Extra - Ordinary Member.

One of our newer members will be two years old on 28^th October this year (2007) but is conversant with Morse Code!

The member in question is an honouray member of the club who also sits in on committee meetings but never votes, she works hard in her 'normal' life and is very serious in her work but quite bubbly when not working. Her name is Daisy.

She is Andrew, 2W0MGB's, Guide Dog and seeing her at home when not working I can say that she is full of energy and likes to run and jump about as much as any young dog but, when the lead goes on, she quite litterally changes into 'work mode' and is no longer the boisterous puppy.

She was born on 28^th October 2005 at 08.42, in Warwickshire, about 14 miles from Coventry. Her mother's name is Odelle. Daisy has 8 siblings.

This first picture shows Odelle and her 2 day old puppies. Daisy is the lightest coloured one.	Here is Daisy at 7 days old enjoying a nap:
Solid food at last! One of her first solid meals. (Daisy is on the back row, 2nd from right).	Having eaten and played with her favourite toys it's time to sleep again (now 5 weeks old).

6 weeks old and her final day at her birthplace, being weighed.
She doesn't seem too happy about being on the scales.
(what is it with females and weight?)

At six weeks old Daisy left home and went for her training with Puppywalkers, where she was trained in the sights, sounds and smells of the world and how to behave with shops, busses, trains and along busy streets.

When she was about a year old she went to the Guide Dogs Association where she learned to walk down the middle of a pavement, unless there was an obstruction, not to turn corners unless requested, to stop at kerbs and wait for a command to cross or turn, to judge height and width so that her new owner won't bump into things and how to deal with traffic.

Not all the dogs that go for training are successful, for the ones, like Daisy, that are they start a partnership that lasts around 7 years. Obviously Daisy was successful as she and Andrew were united in the last week in May 2007.

The training didn't stop there as Andrew had to learn how to 'control' and Daisy had to learn to take Andrew's commands, his stride length and lifestyle, so from the beginning of June until half way through July 2007 they trained together.

The Guide Dogs Association don't just train and supply dogs, they look after them at the end of their working lives as well, rehoming the retired dogs if necessary.

Their lifetime commitment to each dog costs around £35,000 per dog and, being funded by voluntary contributions, the funds are sometimes stretched but they manage to provide this, essential to some people, service. If you feel you could help them, either by a donation or by volunteering to do one of the various tasks then please take the time to click on their logo further down this page.

I discovered Odelle's 'owners' are Mrs R & Mr T Moseley when I received an email via the website:

...I was recently told to take a look at Highfields-arc website where I would see a photo of one of our puppies - Daisy - and thought I would find an 'animal rescue centre' site or something similar. (obviously arc could mean that! Brian) As both my husband and myself are licensed Amateurs I was fascinated to find it was an Amateur Radio Club website.... ... I couldn't resist dropping you a line especially as we have had the opportunity, through your website, of seeing one of our 'babies' now grown up and working.
If Andrew would like to get in touch we would love to hear from him......

Well I passed on the email and discovered that Andrew had, in fact, contacted Daisy's trainers to let them know about the picture of Daisy on the Last night at the Disabled Centre page (where Daisy can be seen taking a break under a chair and also listening to what James, MW0SGR, was saying while the committee photo was being taken). The trainers obviously passed the website along to Daisy's "mum" and when I forwarded the email to Andrew things had gone full circle!

The Moseley's, told us that they 'call' their dogs by whistling 'CQ' and this has obviously stuck with Daisy as, when 'CQ' is whistled, she comes running at full speed!

I asked Daisy for her views and if she had anything to add, she replied, "Snuffle, Snuffle, Lick."

My thanks go to Andrew for passing information and photos on, Mrs & Mr Moseley, G4JUY and G4HAD, for supplying the birth info and photos in the first place and, of course,

for supplying Andrew with Daisy.

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