[nagdu] Good days and bad days...

Larry D. Keeler lkeeler at comcast.net
Wed Feb 19 22:15:14 UTC 2014


Oh, you'll have more days like that! I've had a few. I expect that soon, 
I'll have some more. We are having a minor thaw here. I consider it a 
prelude to mud season. Mud season is the one in which our noses, "dogs" have 
the most fun and are distracted the most. Oh boy! The squirrels, birds other 
dogs who will also be nosing and mud and water! And, all that garbage that 
was hidden in the snow! But continuing to be firm and somewhat understanding 
goes a long way! Scrounging is really hard to get out of the dog. The only 
thing that would concern me are those cigarette butts! To many of those and 
they could cause serious issues!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Daryl Marie" <crazymusician at shaw.ca>
To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 4:15 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Good days and bad days...


> Hi, all!
>
> Just wanted to share a little bit about this past week.  Jenny and I have 
> both been REALLY stressed the past month or so.  At home, we've had water 
> damage, so contractors have been coming in and out of the house with fans, 
> dehumidifiers, taking them away, cutting holes in the ceiling, 
> re-insulating the attic... needless to say it's been stressful.
> Add to that the stress of my starting a new job and the strain of two 
> recent trips away from home, and I have been frazzled and Jenny has not at 
> ALL been focused.
>
> On Saturday, things went really really well!  We had our first ever 
> traffic check, and Jenny behaved herself really well when in the presence 
> of another guide dog (she has a moderate dog distraction problem), even 
> when that guide dog stuck his head under her harness handle to give her a 
> sniff.
> Sunday... it all went to hell!  Jenny seems to think that scrounging is a 
> badge of honour, so it seemed like every ten feet I was correcting her for 
> that.  Then she went absolutely ballistic when my husband came to get me 
> from the bus... getting her to lay down and stay there was moderately 
> successful, but then when we walked to the car she picked up and ate a 
> cigarette but, while excitedly running and wagging her tail.  I gave her 
> the hardest leash correction I have given in my life, we went into the 
> car, came home...
> And then I took her for a pee, where she refused to go pee and scrounged 
> something else off the ground.  I took her inside, where she excitedly 
> wanted to say hi to my husband.  I very firmly told her no, to go to her 
> bed and to stay there.  Perhaps I should insert here that my trainer told 
> me that being firm and consistent with Jenny is something I need to work 
> on (particularly making my voice sound like "I mean business")... so each 
> time Jenny got up off her bed, I firmly told her to stay there.
> She wasn't there long - maybe ten minutes in total - and I don't know what 
> I did, really...
> But for the most part over the past three days she has been the most 
> angelic guide dog ever!  The scrounging has decreased exponentially, she 
> is walking steadily with me, something we have always needed to work on in 
> the slush, and I hope to God I never have another day like Sunday again. 
> I have Mommy guilt, quite likely unwarranted... but I feel a HUGE shift!
>
> Just thought I would share.
>
> Daryl and Jenny (the stinky sleepy dog)
>
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