[nagdu] Figuring out what I need in a dog

[Raven Tolliver]

Oooh! Get a golden!
Let me start off by saying a few things, then I'll rewrite your needs
in a way that flows well.
First, all of these dogs are going to be friendly, they should be
anyhow. Whether a dog greets people or not is up to you. You will be
the one to manage your dog and teach it self-control.
Second, most dogs, especially these ones, are trainable to small
tasks. I've trained out of control shelter dogs to pick up toys and
put them in a waste basket, and those dogs are far from guide dog
material for one reason or another. You can train a dog to do
anything, you just have to have patience and persistence, and be able
to gauge your dog.
Lastly, here is one way you could express what you need in a dog:
I need a dog that walks slowly, is energetic with an off switch, and
has low distractibility. I would like a dog that does not have a
strong food drive. Also, I need a dog that is comfortable with
university, city and country travel.
Hth.
--
Raven

On 3/3/14, Jewel <herekittykat2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
> As it gets closer to time to relinquish my current guide dog, Faye,
> back to the school, I am thinking about what kind of dog I need and
> want. Maybe you guys can help me figure out what to ask for.
> *I need a dog that doesn't get bored walking slow, but also doesn't
> get distracted at these slow speeds.
> *I need a dog that is trainable (to other small tasks, like standing
> still to help me stand up off the floor), but isn't overly food-driven
> *I need a dog that's soft enough to give me emotional support, but
> tough enough to handle city and university walking
> *I need a friendly dog, but one that isn't going to great everyone
> s/he comes across.
> *I need a  dog that will take city or country walks all in stride,
> particularly going off-trail hiking.
> *I need a dog with lots of energy for working around a university, but
> not so much energy that I can't relax on the weekend.
> Maybe I've just described what I need myself, but I don't know how to
> take that and write it in a way that makes real sense to instructors
> and the school. Any advice?
> Thank you all for your support and help so far. I don't know what I'd
> do without this group.
> Yours,
> Jewel
>
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-- 
Raven