Journal Reflect on the reading assignments and your thoughts regarding the retirement process or loss of your partner.
Tomorrow is going to b a rough, and long, day! I suppose This reason is why McLean was awesome today during all the service skills. We did every station of tugging, retrieval, go pays and light switches, but I loved the other station of using our dogs for support getting up from the floor and transfers for wheelchairs! McLean is a huge dog, and it was like using a small table for me to stand. J Lovely!
First, I am very thankful to still have Showbo with me fafily as a retired service dog! If she ever, or when she ever, gets fatally ill, I hope to have become more attached to my successor dog, McLean. Death is always tough for us when it happens to people, or our service dogs, close to our hearts!
Retirement needs an ideal time of 6-months between the time of retirement and the time of getting a successor dog. Unfortunately, Showbo officially retired on June 2, 2012, and training began with McLean on June 9, 2012. I brought him home on June 15, which only gave us 2 weeks to retire Showbo, or at least ween her and me from each other. Oops!
I liked the ideas to keep both dogs from becoming bullies, but I think it is too late about Showbo being the top dog. She has always been the top dog everywhere we have gone! I also liked the suggestions of keeping Showbo involved in my life and not allowing our relationship to just stop. I definitely still love her, and always will!
Overall, this topic was emotionally stressful for me, and I did a whole lot of crying.
Again, tomorrow is going to be a long day at Longwood Gardens, and I really need some sleep!