[NAGDU] The first time you met your dog.

Sun Apr 15 03:53:55 UTC 2018

This is a good question.

When I met my first dog, I was super excited and maybe a little
nervous.  My first dog, Brie, didn't really care for me at first.  I
had to earn her love.  Our first afternoon of bonding time was spent
together sitting by the door as she waited for her trainer to come
back.  Despite her indifference, I loved her from the beginning and
never doubted that we would be a good team.

My second and current dog...  O, he is night to Brie's day.  The
trainer brought him bounding in, his tail awag and his big heart ready
to love a new human.  It was I this time who didn't warm up right
away.  I missed my first dog, and Bill was and is...  everything she
is not.  He and I spent our first morning spinning in circles with his
bone between us.  I'm pretty sure I needed a nap before our first
walk.  And I was like, what did you give me?  Right from the start, I
was not pleased with his name, with his mailness, and with his crazy.
But slowly, I totally bonded with him.  I absolutely adore this giant
Labrador.  His pace and pull are perfect for me, and he has made me
laugh so many times when all I want to do is cry.

I say that Bill will never retire because I'm just not sure what to
expect anymore with getting a new dog.  You never really know how it
will go, and being up for anything is probably part of the game.

Julie<div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br />
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On 4/14/18, Sandra Johnson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Tara:
>
> What a coincidence that you asked  this question today.  Exactly 4 years ago
> today April 14th I was at Pilot Dogs meeting Eva, the 14 month old golden
> who would be my new guide.  Leading up to class I had a lot of mixed
> emotions.  I was very sad to be retiring Tara my 8 year old golden due to
> advanced hip dysplasia and cataracts.  I had begun the process of getting a
> new dog in early 2013 as I noticed that Tara's eyes and hips were getting
> worse.  I had a fear that Tara might be my last guide dog.  I have multiple
> sclerosis and arthritis which drastically effects the distance and speed I
> can walk.  Tara's guide dog school had made it clear that just because I was
> currently successfully working one of their dogs it did not guaranty I would
> be accepted again.  They did not accept me so I began the long difficult
> search for another school.  As the months went on I received many rejections
> because the schools felt I could not walk far enough or fast enough to be
> successful with a guide dog.  I had almost given up when I sent in the last
> application.  Fortunately Pilot Dogs did not feel that way.  Just two weeks
> after they received my medical forms they called to say they had a dog for
> me.  I was told they had a wonderful little female golden who walked slow
> without pulling.  They felt she was a perfect match for me.  I was thrilled
> because I always request female golden retrievers and her pace and pull were
> exactly what I had requested on my application.  I felt it was a miracle
> meant to happen just at the right time.  .  As I called family and friends I
> was crying with tears of both joy and sadness.  The sadness was for Tara's
> retirement and knowing I had to find her a new home.  The Joy was for a
> school that believed in me and the perfect little golden who I would meet in
> 2 weeks.  The new match had come so fast that I had not even found a new
> home for Tara.  My parents kept her while I went to class.  As I was loving
> my new guide I was missing my old one at home.  I would hug Eva but at the
> same time feel guilty for loving her and not being with Tara.  Fortunately
> once I got home I did find a wonderful home for Tara with an elderly lady
> who needed a loyal loving companion and did not want to start with a young
> puppy.  Lucy and Tara fell in love with each other immediately.  Now 4 years
> later Tara is 12 and doing fine.  I still miss Tara but am very glad her hip
> pain is under control and that even though the cataracts have continued to
> grow she can still see out of part of her eyes.  The vet says that since I
> let her retire while her sight was still good, for a pet but not a guide,
> she has had plenty of time to adjust to her new home before her sight got
> worse.   Due to lack of transportation I do not get to see Tara but I know
> she is loved and getting excellent care.  My 4 years with Eva have been
> wonderful.  Right from the start I knew she was perfect for me.  Retirement
> is always an emotional time for me but somehow I get through it.  As a guide
> dog user for the past 43 years I have gone through many retirements and
> adjustments to new dogs.  It is always very emotional and stressful so don't
> worry if your emotions are all over the place.  As guide dog users we have
> to deal with the retirement issues.  As you begin your journey with your new
> dog I wish you all the best.
> Sandra and Eva
> SLJohnson25 at comcast.net
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tara Briggs via NAGDU
> Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2018 11:41 AM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Tara Briggs
> Subject: [NAGDU] The first time you met your dog.
>
> hi all! I’m hoping that some of you will share stories with me about the
> first time you met your dog. What were you thinking and feeling before you
> met your dog? How did the meeting go? I remember when I met my second, and
> recently retired dog Emmy. Emmy was over the moon! She jumped on me and
> happily licked my face. It seemed like she knew that I would be her forever
> person. For those of you who have owner trained, I would love to hear your
> stories as well and how you made the selection  of the dog you would train.
> Tara
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
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-- 
Julie A. McGinnity
President, National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division,
Second Vice President, National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
"For we walk by faith, not by sight"
2 Cor. 7