[nagdu] Willingness to work and gender

[Shannon Dyer]

Hi, Brandy.

I've worked one male and two females. Caroline, my second dog, was the most assertive. Acelet's ability to be assertive has grown along with his confidence as a guide.

I don't know if there's one right answer to your question. Maybe it's a combination of a bunch of things: the changing environment, softer dogs, our personal needs and preferences, and a lot of other things I can't figure out.

I got my first dog in 1997. It seemed the dogs were a little tougher then, but then, that could have just been the dogs I knew. It's really hard to say.

Shannon and the Acelet
On Mar 3, 2014, at 7:49 AM, "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net> wrote:

> Hi Brandy.
> New York is tough.  Not all dogs can make it here.  Like the song says "If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere."
> Which isn't actually true for dogs--my Ben enjoys working in the City, and finds quieter places a bit dull and not the most interesting use of his superpowers.
> 
> I also had a dog decide he couldn't work in the big bad City, about 25 years ago.  He was male, and the female I got after him was a lot tougher.  On the other hand, the best dog I ever had was a male.  He was cautious of my safety, but not the least bit timid.
> 
> I have heard many trainers say that traffic is worse than it used to be. I've heard many handlers say that a lot of schools are putting out softer dogs.  I have heard people say schools aren't breeding tough-minded city dogs anymore, but TSE definitely is--I've got one.  Really, I wouldn't mind a dog who's a bit easier to handle, but, if I really must choose between easy and the ability to take Manhattan in stride, with all its crowds and traffic, I'll have to choose the latter. <Sigh>
> 
> Ben is a lot like my first dog, my college dog.  She worked in the Twin Cities, and on campus, and she didn't bat an eye at anything.  I got her in 1980.
> Tracy
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brandy Pinder" <bdpinder at gmail.com>
> To: "the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2014 12:08 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] Willingness to work and gender
> 
> 
>> I have been pondering.
>> Two years ago I received a poodle who after about six months showed signs of not wanting to work. He wouldn't approach curbs or objects as closely as I prefer and would stop walking in harness but as soon as I removed the harness he would walk, put it back on and he would stop. When I worked with a trainer he said the dog didn't look scared just didn't seem to want to go. I contributed it to the fact that he was a poodle and I live in new York city and travel on subways for long commute's daily. A few months after retiring him I had a friend from another school with a four year old lab have to retire her dog for the same reasons. Just recently I have spoken to someone else with a retriever that also did this. They were all males and despite what trainers say I feel that all my males have not been as forceful or confidant in guiding. They seem to suggest things whereas my females have always had this, hey dummy pay attention we are going this way attitude. However, I did no someone else who retired a female for the same reasons. Also, two of the people who's dogs decided they didn't want to work lived in urban areas and not the city. My question for the long time handlers is was this as prevalent twenty years ago. I have had dogs for fourteen years and haven't noticed this phenomenon until recently, but maybe it did happen and and I wasn't aware. I don't mean dogs not wanting to work at seven or eight, I mean three or four. Is it because our environment is crazier and people who are blind are more busy and active? Or is it because schools need to breed softer dogs for their grads for good and various reasons such as physical reasons and the public not understanding corrections? I love an easier dog to handle but is this softness interfering with work. Pinta can be a handful but i prefer some dog distractions over stopping in the middle of interections. Im not trying to start a war just wondering if this happened twenty or thirty years ago. It's just strange to me that all the dogs were different breeds living in different environments all from different schools. And for people who have had multiple dogs what is your feelings on breed? It could be total coincidence that my males were all more subtle and females more obvious. Both worked with enthusiasm but my males were just more subtle.
>> 
>> brandy pinder
>> Alumni Council -  second vice Chairman
>> Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc®
>> and America's VetDogs®, The Veteran's K-9 Corps Inc®
>> Providing "Second uSight"® since 1946
>> 
>> 371 E. Jericho Turnpike smith town ny 11766
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