[nagdu] Where's your leash?

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Yeah, I do that, and for a long time I used a leash that fastened snugly
around my waist so I didn't have to worry about losing her when we were
doing leash work with the cane.   With my regular thin leash, I loop the
handle over my wrist and then will make another loop around my hand so I
don't drop it...  Then stop for whatever reason, drop the harness handle and
play with the end of the leash in my hand without realizing what I'm
doing...  I hae had many long, hard talks with myself about this, but it
took a long time to break that habit!  I also stand on the leash, say when
I'm paying for something and need both hands, but it took me awhile to get
into the habit of not moving that foot.  This was when she was young and
squirly, so she took advantage of the opportunities my carelessness
presented.  /smile/  She never actually got into "real" trouble, but this
was not quite the etiquette to which I aspired.  For either of us!  /grin/

When I'm seated someplace, I will tie the leash to my ankle or leg.  Or I
did, until I noticed that it was very talented at untying itself!  I'm sure
it was the one stealthily leading my innocent young poodle quietly and
unobtrusively toward that scrap of food under the next table.  /grin/
Again, she never made "real" trouble, but it still drove me batty.

The dozens of scenarios that would flash through my head every time I
reached down to verify that she was where she belonged, were highly
entertaining and wildly exciting.  /smile/  That moment of "OMG!  Where is
she?  And what is she *doing*?" could be better than hours of aerobics for
raising my heart rate.

The halti helps to monitor the nose, which has a life of its own and is on a
very long, stretchy neck.  She's gotten to be pretty trustworthy, even in
the grocery store, without it, but it will still be a part of our regular
gear, just in case.  She has very nice manners these days, and I'm really
happy with her off-leash obedience, as well as her leash manners.  Her (and
my) guide dog etiquette is getting better and better, but it's a long way
from nice manners when she's being a dog to the adherence to the rules of
etiquette I expect from her as a guide.  She's getting there, and those
little faux pas are fewer and farther between.  Whew!

I still wonder if I've suffered permanent trauma from her wild youth,
though.  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (IT)
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 1:21 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Where's your leash?

Why not put the leash around your ankle or wrist? This technique works
well at keeping your dog close to you, though you'll want to watch their
noses if in a place where that might be a concern. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Tamara Smith-Kinney
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 12:01 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Where's your leash?

Jenine,

Learning that on the fly with a wild and wily poodle pup was quite the
trick.  Especially since the loss of feeling and coordination in my arms
and hands meant I could drop the leash and not know it.  Mitzi never did
go on a rampage or get into trouble, but I used to have the most amazing
nightmares about her bouncing around at some dignified affair gettng
into everything, raiding the kitchens, pillaging the luggage for
treats...  OMG!  And yes, I still stand on the leash.  Her down stay is
getting pretty decent, but just in case....  /smile/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jenine Stanley
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 4:04 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
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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