[nagdu] Dogs listening

[Albert J Rizzi]

Well said joy.  I would add that I have been advised  to no longer refer to
a service dog as a "seeing eye dog" but to refer to them as guide dogs.  I
believe this has to do with the foundation in new jersey which goes without
saying. I find that it gives others the impression that all dogs come from
the seeing eyes foundation. What is your take on this?  I would also suggest
to you laura, that when confronted by others about your corrections to your
guide dog, you might offer them a phone number to the foundation which
provided  you your guide so that they could take the time to educate all
interested parties in the finer aspects  of guide dog handleing  and
procedures.

Albert J. Rizzi
CEO/Founder
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
www.myblindspot.org
PH: 917-553-0347
Fax: 212-858-5759
"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it."



-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Joy Relton
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 10:07 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dogs listening

Laura,

I don't know you well enough to know your intent from your words. From the
outside they sound a bit harsh but you may just be stating things as a fact
and no further meaning. However, having said that, I take exception to the
idea that corrections are to show the dog who is boss. From my point of view
a correction is to tell the dog that a given behavior is not appropriate or
acceptable and to guide the dog to perform in a manner which is acceptable.
I was taught in my first class for a Seeing Eye Dog, that you need to have a
balance of correction, affection and praise. It is not a matter of who is
boss it's simply a matter of "no, that's not the way I need you to show me,
or do things" and then show them that this is the way you want. Of course,
each dog responds to different messages differently and each persons way of
expressing their view to their dog and to others varies. The most important
points are that you and your dog are a good working team who can effectively
and safely travel together and interact with the public in an appropriate
manner. As far as other people's opinions and comments about your correction
of your dog: it's their opinion, and like a behind, everyone has one. You
can't let their comments make you fill with anger and become defensive
because you are the loser not them. How you handle their comments is up to
you. If you are one that likes to lighten things with humor, do it. If you
are one that needs to do your thing and say nothing, do it. Just remember
that your opinion and feelings are the only ones over which you have
control. Having said that, I will say that sometimes listening to the
comments may give you some enlightenment as to the public's perceptions or
the effectiveness of the technique. Sometimes, the people simply lack
knowledge and don't want to learn, so you have to simply do your thing and
let them be upset or get over it. As Frank Sinatra said "That's Life".

Good luck. I hope that you have found a few friends in your church who do
understand about the training. If not, maybe you could talk to the
pastor/leadership of the church about giving a presentation about the
training and proper treatment of dog guides. I've had to have signs posted
in the church before reminding people that they may not touch, talk to or
otherwise distract the dog while it is working. It helped.

Give your four-legged pal a pat and a hug for me.

Joy with Belle who thinks the world is a friend that she hasn't made yet.


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