[nagdu] Service dogs who were pets

[Passle Helminski]

On Aug 30, 2013, at 2:47 PM, "Margo Downey and Arrow" <margo.downey at verizon.net> wrote:

> 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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> 
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