[nagdu] Question about puppy raisers

[Anon. Y.mous]

I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience with those raisers!  That must have been way beyond frustrating.  Those raisers sound really out of control, and I hope the school heard about it and took action.  Nobody should have to deal with that!  I hope the majority of raisers aren't like that -- in my experience most are very understanding -- but one bad egg can spoil the rest.

I definitely go into it with the understanding the pup isn't my dog, but that doesn't make it any easier to give them up!  It's inevitably disappointing to most raisers when brief once-a-year contact isn't made when it is so easy nowadays to do it.  Of course, it's not a raiser's right to have contact, but it's definitely appreciated.



________________________________
 From: The Pawpower Pack <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2012 10:37 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Question about puppy raisers
 
It's a very individual thing.  Handlers, and raisers are all individuals.  I have met great raisers, and not so great raisers.  A raiser who raised one of my program dogs was very upset when my dog graduated, and was pretty nasty to me about it when we met.  This same raiser, was once again, very angry when this same dog retired and I chose not to give her back to the raiser.

I train my own guides now, and I have met several raisers who either argued with me about the "right" and "wrong" way to handle a dog.  I have met raisers-- ignorant of the law-- try and get my dog removed from a place of public accommodation because she was not from a recognized program, and they believed that only dogs trained at programs were "real" working dogs.

With that said, I've met great puppy raisers, and the raiser for my first program dog was fabulous.
I guess it comes down to this, it's a very personal issue, and one that each person has to decide for themselves.  Handlers go into the relationship with the program dog knowing that their dog has been shaped and nurtured by the raiser.  I think the raiser needs to go into it with the understanding that the puppy is not their dog.  They can love it and train it, and poor all of their heart into it.  But come time to hand over the leash, they are handing over all control of the dog.  They are handing over the dog knowing that the handler may or may not ever talk to them again.  They may or may not ever see the dog again.
It's hard to do-- I know, because I've done it.



Rox and the Kitchen Bitches:
Bristol, Mill'E, Laveau, Baylee,!

"Dance, even if you have to warn others to get out of the way first."
http://pawpower4me.blogspot.com
pawpower4me at gmail.com
AIM: brissysgirl

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