[nagdu] Shepard Guide Dogs

[Lyn Gwizdak]

Hi Mark,
Many shepherds have emotional problems or behavior and temporment problems 
that make them unsuitable to be guide dogs.  these same dogs could make 
great pets.

Between the public and the dog show world, the shepherd has been ruined. 
Many have health problems, hip structure problems, or are very nervoous and 
this couold lead to many unwanted behaviours.  I used to go to dog shows and 
saw the shepherds with extreme angulation - extreme slope to the back and 
they looked like they were squatting as they ran around the ring.  the 
angulation woould make them look graceful and sleek - very bad breeding for 
a working dog.  this breeding has caused very weak hips and many shepherds 
are prone to hip dysplasia.

The schools who still use shepherds such as Fidelco or The Seeing Eye, they 
get breeding stock from Germany who continued to breed for working 
soundness.  I knew a couple of Fidelco shepherds in the 80s and 90s that 
were unsound in health but I hope they have improved by now and you get a 
good shepherd.  It is because of these problems and the fact that many guide 
dog users are older people who may not be able to use a shepherd but do very 
well with the very popular Labs and Lab crosses - which is what I have.

When I had my two shepherds, I found that they got petted as much as the 
Labs do.  I think that what determiones if a given dog is readily petted or 
not is determined by the dog's visual interaction with person.  If you get a 
dog that makes eye contact with people and looks like, "Hey, come pet me!", 
then it doesn't matter what breed or color the dog is.  People are a bit 
more reserved if the dog is also reserved and aloof.  the person can't 
"read" the dog as well and they aren't so keen on walking up to pet it.

Color matters a little as well.  Little light colored yellow Labs or Golden 
retrievers are so cute that people can't resist petting them.  But, they are 
a bit more respectful of a large black Lab that is aloof while working.

What I do is to control what my dog does instead of trying to control what 
other people do.  In all guide dog programs, we work on a variety of 
distractions the dog will encounter and how we are to deal with this.  Lots 
of times people like to make kissy noises at my dog and if my dog reacts to 
it, I verbally correct him with "Leave it!"  In other words, I treat human 
distractions just like I treat dog or animal distractions.  I find that 
works the best and I don't interact with that person.  Lots of people react 
with a giggle as if distracting a blind person's dog is funny to them.  I 
don't suffer idiots very well and I tend to ignore them as I want my dog to 
do.  It works fine for me!

In my life, I find that I have no control over other people's actions but I 
can control my own and my dog's actions.  Personally, my rule is:  No 
petting or interacting with my dog if I'm walking with the handle in my 
hand.  Landon has learned that there are tiomes he can get petted but then 
he has to get to work when I need him to.  He is also a certified Therapy 
Dog with ouor humane society and I do take the harness off when we do this. 
He wears a vest from that program.  But, sometimes the patients will start 
petting him when I'm walking into the room where we conduct our visit along 
with the other animals wwe bring.  Landon knows to ignore them and guide me.

Since I've been using guide dogs since the early 1970s, I have found that so 
many more people know about working dogs than they knew in the past.  I hear 
so many parents telling their kids that the dog is a working dog and not to 
pet it as I walk by.  So, I have very little problem as far as "drive by" 
petting by strangers.  All Landon's human friends want to pet him!  But they 
respect my wishes.

HTH!

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark J. Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 5:35 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Shepard Guide Dogs


> Shepard Guide Dogs
>
>
>
> Does anyone know why guide dog training schools have gotten away from 
> training shepherds?
>
>
>
> I have always wanted to get a GSD because I just think they are amazing. 
> Also, I am hoping that it won't be a food hound, or attention hound. 
> Hopefully, people won't want to pat the dog that looks like it could eat 
> them for a snack. Just kidding, Fidelco isn't giving me a guide Grizzly 
> Bear. I just hope the dog I get is not an attention magnet.
>
>
>
> Mark J. Cadigan
> Electrical Engineering Department
> Suffolk University
> kramc11 at gmail.com
>
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