[nagdu] dog adaptability and expectations

[Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)]

Martha, 
I really don't know. All I can say is that you do what you have to do.
If this was the job of your dreams or the guy/girl of your dreams, would
you care or would you j ust think "the dog can roll or not roll with it,
but I really need to do this". 
I ask this because when I got my second dog, they asked if I had plans
to move in the next six months. I said that I didn't, but that if I got
my dream job, I'd take it and wouldn't really much care how the dog
responded. 
Dogs are pretty adaptable really and even if yours doesn't, the only
thing worse then retiring a dog is missing an opportunity you could have
and should have taken but didn't. 
Go do your thing and enjoy.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Martha Harris
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 10:11 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] dog adaptability and expectations

Hi Everyone,
I have been working with my lab Dee since November of last year, and in
May, I will have her for six months. I am going to BLIND Inc. where she
will be crated for 7-8 hours per day. However, I will walk as often as I
can to the center, which is 1.3 miles or so each way, plus work in the
evenings and on weekends. Many guide dog users say I will "ruin the
dog," and it is not good to make a dog change routine so drastically
because it takes six months to a year to become solid. However, I think
learning the discovery method will help us be a more solid team because
I will be able to travel with confidence to familiar and unfamiliar
places. Is it expectations preached by the guide dog schools because
they don't believe blind people can handle sudden change? Is it that
some guide dog users have less confidence in themselves and don't
believe change is good for them or their dogs, or am I way off base
thinking like this?

Martha
_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rebecca.pickrell%
40tasc.com