[nagdu] Need advice on dog retirement planning

Fri Jul 18 00:51:05 UTC 2014

I am blessed in that every one of my retired Seeing Eye Dogs have resided
with one of my children. There are already plans in place for my oldest
daughter to take Wade when the time comes and hopefully that will be a long
time off since he'll only be turning 3 the end of this month. It's just so
very comforting to have my retired precious guides with a family member.
Second to that I would suggest someone whom you know or who your vet knows
who would provide a kind and loving home. 

Hope this helps a bit,

Kathy Davis

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle Antoine
via nagdu
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 8:38 PM
To: Shannon Dyer; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Need advice on dog retirement planning

Well, both of my retired dogs ended up in the same place. Fagin was to go to
my daddy but ended up on the land so to speak. My parents got a divorce and
they were next door neighbors. LOL! and my grandmother wouldn't let him in.
He lived 5 years in retirement and I can relate to Shannon. Eden has been
retired for 4 years now and I am hear with her. My mother has decided that
she doesn't want dogs inside anymore so that is why I haven't replaced yet.
I had coworkers willing to take Fagin but I left work to raise my son and
shortly after we moved to a new city. Thanks Mrs. Maureen!

Truthfully, I was going to give Eden back to the school for placement but
they allowed me to keep her. I really did need her as I was going through
many many life changes and transitions at that time. Know that this is never
an easy decision to make. Hugs to you and prayers that you will be led in
the right direction.

Danielle and Eden, who says "Woof! Woof!" to Hammer and Ace

On 7/17/14, Shannon Dyer via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi, Alysha.
>
> This is such a hard thing to have to go through. I've done it twice.
>
> I kept my first guide. My partner took over most of her care, and that 
> worked out really well. We were on opposite schedules, so the dog 
> wasn't alone for long periods of time. This was especially important 
> since she was prone to having seizures.
>
> My second guide went to live with my grandmother after I retired her. 
> The plan was that my grandma would foster her until one of my aunts 
> could take her. Sadly, the Caroline dog died young and never did get 
> to live with my aunt.
>
> I had some trouble having Caroline cared for by my grandmother. She 
> let her gain a lot of weight and didn't groom her. I talked with her 
> about it, and she said she'd try to do better. I think Caroline would 
> have been better off with my aunt. I would have kept her myself, but 
> she was super possessive, and would have been very upset watching me work
with a new dog.
>
> I wish you luck with your decision.
>
> Shannon and the Acelet, who hopes his retirement won't come for a long 
> time On Jul 17, 2014, at 6:23 PM, Alysha via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I unfortunately think the time is approaching when it will be best 
>> for my first guide, Hammer, to retire. He's still healthy, but I've 
>> noticed him slowing down a lot and becoming more hesitant and less 
>> enthusiastic when he works. Sometimes, I take him for walks off 
>> harness with a sighted guide, and he seems to enjoy these outings 
>> much more than he does when he has to work.
>> So I'm evaluating my options for what to do when he retires, and I 
>> was hoping those of you who have gone through this process before 
>> could share how you decided your dog's retirement plans and how it worked
out.
>>
>>
>>
>> I've always wanted to keep Hammer for his entire life. I think it 
>> would make the process of getting a successor dog a lot less 
>> emotionally draining for me, and he would be able to stay in a 
>> familiar environment with me. I know with me he will always eat the 
>> best food and get the best vet care possible.
>> He is very laid back, and I honestly don't think he would be upset 
>> seeing another dog working with me. But I have a full-time job, so he 
>> would be alone all day. I would likely have to get a dog walker to 
>> come in the middle of the day because he is a frequent reliever. I 
>> live in a condo, so I don't have a yard or lots of space for him to 
>> run and play. I have two pet birds, and I'm afraid I might be spread 
>> a little thin with having the two birds and two dogs.
>>
>>
>>
>> My aunt and uncle have expressed interest in adopting Hammer after he 
>> retires. They're huge animal lovers, have a ton of land in Nebraska, 
>> and my aunt owns her own accounting business so could take Hammer to 
>> the office with her to hang out during the day. After my grandfather 
>> passed away, they took care of his elderly dog and were quite patient 
>> and good with him until he also passed away. She has a new rescue dog 
>> now though who acted aggressively toward Hammer and made him very 
>> nervous on our last visit.
>> I'm
>> not sure if the dogs would get used to each other or if it would be a 
>> continuing problem. I live in Virginia, so I can't really work on 
>> introducing them over time. I know another great family who might be 
>> interested in adopting Hammer after retirement, but they work 
>> full-time, so Hammer would be alone during the days there too.
>>
>>
>>
>> I just want to do what's best for Hammer, but I'm having a tough time 
>> figuring out what that might be! So I'd love to hear your experiences 
>> and any advice anyone might have about this huge decision. Thanks for 
>> reading!
>>
>>
>>
>> Alysha
>>
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