[nagdu] DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOGS

[Tami Kinney]

Brittney,

Were you also informed which preference you were supposed to
have?  /evil grin/

I thought the whole poodle as guide dog notion was pretty iffy when I
first heard of it, but ended up putting in some time, energy and expense
getting my hands on one anyway for practical reasons.  Now I can't
understand why everybody else isn't running around demanding poodle
guides... Until I remember that poodles are, you know, poodles.
Definitely an acquired taste, but addictive once you get hooked.  Unless
you want a quiet life, free of excitement and strife.  The lack of
shedding is a big plus in a lot of ways, but the cost of grooming is not
easy on a budget.  If you try to save now and then by stretching out
time between trims, you find yourself doing nothing but grooming the
poodle.  Well, Mitzi has the soft, thick, fine coat and an extra measure
of it at that, so it is absolutely gorgeous and wonerful to the touch
while being absolutely impossible to keep free of industrial-grade
snarls close to the skin if you don't keep on it.  Also, the poodle does
nto appear to be constructed to curl up in a tidy ball that will fit
neatly under even a really big chair, so it you're uptight about the
finer points of etiquette, a girl can really stress herself out about
that until she finally gives up and loosens up and finds a way to
achieve the same goals in a way that will actually work.  /lol/  From
what I hear, bear-sized labs will curl up into tidy balls that will fit
under toddler chairs and be perfectly comfortable doing it.  I'm
exaggerating, but I've heard of folks with 90 pound labs that will fit
places I have not been able to stuff my poodle to begin with, and even
then bits of her start popping out like they've been spring-loaded, so I
have driven myself nuts on the bus and train desperately trying to round
up legs and noses and stubby tails enough for 7 dogs!  She would be
trying to comply but she sure would sigh a lot. Also, she has a huge
need to watch *everything* so our rules for keeping her out of the way
and safe including her being positioned where she can do that without
moving around.  She's a super-mellow poodle, so I am routinely assurred,
but she is still a poodle.  That same vigilance and curiosity works out
wonderfully when we're on the go, so I don't mind adjusting our seating
arrangements to keep her from getting twitchy.  /smile/

I've always had a yen for a sheperd guide and I still think they're
still pretty high on my list.  The only thing that that breed loses
points over is their shedding and tendency to be a bit harder on people
with sensitivities to dander because of its pH or something... I
wouldn't let that last part stop me getting one, but the shedding itself
seems a bit daunting now that I'm spoiled.  Not having a budget crunch
from profressional grooming all the time would be a big plus, that's for
sure!  I might take on shaving and trimming a companion poodle myself,
but my professional dog requires a professional haircut.

Dobies also thrill me, for many of the same reasons GSDs do, only with
shorter hair and less shedding and brushing. I'm lazy, so when Mitzi's
curls are shorn and I can just wipe her off with a damp cloth to spiif
her up for the most refined restaurant dining, I am happy as can be with
that arrangement.  Dobie guide users speak of doing that with the dobie
coat, so big, big plus!

I would like a dog with less adorability and perhaps a bit more of a
back-off quality and a rep to add some encouragement.  Mitzi has a
pretty intense stare, but it just doesn't have the same effect on people
as it does when it comes from what looks like a guard/police dog.  Here,
at least.  The dirty little secret about poodles is that they're used as
guard dogs in other countries because they're a lot like dobies and
shepherds that way.  It's something to bear in mind, especially in
choosing a poodle for guide work or anything else, really, since people
who have encountered bad-tempered poodles are scared to death of the
things.  They can turn nasty if the temperament is not respected in
treatment and training.  Statistically, they're responsible for more dog
bites than pit bulls.  That includes the smaller types, too, I guess,
and those are more prone to temperament problems due to irresponsible
breeders.  Sigh.  Anyway, Mitzi is, in a lot of way, a woolly doberman
that just doesn't scare people because she's so cu-ute.  She does have,
I have been told a very severe back-off look, but she seems to be more
likely to use her direct stare and exotic dark eyes to draw people in
and take control of their minds so that they will do whatever she wants
them to. /lol/ I've never been able to see her eyes, really, and see her
in my mind as not having any, but I can feel that stare and fall victim
to its power.  Still, there are times it would be handy to have an
equally nonaggressive dog that could scare people off properly just by
looking at them.  Mitzi has become quite the pro at dealing with all the
attention and reaching hands with grace and composure, and we've worked
out ways to keep it from getting out of hand, but...  It would be nice
to have my dog admired from a safe distance by people who are inspired
to keep their hands to themselves.  /smile/

Labs come in lower on the preference list simply because I like the
herding/guarding breeds better, either as guides or as companions.  I
like labs and just get giddy around my labbie friends and family -- my
sister has a 106 lb. black lab Mitzi's age, and he is just so awesome
and very labby in his manner and personality.  Out of habit, when I
stood beside him, I held my hand over his back to measure him for a
harness...  I would have to be a lot taller. He is a way cool dog and
just love him.  But if someone were to offer me the choice between his
exact clone and, say, a dobie or shepherd or poodle, I'd pick the other
dog.  Still, labs will start moving up my preference scale at some point
for the very traits that make them so popular and numerous.  In fact, by
then I will no doubt be wanting an extra mellow, laid back, easy lab
guide, and I will love having a lab around because they really are
wonderful dogs.

I just happen to prefer my super-alert, active, busy, difficult poodle
and want something along the same lines in case she doesn't obey the
live-forever command and I don't get her cloned.  /lol/

I don't know if that is in any way informative, but I always love these
questions because I learn so much about other handlers and the
differences between breeds and inviduals. So I'll shut up and get to
reading.

On Mon, 2011-06-20 at 16:21 -0700, Brittney N. Mejico wrote:
> hello everyone,
> I always wanted to ask.  Does the breed of dog you use as a guide matter?  I know some guide dog users are really particular about a certain breed and others don’t care?  Why is this?  Before I got my guide people asked me what type of dog I wanted  and I would ask, “should I have a preference?” and I was told that I shouldn’’t care.  Before I start rambleing  I just want to know the difference in different breeds?
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