Quincy, from Polish straydog to Dutch service dog

Ohhh sorry... I can't seem to share it :) Eventhough it is "publicly" shared on FB...doesn't seem to work when I share it here :) Well, too bad, just imagine that little black beauty going through all 4 Hoopers, round a barrel and then back to me... All that in 5 seconds :D

Ohhh, and Leslie? :) I started out high (not even that high, mind you) just to calm everything going on in my body down and then went down, step by step till the lowest dose I was still feeling pretty good :) So right now, I take one day 5 mg and the other day 7.5 mg, I switch each day. I feel best at 7.5 but 5 is still okay :) And by switching each day...I can keep it under control. The body naturally makes an average of 7.5. mg of cortisol per day so I am doing pretty good amountwise :D I don't get more pred then my body is making already...so that's good :)

Absolutely amazing!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SasAndYunah

Well, too bad, just imagine that little black beauty going through all 4 Hoopers, round a barrel and then back to me... All that in 5 seconds :D

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I can so picture this!!:p:p You go girl!!:D

Dang Sas, sorry to hear that you have had a rough time of it lately and in so much pain. I'm sure that causes Quincy a great deal of worry too, as she is so in tune with you and how you feel.
I'm glad that you are now feeling well enough to be functioning again. There are still so many adventures for you and Quincy to share. :)
Hugs my friend

I tried, as well, Saskia. Same results. Can you provide a different link? Is it private?
I am so sorry you are experiencing deterioration. :( I am glad you are getting results with Prednisone. :D Please keep us posted on how it is going.
I am now up to date with your Quincy postings. She and you are simply marvelous. I have one question, after reading what you wrote about walking dogs. Can I come over and cook and clean for you???:eek::eek::D;)
Anyone and anything would thrive with your approach to life. All of the positive reinforcement we hear you give Quincy....I think I could use some of that!!!;)
I hope the cold does not interfere with you and Quincy going for walks. She just looks so happy and so proud of herself. Very refreshing~!
Love,
Susan:)

Hahahaha Susan, of course you can come over and you won't even have to cook and clean, unless you really, really, really like to do so :D :p

And with warm (and several layers of them) clothing and a coat for Quincy, we still enjoy our walks eventhough it has become pretty cold here lately :)

This actually was today:
https://youtu.be/6x4tu4Nba3Q

And here is yesterdays Hooperclass:
https://youtu.be/ORa4hHD4lCs

And if it's really cold or raining cats and dogs, we have our own "indoors-Hoopers-facility" in my livingroom :D
https://youtu.be/-8AGewGlUNE

Saskia and Quincy :)

Today we had our last Hoopersclass of this season... Next Saturday, our actual last class, we decided to go for a walk in the forrest with the entire group as our "season-goodbye" :D

So, this was today, Quincy's accomplishments for this season :D
https://youtu.be/0U89iCjkUZs

Saskia and Quincy :)

Love to see the joy of Quincy working/playing. I needed a little joy today, so thanks so much!!!

What fun!! And Quincy wags his tail the whole time he is running. Thanks for sharing!

The moment Quincy no longer wags her tail...there's something really, really wrong with her, her tail wags always even when she sleeps :D And yes, Quincy's joy in her work/play...life in general, always lifts me up as well, it's so contageous her zest for life :) It's become very, very cold here but with such a crisp, clear and sunny sky, it's a joy to be outside and you forget the temperature is below freezing ;) Quincy just jumps and runs and sniffs and enjoys herself to the fullest, keeping active is the best way to keep warm...and that is what she is doing, keeping active :D

https://youtu.be/5Kte5uOcXfU

Bedtime in The Netherlands...wishing you all sweet dreams for later, probably around the time I wake up again ;)

Saskia and Quincy :)

That was so pretty, Sas~ I cried with happiness the whole way through...she is such a beautiful creature!

She is indeed :) It's not hard to understand why she brings me so much joy everyday, no matter what we do... Every day with her beside me is a blessing, my little black pearl :D

Let's start with wishing each and everyone of you and your loved ones, all the best for 2017 and every year thereafter as well :)

Not much special to tell from this side of the world :) No courses at this time of year, no special accomplishments on Quincy's part (or mine, for that matter :p ) just a cute video of Quincy today, just to show her hapiness...no matter what :D Playing a game together and once done, she headbutts me, makes those funny "jumps"...in short, just a very happy dog having fun and enjoying life ;) And imagine, she'll be turning 5 this year :eek: She still behaves so much like a pup... :)
https://youtu.be/YCHPdzZQk8g

Ah yes, she did learn something new. In fact, she just did it. I never asked her to do it, never taugt her to do so, but she pulled off a sock, saw the tape and off it went :D
https://youtu.be/5f3JGhUB1Og

Saskia and Quincy :)

So smart! Happy New Year to you, too Sas!

Such a sweet, good girl! A very blessed 2017 you and Quincy!

Happy New Year to you and Quincy.

She's one smart girl and very very happy.

It's winter...yehawwwwww! :D

https://youtu.be/of8mmjgZY0o

Don't you just love watching their joyous reaction from a little snow??

Hi Sas <waving wildly!!> :) :)

I've been thinking about you girls over the past few days, and just now checked and found that we're long overdue for an update! A whole season has passed by, and now we're in the midst of spring. Hoping so much that you and Quincy are both doing well, and also hoping that we'll hear back from you again soon.

Best wishes always from
Marianne and Luna ;) ;)

My mind and Marianne's have been running along the same track....thinking of you and wondering how things are going for you and that adorable Quincy.

(((((HUGS)))))
Leslie

Ditto from me too Sas. How are you and Quincy doing?

You are heavy on my mind today, sweet Sas. I hope all is well with you and that precious girl. Don't worry about trying to respond if that is a trial for you right now just know you are thought of, loved, and missed. I don't know what Crystal and I would have done without you. You touch so many of us with your kindness, knowledge, and positive attitude. Just want you to know....

Hugs,
Leslie

Oh gosh...I am so sorry :) First of all...we're fine, no worries. It's just been so very hectic around here...with my mom and her Alzheimers (and me going there every other day), with my sister and her manic depressions and with my body falling apart more and more :) But for the latter I have found something that hopefully can help me....a dynamic armsupport to help me with my right arm that I hardly can use anymore. Of course...(what else is new :p ) I do not have the time right now but I will be back SOON, I promise and add a few video's ...even one of that "bionic arm" :D Quincy is thriving and doing very well, pretty and sweet as ever ;) I have said it before...but without her, I would loose my mind and go insane :D And oh yesssss....there was a movie made earlier this month, for the Service Dog School and Quincy and me are in it. It will be ready early June, I think...when it is, I will let you know and share the link :) We're still doing the Hoopers class and we're doing well there as well... So you see. life is busy but certainly not boring (oooohhhhhhh, how I long for a few boring days :p ) Thanks for asking and thinking about us...and sorry I have not popped in sooner.... Next time won't take this long ;)

Saskia and Quincy :)

As promissed...back with a few video's :) Just a few, I have not made that many recently :)

Here's us during Hoopers class:

https://youtu.be/ptGX-UBZouI


Here is us during Hoopers class just yesterday:

https://youtu.be/MH8kKXp7yg4


And me, trying the "Gowing", the dynamic armsupport that helps me move my arm :)

https://youtu.be/0sGBvCuISpM

I can drink coffee again with it :D And scratch my nose...and hold the phone...and write...and put in earrings, brush my teeth, etc. All things I couldn't do anymore... at least not with my right arm... :) So...now it's keeping my fingers crossed the healthinsurrance companie agrees that I need the Gowing :D http://partnersinmed.com/gowing-arm-support/

So...now it's off to bed with me :) I do promise to return more often... for now, wishing you all a good night, for now or later,

Saskia and Quincy :)

Oh Sas, it's so good to hear from you!!! :). It definitely sounds as though you've got an awful lot of challenges facing you right now. But as always, you are making lemonade out of lemons! ;)

I love your Hoopers videos, and the GoWing looks like an amazing apparatus. Surely -- hopefully! -- your insurance company will recognize the benefit and importance of having such an aid.

It's wonderful to hear from you, and yes, please try to keep your updates coming more frequently. We really miss you girls when you are gone too long...

Love, Marianne

Sas, it is good to hear from you! :) I am sorry to hear about all the struggles you and your family are going through.

That GoWing arm support is cool! I'll cross my fingers for you, too.

Thanks for the Quincy videos. She is so cute, and your relationship is the stuff that movies are made of! :D I will be watching for the link to the movie - and more Hoopers videos when you can.

Sweet dreams, my friend.

Shana

I'm so glad you have the Gowing! Now you have a bionic arm! :D The Hoopers look fun...something Bud would enjoy maybe. Quincy sure seems to enjoy it and does a good job! It's soooo good to hear you and she are doing well!

Okay that bionic arm, might just be the coolest thing EVER!!! I love it and how much it helps you and allows you to use that arm. Too cool.

Quincy and you are, as always, the dynamic duo. LOL Gosh she is a joy isn't she.

Very sorry about everything going on with your mom and sister. There are no easy answers to either one of their problems unfortunately, but I do hope that you have some help with both.

hugs girl! Great to hear from you

Three weeks is reasonable, isn't it? :D We're doing well, never a dull moment here :) Tomorrow will be Quincy her 5th birthday....and she'll be having visitors too for the occasion ;) The woman and her daughter where Quincy used to live before she came to me...so that will be a real party for Quincy ;) But before we can party, there's our saturdaymorning class...yehawwwww running around having fun, Quins her favorit thing to do :D

I have a video of last weeks lesson:
https://youtu.be/SNETg9Xlz4o

And today I had to go to...ehm... a place where they make, invent and create ...ehmmmm stuff, hahahahaha... not very helpfull, heh? :p Well, I keep falling down when I walk...and I do need to walk at least a few steps to stay as independant as possible, so the orthopedic surgeon send me to this...place. :) It's where they make ortheses, prosteheses, braces and such. And man oh man, am I already in the market for a dynamic armsupport, now he recommended a dynamic full-leg ortheses :eek: I truly will become the bionic woman :D Anyway, when I got there, of course, Quincy had to take off my coat. And she is such a "girl", being terrible nosey, so she had to stop and see who came in:
https://youtu.be/CAYH02aWwk4

And this evening, we "practised" a new game. Coming Wednesday, we'll be getting a visit from a mom and her autistic 10 year old son, who's afraid of dogs but at the same time obsessed with service dogs :) We're going to help him overcome his fear...I hope :) And I was thinking what I could do. So, I came up with the following. I took a few containers with a lid, make a few holes in the lid, put some treats in them, close the lid again...and hide the containers :) Quincy goes searching for the containers and brings them to me and when she finds them all, I give her a treat, from my hand (not from the container since that might cause the dog to start "messing" with the container to try and get the treat out) ;) This way, the boy can hide the containers (while Quincy sits next to me....), he can go sit or stand or whatever he is most comfortable with at a "safe" spot... and then I will send Quincy searching. She has learned to return the containers to me...so the boy will be "safe" since Quincy won't go looking for him :) But this way, he can interact with Quincy, play with her...without having to have contact with her :) I was pretty pleased with myself and the idea...I hope it will work as well as I hope ;) This is the idea...just no kid yet in the video:
https://youtu.be/WaeopMxOrbY

So, we're keeping busy, having lots of fun...and are still able to "get involved", to help others and be useful members of society ;) I like that :)

Wishing you all my absolute best and sending tons of hugs,

Saskia and Quincy :)

Omigosh, I can't believe I missed wishing Quincy her Happy Birthday!! :eek:

I read your post shortly after you wrote it, Sas, and intended to come right back to add my reply...but obviously I got distracted! :o

At any rate, I hope she had a wonderful day and a wonderful reunion :). And how did things go with the little boy? You and Quincy are both such clever girls that I'm sure you were able to put him right at ease. ;) ;)

Bionic arms and legs -- it's amazing what all can be done by those technicians. I had a little taste of that myself when I was a teenager. I developed an s-curve in my spine when I was about 12, and needed to wear a pretty involved back/neck brace for a couple of years. The whole thing was very traumatic for me, especially at that self-conscious age. But I'll never forget how sweet the men were in the brace/prosthetic shop. It took lots of measuring and building and fitting to get that contraption put together exactly right, and through it all, they were so kind and understanding of the embarrassment of a young girl. And just from a technical standpoint, it was amazing what all they could build and do, depending on the need! They were truly artists.

Anyway, I hope you'll be getting just the assistance you're in need of, right now. And once again, I send my very, very, very Happy Birthday greetings to our amazing Quincy! :) :p :D

Dear Sas,

I was just thinking about you and Quincy, and came here to check on you. I’m stunned to see that it’s been such a long time since we’ve spoken! You girls surely had a lot going on back last summer — I hope you are just as busy now, but only with things you WANT to be doing ;-). When you have the chance, we’d love to get an update.

As I say, thinking of you both so fondly today...
Marianne

Oh my goodness!! As Marianne said, I can hardly believe that it has been so long since we've heard from you and Quincy. I do hope that everything is okay with you both.

HUGS