[Cagdu] edison

[Ken Volonte]

Hi Tina.  Thanks for that vote of confidence.  I'd go anywhere with this dog and feel safe.  Now we're trying to investigate why it is that GDB knowingly sends 20 percent of its graduates home with dogs that they, GDB knows will not make it in the real world.  Their concern with graduating as many teams as possible borders on the immoral.  How many blind people have to be injured before they once put the safety of the teams as a paramount concern.  That's not where the money is now.  We've got to push them, I mean really push them.  Ken
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: tina thomas 
  To: cagdu at nfbcal.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 8:14 PM
  Subject: Re: [Cagdu] edison


  Hi Ken, glad to hear that you and Edison are A good match. As for him not having your heart, I would wait and see. When I was partnered with Sicily, she did not lick  or play allot either, but she was A special dog in her own way. Just because the dog doesn't play or lick doesn't mean that it doesn't like you. Edison sounds like he has his own way of being close to you. I used to wake up and Sicily would be curled up at my back also. Don't worry, he likes you, but he is just trying to get to know you. Take Care. 
  Tina and Nina       

   From: cagdu-bounces at nfbcal.org [mailto:cagdu-bounces at nfbcal.org] On Behalf Of Ken Volonte
  Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 7:27 PM
  To: Cagdu
  Subject: [Cagdu] edison


  hi all.  I got Edison yesterday and went on two routes with him.  He's a great worker.  His curb work is especially accurate.  Two days with him and he's already off leash.  I've talked to his puppy raisers.  They're an older couple living in Carson City.  Today we worked down to my favorite restaurant down the street.  Emily told me stuff about how the streets would look to a dog in terms of complexity.  She said that not many guide dogs from any school could do this route.  Edison aced it first time out.

      I've been in correspondence with Michel Pouliot.  She has apologized for what I went through with Bryant.  She also said that the instruction as to food rewards was wrong and that she and Terry Berrit were going to correct this with all of the instructors at San Raphael.  We need to ask a lot more questions of San Raphael staff and administration.  There are things that don't make sense to me.  

      I'm going to alienate some people, but it's about time Shepherds were fazed out as guides.  I've never met one I liked.  

      I should say just a little more about Edison.  We're already at a place in terms of his work and our smoothness as a team where other dogs were at the space of six months to a year.  This guy is phenomenal in harness.  Out of harness, it's like living with a not very friendly cat.  He might be my best guide, but I don't see myself giving my heart to him.  He doesn't play.  He doesn't lick or run around the house.  He doesn't act like a Lab, but it is as if all signs of dogness have been stripped out of him accept for one thing.

      I wasn't feeling well after this afternoon's training in the rain, so I went to bed and to sleep.  I woke up to find that he was cuddled up to my back also asleep.  Maybe he's just settling in.  Bye for now.  Ken PS I hope I'm still on this list.  


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