Showing posts with label Labrador Retriever. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Labrador Retriever. Show all posts
Friday, December 31, 2010
Happy New Year 2011
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
More Bars in More Places
This really is about the Wednesday morning Open/Utility class. Like just about everything else in my life it seems the things I don't plan for, those things that just sort of happen or just grew are always the best. My Wednesday morning Open/Utility class is one of those just grew things.
It started out with two students who traveled a fair distance to study under me. They wanted Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) obedience titles on their dogs. This is my Intermediate level class. Both dogs already had their Companion Dog (CD) titles. The Novice class is where I normally teach the necessary requirements for basic living and it is those basic living skills that are the basis of the Companion Dog title.
The problem was the same as is always is when I face students in this condition. While it is true the CD was earned and in their cases, with good scores, the foundation was so weak unless we went back and rebuilt there was going to be no way I could give them what they wanted in a reasonable manner of time, if at all.
So they stayed. I taught and they were both good, diligent students with good dogs. The strongly rebuilt foundation made it possible to move on in a timely fashion and the CDX's were earned fairly quickly and with good scores. Then it was on to Utility Dog (UD). Meanwhile, a friend and her dog joined the class for a time. A couple of my Novice students joined the class.
The original two students completed the Advanced material (Utility Dog) and moved on to the really difficult stuff. Learning the art of keeping a dog's spirits up, keeping it enjoyable and at the same time building in more and more reliability, stamina and precision. In due time both dogs had completed the requirements for a Utility Dog Excellent (UDX) and shoot, if you are going to do that then might just as well finish up with an Obedience Trial Championship. So they did.
Of course, more students from my novice class and/or my retrieve class joined this lovely mid-week class. So here's what this bunch looked like this morning. It was cold and blustery outside, while inside in my little training studio six dogs and six humans were warm, comfortable and doing a nice mixture of new and difficult tasks along with comfortable and easy tasks. Here they are doing the down/stay part of a set of stays.
Seeing as how none of us seem to be able to "just train" we all agreed it would be fun to play around with the dumbbell visit again. So we lined everyone up and left them doing a sit/stay with a twist. Everyone one holding their dumbbell.
For those of you who might be wondering or perhaps don't recognize all the breeds. From the left they are Standard Poodle, Caruso; Doberman, Sanity; Labrador, Pete; Brussels Griffon, Cabot; Yorkshire Terrier, Ellie and Maltese, Rugby.
While it is true I could have just used one shot instead of three, it just seemed like it would be more interesting to show three of the 9 taken. See, while they were working on holding the sit/stay and the dumbbell we were all dashing back and forth, jumping up and down, making silly noises and just about anything else we could think of. Sure its true that the silly humans were either supplying distractions or just playing the fool. Meanwhile, the dogs were getting a chance to learn what I think of as 'steady under fire'.
It actually wasn't until later when I finally load the pictures on my computer that Sam and I both realized we had the beginnings of an AT&T commercial. In this case I get to say, More Dogs in More Places. No, there really isn't any point in sending this in to AT&T. Seems they don't want any outside suggestions. Poop on them, their loss, our gain.
Not a bad sit/stay. Not a bad dumbbell hold. And best of all a darn good More Dogs in More Places. AT&T, eat your heart out.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Sit on the Dog pictorial
I'm starting this pictorial out with toy breeds. The first thing to notice is that their size and special needs are being seen to, which makes this exercise both easy and reasonable.
The toy breed dog really should never be required to do any sort of a down in a location that has the potential of putting them in physical danger. Doing a 'sit on the dog' strictly by the book will do just that and serve to damage the trust relationship between dog and owner. So two changes are made. The first one is to supply a small bed with sides and the second is to place the bed UNDER the chair rather than on the left side.
Notice the position of the collar and the leash. There is just enough slack allowed in the leash to maintain the slight upward pull on the collar. Since the dog is actually under the chair the leash angle is toward the owner's left side.
Pay attention to the location of the leash. Even though the dog is ultimately going to be under the chair there is still the need to adhere to the left side rule at this time.
Generally when you see a dog doing what this Lab is doing the digging is accompanied by verbalization. The noise may be anything from an annoying whine to a loud bay and frequently settles in to steady cadence style barking if not stopped.
Temporarily resigned to his fate our Lab is now quiet, in a comfortable position and able to take in his surroundings.
Babied and catered to this Portuguese Water Dog wants no part of the floor and tries for a lap.
When that fails, she sits hunched up and brooding. But not for long...
Surely the lap is not to be denied a second/third/tenth time and so she tries again and again. Each time she is simply pushed off and away and, if necessary, the leash is readjusted to allow less slack.
Finally getting the message, but only in part, Portuguese Water Dog grudgingly does a down. Notice she is still not willing to pay attention to what is going on around her. Because her curled up in a ball position is yelling, "I'm not here and I'm most certainly not going to play with you" we know there is still much work to do on this one exercise alone
And now we come to the large dog. Since this is what I call a 'naked' dog, i.e. one with short, tight coat and very little body fat, like the toy breed it makes good sense to supply a mat or bed for them to use during this exercise. No, it most definitely isn't spoiling or pampering. It's just good animal husbandry practice. Dogs with little coat/body fat protection are very prone to pressure sores on hocks and elbows. Besides which, this exercise is supposed to be teaching calmness, a willingness to follow and patience, not how long can you stay in one spot and suffer physical breakdown without complaining.
Meanwhile, our model is saying, "I ain't a gonna do it and you can't make me" Of course, the dog new to this sort of discipline hasn't a clue as to just what "it" might be. Being fair in this case simply means allowing the dog the necessary time to figure it out.
Here our model has resorted to pulling as hard as possible. Since there really isn't enough slack to allow for the necessary traction the pulling is short-lived.
Having figured out the guidelines of this rather strange human behavior, we are now treated to a calm, alert dog who appears to be very much with the program.
Please note that all the dogs used for these pictures are models well accustomed to posing and every single one of them are volunteers. Truth be told, one of them even threw something of a temper tantrum when she thought she might be passed over for the photo shoot.
The toy breed dog really should never be required to do any sort of a down in a location that has the potential of putting them in physical danger. Doing a 'sit on the dog' strictly by the book will do just that and serve to damage the trust relationship between dog and owner. So two changes are made. The first one is to supply a small bed with sides and the second is to place the bed UNDER the chair rather than on the left side.
Notice the position of the collar and the leash. There is just enough slack allowed in the leash to maintain the slight upward pull on the collar. Since the dog is actually under the chair the leash angle is toward the owner's left side.
Pay attention to the location of the leash. Even though the dog is ultimately going to be under the chair there is still the need to adhere to the left side rule at this time.
Generally when you see a dog doing what this Lab is doing the digging is accompanied by verbalization. The noise may be anything from an annoying whine to a loud bay and frequently settles in to steady cadence style barking if not stopped.
Temporarily resigned to his fate our Lab is now quiet, in a comfortable position and able to take in his surroundings.
Babied and catered to this Portuguese Water Dog wants no part of the floor and tries for a lap.
When that fails, she sits hunched up and brooding. But not for long...
Surely the lap is not to be denied a second/third/tenth time and so she tries again and again. Each time she is simply pushed off and away and, if necessary, the leash is readjusted to allow less slack.
Finally getting the message, but only in part, Portuguese Water Dog grudgingly does a down. Notice she is still not willing to pay attention to what is going on around her. Because her curled up in a ball position is yelling, "I'm not here and I'm most certainly not going to play with you" we know there is still much work to do on this one exercise alone
And now we come to the large dog. Since this is what I call a 'naked' dog, i.e. one with short, tight coat and very little body fat, like the toy breed it makes good sense to supply a mat or bed for them to use during this exercise. No, it most definitely isn't spoiling or pampering. It's just good animal husbandry practice. Dogs with little coat/body fat protection are very prone to pressure sores on hocks and elbows. Besides which, this exercise is supposed to be teaching calmness, a willingness to follow and patience, not how long can you stay in one spot and suffer physical breakdown without complaining.
Meanwhile, our model is saying, "I ain't a gonna do it and you can't make me" Of course, the dog new to this sort of discipline hasn't a clue as to just what "it" might be. Being fair in this case simply means allowing the dog the necessary time to figure it out.
Here our model has resorted to pulling as hard as possible. Since there really isn't enough slack to allow for the necessary traction the pulling is short-lived.
Having figured out the guidelines of this rather strange human behavior, we are now treated to a calm, alert dog who appears to be very much with the program.
Please note that all the dogs used for these pictures are models well accustomed to posing and every single one of them are volunteers. Truth be told, one of them even threw something of a temper tantrum when she thought she might be passed over for the photo shoot.
No humans were injured during this production.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
The new naughty words
Take the time to watch the video before you read what I have to say about new naughty words.
We all know what the old naughty words were. They were the Anglo-Saxon expletives that are now heard routinely on TV, in the movies, on the streets and in the schools. They have become so common the only way a person can voice a complaint is when the speaker uses the same two or three of them over and over again to the point where it isn't possible to ascertain what, if anything, the speaker is trying to say.
Those are not the words I write about. The new naughty words are words like:
We all know what the old naughty words were. They were the Anglo-Saxon expletives that are now heard routinely on TV, in the movies, on the streets and in the schools. They have become so common the only way a person can voice a complaint is when the speaker uses the same two or three of them over and over again to the point where it isn't possible to ascertain what, if anything, the speaker is trying to say.
Those are not the words I write about. The new naughty words are words like:
work
discipline
drill
memorize
leadership
submission
correction
contention
compulsion
The reason why or even how those eight words became the new profanity is totally beyond me. If you watch the above video all the way through and you pay attention to what is really going on there are some things that should jump right out and slap you in the face during the first viewing.
What? The extreme attention the dog is giving the trainer didn't happen through the use of food, toys, games, special training collars or prayer. That attention was earned with hours of hard work over a period of several months. That work didn't just include all of the bad words in the list, it also included both time and duration.
The dog is now at a point where he can concentrate with that level of intensity for up to 10 minutes. By this time next year that will have been pushed to at least 3 times that amount of total focus on the handler, with no lose of attitude. I'll say that part again just in case you missed it the first time. There is no loss of positive, good, upbeat, happy, confident attitude.
Why? Because during his training he was taken to the point of contention and helped to move beyond that point. On the other side of contentiousness lies self confidence, confidence in the trainer, trust, safety, pride of purpose and an entire host of other feelings and sensations that are only experience by those who are willing to practice make full use of all those naughty words and what each of them means.
Pride of purpose means knowing and understanding what the purpose is for starters. Pride of work is the strongest and most powerful reward of all. No food treat nor toy nor game will satisfy a dog who has been lucky enough to join with a trainer that understands leadership, work, discipline, and yes, compulsion.
Now, go back and watch the video a second time. See if you can spot the number of times the dog is corrected for making a mistake. Remember, there are no cookies, no toys and no leash. Then take a look at the background. In the upper left side of the frame you will see two other dogs. They spend some of the time watching and some of the time playing. They are not tied nor restrained in any fashion. When it is their time to work they will come out on the floor with the very same upbeat attitude seen in the Lab.
For those of you who may be wondering, yes the Lab is Pete. Under the table waiting their turn are Rugby and Ellie. Sam is the trainer.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Trip to Iowa
This trip was pretty much like all the others in that space was at a real premium.
Here Sanity comes up for some air and then once again vanishes into the tiny, black hole that represents the space where my feet and a carry on bag would normally go.
Here is a patient Sanity waiting for us to finish our dinner and get back to the motel so she can finally have her dinner.
It is a joke, and was fun to do.
Sanity had been complaining that I didn't move anyway near fast enough when we would get back to the motel at night. She wanted her dinner and she wanted it NOW!
No, she really isn't able to use the key card to unlock the door, but I suspect she would sure have given it a good try if only her nose wasn't so long it kept getting in the way of her seeing the key card slot.
This is a pretty good shot of most everyone working on "close order" drill. Close order drill work is one of the best ways I know of to help people clean up their act when it comes to walking. Pity the poor dog who is expected to maintain something approximating heel position when the person they are supposed to be heeling beside can't walk a straight line, much less avoid stepping on them, bumping into them and never, but never maintaining anything that even comes close to a reasonable cadence.
An impromptu demonstration on just what a working or force fetch will get you at one point had Curtis Johnson's Ruby and Sanity out in the middle of the class area doing their fetch of Edgar the obnoxious chicken. We sort of ended up using Edgar because it(he?) was something neither dog had ever seen before and it was important to make a clear distinction between a play retrieve and a working retrieve. Good old Edgar was just the ticket. Sure wish I could find an Edgar to play with.
I love these next two pictures just because dogs and handlers are pretty much airborne in both of them.
Even though Seeker is lagging behind Lauren Whittemore, he is staying with her and not showing any interest in wandering off to check out other things. Besides between the two of them they have 6 legs and only 2 legs are actually touching the floor.
Here is Susan Franck and Lilly doing a very nice figure 8 and again, it actually looks as if they are floating.
Here are a few of the things being said after the Iowa Bedrock Training Method School:
I can't leave this report without saying something about the trip home. Seems the last few trips Sanity and I have done have started out with a reasonable trip going, a great school and then the trip from h*ll on the way home.
At least this time we didn't end up stranded in a strange city far, far from home over night. Instead, this time our flight was several hours late leaving Cedar Rapids. First we waited and waited and waited in the Cedar Rapids airport. Then we were allowed to board the plane. Said plane was PACKED full. Said plane taxied to the end of a runway and waited. And waited. And waited. For an hour and a half we sat on the end of the runway. Finally we were allowed to take off. By this time I had already missed my connecting flight from Chicago to BWI.
Landing at O'Hare the entire airport was in a turmoil and packed. Our little commuter plane had to taxi up to the terminal and we had to deplane using those dreaded steps instead of the easy skyway because there was no room for us to get close enough to the actual terminal.
So I figure, okay we have had to do this more than a few times, no problem. Took Sanity's shoulder pack off her and then left her on a sit/stay. Hanging tightly to the two hand rails I slowly made my way down the ladder/stairs and plopped into the waiting wheelchair, I then called Sanity. Her flying down the stairs gravity assisted, meant she had to be very nimble on her feet to not fall face first into the pavement.
Totally ignoring everyone and everything around her she made a beeline straight to me. I was vaguely aware there was a scream behind me, but was busy putting her shoulder pack back on her and hooking up her leash and so didn't really pay that much attention. Guess I should have, because as it turned out the scream was from the person who was to take us to our departure gate. Believe me, should something like this ever happen again I will insist on a different escort. This fool simply refused to walk like a normal person. She would push for a few yards then turn the wheelchair into Sanity and letting go of the handles would jump back. When we finally made it to the departure gate she all but flipped me out of the wheelchair in her rush to get rid of us and get away. Did I tip her? Not on your life.
After waiting at this first gate for an hour plus, the announcement board starts flashing the departure gate had been changed. Well, there is nothing for it, the chance of my finding another escort in an airport gone mad was slim or none and slim was already on a plane out of town. I did the only thing I could think of to do. I took Sanity's leash off and clipped it to the carry-on and then carrying her bed, pulling the carry-on behind me and with her in heel position we made a very slow and painful, shuffle-step way many gates further down the concourse and to the new gate. Stood in line and got checked in again. Found a seat. Two hours passed.
The announcement sign begins to flash. The flight has been cancelled and we are to go to yet another gate and will be put on a plane there. Get up and repeat the above routine once again. Make it to the new gate and this time I beg for an upgrade thinking the added comfort of a first class seat would be well worth the extra money.
A very kind man who already had a first class ticket offered to trade tickets with me and I just wanted to kiss him. And the the unbelievable happened! I was told that on the United plane we would be flying service dogs weren't allowed in first class! No, I didn't complain or make a fuss then, because it was getting on towards 11 p.m. and we had been in transit for 12 hours already and still had the longest part of the flight still ahead of us. All I could think about at that point was how much I wanted to get home and into my very own bed.
Finally we were allowed to board the plane. As I am trying to get Sanity and myself seated and out of the way along comes the plane's captain. Silly me. I think he is going to say something nice about our being on board, or sorry about the long delays or something else nice. Instead he begins to quiz me. Why do I have the dog? What does the dog do? How much barking is the dog going to do during take off and landing? How many times is the dog going to have to get up and use the aisle to exercise?
I tried to answer all his questions as politely and you had better believe as briefly as I possibly could. Then the, to me at least, unbelievable happens. This hostile captain leans down and proceeds to poke Sanity three different times in three different locations. No warning. No request to touch her before the first poke. Nothing. Just poke! Poke! Poke! He then straightens up and informs me I will have to tell all the people around me that I have a dog at my feet.
That was the last straw and I said, "Why on earth would I do something like that? This dog already has thousands of air miles on her and has been traveling by air for more than a year. In all the years I have traveled with a service dog I have never had to do something so foolish. The point here is that the dog gets on the plane and vanishes, not to be seen nor heard from until we get off the plane at our destination."
He just gave me a dirty look, a grunt and stalked off.
We took off, flew, landed and waited our turn to get off the plane. There was a wheelchair waiting, but no one to man it. So one of the attendants was sweet enough to get us to the baggage area. At that point an escort was located, I got my luggage and it was off to find my ground transportation. At this point it was 1 a.m. We have been in transit for about 14 hours. I was praying I would get one of the good drivers. But that was not to be.
First the driver insists I am not to get in the van with a dog. Then she, yes I said she, isn't able to put my suitcase in the back by herself. Next she decides she is going to take on a second fare. Finally we leave the airport and thank goodness she takes me home first. I have to give her directions because she doesn't have a clue as to where she is going and then drives passed the driveway. I complained. She backed up and then drove passed the driveway again. She backed up a second time and when I realized she was about to drive passed the driveway yet a third time I sort of lost it and started yelling at her to turn.
"I can't turn in there", she tells me. "That's a park and I can't leave you in a park at this time of night."
"I don't care what you think it is, just turn in that driveway, stop and let us out", again I am all put screaming. So she turns in. A second van pulls up right behind us. Seems she wasn't supposed to have picked me up and she also wasn't supposed to have picked up the other fare. The two drivers plus dispatch get into this big argument. All I want to do is pay my fare and go in the house and to bed.
By the time I finally got her paid, the other passenger was transferred to the other van, my stuff was unloaded and Sanity and I got through the gates and started up the ramp to the house it was 2:30 a.m.
Thus ended another adventure. I realize other people just go on uninteresting trips. Seems I all most always manage to have my trips turn into an adventure.
Gee, I wonder why both Sanity and I were so tired?
Here Sanity comes up for some air and then once again vanishes into the tiny, black hole that represents the space where my feet and a carry on bag would normally go.
Here is a patient Sanity waiting for us to finish our dinner and get back to the motel so she can finally have her dinner.
It is a joke, and was fun to do.
Sanity had been complaining that I didn't move anyway near fast enough when we would get back to the motel at night. She wanted her dinner and she wanted it NOW!
No, she really isn't able to use the key card to unlock the door, but I suspect she would sure have given it a good try if only her nose wasn't so long it kept getting in the way of her seeing the key card slot.
This is a pretty good shot of most everyone working on "close order" drill. Close order drill work is one of the best ways I know of to help people clean up their act when it comes to walking. Pity the poor dog who is expected to maintain something approximating heel position when the person they are supposed to be heeling beside can't walk a straight line, much less avoid stepping on them, bumping into them and never, but never maintaining anything that even comes close to a reasonable cadence.
An impromptu demonstration on just what a working or force fetch will get you at one point had Curtis Johnson's Ruby and Sanity out in the middle of the class area doing their fetch of Edgar the obnoxious chicken. We sort of ended up using Edgar because it(he?) was something neither dog had ever seen before and it was important to make a clear distinction between a play retrieve and a working retrieve. Good old Edgar was just the ticket. Sure wish I could find an Edgar to play with.
I love these next two pictures just because dogs and handlers are pretty much airborne in both of them.
Even though Seeker is lagging behind Lauren Whittemore, he is staying with her and not showing any interest in wandering off to check out other things. Besides between the two of them they have 6 legs and only 2 legs are actually touching the floor.
Here is Susan Franck and Lilly doing a very nice figure 8 and again, it actually looks as if they are floating.
Here are a few of the things being said after the Iowa Bedrock Training Method School:
What a great weekend!! I want to thank Margot Woods for the wonderful training school she taught here in Iowa. There was a neat group of people here and it was interesting to hear the different view points in training. I have come away more focused, energized, and renewed in my determination to be a better trainer and make my clients better pet owners. Margot has a unique method of teaching that makes you think about what you are doing. She doesn't "spoon feed" you the info she challenges you to work it out and truly understand why you are doing the things your doing. I hope that she will consider coming back to Iowa some time soon to do this again. I also hope to see you there.
Don't miss a chance to learn from Margot.
Thanks to all that came and made this a great weekend!! And Thanks again Margot and Sanity.
P.S. Edgar says "Hi"
Kathy Evans
IACP #2908
North Liberty Iowa
I enjoyed the opportunity to learn from Margot and make some new friends in the process. Everyone was a joy to work with. I implemented some of the things we learned last night in my group classes. Big thanks to Kathy and Tim for having me and to Margot for making it a fun experience.
Sarah Burger
Dayton, OH
#2455
I returned on Monday from the Bedrock Training class in Iowa. What a great experience.
Margot is an outstanding teacher and helped everyone understand the whys behind the lessons. She is also a great advocate of structured training which has a proven history of producing results. She is a wealth of information and a generous instructor.
Kathy, the event host was fantastic as well. We were well taken care of and had an unbelievable facility to use.
If you have an opportunity to take in a Bedrock training class you will not regret the investment (the critters you work with will thank you as well).
Curtis Johnson
Minneapolis MN
I had the opportunity to attend one of Margot Woods Bedrock Basics Training
Seminar last weekend. Some of you should remember Margot from her posts to
this list. She is so knowledgeable about dog behavior and has such wonderful
training methods. If you ever have a chance to attend one of her seminars,
jump at the chance. You will not be disappointed. I'm still trying to digest
everything I learned.
Suzanne Franck
I can't leave this report without saying something about the trip home. Seems the last few trips Sanity and I have done have started out with a reasonable trip going, a great school and then the trip from h*ll on the way home.
At least this time we didn't end up stranded in a strange city far, far from home over night. Instead, this time our flight was several hours late leaving Cedar Rapids. First we waited and waited and waited in the Cedar Rapids airport. Then we were allowed to board the plane. Said plane was PACKED full. Said plane taxied to the end of a runway and waited. And waited. And waited. For an hour and a half we sat on the end of the runway. Finally we were allowed to take off. By this time I had already missed my connecting flight from Chicago to BWI.
Landing at O'Hare the entire airport was in a turmoil and packed. Our little commuter plane had to taxi up to the terminal and we had to deplane using those dreaded steps instead of the easy skyway because there was no room for us to get close enough to the actual terminal.
So I figure, okay we have had to do this more than a few times, no problem. Took Sanity's shoulder pack off her and then left her on a sit/stay. Hanging tightly to the two hand rails I slowly made my way down the ladder/stairs and plopped into the waiting wheelchair, I then called Sanity. Her flying down the stairs gravity assisted, meant she had to be very nimble on her feet to not fall face first into the pavement.
Totally ignoring everyone and everything around her she made a beeline straight to me. I was vaguely aware there was a scream behind me, but was busy putting her shoulder pack back on her and hooking up her leash and so didn't really pay that much attention. Guess I should have, because as it turned out the scream was from the person who was to take us to our departure gate. Believe me, should something like this ever happen again I will insist on a different escort. This fool simply refused to walk like a normal person. She would push for a few yards then turn the wheelchair into Sanity and letting go of the handles would jump back. When we finally made it to the departure gate she all but flipped me out of the wheelchair in her rush to get rid of us and get away. Did I tip her? Not on your life.
After waiting at this first gate for an hour plus, the announcement board starts flashing the departure gate had been changed. Well, there is nothing for it, the chance of my finding another escort in an airport gone mad was slim or none and slim was already on a plane out of town. I did the only thing I could think of to do. I took Sanity's leash off and clipped it to the carry-on and then carrying her bed, pulling the carry-on behind me and with her in heel position we made a very slow and painful, shuffle-step way many gates further down the concourse and to the new gate. Stood in line and got checked in again. Found a seat. Two hours passed.
The announcement sign begins to flash. The flight has been cancelled and we are to go to yet another gate and will be put on a plane there. Get up and repeat the above routine once again. Make it to the new gate and this time I beg for an upgrade thinking the added comfort of a first class seat would be well worth the extra money.
A very kind man who already had a first class ticket offered to trade tickets with me and I just wanted to kiss him. And the the unbelievable happened! I was told that on the United plane we would be flying service dogs weren't allowed in first class! No, I didn't complain or make a fuss then, because it was getting on towards 11 p.m. and we had been in transit for 12 hours already and still had the longest part of the flight still ahead of us. All I could think about at that point was how much I wanted to get home and into my very own bed.
Finally we were allowed to board the plane. As I am trying to get Sanity and myself seated and out of the way along comes the plane's captain. Silly me. I think he is going to say something nice about our being on board, or sorry about the long delays or something else nice. Instead he begins to quiz me. Why do I have the dog? What does the dog do? How much barking is the dog going to do during take off and landing? How many times is the dog going to have to get up and use the aisle to exercise?
I tried to answer all his questions as politely and you had better believe as briefly as I possibly could. Then the, to me at least, unbelievable happens. This hostile captain leans down and proceeds to poke Sanity three different times in three different locations. No warning. No request to touch her before the first poke. Nothing. Just poke! Poke! Poke! He then straightens up and informs me I will have to tell all the people around me that I have a dog at my feet.
That was the last straw and I said, "Why on earth would I do something like that? This dog already has thousands of air miles on her and has been traveling by air for more than a year. In all the years I have traveled with a service dog I have never had to do something so foolish. The point here is that the dog gets on the plane and vanishes, not to be seen nor heard from until we get off the plane at our destination."
He just gave me a dirty look, a grunt and stalked off.
We took off, flew, landed and waited our turn to get off the plane. There was a wheelchair waiting, but no one to man it. So one of the attendants was sweet enough to get us to the baggage area. At that point an escort was located, I got my luggage and it was off to find my ground transportation. At this point it was 1 a.m. We have been in transit for about 14 hours. I was praying I would get one of the good drivers. But that was not to be.
First the driver insists I am not to get in the van with a dog. Then she, yes I said she, isn't able to put my suitcase in the back by herself. Next she decides she is going to take on a second fare. Finally we leave the airport and thank goodness she takes me home first. I have to give her directions because she doesn't have a clue as to where she is going and then drives passed the driveway. I complained. She backed up and then drove passed the driveway again. She backed up a second time and when I realized she was about to drive passed the driveway yet a third time I sort of lost it and started yelling at her to turn.
"I can't turn in there", she tells me. "That's a park and I can't leave you in a park at this time of night."
"I don't care what you think it is, just turn in that driveway, stop and let us out", again I am all put screaming. So she turns in. A second van pulls up right behind us. Seems she wasn't supposed to have picked me up and she also wasn't supposed to have picked up the other fare. The two drivers plus dispatch get into this big argument. All I want to do is pay my fare and go in the house and to bed.
By the time I finally got her paid, the other passenger was transferred to the other van, my stuff was unloaded and Sanity and I got through the gates and started up the ramp to the house it was 2:30 a.m.
Thus ended another adventure. I realize other people just go on uninteresting trips. Seems I all most always manage to have my trips turn into an adventure.
Gee, I wonder why both Sanity and I were so tired?
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Town of Holland, Wisconsin
This is Reno, he is no longer welcome in Town of Holland, Wisconsin. Shame on the residents of Town of Holland, Wisconsin. Keep reading to find out why.
I am sharing this post with all of you because I feel very strongly that everyone needs to see just how the restrictive and unbending anti-dogs laws really effect the individual. The unfriendly Town of Holland, Wisconsin is a place you don't want to live.
Here is a story of dogs, highly and careful trained, dogs who give back to the community far more than they will ever take, dogs who brighten the lives of many. This is the story of a town chasing away dogs trained to provide a community service. No, the dogs in question are not of the breeds the headlines love to tout as killers. The dogs in question are Labrador Retrievers. I ask you, all of you, just what sort of people live in a town that drives away dogs trained to bring a little sunlight to shut-ins, encourage a child to learn to read, entice an old man to take his medicine? Is this the sort of cold, uncaring town you would chose to live in? For me, I know it is a town I would go out of my way to avoid. Shame on you, Holland, Wisconsin, shame on you.
________________________________________
In the wake of the town board's decision not to issue a variance for the number of dogs I have, I've been preparing for each dog to go to his new home. What should the dog take with him to help settle in? What do the new owners need to know about their training and handling? What do these people need to know about the dogs' individual likes and dislikes? What their souls are like?
One of the dogs leaving is my Reno. Oh my God. Reno.
He needs his semi-deflated basket ball. A bumper of course. A cow femur bone preferably stuffed with peanut butter, but it's fine plain if that's all there is. He'd like a spot on the couch if one's available, but he'd never be rude or pushy about it.
He gives 5 with both paws individually and then "10" with both. After this, he leaps into the air, and then spins one circle and grabs his tail. He's a very mellow dog by nature, and this trick just cracks him up. It's his only one.
He barks three barks to let you know someone's arrived, and then quiets. Other than that, he never makes a noise. His obedience is terrific, on or off leash. His manners are terrific. He has the temperament of an angel. He passed his Canine Good Citizen / Therapy Dog International test as a walk in. He leaves and go lays down when you eat, although he's happy to help you out with the leftovers if invited. He looks sad when you give him a bath or trim his nails, but he always cooperates. Reno always cooperates.
He is wonderful with anyone he meets, human or animal. Any age, any temperament. He used to go to work with me at the assisted living facility. There was an old crotchety man who would only take his meds and come out for meals in exchange for being able to take Reno for a walk and throw a few bumpers for him. The only time I ever saw this man let his guard down or his expression soften was when he was with Reno. He'd been a hunter when he was younger. I guess the dog took him back to better days.
Reno loves to ride in the car. He makes the most wonderful face if you ask him about "The Bird." He likes to "tunnel" through your legs, and stop in position to get scratched above the base of his tail. His back feet march in place as he does this. He likes to be scratched behind the ears, too.
On the day he passed the final series of tests needed for the American Kennel Club to award him the title Companion Dog, he was mounted by another male dog who had gotten up during the exercise known as the three minute down. Not only did Reno not get up from his down, but he looked at me across the ring and wagged his tail as if to say, "See? I am a GOOD boy."
Yes, Reno. You're a VERY good boy.
God help me next Wednesday when he's taken out of here.
Eleanor Herrick
Holmen, Wisconsin
----------------------------------------
Eleanor, my heart cries for your pain and let's hope you are able to find a more friendly town to live in and soon since Town of Holland certainly isn't friendly to man nor beast.
I am sharing this post with all of you because I feel very strongly that everyone needs to see just how the restrictive and unbending anti-dogs laws really effect the individual. The unfriendly Town of Holland, Wisconsin is a place you don't want to live.
Here is a story of dogs, highly and careful trained, dogs who give back to the community far more than they will ever take, dogs who brighten the lives of many. This is the story of a town chasing away dogs trained to provide a community service. No, the dogs in question are not of the breeds the headlines love to tout as killers. The dogs in question are Labrador Retrievers. I ask you, all of you, just what sort of people live in a town that drives away dogs trained to bring a little sunlight to shut-ins, encourage a child to learn to read, entice an old man to take his medicine? Is this the sort of cold, uncaring town you would chose to live in? For me, I know it is a town I would go out of my way to avoid. Shame on you, Holland, Wisconsin, shame on you.
________________________________________
In the wake of the town board's decision not to issue a variance for the number of dogs I have, I've been preparing for each dog to go to his new home. What should the dog take with him to help settle in? What do the new owners need to know about their training and handling? What do these people need to know about the dogs' individual likes and dislikes? What their souls are like?
One of the dogs leaving is my Reno. Oh my God. Reno.
He needs his semi-deflated basket ball. A bumper of course. A cow femur bone preferably stuffed with peanut butter, but it's fine plain if that's all there is. He'd like a spot on the couch if one's available, but he'd never be rude or pushy about it.
He gives 5 with both paws individually and then "10" with both. After this, he leaps into the air, and then spins one circle and grabs his tail. He's a very mellow dog by nature, and this trick just cracks him up. It's his only one.
He barks three barks to let you know someone's arrived, and then quiets. Other than that, he never makes a noise. His obedience is terrific, on or off leash. His manners are terrific. He has the temperament of an angel. He passed his Canine Good Citizen / Therapy Dog International test as a walk in. He leaves and go lays down when you eat, although he's happy to help you out with the leftovers if invited. He looks sad when you give him a bath or trim his nails, but he always cooperates. Reno always cooperates.
He is wonderful with anyone he meets, human or animal. Any age, any temperament. He used to go to work with me at the assisted living facility. There was an old crotchety man who would only take his meds and come out for meals in exchange for being able to take Reno for a walk and throw a few bumpers for him. The only time I ever saw this man let his guard down or his expression soften was when he was with Reno. He'd been a hunter when he was younger. I guess the dog took him back to better days.
Reno loves to ride in the car. He makes the most wonderful face if you ask him about "The Bird." He likes to "tunnel" through your legs, and stop in position to get scratched above the base of his tail. His back feet march in place as he does this. He likes to be scratched behind the ears, too.
On the day he passed the final series of tests needed for the American Kennel Club to award him the title Companion Dog, he was mounted by another male dog who had gotten up during the exercise known as the three minute down. Not only did Reno not get up from his down, but he looked at me across the ring and wagged his tail as if to say, "See? I am a GOOD boy."
Yes, Reno. You're a VERY good boy.
God help me next Wednesday when he's taken out of here.
Eleanor Herrick
Holmen, Wisconsin
----------------------------------------
Eleanor, my heart cries for your pain and let's hope you are able to find a more friendly town to live in and soon since Town of Holland certainly isn't friendly to man nor beast.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)