Quincy, from Polish straydog to Dutch service dog

[molly muffin]

LOL Sas, she is hilarious! I can just see her being a smartass too. What a change in such a short time. It really isn't all that long, just seems like she has always been there with you though.

Is she still growing? I thought she looked taller.

hugs

[SasAndYunah]

No Sharlene, she is 2, turning 3 in June...she is not growing anymore, at least not physically :) Maybe her mental growth these past couple of months makes her look taller :D I have ordered her (and me) a Treibball...I think she may enjoy Treibball so the next couple of weeks we'll see if I can teach her the basics of how to "Treib a ball" and if indeed she does enjoy it :D

Sas and Quincy :)

[Squirt's Mom]

She is beautiful and hilarious, Sas! A winning combo in any species! :D

[mytil]

Oh Saskia, she is one happy girl!!!!

Incredibly smart and is so proud of herself - what confidence you have given her!!!

Terry

[molly muffin]

I bet that is it, she stands tall and straight and those ears must add a few inches in the pictures :) :) :) She just looks so very good!

oh bet she'll love something new!

hugs

[SasAndYunah]

Love is....

.....................being together :)


https://youtu.be/RXjHVCmjSP8


Look at that focus...and the sheer joy of running beside my wheelchair :D

Saskia and Quincy :)

[judymaggie]

Saskia -- Quincy definitely exudes joy -- what a bundle of energy! :D Thanks so much for posting video.

[Squirt's Mom]

awwww....it always surprises me to see how small she is. In reading about her and seeing her Spirit shine thru in your videos, she seems 10X bigger than real life. She sure loves her mom!

[labblab]

I have to say "Awwwwwwww" too, Sas! :) :) :)

What concentration and energy and devotion. But the very best part of all is seeing Quincy launch herself into your lap at the end. You are so right -- this is sheer LOVE, through and through. ;) :D :D

Thanks to both you girls for bringing smiles to all our hearts today!
Marianne

[molly muffin]

She has to be one of the happiest dogs ever. :) I am so glad you two found each other.

[SasAndYunah]

She indeed is a very happy, energetic and loving girl :) Every day with her is a happy day, every hour spent with her is a joyful hour, having her in my life is the best thing that could have happened to me :) She is such a funny little dog and has such a wonderful attitude... I was just thinking the other day how strange, or wonderful, life is. At a time in my life where I need joy, where lots in life is complicated, I find Quincy and she gives me exactly what I need most. And all of my dogs where exactly the right dog at the right time... :) Dedicated and serious Yunah, who felt it was her task in life to look after me... Cukie, who needed care and protection, Sogno...an old soul and of course Mhina, who taught me that her life...life doesn't belong to me. And now Quincy, who is all about having fun and knowing how to have it :D I should count my blessings that she considers "work" to be fun or else I would not get her to do it :p She does her tasks, with great pleasure, but then it's on to the next fun thing to do, with or without me. Not at all the seriousness Yunah had for example... Quincy is a clown, a prankster and a bit of a smart-ass and that may be the greatest gift she brought me :) She is Quincy and for that I love her forever :)

Saskia and Quincy :)

[molly muffin]

Isn't it amazing how different each ones personalities are and how they were in your life at just the right time, each one with their own unique abilities.

I love that Quincy is a clown and real joy in your life.

hugs

[SasAndYunah]

Sunny greetings from us...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=850228091710645&set=p.850228091710645&type=1&theater

Saskia and Quincy :)

[Trish]

Awwwww went to click on my Quincy fix to see the latest video, but the link appears to be broken... Love watching your videos they always give me a big smile to see the love between you too!! Hope all well :)

[SasAndYunah]

Hi Trish :)

Oh dear, can't have you miss your Quincy fix...maybe this link will work for you :)

https://youtu.be/lxDuyEUd-IQ


This video is showing Quincy who is playing but nevertheless, without hesitation, gets me my shoes :D Watch how she passes my coat hanging over a chair on her way to the bedroom to get my shoes and how she quickly grabs the sleeve in passing, hahaha...that's typical of Quincy, always a bit of a "naughty streak" whenever she sees an oppertunity ;)
https://youtu.be/ZW9QoHwTA1Q

And here's Quincy getting something from my storagecloset..and getting the right item even :D She knows about 10 items she can pick from that storagecloset...clever girl!
https://youtu.be/rleuFeHotVY

And this is...."Holland's next top (dog)model" :p
https://youtu.be/57YGURL4gAA

And this is a walk in the beautiful, beautiful countryside where I live :)
https://youtu.be/bCCObpdOgsA

Well, that should be enough Quincy to last you a while ;)
With regards to her Atopy, the desensitation therapy, is going very well. We had to make some adjustements to the original injection schedule, but I am starting to see improvement :) So also in that area, things are going pretty well...thankfully. I am truly, truly blessed with her :)

Hugs to all,

Sas and Quincy :)

[My sweet Ginger]

Dear Saskia,

My heart is full with hope, happiness and love every time I see/watch your pics/videos of Quincy and then they bring tears to my eyes.
This time tho, tears of joy instead of tears of sorrow we experience all too often on here.

Thank you and thank you to the most lucky and wonderful person and also equally lucky and wonderful dog who live in the most beautiful place. It's hard for me to describe how happy I'm that you've found each other. :):):)

[SasAndYunah]

Thank you Song, that's very kind of you :) I have lost too many dogs over the past couple of years, those tears of sorrow are all too familiar and still hard to bear. Knowing, that so many of the people here, are in a difficult place and situation with their sweet dogs, sometimes can make me feel guilty for being so happy right now with Quincy... And as you mentioned, I do hope Quincy will bring some joy to those that need it :)

And on that note, I have a few new video's :)

The first one is where I train Quincy to open plastic boxes for me (Tupperware-like) since my fingers are really letting me down so much lately...but thank goodness, there is Quincy to unburden me and my fingers :D
https://youtu.be/kVPtK6ur494

The second one is right before I go to bed in the evening. Quincy first has to bring in the toys she left laying around in the garden...she is so funny :D
https://youtu.be/HRKz22WZsnE

Today we had Don the (senior) Beagle stay with us again...just cute to watch :)
https://youtu.be/wymmEPsX9CM

And Don, who in his entire life, never walked beside a wheelchair or even a bike, is doing so very well :) His owner was somewhat concerned if I would be able to take 2 dogs on a walk...or better yet, if I was able to make Don walk properly beside the chair instead of him going from left to right and back again. Something he always does when he walks with his owner. Ha! I can be determined, even more determined then a stubborn, old Beagle...hahahaha. He does actually very well and I am soooo proud of him :)
https://youtu.be/bgkbIqZFJ1Q

All our best,

Saskia and Quincy :)

[judymaggie]

Saskia -- I so love seeing your videos! Don could definitely give Abbie some walking lessons ... :o

[SasAndYunah]

It was very, very hot today and so I went out and bought Quincy a "pool" to play in :) Kind of hilarious the way I managed to get the pool home... :p
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/album.php?albumid=862&pictureid=7738

Saskia and Quincy :)

[My sweet Ginger]

Awww. However it works to make your little girl happy. ;)

[judymaggie]

Can't wait to see the videos of Quincy frolicing in her turtle pool! :D

[SasAndYunah]

No Quincy frolicking in her turtle pool I'm afraid...it's cold and rainy here :) But I have 2 new video's for you all to see :)

Here Quincy get's me a dishcloth from a kitchendrawer...very handy that she knows where they are since I tend to spoil my coffee on a regular basis :p
https://youtu.be/M84Y-FVBiu4

And this is simply too cute, how she sneaks behind the central heater to close the curtain :D
https://youtu.be/pY3iWmHsKQY

Always happy, always eager...my little Quincy-girl :)

Saskia and Quincy :)

[judymaggie]

Hi, Saskia! As always, enjoyed the videos. I think it is great that Quincy is so eager and love that she is small enough to leap right into your lap for snuggling. :D

[SasAndYunah]

Oh boy, do I have something for you all, an absolute exclusive :D Most of you may have heard of or even seen Jurassic World, Spielberg's most recent succesmovie? Well, here's the trailer to his newest movie...:p

https://youtu.be/kLDdKZXOGT8

Saskia and Quincy ;)

[molly muffin]

Oh you are Brilliant Saskia!!

[SasAndYunah]

The T-Quins is back :p :D :p :D

[labblab]

"We're talking about a highly intelligent animal here" for sure!!!

That's our T-Quins! :eek: :eek:

Sas, this is just too funny! :p :p :p

[Squirt's Mom]

That is hilarious, Sas! :p:D:p:p:D:p Very good job!

[SasAndYunah]

A year ago, yesterday, a small, black dog walked into my backyard, my home, my life and from there straight into my heart :) Not only did she get her Service Dog exam with the speed of light but she also learned to trust in me, to have faith in herself, she overcame fears, and she blossomed into this delightful creature :) She truly loves her work, she is pretty darn smart, her personality couldn't be better... She is sweet, social, a hugger, joyful, playful, a smartass, funny....in short, I am still head over heals in love with her :D
We solved her "pee" problems, we are gaining good control over her atopy issues...everything is going just so well.

She makes my life so much more beautiful and easy.... I can only hope that I can have that very same impact on her and her life as well... my Quincy girl :)

And since we're having a heatwave here (it never ever was as warm here as it is today) Quincy often plays in her turtlepool ;)

https://youtu.be/uXV9-kjY2SU

Saskia and Quincy :)

[Squirt's Mom]

Happy 1st Homecoming, Quincy! You have brightened the worlds of many folk and I am so proud to know you and your mom.

[labblab]

Happy 1st Homecoming, Quincy! You have brightened the worlds of many folk and I am so proud to know you and your mom.
Beautifully said, Leslie, and I couldn't agree more! ;) :) :) :)

[judymaggie]

You make a great team and I am honored to be able to be a part of it even if just via posts and videos! I bet Quincy is happy that your weather has warmed up enough for pool time. :D

[molly muffin]

I missed the happy homecoming party???!!!!! DRAT

Okay well you know my motto a birthday, an anniversary, the sun is shining, itls all worth celebrating for the entire month at least! :)

Happy 1 Quincy!!!! You have made our dear friend Saskia beyond happy.
To share your lives together for however long it may be (many many many years to come) is a true treasure.

[SasAndYunah]

Okay, here's a little secret, I use Tena pants :D :p And the pharmacy will bring me my new supplies on a regular basis. Normally the packages are in a plastic bag but for some reason, this time they were put in a cardboard box. Usually Quincy will hand me the packages so I can put them away. But this time, I was rather curious what she was going to do...since they were in a cardboard box and I could tell it was too high for her to grab the packages and lift them up and over the edge of the box.

Well, needless to say, she is amazing at problemsolving :D She checks it, understands she cannot grab them the usual way and wham, without a second thought she comes up with a great solution :D And all this with a straight face :eek: :p My little smart cookie ;)

https://youtu.be/dTeGG-q5rzE

Saskia and Quincy :)

[Squirt's Mom]

Boy! She didn't even think hard about that one! Just boom and problem solved! What a smart, smart girl!

[SasAndYunah]

So often I have told you, how incredably funny (and smart-assed) Quincy is :D Here's the perfect example of what I mean...

In the video you'll hear me say "on the shelf, Quincy"...meaning she has to put her harness on the shelf. One can already tell, Quincy is being feisty, the way she tosses the harness around, the way she grabs it in her mouth...and watch what happens next! :eek:

https://youtu.be/Wn93IjLVyVA

I meant the harness Quincy...the harness, hehehehehe :p

She is the worlds most hilarious service dog :D

Saskia and Quincy ;)

[Squirt's Mom]

Oh that is hilarious! What a smart ? girl! LOLOLOL :D:p:D:p:D:p

[molly muffin]

Smart and funny! What a hoot!!!

[SasAndYunah]

Too cute not to share :) First Quincy hands me the plug of the vacuumcleaner. And of course, she has earned herself a treat :D But, Quincy has her own, private treatbox, hehehe... :p She carefully opens it, lifts the lid and takes just one treat, how great is that? :D She could easily quickly grab a mouthfull of treats, but no...just one. Sooooo well behaved that Quincy ;)

https://youtu.be/Q_EqjhzhuKU


And yes, Quins has a naturally happy tail herself. But one cannot have too many happy tails, right? :p So, I got Quincy another "happy tail" :D

https://youtu.be/dmlKzD3_8n4

Sas and Quincy :)

[Squirt's Mom]

What a good girl she is! Mine would have tackled me if they saw a whole box of treats! :p And she is so cute with that toy!

[SasAndYunah]

I have some exiting news, I discovered Quincy has a brother living in The Netherlands as well and I found him (and the family that adopted him) :D

There is no doubt at all they are related...same faces, same eyes, same intens look in their eyes... and beside, there's a picture taken from both Quincy and her brother, curled up together as little, approximately 3 months old, puppies, still in the shelter in Poland. I will post the pics in Quincy's photoalbum :)

We have been on a 4 day visit to a friend of mine who lives in the south of the country, where they have heather :eek: Gorgeous :) She has 2 dogs so Quincy had a blast, running around all day in the woods and the heather with her doggy friends :D
https://youtu.be/RChp1HeTkt8

But Quincy doesn't neccesarily needs heather or doggy friends to be happy...
https://youtu.be/KmpjvfGPsoM

And even indoors, she is a happy camper...her motto is "I squeek, therefore I am" :D
https://youtu.be/KykrenjXLIg

A week from tomorrow, we will be starting our "advanced course" in doggyschool...that will be so much fun, can't wait for it to start :)

And finally, just because I like the song in this video...it matches Quincy's personality perfectly...
https://youtu.be/XwIankMtgOg

So all is well here :)

I do have a sad note though...Don, the Beagle who stayed here one day a week, has passed 2 days ago. He was 14, suffering from several conditions but it was the heartfailure that got him in the end. R.I.P. sweet Don, you were Quincy's first friend...both she and I will miss you dearly. Of course, his owners are devestated over his loss...

Saskia and Quincy :)

[judymaggie]

Hi, Saskia! It was great seeing Quincy having so much fun and learning about his brother but I am sad to read about Don. Please pass on condolences to his family from Abbie and I.

[SasAndYunah]

Thank you Judy, I will. I went to see Don on Monday and he was having such difficulties breathing inspite of all his meds that were raised to the maximum... He was such a gentle spirit, a former lab dog, poor thing. Glad he was rescued and had many good years with my friends, together with his Beagle sister, who passed away 3 years ago. And I am glad Quincy and myself got to say our goodbyes to him...but we will miss our days together, they were so special...

Saskia and Quincy

[Squirt's Mom]

Oh I am so sorry to hear about Don. :( I know the three of you really enjoyed your days together and will miss them. It is so nice to know, tho, that Don was rescued from the horrors of the lab and was able to spend his last years in a loving environment, that he got to know true love from many sources.

Fly free, sweet Don, fly free. You are in excellent company. Please kiss that little dog with the wild yellow hair for me.

[Squirt's Mom]

ooooo the heather is gorgeous! I bet it's really pretty in real life. Quincy is sure having a good time! I love the pic where all you can see of her buddy is the white plume of the tail in the heather! That laying by the door squeaking that toy is hilarious! Sas, she looks so very healthy and in great shape both physically and mentally! And so very, very happy - as do you. I will always love her face and those ears! :D I am so very glad you two got to take a vacation and it looks like you had a grand time. The country there is just gorgeous!

Her brother does have that same intense look in the eye but he missed out on those amazing ears! :p

[SasAndYunah]

And yet another month has passed...how time flies :)

Quincy and I are doing well and have started our "advanced" course several weeks ago and we're doing well :D We can do the entire hour of training off-lead (without Quincy taking off :p ) as the only couple, so I am very proud of her :)

The past couple of weeks I have been volunteering to help the, mainly Syrian, refugees. The town I live in has taken in 750 refugees so there's a lot to do. I take Quincy with me whenever I go there and they all love her.... :) Furthermore I try to take my mom for as many walks as I can, and as the weather permits, since her Alzheimers keeps progressing and she still enjoys the time outside but doesn't go outside anymore without me (and Quincy) to accompany her :) So for her they are the only trips outside and for my dad it means some time off... :) So we are pretty busy, Quins and myself, but happy together and doing well :)

Okay, enough talking, time for a few videos ;)

Quincy doing her thing...getting the tape from the taperecorder and closing the "door" followed by her getting the phone when it starts ringong, no command needed, she knows when it rings, it's her job to go and get it :D
https://youtu.be/rn_jZio3Q0w

Quincy getting her immunotherapy shot...no big deal :)
https://youtu.be/rcz-_jXS_7w

Quincy getting something from the fridge, from a differant angle... :)
https://youtu.be/E12uldjd1zo

And the visit of a friend and her service dog, a beautiful yello Lab. Quins and the Lab got along very well :)
https://youtu.be/6pEhMpH8wjs

Hope you are all doing well,

Hugs,

Saskia and Quincy :)

[judymaggie]

Saskia -- as always, I love seeing your Quincy videos. It looks like she and the lab had a great time together. When Quincy got her shot, it looked like she was thanking you for it as though she knows it makes her better!

Bless you for helping with the refugees -- such a heartbreaking situation for so many. I'm glad that you and Quincy can spend time with your Mom.

[SasAndYunah]

The true spirit of World Animal Day... :)

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/album.php?albumid=862&pictureid=7922

[Budsters Mom]

Thank you so much for sharing.:p:p

[Squirt's Mom]

She is something else! When the phone rang you could see her face light up and she knew exactly what was expected. :) It's nice to see her and her buddy playing, too!

[SasAndYunah]

The doc has very recently changed my painmedication to Oxycodon and since I have to get used to it, I spent some more time on the bed than usual (I'm a bit drowsy, weak, sleepy, etc ;) ) Anyway, even when on the bed, it's always fun having Quincy around. She was playing with a squeaky toy and I was wondering, would she be able to differentiate between the number op "beeps" and would she be able to copy it? :eek: That's when the following happened... :D

https://youtu.be/IGOEVX1qLKE

She is soooo funny :p

Sas and Quincy :)

[molly muffin]

She is funny and so smart.

[Squirt's Mom]

That is funny and cute! She is so smart and obviously LOVES pleasing you in any way she can. I hate you have to take the oxy but pray you adjust soon and are able to continue doing the things you enjoy soon.

Hugs and love from our house to yours!

[mytil]

She is so adorable Sas!!!! I am so very sorry you are and continue to have these troubles yourself!!!!! Healing (((((hugs))))) Terry

[labblab]

Oh what a precious, clever girl! :) :) :)

There can be no better medicine than sharing your bed and your cuddles with Quincy. :o ;)

Sending you both my warmest wishes!

[SasAndYunah]

Another month (almost) has passed, time for some new video's :)

As you may know, we're doing a fun course every Saturday morning. The 9th time, we did some agility. Absolutely new to Quins and myself so we first practised this "yellow tube" to see if Quincy was willing to go through it. Then we did a short "run"..eventhough that's too much honor for our 3 jumps, yellow tube thing and another 3 jumps :p But again, it was our very first time ;)
https://youtu.be/DcGIreM-khw

And this was today's lesson :) All kinds of things. The first two clips are both me having to send Quincy "forward" where she has to lay down on the "target", a blue piece of cloth. The dogs are supposed to lay on top of the target...not Quincy, hehehe. She seems to be thinking "hey, there's something laying on my spot, away with that cloth so I can go lay on my spot" :p And eventhough that's not the way it is supposed to be done, I think Quincy is performing perfectly in het own Quincy style :D We are not going for the olympic gold medal in absolute obedience and...more importantly, I do not want to train the joyfulness out of Quincy, so this is how Quincy performs this excercise :D Next there are 2 clips of Quincy having to sit and wait while I throw something....and she can go get it when I tell her so :)
And the final clip is hilarious. This is something we have never done before.The mat has been rolled up with treats inside it...and the dog has to unroll the mat (following the treats with its nose :D ) Well, once Quincy has unrolled the mat, she does something that makes everyone laugh :)
https://youtu.be/bi2bs06RP8A

And here's Quincy getting something from the storageroom for me...filmed all the way, inside out :)
https://youtu.be/bi2bs06RP8A

This shows my happy, joyful, energetic and always in a good mood Quincy during our walks :D Alert... tracking...and flying passed me ;)
https://youtu.be/xye4bmBtjB4

And a walk in the forrest... :)
https://youtu.be/cBUywadD-TE

And finally, it's fall...meaning, there's branches on the ground wich can pose a problem with a wheelchair, but not for me ;)
https://youtu.be/-96WCWLMfww

So this will last you for a while... ;)

Wishing each and everyone of you a great weekend,

Hugs,

Sas and Quincy :)

[molly muffin]

Isn't she just so smart and lovely. Like watching a smile in action. :)

[judymaggie]

Loved that Quincy wanted to roll up the cloth target! She is definitely tuned into you (and her treats)! :D

[SasAndYunah]

A few more Quincy-clips :)

Here's my "Black Beauty", running beside my wheelchair... :) When I watch her running beside me, I still get that "knot-in-the-stomach" feeling, you know, that feeling you have when you are in love :D
https://youtu.be/ZFdyPE8GyQc

And here's me, teaching Quincy something new. Someone wanted to see how I train her....well, I hardly have to do anything :D It's something we have never done before, so it's totally new to Quincy...I want her to place her chin in my hand. She is incredably fast...really, I think she beats all my other smart ones ;)
Once I think she understands what it is I want from her, I add a word/command...and as you can see, adding this word has her a bit confused. She touches my hand with her paw, tugs at the duvet...and then, wham, she gets it :) And this was yesterday...
https://youtu.be/Av163xXTM_I

Today I repeated the chin-in-hand excercise again, see if she still knew it :) Well, of course she still knew it :p Afterwards we played some and cuddled...
https://youtu.be/imRG_xQ6erE

Saskia :)

[My sweet Ginger]

Omg! Isn't she the sweetest!! You two are sooo in tune with each other. The last clip brought tears to my eyes.
I'm so very happy you've found each other. A perfect match.
Love watching her so much. Probably more so because we know her story. Thank you for sharing. Hugs, Song.

[Budsters Mom]

OMG!!! Love the Quincy videos!! Such joy, such love!!! :p

[judymaggie]

I love that Quincy is such a cuddle bug! :D Keep the videos coming -- I love watching them.

[Allison]

Quincy's story is new to me, as I just joined in the spring when our adopted Gizmo died. I found it fascinating to read all the back posts and to learn what a struggle finding a perfect service dog match can be. The many videos of her made me smile. She's so smart and such a love. Thank you for sharing all these months.

[SasAndYunah]

Time for a Quincy update :) Winter is posing new challenges to Quins her itching. It took me a while to realise and understand what was going on (what a confusing and frustrating condition, this atopy) Anyway, Quincy started to itch noticably more and I noticed she drank more water too and she was constantly cold...even indoors. Couldn't be the pollen since it's too early for them, couldn't be the dustmites since nothing has changed there, no mold in the house, no bacteria, yeast or other infections on her skin.... what was going on? Till I realised the air is much, much dryer in winter :eek: And that explained the increased drinking as well and her being cold all the time. Since the skinbarrier is "broken" in atopic dogs, they loose more fluids through their skin. With this dry air, she lost (evaporated) even more fluids and thus the drinking more. Also, to cool down, we sweat, loose fluids through our skin...right? So, Quincy loosing even more fluids through her skin then normally, made her cool down more also. This showed me again, that atopy is not "just" an allergy problem but even more so a skinproblem/disease :)

She now wears sweaters indoors as well to help keep her warm and they also help preventing loosing so much fluids through her skin :) (and indeed, she is not so cold and not drinking as much anymore) Even more laundry to do with the sweaters now as well but hey, we do it all with love, right? ;)

Now that we're on the right track again, itch wise, it's time for a few new video's :D

Here's Quincy fetching me my migraine medication and putting them away afterwards :) (I do get migraines with an aura which in my case means I temporarily loose my vision and it's hard to get around in a wheelchait with no vision :p Therefore I taught Quincy to go get them for me in that situation)
https://youtu.be/5zXkt_I6-48

This is after we went for a walk and stopped by the farmacy on the way. She gets my medication basket and then gets the pills from my shopping bag :)
https://youtu.be/jTp1MN7JvvQ

Here she gets me a banana and helps me peel it :) (and helps me eat it :p )
https://youtu.be/_4mrGV9lpI0

Here we just came back from a walk, Quincy took of my coat, I take of her harness, she then go gets her sweater, goes to her very own "ball drawer", gets a ball out and just doing her thing :) Not hard to understand why she is the love of my life.. :)
https://youtu.be/REXuiZQOsEY

And of course, when the weather isn't too bad, we still go for our long walks in the countryside :)
https://youtu.be/wY4oXeKMz_Y

And here she helps me with changing the bed in the livingroom... :)
https://youtu.be/sDGlRfxJcN8

Atopic or not, as you can see, she is very happy, very lively and enthousiastic, always in a good mood, always eager to help, always happy to go for walks an be active... It's "hard work" to keep her this comfortable with everything that needs to be done for her to help her and her skin, but soooo worth it, (eventhough it's costing me a small fortune) both for her and for me :) I love her to pieces...

Saskia and Quincy :)

[judymaggie]

Saskia--as always, I was enthralled watching Quincy work. He is remarkably agile. I have to say that peeling the banana was my favorite! :D

[molly muffin]

Quincy is just a joy to watch. She is so happy and so pleased to do anything at all for you. A perfect match for sure!

[lulusmom]

Sas, I am always amazed by your videos. Quincy just keeps getting smarter and you just keep getting prettier? You really are beautiful inside and out.

[SasAndYunah]

Thank you, Judy, Sharlenen and Glynda...Quincy is indeed a joy to have around :) And smart, and happy, and agile, and....just everything I could ask for :D And not just to me... :) Every other day I go to see my parents (they are both 84, turning 85 this year) because my mother is suffering from Alzheimers. My dad is the primary caregiver and when I am there, I spend time with my mom and my dad will play and cuddle with Quincy :) She gives him distraction, a sense of normalcy in otherwise complicated days with the care for my mom, she gives him companionship and friendship, she brings him joy... So also in that regard she is priceless :) Against all "service dogs rules" I make sure he always has a can with treats and he is the only one allowed to give Quincy treats, as much as he likes :D No wonder Quincy adores him, he's like a candy machine to her ;) Quincy is a ray of sunshine, wherever she goes, wherever she is...

Sas and Quincy :)

[labblab]

Oh my, Quincy is such a precious girl!!! As always, your videos made my day, and I love hearing about the joy she brings your parents. My mom is here with us again this weekend, and it's the same way with her and our girls -- there is a special bond there that is absolutely heartwarming.

And although I am sorry it is so, it is interesting to me to read about Quincy's winter itchiness because Peg's itching has always been far worse during the winter, too. Over the years I have come to the same conclusion -- that what I blamed on allergies may have much to do with dry skin alone. The combo of the cold, dry air and the furnace make my own skin dry, so of course it can be affecting Peg, too, if she has a natural tendency toward skin issues. We have thought about trying to add a humidifier to the furnace or buying some individual room units, but there can be home environmental issues with those, too, so we've been dragging our feet. Plus, overall, Peg's itching has been less since switching her to the Douxo sebhorrea shampoo and being consistent with the oral omegas. And it's so interesting to me that, even with her staph issues, Luna is never itchy at all at any time of year. The skin is certainly a complicated "organ," all on it's own!

Anyway, once again, thanks so much for brightening my day with your videos of sweet Quincy! She is an fur-angel, indeed! :) :)

Marianne

[SasAndYunah]

Let's start with some update about Quincy's itching. It stayed problematic and we were running out of options...that is, options other then putting her on oral steroids or some other immune suppressor. Thankfully, my dermatologist sugested a new product, Cortavance (by Virbac), a corticosteroid spray. The spray gets absorped in the skin and stays in the skin, only 0.2 percent of it actually reaches the bloodstream. That is a lot better then oral corticosteroid use :) And Quincy responds to it very well. I spray her most itchy areas (underneath her tail and her ribcage) and she is itchfree for 24 hours :) We are now using it every other day and still it goes well :) So maybe this would be helpfull for some others on here... If you really have no choice but to use steroids, remember the cortavance spray, it's still steroids but a better option then the oral form.

Now for Quincy... :) She is still her happy, lovable and enthousiastic self :D Unfortunately, we didn't have much of a winter, or rather, we didn't have any winter. We just had 1 day of snow, very little snow but the only snow we had ;)
https://youtu.be/4MilnRm7HCI

And as always, she loves to help. Here she collects the bathroomrugs for me so they can be washed :D
https://youtu.be/AnZ7CZTPse4

And right now, she is sleeping, curled up against me, underneath the duvet :D And that is where she will stay the entire night...making sure we make physical contact and both underneath the duvet. Awwwwww, I just love her so... :)

Sas and Quincy :)

[SasAndYunah]

Two weeks have passed and we're off the Cortavance all together... :D And for now, Quincy is doing well without it. This coming Friday evening we will be doing our exam for the "Dog safety in traffic and public" course. A course we did this winter...each Friday evening, in the dark :D We had to walk certain routes through town and on the route there would be vollunteers from the dogschool who, for example, would pass us on skates or a bike (and the dog of course is not supposed to bark or lunge etc), or asking us the way while holding shoppingbags in their hands (and swinging them of course :D ), traffic lights, visiting terraces while the dog would lay calmly and out of the way, passing other dogs, musicians, etc. All kinds of situations you can encounter with your dog when you walk on the streets and shoppingmalls and such :)

On April 9th, we will start with our 4th course :D Can't wait... Sports and play for the very advanged ;) We will be doing some agility, balance and coordination, hoopers, treibball, etc all kinds of fun stuff :)

A little over a week ago we had our first experience with Balance and Coordination since one of my friends is studying to become a traner in that area and she needed dogs to practice with :)

Here's Quincy doing some balancing on an airmatrass :D
https://youtu.be/9OrNh7WjAbI

And here we are doing some excercises with crates. You can tell it's a first for both me and Quincy...I have no clue what I am doing, hahaha...I'm busy getting her over the crates but not experienced enough yet to get her in the right positions, to lead her the right way....we're both searching and learning :)
https://youtu.be/2xAUq8xPVO0

And that she is a happy girl...is easy to see in this video. This is my livingroom, most of the time...Quincy playing, squeeking, making a mess with her toys scattered all over the place... :)
https://youtu.be/eEfrJEvhSVU

And of course, her work... We cuddle, the phone rings... I don't have to say a thing :)
https://youtu.be/G0_lHxOhbbU

And for fun, we do some "service dog agiliy" which of course doesn't exist but it's kind of like agility just not with obstacles. We run a course through the livingroom where Quincy has to perform service dogs tasks...and that is just for fun indeed :D
https://youtu.be/c72MrrhQ_x0

My little black beauty and brains... ;)

Saskia and Quincy :)

[apollo6]

Love the video's of Quincy. She is a smart, beautiful dog. But then why not. Look at what a great mother she has.
Love Sonja, Apollo

[SasAndYunah]

Thank you, Sonja... Life with Quincy is such a joy, my beautifil black haired Polish girl :D

Sas and Quincy :)

[SasAndYunah]

Quincy on a bed of wood anemones... :)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1014751811924938&set=a.208128809253913.48594.100001703859747&type=3&theater

[Harley PoMMom]

She is such a beautiful girl!

[SasAndYunah]

Another month has passed :) Quincy is back on the Cortavance spray for her itching but doing well. She had her yearly exam and her teeth were cleaned. All bloodresults looked good and she did well :) We passed our "Dog Safety in Traffic and Public" exam with all A's... and today we had our second lesson from our new course "Sports and play for the advanced" :)

Here we are training some at home after our first class. She has to sit up with her front paws in the air and then she has to switch sides as she lays down...kind of like fitness for dogs :D
https://youtu.be/YzAIRPzzQMk

Here she is just having some fun with her toy cow:
https://youtu.be/qYXdfsMPJDY

Playing with her friend Maybe:
https://youtu.be/KeftbiDxVTE

And today's second class:
https://youtu.be/OfnsGDu2wWc

I have such a fun life with Quincy, never a dull moment with her around :)

Saskia and Quincy :D

[Squirt's Mom]

It give me great joy to see you and Quincy enjoying your lives together so much! You are both beautiful Souls and such a blessing to us all!

[molly muffin]

Awww, so cute! She really is full of life and I think it would be fun hanging out and living with Quincy too.

:)

[judymaggie]

Love, love, love seeing you and Quincy learning together! Also great that her annual exam went well.

[SasAndYunah]

It's been a little over a month since I last updated :) And since then, nothing has changed. Life with Quincy is simply wonderful, her allergies being the only thing that causes us some grief every now and then. But she's as happy and as playful as a dog could be..."inhaling life" with everything she's got :D She'll be turning 4 next month but not slowing down at all :p

Well, time to share some more video's ;)

This is during our "fun class", close to our "Kings Day" when everything turns orange here in The Netherlands...and so did the dogs :D
https://youtu.be/AVxkcO9Bwa4

Off leash through the petstore:
https://youtu.be/AVxkcO9Bwa4

I had to spent some time at the hospital and was hooked up on an IV...the IV started beeping when it was done, Quincy can't be bothered with the noise :p
https://youtu.be/AHflknIa-iQ

Our fun course of may the 14th:
https://youtu.be/dQB-DGfNyH8

Running, jumping, squeeking her toy...all at the same time:
https://youtu.be/evrCeIJltjc

Her allergy-shot followed by a cuddle:
https://youtu.be/o4cCvENemJI

Even when she's outside relaxing in the sun, when she hears something drop...I do not not have to say a thing or call for her, she will come and pick it up:
https://youtu.be/-1yeK6CWpfI

And yesterday's class:
https://youtu.be/WSe_QCIAxZw

They say it all...we're very happy together :)

Sas and Quincy :)

[molly muffin]

Quincy is such a treasure and seeing the two of you together just does the heart good. :)

[labblab]

Absolutely yes to what Sharlene just wrote above!! :) :) :)

[DoxieMama]

Hi! I watched your latest videos this weekend and enjoyed them so much, I went back to the beginning of the thread and watched some of those, too! I am so thoroughly impressed by Quincy's progress... and yours with her.

I hope to finish going through the thread this weekend, but didn't want to wait until then to comment. You two are such a joy to watch. :)

Shana

[My sweet Ginger]

Oh Sas, the allergy shot video brought tears to my eyes. The stillness that can only come from a complete trust while she is being poked with a big needle, not a peep out of her and we are talking about a dog here. There are no words that can express what I feel of her. No wonder your life with Quins is wonderful. She's absolutely the best! Sending you both hugs. Song

[SasAndYunah]

Yes, she's something else indeed :) It's not even 2 years ago she came to live with me, not knowing anything at all, not even the word "sit" :) So scared, she would pee on my pants, laying on my lap in my wheelchair... :D Afraid to open a drawer because ewwwwwww...it moved :p Or to close a curtain because again ewwwww...it moved :D Our first course we took, she was scared of everything, the tunnel, the cavaletti...and look at her now :)

Can't say it any better than with this song...
https://youtu.be/UFF1wJN75Z0

And I DO tell her, every day.... :)

Saskia and Quincy :)

[SasAndYunah]

In the past month, we've had 2 celebrations :) First Quincy's 4th birthday on June 17th and secondly, on July the 2nd, she was here exactly 2 years :) And not a day goes by that I am not incredably grateful for having her in my life :D

I clearly remember how that little black girl, stepped into my backyard, my home, my life and my heart...and how she, after an initial shy and fearfull start, put on her seven-league-boots and changed herself around and learned everything she needed to know to become a certified service dog, in just a little under 6 weeks time :D

And look at us now, 2 years later, many hospital visits later, many trips to stores and pharmacies later, countless times of undressing later, countless times of closing the curtains later..., 5 certificates later in obedience, trafic safety and sports and play and now hoopers, she is thriving and loving every minute of her life, every aspect of it :)

Here's a video of an ordinary walk, something we do several times a day:
https://youtu.be/KdK5KjSNFiQ

Here's our first introduction to Hoopers :
https://youtu.be/V3KqbdvkqW0

Here she is in the shoe store with me:
https://youtu.be/6khXghqiIqE

Here she gets me a drying cloth after I did the dishes:
https://youtu.be/BqlKW9ofsWw

Here it was extremely hot, too hot to go for a walk, so we went for a ride instead :D :
https://youtu.be/e-nuFoS1Tkw

Here she gets me the old dishbrush I use to clean the snail traps:
https://youtu.be/UzuV-Y8J4j4

Here she gets me the remote... :) :
https://youtu.be/HnsxrTRq6X8

And she has a special harness when we go to our hoopers course...she knows where it's at:
https://youtu.be/bFa09RbC_vE

Hard to imagine now that she used to chase every duck or goose she saw... :
https://youtu.be/tYr6EZrqxI8

Hoopers training, gets more difficult every time ;) :
https://youtu.be/24RZabfXRwQ

Well, that should keep you all busy for some time... :p

Saskia and Quincy :)

[Harley PoMMom]

Hey Saskia,

It may be the computer I'm using but besides the first video all the others are the same, with the hoopers.


Happy belated Birthday, Quincy!!!!!

[Budsters Mom]

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY QUINCY!!!!:D

We are extremely grateful that both of you are in our lives and vital part of our K9C family.

Hugs,
Kathy

[SasAndYunah]

Oh my... :D I will change that right away, sorry folks ;)

And thank you for the birthday wishes... :)

Saskia and Quincy :)

Changed it, should be all differant videos now :)

[DoxieMama]

I'm at work so don't have time to watch these now (but oh how I want to!!)

Happy belated birthday, Quincy!!

[SasAndYunah]

Ah yes, the time differance...it is evening here but not there yet :) Quincy is part doxie...still can't get over that :D Hope you get of work soon and can enjoy a calm and quiet evening, with or without the video's :)

Saskia :)

[kanga]

Belated Happy Birthday Quincy!

The video was great:) Quincy is so adorable, thanks for sharing this.

[DoxieMama]

Quincy is part doxie?! Ah she is so cute! I love her ears!!! :D

The videos were wonderful; she is so intently focused. Such a good, smart girl. Thank you for sharing them!

Shana

[SasAndYunah]

Thanks all for the (belated) birthday wishes :D

Yes, I had a DNA test done on her and she is 50% Giant Schnauzer ( :eek: ), 25% smoothhair Dachshund ( :eek: ) and 25% Mudi :D If you look at the parental lines, and they go 4 generations back, than one line (either her dad or her mom) is all 100% purebred Giant Schnauzers, all 4 generations. The other line, the three generations the furtest away, are all purebred smoothhair Dachshunds and the last generation ( so the direct parent of Quincy) is a cross smoothair Dachshund x Mudi . So Quincy's father or mother was at least 4 generations back 100% purebred Giant Schnauzer and her other parent was a mix Dachshund x Mudi (with nothing but Dachshund in the generations before). The ears had to come from somewhere, right? :p Both Schnauzers and Dachshunds have floppy ears... So yes, she is part Doxie...who would have guessed :D But it is the Mudi character (for the most part) and looks that are most obvious :) What the heck is a Mudi...? :D http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/mudi/ They have a somewhat longer fur but other then that, she resembles a Mudi pretty closely :)

[Joan2517]

Saskia,

She is just adorable and so smart! She makes me want to go home and train all four of my dogs...

[DoxieMama]

WOW! What a mix of breeds.

"What the heck is a Mudi?", is right! I read the DNA results and searched to find the same link you provided... yep, must be where those ears come from. :D The picture on the top of that page looks so much like her, from what I can tell. Interesting how that is one of the smaller parts of her DNA but she looks so much more like that breed than the others.

[molly muffin]

I missed Quincy's birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Quincy!! You adorable girl!

Isn't she just a hoot! So smart and loving and willing. Gosh never seen a dog so willing to just do whatever is asked of her.

[SasAndYunah]

About time for some new video's :D

Quincy helping me with putting on my coat, quite unusual to see a service dog helping putting clothes on ;)
https://youtu.be/1b0Bd65OhT0

Enjoying our time together...
https://youtu.be/H4w63ECmGVc

And today's Hooperclass, our 5th :D
https://youtu.be/AwtmaEM09Bg

Someone in class today said Quincy was about to become the new Hooper Champion ;) But I told her, that I really didn't care about the Hoopers but that to me, Quincy was the champion of being happy, the only "championship" that counts...in my book ;)

But what I mean is, that I do not care if she exels or not...as long as she has fun, that's the only purpose of going to class...having fun :D

Saskia and Quincy :)

[Joan2517]

She is amazing, Saskia! How do you do it? I have all I can do to get my dogs to sit. Sibbie has that down pat now, and whenever she gets out of hand I make her sit and stay for a minute to calm down. They all know how to sit and give a paw. We are working on that with Sibbie now, but that is as much as I have been able to teach them. None of them will stay or come on command.

[SasAndYunah]

Well, I of course have the advantage of having just one dog and she gets all the attention, training and freetime exclusively...that helps a lot ;) And secondly, I picked her for her ability to learn and for her sheer joy in "working" that also helps a lot :D Ans thirdly, I spent a lot of time connecting with her, creating and deepening our bond...in my opinion even more important then any other training :) We play a lot, we go for walks a lot, we do the Hoopers class just because Quincy likes it so much, we cuddle a lot and we sleep together...all things hat will establish a strong and firm bond :) And about the walks...they should be walks "together" and they should be fun and fullfilling. Not the same round every day, not pulling the dog because he/she is sniffing somewhere too long and you're in a hurry... Try to go for walks with your dog...and pretend being a dog too :p Sniffing is essential! Do not drag your dog away from that highly interesting spot, not even if it takes them 5 minutes to complete their sniffing. Show interest in that spot, look in that direction...let your dog know you understand the importance. And, be a little crazy...let your dog decide where to go on a walk and in what pace :D Make it a joined experience ;) Walking the dog...is for the dog. Cause it spend a long time alone at home perhaps because you were out working. Or because is stayed indoors a lot because you were busy....doing things. If you go for a walk, make it count and make it dog time :D And besides, sniffing is very calming, satisfying and tiring to dogs. You'll do your dog a huge favour if you change routes with every walk, if you let him sniff his little heart out, if you let him decide his "dog" pace instead of making him rush because of our human schedules... It's things like this, that will create a strong and intimate bond with your dog and that will make for a willing and participating dog when you train and "work" with him :)

[SasAndYunah]

Some Quincy "at work" :) Getting her harness, getting me a chocolatemilk and putting away her harness...still so happy with her "work"

https://youtu.be/m-fOd01NHdE


Sas :)

[judymaggie]

I continue to be amazed at the skills that you have taught Quincy -- you are both remarkable! :D

[apollo6]

Wow! Quincy is lucky to have you.
Love Sonja and Apollo

[Joan2517]

You are both amazing!

[SasAndYunah]

She is the light of my life... :)

Saskia :)

[Squirt's Mom]

There are many times when I can't sleep and my heart is heavy that I go to YouTube to watch your videos.....they always lift my spirits. You and your babies are oh so special, Sas.

[SasAndYunah]

Awwww Leslie... :)

[SasAndYunah]

We've entered november already, can you believe it? :) Time goes by so quickly...but it is time well spend with Quincy at my side :D She's doing extremely well, in every way possible. Even her atopy is quite well under control for the past couple of months :D And things can change in a heartbeat but for now, I'm really and truly happy how well she is doing :) It's "hard work" the implement everything needed to make sure she stays the best possible, but well worth it :)

As far as I am concerned, I am deteriating slowly and live becomes increasingly harder. The Oxycodon had to be stopped because it made me very ill. Under the supervision of a specialist, I have tried every painkiller available and they all made me very, very sick. But without painkillers, I cannot function anymore so I had to do something. Finally I said, give me some cortisones because I cannot go through one more day in the state that I am in.... And so they did :) Thankfully, I deal very well with the cortisones, they do not make me sick (or hungry, or thirsty... :D ) and I feel sooooo much better. So, since about 2 months now, I am on a daily dose of Prednison :) Of course, they come with a whole bunch of other pills (calcium, potassium and then some) but I can live again...and make it through the day :) Of course it's not a first choice drug but if everything else fails, it's all there is left. And my life is now... right here and right now :) For now I am happy with my Pred...and if and when the side effects start popping up and become bottersome... Well, I'll cross that bridge when I get there :) (I feel like I am in the lion's den with my Pred use :p )

Our Hoopers teacher made a video of Quincy, last saturday during training and I am sooo proud of my little black beauty :D She can now go through 4 Hoopers and around a barrel on just my voice :D Normally in Hoopers, you use arms for directions and you can even walk along a bit in a 3 x 3 meters handler area. I cannot do all those things, so no gestures, no walking along, just my voice....and Quincy is the only one who can do what she does :D All other still struggle with going through 2 Hoopers, let alone go around a barrel ;) And we all started our Hoopers training at the same time... Miss Quincy is amazing ;)

https://www.facebook.com/Mascha1975/videos/1443934588964994/

There hardly is time to film it, she's that fast ;)

All our best to all my friends here...

Saskia and Quincy :)

[Squirt's Mom]

Sweet Sas, I am so so glad you finally decided to try the pred. Steroids are tough, no question, but they are also life-savers. I saw my dad come back to life on pred and over time he was able to cut his dose back to the barest minimum that still worked so he missed a lot of the side effects for quite some time yet still got the benefit of the drug. Whatever it takes, I am happy to hear you feel better and stronger today. YAY!!!

I tried to watch the link but it says it's not available at the moment so I will try again later. I am sure it is precious, and amazing, as always!

[Joan2517]

I tried to Saskia, same thing. I am glad you are feeling better!

[SasAndYunah]

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 :)

[Joan2517]

Absolutely amazing!

[Budsters Mom]

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

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

[molly muffin]

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

[Bailey's Mom]

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:)

[SasAndYunah]

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 :)

[SasAndYunah]

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 :)

[Budsters Mom]

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

[Bailey's Mom]

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

[SasAndYunah]

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 :)

[Joan2517]

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

[SasAndYunah]

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

[SasAndYunah]

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 :)

[Joan2517]

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

[Squirt's Mom]

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

[molly muffin]

Happy New Year to you and Quincy.

She's one smart girl and very very happy.

[SasAndYunah]

It's winter...yehawwwwww! :D

https://youtu.be/of8mmjgZY0o

[Joan2517]

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

[labblab]

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 ;) ;)

[Squirt's Mom]

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

[molly muffin]

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

[Squirt's Mom]

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

[SasAndYunah]

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 :)

[SasAndYunah]

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 :)

[labblab]

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

[DoxieMama]

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

[Squirt's Mom]

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!

[molly muffin]

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

[SasAndYunah]

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 :)

[labblab]

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

[labblab]

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

[molly muffin]

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