[nagdu] Need advice on dog retirement planning

Sat Jul 19 23:50:45 UTC 2014

As I am on my first guide dog, I have not had to retire a dog, but I have
certainly started thinking about, and I know several people who have retired
guide dogs, some of whom had problems with the process and/or with the
people who took the dog.
Lexia's retirement plan was already made before I got her. According to GDB
rules, if she retired within the first year, her puppy raiser could take her
if that person wanted, but she did not retire, so this did not have to be
considered. When Lexia retires, she will go to live with my parents, which
is the best for everyone. I lived at home with my parents for several months
after I got Lexia, so my parents are to Lexia kind of like grandparents are
to a kid. I would be able to ask them how she is doing as often as I want
without them getting annoyed, and I would see her when I went to visit. If
there was something that was not going well, they would talk to me about it,
and I would be able to give my input without being afraid that they would
stop communicating with me. My mother also knows Lexia's medical history. My
parents know how a guide dog lives, and that certain things that typical pet
dogs do, such as eat table scraps and run loose in the neighborhood, would
not work for her. Finally, my father works, but my mother does not, so there
will be someone to stay home with Lexia. Of course, Lexia would stay home
when my mother went shopping, but it would not be like she would be alone
for eight or more hours straight, five days a week.
In summary:
1. It is best if it is someone that the dog knows at least a little. Yes,
they can get used to new people, but don't you think that they have gone
through the "live with a stranger" thing enough times in their life already?
2. Decide how much you are going to want to communicate with the person who
takes your dog, and make sure that that person is okay with that.
3. If it is someone who is not a family member or good friend, try to have
some sort of agreement on you providing input on the dog. My friend retired
a dog and gave it to a family. The dog liked to sniff and walk slow when the
family took the dog for a walk, but the family wanted to walk fast, so they
stopped taking the dog with them on walks. As a result, the dog became
overweight. My friend did not say anything because my friend did not want
the family to stop letting my friend visit the dog. Finally, the vet told
the family that they had to do something different.
4. If your dog has any outstanding medical conditions and/or any medical
history that would just be good to know, make sure that you tell whomever
gets the dog.
5. Make sure that whoever takes the dog understands how the life of a guide
dog is different from the life of a pet, including, but not limited to, (for
most guide dogs) eating primarily kibble and dog treats, not having the
experience of running loose, and not being left home alone for a long time
on a regular basis.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
via nagdu
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2014 6:26 AM
To: Alysha; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Need advice on dog retirement planning

Hi Alysha.
I too am getting ready to retire a dog.  My husband and I frequently work
from home, so we can keep Ben.  One of us can go into the office while the
other stays home with him.
A couple dogs back, we kept my old dog and hired a dogwalker to come in at
lunchtime.  She took Amba out and walked around the neighborhood with her. 
The dogwalker's grandmother worked at the nearby bakery, so the gal took
Amba over there sometimes to get a bit of cookie. Amba was very popular.
We interviewed several dogwalkers before picking the one we did.  One guy
almost hit Amba with the door when he was taking her out.  He seemed very
careless of her welfare, so we didn't pick him.

I have heard some people say that guide dogs are not used to staying alone
every day, and that seems true.  However, Amba did not seem to mind, so far
as I could tell, and to be content with getting a good walk around
lunchtime. You know your dog, and how he feels about being alone.

Your family's place sounds like a good alternative, too, but I'd be wary of 
placing your dog where there is an aggressive dog.   My mother had a bitch 
who decided she hated black labs after one came in the yard when she had
pups.  Most of the time, Kate was really nice, but she would unexpectedly go
after my black lab on occasion.  Luckily, I wasn't living there, just
visiting, but I always had to be cautious.
HTH.
Tracy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alysha via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 6:23 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Need advice on dog retirement planning

> Hi,
>
> I unfortunately think the time is approaching when it will be best for my
> first guide, Hammer, to retire. He's still healthy, but I've noticed him
> slowing down a lot and becoming more hesitant and less enthusiastic when 
> he
> works. Sometimes, I take him for walks off harness with a sighted guide, 
> and
> he seems to enjoy these outings much more than he does when he has to 
> work.
> So I'm evaluating my options for what to do when he retires, and I was
> hoping those of you who have gone through this process before could share
> how you decided your dog's retirement plans and how it worked out.
>
>
>
> I've always wanted to keep Hammer for his entire life. I think it would 
> make
> the process of getting a successor dog a lot less emotionally draining for
> me, and he would be able to stay in a familiar environment with me. I know
> with me he will always eat the best food and get the best vet care 
> possible.
> He is very laid back, and I honestly don't think he would be upset seeing
> another dog working with me. But I have a full-time job, so he would be
> alone all day. I would likely have to get a dog walker to come in the 
> middle
> of the day because he is a frequent reliever. I live in a condo, so I 
> don't
> have a yard or lots of space for him to run and play. I have two pet 
> birds,
> and I'm afraid I might be spread a little thin with having the two birds 
> and
> two dogs.
>
>
>
> My aunt and uncle have expressed interest in adopting Hammer after he
> retires. They're huge animal lovers, have a ton of land in Nebraska, and 
> my
> aunt owns her own accounting business so could take Hammer to the office
> with her to hang out during the day. After my grandfather passed away, 
> they
> took care of his elderly dog and were quite patient and good with him 
> until
> he also passed away. She has a new rescue dog now though who acted
> aggressively toward Hammer and made him very nervous on our last visit. 
> I'm
> not sure if the dogs would get used to each other or if it would be a
> continuing problem. I live in Virginia, so I can't really work on
> introducing them over time. I know another great family who might be
> interested in adopting Hammer after retirement, but they work full-time, 
> so
> Hammer would be alone during the days there too.
>
>
>
> I just want to do what's best for Hammer, but I'm having a tough time
> figuring out what that might be! So I'd love to hear your experiences and
> any advice anyone might have about this huge decision. Thanks for reading!
>
>
>
> Alysha
>
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