and left her home. That is the end of that! /lol/

I wonder, too, since use of poodles is a fairly new thing. Supposedly, 
they live longer than other large dog breeds. Will that have an impact 
on her working life? Or will her high-alert temperament shorten it? 
She's 7, so I'm wondering more. I also really want to owner-train again, 
so that is a big head scratcher. When do I get a pup? I'm tentatively 
planning on next summer, supposing I find the right one when I really 
start looking. Then what do I do if Mitzi doesn't want to retire when 
the new pup is ready? So I'm pondering whether to wait longer on getting 
a new prospect, figuring I can just cane it if there's a gap between 
dogs...

I was beginning to think she was slowing down already, but it turns out 
she had bladder stones, which are being removed as we speak. So I guess 
I can expect her to be full of bounce and vim once she recuperates. Whew!

Tami

On 06/11/2013 12:30 PM, GARY STEEVES wrote:
> Hello all:
>
> This is a topic I'm keenly interested now that I have my dog and he is aging. Bogart is still young at 5 but, being that he is my first guide dog, I'm trying to learn more about what the end of his career will look like. A term I keep hearing here is "slowing down". What do people mean by that.Bogart is a dog who likes to work but he doesn't excitedly run for his harness. In fact, when I put it in front of him and say in my happiest voice "harness bogart, harness" he often turns his head as far away from the darn thing as he can. I have a 30 second time line where I keep happily coaxing him to put his harness on before I just put it on for him. He usually comes around after he has felt that he has made his point. :) Remember, he is a poodle. So I'm curious of what signs to look for when he gets older. Bogart works in a city but also gets a lot of exercise enjoying the foothills on our frequent walks/hikes.
>
> I guess I'm looking for clues to help him be able to work as long as possible by how he lives his life now.
>
> Cheers
> Gary
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Darla Rogers <djrogers0628 at gmail.com>
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users' <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:01:33 -0600 (MDT)
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Age and Retirement
>
> Dear Ava,
>
> 	It may be getting close to retirement for your dear Coco, but there
> are no real answers to this; different dogs slow down at different rates,
> and I have been told by a couple of schools, dogs who work in very confusing
> usually urban environments tend not to work quite as long.
> 	I would try not to worry too much unless you know you want another
> dog as soon as you retire Coco; if this is the case, ask the schools you
> apply to how long they will hold on to your application materials; this
> could be a great way to get a tasks out of the way when you are thinking
> more clearly; you're not retiring her right now; you are merely putting
> yourself in a movable position to get another dog.
> 	Ultimately it is your choice, but if you have any real medical
> concerns, I would have her musculoskeletal system checked thoroughly and her
> eyes and ears.
> Darla & Precious Roxy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> avapup.7 at gmail.com
> Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2013 5:42 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nagdu] Guide Dog Age and Retirement
>
> Hi,
>
> I have a question I hate to ask, but I guess my curiosity overrides my not
> wanting to know.
>
> How old were others' guide dogs when they first began to slow down a bit,
> and how old were your dogs when you retired them? Does anyone have a guide
> dog who is still working (or has been in the past) at 9 years or older?
>
> My Lab guide Cocoa is 9 years old, and I know she is slowing down a bit.
> Though she still loves to work, her energy level is slowly dropping, and I
> am nearly certain she will retire perhaps by the end of this year, maybe
> early in 2014.
>
> My first dog retired at 6, but from a minor medical condition that didn't
> affect her quality of life a bit, just meant guiding wouldn't be the best
> idea.
>
> Is 9 young for a Lab to begin slowing down? Is 9 or 10 young for a Lab to
> retire? I will do what is best for Cocoa, and when retired, she will still
> stay with me at home, though I may wait to apply anywhere for a successor
> dog until (a long time from now) when she passes on, I'm not sure.
>
> I just don't know -- 9 sounds so young, yet so scarily old, for a big dog.
>
> Thanks.
> Ava and Cocoa
>
> Sent from my iPhone
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