Shaman is back to working again

Poor Shaman has been laid up for the entire Summer with his allergies.He is doing much better now that the weather has changed.His coat is growing back and he is beginning to look like a beautiful dog again.His allergies  are more seasonal than food allergies. I have had him on a special diet but I am going to change him over to a grain free food to see if maybe that will help more .I hate to see him scratching and chewing at himself so I am hoping that the new food will change that.I worked him for the first time in 2 and a half months and he has not forgotten any of his training.His work was just as good as if he had been working the whole time. We went to the grocery store last night.He was happy to be working again.Shaman trots faster than Nici so we got there faster and got home in time to watch the National Dog Show.Nici may not be as fast as Shaman but we get there just the same. I usually use Nici when I use the manual chair or I am walking because she goes slow enough for me walking  or using the manual chair and Shaman is much too fast for this.When I need to use Nici for my power chair she does very well,she just goes slower.Both dogs do well when in crowds but Nici does better than Shaman when there are a lot of dogs.I guess this is because Nici has never been attacked and Shaman has been attacked so many times.I like having the use of 2 dogs as each one has their strong points, just in different areas.I love them both very much!        to be continued........

Lady is recovering and is home now

Lady is recovering. She is walking better so the vet decided not to do the MRI which means the vet bill is a lot less now.Lady is home with Rachel but will not be able to work for a while. She needs a lot of rest in a quiet environment. Still,animal control has done nothing and the pit bull is still running around the complex with no leash.I can't seem to get a person on the phone at animal control, and I as well as Rachel have left messages but no one has called back. I tried to talk with the manager of the apartment complex where Rachel lives to no avail. I have called the Mayor's office but have heard nothing back from them.Rachel called the TV media but even they have not called her back. Does no one care that the eyes of this totally  blind woman has been injured and may not be able to continue to work as a guide dog? This was preventable, but no one cared enough to do any thing about the pit bull who's owners just let it run loose with out a leash to attack Lady. Is any one going to do some thing if a child is attacked next? What is wrong with this city? I am so disgusted with Tucson. Any way Rachel wanted to thank all who donated to Lady's care. The bill is payed in full for now. Hopefully, Lady will continue to recover with out any more set backs.            to be continued..........................

If any one wants to donate to help with the mounting vet bills........

If any one reading this blog wants to donate to help pay the vet bills for Lady,

you can call ,or go to Veterinary Specialty of Tucson and ask for the account of Rachel Krieg,guide dog Lady. The phone # is 520-795-9955 Please donate as Rachel lives on SSDI and the vet bills are already over $3000.00. No amount is too small. Please give what ever you can, even if it's only $ 1.00. Every penny helps!  Thank you.   To be continued...............

Lady was attacked by a pitbull !

On Thursday late after noon Rachel called me in tears and told me that Lady was attacked by a pit bull and she was taking her to the emergency vet.This incident could have been prevented .Rachel had made several calls to animal control  with no response. She had also complained to the manager of her apartment complex that this dog was constantly running loose with no leash and the people who owned the dog just laughed at her when she spoke to them.Even after the attack took place and the police had been called, they did not talk to her after they talked to the owners of the pit bull.Does no one care? In my opinion,neither animal control, or the manager did their jobs! I fee that the police should at least talked to Rachel. I feel that they were very insensitive to her.What is Tucson becoming? Does no one care when a blind person has their dog disabled by a pit bull and their irresponsible owners? No one did any thing when my Shaman was attacked either.This has to stop!!!!!!!!! This poor dog is severely injured with neurological symptoms as well as bite wounds.Lady may have to be retired if she survives these injuries.Rachel is totally blind and relies on Lady to get her around. I am very upset about this also as I trained this dog for Rachel. Lady is such a sweet loving dog and an excellent guide dog.This should not have happened  and could have been prevented if animal control had done their job and cited the owners of the pit bull for violating the leash law.It seems that even though we have laws to protect our service dogs,no one feels inclined to enforce these laws.I am so disgusted with this city.  to be continued..................the pictures are of lady and Rachel and Nici and me working our dogs and Rachel and Lady with her husband Jeremy and his dog Bella

The state NFB Conventiom

I met Rachel at the convention hotel and we attended the meeting for getting a guide dog division in AZ. Both dogs behaved well and after the meeting,we decided to get something to eat as neither of us had time for breakfast.After getting directions from the hotel staff, we started out for the restaurant.Going down the side walk wasn't bad but it was a little "hairy" crossing 2, two lane streets and navigating the parking lot to get to the restaurant.We had our brunch and started back to the convention. On our way back. Lady tried to take Rachel on an adventure by turning down a walk way off of the side walk. Rachel got that straightened out and we made it back to the hotel.We checked out some of the new technology and I picked up lots of info.I went to the convention on Saturday but Rachel did not go.I am very proud of both dogs as they were great. Dogs were getting in their faces and sniffing them and both Lady and Nici behaved perfectly.On Saturday, Nici was so patient with the cane users and waited for them to pass us and she would go around the ones that were not in droves.At one point a man was approaching us rather fast and Nici jumped over his cane and continued on as if all this action was every day goings on.When we were in the general meeting,I parked my wheelchair on the end of a row of chairs in the back by the door. When a cane user came in the doorway, Nici would get up and let the person pass her and then she would lie down again.She did this on her own as I had never taught her to do this.Nici was so good,it was like having Nala on the end of my leash . I am so very proud of my dog and also proud of Lady. They were so good and this was both dogs' first convention.     To be continued..............

Night Walk

Last Sunday,Rachel and her husband Jeremy came to my house for a spaghetti dinner. After dinner Rachel and I took the dogs out for a night walk.This is the first night walk since my heat stroke in June. Since I am coming off of Prednisone and can  not walk too far now, I used my power chair. I needed to work Nici with this chair so she will be used to it when I take her to the NFB convention in September. We are trying to get a guide dog division of the NFB in Arizona.Any way, Rachel and Lady went first and Nici and I went behind them. We went around the whole neighborhood. The dogs did great.We passed a barking Pit bull and 2 cats without incident. Both dogs stopped when a car on the side of the road revved the engine making a lot of noise.They waited to see if the car was going to pull out,but it didn't so we continued on. Lady stopped when a truck pulled out of a driveway as did Nici also.We continued on and got back to the house about 7:45pm. Then we waited for the Sun Van to take Rachel and Jeremy back to their home.We need to do more work on over hangs with Lady. Working Nici from a wheelchair, I don't run into that problem to often, but Nici seems to have grasped that concept  very well.To day Carla and I took Tess, one of the rescue dogs to the vet, and Nici stopped in front of a low hanging tree branch to let me know it was there.I praised her and she took me around it. When we left the vet's office,she stopped again and took me around the same low hanging branch.Both dogs are working very well. I am very proud of Rachel as she has done a good job of working Lady when I was laid up this summer.Lady has become the perfect guide dog for Rachel.Nici is also the perfect guide for me...to be continued................... 

Training has been put on hold for a while

The training of Nici and Lady are on hold for a while due to my recovery from a Heat Stroke.I spent  some time in the hospital and my recovery has been slow.I can not be out side in the heat of the day until the weather cools down.This means  that I can't take a bus to go any where during the day. I hope by August, I will be able to start doing some night walks.Even when I get a ride from Carla in her air conditioned car to go grocery shopping during the day, I find it very hard to keep cool. Even when I am in side of the air conditioned store, I have trouble trying to cool down.This is further complicated by some of the medications I take.Of course , on the hottest day, my cooler broke down and it was almost 100 degrees in my house! Summer is the "PITS" for me right now. I can't wait for Winter to come around again.I have taken Shaman out several times after dark and gone grocery shopping.I guess this is just how things will be for now.

Pictures of Nici and Lady in training

Mardi,Rachel and Jeremy working dogs on the side walk

Rachel and Jeremy walking on side walk

Rachel and Mardi working Lady and Nici comming back from the Park

Mardi and Nici waiting by Drive way

These pictures were taken when Rachel and I were working the dogs in the late afternoon. I will try to get some working the mall and our night walks. The dogs are working very well but being young dogs, they do get distracted some times. We just have to keep working through these distractions. Nici used to have a problem going passed a noisy truck parked by the side walk. I kept taking her to the truck and made her sit there to get used to the noise and to let her know that it was not going to hurt her. She did get used to the noise and now walks by the truck with out balking. It just takes time and patience.

Harnesses

I have made some new harnesses for Nici and Lady. They are working out quite well and I am very pleased that I was able to make them rather than buy harnesses as I have not had good luck with some of the purchases in the past.Lady's harness is made with black leather and has a special balance handle as well as the guide handle on it. Rachel has balance issues so this works well for her and she wanted her harness to be black.It was hard taking pictures of this harness as black on black does not show up well.

Nici's harness is the Swedish style with the guide handle in the traditional place on the chest strap instead of on the back strap.The guide handle is a slightly off set  handle. I prefer this style of harness and the white leather shows up well at night.I have always wanted a white harness and I am very pleased with this one.It took time and a lot of work to make these harnesses but I enjoyed making them and the cost is much less this way. I am in the process of making a new harness for Shaman.

Update on training

Nici in harness

                                                          Lady

                         Rachel and Lady and me and Shaman   and below is Nici

Christmas and New Years has come and gone. Both were  quiet but good. I am now training 2 dogs. I am training a black lab for my friend Rachel who is totally blind.Two rescues turned her down with various excuses but they were clearly being discriminatory.We finally answered an ad on Craig's List and found the perfect dog.Her name is Lady. Both Rachel and I have been working with her on obedience and healing. She has now been spayed and is recovering. Rachel will be taking her home on weekends and working with her. This way she will bond with Rachel and will be able to make the final transition more easily to Rachel's home when she is fully trained as a guide dog.I also think it is good for Rachel to work with her own dog as this will help with self confidence. I have started Nici in harness and she is doing very well. She is stopping at curbs and learning fast what is expected of her.Nici has been spayed also so I don't have to worry about that now. She is a wonderful dog and I love her very much. We have a very wonderful bond.Shaman is a lucky boy as he now has 2 new " loves".  Nici and Lady! To be continued..................