[nagdu] Removing Harness and Leash for Security Re: flyingwithPrincess for the first time

[Nicole B. Torcolini at Home]

I was told by a trainer to absolutely never remove the dogs harness, collar 
or leash

For going through security, I agree with never removing the leash/collar, 
but I do not agree with not removing the harness. Is it what people will 
think of the dog, what people will do to the harness, or how the dog will 
behave without the harness? Yes, Lexia usually interprets harness off as 
play time, but she is also smart enough to know that the airport is no place 
for messing around.
    As far as putting on a different collar/leash, it is possible to switch 
collars and leashes without giving your dog full freedom. I admit that this 
may not be a good idea for a new guide dog team, but it should not be a 
problem for a team that has been together for a long time.

Also I knew of a handler and her guide  going through security after 911 and 
the person working the security told this handler to remove the dogs harness 
and she did and the security people took the harness totally apart and after 
she went  through security the security people gave her the harness back in 
pieces. Too me that's unacceptable  and very wrong.

And did your friend do anything about it? In that case, you fix the problem 
by talking to the person who did it or a supervisor, not by just avoiding 
it. Did the person take it apart to fit it in the bin or to investigate it? 
Sometimes, no matter what we do, we cannot keep the security from 
investigating things that way. Also, what exactly is "apart"? The GDB 
harness that Lexia has can be put into three pieces that are very easily put 
back together.

Finally, what has disturbed me more than just what you are saying is how you 
said it. I agree that everyone on the list has the right to express his/her 
opinion, but no one is the "expert" on what to do and what not to do. You 
could have put something along the lines of "I would" or "In my opinion""

Okay, I am going to go hide under my rock now.

Nicole

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "loriandleo" <loriandleo at ohiohills.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Removing Harness and Leash for Security Re: 
flyingwithPrincess for the first time


> Hi Nicole,
>
> I was told by a trainer to absolutely never remove the dogs harness, 
> collar
> or leash.  Also I knew of a handler and her guide  going through security
> after 911 and the person working the security told this handler to remove
> the dogs harness and she did and the security people took the harness
> totally apart and after she went  through security the security people 
> gave
> her the harness back in pieces. Too me that's unexceptable  and very 
> wrong.
> Take care.
>
>
>
> Lori and theGipper
>
>
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