[nagdu] Home alone

[Raven Tolliver]

Jack,
Yes, I agree that schools are putting out dogs at too young an age. I
chose the school I did for several reasons, one of them being that I
was guaranteed an adult dog.
However, crate training is important, no matter how old the dog is.
Dogs are den animals, so crating them is not a bad thing to the dog.
In the dog's mind, the downside to kenneling or crating is not that
you have closed them up, but that you have separated the dog from the
rest of the pack and their environment. Of course, crating is more
convenient for either dog or handler in some situations. If a dog gets
too overwhelmed or just wants to relax or retreat, the crate is his
safe haven. If we as handlers want to put our dogs in a secure place
where they can't get into trouble while we go out or just vacuum, the
crate is the perfect place for them.
Some people have dogs that they don't have to crate when they leave.
Perhaps you do. I do too, and it is a great thing. But when you are
dealing with a new dog, or a dog with puppy-llike behavior, you have
to deal with it until the dog grows out of those behaviors, and for
some dogs, it's possible that will never happen. Regardless, just as
there are places where it is inconvenient or inappropriate to take
children, there are places that are not best for us to bring our dogs.
Those places are dependent on each individual team and cannot be
predetermined by anyone. This is not like Tracy is going to work
everyday and shutting her dog up at home. She is going out for a nice
evening with her husband. I think it is very responsible of her to
assess the situation and decide that leaving her dog at home is the
best thing to do for her and her dog. It's better to read a post about
preventing undesirable behavior than it is to read one about a dog
getting into trouble.
-- 
Raven
You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you
have or what you do.

Naturally-reared guide dogs
https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs

On 2/27/15, Cindy Ray via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Buddy has made some good points here regarding the leving of dogs at home
> and the crating of them. Even in obedience classes it is suggested that dogs
> be placed in a crate out of the center of activity or when you will be gone
> for the dogs' safety and, sometimes, maybe your own. The dogs are still dogs
> no matter how well changed, and many of them have puppy-like activities for
> a very long time. Although those are sometimes annoying, they are endearing,
> and you wouldn't want their spirit trained out of them. They are crate
> trained so they can be placed in a crate to minimize risk. Boredom and a
> little separation anxiety can give thenm a lot of unnecessary and unwanted
> opportunity.
> As for when they are to be left, of course you don't want to get too
> frequent about it probably, but this is up to the person using that dog.
> Sometimes circumstances just either require it or make it easier. I never
> used to leave my dog; I do now more than I did because of some behaviors
> which I've worked on but which we have not had enough success in curbing. I
> don't take my dog to convention now because he doesn't get out in crowds
> much and now with all of the other dogs around and the change from a
> sedentary moment to a lot of activity over stimulate him and over stimulate
> people who misread his behavior as totally aggressive. He is crate trained
> and he likes his crate. I think it is sad to condemn people because they
> have to leave a dog at home and put it in a crate to protect it, and dogs
> are forgiving. Even when they would have rather not been in there, when you
> come home and let them out, they don't hold grudges, they don't judge, they
> don't complain. They just wiggle and wag and tell you how very glad they are
> to see you and life goes on.
> Cindy
>
>
>
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