[nagdu] harness or not?

[Ann Edie]

Hi, Dan,

I would leave the harness on, for the sake of all concerned.  That way, both
the dog and all the humans in the environment know that the dog is working.
And if your dog is anything like the ones I have known, he will make himself
comfortable and have a nice nap during the class.  You should work toward
making him invisible.  It is you who are attending college, not the dog.  I
personally would discourage things like the professor joking that the dog is
a member of the class or the students making comments when the dog snores or
groans at seemingly appropriate places in the lecture.  I definitely am not
in favor of dressing the dog up in a cap and having it "graduate" along with
the human partner, although I understand that others have very different
opinions on this matter.  In other words, I would keep the dog in harness,
in his "professional" attire.  This is not a time for others to talk to the
dog, pet him, give him belly rubs, etc.  As far as others are concerned, I
want the dog to be considered no more a member of the class than are their
cars or bikes or backpacks.  The guide is part of my equipment or how I
manage my life.  If I want to socialize with people outside of class and let
them pet my dog or play with him, that is fine, and the absence of the
harness is definitely a cue that the dog is now "on break" or enjoying "off
duty" time.  But during class is not off-duty time to me.

All this being said, if the harness is truly uncomfortable for the dog, such
as cutting into his skin or something, then I would certainly address that
issue in whatever way fixes the problem.  But other than that, I can't think
of a reason why the harness shouldn't stay on while you're in class.

Best,
Ann

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of daniel
Sent: Monday, August 26, 2013 8:17 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] harness or not?

Hey guys, as yall know I'm going to be starting college really soon. I have
a question though: My classes are like an hour and a half long, what do I do
with my dog's harness? Do I leave it on or do I take it off? I feel like
that's a long time to leave the harness on when she's going to be laying
down but I don't know!

Thanks,

Dan

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