[nagdu] take me away!!!

Fri Sep 27 17:53:09 UTC 2013

Daniel and Darla,

I always check out the people who might be handling Mitzi when I'm not 
around, starting with the phone call for an appointment for grooming or 
vet. So i feel them out and ask questions or maybe say something to 
check their response to my blindness and to the guide dog notion.

Mitzi won't go with anyone who grabs her leash, which I have encouraged 
like mad! Even if I've made the appointment, if she seems anxious and 
unwilling to go with someone, I listen to that. When she was younger, 
she was always unwilling to go with anyone else, but I kinda learned to 
tell if it was anxiety about them or just her velcro getting extra 
sticky. /smile/

At the vet, I'm a little obnoxious if need be about being in the exam 
room with her if at all possible, though I ease up some when I'm 
comfortable with the staff. I haven't gotten to know the local vet very 
well, so I was a bit traumatized by having to leave Mitzi when we were 
diagnosing her stones and then she had to have surgery. But she still 
likes going to the vet, so it's all good! I had had the opportunity to 
see that the mutt puppy still liked the vet after being spayed there and 
getting shots, so that made me feel better about leaving Mitzi.

I always do explain that I use positive reinforcement and mention that 
she has some extra commands and that some have different meanings than 
from normal obedience. Then I quickly demonstrate a couple, like the "my 
hand" targeting, the difference for her between "down" and "off," and 
the hand signal for "up" or "on" for when they want her to go on the 
table. Well, I can show that while we're weighing her, although I'm not 
always good about figuring out actually where to have her stand. Then I 
make a mental note to find the scale for myself first, then by next 
time, I have lost the note. D'oh! /lol/

I like the mobile groomer we had before we moved over here, because I 
could stay in the van and chat while he worked on Mitzi. The two of them 
had quite the little love affair! He was also willing to let the puppy 
watch some of the process so that when it came time to do her nails, she 
was really excited to be like Big Sister! /smile/

Anyway, as I tell folks when I'm first thinking of making an appointment 
in a new place, I'm kinda neurotic about Her Poodleness. /lol/ I 
actually do laugh a bit after I say it. If they can be cool and laugh 
some, too, then I have a pretty good idea that they will be good with 
her and respect my wishes with her. If they treat me like I'm a idiot 
blind and also neurotic bat, then I know I don't want to deal with them. 
This neurotic blind idiot will go elsewhere with The Precious! /lol/

Tami

On 09/27/2013 08:58 AM, Darla Rogers wrote:
> Hi Daniel,
> 	I am not wild about my dog being away from me for any reason; they
> seem very good at Petco, as we have stayed in the store to buy other things
> and go back by grooming.  I'd know, especially with Huck, if he isn't being
> treated well, but actually the groomers here at my local Petco love Roxy and
> my rag doll cat, Wyatt, who can be a big pain but is very good for them.
> 	At the vet's office, I only let them take Huck because we hadn't
> made an appointment, and they seemed to be closing early or something; my
> personal feeling is you w2ouldn't let your child be away from you for an
> exam, and I don't want it for my dog.  conversely, parents and dog handlers
> can't be in the operating room if surgery is necessary for some reason.
> 	I am not certain why this is, but I'm hearing of more vets that take
> the dog to be examined; does anyone know why this is?
> 	I don't like it, at all, as we do have a special relationship with
> our dogs, beyond pet dogs--I'm not putting down the pet partnership, at
> all--but what if they give your dog a medication you aren't aware of or what
> it is, and our dog isn't safe to work afterword.
> 	This is really a sore subject with me.
> Darla & hardworking Huck
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of daniel
> Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 10:28 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] take me away!!!
>
> Hey guys! I've been following the thread on grooming costs (interesting
> thread for me). Anyway, how do yall react when you know you have to let the
> dog out of your perverbial sight? I know that the groomer is good with dogs,
> they know how to work with dogs, but, it's just so weird not having the dog
> by your side.Do yall give the groomers any special instructions because of
> the fact that your dog is a guide dog? Also, the same question at the vet. I
> really didn't like having to let my dog go for a vet exam.
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/djrogers0628%40gmail.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tami%40poodlemutt.com
>