Still fetching!!!

This entry is dedicated to my wheelie friend, who is always encouraging me to keep going.

Thanks Reen.

Middi is learning to fetch more and more things for me,

he now picks up my I-pod, 
the coffee cup, [though that one can be a problem if it is full of warm coffee!!]

My "grab stick is the most important thing of all,

when that falls off my chair, I am in real trouble - it is the extension of my arm.

Picking it up has been a real problem for Middi,

he could not grab it without getting hit on the face, 

or tangled in his long legs. 

I tried tying a small ball to the shaft,

winding an old piece of knitting on the handle, 

even a purple ribbon.

Nothing worked, until Chris brought an old sock

that she uses with Jai.

What a difference!

Here is a video showing a new use, for an old sock :-))

This morning I was feeling so disheartened,

nothing seemed to be working.

Then something clicked in a boy dogs brain and off we go again.

As Chris tells me over and over again -- be patient.

My impatience is not with him, it is me, sometimes I get so frustrated with my self and my chair.

I guess I need to remember ,if I didn't have the chair, I would never have got my "beautiful boy" 
Good things come from bad.

Until next time ----- treasure your friends!

Another experience!

Remember Chris suggested we should go to dog school?

I think it is time for an update on our progress.

Before we started It was agreed,
that Middi and I would stay in the beginners group with the least trained dogs,

he and I are learning  how to get on with all sorts of dogs.

We do all the exercises the others do,

but we use our own words and signals.

I cannot believe the change in  Middi and I!
in the few weeks we have been going,

he has calmed right down 
and I am confident that I can manage him.

Here are a couple of pictures showing

"going through a gate"

Compared with the narrow doors we have to squeeze through this is a breeze!!!

Agility is one of the exercises we do each week,
because of his wonky legs Middi can only do part of the course.
He can step sedately over the jumps,
climb carefully along the dog walk,
and sit beautifully on the platform.

Here are the photos to prove it!!

 Sometimes I don't judge distances very well,

look where Middi's tail is!!!!

Now I am really glad Chris encouraged me to go,

Middi and I have such a good time that last Sunday morning 

we got up really  early and attended two different classes.

The people at the school are very supportive of what I am trying to achieve with Middi and the trainers ask me lots of questions about our training.

This week we were asked to visit a different group,

so the dogs could get used to a big wheelchair

and a "working dog".

Dogs are often afraid of this big silent chair.

I am really enjoying the challenges of dog school.