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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=tinadt@sbcglobal.net href="mailto:tinadt@sbcglobal.net">tina thomas
</A></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=cagdu@nfbcal.org
href="mailto:cagdu@nfbcal.org">cagdu@nfbcal.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 08, 2008 8:14
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Cagdu] edison</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=578010104-09012008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>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. </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=578010104-09012008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>Tina and
Nina </FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=578010104-09012008></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=578010104-09012008> </SPAN><STRONG>From:</STRONG>
cagdu-bounces@nfbcal.org [mailto:cagdu-bounces@nfbcal.org] <B>On Behalf Of
</B>Ken Volonte<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 08, 2008 7:27
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Cagdu<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Cagdu]
edison<BR></FONT></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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. </FONT></DIV>
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