[nagdu] Ownership; what about other countries?

[Daryl Marie]

Viviana,
I've never once heard about not training a guide dog to relieve on-leash... so one just lets the dog free-run in the back yard and relieve?

Thankfully, BC/AB Guide Dogs did encourage fencing our yard, but that hasn't been in the budget.  During training, though, the trainer showed me the best way and place to relieve Jenny in the absence of a yard, as well has how to clean up after her.   She relieves on-leash with no problems... and relieving was one of the very first things we did during training... even before the trainer left for three days so that Jenny and I could bond.

Daryl
----- Original Message -----
From: Vivianna <irishana at gmail.com>
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Mon, 05 May 2014 15:35:53 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Ownership; what about other countries?

Hi Tracy,
well, i am certainly glad to read all you said.  you are the first i have heard of who did not confirm all i said.
and i have spoken with several folks.
i have seen lots and heard more.  i heard that you are not allowed to even get a guide dog unless you have a garden.  we call them yards here.  so, if you live in a flat you have to have a place to let the dog relieve itself because they do not train the dogs to relieve on leash.  also, they do not train the handlers to pick up after their dogs.
and, even more, the schools insist that you allow your dog to free run, say, in a park or something several times a week.
maybe you went to a different school than all these other people?  
i was planning on attending a weekend over there of blind folks and, the guide dog school is going to have a pen set up so that the staff of the hotel can take the guide dogs out and relieve them for the guests.
i am not making all this up, i promise, i am not.

Vivianna

On May 5, 2014, at 2:37 PM, "Tracy Lloyd" <tracy_lloyd at btinternet.com> wrote:

> Sorry, but this person is talking nonsense!
> 
> I live in the UK and disagree with everything this person says below.
> 
> First of all, yes you can, if you don't have the means to pay, have food paid for by the association if you wish too, it's personal choice, and most owners either pay for their own food, or contribute to it if not.  We also can, if we wish, have vet bills paid for, but many owners don't and pay them themselves.  I pay for all of my dog's food, both for my working dog and my retired one, and so does my husband.  We've chosen to feed a food of our choice, no problem at all with that, we also choose our own vets to take the dogs too.
> 
> Next, that is utter nonsense regarding us being told when to retire our dogs, and total and utter crap that they are taken away on retirement!  We are not told when to retire our dogs, it's a joint decision between owner and a GDMI on aftercare.  If a dog retires and the owner can't keep it for whatever reason, then the asociation will find a home for the dog, thatis the owner's choice, and the owner has input in to the type of family they'd like for their dog.
> 
> regarding dogs being badly behaved? god knows what you are on about with that, certainly, like with most programs, there are dogs who are badly handled out there, but it's certainly nothing like you portray in your message below.  My Hubby and I have had 4 fantastic dogs each, since 1986, all of them have had excellent behaviour.  My current dog is a German Shepherd who  is almost 9, her work is faultless and her behaviour is  of the hhighest standard.
> 
> I can not believe someone could write such a damning message, see below, which is totally untrue and unjust.  I rarely write, but on this occasion, I felt I must put the record straight!
> 
> Regards,
> 
> tracy from the UK.
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: Vivianna
> Sent: Monday, May 05, 2014 5:04 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] Ownership; what about other countries?
> 
> all this talk of ownership and the policies of different schools has me wondering about other countries.
> i know that, in the UK not only do they give you the dog, all its food for life, all the vet bills for life, board if you go out of town, and who knows what else but, they tell you when to retire the dog and come and take it from you when they say it's time to retire the dog.
> i know many many folks there have guide dogs simply because it's a free deal.  the ones that i have seen were extremely misbehaved in my opinion. jumping on people, barking, running around at the end of the leash.
> i will venture to say that blind folks here in the states, and even in canada are leaps and bounds ahead of most of the world in the independence department.
> sure, it's nifty to have everything pertaining to the dog and it's care given to you for free but, i'd rather pay for everything on my own and make my own decisions on how to feed my dog, what vet to take her to, etc.
> i know, i know, yet another contraversial topic.  smiley.
> 
> Vivianna
> 
> 
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