NOTHING LIKE A NEW ENGLAND SNOWSTORM TO PROVE
THAT volunteering HERE IS NOTLIKE VISITING A SPA WHERE
PEOPLE LIE ABOUT SIPPING MARTINI'S IN TEH SUN... ADD HAVING A DOG
GET INJURED AND IT CAN BE DOWNRIGHT DEPRESSING. WE ARE
DEALING WITH more snow than was forecast and A SMALL
"_?TINY" FRACTURE OF A HIND LEG-- still trying to figure
out what to do about it... i hVE TEH XRAYS--- SENT EMAIL-- NOT BY THE BIG
SLIPPERY FLIMS OF YEARS GONE BY...
i am waiting to hear from george-- and a
friendly md i know...
*****
I SPENT AN HOUR ON THE PHONE TO THE GUY
FROM AUSTRALIA WHO IS STUDYING PUPPY RAISING. WE ARE DIFFERENT-- AND I HAD
TROUBLE ANSWERING HIS QUESTIONS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT APPLY. CERTAINLY WE
LET PEOPLE TAKE PUPS ON OVERNIGHTS-- BUT NOT THE SAME VOLUNTEER AND PUP TOO
MANY TIMES TOGETHER... I DON'T WAQNT THE PUP TO GET BONDED TO THE WRONG
PERSON.. A VOLUNTEER COULD TAKE A DIFFERENT PUP HOME EVERY NIGHT FOR 2
MONTHS AND WE WOULD NOT RUN OUT OF PUPS...
SHOCKING TO HIM WAS TEH SPOON
FEEDING, minimal iuse of a leash,, NOT USING OUR MUSCLES TO CONTROL
THE PUP --,.... OR DOG AT ANY AGE... MY BELIEF YOU CAN'T TRAIN
TRAINERS... YOU FIND THEM.... AT ANY AGE... AND SOME OF THEM \YOU
WISH WOULD FAil out of high school....
****
i did get a email from a puppy raiser for a
blind program.
MAY I PUT
THAT IN THE DD TOMORROW???
O..
****
Yes please share. :))
Good MORNING CARLENE.
I SO LOVE YOUR DAILY DOGGY!
I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR PHONE CALL TODAY, SHOULD
BE INFORMATIONAL AND FUN FOR ALL.
I THINK AT LEADER DOG WE HAD THE MENTALITY OF
DOGS MOVING UP IN CLASS, JUST LIKE FROM JUNIOR HIGH TO HIGH SCHOOL (FOR
EXAMPLE) OTHERWISE, IT WOULD BE DEVASTATING AS YOU SAY TO BREAK A BOND! IT WAS
MORE OF A GRADUATING/SCHOOL TYPE CLASS/THOUGHT. THE
PASSING ON OF A DOG WITH LOVE, TO THEIR NEXT
TEACHer
I AGREE THAT YOUR TRAINING STYLE WORKS WONDERFUL
FOR YOUR GREAT DANES, ESPECIALLY REGARDING MOBILITY ISSUES.
AS A PUPPY RAISER MYSELF, I HEAR WHAT YOU ARE
SAYING.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND HOWEVER, THE LEADER DOG FOR
THE BLIND PROGRAM DOES WORK FOR THEM ALSO. IT IS NOT PERFECT, BUT IT DOES WORK
VERY WELL,
AND IN A VERY *LOVING* WAY...
I WAS ALLOWED TO PASS MY TRAINED DOG CARLY, TO
HER NEXT MASTER AT HER GRADUATION. IT WAS TEARFUL FOR ME, BUT NOT FOR MY DOG.
CARLY BONDED VERY QUICKLY WITH HER BLIND MASTER
AFTER ONE WEEK AT THE SCHOOL TOGETHER. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT CARLY WANTED TO
START WORKING RIGHT AWAY. MY LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN BORING FOR HER, I'M SURE.
ALTHOUGH I NEVER SAW CARLY AGAIN PHYSICALLY, WE STAYED IN TOUCH BY PHOTOS AND
EMAIL FOR 12 YEARS.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM SO PROUD TO HAVE HELPED A
MAN GET HIS FREEDOM BACK AS AN ADMINISTRATOR AT A BUSY SEATTLE HOSPITAL. CARLY
WAS LOVED BY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE,
IF NOT MORE, AND ENJOYED HER LIFE IMMENSELY.
Thanks FOR READING
BARBARA M IN MICHIGAN
me/Bam.
you are wonderful to have done that... and
maybe labs can shift around better... maYBE WE COUDL LEARN TO SHIFT OURS
BETTER TOo. except what ain't broke don't fix...
and figuring out what could be
"easier" is usually detrimental to training
******
actually that bears repeating
,figuring out what could
be "easier" is usually detrimental to training..
if you are looking for
something easier - don't get involved with animals at all..... or
children...
i miss feeding the dogs at the tables--
that is a good exercise for them-- and when the interns left.....
:(
******
6 MONTHS WITH MY BEST FRIEND, MY OTHER HALF, MY BUDDY AND THE
ONE WHO KNOWS ME INSIDE OUT. ELVIS HAS BEEN A BLESSING SINCE DAY 1, IT HASN'T
ALWAYS BEEN EASY, I PUT THIS DOG THROUGH SO MANY CHALLENGES BUT EVERY DAY WE
HAVE GROWN STRONGER AND STRONGER. WE LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES AND MAKE THE MOST
OF EVERY DAY. ELVIS HAS CELEBRATED WITH ME IN MY HAPPIEST MOMENTS BUT ALSO HELD
ME IN MY WORST MOMENTS, HE HAS THE BIGGEST PERSONALITY AND LETS EVERYONE KNOW
THAT HE IS INDEED... THE KING!
JUST OVER 2 MONTHS AFTER BEING MATCHED I HAD SURGERY ON MY ANKLE
AND ELVIS IS THE REASON I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF BED TO TAKE A FEW STEPS SO
SOON AFTER SURGERY, HE THEN SPENT THE NEXT 4 MONTHS PULLING MY WHEELCHAIR
WHEREVER I ASKED, HE REMINDED ME ON THE DAYS I STARTED FEELING DEFEATED THAT
THERE WAS A REASON TO KEEP PUSHING THROUGH. ELVIS HAS BEEN WITH ME THROUGH
NUMEROUS HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS, PROCEDURES, MANY ER VISITS AND MORE HOSPITAL
APPOINTMENTS THEN I CAN COUNT. HE TOOK ON COLLEGE LIFE LIKE A CHAMP, EXCELLING
IN ALL CLASSES (ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT A FAN OF CHEMISTRY LAB!), HE GETS ME AROUND
CAMPUS, AROUND THE HOSPITAL, AROUND BOSTON AND ANYWHERE I WANT TO GO. HE LETS
ME KNOW WHEN I AM NOT FEELING WELL BEFORE I REALIZE AND MAKES SURE I LISTEN TO
HIM. HE BRINGS A SMILE TO MY FACE BUT ALSO EVERYONE AROUND US!
ELVIS DEFINITELY PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN HELPING ME AROUND THE
HOSPITAL BUT HE ALSO PLAYS A BIGGER ROLE IN LETTING ME LIVE MY BEST LIFE, A
LIFE LIVED TO THE FULLEST. WE HAVE FLOWN TO NORTH CAROLINA, WE HAVE GONE ON
NATURE WALKS ON UNEVEN GROUND, WE HAVE GONE MINI-GOLFING, HE HAS PULLED ME
AROUND BOSTON COMMON, WE HAVE GONE APPLE/PEACH/BLUEBERRY PICKING, TO RED SOX
GAMES, QUINCY MARKET, THE SCIENCE MUSEUM, THE AQUARIUM, BOAT RIDES DOWN THE
CHARLES RIVER, POLO GAMES, AND MORE. HONESTLY WE JUST TAKE ON EVERY ADVENTURE
THROWN OUR WAY, WITH ELVIS I AM NOT AFRAID TO TRY NEW THINGS KNOWING I ALWAYS
HAVE MY BUDDY WITH ME!
I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE FAMILY/FRIENDS WHO LOVE AND LOOK AFTER
ELVIS, I COULDN'T DO THIS ALONE AND I CERTAINLY DON'T. I AM ALSO SO GRATEFUL
AND AMAZED AT THE SDP FAMILY THAT CAME ALONG WITH ELVIS. I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE
THE BEST TEAM OF SUPPORTERS ALL THE TIME, THE MESSAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE
CARDS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT, THE COMMENTS PEOPLE MAKE TO US MEANS THE WORLD TO
US. ELVIS AND I HAVE ALSO MET THE MOST INCREDIBLE SERVICE DOG TEAMS ON THIS
JOURNEY WHO HAVE BECOME SOME OF MY DEAREST FRIENDS!
WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THANKSGIVING BEFORE THE CHAOS OF FINALS
THAT WILL FOLLOW. DECEMBER IS FULL OF FINALS, HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS, PROCEDURES
BUT ALSO CHRISTMAS AND MY BIRTHDAY (DESPITE THE FACT WE HAVE TO BE IN THE
HOSPITAL THAT DAY!) I AM ALSO HOPING I GET INTO A TREATMENT PLAN AT THE
HOSPITAL WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY GREATLY IMPROVE MY QUALITY OF LIFE. IT WILL BE 4
MONTHS BEING IN THE HOSPITAL AN EXTRA 2X A WEEK BUT I TRULY BELIEVE IT IS OUR
BEST NEXT OPTION AND I KNOW I WILL HAVE ELVIS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY SO HOPEFULLY
I WILL BE CLEARED TO START THIS.
I AM
EXCITED TO SEE WHAT ADVENTURES OUR JOURNEY WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE US ON. ELVIS
HAS CHANGED MY LIFE AS WELL AS EVERYONE AROUND US.
THANK
YOU ELVIS FOR MAKING THESE PAST 6 MONTHS WITH A SERVICE DOG SOME OF THE BEST MONTHS
NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES ❤️
