[nagdu] Leash guiding WAS: re3 ,Age of Qualifying Guide Dogs

[Jenine Stanley]

To my knowledge, Guide Dog Foundation is the only school to formally teach leash guiding. We do so with many caveats. 

1. Leash guiding should only be used in familiar, preferable indoor areas or in extreme emergencies such as a harness breaking. 

2. Leash guiding should never be used to cross streets on a regular basis because when doing it correctly and efficiently, you are much closer to the dog’s shoulders, giving it less stopping time/distance. 

3. There are right and wrong ways to safely use leash guiding and if your dog wasn’t trained to do it, the process can cause more problems than it helps. Yes, many of you do use the leash to work your dogs and no one here is dead yet but is it the safest, most efficient way to work the dog? 

4. Leash guiding should never be used or at least should be used in conjunction with a harness being worn, when entering businesses, moving about a hotel or other public place. We say this because the public has a difficult enough time trying to tell what a real service animal is without the confusion of a dog simply on leash working. Yes, it’s perfectly legal and all that but sometimes just because a thing is so doesn’t make it right or easy. :) 

For me coming to GDf from Pilot Dogs, learning to work my dog using only the leash was the hardest part of class beyond the different harness feel. When done the way we teach it, you can leash guide through Manhattan crowds, not recommended but doable, without hitting anyone.
Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com

http://www.twitter.com/jeninems

On Feb 21, 2014, at 11:15 AM, Alyssa <alyssahenson95 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Leash guiding means the dog is working as a guide even out of harness. I've secretly allowed my girl to do this as it has helped me in many situations. I generally only do this indoors and not around stairs as LDB didn't train the dogs for this skill.
> Alyssa
> 
> Sent From My iPhone 
> 
>> On Feb 21, 2014, at 9:41 AM, Daryl Marie <crazymusician at shaw.ca> wrote:
>> 
>> I have never heard of the term "leash guiding".  Can someone tell me what this is, or what it entails?
>> 
>> Daryl and the sleeping Jenny
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Alyssa <alyssahenson95 at gmail.com>
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 08:38:11 -0700 (MST)
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] re3 ,Age of Qualifying Guide Dogs
>> 
>> I personally like the idea of leash guiding. In fact, when I was at LDB, Sophie girl did this often to keep me from hitting walls. LDB disapproved this method but I'm glad to see that doesn't apply to all the schools.
>> Alyssa
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Feb 21, 2014, at 8:09 AM, lizzy <lizzym0827 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Shannon,
>>> It's funny that you say that about the maturity level of your dogs because I've heard a similar comment from another GDF handler.  She said that in general, GDF's dogs are a bit better when it comes to manners and behavior.  She seems to believe that it has to do with GDF teaching their dogs more commands than other schools, and also leash guiding.  Has anyone else heard or seen this?
>>> Just curious,
>>> Lizzy
>>> 
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