[nagdu] Guide Dog Age and Retirement

Wed Jun 12 11:21:00 UTC 2013

Hi Gary.
Just FYI, I've been to 2 schools, and neither of them expected the dog to 
jump into his harness.  The emphasis your school puts on it surprises and 
amuses me.
Ben has always had to be badgered to get up and go to work.  He too needs to 
"make his point".  Sometimes, we sing him that old song "Charlie Brown". 
"He walks in the classroom, cool and slow.  Who calls the English teacher 
Daddy-o?  Charlie Brown, he's a clown ..."

Slowing down means working slower--going from working at a trot to working 
at a stroll. There's a limit for me of how much I can slow my pace and still 
be comfortable.  Also, in The City, there's a general pace of pedestrian 
traffic, and I don't like being the old lady holding things up, with people 
always pushing past me.  So, when Ben's pace slows too much for me, and he 
can no longer take the length of walk I like to take, I'll apply for a 
young, vigorous dog, and Benny can retire to the life of ease.  At least, I 
hope that's how it will go, and that our time together won't be cut short by 
illness.
Tracy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "GARY STEEVES" <rainshadowmusic at shaw.ca>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Age and Retirement

> 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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