(VICT) Re: As One Era Ends, Another to Begin...
- From: "Shelley L. Rhodes" <juddysbuddy@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:41:14 -0400
Hey no offense karen,
Smile, after all I wouldn't in any right mind, smile, partner with a BC.
Smile.
You are right, my new golden girl is 22 in at the shoulder, much shorter
than Met.
Shelley L. Rhodes M.A., VRT, CTVI
and Guinevere, Golden lady Guide
juddysbuddy@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Guide Dogs For the Blind Inc.
Graduate Alumni Association Board
www.guidedogs.com
More than Any other time, When i hold a beloved book in my hand, my
limitations fall from me, my spirit is free.
- Helen Keller
----- Original Message -----
From: "metnme2" <metnme2@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Vi-Clicker" <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 1:30 PM
Subject: (VICT) Re: As One Era Ends, Another to Begin...
Thanks for asking the things you did and your
insights.
Firstly today is a horrible day- its like now that the
obstacle of permission to train here is out of the
way, it feels so wrong to my heart. Like that was a
safeguard keeping me from moving on. Its bizarre and I
don't understand it myself but isn't that the nature
of grief?
I also have been given the wide awakening of how my
community drove more safely, stopped more courteously
for Met and I as a team than they do for me...gee I
wonder if he gave people the BC stare or something!
LOL
For a short time I was planning on changing breeds. I
had my mom all set for a golden which they love but as
I read about various dogs in shelters it was like,
*yeah OK* when I read about goldens (sorry Shelley and
other golden handlers here)or other breeds, but I
smiled when I read about BC mixes. My heart has not
done a flip flop yet which is what I will use as the
go-ahead to look at a certain dog though there is a
lovely BC crossed with lab that sounds more BC in some
ways and lab in others... doesn't sound like it has
that reserved side towards people that is part of the
BC but definitely needs a job like BCs do. Mom said
his picture showed him to look more BC than lab but
she could see some lab in him- a bit fuller form than
a BCs chest etc. But...
The Shepherds owners actually found him... not great
people from what I understood and he definitely did
not want to go home. He liked the home he had for 4
days with a neighbor here. I don't want a pure
Shepherd though. If I stumbled across the perfect BC
mix and it happened to be crossed with shepherd- then
great but not a pure one LOL
I also know Met was a tall guy for even a BC mix
standing at 24 inches tall- taller than a number of
goldens even. It was a great height for us and I know
realistically that my dog will probably be shorter
irregardless of its mix. I am not thrilled by that
one...did I mention how great a height Met was for me
LOL
A lot of shelters and rescues do frown upon these dogs
being trained as service dogs. Been there before done
that. Went Elsewhere...
Someone I have known for years who has the *BC in her
heart* mentality also told me to also look into
private postings of BC mixes. Oft' times she said (she
used to do rescue) people will take in a BC mix not
realizing that even though its a mix these dogs really
need a job.... then they are trying to find it a new
home in the 6 month to 2 year age. Its worth a shot to
feel that possibility out too but I don't want to get
another handful of medical ordeals from the get go
either since these dogs would not have been medically
cleared like rescues and shelters do- though met was
medically cleared and he was not medically sound from
the get go (hindsite knowledge). Don't get me wrong, I
would probably stick it out just like I did with Met,
but my pocketbook deserves a break after all these
years of expense I dealt with caring for my most
wonderful sidekick.
But yeah... its probably gonna be a BC of some sorts.
I don't want to switch breeds for someone else, for
ease of training, or anything like that. I am going to
be with this dog hopefully for at least as long as I
was with Met and I want to love our partnership one
day and not have regrets. I know people who left their
breed of choice to try and minimize the hurt and they
could never really get into the partnership until they
chose to start over with their breed. I don't want to
have regrets so unless it becomes impossible to find a
good candidate or someone willing to give me a chance
with a BC... it will be another BC mix. I do have
history on my side where many strong advocates of
reference exist about what we were like, the extent to
which i would go...
Thats where my mind stands right now- now we need to
get my heart there...hmmmm
Karyn
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3:59 PM
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