Some things have happened at work and I had to step away. I’m back now, and I feel I can write again. I’ve been keeping an adults’ only journal, but I’ll get to that in another post.
I’m havint major knee surgery on the 16th, and right now, I’m spending most of my time, sitting around, doing as little as possible because the drugs don’t help worth a damn. Not a tinker’s damn. Well, I I’d better check my other site…
Other than that, I’m listening to Celine Dion… She’s great!
Government authorized ways to celebrate your freedoms, this 4th of July
For all my American Friends!
As we go out to celebrate our freedom this 4th of July,
let’s go over a few things to make your celebration a success.
Do not claim that freedom of speech gives you the right to wear a Tee-shirt that the government doesn’t like.
They can put you in jail.
Tidy up your house before you leave in case it is searched while you are out.
You used to have the right to freedom from search unless a search warrant is issued. Now the police can come into your home, and take whatever they want,
and not tell you until 2 weeks later, if they tell you at all.
They don’t even have to knock on the door before they barge in.
Before leaving home make sure you check the color coded Homeland Security alert status. Be especially careful if it is orange or red. Don’t worry about
yellow. It’s always yellow.
Don’t use any illegal fireworks in your 4th Celebration. It is for your own safety. And the founding father’s implemented a government to protect you from
yourselves. Didn’t they? Besides, fireworks are explosive devices and you might be considered a terrorist with weapons of mass destruction. And although
the government can’t find any in Iraq, you can rest assured they will find them in your car trunk. But don’t worry, getting arrested, imprisoned indefinitely
without formal charges, and a 5 year wait before the secret tribunal trial per the Patriot Act is a breeze. It’s that secret summary execution that should
make you nervous.
Make sure you are buckled up in your seat belts, there will be roadblocks and checkpoints to make sure you comply. It is for the children. Have your papers
ready as you approach the holiday police checkpoints.
If you are an airline employee, lighten up for the holiday, you can always look for a job tomorrow. Maybe you could transfer over to a Federal Airport Security
Screener job.
Big demand for those jobs and you don’t have to be smart.
If you are a Haliburton employee, then celebrate:
You probably have a raise coming from the Iraqi contract windfall.
If celebrating on any public property,
make no mention of religious ideals.
Government is god there. You will be apprehended.
Don’t criticize the President, or other government officials;
you might be in violation of the Patriot Act and considered a possible terrorist.
Don’t mention the Constitution in any district court,
or you could be held in contempt.
If your children get out of line this holiday, do not discipline them,
or they may be kidnapped by the Dept. of Social Services
and held hostage until you sign a confession, receive approved psychological therapy,
and are deemed acceptable.
Show compassion this Independence Day by bringing an illegal immigrant to your celebration, or by hugging a tree.
If an election is occurring in your locality within the next 90 days, do not talk about or publicly support any candidate, as that is no longer lawful.
Keep your mouth shut.
If an officer asks to search your vehicle at the “seat belt” checks, do not be belligerent and demand a search warrant.
Standing up for your fourth amendment rights is anti-social and not in tune with the new American way.
Are you with Al Quada or something?
Do not get upset when the searching officer will not help you pick up your belongings that he has strewn all over the highway as he searched your vehicle.
It is not in his job description
and complaining will get you charged with obstructing justice.
Keep your guns at home.
You are not going hunting and besides, what on earth do guns have to do with American Independence?
Better yet, turn your guns into the authorities to let them know that you are a true patriotic American.
You still have the right to carry a gun if you have a license,
but that will soon be gone if the United Nations passes their measure making carrying a gun illegal.
Better yet, just STAY at home.
BUT do not assume that you are safe, because you are at home.
If a government bureaucrat shows up at your home, he will probably be flashing a badge at you.
This makes him look like a constitutional law enforcement officer.
He may even be armed. Do not ask to see a warrant,
and then tell him to leave if he does not have one.
They will surround your house. If you do not come out soon enough,
they may invade, with guns drawn, or even set your house on fire.
For more information, do a Google search using keywords like “Symbionese Liberation Army”, “Philadelphia MOVE group”, “Gordon Kahl”, “The Order”, “Robert
Matthews”, “Covenant of the Sword and Arm of the Lord”, “Randy Weaver” , “Branch Davidian”, or “Elian Gonzalez”.
If you are counting on your congressman to protect you,
understand that the average congressman is ALSO afraid to resist.
For more information, do a Google search using keywords like “George Hanson” , “James Trafficant” or “Larry McDonald”.
You used to have the right to privacy. Now they have cameras everywhere watching you.
If celebrating at the mall you are probably safe as the mall is now monitored by hundreds of surveillance cameras,
watched by federal security forces.
Don’t do anything that you wouldn’t want them to see.
Bring lots of cash with you, there will be many taxes, fines, and fees to pay as you celebrate your freedoms this day.
Do not leave home without your driver’s license, social security card, birth certificate, welfare card, Medicare card, medical records, W-2 Form, and two
others forms of ID. You may be asked for them at the police checkpoints.
Better yet, get micro-chipped, and avoid the hassle of carrying around your papers.
Bring your library card, the FBI may ask you for it.
Do not put any “anti-government” bumper stickers on your car. Especially not anything about the right to keep and bear arms. Police have been trained by
the FBI in “bumper sticker profiling”. This attracts their attention at the check points, and makes you look like a terrorist.
With regard to “bumper sticker profiling” you should be especially aware of the fact that “They will get my gun, when they pry it from my cold dead fingers”
is no longer mere semantics. At WACO, and at RUBY RIDGE,
we learned that they WILL kill you to take your guns
ALSO, be careful not to have any unauthorized THOUGHTS. There are now serious penalties for “thought crime”.
Be aware that “civil forfeiture” laws make it possible to take anything that you own, by alleging that it was “intended” to be used for the commission of
a crime. This could include transporting, or storing, a gun.
If “civil forfeiture” proceedings are initiated against you,
then you will have the burden of proof, to show that your thoughts were in compliance with government standards.
Get to know some politicians, and bureaucrats, so that you might be able to head off the taking of your private property to be given to private developers
for the “public good”.
If traveling by air, this Independence Day, do not give the airport screeners a hard time.
They are feeling you up, and molesting your daughter, and wife, for the security of America. If you complain you could be arrested. You don’t support Bin
Laden do you?
Keep an eye on your fellow Americans as you celebrate this 4th of July. If you see anything suspicious, take notes so that when you get home you can call
and report them to the Homeland Security Office.
And remember you are not a nosey snitch, you are a great American Patriot.
Do not mention the signers of the Declaration of Independence this 4th of July.
Mentioning these white subversive terrorists is not popular and could get you in big trouble.
Besides what do these guys have to do with the 4th of July anyway?
Do not leave home without one or more little plastic American flags made by political slaves in Communist China.
Make sure you have one flying from the antennae of your vehicle. You don’t want to seem un-American do you?
Do not take a copy of the Declaration of Independence with you as it advocates the overthrow of tyrannical government.
It is a terrorist document and will be confiscated at the holiday police checkpoints. Same advice for the Constitution.
And remember, as you leave home for your 4th of July outing, that the second you stepped out of your door that you probably broke hundreds of federal, state,
and local laws that you are probably unaware of.
However, if you tow the line, you will not be charged.
If arrested you used to have the right to a jury trial, and to be told what you have done wrong,
and appointed council. Now you can be labeled an “enemy combatant” or terrorist,
and be placed in jail with no trial, no lawyer, nothing for as long as they want.
For more information, do a Google search on “Jose Padilla”.
Don’t even think about taxes on this great day.
The 50 per cent government confiscation of your income at the threat of imprisonment or at the point of a gun should not even cross your mind as you revel
in your freedom. After all, April 15th is a long way off.
And whatever you do, do not let on that you really know that true freedom died a long time ago in America, just have fun for the day and then go home and
stick your head back in the sand and pretend America is not becoming a fascist police state.
If you have a few decades with nothing better to do, study up on “administrative law”.
Laws are now made by the unelected bureaucrats, in hundreds of “administrative agencies”.
If you are charged with violating one of these “laws” you will not get a trial by a jury of your peers.
You will be tried by the agency that made the “law” and made the charge against you.
If you appeal this “conviction,” your appeal will also be heard by the administrative agency that “convicted” you.
Their ruling will probably be that they were right.
I hope this message gets past the Department of Home land Insecurity approved internet filter.
How else can they protect us from unauthorized thought?
Now go out and celebrate your freedom, and have a great Independence Day!
=====
HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY
This transmission screened prior to receipt by addressee pursuant to applicable sections of the USA PATRIOT Act.
The Patriot Act is constitutionally illegal, but was signed into law takes away your rights and turns them into privileges, which the government can grant
or take away at will. If you remember we were told that this would just be temporary. Now it has been made permanent. But no one protested did they?
You used to have the rights to not be spied on by anyone while on the phone or the internet.
You also used to have the rights to your bank records being held private.
Now the government can just go through your bank record data and monitor your financial transactions without question and without even telling you.
——————
Now go out there and celebrate your freedom, and liberty, and have a great sanitized, politically correct, and government approved and authorized Independence
Day!
None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free.
Our forefathers are crying.
Our forefathers are angry.
Our forefathers are loading their muskets and heading for The Green.
America……..Wake the hell up.
There will be many people coming out to celebrate this July 4th when they should be out protesting the rights they have lost. We need to get those rights
back.
And for those of you who say “Why should I care I have done nothing wrong.”
This just shows how much you value your rights! The government loves people like you.
They can take away even more of your rights and you will just go along with them without speaking out.
You deserve to lose your rights because you didn’t appreciate them when you did have them.
It’s about time I wrote another post, although I can’t say I have over much to write about. I did manage to make it through the week I was so anxious about, and Mae and I did manage, despite everything, to find time to spend together. It wasn’t enough, but it got us through the week. 
We SURVIVED!!!
I have been very ill, which has got me even more behind than usual at work. Da seems pretty lenient, all things considered, and knows that between being ill, Mae, my boys and the dogs and horses, I have my plate not just full, but overflowing, and just can’t take anymore. I wish I had superman qualities, but… I don’t.
My new bitch pup, Ivy, who was incidentally, named after Ivy Tamwood in The Hollows Series, is growing a bit. This pleases me. She has also not had as much activities or exercise as is ideal for her, and I’m afraid she is becoming a bit restless.
Not much else of note is going on. When I feel well enough, and not tired enough, I read/delete/forward/respond to a couple of emails depending on what should be done with them. These periods are not very often, I’m afraid, but at least Da is giving me some lattitude.
Speaking of Da, we came across a rather interesting problem and are in a muddle as to what to do about it.
A Bit of Background
Mae and I were talking one day and she told me that something on Wikipedia concerning Da had his name wrong. I glanced at it and sure enough, his name was written incorrectly. I did not have an account at the time, and did not want my IP address showing up to anyone who might fancy to look at the page’s edit history, so I asked a friend to change it for me. This friend did as I asked.
Not that much later, when I checked to see if the changes were done as my friend said, I saw that it had apparently not been changed. I looked at the edit history of the page and saw that yes, my friend apparently had changed it. Someone else had changed it back.
This person explained that a certain book states the *incorrect* name as my Da’s legal name. Well, I know that to be false, (the name, not the book), as I have my Da’s birth certificate. Da also had a copy of the book, and although he had discussed things for years in depth with the author, he had not read *the whole* manuscript. Da is *very* busy, and not a young man, and he hadn’t looked at the book for at least a year.
Assuming that this person was only acting upon what he had read, and not out of maliciousness, for I truly don’t feel that was his intent, we looked at the book in question. The book does indeed say what the person says it says. However, the book is *incorrect*. We have contacted the author who assured us that yes, he does indeed know Da’s name and that it has got to be an error that came about somewhere along the system. A few bad editor jokes later, and he promised to go about getting the situation rectified. Still, that leaves us in a bit of a muddle.
I feel that the situation should be put to rights. Da says he also feels the same way, but “really, what does it matter?”.
I know WP has strict guidelines regarding biographies of living persons. I also know that if I had been the one writing/editing the article, I would have believed that a verifiable, published book was a verified source and would feel no qualms about removing, what in my mind, would be an unverified source. I have Da’s birth cert, as I said. That same birth cert can be researched by anyone, for it is part of the public record. Should I leave the matter lie or bring it to the attention of the community? If I decide to bring it to the attention of the community, how should I go about doing so? I don’t want to upset anyone. I don’t want to hurt the editor’s feelings, for it is apparent that he/she does a top class job contributing! Although I am not new to writing for WP, I am new to holding an account, and therefore, will be considered new by most users. I certainly don’t want to cause a sensation, but a part of me, a large part of me, wants to see the matter put to rights. I have done nothing, and will do nothing, until my heart and my head are in agreement. That day may never come.
Speaking of Wikipedia. As I said, I have created an account, and am having great fun contributing. I can’t wait to learn and get more involved!
When you love someone, it’s not supposed to hurt… Not like this.
I never knew… Oh Mae, I never knew… Every day, I think I love her as much, as wholely as one can love a person, then, the next day comes, and I find that the wave of my love has crested and their is more love in me than the day before.
And now, I face a week without her. It’s bad enough that I usually don’t have time with her much on the weekends, but to go a whole week without her…It will be torture worse than any physical torture I endured at the hands of loyalists… Much, much worse.
Of course, given my current situation, I am deeply depressed. It’s not just that though. Mae is a wonderful person, a vibrant, lively woman, who has made me feel things, ways, I didn’t know I could feel, but she has … A rather extensive sphere of influence. Some of that influence has washed off onto me. Not that this is particularly a bad thing, but it just goes to remind me every day how fragile, yet powerful our relationship is.
I don’t want to lose her, would do anything to keep her, yet I would let her walk away if she wished it…
Why the hell do I get myself into these situations? Well, no use castigating myself over it. That’ll do no good. I suppose I better sleep now. At least, when I’m asleep, I won’t think about how truly bad I feel.
I never knew love could hurt like this… I never, never knew…
Extracts from two Eurasian wildflowers are highly effective at killing the superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according
to a study conducted by researchers at the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) in Ireland.
Researchers found that extracts from Inula helenium (commonly known as elecampane, horse-heal or marchalan) eliminated 100 percent of MRSA colonies upon
exposure.
I. helenium and another wildflower, known as Pulsatilla vulgaris or pasque flower, were tested against 300 different varieties of staphylococci bacteria, including MRSA. P. vulgaris also proved “highly effective” against MRSA, according to an article in the “Irish Examiner.”
MRSA is resistant to all first-line antibiotics, making it more likely that
staph infections caused by the bug will proceed for longer without treatment and spread from the skin to other parts of the body. This makes MRSA correspondingly more lethal
than other staph infections. The increasing prevalence and lethality of MRSA in hospitals, schools, prisons and other institutional settings across the United States has made the superbug an issue of increasing concern for health officials.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that MRSA infected nearly 100,000 people in the United States in 2005
and killed 18,650 people. Roughly 16,000 people died from AIDS in the same year.
I. helenium is a bright yellow, tall perennial wildflower that grows throughout central and southern Europe and throughout western and central Asia as far
east as the Himalayas. It blossoms in the late summer. P. vulgaris, a member of the buttercup family, produces bell-shaped flowers in early spring. The
wildflower is found throughout western, central and southern Europe. Both flowers grow wild in Ireland and Great Britain.
The research on the wildflower extracts was carried out by a postgraduate student under the supervision of a CIT professor and a senior medical scientist
from the microbiology department of Cork University Hospital.
I can feel the “real me.”
The one that isn’t sick from medication side effects.
The one that is well, energetic, and positive.
The one that laughs easily and offers help to friends without hesitation.
The “me” I know I am, deep inside.
The “me” that follows my heart, doing what feels right rather than weighing costs and benefits…
I feel optimistic when these moments come!
Sometimes I even find myself believing that the chronic pain won’t return…
It’d be a different world, a different life for me without this pain and nausea.
I know my chronic pain will not just miraculously disappear.
I won’t waste time with that fantasy!
But moments of hope are very important.
Moments like these give me the strength to keep working with my doctor, trying new meds, following new treatment plans.
There is a difference between hope and fantasy.
For me, fantasy is wasted energy.
Hope is the path back to the “real me.”
Whoa! The German Shepherd lover wishes he didn’t have a German Shepherd? What’s that about?
Yeah, it’s been one of those days… Call it Murphy’s Law, or the Dog Owner’s Law, or whatever you like…but it’s been a trying, rather blood pressure raising day, and it isn’t over yet!
For those that don’t know… I’m a day sleeper. When I can, I usually go to bed at between 6 A.M and 8 A.M, although lately, with work and this and that, it’s been closer to 9… I get up at between 2 and 3:30 P.M and start my day. I usually have another lie down sometime during the day if I can, but I don’t always get the opportunity.
So, when I got up this afternoon, as usual, my first order of business was walking the house dogs.
I was particularly concerned, since Ivy had some runny stool on the floor of the computer room early this morning and I didn’t want it to happen again. I have an order in which I do things… Ivy, the puppy, goes last. Yes, I know it’s illogical, but she can hold her bladder and bowels whilst crated, and… It’s not illogical when you factor in the way our home is set up and that I engage in what is termed as “pain avoidance activities”. This means that I attempt to do as little as possible that will provoke a flare. That includes walking.
Early this morning, Ivy discovered another passion… Barking at any dog that comes near her crate, also barking whilst I am getting ready to leave the house with another dog. Once I am gone, she quiets, and I’m not really upset about that, although I don’t like it… It’s the barking at other dogs walking past her crate or while I’m putting tack on other dogs that I can’t stand. I don’t mind if she takes a few woofs once I close the door and leave the house… Like I said, she does and she always quiets. What I do mind are the constant woof woof woofing when I’m trying to put Keen’s leash/harness on, for example, or when Keen wants to come rest by my chair, which is right next to her crate while she’s in there.
Now, I know what you’re going to say…Move the crate. Not an option. This house is so cluttered. A place for everything and everything in it’s place. Consequently, things are where they are and where they have to stay… There just isn’t more room.
So, we had a long antibarking session with Ivy this morning, not that it did much good, and I got frustrated and even more depressed than I was, which was already pretty damn depressed.
Then, when I was done walking the house dogs I gave them the run of the place as I usually do. In the excitement, I forgot to put away the stuffed dogs that I had pulled out to show my kids last night, (I ended up just leaving them on the bed when I went to sleep). They were the first things my Da ever gave me and I’ve had them ever since…
Ivy got one and proceeded to chew on it, (yes, my fault for leaving it out), so now I have to sew it up…It’s a good thing she didn’t chew the leg all the way off, or I’d have been super fucking mad! They are just stupid stuffed animals, but dammit they are precious to me, and like any good stuffed animal collector, I can’t stand to see a good one get destroyed. And besides, they don’t make em anymore…
So, I’m there cursing myself for having German Shepherds when Ivy discovers herself in the mirror… “Kill the dog in the mirror!!!” “Kill it!” “Kill it!” Really pretty funny.
I say, “That’s you, Ivy girl,” and show her and she still tries to kill the dog in the mirror…I wish I was a dog, just for that instant.To know what she was thinking.
then, I spent some time with her throwing her “bally” while I contemplated just how the hell I was going to buy food for myself, my Da and the kids for the upcoming week… I was feeling very depressed and sorry for myself and with everyone gone, I had noone to talk to about it…
Am I still depressed? Yes. Am I lonely? Yes… Do I wish I didn’t have a German Shepherd? Nope… I couldn’t live without em!
Now you ask, what is all this bluster about? That night when I had to go to the ER by ambulance… I had to get someone to stay with Sabre. Sabre had multiple behavioural issues that made him unfit for service work… I could have kept him and trained him in personal protection, but I just felt we were an unsuited match all round. He went off to Dublin Gardaí to train in detection.
Now, lest you think that I exchanged one dog for another…Let me explain. Here’s a post that explains it a bit better. this post was written on the 7th of this month and sent to a few email lists to which I belong.
Hey all:
Now It’s been a while since I posted that I had to place Sabre, the
dog I was training as another assistance dog for myself… It’s also
been a little while, since the night before I placed him, I got one of
my bitches from a breeding two years ago back…
I got Annah back due to personal circumstances. People had done a lot
of work with her, loved her a lot, but husband’s ill with cancer,
they’re adopting twins…Yeah…Yeah…Yeah… So, I took the dog
back. I got her back the night before I placed Sabre, like I said.
Well, I decided to see just how “trained” she was. Not only is she
trained, but she’s very trained. Not only will she work, but she
might just work out as an assistance dog. So, she is officially in
training as of…Last weekend? She’s getting used to going into all
different types of places, and aside from a tiny bit of anxiety at
first, she’s doing really, really well!
Now, I have more good news… This might even qualify as great news.
Another kennel here in Ireland has heard about Sabre and his being
dropped. This kennel breeds working line dogs. They have a bitch
that they were planning to keep, but have decided to let me purchase
her instead. And for a steal, too!
I pick her up today. She has already been trained and has been
started in SD tasks.
So, I’ll have two dogs in training, hopefully. One of my boys is
disabled and could use a dog, so if both dogs work out, I’ll keep the
one with the high drive and give Anna to my boy, since she is a pretty
low key girl.
A lot of ifs…I know, but still…I’m jazzed.
Now, for the Sabre update…
Sabre is getting worked every day. He is kept busy all day long. His
handler says “I understand why you re-homed this dog. I am having a
devil of a time getting a handle on his barking. Even when he’s
knackered…he still barks his head off!”
I’m glad to know it’s not just me.
Other than that, “he’s a fine dog. He does everything I ask, and I’m
glad that his training was started…He has a fine foundation and
should do well.”
I’m glad he’s doing well… Eating and feeling fine… It’s a big
relief to me.
Well, I’ll close for now. I’ve got to feed dogs and walk the house crew…
Tail swishes and puppy licks to all,
As for Annah, she doesn’t fit any of our handling/training styles, and that’s a shame cause myself, my Da, and both my older boys could qualify as SD users, so we will be keeping her and placing her once she is fully trained as an SD.
I am typing this out for the second time… Thank you power outage!!!
Here goes my saga…
It all started Friday about noon. As I have said before, I have
several autoimmune diseases and live in constant, often mind-numbing
pain. The pain began to get bad, so I did what I always do. Took
meds. First Kadian, then Oxy IR, (Oxycodone), then injectable
Morphine, (not all at once, certainly. I don’t want to end up
dead!!!) I would have added steroids to the list, but I was out.
This occurred over the course of about eight hours. Around eight
fifteen, I was still getting worse. I rang my doc. He said what he
always says, “If it gets too bad, go into hospital.” He wanted me to
try taking another Morphine shot, which I did.
That seemed to help a teeny bit and I thought I’d get through it. By
five Saturday morning, however, I was not only back to where I was
when I called my doc, but worse…Much worse. I was losing
consciousness due to the pain.
I rang his office and told them I was going in. About four-six times
a year, I have, what us AI disease patients call a “flare” and I end
up in the E.R. The area hospitals know me and know my doc, so when I
am brought there, they know that I’m a legitimate chronic pain
patient, have a letter with my doc’s phone numbers and preferred
treatment instructions on file and they don’t bother me as they
otherwise might.
Then, I called my neighbour and kennel manager to come and stay with
Sabre and the other dogs. Why Sabre needs someone to watch him is for
another post. It depresses me, and I don’t want to think about that
right now…
I harness Keen, my GSD service dog, (no easy task when in pain), and
called for an ambulance. Then, I went to wait outside.
They responded promptly. I was surprised at that, but thankful that
they had responded to my non-emergency emergency. What I mean is, it
was a personal emergency, not a life threatening one, I’m thinking.
Any good feelings I had for them disappeared when they got out of the
vehicle. A man and a woman, both relatively young. The woman, I’m
thinking the senior of the two, said flatly that they were not taking
“that dog”.
I explained that Keen is a service animal and that the law requires
that he be allowed. She insisted that she would not “take that dog”.
I then asked for her name and information as I was fully intending on
reporting her. Her partner was trying to tell her that, yes, my dog
was allowed. She finally said, “I’ll call my supervisor”. I
responded with a curt, “You do that.”
The supervisor settled it. Dog allowed… Victory for Ruairí! Then,
she has the nerve to tell me that she has a Pit Bull, and, “…
although he’s not trained or anything. I know he won’t hurt me. I
don’t know about your dog…”
So, my Keen, who was *well trained*, *well groomed*, *appropriately
wearing a harness and I.D, even though it’s not required*, *not making
any aggressive motions whatsoever, even though he is cross-trained in
personal protection* and *sitting quietly at my side* scared her, but
her untrained dog doesn’t? Anyone see the logic in that?
She began to insist that I put Keen on a sit-stay while they load me
in. I refused. She then asked, “What? Will he bite me? Or does he
not know how to do an off-lead stay?” I said, “As to the first
question, not right now, (I was getting tetched), and as to the
second, he certainly does. My fear was that they’d leave him there
and drive off without him.
Keen and I were both finally loaded in and they began doing what
paramedics do best. She asked, “Is there any reason why your heart
rate would be so elevated and your blood pressure would be so high?”
To which I responded, “Yes, you trying to refuse my legitimate service
animal.”
I think she’d had enough with me then, because she let her partner
stay in the back with me while she drove. That suited me fine…
When we were almost to the hospital, she calls them to let them know
of our arrival. She proceeds to tell the E.R that I have “a service
pet”. What the hell is a “service pet”?
We get to the hospital and I get into a room. A very cool nurse comes
in and starts asking me the normal type medical questions. he was the
charge nurse, and we got to talking about dogs and dog training. I
have another client! He said “The doctor will be in shortly”.
Now, me having done this countless times before, I know that “shortly”
usually means in a few hours… I waited about an hour and a half
and… Finally, he arrived.
The first thing he does is comment on Keen. I say that yes, he may
pet him, as he was at rest and not working at the moment. Then, he
starts giving Keen commands! Annoying, that! Nobody, and I mean
*nobody*, commands my dog unless I am unconscious and unable to do so!
He says that he wants to take blood and run some labs and that he’ll
order me steroids and something for pain to be given IV.
Same nurse comes back in and starts the IV. With my steroid destroyed
veins, no easy task! Then, he takes the blood and gives me my
medications… Ok, one more thing over with. I ask him how long the
labs will take. He says “thirty to forty-five minutes”. I’m thinking
no big deal…
An hour later, he comes back in to tell me that my blood clotted, and
was therefore unuseable. Redraw… Can you say not a happy camper?
I wait… And wait… And wait some more…
The doc finally comes back in and tells me that my labs look “pretty
good”. What exactly does “pretty good” mean? He orders me yet
another pain shot, as the first shot of Dilaudid didn’t do much, (I
hate being opioid tolerant!), and says he’ll write me some scripts for
extra breakthrough pain medications and more steroids.
I wait and wait and wait some more… More dilaudid…
More waiting…
Nurse again, “Are you feeling better now?”
Me, “Not really.”
I wait some more… One more shot of Dilaudid. More steroids… Vallium.
I wait some more…
By now, I’m feeling fine… They finally come with my discharge
papers and Keen and I got to go home!
So, six and a half hours later, Keen and I ended up back on Ruairí
Street and Doggieville, with our own backyard for Keen to do his
toilet, which I’m sure he really needed to do by then!
So… The question is this… I have drafted a letter, which I was
planning to send to the ambulance corps. The letter explains exactly
what the laws are regarding service dogs here and how a patient should
be treated with a service dog… The “DOs” and “DON’Ts” of relating
to patients with SDs… Should I send it? I will provide the letter
if anyone would like to see it.
Even though they did end up transporting Keen, I feel that they
obviously need some education on the matter. Someone who is not as
vocal or as able as I am to stand up for him/herself, might not have
gotten on so well.
Comments?
Council complaints – These are genuine clips from council complaint letters:
1. My bush is really overgrown round the front and my back passage has fungus growing in it.
2 He’s got this huge tool that vibrates the whole house and I just can’t take it anymore.
3. It’s the dog mess that I find hard to swallow.
4. The man next door has a large erection in the back garden, which is unsightly and dangerous.
5. I want some repairs done to my cooker as it had backfired and burnt my knob off.
6. And their 16 yr old son is continually banging his balls against my fence.
7. I wish to report that tiles are missing from the outside toilet roof. I think it was bad wind the other night that blew them off.
8. My lavatory seat is cracked, where do I stand?
9. Please send a man with the right tool to finish the job to satisfy my wife.
10. Will you please send someone to mend the garden path? My wife tripped and fell on it yesterday and now she is pregnant.
11. I request permission to remove my drawers in the kitchen.
12. Our kitchen floor is damp. We have 2 children and would like a third, so please send someone round to do something about it.
13. I am still having problems with smoke in my new drawers.
14. The toilet is blocked and we cannot bath the children until it is cleared.
15. Will you please send a man to look at my water; it is a funny colour and not fit to drink.
16. I am writing on behalf of my sink, which is coming away from the wall.
17. I want to complain about the farmer across the road, every morning at 6 a.m. His cock wakes me up and its now getting too much for me.
18. I wish to complain that my father hurt his ankle very badly, then he put his foot in the hole in his back passage.
19. 50% of the walls are damp, 50% have crumbling plaster and 50% are plain filthy.
20. I am a single woman living in a downstairs flat and would you please do something about the noise made by the man on top of me every night.
21. Our lavatory seat is broken in half and is now in three pieces.
22. I have had the clerk of works down on the floor 6 times but I still have no satisfaction.
23. This is to let you know that our lavatory seat is broke and we can’t get BBC2.
A PROBE has been launched into how Ireland’s largest children’s hospital, Our Lady’s in Crumlin, Dublin, removed the wrong kidney from a child in what administrators
have called “a regrettable medical error.”
The child, believed to be a four-year-old boy, was left with a diseased kidney after the healthy one was removed, and he now faces lifelong dialysis unless
a donor can be found.
The tragedy prompted widespread fury. Fine Gael’s Dr. James Reilly, the main opposition health spokesman, said, “It is very, very serious and an awful tragedy
for the family. It is just a nightmare.
“Our health service is in such a shambles, and something like this just shatters people’s confidence.”
Labor’s health spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan demanded assurances that no stone would be unturned in investigating just how the error occurred.
“While I would accept that private aspects of this case must remain private, any findings of an investigation that indicates that there may have been systems
failures or other shortcomings should be published. If there are broader lessons to be learned, they should be made public,” she said.
Mark Murphy, chief executive of the Irish Kidney Association, said he was horrified at what had happened, as the hospital and the family obviously were
also.
“It possibly reflects a very pressurized health system and obviously people under pressure are more liable to make mistakes,” he said.
A patients’ lobby group called for the resignation of Health Minister Mary Harney. Patients Together spokeswoman Janette Byrne said, “This leaves patients
and parents of children going in for tests and x-rays concerned and worried and wondering what has happened.”
Byrne claimed that a culture within the health service of lack of accountability means there will be lots of questions without any answers.
But Harney said she has confidence that an internal inquiry at the hospital will establish what went wrong. If it doesn’t, she added, there may have to
be an investigation by an independent authority.
The boy, who remains anonymous at the request of the family, has been discharged and has returned to school. According to administrators, the family are
happy that he remains a patient of the hospital and will receive follow-up care there.
The hospital confirmed that “a significant and regrettable medical error occurred recently in relation to a patient.”
A statement added, “An internal review was initiated and continues to completion in relation to the facts surrounding the error. The board of directors
of the hospital will consider the detail of the review and act where appropriate.
“The parents of the patient were immediately informed of the incident. The family were and continue to be given full support by the hospital staff. The
staff of Our Lady’s have reiterated to the family our sincere apologies for this most unfortunate error.
The mistake, details of which emerged last weekend, occurred in recent weeks when doctors at the hospital went to remove a diseased or malfunctioning kidney
from the child but mistakenly removed the healthy kidney instead.
Just a quick Sabre brag…
Last night, I decided that Sabre would wear a prong. I got the prong that fit him and put it on. I also happened to find my training apron, so I filled the pockets with treats, and off we went outside for his nightime toilet. Well, almost right as we stepped out the door, the prong came off!
Apparently, the links on that collar don’t know the meaning of staying connected. Sabre ran out onto the grass, had a pee, then looked at me. He knew very clearly he was not on leash. I called him to me, and he came. He wouldn’t let me touch him though. He wandered off again, and again, I called. This time, he let me catch him.
I decided that we’d see what he’d do a bit, so I began to walk away from the house. Sabre ran out in front and I let him go a bit. Then I called. Again, he came! Each time he came, he got a treat! We did this for about fifteen minutes and each time I called, he came! This is a dog that has had no formal obedience training. He knows “sitz” “lay down”, (words only to be used in his crate), and “here”. that’s it!
Now… If only I could get him to realise that it is not fun to chew my house to bits!
Well, it’s been one of those days… I’m in flare. I’ve been doing ok of late, actually, not in major flare, but yesterday/today… It hit like a ton of bricks…
One Dilaudid … Two Dilaudid … Three Dilaudid … Four …
Still, no pain relief…
One Morphine injection … Two Morphine injections … Three morphine injections … Four …
And, so it goes. Yes, I am prescribed this stuff by my doctor, and yes, I am taking what my doctor says I am allowed to take. *no*, I am *not* overdosing, and, before you tell me I’m an addict/should be on less medication/don’t need narcotics/take to much…or whatever else you might think of to say, walk a mile in my pain-filled shoes, then tell me how you feel about taking narcs.
People *truly* in pain who take narcotics, do so not for the high. For us, narcotics don’t make us high… They make us functional!
On another note, I’ve been reading Navada Barr’s Winter Study. It’s her newest book. If you like the outdoor, especially wolves in winter, you’ll love this one… I love Barr’s book. Her characters are real, the mysteries are good and I can visit some of the most beautiful places in the US without spending a dime! I can also save the day, live the danger and catch the bad guys all from the comfort of my leather chair! What a life…
Did I mention Sabre is better? can’t remember…
I’m going to bed. I haven’t done that in over 30 hours.
Love to all!
I typed this one out… So, here it is…
Public Access Test
WARNING
This test is here as information only. This test was designed to be administered by professional Dog Trainers.
Developed by: Fenian Kennels
________________________________________________________________
ASSISTANCE DOG PUBLIC ACCESS CERTIFICATION TEST
NAME OF DOG AND RECIPIENT: ___________________________________
NAME OF TESTER: _______________________________________________
DATE OF TEST: _____________ DATE OF PLACEMENT: _______________
TESTED ON (PLEASE CIRCLE ONE): PLACEMENT FOLLOW-UP
EQUIPMENT USED:_______________________________________________
FINAL RESULT (PLEASE CIRCLE ONE): PASS FAIL
PURPOSE: The purpose of this Public Access Test is to ensure that dogs who have public access are stable, well-behaved, and unobtrusive to the public. It
is to ensure that the client has control over the dog and the team is not a public hazard. This test is NOT intended as a substitute for the skill/task
test that should be given by the program. It is to be used in addition to those skill/task tests. It is expected that the test will be adhered to as closely
as possible. If modifications are necessary, they should be noted in the space provided at the end of the test.
DISMISSAL: Any dog that displays any aggressive behavior (growling, biting, raising hackles, showing teeth, etc.) will be eliminated from the test. Any
dog that eliminates in a building or shows uncontrollable behavior will be eliminated from the test.
BOTTOM LINE: The bottom line of this test is that the dog demonstrates that he/she is safe to be in public and that the person demonstrates that he/she
has control of the dog at all times.
TESTING EQUIPMENT: All testing shall be done with equipment appropriate to the needs and abilities of the team. All dogs shall be on-lead at all times except
in the vehicle at which time it is optional.
This test is to take place in a public setting such as a mall where there are a lot of people and natural distractions. The individual will handle the dog
and can use any reasonable/humane equipment necessary to ensure his/her control over the dog.
The evaluator will explain the test thoroughly before the actual testing, during which he/she will follow discreetly to observe when not directly interacting
with the individual on a test related matter. The only things an evaluator needs are a clip board, an assistant, another dog, a plate with food, and access
to a shopping cart.
COMMANDS: Commands may be given to the dog In either hand signals or verbal signals or both.
1. CONTROLLED UNLOAD OUT OF VEHICLE: After a suitable place has been found, the individual will unload the dog and any necessary equipment (wheelchair,
walker, crutches, etc.) out of the vehicle. The dog must wait until released before coming out of the vehicle. Once outside, it must wait quietly unless
otherwise instructed by the Individual. The dog may not run around, be off lead, or ignore commands given by the individual. Once the team is out of the
vehicle and settled, the assistant should walk past with another dog. they should walk within six (6) feet of the team. The Assistance Dog must remain
calm and under control, not pulling or trying to get to the other dog.
The emphasis on this is that the Assistance Dog remain unobtrusive and is unloaded in the safest manner possible for everyone.
2. APPROACHING THE BUILDING: After unloading, the team must maneuver through the parking lot to approach the building. The dog must stay in a relative heel
position and may not forge ahead or lag behind. The dog must not display a fear of cars or traffic noises and must display a relaxed attitude. When the
individual stops for any reason, the dog must stop also.
3. CONTROLLED ENTRY THROUGH A DOORWAY: Once at the doors of the building, the individual may enter however he/she chooses to negotiate the entry safely.
Upon entering the building; however, the dog may not wander off or solicit attention from the public. The dog should wait quietly until the team is fully
inside then should calmly walk beside the individual. The dog must not pull or strain against the lead or try to push its way past the individual but must
wait patiently while entry is completed.
4. HEELING THROUGH THE BUILDING: Once inside the building, the individual and the dog must walk through the area in a controlled manner. The dog should
always be within touching distance where applicable or no greater than a foot away from the individual. The dog should not solicit public attention or
strain against the lead (except in cases where the dog may be pulling the individual’s wheelchair). The dog must readily adjust to speed changes, turn
corners promptly, and travel through a crowded area without interacting with the public. In tight quarters, the dog must be able to get out of the way
of obstacles and not destroy merchandise by knocking it over or by playing with it.
5. SIX FOOT RECALL ON LEAD: A large, open area should be found for the six foot recall. Once found, the individual will perform a six foot recall with the
dog remaining on lead. The individual will sit the dog, leave it, travel six feet, then turn and call the dog to him/her. The dog should respond promptly
and not stop to solicit attention from the public or ignore the command. The dog should come close enough to the individual to be readily touched. For
Guide Dogs, they must actually touch the person to indicate location. The recall should be smooth and deliberate without the dog trudging to the individual
or taking any detours along the way.
6. SITS ON COMMAND: The team will be asked to demonstrate the Individual’s ability to have the dog sit three different times. The dog must respond promptly
each time with no more than two commands. There should not be any extraordinary gestures on the part of the people approaching the dog. Normal, reasonable
behavior on the part of the people is expected.
The first sit will be next to a plate of food placed upon the ground. The dog must not attempt to eat or sniff the food. The individual may correct the
dog verbally or physically away from the food, but then the dog must maintain a sit while ignoring the food. The dog should not be taunted or teased with
the food. This situation should be made as realistic as possible.
The second sit will be executed, and the assistant with a shopping cart will approach within three feet of the dog and continue on past. The dog should
maintain the sit and not show any fear of the shopping cart. If the dog starts to move, the individual may correct the dog to maintain the sit.
The last sit will be a sit with a stay as a person walks up behind the team, talks to the person and then pets the dog. The dog must hold position. The
dog may not break the stay to solicit attention. The individual may repeat the stay command along with reasonable physical corrections.
7. DOWNS ON COMMAND: The down exercises will be performed in the same sequence as the sits with the same basic stipulations. The first down will be at a
table where food will be dropped on the floor. The dog should not break the down to go for the food or sniff at the food. The individual may give verbal
and physical corrections to maintain the down. There should not be any extraordinary gestures on the part of the people approaching the dog. Normal, reasonable
behavior from the people is expected.
The second down will be executed, and then an adult and child should approach the dog. The dog should maintain the down and not solicit attention. If the
child pets the dog, the dog must behave appropriately and not break the stay. The individual may give verbal and physical corrections if the dog begins
to break the stay.
The third down will be accomplished, and then either a stranger or the assistant will be asked to step over the dog. The dog may not break the stay to solicit
from the stranger. The individual may give corrections as indicated above.
8. NOISE DISTRACTION: The team will be heeling along and the tester will drop a clipboard to the ground behind the team. The dog may acknowledge the noise,
but may not in any way show aggression or fear. A normal startle reaction Is fine–the dog may jump and or turn–but the dog should quickly recover and
continue along on the heel. The dog should not become aggressive, begin shaking, etc.
9. RESTAURANT: The team and tester should enter a restaurant and be seated at a table. The dog should go under the table or, if size prevents that, stay
close by the individual. The dog must sit or lie down and may move a bit for comfort during the meal, but should not be up and down a lot or need a lot
of correction or reminding. This would be a logical place to do the food drop during a down. (See #7)
10. OFF LEAD: Sometime during the test, where appropriate, the person will be instructed to drop the leash while moving so it is apparent to the dog. The
individual must show the ability to maintain control of the dog and get the leash back in its appropriate position. this exercise will vary greatly depending
on the person’s disabilities. The main concern is that the dog be aware that the leash is dropped and that the person Is able to maintain control of the
dog and get the leash back into proper position.
11. CONTROLLED UNIT: The team will leave the building in a similar manner to entering, with safety and control being of prime importance. The team will
proceed across the parking lot and back to the vehicle. The dog must be in appropriate heel position and not display any fear of vehicle or traffic sounds.
12. CONTROLLED LOAD into VEHICLE: The individual will load the dog into the vehicle, with either entering first. The dog must not wander around the parking
lot but must wait patiently for instructions. Emphasis is on safety and control.
Scoring Factors of the Public Access Certification Test
A= Always
M= Most of the time (more than half of time)
S= Some of the time (half or less of the time)
N= Never
1. CONTROLLED UNLOAD OUT OF VEHICLE
Dog did not try to leave vehicle until given release command.
___YES* __NO The dog waited in the vehicle until released.*
___YES ___NO The dog waited outside the vehicle under control.
___YES ___NO The dog remained under control while another dog was walked past.
2. APPROACHING THE BUILDING
Relative heel position, not straining or forging.
__A __M __S __N The dog stayed in relative heel position.
___YES* __NO The dog was calm around traffic.*
__A __M __S __N The dog stopped when the individual came to a halt.
3. CONTROLLED ENTRY THROUGH A DOORWAY
___YES* __NO The dog waited quietly at the door until commanded to enter.*
___YES* __NO The dog waited on the inside until able to return to heel position.*
4. HEELING THROUGH THE BUILDING
__A __M __S __N The dog was within the prescribed distance of the individual.
__A __M __S __N The dog ignored the public, remaining focused on the individual.
__A __M __S __N The dog readily adjusted to speed changes.
__A __M __S __N The dog readily turned corners–did not have to be tugged or jerked to change direction.
__A __M __S __N The dog readily maneuvered through tight quarters.
5. SIX FOOT RECALL ON LEAD
___YES* __NO The dog responded readily to the recall command–did not stray away, seek attention from others, or trudge slowly.*
___YES* __NO The dog remained under control and focused on the individual.*
___YES* __NO The dog came within the prescribed distance of the individual.*
___YES* __NO The dog came directly to the individual.*
6. SITS ON COMMAND
__A __M __S __N The dog responded promptly to the command to sit.
___YES* __NO The dog remained under control around food–not trying to get food and not needing repeated corrections.*
___YES* __NO The dog remained composed while the shopping cart passed–did not shy away, show signs of fear, etc. shopping cart should be pushed normally
and reasonable, not dramatically.*
___YES* __NO The dog maintained a sit-stay while being petted by a stranger.*
7. DOWNS ON COMMAND
__A __M __S __N The dog responded promptly to the command to down.
___YES* __NO The dog remained under control around the food–not trying to get food and not needing repeated corrections.*
___YES ___NO The dog remained in control while the child approached–child should not taunt dog or be overly dramatic.
___YES* __NO The dog maintained a down-stay while being stepped over by a stranger.*
8. NOISE DISTRACTIONS
If the dog jumps, turns, or shows a quick startle type reaction, that is fine. The dog should not show fear, aggression, or continue to be affected by the
noise.
___YES* __NO The dog remained composed during the noise distraction.*
9. RESTAURANT
___YES* __NO The dog is unobtrusive and out of the way of patrons and employees as much as possible.*
___YES* __NO The dog maintained proper behavior, ignoring food and being quiet.*
10. OFF LEAD
___YES* __NO When told to drop the leash, the team maintained control and the individual got the leash back in position.*
11. DOG TAKEN BY ANOTHER PERSON
To show that the dog can be handled by another person without aggression or excessive stress or whining, someone else will take the dog’s leash and passively
hold the dog (not giving any commands) while the dog’s partner moves 20′ away.
___YES ___NO Another person can take the dog’s leash and the dog’s partner can move away without aggression or undue stress on the part of the dog.
12. CONTROLLED EXIT
__A __M __S __N The dog stayed in relative heel position.
___YES* __NO The dog was calm around traffic.*
__A __M __S __N The dog stopped when the individual came to a halt.
13. CONTROLLED LOAD INTO VEHICLE
___YES ___NO The dog waited until commanded to enter the vehicle.
___YES ___NO The dog readily entered the vehicle upon command.
14. TEAM RELATIONSHIP
__A __M __S __N When the dog did well, the person praised the dog.
__A __M __S __N The dog is relaxed, confident, and friendly.
__A __M __S __N The person kept the dog under control.
Scoring:
The team must score all ‘Always’ or’ Most of the time’ responses on the A-M-S-N parts of the test.
The team must score at least 80% “yes” answers on the “yes” “no” portion of the test
All questions marked by an asterisk must be answered by a “YES” response.
Were there any unique situations that made any portion of this test not applicable?
I posted this to two e-mail lists I’m on… I’ve gotten responses, but anyone who would like to comment may feel free… I’m only pasting the whole post, *in it’s entirety*, because the Spondylitis/Fibromyalgia/Lupus/nerve dammage/RSD/being shot makes it *very* hard to me to type out things and I don’t feel like retyping it all when it’s all right here! This happened yesterday, but I’m just now getting round to blogging it… Sorry, I’m lazy!
I was walking my seven-month-old Sable boy this morning and I was told
by a neighbour that he appeared to be favouring his right front…
After further examination, it appeared that, yes, he was in fact
favouring it… I thought something was funny the other day, but as I
am almost blind, I left it up to paranoia and didn’t think anything of
it.
Sabre is being trained as my second service dog, and he is always in
the house with me unless I am walking him… He is constatly running
and playing with Keen, who is *very* large and way over standard…
They run round tearing the house apart and playing rather rough…
The pup isn’t as large as Keen is, but I never noticed him being at a
disadvantage in play and Keen is not unresponsive when I stop them
from getting rough… I don’t know if Sabre has hurt his leg playing,
or in some other manner…
I did examine the leg. I felt no heat and he did not yelp, flinch or
try to bite when I examined muscles, tendons and long bones. I am
going to keep him on crate rest for a few days and hope he works his
way through whatever he might have done to himself. Why oh why
couldn’t this have happened on Wednesday when we were at the vet?
A breeder friend is telling me to give him something for the pain…
I argued that he was running and playing all day like a madman and I
never would have known he was lame unless someone had told me… She
argued that since he’s lame he’s hurting and I should give him
something for it… So… What? Should I give him something? And,
if so, what? Should I just let him rest and try to work it out? And,
how do you keep a *very* high drive dog quiet in a crate for three
days? Uh… Sedatives, anyone?
***
I think I’m the one needing the sedatives… And, yes, to that person who e-mailed me, I do know how to spell G E R M A N S H E P H E R D! It was a typo!!!
the opinions in the following text are not the opinions of me, your faithful blogger. Sorry, can’t support this one. I am still as actively Irish Republican as ever, and only post this for…your amusement.
In case any of my blogger friends disagree with me, I’ll leave ya the link so you can sign. Note that I will not be signing…
***
The world-famous Red Arrows have been banned from appearing at the
2012 London Olympics because they are deemed “too British”.
Organisers of the event say that the Arrows military background
might be “offensive” to other countries taking part in the Games.
The display team have performed at more than 4000 events worldwide,
but the Department of Culture, Media and Sport have deemed the
display team “too militaristically British”.
Red Arrows pilots were said to be “outraged”, as they had hoped to
put on a truly world class display for the Games, something which
had never been seen before.
Being axed from a British-based event for being “too British” is an
insult – the Arrows are a symbol of Britain .
The Red Arrows have been excellent ambassadors for British overseas
trade, as they display their British-built Hawk aircraft all over
the world.
The Arrows performed a short flypast in 2005 when the winning bid
was announced, but their flypast at the Games was to have been truly
spectacular.
It is to be hoped that common sense prevails, so if you disagree
with this decision, please sign the petition.
End of Text
***
No comment!
Another short entry…
I was walking Keen for his afternoon toilet, when I came across the neighbourhood children. These kids are four, maybe five, years old, and are always running at large round the neighbourhood. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t *ever* let my child of that age run round by himself.
I have always encouraged the kids petting Keen, but with sabre, I have had to take a different approach. It’s not that I’m afraid he will bite them out of aggression, for he is not an aggressive dog. I am, however, afraid that they might get bit, knocked over, or otherwise hurt by the young dog. He is young, and untrained, and… I don’t want any accidents. For one thing, I don’t want my dogs, any of them, be they kennel or house dogs, to have a bad reputation. I don’t want kids or people of any age for that matter, to be afraid of them. And, lastly, I don’t want any accidents to happen… So, in that situation, I think it’s better if noone pets him till he’s older and trained…
So, I’m done walking Keen and I go to get Sabre. When I do, the kids come up and the biggest little girl, starts telling Sabre to be good. She’s there going, “Be nice… Be a good boy… Be a good doggie…” And, ya know what? My wagging tailed, barking, tongue lolling monster sat down and submitted calmly to the petting of the children! I was impressed! Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect him to attack with fangs and all a-snarl, but I did expect… Lunging, playing, barking and jumping at the sight of children… He did none of these. Well, he did bark a bit, but not much. Not only did he let them pet him, but he also interacted with them a bit, wanting to gently play and lick… I was most impressed when I was walking him and the kids tried to get Sabre to follow *them* and he would not. He knew better than to pull on the lead. What little training he’s had is already in effect! I love it!
So… What I was worried about… It was no big deal!
Following my Da’s tradition of calling people out when they are not who or what they say they are, makes for today’s short entry… But, before I begin…
Let me say this. The group I am writing about is in *NO WAY* associated with GSD_Friendly. The groups have similar names, but are not, as far as I know, related. I am a proud member of GSD Friendly and hope to remain so for a long time to come.
With that said, let me begin…
I attempted to join this group, which as you can see, is titled GSDFriends. Here is what is stated on the group’s home page:
This list is for lovers of the German Shepherd dog.
We are predominantly pet owners and rescuers, we don’t tend to talk about pedigrees and bloodlines, Shutzhund or showing, so if this is a main interest
of yours we may not be the list for you.
We are a chatty group that talks about all aspects that touch our lives, our GSD’s are what bring us together and we love to talk about them, their differences
and what makes them such wonderful companions.
All are welcome whether you have working dogs , breed , rescue or like us own them as companions ,people who want to talk about their GSD friends , problems
with their dogs , other pets and life in general.
Introduce yourself and your dogs and pitch right in!
Periodically I will be removing members who don’t actively participate in the group so please only join if you intend to contribute.
***
Upon asking to join, I was asked to tell a bit about myself and why I wished to join the group. Here is what I wrote:
Hi:
My name is Ruairí, but most people call me Rory. I own eighteen
wonderful German Shepherd Dogs, and I would like to discuss the breed
i love with fellow owners and lovers of the breed.
I apologise for taking so long to respond to your request for more
information. I was ill for a good part of the week.
Kind regards,
Ruairí
***
Apparently, my blog is in my yahoo profile, as well as in my signature… And, apparently, this lady, (the group owner), read it and didn’t like what she read.
I received the following reply:
***
After visiting your blog, I don’t really think that our group would
interest you. Just a bunch of chatty old ladies…….
B
***
Hmmm, seems kindda contradictory…doesn’t it? And, I’m still wondering what, if anything, my blog says about what I would have said on group. I am just as capable of talking about my GSDs, and other dogs, as pets as the true pet people! My dogs are working dogs, true, but they are also members of my family!!! So, I responded with the following reply to prove a point:
***
Hi again B:
Thanks for the courteous letter back explaining why you feel I would
not be suited for your group. courtesy is a rare thing these days.
I am writing to ask you a question regarding the GSD community of
yahoo groups. If you can answer, great, if not, I’m sorry for taking
up your time.
If you have looked at my blog, then you know I am active in showing,
breeding and training GSDs. Anyone who has glanced at the yahoo
groups website knows that there are loads of groups where those topics
can be discussed. What I am looking for is a group where those topics
are secondary in the discussions, if they are mentioned at all. A
group where the joys our dogs give us just by their presence can be
talked about… A group where people won’t think you’re crazy for
saying you love your dog just because he snuggled with you on the
couch, or because of how soft and silky his fur is, even if he has
never entered a ring, had a bit of training and doesn’t intend to.
Yes, show lines vs. working lines, showing, training and all of that
do have their place, I’m not denying that, but I find that they are
not what’s most important. My dogs are. If you know of any other
groups that are rather relaxed in nature, where GSDs are the topic of
discussion, that are *NOT* political, (my line versus your line, my
technique versus yours), could you let me know?
Thank you again for writing back. It makes all the difference.
–
Ruairí Óg Ó Brádaigh
***
The point I was trying to prove is that even us “working dog people” have interests in dogs outside of working abilities, show vs. working lines, training, etc… Apparently, I wasn’t successful. Here’s the response I got back:
***
Rory, I only belong to the one list with GSDs as a topic……
I know nothing about any of the others. Sorry that I do not
know of any others to recommend to you. B
***
In other words, I don’t like you, I don’t want you on my list and I’m not going to realise that I might have been wrong about you…
Now, before anybody tells me that it is up to the owner of the list, yada, fucking yada, I know all that… I don’t have a problem with the fact that I didn’t get on the list. I have a problem with the fact that the list’s home page is misleading and wasted *MY* time.
Perhaps, if the group owner had written on the home page, “NO BREEDERS/WORKING DOG OWNERS/SCHUTZHUND PEOPLE/whatever here ALLOWED,” I wouldn’t have wasted my time. Perhaps, if she had written, “This group is only open to chatty old ladies and dishonest moderators” I wouldn’t have wasted my time…
I know what this is really all about… My politics!
And, if anyone gets bent out of shape by this post… Don’t waste my time either. If you’re a member of the group, well, I don’t have a problem with you. I just have a problem with how misleading your group owner is… If you think I shouldn’t have written this at all… Well, it’s my blog, and my private space to whine about whatever I want.. And, I’m whining!
Love to all who deserve it…
and to all the doggies in the world
I told someone I would post them… So, here they are! The puppy tests I use to determine which dogs out of a litter, if any, will possibly make good service dogs. These tests are general indicators, *NOTHING MORE*. A test can give us a general idea if a pup/dog is of a suitable temperament to be trained in service work, but cannot predict behaviour problems, health concerns or other factors that might make the dog a reject later on in training.
Note: There are many possible outcomes with these tests. The best possible outcomes are scored as a #1 and the worst are #4. Should the dog exhibit several behaviours that overlap, some being excellent, some being good, some being fair, the dog is marked accordingly. there is not a place on the score sheet for .5 or 1/2, but it can be duely noted and scored accordingly.
For example: A pup that is not afraid to investigate a new room, but interacts with people by ’slinking’ when called by the tester, would not score a #1 for excellent because it’s response to a portion of the test was not the desired response for that number. It would also not score a #2, since part of it’s response would be excellent. I would score a pup with that kind of reaction a 1.5, taking careful notes to indicate why the pup was scored in such a manner.
Things we are looking for that indicate a *possible* candidate:
•confidence
•inquisitiveness
•Interest in people
•willingness
•intelligence
•attentiveness
Things that would indicate a possible reject:
•overly sensitive
•fearful
•aggression
You will need:
•One room or outdoor testing area perhaps 12 by 14 feet,, sparsely furnished
•one tester (the tester should be a stranger who has never interacted with the puppies in any way.)
•one helper
•one scribe (If needed, the helper can scribe, but as the process is time consuming, it is best to have a 3rd person for that purpose.)
•one ball
•one waste basket, or other oject that will make a loud noise when tipped or thrown
•one object on a long string such as a cigarette package or piece of cardboard
Scoring:
1=Excellent 2=Good 3=Fair 4=Poor
Total of 7=Perfect Total of 28=Poorest Possible
14 or 15 points = Borderline. 16+ points = Fail
These tests are best done on the 49th day, (or between the 6th and 8th week), in a relaxed fashion. If any puppy is not feeling well, underfed, or overfed, it can be
retested within a week. Again, these tests only pinpoint potential.
——————————–
TEST #1 Come (Social Attraction / Environmental Confidence / Curiosity)
Place puppy on the floor. Everybody remains absolutely still and simply observes its actions. Allow the puppy to do whatever it wants without distractions
for 15 seconds.
#1 )excellent response)
___Pup investigates room with confidence in a strange environment with a great deal of bold curiosity.
___Pup stops investigating & follows tester immediately showing no fear of anybody.
___Pup hears/sees tester quickly & runs up happily. This pup is confident and sociable.
#2 (good response)
___Pup investigates room but stays to check things out, however, when realising it is alone, runs to tester. This pup will be easy to socialize & has a good human dependence.
___Pup hears/sees tester, thinks about it, then slowly ’slinks’ toward tester. This pup will most likely be submissive, but obedient lacking a ‘hello world’ attitude.
#3 (fair response)
___Pup looks, sees tester, but following occurred only after repeated coaxing. It took too much effort. This initial disinterest indicates pup is
more into objects than people and could develop an independent streak later on. Care can be taken to raise this pup with its high inquisitiveness
to find people more fun.
___Pup follows; but growls & grabs pant legs/shoes. This is a negative response, however, the pup’s attitude may improve with firm training.
#4 (poor response)
___Pup follows but is openly aggressive at pant legs/shoes
___pup appears fearful, panics, tries to leave/get out, cowers, quivers, or whines
during the initial 15 seconds. These are extremely negative responses.
___pup won’t come at all
___afraid
___confidently self-indulgent. If pup just plain ignores the call, it is displaying dominance & will most likely be difficult to train.
End of Test #1. A seven-week-old puppy puppy should readily approach strangers when invited to do so, as this is the peak of the socialization period. An ability to react in an independent fashion is necessary for a working/service dog, but the dog must place its master’s interests before its own.
—————————————-
TEST #2 Fetch (Chase Instinct / Intelligence / Willingness / Confidence)
As puppy continues investigation of the room, take the small rubber ball, wait until the puppy moves closer, then roll the ball past the puppy’s nose. Make sure the puppy sees the ball rolling. If the initial response is excellent, vary some tosses so puppy can be observed as it follows the ball into different areas. The puppy is not expected to bring the ball back, or even pick it up.
#1 (excellent response)
___Pup instantly looked up & watched the ball move
___Pup responded eagerly, with no hesitation
___Pup chases it,
___bats it with paws,
___gnaws on it
___Pup puts ball in mouth & prances around with it. Both interest & attitude indicate an excellent score.
___pup runs out, grabs toy, & comes
back when coaxed (THIS IS TERRIFIC!) This pup will be easy to train; a ’show & do’ dog.
___pup follows the ball underneath something
___behind something
___increases interest when ball bounces off the wall changing direction
___Pup also looks to tester for further directions This indicates the pup knows the action stems from the tester.
#2 (good response)
___Pup runs out
___grabs the ball then drops it but is willing to return to tester This pup may have problems later on with an obedient retrieve,
but may still be a willing worker that will try to please.
___pup runs out, grabs the ball then runs off to play independently this pup could rebel
& balk every step of the way if training is too severe.
#3 (fair response)
___Pup watches the ball move
___starts to chase it but loses interest This may be a timid dog that is afraid to go after a moving object in
a strange place.
#4 (poor response)
___Pup shows no interest & does not chase the ball or advance toward it at all This is probably a dull dog.
End of Test #2.
Know that it is not a specific set of actions that indicate a high
instinct. It is the ‘interest’ in the object’. The retrieving instinct is linked to intelligence & willingness and is inherited. Puppies with a high level of retrieving instinct are usually enthusiastic about doing things with people and are full of energy, curiosity, and confidence.
—————————————-
TEST #3 Recall (Social Attraction / Social Confidence / Willingness)
The puppy is to be held by the helper, (sitting or kneeling), then let go while the tester, (also sitting or kneeling), from a distance of 8 feet encourages
puppy to respond by using voice & hands. Helper remains still and does not touch or help the puppy in any way. Repeatedly call the puppy back and forth in the
same fashion reversing roles.
#1 (excellent response)
___Pup runs willingly & quickly back & forth without hesitation
___Pup thinks it is a game & is fascinated with moving fingers & hands tapping the
floor
___Pup nuzzles hands with interest This is an ideal performance.
___pup jumps all over the person, licking & playing This pup is happy to accept human companionship & will thrive on praise.
#2 (good response)
___Pup has to think about it, doesn’t quite see it as a game, but can be convinced it is OK to do it The pup is still willing to please but lacks needed
confidence. Uncertainty indicates lack of trust. Specific socialization in the next 5 weeks might build its confidence.
#3 (fair response)
___Pup elects to stay standing in observance, moving only a portion of the way towards the encourager
___pup holds back and stays near helper licking face/hands This indicates a tendency towards wariness or timidity.
___Pup stops just outside arms reach. This pup needs to be raised with
personal contact on a one-to-one basis.
4 (poor response)
___Pup prefers to chew/nip/growl on hands/clothes/feet (whatever) It is displaying dominance, so it will be harder to train.
___Pup ignores human gestures
___dashes off to further investigate the room. These two responses indicate that the pup will be a very hard, (independent), & dominant dog because it does not accept authority well.
End of Test #3.
What is desirable is a puppy that has satisfied curiosity about the environment and is ready to devote attention to the people in the room. By sitting or kneeling, humans come down to dog’s eye level and become more interesting. Puppies that fail this test usually fail as adults.
—————————————-
TEST #4 Toe Pinch (Body Sensitivity / Forgiveness / Dominance vs. Submission)
Tester picks up puppy and cradles it inside arms. Tester takes the front paw and exerts a steady & firm pressure with thumb & middle finger on the skin between
the toes for up to ten seconds. Tester does not use fingernails or increasing amounts of pressure, (this is not a pain tolerance
test), but tester does release immediately when puppy starts to struggle or cry.
#1 (excellent response)
___Pressure brings little or no reaction up to 9 or 10 seconds This pup will grow into a good, loving, submissive adult & will be very easy to work
with.
___once let down looks calmly around the room showing no sign of discomfort.
#2 (good response)
___Pup pulls paw at discomfort and may start to struggle somewhere between 5 & 8 seconds
___Pup struggles right away but settles Trying to free it’s own paw is to be
expected, but this pup has some dominance so it will be a bit more difficult to train. The pup is showing it is not happy with a situation it cannot control,
but is willing to deal with it.
#3 (fair response)
___Pup starts out relaxed, struggles between 5 & 8 seconds, and does not settle
___Grunts
___Not an extreme reaction, no violent struggling, & no biting
___settles, but refuses to make friends when it is let down This pup is scared and lacks confidence.
#4 (poor response)
___Pup reacts within 4 seconds
___Pup starts to bite, fight, whine, cry, or squeal Pup is either scared to death or very hard & dominant.
___recovers when let down to attack feet/pants This is a super hard dog.
End of Test #4.
Any puppy that struggles, whines or cries, exhibits extreme evidence of pain, or attempts to bite, Fails! Puppies that fail tend to show
up with emotional problems as adults. So, this test is a good barometer of future emotional stability. Sometimes they are shy, nervous, fearful, panicky,
insecure, or simply cannot respond positively to training corrections. Dominant, overly aggressive puppies resent being held for even a short period of
time and will struggle or bite at the pressure between their toes.
————————————–
TEST #5 On Back (Dominance vs. Submission / Trust)
Lift the puppy from the floor then slowly rotate it in the hands until it is lying on its back. One hand supports the neck and the other the body. Hold
it in this inverted position for 10 seconds slightly away, arms out.
#1 (excellent response)
___Position is accepted
___Pup became relaxed or limp
___Pup stayed the entire 10 seconds with legs sprawled out and head hanging back Although this is a good score, most pups that act in this manner end up ‘laid back’ (lazy) and at times almost dull.
___struggled between 7 & 9 This pup is very submissive. It will not take any real ‘initiative’ without owners consent and will need constant guidance or confidence ‘boosts’.
#2 (good response)
___Pup didn’t struggle until between 4 & 6 This is very good, but pup will have a mind of its own and at various times the owner will need to ‘outsmart’
this one.
#3 (fair response)
___Pup didn’t make it past the first 3 seconds without struggling This pup is independent & strong willed. It will possibly be difficult to train
and needs firm control from a true pack leader.
#4 (poor response)
___Pup struggles as soon as tester begins turning it
___pup gets upset
___tries to bite
End of Test #5.
This test is a good indicator of inherited character and a good barometer of future emotional stability. Acceptance of this position gives an excellent idea of basic submission and trust. Any puppy that won’t accept the position or gets upset or tries to bite, Fails!
—————————————–
TEST #6 Noise (Sound Sensitivity)
Do not use gunshot or some monstrous falling object. While humans are sitting/kneeling down, call the puppy as in Test #3. Knock over the object that
makes noise when the puppy passes by it. It should thud less than two feet from the puppy’s hind legs. Resume calling the puppy.
#1 (excellent response)
___Pup pauses
___Pup momentarily puts its ears back with no fear
___pup goes over to investigate the source of the sound
___moves toward source to check then resumes recall
#2 (good response)
___Pup ignores the sound
___turns to see what fell (locates source) with confidence in body posture then resumes recall
#3 (fair response)
___Pup tucks tail
___seems concerned but holds its own then resumes recall
#4 (poor response)
___Pup panics, cowers, or urinates
___Pup does not resume recall Pup is afraid.
___Pup dashes across the floor to run from the sound A fear/flight response.
___Pup barks in fear
___Pup barks in aggression
End of Test #6.
A dog must not be sound shy or genetically sensitive to sound; but must also be aware of everything going on in the immediate environment
and react accordingly. Accepting sounds means a puppy will probably mature to cope with office machines, household appliances, traffic, even gunshots
if exposed in a gradual fashion. If a puppy cringes or tries to escape, it Fails! Tipping the source to thud close and behind the puppy is a true test
because many puppies can appear composed if facing the source of a sound or if the sound is at a distance. This test eliminates any dog that is skittish
of fast movements behind their back.
—————————————
TEST #7 Moving Object (Chase Instinct / Willingness / Curiosity / Enthusiasm)
All that has to be done is move around and drag an object on a string, encouraging the puppy to run after it and play in some fashion.
#1 (excellent response)
___Pup immediately followed the object
___Indicated great interest
___Pawed it
___Pounced on it
___Leaped for it when raised off the floor slightly
___Followed the movements of the object with excitement
#2 (good response)
___Pup follows it, tries to catch it, but fails to catch the object
___Pup chases object, but doesn’t try to catch it
#3 (fair response)
___Pup follows object, catches it, but lets go & loses interest when it stops
#4 (poor response)
___Pup shows no interest
___Pup is frightened
End of Test #7.
What is looked for is a puppy’s interest in doing something close to and with a human. If a puppy shows no interest or is frightened, it Fails!
Well, those are the tests… I hope someone can get some use out of them…
The good? The two dogs I took with me are satisfied and exhausted… The bad? I’m in pain and exhausted…
My morning started out in typical Rua fashion. I couldn’t find anything I needed. Nothing was in it’s proper place. While I was printing out score sheets, my printer decided to run out of ink, which meant an extra fifteen minutes finding the new ink cartridge.
I was running late, due to not being able to find the things I needed that were *supposed* to be put away, and this running late made me stressed… It didn’t matter much anyway…
What should have taken fifteen minutes per puppy, took forty minutes per puppy. Their were nine puppies. Six hours in all. Here’s what we came up with…
One confident, well-socialised black lab, five under-socialised, fearful, yellow labs that with some desensitisation will be manageable in pet homes and three, one black and two yellows that were not only under-socialised and fearful, but actually shut down and refused to move!
It wasn’t the litter from hell, but it was close!!!
After that, we went for a ride through the property, (I’ve never ridden Walking Horses before and wanted to try one out), and the dogs ran along side. Keen started looking for God knows what in an old hen house and I was there hoping against hope that, whatever it was, he wouldn’t flush it out!
I should be sleeping right now, but my mind’s to wound up!
As I said, I can’t say that Sabre doesn’t have any bad habits. In fact, he has one big one… Barking!!! I haven’t been ticketed for nuisance barking yet, but I’m waiting for the day the animal warden shows up at my door. Not my idea of a fun time.
I took Sabre to our local pet shop today to get him a bark collar. He barked a bit before entering the shop, but once inside he didn’t bark until we were cashing out. In fact, when I told the clerk that I needed to purchase a bark collar for him, the clerk was incredulous. He was kind of an ass, actually.
Sabre walked on a loose lead, stopping to sniff things along the way. Since the outing was not an obedience or training exercise, I did not correct him for sniffing. We haven’t begun doing formal obedience. We’ll start tomorrow, I think.
Sabre has had an e-collar on. I did it properly — put the collar on him, found out his stim level and went from there. So, I was not prepared for what happened when I put the bark collar on him… I put the collar on, left the house and he barked… He received the stim and yelped. Of course, he received more stim… With each stim, he yelped more… Each time he got crazier and crazier, trying to break out of his crate to get away from the stim. The collar supposedly adjust the level according to the dog’s bark, raising to a higher level if the dog continues to bark…
The long and short of it was that I went back in there to rescue him… He was pretty freaked… Thankfully, he is a dog that is very forgiving and doesn’t fold under pressure… I waited a while then tried him again, only this time, I put the collar on but left it loose. This seemed to work fine. it gave him enough stim to stop the behaviour, but not so much that he was physically uncomfortable… The real test will be later, during morning walk!
Other than that, I was pleased with his behaviour today…
Here are the test I use to evaluate adult dogs for service work. A dog that is over six months old has it’s personality already defined, so for the purposes of the test, dogs over six months old count as adults. Thanks to Lyn Oshell for typing these out!!!
Service dog tests for adults
———————————————————————————————–PART I ———————
TEST #1 Reaction to Immediate Environment
Go to greet the dog when it arrives. Immediately observe & analyze every action while the dog is still in the car.
___ Relaxed & at ease? Maybe composedly sits?
___ Looks around with interest? Makes sense of the new?
___ In complete control, ready to deal with its surroundings in a confident manner?
___ Nervously darting back & forth? (negative)
___ Whining or panting heavily? (negative)
___ Appears frightened, nervous, or overly excited? (negative)
TEST #2 Reaction to Stranger Approaching
When you (the stranger) approach the car, carefully observe the dog. When the dog becomes alert to you (a stranger’s presence), what occurs at THAT moment?
___ Appears watchful, interested, & calm?
___ Displays a normal amount of protective instinct? (expected)
___ Open aggression, lunging against the windows in a frenzy of barking? (negative)
Now stand back while the dog is removed from the car. Analyze every move as it is removed and when it meets you (the tester).
___ Relaxed?
___ Confident?
___ Friendly?
___ Appears rigid, tense, or sullen? (negative)
___ Repeatedly attempt to get back into the car? (negative)
___ Tail between legs or attempting to dart or hide behind owner? (negative)
___ Highly nervous or overly excited? (negative)
___ Panting, whining, or whipping around in circles? (negative)
___ Appears aggressive, perhaps growling or barking with hackles up? (negative)
TEST #3 Reaction to Stranger Touch
Approach the dog. Notice how the dog reacts. Then pet & pat the dog. Notice again.
___ Accepts this greeting in a friendly fashion?
___ Willingly & confidently accepts touch?
___ It likes people & shows it has an outstanding background in being around strangers.
___ Exhibits some sign of shyness? (negative)
___ Exhibits some sign of nervousness? (negative)
___ Exhibits some sign of uncertainty? (negative)
___ Exhibits some sign of distrust? (negative)
___ Exhibits some sign of fear? (negative)
___ Exhibits some sign of aggressiveness? (negative)
End of Part I. If the dog has any negative marks so far, it may be rejected at this point. It is entirely subject to the testers observation up to this
point and the tester determining whether any negative will be an exception to the rule that even one negative mark indicates a dog that cannot make adjustments
or undergo a great deal of stress for a new & complex thing to occur in its life.
————————————————————————————————- PART II ——————-
Any dog that has not been rejected so far may continue. Any dog that the tester wants to evaluate anyway, just to see, even though it has scored a negative
so far, may continue. This part takes sometimes up to 15 minutes to complete.
TEST #4 Reaction to Stranger Taking Leash – Leash Restraint
Take the dog for a short walk on a leash across the way for about five minutes. Note the dogs reaction as soon as the lead is taken.
___ Playfully exhibits enthusiasm & joy at being taken for a walk.
___ Exhibits interest but some uncertainty at being turned over. (expected)
___ Resents or fears being taken, perhaps swivels or violently pulls. (negative)
___ Barks, nips, or mouths your hands or legs in an effort to get away. (negative)
___ Exhibits any sign of aggressiveness, panic, or nervousness not seen before. (negative)
Note the dogs reaction to the leash itself.
___ Dog tends to pull ahead.
___ Keeps a pace or two ahead while looking about with interest.
___ The dog is just seemingly dull. (negative)
___ Lags, balks, or is skittish, (negative)
___ Resents this restraint in some fashion. (negative)
___ Fears this restraint in some fashion. (negative)
Give no commands or teaching but talk to the dog and watch for the dogs reaction to verbal communication.
___ Indicates that it is constantly aware of you & does not mind being with tester.
___ Stays out to end of leash investigating on its own & ignores you. (negative)
TEST #5 Rapidly Changing Environment – Noise – Traffic
Keep walking the dog until you get to a street where cars are driving. Observe the dogs reaction to things it sees, it passes by, and to the surrounding
noises.
___ The dog is aware of moving vehicles but does not fear them.
___ The dog is alert, indicating that it would not mindlessly walk out in front of moving cars.
___ The dog exhibited nervousness when it saw something. (negative)
___ The dog exhibited fear when it saw something. (negative)
___ The dog exhibited nervousness when it passed something. (negative)
___ The dog exhibited fear when it passed something (negative)
___ The dog exhibited nervousness when it heard something. (negative)
___ The dog exhibited fear when it heard something (negative)
TEST #6 Body Sensitivity – Physical Faults
Note the dogs physical condition. Stops and run hands over the dogs entire body to discover depth of chest, lung capacity, & bone structure, etc.
___ Dog appears healthy. (Must be so)
___ Dog seems to have good eyesight. (Must be so)
___ Dog seems to have good hearing. (Must be so)
___ Dogs coat is in good condition.
___ Dog has a weak or sway back. (negative)
___ Dogs gait is wobbly. (negative)
___ There is a sign of limping. (negative)
___ Leg bones are strong & equally well-proportioned. (Must be so)
___ Feet & pasturns are strong (Must be so)
___ Dog appears tired. (negative)
___ Dog looks like it has stamina.
___ Dog looks well balanced w/adequate lung capacity & good bone structure. (Must be so)
Additionally, note dogs reactions while touching various parts of the body.
___ Dog accepts this examination.
___ Dog resents or fears some part of this examination in some way. (negative)
Continue the walk, then reach down and suddenly touch the dog on the head, back, & hip from behind.
___ The dog remains steady and confident.
___ The dog is sensitive or startles when you touch or gesture any part of it. (negative)
___ The dog startles at any movement behind it at any time. (negative)
End of Part II. By this time the tester should have a good idea of the basic character and general physical condition of the dog and also about the dog’s
intelligence and interest. If the tester is uncertain about any responses from the dog, request a back-up analysis from a second tester.
——————————————————————————————————- PART III ————-
This is one last test that can be done for dogs that have accumulated positive marks so far. If the dog is being rejected at this point, offer a brief
explanation to the owner to include how it is not wise to start a dog with any indication of pre-training problems in hopes that more training or time
will solve things. Mention that even if the dog had a day or two to acclimate itself, it still would not behave properly. Also, that the tests are designed
to be given with zero advance warning to the dog so that there is no such thing as ‘teaching’ the dog how to pass them.
TEST #7 Reinforcement of Confidence – Willingness
This test requires an open backed staircase, preferably metal. Tester walks the dog up it.
___ Dog moves up it without the slightest hesitation.
___ Dog holds back, sniffs the stairs, then slowly begins ascending with encouragement.
___ The dog pulls backwards on the lead. (reject)
___ The dog panics and struggles to free itself. (reject)
End of Part III. If the dog has been accepted, it has been observed to be friendly & confident and also seems intelligent & willing to please. It also
appears to be healthy and structurally sound. Please do not forget to mention that even though the dog has been accepted so far, as work in its new life
becomes more complex and perhaps stressful, unforeseen problems can occur or become apparent and there is still a possibility that in the future the dog
may end up being rejected. Owners must be aware of this as part of surrendering their dog.
On Monday I’m going to evaluate a litter of working line Labradors for possible service work… I’m exicited. I’ll let you know how it turns out!!!
Well, I’ve had my new pup for a few days now, and, other than Keen, he’s the best damn dog I’ve ever had. I wish I could say he has no bad habits, but…I can’t. What I can say though, is that, for me, he is perfect!
I am planning on training him as a service dog and in personal protection. I can’t wait till he’s a bit older so I can really begin!
He is a ball loving fool, is not afraid of anything, likes people, is genuinely friendly and he loves to play. He is mostly quiet, only barking when I leave to take Keen for a walk or to go to the shops. I’m investing in a bark collar and that’ll fix the problem. I don’t want to get ticketed for nuisance barking! That will never do.
He need some work around other dogs, but I can deal with that. As long as he doesn’t have Keen’s dog aggression problem, which he doesn’t, his issues with dogs are workable. He hasn’t been exposed to many dogs other than those that he lived with, so he’s a bit unsure of how to act.
The other day, while I was taking him out to toilet, I said, “Sabre, go home.” as we walked home. When we got there, I praised him and said the word “home,” alternating the word with praise. I did this four or five times that day. Today, while we were out on our walk, I decided to take a different path than the route I normally take. My vision isn’t great, and, well, I got lost. I knew I was lost, but I wasn’t seriously worried as I knew that with a little work, I could find my way home again… I don’t know what made me do it. I really don’t have a clue. I stopped, called Sabre to my side and said with all the confidence in my voice that I didn’t really feel, “Sabre, go home!”. Then, trusting on a wing and a prayer, I followed where he led.
He moved out confidently, pulling the slack right out of the leash. I followed behind. I didn’t do anything. I tried real hard just to follow and let *him* make his own judgments. One of the key things I had a hard time learning about service dog training was “trust your dog”. But, did I dare trust one so young? Trust a dog that’s not been trained? Never. We’re walking along, and Sabre takes a hard right. A hard right? What the hell’s he doing? Where’s he taking me? Oh God, this was a bad idea. All of a sudden, my feet find familiar ground. Wait, he’s actually leading me home? Nope, it’s coincidence. Gotta be. We rounded another bend. Now we were on the last part of our normal walking route. Still moving out confidently and unhesitating, he led me home! He kept the leash tight all the way. He got lots and lots of praise for that one…
I realised what I had done wrong. I must have unintentionally veered down the intersecting sidewalk…
Wanting to see if it was a fluke, the next time I took him out, I walked in a different direction we’d never been before. I did not get lost this time. I knew exactly where I was. Again, I said, “Sabre, go home.”. And, again, leash tight, and with no hesitation, Sabre led me home!
I think I’ve got a super dog in the making here folks. I really, really do.
I’m… Pleased as punch?
So Bertie Ahern is resigning… This comes as no great surprise.
Still, one must ask oneself this question. If, as he claims, he did nothing wrong. If, as he claims, he has broken no laws, why resign? Seems vaguely Richard Nixonesque, don’t you think?
I will be interested to see what happens with this. I will, of course, keep you posted!
As I wrote earlier, I did get my new pup. He is…I think everything I could possibly want in a dog.
He is a sable, from working lines, with a ball drive that is out of this world. He’s also not stupid. I can tell he’s brighter than most, but the full extent of his intelligence has yet to be determined. He is six months old and for a pup of that age, has incredible focus. He’s calm, of moderate energy, not so hyper I can’t be around him or satisfy his need for exercise and fun. He also seems to know where to toilet, which is…A necessity.
Getting him was an adventure in itself. After that, Da and I, along with a friend, spent the rest of the day, about 8 hours, doing a major cleaning/organising/puppy proofing. We do this every few months. We are very lazy and things seem to get… Moved around quite a bit.
Working that hard took a lot out of me. I’m paying for it now. Well, the pup wants feeding, walking or attention, so I’m off for now.
Sinn Féin says Queen not welcome in Ireland
Speaking at a 1916 commemoration on Easter Monday, Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris said that his party is opposed to any visit by the British monarch to Ireland.
He argued that no member of the British royal family would be welcome here as “The British Government still claims jurisdiction over part of Ireland and
this is expressed through the monarch who claims to be queen of the ‘United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’”.
God, I think I’m going to…die of shock? That’s the first thing in a long time the so-called Sinn Féin has done right.
RSF has been saying the same for months now. To bad the so-called SF had to take so long to figure it out. Any hope they’l come round? Yeah, when dogs can fly spacecraft to the moon.
Am I crazy? Have I really flipped it? Header? Off my nut? Completely shit for brains? That’s right. I’m getting another dog. I need another dog to train, and the right dog has come along. Another German Shepherd… A male, five months old… That’s all I know at present. I haven’t even seen him today. I’ll see him tomorrow when his owners bring him over.
I was supposed to go to a meeting, but cried off at the last minute, much to Da’s annoyance. I know I should have gone, but it’s hard to do things when you have chronic pain. you want to go, you have every intention of going…and your body just says no. Or, you tough it out, go and then are down for a week…it’s a lose-lose situation…
I promised Da I’d go to church with him to make up for it. I won’t like it…but, it won’t kill me…
More later,
D:
First, let me say that I’m posting this to my blog as well as to you. Your name will not be in my blog though, worry not.
As you may or may not know, in the mornings, I take Kadian. a time released morphine. I take the capsules, empty them into my mouth and swallow the beads.
I do this because of the fast absortion time, four hours versus two…
Keen, (my German Shepherd service dog), loves to eat medications, and to keep him from hurting himself, I give him empty caps when I take my Kadian. My vet knows I do this and since dogs eat caps when they take medicine, it’s no big deal as long as I make sure they’re empty. I buy gel caps at the store that haven’t been used and give him those. They have nothing in them, but he likes them all the same.
I had just taken my dose of Kadian, 220 mg, and given him his capsules. I had the bottle on the desk and I put the lid on it. Well, the lids on these
bottles must be pushed down and turned in such a way, and it’s hard for me to do since I still have limited mobility in my right arm due to the last shooting…
I thought the bottle was closed…It wasn’t.
The bottle fell on the floor and pills went everywhere! I grabbed the dog who tried right away to eat some, put him in the bedroom, grabbed the cheepers,
put them in their pen since they were pecking around the pills and went to clean up the mess. When I was done, I called Da over and asked him if he saw
any pills left on the floor. He said he didn’t see any, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any. I let the dog out.
He came over and began to sniff around. I watched him closely for a few minutes, and when I heard him eating something, I stuck my hand in his mouth.
It was a capsule! There was a bead on his tongue. Before I could get the capsule, he swallowed it. I did manage to flick the bead out.
I called one vet who told me to bring him in right away. I asked them if I could induce vomiting and they said no, don’t do that. I wonder why, but that
comes later…
Next I called the poison centre, still thinking about getting out the faithful bottle of peroxide and making him hurl. The lady at the poison center informed me that he could stop breathing and go into a coma. Well, that did it!
I jumped up, told Da to get his fucking clothes on and that if he wouldn’t I’d drive myself to the goddamn vet! I went to my neighbour’s house, pounded
on his door to wake his ass up and told him rather forcefully, to give me his keys. Being a good republican and true, he didn’t ask any questions. We
loaded Keen and were on our way.
Through this whole time, he acted bright eyed and happy. We don’t say bushy tailed, due to the US president. I was unsure if he had ingested anything.
Was that a bead on his tongue? Could I have been mistaken? He’s not showing any symptoms. He’s alert and wagging and even wants to play. Maybe we
shouldn’t go after all? I told Da that I’d feel like an idiot if we went and he hadn’t gotten anything. Da said we should go, as if we had stayed home,
sure as shit I’d have a dead dog…
We got to Furry Park, our vet, and they examined him. They said he was fine looking and acting ok. His pulse, temp and respirations were normal. Can
anyone guess what the vet did next? That’s right folks. Friends and neighbours, boys and girls…she induced vomiting. She gave him a shot and, well,
he got sick… Five times.
She did find beads in his vomit. She said we could go ahead and take him home, but that we need to watch him for signs of depression, lethargy…things
like that. Right now, he’s a bit stoned, but I don’t know if that is due to the meds they gave him to make him vomit or due to any morphine he might have
absorbed. I didn’t need this! What a day!
Here’s what I wrote during the process of my grieving, after I lost a beloved dog this past september. I hope someone, somewhere, can find some use for it.
Conversation with A Dog
I remember the afternoon you left,
How I tried to make it right.
The tortured sound of your crying,
At the starting of that night.
The innocent sound of my questions
As I asked God to tell me why
And, the unrelenting knowledge
That you would have to die.
That knowing, cut me so deeply,
Like the cut of the sharpest knife.
For you were the one thing I’d needed,
In this sad thing we call life.
I don’t remember the date or time,
But the feelings are now as were then,
For you, you were the good in me
You taught me to love again.
You gave me comfort and joy,
And made my life so rich.
And, now, I walk in confusion,
not knowing which way is which.
You taught me to be patient
And to see the good in all things.
That from a dog, as from God,
Unconditional love springs.
And, now, all these months later,
You’re gone, and I’m alone.
I wish that you were still with me,
So I’d not have to be on my own…
Part II
I left you that night in moonshine,
The tears streaming down your face.
And, how I wanted to tell you
I was bound for a happy place.
I’m happy now, as I was then,
Only now I’m free of pain.
Yet we are still connected
By the strongest unbreakable chain.
The nights I’ve hovered over you,
And seen you as you slept,
Or asked God if I could lick away your tears,
Those times that you have wept.
But he said no, and I’m still here,
And here I will have to stay.
Until the time you come for me across the bridge,
Oh how I long for that day.
Now, live your life as you must,
Don’t grieve any more for me.
Be happy, wonderous and joyful,
Live in kindness and be free.
But know that I am waiting,
Ever your faithful hound,
For me, you were the best owner
That God could have possibly found.
I was clearing out some files on my desktop and I happened across some old poetry.. I had written several years ago. I’m posting this one here, for those who know the hell I’ve been through, and for those who don’t, may you be educated…
As the title line suggests, I also must add a little note before this poem. This poem was stolen from me by a lady who claimed to work for Sinn Féin. She went by the name Bridgett Kinloch, and she told the Republican community of different things that had happened to her while she was living in Ireland. The truth is, she is an American, born in New York, named Donna, who I’m sure is quite mentally disturbed. Thanks to all those good Republicans who saw her for the liar she was and chased her out of the community. You should be commended.
This is *MY* work, and it is copyrighted. Anyone who violates my copyright will be prosecuted to the maximum extent allowable by law.
Fourteen
©Copyright 1998, Ruairí Óg Ó Brádaigh.
Fourteen
Fourteen years old,
The rain pouring down.
Alone on a corner,
Busy street in my town.
Waiting for friends
Who’d gone inside a shop.
Praying for hatred
And the cold rain to stop.
From a ways off I see him.
He’s all dressed in blue.
Pointing and laughing,
He hasn’t a clue.
I think I might know him.
He’s the cop on this beat.
Why’s he staring at me?
Why’s he crossing the street?
For once, I’ve done nothing,
Committed no crime!
He usually ignores me.
His eyes are focused this time.
I suddenly realize
He’s not on his shift.
“What ya want proddy peeler?”
My tongue, it just slipped.
“It’s my favorite Fenian,”
he says with a smile.
“Haven’t seen you around,
been away for a while?”
And now, I am angry!
I can’t help but stare.
“Fuck off Proddy peeler!
You don’t really care.”
His eyes they grow colder,
And in a voice saccharin sweet,
“All you useless Fenians,
you lie, steal and cheat.”
I take a step back
My hands on my hips.
Again, I can’t help it,
My tongue, it just slips.
“And all you fucking proddies,
you hate my Fenian pride.
That’s the reason Robert Emmitt
And gallant Connolly died.”
“You speak of Connolly,
a traitor to the Queen?
You speak of Fenians,
Of pride and wearing green?”
I’m looking straight at him.
His hand’s on his gun!
My pulse, jumpy quickens!
Should I turn and run???
“Living under tyranny
is survival at best.
Your queen has done nothing
But keep our people oppressed!”
Now he is angry.
His words cut like a knife.
I don’t think I’ve ever
Been this scared in my life.
He’s yelling at me
And I’m shouting back.
Then a moment of silence
and then the attack.
He unholsters his weapon.
My eyes fill with fear.
I say a quick prayer
His intentions are clear.
Out of the yelling
Come four fateful shots!
“See there little Fenian,
now look what you got.”
The pain it consumes me.
The ground is so cold.
And now I am dying,
Just fourteen years old…
Another note: I do recognise that many protestants have done their share for the Republican movement. However, I was a bit…misguided? when I was a lad.
Due to certain events in my life which have left me unable to do much outside of home, at least for the time being, I’ve been playing a few great games I found online. These games will only appeal to you if you enjoy the RPG style of gaming. That is to say, a style in which you become a character, usually of your own creation, with certain stats, powers and skills, that progresses through the game world. Sometimes, the character’s stats, skills and pwers are given to you at random, sometimes they are computer generated and sometimes, you make them yourself.
Here are the games I’ve been playng, with a little description of each. Note: I am in no way affiliated with any of these games. I merely list them for entertainment purposes only. Oh yeah, and because I think they rock!
What the site says:
“What’s it all about?Set in the middle ages, players choose their own path to follow. Whether you choose to be a Chivalrous Knight defending your clan, or
a murderous thug who raids farms and steals from children the choice is yours.”
My opinion:
This is probably my favourite RPG out there today. It’s text-based and you can play it from anywhere. You can play with and against other players, but you are not dependent on others for your gaming experience to be a success. The game is free, but players are rewarded for donating. One of the things I like about KoR is that donators are not given a clear advantage over others who can’t donate. All the items that you get from donating can be obtained by regular, non-donating players. KoR has an excellent group of staff who work really hard at keeping the game fair for everyone and busting cheaters.
On the downside, I did not find the “help tutorial” on the site very informative at all. In fact, if it weren’t for the off-game fan site that you are able to access from any page of the site, I would have been frankly…Lost.
Although I’m standing by the fact that KoR is my favourite RPG, I can’t say I’m totally satisfied. I think it’s that I find I’ve run out of things to do rather quickly, and I’m not challenged enough.
Final note: Multiple accounts *ARE NOT ALLOWED* under any circs. Although I must confess to wanting another account, so my boys could play too, I see this rule as being a good thing. People with multies use their other accounts for their own good and not as separate characters. That’s just wrong!
From the site:
“The Last Knights is a Massively Multiplayer Online Real Time Strategy Game (MMORTS) set in Medieval Europe.
This is an online real-time strategy game (rts) where you are an officer in the army of one of 30 different countries in medieval Europe. You build your
army while climbing the ranks, getting stronger while your soldiers and yourself gain experience and your army grows larger in size. Once you rank high
enough you can unite lower officers (other players) and fight huge online battles to attack one of the other countries.
This Medieval army and battle game is a long running massive multiplayer real-time online strategy game (MMORTS) where you are part of the national and
international military balance and politics. Your goals are first to improve your own army, but also to defend the territory of your country and make it
the leading power in the world.
Your attacks are only limited by the soldiers that get injured in your fights. If they get injured you will have to wait for them to get healed some points
every 30 minutes. You can miss a few soldiers of your army but if too many are injured the others and yourself run a greater risk in the next battle.
This game features:
Web-Based game: In this Web-Based RTS game all actions can be done online and through your browser.
Medieval game: all units, maps and countries are taken from the Medieval times
Your own soldiers to command. Every soldier is unique, having a name, strength, type (archers, swordmen etc), experience and skill level.
Soldiers gain experience through battles with robbers, pirates, barbarians or other armies.
Soldiers can get injured, captured or in the worst case killed if you are a reckless commander.
You lead your soldiers in battle, running the same risks as they.
47 different soldier types all taken from the Medieval Era.
30 different countries to join.
25 ranks to climb as officer, from Private to Emperor.
A map of medieval europe on which your adventures are staged. Travel around your country, or even expand it at the cost of another country.
Communication with and dependency on other officers (players) in a single larger army. Unite lower ranked players or join a higher general.
Large scale online army creation and strategies.
Fight huge battles online as you join armies together to defeat your enemy!”
My opinion:
I enjoy TLK very much. It’s got some of the challenge I’d like to see in KoR. If you enjoy strategy and decision-making instead of just “leveling up”, you’ll like this game a lot. There is an infinite variety of things to do in this game, which keeps me entertained for hours.
Just about the only thing I do not like about TKL is that you won’t succeed as a “lone wolf”. You have to co-operate and work with other players. This can be hard if you’re a level one, since not many other players, from what I have seen, will not want you in their larger army since you lack experience. Donators do have a definite advantage over non-donators in this one.
Final note: The TLK map is not text-based, and visually impaired players will not be able to read it. They will also not be able to interpret the terrain of their country. This will not stop them from playing, but will make it a bit of a challenge.
From the site:
Conquer the world for King and Country in this massively multiplayer online real time strategy game (MMORTS).
This is an online real-time strategy game (rts) where you are an officer in the army or the navy of one of 25 different countries during the Colonial Era.
You build your army and navy while climbing the ranks, getting stronger and stronger. Once you rank high enough you can unite lower officers (other players)
and fight huge online naval and land battles to attack one of the other countries trying to conquer the world.
This army and navy battle game is a long running massive multiplayer real-time online strategy game (MMORTS) where you are part of the national and international
military balance and politics. Your goals are first to improve your own army and your navy, but also to defend the territory of your country and make it
the leading power in the world.
It is a time of change. Through the dawn of time great empires and kingdoms have risen and fallen. Weapons of war have been improved over and over again
until mighty ships filled with cannons sail the seas, the first rifles begin to replace muskets and new artillery has been made. Revolutions throughout
the world have shaken most nations and though most nations remain monarchies in one form or the other, those of normal birth are now given the chance to
take up arms for their nations. Not just as soldiers or sailors, as cannon fodder, but they are given the ability to become officers on land and on sea.
Where the revolutions in arms development and cultural changes had brought forth a weakness and emptiness in the armies and navies of all nations, brave
new officers come forward. Officers from all classes of society, to fight for their nation on the stormy oceans and seas, to fight on hills and mountains,
along the coasts and in the desert. These officers have come forward to claim their destiny.
As a new officer you get the choice, will you join the armies that march on land or the navies that rule the seas? Whatever you choose a path filled with
fighting awaits you. You’ll get money from your king or queen to finance the recruiting of your first troops, the building of your first ship. The seas
and lands are dangerous, even with no enemies invading, and through accepting a lot of missions you will gain gold and prestige, allowing you to climb
ranks and afford more and better troops and ships.
But a time will come, often too quickly, that enemies of your nation strike and you are called to defend your nation. Join bigger armies, led by the highest
officers and fight alongside dozens to hundreds of other officers in mighty land battles, join strike forces to capture lands and cities. Or join the mighty
navies, to block enemy ports, raid coastal towns and secure the naval trade of your own nation. With your army or your naval forces you directly influence
the outcome of battles and the fate of your nation.
This game features:
Web-Based game: In this Web-Based RTS game all actions can be done online and through your browser.
Colonial game: all units, maps and countries are taken from the Colonial times
Choose between a career in the navy or in the army.
Your own soldiers to command. Every soldier is unique, having a name, strength, type (musketeer, dragoon etc), experience and skill level.
Soldiers gain experience through battles with robbers, pirates, barbarians or other armies.
Soldiers can get injured, captured or in the worst case killed if you are a reckless commander.
You lead your soldiers in battle, running the same risks as they.
46 different soldier types, including special units per country.
19 different ship types to command, from tiny Cutters to mighty Ships of the Line
Batter enemy ships with cannonballs, grape shot or chain shot, sinking or capturing them
Follow orders from your admiral to help your country defeat its enemies, or become an Admiral yourself!
25 ranks to climb as officer, from Corporal to Emperor, or 11 ranks from Midshipman to Admiral of the Fleet
A map of the world on which your adventures are staged. Travel around your country, or even expand it at the cost of another country.
Communication with and dependency on other officers (players) in a single army. Unite lower ranked players or join a high general.
Cooperation between navy and army to reach the common goal of making your country the leading power in the world.
Large scale army creation and strategies.
Fight huge naval and land army battles online as you join armies together to defeat your enemy!
Medics to heal your soldiers in battles.
My opinion:
A game made by the makers of TKL. All I said about TKL applies here. The games are very similar, the difference being that KAC has a navy as well as an army.
Final note: Vision impaired players will have the same difficulties as in TKL.
From the site:
“The Dark Grimoire is a free multiplayer online role playing game ( MMORPG ) featuring amazing adventure, magnificent treasures, and a vibrant, highly interactive
community. Starting out in a small town as an initiate you learn the ways of Valorn with the guidance of the many seasoned adventurers you will meet during
your travels, while becoming a mighty Warrior, Cleric, Rogue, or Enchanter. In a world torn apart by evil demons, dark beasts, and an evil Lord bent on
world domination, your strongest weapon against the coming hordes is the comradery you develop with others. The Dark Grimoire is an RPG unlike any online
text game or graphical MMORPG around.”
My opinion:
I really can’t say anything bad about this game. It’s very fantasy oriented, and I don’t usually go for that kind of thing, but I’m really enjoying this game. Premium subscribers do have a definite advantage over non-subscribers, but the game can still be played by both.
The character naming rules in this game are a bit…Ridiculous! They made it almost impossible for me to come up with a character name that I could live with. I managed it, after about thirty mins of careful, frustrating, thought.
Final note: DG does allow multiple accounts, although there are some restrictions. The game is a bit hard to get the hang of at first, and can be a bit overwhelming to newbies. I had to take it slow and absorb things little by little, which meant that I did more reading than playing for a few days…
About Sryth:
In the world of Sryth™ YOU are the hero!
You take on the role of a bold adventurer (of your own creation) whose heart yearns for fame, fortune, and of course…the thrill of adventure! However,
you’re not just any ordinary adventurer!
In Sryth, the game’s storyline revolves around you! You’re the main character — perhaps the greatest adventurer since the glory days of Tallys — and your actions and decisions will not only shape your destiny, but perhaps alter the course of history!
An age of PERIL…An age of ADVENTURE!
With more than fifteen skills and more than ten magical disciplines to learn and command, a kingdom’s worth of adventures to tackle, a vast arsenal of weapons
and armour to acquire, and countless perils to be confronted, there’s no time to lose!
The Age of Igtheon has dawned on Sryth, and the epoch of the adventurer has begun!
My opinion:
This is not a MMORPG or a MMORTS. It is a single-player story-driven RPG. I enjoy it very much. Sryth is very unique.
The game is free, but Adventurers Guild subscribers get better weapons, more gold and more adventures. They don’t have an advantage or disadvantage per se, but they are allowed access to more tfeatures of the game. I personally like my ADVG status, but…
Final note: The game’s dev has offered to improve accessibility for those with vision impairments.
Two games I’ve signed up for but haven’t yet played are Envy and MonoCountry.
About Envy: The GameYou crawl out from the ruined basement. Grimacing, you put the few coins you found in your tattered pocket. Smoke fills your nose, but
sadly you cannot remember a day when the air was fresh. Screams in the distance – but you don’t even twitch. It is getting dark, you notice. If that was
not enough reason to cause you to head to one of the few safe places left in the city, you hear some sort of scratching from one of the few standing walls
across the torn up asphalt. Heading down the street there is only one thing on your mind… how long can you survive on what is left in this city…
Mono Country
Mono CountryYou walk down the dark allies of Mono Central spotting every variation of a criminal imaginable. You spot a crazy hobo waving around a butterfly
knife and yelling, “Thats my trash you bastard!”, and running torward you frantically. You pull out your 9mm and pop him a good one. All the other hobos
see what you did and come after you. You run off to your penthouse and slam the door shut and spin the deadbolts. You survived that time. What now? Get
bulky in the gym? Stick up a liquor store? Even organize a meeting with members of your very own terrorist organization! The possibilities are endless,
you better get started.
If you should decide to come to fantasy land with me, look me up. I’m usually myself, that is, my characters are usually Ruairi something and can be found in the user lists. I’m premium on all the games listed here and can and will help in many ways.
If you know of any RPGs, text or otherwise, that a person with vision impairment could play, let me
The week opened in typical fashion. Work was plentiful and I had my hands full with it. This was probably a good thing, all things considered… Tuesday roled around.
Early Tuesday morning, like two thirty to be exact, my charger on my mobile decided not to break, but to disintegrate. Since Da and I only use mobiles to communicate with the world, unless we’re at work, this meant I had no means of communication. Of course, this through me into a right royal state and I didn’t get any sleep at all. This meant that we at some point, would have to go to the mobile store to get a replacement. This charger was the fifth I’ve gotten in a year.
On Tuesday, I was due to get my prescriptions from my doctor’s office. For those who don’t know, I suffer from chronic pain due to injury and autoimmune disease. The medications I take for pain control are tightly controled by the government, as well they should be. The doctor cannot call the script into the chemist. you must go to the doc’s office and pick up the script yourself. I don’t ordinarily have a problem with this, although I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a giant pain in the arse.
Doc’s office is in Belfast, so, off we went. Da especially dislikes this, as it means he must take time off work, since I don’t, and can’t drive. We make the drive and everything is copecetic. We walk into the office and much to our dismay, we are told that our scripts, (Da gets his there also), were put in the mail that morning… Of course, Da, being the calm one in these matters, approached things philosophically. I, on the other hand, cannot be calm in matters of medication. This is for several reasons, most of which I’ll not go into in this public venue. All I will say is this: I was out of medication… Completely out.
Now the b**** responsible for mailing the scripts isn’t the one we normally deal with. We don’t deal with her because she doesn’t like us. She knows that Da and are work in RSF, and she especially hates Da for being “a terrorist”. So, she has, in the past, done whatever she could to make our lives hell. Any road… We have it in our chart that our scripts are not to be mailed. Even though it’s a pain to pick them up, we’d rather that then have them stolen. Yes, it has happened before.
I tried to explain to the bitch that I was out of meds, that I would go into organ failure if my pain got to bad, (this has happened five times in all), and that the scripts would very likely get stolen and never reach us. Needless to say, she was unsympathetic.
So, we were forced to drive back, scriptless. I did get my charger replaced. A relief I must say. Still, I could find little joy in the day. I did manage to survive the night, thanks in part to D, one of my good friends, and to…an anonymous donor. we’ll leave it there, shall we?
I didn’ sleep at all Tuesday night. On Wednesday, the scripts did come. Thank God in Heaven!
The rest of the week didn’t go smoothly, either. I’ve been plagued by nightmares, not an uncommon thing when you’ve been where I’ve been and seen what I’ve seen. In between the nightmares, I dealt with insomnia… Not my best week.
Ahh well, such is life. There are some other things I need to say, but they’ll have to wait till later.
Over and Out,
I’ve had other blogs. I quite enjoy blogging. It helps me to clarify my thoughts, and sometimes, it insights interesting discussions.
For one reason or another, I haven’t blogged in several years. Thinking about it, feeling a certain pervasive level of discontent, I decided to start over here…
I have so much to do and not nearly enough time to do it in. That’s life, I guess.
I will present my views on life, politics, medicine, social issues, and anything else I find amusing, inspiring or just plain strange…
I’m opinionated, outspoken not well liked, respected, sensitive, compassionate, obsessive, thorough, fun-loving, witty, sarcastic and cynical. I wouldn’t consider myself a nice person. I don’t strive to be nice. People either love me or hate me, and that’s just fine. I don’t have many friends, but the friends I do have I know will be there till the end. I am as loyal as the day is long in midsummer. I’m forgiving of most things, except betrayal. Once you betray me, look out. I can be vindictive, vengeful, irritating, *angry*, deceitful, conniving, and hurtful. But then, if you betray me, you deserve everything you get.
I suppose that’s enough for now.
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