[nagdu] Changing my Petting Policy

Kristen kskristen at gmail.com
Wed Apr 30 13:19:54 UTC 2014


I agree with you completely; I'm having trouble understanding the 
changing the name thing.  My family calls Corvette Cory for 
short, and he has already starting coming to that.  You wouldn't 
want to confuse them more with a totally different name.  And, as 
you said, the dog would still know someone is talking to it.  You 
still can give the correct name, but politely ask them not to 
talk to your guide, which will educate them at the same time.

--
Kristen


----- Original Message -----
From: "Nicole Torcolini" <ntorcolini at wavecable.com
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Tue, 29 Apr 2014 19:31:55 -0700
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Changing my Petting Policy

Honestly, I don't get the name game.  If you talk to or about a 
dog, the dog
is smart enough to know, regardless of if the name is used.  
Furthermore, as
others have already pointed out, it only takes the dog so long to 
figure it
out if you use another name.
When people ask about the name of your dog, they are not trying 
to make
trouble.  If you think that the person is going to use the name, 
then you
could say something like, "My dog is named ..' but please don't 
talk to
him/her." Some people are going to talk to your dog regardless of 
what you
say or if you give the name.  I would rather give the name and 
have to
explain to the person than not give the name; otherwise, people 
will never
learn.  I have told a lot of people that my dog is named Lexia, 
many of whom
were complete strangers who I probably will never see again, so 
it does not
really matter.  Only a few of the people with whom I interact on 
a regular
basis talk to Lexia, and they only do it when I say it is okay to 
talk to
her or when she is not in harness.
I usually let people pet Lexia in harness if they ask.  Luckily, 
I have not
had too many people try to pet her without asking.  I usually do 
not let
people pet her if we are standing up, especially if we are about 
to go
somewhere any minute.  When people pet Lexia, she is in a sit or 
preferably a
down position, and she stays by me.  I do not allow her to crawl 
toward the
person who is petting her.  If she does, then I gently pull her 
back.  If the
behavior continues, then the visiting session is over.
I don't really like little kids petting Lexia, particularly the 
ones who get
excited as soon as they see her.  However, on occasion, I do hear 
the
opposite where the child tells the parent that it is a working 
dog and not
to bother it, which I find quite amusing.
I used to have a sign to the harness handle.  I don't remember 
what it said.
It did not really help.  The people who want to pet your dog are 
going to pet
you dog regardless of if there is a sign, so the best that you 
can do is ask
them not to pet your dog and do something, such as move away, if 
they don't
listen.  You can also try to train your dog to ignore people.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Darla 
Rogers
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 6:24 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Changing my Petting Policy

Dear Rox'e,

	Thank you so much for sharing a whole different perspective 
on
petting and setting up  one's dog to respond to what you need and 
not what
you don't, and it surely helps to have cooperative coworkers who 
understand
and support what you are doing.
Darla & Happy Huck


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of The 
Pawpower Pack
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 10:19 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Changing my Petting Policy

I have never given a false name for my dogs.  I would think 
they'd just hear
me cueing my dog using her real name and would know it anyway.  
Also, I'd
probably forget and give different names to the same person.  
lol.
Part of the work I do with my dogs is setting they up for this 
exact
situation.  If someone calls Laveau's name and she does not know 
them well,
she will ignore it.  If she knows them, she will let me know that 
someone we
know is calling her and I can choose to have her take me to them 
or just go
on our way.
Soleil is learning the same skills, and my friends, coworkers and
interpreters help me by setting up situations like are being 
described.
Since I can't hear, I can't police Soleil's interaction with the 
public like
a hearing person.  I have to trust my dog to be able to work 
through
distractions like that.

 Rox and the kitchen Bitches:
Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
Pawpower4me at gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone

 On Apr 29, 2014, at 9:35 AM, "Larry D.  Keeler" 
<lkeeler at comcast.net
wrote:

 Have not changed my pet policy.  I'll tell folks I know her name 
and
sometimes I'll take her harrness off so she can interact with 
others.
However, I usually ignore folks whom I don't know.  I don't make 
up names
often although I have been known to.
 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Raven Tolliver"
 <ravend729 at gmail.com
 To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users"
 <nagdu at nfbnet.org
 Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 10:23 AM
 Subject: Re: [nagdu] Changing my Petting Policy


 Oh yes! It annoys me to no end when people ask what my dog's 
name is.
 I just tell them his name is K, or the most comical one I've 
been
 using is Celestial Seasonings.  Got the idea from a woman whose
 golden's name is Lipton.  So cute.  But I tell people Celestial
 Seasonings, and no one is inclined to even call him.  Probably 
'cause
 they know I'm bs-ing them.  Most of my acquaintances and 
classmates
 here on campus don't even know the Golden Guy's name.

 On 4/29/14, minh ha <minh.ha927 at gmail.com> wrote:
 I was very strict about not letting anyone pet Viva when I first
 came home with her, but I've relaxed my stance since then.  
Obviously
 I don't let anyone touch her when we're working, but if we're 
just
 sitting somewhere and someone asks to pet her, I will generally 
let
 them.  I do tell them that if she gets too excited, then the 
meet and
 greet is over.  it's also  a great way for me to teach her
 self-control and obedience since I'll make her lay down and 
stay.

 Minh

 On 4/29/14, The Pawpower Pack <pawpower4me at gmail.com> wrote:
 With Soleil, I have used petting as a practice time for self 
control.
 She
 loves people, and right at first, I knew that I was going to 
just
 have to restrict all petting, or use the petting as an exercise.
 Since I'm Deafblind, people tend to just pet because they are 
not
 getting my attention with me by asking unless I'm with a hearing
 person.
 So if I have time to allow petting, I first tell her down.  I 
tell
 the person wanting to pet that she can only be pet in a down and
 that if she gets up, they are to stop, I thank them for helping 
me
 with her training, so they feel good.  They pet her and then in 
mid
 pet I ask her to come away and touch my hand and click and 
treat.
 She is a lab, so would rather eat than lay and get petted.  And 
her
 getting up ends the session.  If people pet without asking she 
will
 turn to me.
 My coworkers and friends also help in this exercise as well.
 Because I'm Deafblind and a lot of my friends are deafblind, and 
I
 work with deafblind children, she has to learn to be touched
 without coming unhinged with joy.  Deafblind people are a pretty
 tactile lot and if a deafblind child has never seen a guide dog,
 they can look at her-- with their
 hands--
 and learn.  So far, Soleil's doing really well!

 Rox and the kitchen Bitches:
 Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
 Pawpower4me at gmail.com
 Sent from my iPhone

 On Apr 29, 2014, at 6:41 AM, "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com> 
wrote:

 Generally I just say, "No, but thank you for asking." I smile 
and
 make it seem like them asking was a wonderful thing.  Then I 
move
 on.  Standing there will encourage a discussion or debate or
 whatever, moving on indicates that you don't want to discuss 
your
 no petting rule and it also reinforces that you need to get 
stuff
 done and don't have time for petting.

 I do allow petting on occasion.  If I do I let the person know
 it's up to Monty if he wants to be petted.  I give Monty his
 release cue and let him approach if he wants.  Usually he will
 give the person a perfunctory sniff and he's done.  Every now 
and
 then he will back away from the person, which is kind of
 embarrassing, but they get it that he doesn't want to be petted.
 He's not very into meet and greet with people though, so this
 works.

 Last week I was in the grocery store and there was a Mom with
 about four kids.  The kids wanted to pet Monty and asked their
 Mom.  Usually parents just say the dog is working and leave it
 alone, but this Mom went on a complete tirade.  I thought the 
kids
 were perfectly well behaved in asking their Mom first if they
 could approach me to ask if they could pet, but Mom really lit
 into them.  Then she was on to another topic and how horrible 
the
 kids were and on and on  and on.  So about four isles later I
 asked one of the kids if he would like to pet the dog.  It made
 the kids day.  I can't remember the last time I've offered 
petting
 to a kid, but I really felt bad for them.

 When I talk to people about guide dogs or if I'm doing a
 presentation or something, I always stress that dogs are 
different
 and people are different, but asking is always okay.  the answer
 might be no but politely asking and respecting the answer is 
good.
 It's interesting that I rarely have issues with kids.  It's 
adults
 that have issues with self control.

 Julie


 -----Original Message----- From: Darla Rogers
 Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 1:36 AM
 To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users'
 Subject: Re: [nagdu] Changing my Petting Policy

 Thank you Raven and Michael; I believe, and several others have
 also states this practice, just not to allow it while we are out
 working.
 I don't owe the general public anything; if they want to pet a
 dog, the shelters are crying for volunteers to socialize their
 dogs; on the other hand, if it raises money for my school.  
<tongue
 firmly in cheek> Very Gratefully, Darla & Handsome Huck


 -----Original Message-----
 From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
Michael
 Hingson
 Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 12:40 AM
 To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users'
 Subject: Re: [nagdu] Changing my Petting Policy

 Hi,

 I do not permit anyone to pet Africa while she is in harness.  
If
people
 want to pet her and I have the time I will remove her harness 
and
 then allow petting.  If I do not have time I politely explain 
that
 while the harness is on she is working and cannot be petted and
 that I do not have time to remove it now.  Especially when 
people
 go along with my wishes I thank them very much.  If people still
 insist on petting Africa I will get more stern.


 Best,


 Michael Hingson

 -----Original Message-----
 From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Darla
Rogers
 Sent: Monday, April 28, 2014 10:22 PM
 To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
 Users
 Subject: [nagdu] Changing my Petting Policy

 Hi everyone,



              The Handsome Huck is a people magnet and peo9ple 
are
 magnets for him; there is some petting--last time going through 
a
 revolving door--and I used to let him sit and be petted, but I
 don't believe
this
 is
 in the best interest of our working relationship?

              Any ideas?  Strategies?  Explanations?

 Darla & Mister Socialite





 Darla J.  Rogers

 djrogers0628 at gmail.com



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 --
 "All men dream, but not equally.  Those who dream by night in 
the
 dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it 
was
vanity:
 but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act 
on
 their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." T.  E.  
Lawrence

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 --
 Raven

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