[nagdu] wearing a harness.

[Cindy Ray]

Viviana, I agree with you that the dogs should wear their harnesses when
they are guiding in public places. I think your vision there is a little on
the dramatic side. Not sure that most of these people are handing out treats
to their pets while leash guiding. But I do think that even if we are
allowed to take our guide without harness, it is better clarification for
the rest of the public and that it is the more respectful thing to do with
respect to the law. We don't have to show IDs, we don't have to have the dog
in harness, and we don't have to say much about what the dog does. I do
think though that if we were to get into a habit of taking the dog around
just in leash, since so many people are bent on having their pets with them,
and since sometimes it may be a little hard anyway to determine who is a pet
and who is a service dog, the time will come when we will have to have the
dogs in their harness/gear and will have to show id. Of course the time may
come when you can just take your pet anywhere, too, so the opposite could
happen.

Cindy


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Vivianna via
nagdu
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2014 7:47 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] wearing a harness.

OK, it may not be the law that a guide dog has to wear a harness however, i
respectfully strongly disagree that folks should just take their dogs around
on a leash in public.  
i am a college graduate myself and spent 4 years on a university campus
working my dog, in harness.  it's a huge place with, traffic, busses,
stairs, ramps, bicycles, paths going off in all directions, etc.  i often
had to walk a mile between classes and, sometimes had to take a bus to the
next class.
all of us on here know that, the public recognizes a guide dog by the
harness.
we are encountering more and more folks taking their pets around and saying
that they are service dogs.
allowing your dog to act like a pet during guide work is, IMO, not helping
those of us who use our dogs as guides.  
guiding on a leash, while possible, is not the recommended way to work a
guide dog.  just ask any school.
you can most definitely not feel the movements of the dog nearly as well as
in a harness.
man, all i can envision is a bunch of folks deciding that harnessing up is
not necessary.  next thing, i will be in a store or restaurant, or, even at
a national convention with a bunch of dogs, guides or not, on leashes, their
owners feeding them treats and never giving them a correction for anything.
yuck!

i am proud to be a woman with a harnessed up guide at my side; Vivianna


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