[nagdu] Lack of speed

[Hannah Chadwick]

Hi Barb,
My dog has so many opportunities to just relax and hang out.  She 
gets a lot of interactions apart from working.  She can act "like 
a dog" whenever she's not working; she has tons of toys.  As for 
working, we walk between 5 and 7 miles every day.  I'm not 
exaggerating! I attend a huge university and everything is spread 
out.  Plus we live off-campus and I choose to walk instead of 
taking the bus.

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Julie J <julielj at neb.rr.com
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 14:34:22 -0600
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Lack of speed

Barb,

Ummm...so you are saying that guide dog handlers don't work our 
dogs enough to keep them at a healthy weight?  It seems that you 
are also asserting that guide dogs don't get opportunities to be 
dogs and do dog things.  Is that about right?

If I'm getting that, I'd gently suggest that you spend some more 
time around some more guide dog handlers.  sure there are lazy 
folks with guides, but I don't see that very often.  I am pretty 
well connected in the blindness community and I have seen a lot 
of guide dogs.  Overall I think guide dog handers are more active 
than the general blindness opulation.  This is probably because 
the programs tend not to place dogs with people who don't go 
anywhere.

I can tell you that I took Monty to the dog park just yesterday.  
He got to run around, pee on things, sniff and visit with two 
other dogs.  It's too bad that both of the other dogs lacked good 
manners, which is the main reason most guide dog handlers avoid 
the dog park.  I think most do find friends/family with well 
behaved dogs for their guides to visit.  Also quite a few of us 
have other dogs at home.

I don't want you to misunderstand what it's like to have a guide 
dog from a small number of experiences.
Julie


Sent from my iPad

 On Nov 19, 2013, at 1:57 PM, barbandzoe at comcast.net wrote:

 I was thinking about why would the dog be doing what they are 
doing and not their job.  Well maybe he needs a bit of down time.  
Once or twice a week have someone walk the dog like a dog and not 
a guide, this way the dog can sniff and pee on  trees and even 
sniff a butt or two.  Can you do that with a guide dog, have 
someone else walk him on just a leash like a nonworking dog?  Or 
maybe he needs a play date with some dog friends a few times a 
month.  that way he can run off steam and play like a dog.
 I saw a fat lab guide dog yesterday and I felt so sorry for him, 
he didn't look very happy siting on the floor with his gentle 
leader on.  I was reading something that said blind people don't 
work the dogs enough to keep them at a healthy weight, and from 
what I see up here I almost believe them.


 barb

 ----- Original Message -----

 From: "Tami Jarvis" <tami at poodlemutt.com
 To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
 Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 1:10:15 PM
 Subject: Re: [nagdu] Lack of speed

 Barb,

 I've used a similar technique with Mitzi at times, although her 
usual
 problem is being too much of a speed demon.  /smile/ It can be 
done with
 a guide dog, supposing the blind handler can deal with the 
ground and
 stay oriented.  I also tried doing tight circles with her, like 
I might
 with a fractious horse, which is also not the best idea for a 
blind
 woman.  So I phased out both techniques, excpet for special 
occasions
 where the poodle is being super obnoxious and I know the ground 
and area
 well enough to use them safely.

 The trick with her is to bore her, which is what the turning 
back and
 forth accomplished with her.  Once I figured that out, I started 
just
 stopping her when she would slow down, then standing there in 
place.
 It's counterintuitive, but does work with her because that is 
boring.  So
 she will give in and graciously take me where I want to go at a 
decent
 speed.

 With her, it's coming home when she still wants to gallivant 
that slows
 her down.  So I can play her little game and jolly her along 
without
 missing appointments.  If schedule were more of a factor, I 
guess I could
 plan extra travel time...  I don't know how practical that would 
be for
 Jewel's si

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