[nagdu] getting along with other guide dogs

[Tami Kinney]

Julie,

I had a hard time figuring that one out, too. What I end up doing grew 
out of my work with her to convince her she did not need to communicate 
vocally with every other guide dog she met. So I ended up doing a lot of 
hanging around the outskirts of where other guide dogs might be working 
and letting her watch them while working with her on quiet, then slowly 
decreasing the distance until she could manage to keep her big fat mouth 
shut when she was supposed to.

Since I also orient to a new place and group or groups by walking the 
circumference to get a feel for the space and the sounds and all, we're 
doing double duty. So we've kept doing that, although Mitzi is cool with 
other guide or service dogs we meet in stores and on the sidewalks 
without any planning. /smile/ In those cases, of course, we ignore them 
as they ignore us, unless both humans want to chat or something or we 
end up knowing each other.

So, then, by the time I'm starting to interact with the people, 
including the other guide dog users, Mitzi has had a chance to size 
things up, too. I can get an idea of her attitude towards another guide 
from her body language, but it's really subtle. Some she ignores so I 
don't know they are there; for others, she might stiffen a bit and show 
some hesitancy, so I can kinda then listen for sound cues and note there 
is another guide dog team other. If that team is minding its own 
business, we just mind ours while giving a bit of extra space going 
around. If the handler is someone I want to speak to or am being 
introduced to, I just let Mitzi lag behind me a bit, or even do "behind 
me." I let the other person decide whether we mention the dogs or not. 
Some do, some are rigorous about the dog's being a working tool in 
harness. So I go with what they are comfortable with. And if Mitzi is 
doing her lag, I don't attempt to introduce. Generally, the other person 
will not offer that, either, and the dog will not be a greeter, so we're 
all good.

If Mitzi does her prance to let me know she sees another guide, then 
probably the other handler and I will greet each other because their dog 
has let them know there is another guide dog team on the approach. 
Again, I let them set the tone for how we interact with each other's 
dogs and how our dogs interact. Almost always they are friendly and 
their dogs are, too. I do watch Mitzi because she may get too play 
bouncy and do a little vocalization, which is too much! But when she 
does forget herself and let it out, the other handler and dog will be 
fine once they get over being startled, observing that Mitzi is friendly 
and yada yada.

For the most part, that is pretty much our pattern. I listen to Mitzi 
and also follow the other handler's lead, because I can pick up cues 
about their guide and their attitudes about guide dogs, especially 
theirs and mine, that way. Also, I can pay attention to my high strung 
critter to make sure her excitement or startlement or whatever doesn't 
get the better of her. She's old enough now that it's not a huge worry, 
but I hear from users of older poodle guides that that startle reflex, 
sometimes accompanied by a quick vocalization, kind of stays there, just 
not as much. Yay! Not! /lol/ It's a small price to pay for the benefits 
of all that high alert poodle energy, but it's just embarrassing because 
everybody knows guide dogs don't do that! /lol/

If I hear iffy vocal sounds from another guide dog team as my notice 
that they are approaching, then I get more high alert and also listen to 
Mitzi's body language and tension. As well, I listen to the other 
handler's communications with the talking dog. If I don't like what I 
hear, then I follow Mitzi around another way or on a course that gives 
the other team a wide berth. Not sure what I would do if some meeter 
greeter type were to bustle up at that point to introduce us guide dog 
users to each other. /lol/ I've known some pretty dedicated compulsive 
introducers in my time, I guess, so I just popped one into my imaginary 
scenario because you never know when they're going to pop up and make 
sure you are introduced to someone! I think it's cool, really, but not 
always as wanted as they seem to assume. "Oh, I know you! You hate me at 
work! I avoid you at work because I don't care about you and don't have 
time for your snippy comments because you hate me. How lovely to see you 
here!" /lol/

Anyway, if I have a social need to interact with the growly team that I 
and my dog both wish to avoid, then... Heavens! I am not known for 
thinking on my feet in socially awkward situations... Which means I 
would be the distraction between the two dogs because I would be sure to 
say something completely socially inept and trip over my feet or 
something. If anyone nearby is holding a cup of coffee, I can be counted 
on to bump them just right so that the coffee flies onto the new suit of 
the person with whom they have a job interview the next day. It's a 
talent! /lol/

Tami

On 04/26/2012 04:05 PM, Julie J. wrote:
> I don't encounter other guide dogs very often, maybe 2 or 3 times a 
> year depending on how much I travel to attend blindness events.   But 
> it is extremely rare that I allow Monty to visit with other guide or 
> service dogs.   I have never allowed this when he is working.  I have 
> let him visit with one guide out of harness in my home.  I think if I 
> were at a convention with other dogs who wanted to work out a play 
> date type of thing I'd be very open to that, it just hasn't happened.
>
> Anyway I was wondering how others approach this issue.  Do you like 
> for your guide to meet and greet the other working dogs?  Do you do 
> this in harness?  Are there circumstances that help you decide this on 
> a case by case basis?   Does it make a difference to you whether or 
> not the dogs get along or like each other?
>
> The recent messages have peaked my curiosity.
>
> Julie
>
>
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