[nagdu] Letting Someone Else Work Your Dog

Sat Apr 23 21:54:45 UTC 2011

No one else has ever worked Miguel, except my husband a couple of times in 
our last building when he was taking him outside to relieve for me. But he 
doesn't do it anymore since I now just heel Miguel on leash when taking him 
out.
I worked another person's poodle guide for about 20 feet down the sidewalk 
one time, just to see what it was like to walk with a poodle.  Strangely 
enough the gate felt just like Miguel -- a bit of a bouncy gate. (Miguel 
walks by sort of tossing his hips from side to side so I don't know what you 
call that... a prance, or bounce, or something).

Sarah & Miguel

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sheila Leigland" <sleigland at bresnan.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2011 9:13 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Letting Someone Else Work Your Dog

> My husbands last dog anna wouldn't even walk on leash with our son, she 
> just sat down and wouldn't move. My dog was sick one day and I thought 
> about trying to take anna to work with me but she would have none of it. 
> She wouldn't even go to the door let alone out.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Julie J <julielj at neb.rr.com>
> Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2011 9:04 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Letting Someone Else Work Your Dog
>
> I let a friend work Belle around the block to see what working a guide was
> like.  I tried to let someone work Monty, but he was having none of it.
> Like others have said it depends on the dog, the person and the situation.
> I think just like everything else if it's done responsibly, I don't have 
> an
> issue.
>
> With my own dogs though, I would be concerned that the other person 
> wouldn't
> know how to work them.  Since I've owner trained, the particular set of 
> hand
> gestures, verbal commands, foot placement and sequences of behaviors is
> probably different from the standards taught at a program.  Unless I spent
> some considerable time teaching all of that to the other person, I don't
> think they'd get the results they were looking for.  I suppose the same
> could be said of a person who has never worked a dog before or a person
> whose dogs came from a different program.
>
> It's interesting that in some countries guides are given to couples 
> because
> they don't have enough dogs to go around.  Both individuals are trained 
> with
> the dog and each works the dog, swapping back and forth frequently.  No 
> idea
> what happens when both people want to go somewhere at the same time 
> though!
>
> Hope the accident wasn't too painful.  Feel better soon!
> Julie
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2011 9:38 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Letting Someone Else Work Your Dog
>
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I expect most of us have, at one time or another, test driven someone
>> else's dog for one reason or another. Though, certainly, whether and who
>> depends a lot on the dog, the person, and lots of things that really 
>> don't
>> apply to car ownership. I do agree, though, that this decision, like so
>> many others, rests with the guide dog owner. Which is to say, I think 
>> it's
>> perfectly acceptable for us to be empowered to make bad decisions, too,
>> although I of course never make that kind.
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>
>>
>>
>> On Apr 23, 2011, at 8:21 AM, Cindy Ray wrote:
>>
>>> Ouch, Marion, sorry to hear of your accident. As for working a dog, I
>>> wouldn't most of the time myself, though I might let someone try it as
>>> you did. But I did once work my ex-husband's dog. I had had a dog for a
>>> while but she didn't work out. His dog was very fond of me, and I was
>>> suffering from wondering if I ought to go back and try for another dog.
>>> My husband thought I should test drive his dog. He said he wasn't really
>>> concerned about any fall out from it. I said, should I take him around
>>> the block? And he said, heck just go anywhere with him, you're a good
>>> user. We did walk, and the dog quickly matched my strie (Chuck is tall
>>> and I am short) and we had a marvelous walk around downtown Lawrence. I
>>> no longer questioned whether I ought to go back and get another dog.
>>>
>>> Cindy
>>>
>>> On Apr 23, 2011, at 6:20 AM, Marion Gwizdala wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear All,
>>>>   I wanted to comment on the provision that many training programs have
>>>> in their agreements concerning allowing someone else to work your dog. 
>>>> I
>>>> frequently compare owning a guide dog to owning a vehicle, including 
>>>> the
>>>> right to own the harness just as car owners own their keys. Similarly,
>>>> if someone owns a vehicle and allows another to use it, that is fully
>>>> within their rights, provided that person is a licensed driver and is
>>>> either covered by the insurance policy or is somehow otherwise insured.
>>>> Here are my thoughts on allowing another to work my dog.
>>>>   When I went to convention in years past with one of my previous dogs,
>>>> I would allow someone who had never worked a dog "test drive" one of
>>>> mine. I had no fear that the training program from which I received my
>>>> dog would interfere with this, as I have ownership. Through this
>>>> experience, I have introduced many people to the joy of working a guide
>>>> dog. Now, I would probably not let a novice work my current guide dog,
>>>> as he is a lot to handle.
>>>>   On Thursday, I fell and fractured my tibia; I am non-weight bearing
>>>> for the next two months. My dog was going stir crazy, so my wife took
>>>> him out and worked him. She will also be taking him to school with her
>>>> on Monday. Merry is a seasoned guide dog handler and is very competent
>>>> to work Sarge. In addition, Sarge needs to work. In fact, he is
>>>> insisting on it! (grin) Merry will be working him regularly while I
>>>> recover, keeping his skills up and giving him much needed exercise. I
>>>> have absolutely no fear posting this message to a public list because I
>>>> know GDF will not interfere with my choices. This is not true of other
>>>> programs who seem to be looking for reasons to take a dog away just to
>>>> reinforce their ability to do so and keep their consumers in line
>>>> through fear and intimidation.
>>>>
>>>> fraternally yours,
>>>> Marion Gwizdala
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
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>
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