[NAGDU] {Spam?} Our Introduction

Tracy Carcione carcione at access.net
Wed Mar 16 12:17:25 UTC 2016


Hi Lisie.
How marvelous to raise your own pup, and get help from a school in training
him!  He sounds great!  And I love his name.

I'm Tracy, with Krokus the golden/lab cross--the big blond.  He is my 7th
guide, and 2nd from The Seeing Eye.  He is 3 now, and still something of a
handful, though he's turning into a fine guide and pleasant companion. I
live in Jersey, and work in New York City.
Welcome to the list.
Tracy



-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lisie Foster via
NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 5:26 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Lisie Foster
Subject: [NAGDU] {Spam?} Our Introduction

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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