[nagdu] Where's your leash?

[Merry Schoch]

Hi Jenine,

I also watched as trainers took someone dog from them.  One evening I was 
standing in the cafeteria talking and my do was standing next to me, Mike S. 
came up behind me and unleashed my dog.  I spun around and said, "My dog!" 
Grabbed him by his collar and then my leash was returned.  Then once the 
bonding was complete, I always knew where the velcro dog was.

I believe taking someone dogs is a great lesson for new guide dog handlers. 
I remember one student's dog was taken from her continuously.  It almost 
became sad that she didn't get it!!

Merry
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jenine Stanley" <jeninems at wowway.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 7:03 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Where's your leash?


> OK, this is one of those stories old fart guide dog handlers tell about 
> the
> bad old days.
>
> My first class, at Pilot and then again first class at GDF featured
> instructors who were vicious about you knowing where your dog was, and 
> hence
> where your leash was. Before we got the dogs, at Pilot anyway, we had to
> carry our leashes around with us and keep track of them. There are a 
> couple
> trainers at Pilot who can sneak a leash and/or dog away from you without a
> sound or touch. It's scary. I've also watched while one of them coaxed a
> fellow student's large female Dobe out from under his chair while he
> snoozed. That dog  crept out without touching his legs and crawled along 
> the
> floor.
>
> If you forgot your leash or if you were unlucky enough to have it sneaked
> away, you owed a nickel. Fines went up as time went on. There were also
> fines for missing dogs during that first class. I think only one person 
> had
> his dog spirited away.
>
> What this taught us was that you pay attention to where your dog and leash
> are at all times. Now this did get a little out of control with some 
> fairly
> humiliating exchanges and tears from one person which were totally
> unnecessary.
>
> At GDf it was a little tamer, no fines and no pushing it to the 
> humiliation
> level, but you'd still better be aware of that leash and dog, lest they
> suddenly be gone.
>
> I've heard over the years of things like this rigid teaching of dog
> awareness going too far and becoming spiteful nasty ways for trainers at
> some schools to tease people. That said, I'll put on my old fart hat and 
> say
> I'm glad it was drilled into me when it was and I think a little more of
> that kind of dog awareness emphasis would not hurt people.
>
> Jenine Stanley
> jeninems at wowway.com
>
>
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