[nagdu] Service dogs who were pets

[Margo Downey and Arrow]

Yes.  The training center is Canine Helpers and it's in Lockport, new York
and the head trainer and owner is Beverly Underwood.  I have been to
meetings where Ms. Underwood has presented and she is very good and all the
dogs I've seen from her center are good and well-behaved.  

Besides my two friends, I've been in venues where Canine Helpers trained
dogs have also been and they've been great.

Margoa nd Arrow

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 12:47 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service dogs who were pets

Did the training center instruct the owners about the kind of behavior
expected of service dogs?  Or did they work it out on their own?
Tracy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Margo Downey and Arrow" <margo.downey at verizon.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 12:31 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Service dogs who were pets


> Hi.  A couple of friends have service dogs who were their pets but were
> trained at a service dog facility--very wonderful balance dogs.  The
> facility staff determined that the dogs would be good for the service
> purpose and then trained them for that.
>
> Margoa nd Arrow
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
> Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 10:54 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] Service dogs who were pets
>
> I've been thinking about what Ann said about expectations.  I bet many
> people who have trained a pet to be a service dog still think of it first 
> as
> a pet, if only subconsciously.  There's Fluffy, begging at the table, 
> saying
> Hi to everyone he meets, and then Joe Q discovers Fluffy can do this great
> extra thing, like detect low blood sugar or anxiety, and alert him to it, 
> so
> Joe Q trains Fluffy to enhance that ability, but doesn't do any other
> training, or change how he thinks about Fluffy, except to appreciate his 
> new
> skill.  On the other hand, most of us, from the first, think of our dogs 
> as
> service dogs first, and pets second.  From the beginning, everything we do
> is with service in mind, and thus we expect a different standard of
> behavior.  Everything that's done has to be evaluated as to how it will
> affect the dog's work. For instance, I'm sure Jetta is not being allowed 
> to
> beg at the table, because that is not acceptable guide dog behavior.
> So, as Ann said, people who've trained pets as service dogs have to be 
> made
> more aware of acceptable service dog behavior, which, IMO, requires a 
> change
> of mindset.  I'm not sure how that could be done, though.  I wonder if an
> organization like IAADP could be helpful, having as members many kinds of
> assistance dog partners.
> Tracy
>
>
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