[nagdu] Confessions of a Wayward Guide Dog

Wed Sep 16 13:07:10 UTC 2015

Yes, even though I have retired a couple of dogs before, I always struggled
with it. Finally Spencer quit in the Minneapolis airport. I have discovered
that I may be a little impatient with Fisher, too, so I expect I will give
it a little more time and effort. I have always found that working alone was
really the best. We do so much with other people though. He was distracted
downtown last week when I was alone, and that was a little unnerving. I just
don't know. When you end up doing a lot of things with others, it seems your
dog's work suffers a little, or maybe a lot. Always something.
Cindy Lou Ray
cindyray at gmail.com

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
via nagdu
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 7:51 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Confessions of a Wayward Guide Dog

Hi Cindy.
I think this is a great idea, and I hope it works out for you.
I have come to the conclusion that, if I want to do any team-building or
work on anything, I'm a lot better off doing it alone or with a real dog
person.  Sighted friends and family are just not helpful.  They get
impatient or critical.  They don't want to wait while I re-work something,
do obedience, or whatever.  If we come to an obstacle, and I want to let the
dog figure it out, anyone with me tends to wait 1 second, then declare the
dog isn't getting it and rush ahead to show him how to go, which does
nothing to teach him he can figure it out himself.  Working alone can be
harder, sometimes, but I find it a lot less stressful, even if I'm not
working on anything particular and just taking a walk.

I hope a bit of work with Fisher can get him back on the
straight-and-narrow.  Or he may really be ready to retire.  It's easy to
second-guess, and decide one day he's ready, and the next day maybe not.
I'm sure you know this, but somehow the decision is hardly ever clearcut and
easy.
Good luck.
Tracy

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via
nagdu
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2015 11:52 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Cindy Ray
Subject: [nagdu] Confessions of a Wayward Guide Dog

Hi, I'm Fisher, Cindy Ray's guide dog. And I have some confessions. I've
heard people say before that confession is good for the soul. So I decided
while Cindy and I were out on a hot and humid walk that I would talk to all
of you about me. After all, that's who it is about.

So I came here in 2008, almost Christmas time, and I truly wanted to work
with CindyWhen . Cindy wanted that, too, because Wayne . well we won't enter
him into the equation. Anyhow, so we did well together. Cindy had a little
job and we went to work and had a fine time of it. But after Cindy stopped
working, we didn't go out as much.

We soon had a whole family-me, I'm the oldest, smartest, and best-and then
Libby who looks a lot like me. Then there is Isabel who is a cockerpoo and
really very demanding. We have fund together, barking at each other, chasing
one another around, and guarding the house against things like neighborhood
dogs, squirrels, cats, people who cross our yard, and rabbits. 

I have a rather fun hobby. Not sure why I do this, but when I see a dog I
haven't met yet I bark with this really deep bark designed to scare
people-and maybe dogs, too-to death. When I do this. Sadly, sometimes I pull
Cindy down, though honestly this isn't my intent. But I have done this in
streets before. I guess that wouldn't inspire a person's confidence, would
it.

Anyway, we have gone out less and less, and Cindy doesn't take me to
conventions anymore. We go out to eat with friends sometimes and we go to
church, but we don't do anything great. A few times someone has come to
visit us from our school, but every time we haven't found a dog for mee to
bark at anywhere. Maybe we should have worked on busy streets, too.

So last week a lady came to work with Cindy and we walked to this busy
street. I first of all had to stop and really give the ground a good sniff.
I had practiced that when we went out for the anniversary dinner. So I did
that and, of course, got into trouble. Then we got to the street, and being
a curious sort, I was going all around sniffing and trying to figure out
what I was going to do. I was not paying attention to the part where she was
trying to get me to line up with that street. Wee went around all the
corners and came back. The lady with us was truly not impressed.

When we go out with my friend, Linda, whom I love a lot and greet with
sincere joy whenever she comes around, I follow her. It's so much easier
that way because I can just do whatever she does and not work so hard.

I'm nine years old now, so Cindy began to think maybe I was tired of
working. She called her school, but to date she hasn't been able to speak
with anyone there. So this morning we went out for this walk. It was hot and
humid, so the walk was kind of short. We went alone. There was no one to
follow, no one to be impressed or not. I stopped a few times to sniff, but
when she corrected me, I did exactly what Cindy wanted. I stopped at the
street corners and was quick to get lined up to cross. We didn't do busy
streets. You know, maybe if I have this challenge of working with Cindy
alone and if I'm good, maybe I will keep on working a while. I felt good
about the trip. Maybe someone will have to come visit us from the school,
but maybe I had a little structured discovery this morning. Maybe I learned
working isn't so bad. After all, I get to go places those other two dogs
only dream of going. So I hope Cindy will reconsider and decide for sure she
is going to take me to Utah Thursday. I may try to go for somebody's pets,
but I think I will try very hard to be a good guy because I love to please
my girl.

Fisher Ray

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