[nagdu] ownership was a couple questions

Sat Dec 11 01:02:03 UTC 2010

My dog didn't really respond to the growling poodle, so I just talked
to a couple of people and then left to make sure nothing over the top
happened. It also helps to have a dog that, aside from some sneaky
nose touches witha  few other guide dogs when working, really doesn't
get bothered by other dogs all that much. We've passed by barking dogs
in our apartment complex when going to and from the bus and mine will
look but she will keep walking and won't really stop. Of course I'm on
her a lot when those times come up to make sure she doesn't stop or
respond back, but so far things have worked for us. I also have a
guide who is very laid back compared to other shepherds, who lays
quietly under my desk, and who is very content when lying by me when
at work. I've learned that this is the exception with shepherds, so I
lucked out there.

Wayne

On 12/10/10, Tamara Smith-Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Wayne,
>
> My poodle has that picky eater thing going on, too.  Or maybe I should say
> that she doesn't just snarf up her food on schedule the way guide dogs are
> supposed to.  Then she gets hungry, and it starts to affect her work, so
> I've just decided to adapt and work around it.  She's better now at eating
> breakfast when she knows we're going out, but if she can tell it's going to
> be a boring morning, she just sniffs the bowl and wanders off.  She did
> better with the 2 meals a day on schedule when we first moved in with Daisy,
> because it was competitive eating, I guess.  This was a PITA for me, because
> the competition could get out of hand and needed a stern referee.  Only the
> players kept changing the rules at random, just to make things interesting.
> /lol/  Oh, how I miss the good old days.  It's gotten to peaceful around
> here at meal time, I don't know what to do. /lol/
>
> Poodles have some of those other shepherd traits you mentioned, so you do
> need to get one with a good, mellow (for a poodle) temperament, and you want
> to be aware of it and watch it just as a GSD handler does with that breeds
> tendencies.  And the dogs need socialization and training to suit their
> temperaments or they can become nervous and even aggressive.  So I'm not
> surprised that it was a poodle who was being obnoxious to your dog, only
> that the handler didn't know better than to deal with it.  Not to judge,
> just saying!
>
> I have heard that many programs with poodles want to make sure a prospective
> poodle handler will be up to the task before they decide to issue one, much
> as I have heard with GSD handlers.  When I first heard that, it worried me,
> because what if I wasn't good enough to handle a poodle?  OMG!  /lol/  Then
> I would remember that I was doing that while thinking it, and she seemed to
> be coming along well, so it was pretty silly of me to worry about it.  She
> still did need to be watched and reminded most of the time back then, so I
> didn't have much time to worry about whether I could handle her or not
> because I was too busy, you know, handling her.
>
> Anyway, sorry one of her kin was rude to your dog.  And in class!  Whaddaya
> do?
>
> When Mitzi's working life is over, if it seems best to me to go to a
> program, I will request a shepherd as first choice, unless they do dobies,
> then GSD drops to 2nd.  Unless poodles are available by then to people who
> don't have allergy issues, because I am clearly crazy enough to want another
> one.  /smile/  I will perfectly happy with a lab, of course, but for some
> reason I like the so-called "difficult" breeds better.  I will have to
> remember to specify a difficult lab.  /grin/
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Wayne Merritt
> Sent: Friday, December 10, 2010 9:50 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] ownership was a couple questions
>
> Some are picky eaters. My German Shepherd would choose to not eat her
> meals early when I got her and when I talked with someone from the
> school, they recommended I feed her once a day, which I have done. She
> still can be a picky eater when we travel for some reason, but at home
> it's gotten way better. Some dogs do have aggression issues, but I
> think that partly that falls on the school and the eventual blind
> owner and how much they know there dog and how much they let their dog
> get away with. I've been around some dogs before at work that growled
> at my dog the whole time I was in a classroom and the owner did
> nothing about it. The dog I'm thinking of, a poodle, I think wasn't
> socialized at some point in their life either, so that may have
> something to do with it as well. I've been around other dogs, such as
> Labs, who will role over on their backs to have their stomachs
> scratched when they see someone that they go crazy over. I wouldn't
> let any of my dogs do that, whether in or out of harness and spur of
> the moment, but that's just me. Anyway, though some schools have
> stopped training GSD's, you can still find them as guide dogs. If
> you're interested in a sheperd, don't let their perceived behavior or
> some preconceived notions stop you from getting one. Perhaps the
> school, whichever one it is, can work with you on that.
>
> Wayne
>
> On 12/10/10, Jordan Gallacher <jgallacher1987 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >From the few people I know who have one, they are picky eaters, and can
>> have
>> aggression issues, which all dogs can develop, but it seems like German
>> Shepards are more prone to that.  I still wouldn't mind having one since
>> people would probably not to mess with it or me for that matter.
>> Jordan
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>> Of Wayne Merritt
>> Sent: Friday, December 10, 2010 11:08 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] ownership was a couple questions
>>
>> Jordan, out of curiosity, what problems do German Shepherds have that
>> you are referring to here? Some of the schools drop German Shepherds
>> from their programs if they seem to have hip displasia. What other
>> things are of concern to you regarding having a German Shepherd guide?
>>
>> Wayne
>>
>> On 12/8/10, Jordan Gallacher <jgallacher1987 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I will say one thing Julie.  If german Shepards didn't have so many
>>> problems, I would probably have someone train one for me.
>>> Jordan
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
>>> Of Julie J
>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 9:29 AM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] ownership was a couple questions
>>>
>>> Jordan,
>>>
>>> Again what is right for you might not be right for someone else.
>> Ownership
>>> is a big deal for me for a variety of reasons.  I don't care about
> quality
>>> of training so much, because I feel like I could train the dog to do
>>> whatever I needed.  Breed is a big deal for me.  Ownership and breed
>> aren't
>>> a big deal for others and training probably is. That's great.  i love
> that
>>> there are so many different opinions and ideas.  I think it's great that
>>> there is something like 15 guide dog programs to choose from and if none
>> of
>>> those suits, you can owner train or hire a professional trainer.
>>>
>>> Julie
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Jordan Gallacher" <jgallacher1987 at gmail.com>
>>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 9:09 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] a couple questions
>>>
>>>
>>>> Who owns the dog should not be something that is a big deal.  For that
>>>> matter, the quality of the training and the quality of the dogs should
>>>> come
>>>> first.
>>>> Jordan
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>>>> Of Marion Gwizdala
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 2:53 AM
>>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] a couple questions
>>>>
>>>> Terra,
>>>>    One thing I strongly suggest is that consumers review the ownership
>>>> policies of the training programs they are considering. Leader does not
>>>> give
>>>>
>>>> ownership upon graduation. During the past year I have had at least four
>>>> consumers who have contacted me telling me that Leader has either
>>>> repossessed their dog or have threatened to do so. Both the Guide Dog
>>>> Foundation for the Blind and The Seeing Eye, as well as some other
>>>> programs,
>>>>
>>>> transfer ownership upon completion of training.
>>>>
>>>> Fraternally yours,
>>>> Marion Gwizdala, President
>>>> National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>> National Federation of the Blind
>>>> 813-626-2789
>>>> President at NAGDU.ORG
>>>> HTTP://NAGDU.ORG
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Terra Syslo" <tlsyslo at yahoo.com>
>>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 12:44 AM
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] a couple questions
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi. I am in the process to start applying to guide dog schools, and I
>>>>> think
>>>>> I have it narrowed down to 2 or 3 schools I'm looking at. Can anyone
>> give
>>>>> me
>>>>> some information as to your experiences with Leader Dogs for the Blind?
>>>>> I'm
>>>>> also considering GDF and maybe Seeing Eye. Thanks for any info.
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> t
>>>>
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