[nagdu] On Zoos.

[GARY STEEVES]

Hi:

Something came up Monday when I was shooting a story for Accessible Media up on Grouse Mountain. I never really thought about it much but they hav  two grizzly bears up there in a large enclosure which is just surrounded by a fence. Me and my crew walked up to get a shot with the grizzly bear hut in the back ground. The bears were inside sleeping. Bogart didn't seem bothered  more than anywhere else up on the mountain. He was very excited and sniffing everywhere when opportunities arose as soon as we got to the top of the tram ride. As we got our camera set up the fellow who manages the bear habitat came over and told us to take the dog away. Our PR rep said he's a guide dog so he can go anywhere. The fellow pointed out that the bears weren't aware of that distinction and have charged the fence in the past. So my producer took Bogart 500 yards away while we shot our bit there.

I'm always advocating for taking my guide dog everywhere but had not thought of this issue. Remember the tiger who couldn't get out of his enclosure until he did and tracked down and killed it's taunters. (I kind of felt good for the tiger since, although it was killed, it's last action of it's captive life was to do what nature intended it to do which was hunt and kill. Perhaps a little darwinism going on there with it's taunters)

I probably would never take Bogart to the zoo anyway but now certainly would give some thought to what areas I might take him in. But like Laryy, why spend a day wrestling with your dog.

Gary

----- Original Message -----
From: Larry D Keeler via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: Valerie Gibson <valandkayla at gmail.com>, NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 13:24:23 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Re: [nagdu] On Zoos.

I think Holly could do it. However, I'm sure we'd have a hard time at those 
pens where the animals can come up. Not so much the big ones but the small 
ones. For esxample, I'm thinking of a little zoo in Lansing where they have 
a guinea pig colony behind a wire fence and several peacocks walking around 
the zoo free. There is also a little petting zoo with goats, sheep and other 
things in there. I'm also thinking about folks dropping animal food and 
human food. Holly could do it I think but, I sort of think unfair to her to 
set her up for a lot of corrections!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Valerie Gibson via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 3:13 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] On Zoos.


> You know I never thought of zoos when it came to training guide dogs.
>
>
> Now I kind of want to go to one with Zion and work with him.  I think the 
> most he'd do though is bark at the animals.
>
> Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't psychologically flood zion with zoo; we'd 
> go slow, but I would be very curious to see if he could eventualy handle 
> it as I've never thought about it before.
>
> Given that I'll be working with kids in the future, I'm sure zoos will 
> crop up somewhere. lol
>
>> On Nov 12, 2014, at 1:05 PM, Larry D Keeler via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
>> wrote:
>>
>> Well, if given a choice, I'd leave Holly at home. Too many distractions! 
>> Dropped food, lots of well meaning folks and of course other animals. 
>> Actually, everything at the zoo is intended not to get out and bother us 
>> humans. This also makes it safe dor dogs. Only thing that I'd be a little 
>> worried about is folks taking there dogs into the petting zoo. If the 
>> dogs are under control, it could be a great deal of fun. And, of course, 
>> you would need to control the dog. It bugs me for example when I see 
>> folks bring there dogs into the pet stores and they see the little 
>> rabbits or hamsters and the dogs go nuts! Even guide dogs! And, folks 
>> just seem to let them! I take Holly quite oftedn to pet stores on purpose 
>> so that we can practice control and proper behavior.
>> Larry D Keeler lkeeler at comcast.net Intelligence is always claimed but 
>> rarely proven!
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