[nagdu] getting along with other guide dogs

[Tami Kinney]

Julie,

Interesting. I've come to the conclusion that each person has her/his 
own approach, while each dog has her/his approach...

We all expect our dogs to behave as we think they should according to 
our approach which we decide for them... /lol/ Depending on the dog, one 
may need to rethink a thing or two. /lol/

So I used to worry a lot about what proper etiquette was for meeting 
other working dog teams. Would have to start off with a disastrous faux 
pas! Heavens! You know how socially graceful I am at all times. Not! /lol/

So I guess that was why I would observe the other team while 
concentrating on my poodle thing's antics... Her approach did not always 
mesh with my approach. My approach to her approach started out all 
wrong, so then I had to figure out how to turn that around and figure 
out a team approach that worked for both of us. My darling girl is 
nothing if not complicated. /lol/

Anyway, by hanging back and observing while working with Mitzi on her 
excitement or whatever caused her to levitate and vocalize, I discovered 
that even in a group where everybody has known everybody and their dogs 
two or three dogs back, there is no hard core set of rules. Hm...

So I guess I figure that if I take responsibility for me and my dog, 
according to what works for us, then I can leave it up to the other team 
how the dogs meet and greet or otherwise. As long as mine doesn't run 
her yap off about how they need to go play after work. Or get too out of 
hand with the body language to express the intensity of her interest in 
that. /lol/ Love her, but I still pay attention to signs of levitation 
and extreme dancing or even a revival of Rodeo Guide! I don't expect my 
guide dog to give me dignity, but there are limits to the indignity I am 
willing to share. /lol/

If I pick up that Mitzi is going to go into monster mode, though, then I 
just casually mention to the other handler that I'm having her mind her 
best manners right now, until she's ready to settle down. After all this 
time, though, I can pretty much pick up from her how she is feeling 
about fraternizing with her canine colleague. /smile/

This is a great topic. I'm learning lots!

Tami

On 04/27/2012 05:57 AM, Julie J. wrote:
> 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
>
>
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