[nagdu] Update From VA

[Jessica Diaz]

Hi Everyone

Forgive me for taking so long to write and will try to some up everything
that has been going on in to one message. My move to VA back in April went
smoothly. The dogs took time to adjust to each other but we got it worked
out. I still am working with Saunders not to mount my hubbys dog and he is
doing tons better. I started O&M and take my cane. Then a few days later I
go back and work with the dog. It just works so much better for me because I
must know everything around new areas that I will frequent. I feel I get
that feedback better with a cane. We have taken the Metro a few times and
Saunders does great. He does not like escalators and when I tell him to find
it he takes me to the steps right next door. If there are no steps he will
then take me a few feet in front of the escalator and stop. I think he is
saying do we have to do this? In the Metro stations it is so much better to
find escalators then elevators because they are centrally located. We will
get better on those hopefully, though I need to remember to put on his shoes
which I am bad about. I'm job searching and this last one was not in a safe
area. I did not know about it until I stepped off the bus. Even though we
crossed the same street a few times trying to find the building the company
was in, Saunders did great and followed my instructions. He probably was
thinking, mom you are totally lost. Last weekend he got his first amusement
park experience in Ocean City MD. He does not like crowds and kept moving
from one side of the board walk to the other trying to find a straight
enough path. I was surprised about how good he was. With all those balls
flying and games, I thought he would be nervous. The nervous part came on
Fri. night when he saw me on a roller coaster. He began to bark and I knew
it was him. I felt bad but I couldn't just jump off at 40 feet. When I got
down he flew at me and I decided to let him spend the rest of the weekend in
the hotel room. He loved it and was spread out on the bed on his blanket
watching animal planet. Are anyone else's dogs sensitive? Mine hates it when
I am in water and he cannot get to me. Also like at the park when he thinks
I am in danger. Thanks for reading our adventures.

Jessica