Shaddup Already!
2005-10-05
blech, blech, blech
It is fall break and I am sick. Figgers, don't it?My head is stuffed up, my throat is sorry and itchy and my ears itch in a way that is particularly irritating. It makes me want to squirt some Benadryl cream in my ear canals. Believe me, I've come close.
Well, my time with my service dog in training is coming to an end. I received this email the other day:
Hi Everyone.
Well time is drawing near for the next group of dogs to be turned in. We need one last evaluation on your dog to be turned in with him/her. We would also like (if possible) for each of you to make a video of your dog performing ALL the commands. We�d like to see how they respond to you and how you motivate the dog. If you don�t own a video camera, see if you can have a friend help you out. We are not looking for perfection on this, just show us what your puppy knows. Go down the complete list of commands and demo each one. Thanks!
Be sure you have had your pups hips x-rayed and all have been spayed or neutered.
Anyone wanting to raise/train again must fill out a repeat PT application for our files and mail it in ASAP to get on the waiting list. We have puppies on the ground now who will be ready to go now, before you turn in your pup. Or you can wait to get one later from one of the next litters due. (we have both labs and goldens due soon)
We want to thank you for all your hard work and all the love you have devoted to this puppy.
Thanks again!!!
Sounds pleasant, doesn't it? Well if you take another look, you'll see that there is no time frame mentioned for the turn-in. This is getting to be all too familiar. Seriously, I've been asking for this information pretty much since my original 6 months ended. So, I took a deep breath and sent the following in an email:
What is the time frame for the turn in? Also, do you know if Cami's previous puppy raiser had her hips x-rayed?
Then I waited. I never did get a response to my questions, but I did receive this:
Hi everyone,
I hope you are doing OK. I know getting the turn in letter is always a hard one to read. Even though it is what we are all working towards it doesn�t make it any easier.
I need for each of you so get copies of all the dog�s medicals from the whole time they have been with you so you can send them with your puppy.
I also would like each of you to put together a CD with puppy pictures of your baby during the time he/she was with you. Hopefully pictures of him/her learning and performing their commands and/or shopping with you. These pictures will be used to make a power point presentation to be shown at their graduation. This can be mailed to us at a later date, doesn�t have to come back w the puppy, I just wanted to let you know what we will need later. Suggestion: make 2 copies of this CD so you can present it to their new person later also.
Please do not send any personal things back to the school with the dogs. (example: toys, beds, special leashes or collars etc) Please wait to present them to his or her person once they have been matched. We simply do not have the room to store things. And they may get lost in the shuffle and we don�t want that to happen.
There is a final evaluation on the Yahoogroups site, please download that evaluation and send that in with your puppy.
I want you ALL to know HOW much we appreciate ALL your hard work with these puppies. We THANK YOU very much!
Yeah, but you don't appreciate us enough to tell us WHEN you want the dogs back? Is that it? What happened to my request that I be able to return Cami during my vacation times so I could acclimate my puppy to being an only dog. Oh yeah, you completely ignored that request, as though you never even read it.
I sent this in response:
