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<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></BODY></HTML>