[nagdu] Dogs in the Dorms

Sat May 17 18:28:35 UTC 2014

Lizzy,

As you have probably already gathered from the replies so far, there are
many different answers to your questions, and what is best for you and your
dog will depend on you, your dog, the dorm, and policies about roommates
amongst several other factors.
Yes, I did let Lexia walk to the laundry room with me off leash, but that
was about it. Most of the rest of the time, when we went anywhere in the
dorm, she was on leash. When she was off leash, I mostly made her stay right
beside me. If she was not beside me, then she was sitting quietly waiting. I
developed commands for walking with her off leash, including one involving a
hand signal that means to move back to my side.
My freshmen year, I lived on the second floor, and the laundry room was in
the basement. I had to go outside and down two flights of stairs, so Lexia
did not always come with me. The laundry room was in a long, often deserted
hallway, so I sometimes took Lexia down there to run. I know that some
people may not agree with this, but I did not really have much of a choice.
There was nowhere outside that was safe for her to run off leash. My
sophomore through senior years, the laundry room was still in the basement,
but I did not have to go outside to get to it. There was either an elevator
or a staircase. Again, the laundry room was in a long hallway. There was a
computer lab and two study rooms on the hallway as well, but people did not
usually just hangout in the hallway. I always made sure that there was no
one coming or going before Lexia ran, and I listened for people while she
was running. Also, my room was at the other end of the hall as the door from
outside. Sometimes, on the way in, I would have Lexia stop and sit at the
end of the hall. Making sure that the coast was clear, I would go to my room
and call her, and she would come running to me.
Yes, I allowed others to interact with Lexia, but they had to ask first,
even when she was off leash. If we were in the hallway with other students
and some of them were playing with Lexia, I always monitored what was
happening with Lexia rather than just letting the other students play with
her.
No, I did not have a roommate. Unless you get to choose your roommate, I
would not have a roommate. Also, like Raven said, there's not really room
for two people and a dog. My freshmen year, I was in a one room double. They
took away the extra furniture with the exception of the second wardrobe,
which I used for dog stuff. I have a good amount of technology, too, so,
when you add the dog crate, there really would not have been room for a
second person. My sophomore through seniors years, I was in a one room
single. That room had a sink, which came in handy. If there is a particular
dorm that has sinks in the rooms, you might want to see if they will put you
in it.
If your dorm has an email list, you might consider sending the rules about
your dog to the list. If there is house meeting, you might consider
introducing yourself and your dog there.
Are you taking a crate? If not, then you should at least take a tie down. If
you want a crate, but don't want a big, clunky metal one, they sell
collapsible canvas ones. Even if you don't use it on a regular basis, it is
still good to have, and, if you leave it up, you will probably find that
your dog goes and lays in it without being told. You should also get a tray
for the food and water bowls. Do you have a collapsible water bowl or
something else for giving your dog water when you are out and about for a
long time? Will you be far from home? If so, you need to research what vets
are in the area in case of a medical emergency. You also might want to
research local puppy raising groups in case you ever need a dog sitter or
some other kind of help. I did leave Lexia with another student on one or
two occasions when I was going to be gone longer than her usual times
between doing business, but this is only something that you should do if you
are 100% sure that the person is going to take good care of your dog.

Vivanna,

	I an not sure what you meant by run around outside of the room, but
I certainly did not ever let Lexia just wander aimlessly. When she ran, I
knew what she was doing and had control over her. Honestly, how many people
have fed your guide dog without your permission? Very few people ask to give
Lexia food. I explain about the no human food and about only using certain
treats, and that is usually the end of it. If they want to give her a treat,
they give her one of the ones that have, and I don't always allow them to do
this. The only times that people give Lexia treats other than her own are at
the vet at the groomer, once at a bank where one of the employees was the
mother of one of my friends and gave Lexia a large milk bone, and when one
of the Safeway delivery drivers would bring dog treats. For me, in college,
a bunch of different played with Lexia, so she did not spend enough time
with one person to become attached to any one person. And, if that had
happened, I would have just asked the person to stop playing with Lexia.
This is another reason why getting a guide dog and then going to college
immediately is not a good idea; you don't have a good bond with your dog
yet. I want to hear more of the story about people trying to poison your
dog. Yes, you need to be careful, but you also need to try to let your dog
have a little bit of fun.

Nicole and Lexia

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Vivianna via
nagdu
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 4:02 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dogs in the Dorms

ok, just for another opinion.
if it were me. i would not be letting my dog run around outside of my room
at all.  and, i would not be letting everybody play with it either.
just the other day i heard this story.
a woman has a guide dog.  she lets a friend of hers play with the dog.  so,
the friend is coming over to pick up the guide dog handler to go to the
store.  when the woman opens the door of her house to go out and meet her
friend the dog bolts and pulls her down the stairs.
um.  not so good.
so, you live in a dorm, and, you let everybody play with your dog, and most
likely they are feeding it also whether you tell them not to or not,  now,
you are walking along on the way to class and the dog sees their buddy.
what if that dog becomes more interested in the friendly people who play
with it, feed it, pet it and never ever work it or correct it?
just some thoughts.
a dog is a dog, is a dog, and all that sure but, in my opinion, this dog's
first concern should be working for the handler.
and, recall that, at the schools, the halways and such are considered public
areas and you are not allowed to just let your dogs run around.
also, some people are not so nice.  has anybody on here had a poisoning
attempt on their dog yet?  i have.
you don't know what folks are doing to the dog.
i would treat a dorm the same way i would treat an apartment building.  dorm
room is home, everywhere else is public.
and, i would most definitely not turn my dog into other people's pet.
ok, so now go ahead and shoot me down.  lol.

Vivianna

On May 16, 2014, at 1:53 PM, Alyssa via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> I let others play with Sophie on my floor. I also took her in the hallway
to play. My advice would be if possible, get a room on the first floor. This
is easier in situations such as a dog not feeling well and needing to get
outside. Also, in the event of a fire alarm, it means less time for your pup
to deal with the noise and less chances for his paws to get stepped on by
others as they evacuate the building.
> Alyssa
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On May 16, 2014, at 9:05 AM, lizzy via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi All,
>> I will be moving into a college dorm this fall and just figured I'd ask
for advice/tips from any of you who have had guide dogs while living in
them.  Since I've never dealt with a situation like this, I'm open to any
advice, warnings, tips etc.  Here are a few questions that I've been
thinking about:
>> - Do you let your dog walk around the dorm off leash with you? Ex: While
you do some laundry your dog is sitting beside you but not necessarily on
leash.
>> - Did you allow interactions with others while in the dorms?
>> - Did you have a roommate? If so, was the dog an issue at all?
>> - I've already purchased a compact pet vacuum and a huge sealed container
for her food.  Are there any other extra supplies that I'll need to
purchase?
>> - Anything else that I should know or prepare before moving in?
>> I know it's a while away, and that ultimately I'll have to decide how to
handle these situations but I like to be prepared and it can't hurt to ask.
>> Thanks,
>> Lizzy
>> 
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