[nagdu] differences between service dogs and pets

[Julie J.]

My pets have always been at a pretty high level of obedience/manners, at
least since I was the one training them, excepting the one insane Beagle you
guys have heard horror stories about.  For me the main difference between my
dogs who have been guides is the time commitment.  I spend more time
grooming, on practice, on reinforcing skills and I go out when I have no
errands or reason to go anywhere, but to ensure the dog gets to work.

My guides have been more expensive, but that is because I owner trained
them.  I suspect the cost would have been about the same had I chosen a
program.  I can't really say my pet dogs, when I've been an adult, have had
any lower behavior expectations than my guides.   I was one of those people
who took my dogs to friends homes, to the park, to the pet store, to the
city fireworks display, to just about every place a dog could go.  My
Springer Spaniel even went with me for my senior pictures.

Julie
Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now
available! Get the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
Visit my new website on developing courage and living authentically:
http://www.falling-up.com
-----Original Message----- 
From: Buddy Brannan
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 1:34 PM
To: Julie J. ; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] differences between service dogs and pets

I wouldn’t say that. Our pet dog doesn’t get table scraps…umm, except that
Melanie sometimes gives her potato chips. Me, never.

I’d say the primary difference is behavior expectation. A service dog that
you will be taking into public places has to behave well in public. It’s
nice if pet dogs have that level of behavior, but since mostly they’re at
home, I think the attention to detail as far as expected behavior. A pet’s
behavior expectations aren’t generally as strict, simply because they don’t
have to be. That may mean different things to different people i guess, but
to me, it just means that my dog has to be under control in the areas it is
expected to be in. For pets, that’s mostly at home, at the vet, etc.,
whereas a service dog is expected to maintain more people-friendly behaviors
in more kinds of places, especially where people aren’t necessarily dog
friendly.

—
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name



> On Feb 25, 2015, at 1:21 PM, Julie J. via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> So I'm getting that the perception is that pets are generally misbehaved, 
> are spoiled and fed from the table?  this is facinating to me.  I would 
> have thought that service dogs require more time or  more expense?
>
> Julie
>
>
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