[nagdu] questions about having a guide dog

[Buddy Brannan]

Hi,
All of the answers to your questions are pretty subjective, but here goes:

1) Can a dog stand an 11-hour plane ride? Sure, just don't feed him beforehand, and limit water intake. I hear that i.e. chips work pretty well in this case. Other more seasoned flyers (Jenine?) could probably speak more to the long plane flights.

2) Can a dog stand two weeks and still be OK as a service dog? I don't think I'd recommend leaving your dog for a couple weeks at a time on a regular basis. While he may retain his skills as a guide, I'd think that long absences of that sort on a regular basis could really screw with the bond between you and your dog. Dogs aren't just mechanical things you can shove off to a corner when you don't want them anymore, then pull out and dust off again when you feel like it. That said, dogs are pretty flexible, and if you do your part and give them your 100 percent, they'll do theirs and give 100% back. No, once you and your dog are working well together, you won't break him by not working for a while, probably. Each dog is different, of course, some require more than others, just like people. But generally speaking, as I say, dogs are pretty flexible, and they'll hold up under some pretty adverse conditions. Bear in mind, though, that they also can cue off of you quite a bit. If you approach something as a big deal, your dog will pick up on that. If you approach with no anxiety and as though everything's OK, your dog will equally pick up on that. Not to say they don't have their own fears and anxieties, because they do. 

Is discrimintion a normal thing, or is it unusual? It depends. Terrible answer, but it does. Some situations are more likely to give you trouble than others. My experience tells me that taxicabs, for instance, are a real problem in a lot of communities. Fortunately, not mine, so much. Calm and assertive helps, though. Know your rights, go in acting as though there won't be a problem. It won't work all the time, and there are idiots everywhere, but it definitely helps. 

I'm glad you're investigating your concerns ahead of time. Getting a guide dog is a pretty big decision. Bear in mind that you're not only affecting your life, but your dog's, by your decision. Ask all the hard questions and evaluate the answers as they pertain to your life. Clearly, a guide dog isn't for everyone, or not for everyone at every time. But if you decide you want to make the commitment, the rewards are fantastic. Unless you, like, don't like dogs or something, in which case you might find yourself at the other end of a problem. 
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY



On Aug 30, 2011, at 7:35 PM, Tatyana wrote:

> Hi,
> I'm not a guide dog user, still can't decide.Many, many questions.
> 
> Can a dog stand 11 hours in an airplane before to relief?
> 
> If you are not taking a dog with you while you're on leave, can a dog stay without  you for 2 weeks and not lose its shape as a service dog? Wouldn't it be also  a bad psychological impact?
> 
> How often do you need to fight for the  right  to bring  a   dog with you in restaurants, pools,  medical offices and other public places? Is it something that you do all the time or you get  mostly normal attitude from employees?
> 
> Thank you and all the best
> Tatyana. 
> 
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