[NAGDU] {Spam?} Our Introduction

Marianne Denning marianne at denningweb.com
Tue Mar 15 22:59:09 UTC 2016


I love your story and welcome to the group.  I am also from OH and live in
Cincinnati.

On Tue, Mar 15, 2016 at 5:25 PM, Lisie Foster via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Hi!
>
> OK, I was a bit nervous to join the list though I've lurked for a
> while! I wasn't sure we belonged here; but, I sent a note to to the
> amazingly kind Marion Gwizdala who assured me that we would be welcome, and
> so here is our intro!
>
> My name is Lisie Foster (I'm using my middle name, for privacy
> reasons, since the list archives are public) and I'm partnered with my
> third hearing service dog and cross-trained guide dog named Finn. Finn was
> trained by a small ADI-affiliated school in Ohio, and because I live so
> close to the school, I was able to choose and "adopt" Finn as an
> 11-week-old puppy, become his puppy raiser, "co-trainer", and
> eventual partner! He's an almost 15-month-old, light blond Golden
> Retriever, 23" tall and just over 70 lbs. He is such a goofy, sweet,
> funny, intelligent dog and is the most gentlemanly dog I've ever met!
>
> The program that trained Finn taught us how to do hearing alerts and
> service tasks. Right now I have a severe hearing loss, but my hearing loss
> is variable and progressive, and it's impossible to know how far it
> will progress. It's caused by Meniere's Disease in combination with
> a pre-existing mild, genetic hearing loss.
>
> My hearing loss is strange. At high pitches and low pitches, my loss is
> severe/profound. So, I won't hear a fire alarm or tornado siren; I
> can't typically hear growling dogs or thunderstorms. But, the sounds in
> the middle ranges -- like people's voices, especially women's --
> are still in the moderate loss range. So, as long as I can see the person
> talking, and the environment is fairly quiet, I'm able to follow along
> fairly well.
>
> He also helps with medical assistance because the chemo treatments I
> underwent in 2010-2011 caused permanent heart failure, so I have problems
> with exercise intolerance and fatigue, despite being on two medications.
> But, because of Finn, I was able to go from walking about 100 feet alone to
> now, easily walking 1/2 mile with him walking in guide position, either
> while guiding or while exerting the same pull that he does while guiding
> (he never pulls me, like a mobility dog might; instead, just a straight
> pull into harness somehow counteracts the fatigue I experience).
>
> Next, to show how Finn is even more eerily mature when working, he is also
> cross-trained as a guide dog. I did this part of his training; he's
> actually the third dog I've trained as a guide. Knowing my vision had
> the potential to deteriorate due to progressive myopia, I studied, learned,
> and worked to teach both of my first hearing service dogs to guide, as
> well. But, Finn is my first true guide dog. Even though he doesn't
> guide full-time, he loves every chance he gets to guide (usually every
> night) and performs this role beautifully. The rods in my eyes are damaged
> either from progressive/degenerative myopia and/or radiation, chemo, and
> the adjuvant medical treatments which didn't fully end until early
> 2015. This means I have a severe deficit in night vision; I can't see
> well enough to navigate in dim and dark conditions on my own. I am nearly
> totally blind, but with light perception, under those conditions. But, my
> daytime,
>  best-corrected central visual acuity is still 20/30 (decreasing but at a
> much slower rate). The night-blindness I experience is a strange condition:
> I can't walk around my own neighborhood at night without my dog
> guiding, a person walking with me, or without using a cane to navigate,
> unless I'd like to fall (which I have *grins*). But, once I come into a
> brightly-lit area, my vision goes back to 20/30. So, say I'm on a long
> walk at night and, after crossing a dark parking lot, I would reach a
> brightly-lit building. I'd have walked there and crossed the parking
> lot with Finn working as a guide dog, but then, after entering the store
> and allowing my eyes extra time to adapt to the change in lighting, my
> vision would go right back to 20/30, and Finn's role would change from
> guide dog to hearing service dog! Ha!
>
> I believe Finn thinks that humanity was created to adore him, to pet him,
> and for him to kiss, especially kids. The hardest part of for us has always
> been turning down people who ask to pet him, because it makes him so happy!
> But, I can only allow this to occur at the right time and right place, or
> else I end up with a Golden Retriever lying upside down, wagging
> exuberantly, with people petting his sparkly tummy feathers while his mind
> goes ... wherever Goldens minds go when they're being social Goldens!
> He has more than enough off-duty time -- most of his time is spent not
> working -- to be a totally unprofessional-looking sweetheart of a dog!
>
> His favorite toy is his plush soccer ball, which he once used to ease his
> gums while teething, but now still loves the feel of while holding it in
> his mouth. He prefers elk antlers over deer antlers, though if the deer
> antlers are an interesting shape, then he likes them a bit more, though I
> do have to stop him from throwing his antlers at me (he likes to throw his
> toys and his aim is far too accurate for his targets to be accidental -- he
> likes throwing his toys at me and into his water and even from across a
> room, he can do it).  He is equally adept at play and working retrieves, is
> an amazing swimmer who is a bit water-obsessed, is the only dog I've
> ever had who never slips on icy surfaces, is best friends with a yellow Lab
> who the demo dog at the program where we trained, and has had two dogs who
> he appointed his "girlfriends". I thought it was interesting that
> both of them, the only two dogs he's ever shown any romantic-type
>  interest in, were both black, female Golden/Lab crosses with fur more
> like a Golden's than a Lab's, and that one was a Service Dog in
> Training and the other was an adolescent being raised for CCI. He shows his
> crushes he loves them by constantly following them around, looking at them
> adoringly, and bathing their faces as much as they'll let him. It was
> an interesting day in advanced obedience class when the instructor had to
> call out both Finn and I, and his "girlfriend" and her raiser, to
> try to get Finn to pay attention to me while she was there. *laughs* I
> really didn't appreciate the day in that class, either, when Finn --
> who had won the "beginning obedience" class's contest to see
> which dog could hold a down-stay for the longest period of time -- broke a
> down stay first, then ran across the ring to his girlfriend, diving and
> sliding at her like a baseball player sliding headfirst into home plate,
> stopping
>  right at her face so he could bathe and worship her. Really, Finn?
> Really? I was mortified. It happened about six months ago, and I'll
> never forget it!
>
> I believe his favorite part of his "work" is guiding. Note: I
> put work in quotes because I don't think he quite realizes he's
> working; he enjoys learning, thinking, interacting, and what most would
> call working so incredibly much that it's actually a very integral part
> of his life and his existence. Without that, he would NOT be a very happy
> dog! I have tested his guiding under sleepshade, with and without
> simultaneously using my cane, and he is absolutely incredible. He stops at
> the apron of down-curbs, which at first I confused for him stepping into
> the street, but I soon realized was simply a part of his very precise way
> of working. Just last night, I realized that one obstacle he has always
> worked around, which I'd always assumed was a fallen tree branch on the
> sidewalk, was actually a place where lightweight overhead tree branches
> hangs down not to FINN'S level, but hang down to where thy would be an
> overhead obstacle
>  at MY level. He's done this for at least a month; I only finally
> figured out what it was last night because I happened to turn my head to
> the left and lean down at just that moment to check something on his
> harness, causing the branches to brush against the side of my head. I had
> no idea he was looking for overhead obstacles. I don't think I give him
> enough credit sometimes! Two weeks ago, now, we had our first natural
> traffic check and Finn responded as he'd been trained, acting so
> swiftly, decisively, and accurately that I hardly knew what was happening
> until, safely back against the curb we'd just stepped from with Finn
> beside me, I saw the lights of a car swing around the street corner and
> drive swiftly over the part of the street where we had just been crossing!
>
> That was a long introduction; I apologize for that! Sometimes, I think I
> could write for hours about my dog *grins*. Thank you so much for having me
> on your list, and if you've read my story before, but with a different
> first name, more than likely, it was me using my first name. But, out of
> concern for privacy and safety for my dog, I'm using my middle name
> online now instead. But, if you want to be sure of who I am, feel free to
> send me an off-list email and I'm glad to reply!
>
> Sincerely and thank you,
> Lisie and Finn
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Lisie and Finn, CGC, NTD
>
> Sent from my iPhone
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-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053



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