[nagdu] Middle-aged Ben

Sat Sep 24 23:30:34 UTC 2011

I'm the same way, Archie is 4 now. And something tells me, He will be as 
activ when he is 10, As he is now.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2011 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Middle-aged Ben


>I am not fond of thinking of five as middle aged because Fisher is five, 
>and the time goes by so quickly. So I'm thinking of him as a younger older 
>dog. LOL.
> Cindy
>
> On Sep 24, 2011, at 8:22 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>
>> Hi Tami.
>> 5 doesn't count as middle-aged in my book.  I know labs and goldens 
>> who've
>> worked until past 11.  On the other hand, my first dog opted for
>> retirement around 7, so one never knows.  Hopefully, Mitzi has only just
>> gotten started.  Older dogs are great.  They know what's expected; they
>> get almost telepathic with their handler; and they don't get so easily
>> distracted.  And then they start slowing down.  Bummer.  But it's great
>> while it lasts.
>> Echo has certainly adjusted well to being spoiled by my husband.
>> Tracy
>>
>>> Well, she turned 5 this summer, and I don't believe that one for
>>> second. /smile/ Poodles mature later and live longer than other large
>>> breed dogs, so if she qualifies as being middle-aged, she sure doesn't
>>> let it show. /lol/ When we get to the park during times when there are
>>> yearling's and other under threes, I will listen to the activity and
>>> observe as it moves around, marveling that my dog is now a grown up! So
>>> mellow, theses, so settled, not so bursting with out of control energy.
>>> Not so wild an crazy... It will suddenly occur to me that familiar
>>> jingle sound accompanied by a flit of black should have been cluing e in
>>> to the fact that my mellow old dog, on the verge of decrepitude is not,
>>> in fact, lying quietly in the shade while her joints freeze up. She's
>>> pretty much the wildest most active creature in the park and perhaps a
>>> mile or so in any direction. /lol/ When the pups wear out and leave, she
>>> will be throwing the ball to me to kick and throw so she can run after
>>> it and around and throw it up and catch it before whizzing back for
>>> another round... Until another wave of energetic pups come in for her to
>>> run circles around... OMG!
>>>
>>> Still, it is sobering for me to think that she has been a career girl
>>> for long enough that she is just getting into her prime for the next..
>>> what? 4 years? 5? Poodles are new enough on the guide dog scene, I don't
>>> think there's a really good barometer yet for planning ahead for rule of
>>> thumb retirement age. Still, I'm thinking that I can reasonably plan to
>>> start looking more closely for those signs that she is wearying of the
>>> job and begin to finalize my plans for her retirement so I am prepared
>>> when she's ready to give me her letter of resignation. /smile/ That's
>>> going to be just plain weird for me, since it will be my first
>>> retirement and replacement. But DD is quite happy to assume that he will
>>> have a Mitzi poodle then to spoil and coddle to his heart's content. I
>>> have a feeling she will adapt to this without too much difficulty. /lol/
>>> Whether I will or not is another question!
>>>
>>> Tami
>>>
>>> On Fri, 2011-09-23 at 15:04 -0400, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>>>> Tami, darned if I know how he got to be middle-aged!  But here he is,
>>>> going to be 7 in a couple weeks.  Amazing!
>>>> I guess Mitzi must be middle-aged, too, though that seems crazy.
>>>> Tracy
>>>>
>>>>> Tracy,
>>>>>
>>>>> Mitzi says to tell Ben the Laveau style with all the extras is *very*
>>>>> comfortable! She believes it is as comfortable as the sports style.
>>>> She
>>>>> likes it! /grin/
>>>>>
>>>>> How'd Ben get to be middle aged when I still think of him as a young
>>>>> dog? /lol/
>>>>>
>>>>> Tami
>>>>>
>>>>> On Fri, 2011-09-23 at 13:10 -0400, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>>>>>> Thanks Buddy.  This is exactly the kind of thing I needed to know.
>>>>>> Benny
>>>>>> is slowing down a bit, now he's middle-aged, so I do have to be
>>>> careful
>>>>>> not to overwalk him sometimes.  The Laveau sounds like it might be
>>>> what
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> want.  I like the TSE harness, but I think a Pawpower harness will be
>>>>>> handy to have.
>>>>>> Thanks for your input.
>>>>>> Tracy
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hey Tracy,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You're right: the total freedom of movement in the sport style
>>>> harness
>>>>>>> handle does require some care, as you can, if not careful, over
>>>> walk
>>>>>> your
>>>>>>> dog. It seems unlikely that the handle would flip up in the way you
>>>>>>> indicate, although I suppose that is a possibility, albeit a slim
>>>> one.
>>>>>>> However, the handle does move far enough that it could literally go
>>>> up
>>>>>>> over your dog's nose, but the backward pressure as your dog moves
>>>> and
>>>>>> as
>>>>>>> you move would probably preclude this. Though it would be very
>>>>>> possible to
>>>>>>> over walk if you're not careful. The advantage is that you can make
>>>>>>> extremely tight turns.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> It's not on the sight, but order the sport harness, and in the
>>>>>> comments,
>>>>>>> ask Bob to make you the Laveau style. This is a sport style with
>>>>>>> stabilizer loops. I have one for Leno and absolutely love it. The
>>>>>> loops
>>>>>>> keep the handle at  a natural angle, the handle can't go up over
>>>> your
>>>>>>> dog's head, but you still feel all the movement through the
>>>> shoulders
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> way the straps are configured. Truly, I think the Laveau style
>>>> gives
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> best of both styles. It definitely has a different feel from the
>>>>>> standard
>>>>>>> American harness as you'd get from school. You really feel, not
>>>> only
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> pull into the front of the harness, but also the shoulder movement
>>>> to
>>>>>> some
>>>>>>> extent. I quite like it.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> To tell you the truth, the only real reason I wanted another
>>>> harness
>>>>>> was
>>>>>>> the removable handle. It's the one feature of Seeing Eye's
>>>> harnesses
>>>>>> that
>>>>>>> I wish we had but don't. I don't have any issue with their name on
>>>> the
>>>>>>> back strap or anything of that nature. So, yes, the harness with
>>>> loops
>>>>>>> still has a removable handle. Just thread the handle through the
>>>>>> loops,
>>>>>>> then snap it together. The plastic backpack type fasteners that Bob
>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> Rox'e use are surprisingly sturdy; I think you'd have to try pretty
>>>>>> hard
>>>>>>> to damage one. Now having said that, beyond the removable handle, I
>>>>>> really
>>>>>>> enjoy using my Paw Power harness. It's lightweight, gives great
>>>>>> feedback,
>>>>>>> and looks sharp. Definitely count me as satisfied. And I got mine
>>>> with
>>>>>> all
>>>>>>> the options: reflective tape and padding, I mean. Bob assures me
>>>> the
>>>>>>> reflective tape is sewn on, not glued, so it will hold up just fine
>>>> in
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> laundry.
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>>>>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Sep 23, 2011, at 10:56 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm thinking about getting a Pawpower harness.  It would be nice
>>>> to
>>>>>> have
>>>>>>>> something I can throw in the wash, especially with winter crud
>>>> coming
>>>>>>>> along.  I'd also like something where I could detach the handle.
>>>>>>>> What I'm not sure about is which to get, sport or standard.  I
>>>> need
>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>> be
>>>>>>>> able to tell instantly when Ben is stopping for traffic or dodging
>>>> a
>>>>>>>> pedestrian.
>>>>>>>> I'm a little worried that, with the sport, the handle might flip
>>>> over
>>>>>>>> his
>>>>>>>> head.  I'm a little worried that, with the standard, it would be
>>>>>> harder
>>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>> take the handle off and on because of the stabilizer loops.
>>>>>>>> What do those of you with Pawpower harnesses have to say?
>>>>>>>> Tracy
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>> for
>>>>>>>> nagdu:
>>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/buddy%40brannan.name
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>> for
>>>>>>> nagdu:
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/carcione%40access.net
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>> nagdu:
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast.net
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>> nagdu:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/carcione%40access.net
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nagdu:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast.net
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nagdu:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/carcione%40access.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nagdu:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gmail.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/srobertson%40roadrunner.com