[NAGDU] The first time you met your dog.

Sun Apr 15 04:11:58 UTC 2018

 Hi Julie, thank you so much for your story! I remember when I met Emmy for the first time. She jumped on me and licked my face. She was so happy to meet me! After I got back to my room, I sat down on the floor and cried for 10 minutes straight because she wasn’t my first guy dog. It’s amazing how one can be such an emotional wreck! It will be very interesting to see how things go this time. I will have almost 6 months between dogs. So I know I’ll be  ready and excited to meet up number three. On the other hand sometimes those emotions and the longing for the previous dog comes at the strangest times. My oldest daughter is just over the moon! Tonight she kept chanting new puppy new puppy! 
Tara

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 14, 2018, at 9:53 PM, Julie McGinnity via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> 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.
> 
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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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>> 
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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
> 
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