[nagdu] Help for obese dogsRE: Control of Guide Dog Issue

Wed Jul 31 23:12:13 UTC 2013

At Seeing Eye, we have lecture about the proper feeding of the dogs - 
includes types of good foods to feed and about NOT feeding people food.  The 
dogs are fed a certain amount based on the dog's weight and activity level 
and our instructors tell us how to feed our dogs.  I think they really will 
get into this now that the students are given a bin of food that is kept in 
the room and the student feeds his or her own dog while on class.  Before 
this change, the instructor would come around to the rooms at 5:30am and at 
4pm with the pre-filled bowls of food.

Sometimes, after going home, the amount may need to be adjusted based on the 
dog's stress level is lower as the dog gets used to things in the new home 
and the working schedule changes.  While on class, the instructors teach us 
how to assess the dog's weight - when we'd need to either increase the feed 
or decrease it.

Landon gets a food sort of like IAMS called Pet Worth from the Midwest. 
I've fed this food for the last 13 years to my dogs and they do well on it. 
I feed two cups in the morning and one cup at suppertime.  Landon's weight 
is good.

ONe of the things that needs to be taken into consideration is that we get 
the dogs young - betwen 20 or 24 months old and they are not yet filled out 
as they will be after they are three or four years old. In all my years of 
having guide dogs, I find that the dogs are kept thinner at the school and 
they like one weight and our vets will say a bit higher weight is fine.  If 
you can feel the dog's ribs and the dog has an hourglass shape - there are 
visible hips, your gdog is fine.  Landon wears the same harness he got when 
we were on class.  If you have to get a new, bigger harness, then you may 
want to assess the dog's weight.

Labs tend to pack on the weight because they are bred to have more body fat 
due to the years of breeding for cold water work that they were originally 
bred to do - duck hunting retrieval.  They will eat anything.  I have, too, 
seen many guide Labs that are obese because the owners do litle walking 
themselves thus a couch potato dog.  Many times, the person is also obese. 
NOTE: Not a judgement call on my part; just an observation of my over 40 
years of being around lots of blind folks and their guide dogs.

Lyn and Landon
"Asking who's the man and who's the woman in an LGBT relationship is like 
asking which chopstick is the fork" - Unknown
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie McGinnity" <kaybaycar at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 10:15 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Help for obese dogsRE: Control of Guide Dog Issue

> Hi Marion and all,
>
> I think it's a real problem.  I have known it to happen, and Guiding
> Eyes also works hard to make students understand the obesity problems.
> We had multiple lectures that dealt with the subject, and when we
> fill out the annual reports, it asks for the dog's weight.
>
> I would like to see if other schools are concerned about this as well,
> and I think it might be something to look into.  I don't think that
> the possibility of obesity is a reason to deny ownership, but I
> understand the worry that they have.
>
> On 7/31/13, National Association of Guide Dog Users
> <blind411 at verizon.net> wrote:
>> Dear All,
>> At our annual meeting during the guide dog training programs
>> comments about the Bill of Rights, Leader asserted that the reason for
>> their
>> two-year probationary period was the prevalendce of obesity among guide
>> dogs. I found this interesting, especially since Mr. Haneline himself 
>> told
>> me that the two-year probationary period was the result of the handler 
>> who
>> kicked his dog to death! Now I wonder which it really is! In any case, I
>> questioned him about the obesity issue and was told it is really a 
>> problem.
>> It would be interesting to know some statistics on this. As a counselor, 
>> I
>> practice what is referred to as "Evidence Based Treatment" (EBT). This
>> means
>> that the treatment is founded on evidence of success, not merely the 
>> belief
>> that it works or anecdotal information. I am of the opinion that, if this
>> were really such a problem other training programs would observe similar
>> issue (replication) and modify their practices to prevent it. Without
>> evidence that it is an issue, I am unconvinced of the problem and leery 
>> of
>> the its justification to deny ownership based upon a mythical problem!
>>
>> Fraternally yours,
>> Marion Gwizdala
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Deanna Lewis
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 10:00 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: [nagdu] Help for obese dogsRE: Control of Guide Dog Issue
>>
>> I do think overweight and obese dogs are more common nowadays, just like
>> people! My dog has always been a big boy, and was a bit overweight, but 
>> now
>> he has lost 7 pounds and looks fantastic. He looks great at 77 pounds. He
>> gained his weight due to not working for a few weeks on and off, due to 
>> me
>> having 8 eye surgeries in less than a year. But, as soon as we started to
>> work every day, and cut his food a bit, he slimmed down pretty quickly.
>> I know this one person, who has a black lab that is severely obese. He is
>> about 20-22 inches at the shoulders, and weighs at least 115. The poor
>> thing
>> gets out of breath just from walking a block or two. The handler goes
>> overboard in feeding this dog. He gives him treats constantly and I am 
>> sure
>> that he eats people food a lot at home. He is also very misbehaved.  The
>> handler will not listen to people when they kindly make suggestions about
>> the dog's weight. I know that the school took him away a few years back,
>> and
>> got some of the weight off. But, as soon as they came back home, he went
>> back to his old habits. I wish there were something more I could do to 
>> help
>> in this situation. Have any of you witnessed this type of issue. How 
>> could
>> you help out the dog and handler?
>> Deanna and Pascal
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jimmy
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2013 6:21 PM
>> To: National Association of Guide Dog Users Gwizdala
>> Subject: [nagdu] Control of Guide Dog Issue
>>
>> Greetings friends,
>> Hope everyone is well. I did not mean to have the topic get off of
>> handlers controling their dogs and being accountable in pertaining to one
>> of
>> the dogs that was involved in my situation being a pit. I know many are
>> very
>> passionate about taht breed and feel they are misconceived. I have other
>> feelings on the matter. However, I agree totally taht no matter what the
>> breed the dog it- whether lab or shepherd- that dog can become
>> aggressiveand
>> if not controled or appropriate steps taken, can have unfortunate
>> consequences. Here is a topic I am curious about your input on. This
>> subject
>> was brought up at our convention- that is the issue with obesity of our
>> service animals. What arey your thoughts? This was a new issue  I was
>> unaware of, if it is really an issue. Did anyone notice an over weight
>> issue
>> among service dogs  at the convention , those who have some vision?
>> Thanks
>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
> Julie McG
> National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
> Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
> Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
> and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
> life."
> John 3:16
>
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