# my new guide dog

Category: Animal House

## Post 1 by shelly and shiloh (Zone BBS Addict) on Monday, 19-May-2008 21:42:34

hey guys,
my new guide dog and i have been home from pilot dogs in columbus ohio since friday.
she's beautiful and a big lover.
Her name is Gretta and she's a black lab, and is a year and ten months old.
She weighs fifty five pounds.
And her birthday is on july 17.
But she doesn't like to come out of her kennel even though i take her out and have to keep her on leash for four to six weeks, when i take her out she whines when i don't let her in it, and she goes over to it with all her toys when i try to play with her.
She's very well socialized with dogs and thats just awesome.
Her puppy raisers must have let her on the furniture because she sure likes to try to climb up on my soffa and she likes to lie under things like chairs, or computer desks where there are cords at which i don't let her lie under lol.I'm not sure yet how good a guide she will be since this is only our third week together but hopefully she'll start coming out of her kennel more as the weeks go by even though i keep the door to it open she'll even go in it with her leash still on and i don't tell her to.
If anybody has any ideas on how i can get her to come out of her kennel and not bring her toys in the kennel when i throw a ball or a cong please give them.thanks for reading, shelly and new guide dog gretta

## Post 2 by shelly and shiloh (Zone BBS Addict) on Friday, 23-May-2008 0:27:57

hey guys,
well today i took gretta to this park near me. we saw two doggie's and she did great she didn't bark at them the first dog we heard when we were headed in to the park and it barked at her and the second one was just all happy and wanted to go towards her.
All she did was look at both of them.
the second one she tried to kinda go towards it but i said gretta no, and she stopped so that was neat.
I'd have never gone to this particular park with my golden girl shiloh on my own, so it was great and me and gretta had a lot of fun walking through the park even though we were only there for an hour its a huge park and i didn't want to get lost in it lol.
She still likes her kennel but if i put a blanket on the floor next to the soffa and tell her down she'll lie on it for a little bit but then she'll keep whining till i let her on the soffa and normally i don't let her on the soffa till she stops whining. i'll let her sit there for a while when she stops whining before i let her on the soffa.
I gotta find a way to keep her from trying to get under my computer desk, cause when i correct her she'll lie down but then she'll get up if i loop the leash around the arm of my computer chair and pull the leash off the arm fo the chair and run to her kennel.
Pilot had a lot of different and new commands when i went back there to get gretta its good that there always trying to improve there training.
I'm loving this dog but i miss shiloh, shiloh never tried to nible on me like gretta does.
Otherwise so far those are the only three complaints i have about her.
Lol granted its only our third week together so we will see what happens as the weeks go by.Nobody's even responded to my posts on my gretta just thought people'd wanna know what kinda doggie i got.
she's super thin to, and has really short hair for a black lab and long floppy velvety ears, her fur reminds me of pit bull hair thats how short it is poor thing is gonna freeze come wintertime here in saint paul.
I'll have to find her a coat of some kind maybe at pet smart or if anybody knows of any good online places that are jaws accessible i'd appreciate it.
Take care all,
shelly and gretta

## Post 3 by blindndangerous (the blind and dangerous one) on Friday, 23-May-2008 12:39:32

Darn, how did i miss this post? Congrats on your ew pup. That's odd y she takes her toys back to her kennel though. I woulda thought she would want to play, and not i guess u cold say clean up her stuff.

## Post 4 by purple (Generic Zoner) on Friday, 23-May-2008 18:08:21

who was your trainer at pilot. what are some of the commands you learned.

## Post 5 by tunedtochords (Zone BBS is my Life) on Friday, 23-May-2008 20:12:08

Congrats. Perhaps her puppy raisers taught her to take her toys to a specific place like a crate or basket? I wouldn't worry too much. If she feels safe and secure in her crate, don't stress. Just curious, why don't you want her under the computer desk? If she's a chewer, I get it, but if she's just going to lie there, then I wouldn't think it's a huge deal...
Also, labs have short hair with dense undercoats. That's just the way they are. Don't worry about her being cold; labs were bred to retrieve ducks and birds from the very cold waters off Newfoundland. She'll be fine in the winter.

## Post 6 by jen91_09 (777) on Friday, 23-May-2008 21:53:47

Congratulations on greta! She sounds really cute! I would also like to know some of the commands. I'll compare to what i'll learn at GDB it August. Can u tell I'm excited? lol
congrats again!

## Post 7 by blindndangerous (the blind and dangerous one) on Saturday, 24-May-2008 9:29:44

Yeah, what were some of the commands u learned?

## Post 8 by DeviousAngel (Generic Zoner) on Sunday, 15-Jun-2008 18:13:54

Shelly,
Gretta suns like a woderful dog, and I hope you have a good working career with her. I just thought you might want to know, Sheri, Shilo's sister was retired as well, what was your girl retired for again? I don't remember. Sheri was retired for dog aggression, after she was attacked by other dogs.
The crate, Its not a big deal about the crate, and if she whines, you should correct her, and not let her in the crate unles you want her in there. I have a crate for my lbarador, and he's not as fond of it as Gretta is, but that's not abnormal.
Furniture,
I wouldn't let her on the furniture, its not a good habbit to get in to, and they can becoome dominant about it if they decide to get on something you don't want them on, also if your somewhere, and your not supposed to let her on the coutch, etc, she won't understand why she's not allowed there. There might be friends, or family members that don't want her on there furniture. And you would hate to confuse her with the inconsystancy. And in the early stages of your career, you want to asurt dominence, because she needs to know your boss. Who was your trainer? And, don't, I repeat, don't let her nibble on you. That can cause problems. I don't want to sound like am being dominant, or rude, and or pushy , I was just stating things I learned, I just want you and your girl to be ok, and work out. I know what its like to lose a dog. I still miss Sheri.
You can contact me by looking at my profile, and geting my messinger information.
hugs and the best of luck
Maria

## Post 9 by Reyami (I've broken five thousand! any more awards going?) on Sunday, 15-Jun-2008 20:23:00

all good words of advice. Thanks for posting that. I'm currently in training at Guide Dogs for the blind with my new guide, ditra. She and I are doing well.