[nagdu] DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOGS

Thu Jun 23 20:02:01 UTC 2011

Oh! thanks for telling me so. As you may have guessed I love going about
my dog, dogs, my dog, every dog I've ever met... So I'm always glad when
my ramblings turn out to actually be helpful to someone. /smile/

It's all my own experience and what I've picked up from others or other
dogs I've had, more and more informed by my growing experience as a
guide dog user.  So I'm better at evaluating pros and cons of the
various breed and type options in light of what I want in a guide.

I've liked hearing what most others have said on the matter of
preference itself.  It is very, very individual when it comes right down
to it.

The even more important thing is the individual dog we are matched with
or end up with meets our needs in a way that enhances our lives.  Which
seems to happen most of the time, so that's a good thing.  Glad you're
enjoying your pup and life as a guide dog handler!

On Wed, 2011-06-22 at 17:47 -0700, Brittney N. Mejico wrote:
> Tami ,
> Thanks very informative!
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Tami Kinney
> Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 2:56 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOGS
> 
> 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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