[nagdu] getting along with other guide dogs

[Julie J.]

I find this whole meet and greet thing while in harness thing very 
interesting. Maybe because Monty was so dog distracted for so long I 
absolutely couldn't allow it and now it's just become habit.  I don't 
know.  When I attended a meeting with the other service dog handler in 
town, she wanted to have a socialization plan in place before the dogs 
met.  I had no idea what she was talking about or why this was an issue, 
but whatever.  I tried to explain that I'd have Monty beside my chair or 
under the table and that he would leave her dog alone.  I didn't get why 
the dogs needed a greeting plan since in my mind they wouldn't be 
visiting.   To me it didn't matter if the dogs liked each other or got 
along, because they would both be working and would be conducting 
themselves appropriately no matter how they felt about each other.

Anyhow I got Monty installed under the table and she allowed her dog to 
stretch himself out under the table so he could sniff Monty.  I was 
mildly annoyed with this.  If I was going to allow a sniff and a 
greeting, it would most certainly not be in harness, in a restaurant, 
under the table, during a professional meeting.    I think I completely 
misunderstood her approach to this though.  I assumed that dogs working 
do not fraternize with each other.  this is apparently not how all folks 
operate.  To her it did matter that the dogs liked each other and got 
along well.  To me it made no difference as long as they behaved.

There's always new things to learn.
Julie