[nagdu] picking breed, gender, and influences from others

Sat Jul 11 14:32:18 UTC 2015

I personally, being brutally honest about it, think that a first time user
shouldn't be picking and choosing breeds, they should be learning how to
live with and work a guide dog.
However, having said that I know I'll rustle feathers so I'll state the
proviso that it's just my opinion.  Pilot Dogs seems to be the only school
with six breeds, the other training programs have three theoretically and
less in practice--smile. I mean it's labs, goldens golden-lab crosses, and
shepherds, depending on where you go. There may be a boxer or Australian
shepherd thrown in or a collie or two, but things change over the years so I
can't remember which specific program that would be.

Dan's  honest opinion about wanting a specific breed the first time around
when you get a dog is: if you want that particular breed of dog go to the
humane society where you will be able to choose any breed.
I mean my first time around I heard every dog owner extolling their breed
and I kept thinking "oh a shepherd would be great", "a lab would be great"
oh " a golden would be great".--lol People even mentioned poodles to me, and
I I just like dogs so then I thought "Oh wouldn't a poodle be nice?"--lol
. But I knnew relatively little or nothing about using a guide dog
When you go to a training program your primary goal should be to obtain and
work with a guide dog. After you have had that experience a few years then I
take your desire for a specific breed more seriously and respect it more.
I can be pretty uncharitable when it comes to the guide dog programs but in
this case I tend to agree with them more.

The most common reason I have heard blind folks say they want a poodle is
because of dog hair. Well that is certainly your right...the right to want
something for  a specific reason, but will it be that easy to get? If you
want a poodle because you will have a melt down if a dog sheds, is a guide
dog right for you then?  Only you can answer that one, my opinion is no but
that is my opinion, which  though perhaps wrong, is mine and I have a right
to it--smile
If you or a family member has allergies, I mean real ones, not ones you are
making up because you want a specific breed, then I certainly cut you a lot
more slack and that could be  an answer. I just think that for a first-timer
to learn to work as a team with a dog and all that goes with it is taxing
enough without limiting the training program. They are using whatever breeds
of dogs, I presume, for a reason.

Dan the decisive--lol

.   

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J. via
nagdu
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2015 8:52 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Julie J.
Subject: Re: [nagdu] picking breed, gender, and influences from others

I can see both sides to the choosing your dog concept.  I have picked all of
my dogs because I have owner trained or had them privately trained.  Three
turned out great and one was a learning experience.  I don't think her breed

was the problem though.   She just really didn't want to be a guide dog. 
You wouldn't have that issue with a program though, or I'd hope not.

I am very picky with breed, gender and temperament.  With that said I still
have to be flexible.  This last time around I had wanted a red Doberman
male.  I ended up with a black Doberman female.  I guess you have to decide 
what you'll compromise on and what you won't.   To me focus and work ethic 
are of paramount importance.  Also my husband has mild allergies and 
requested a short haired dog.   I researched a ton and then some more first 
on breeds and then breeders.

But one of the huge benefits to going through a program is that they know
their dogs and should be able to  match you up with one that suits you. 
This eliminates a lot of time researching breeds, evaluating dogs and
learning what traits best suit your lifestyle.  They are supposed to be
making the dog choosing and matching process easier and less problematic for
you.

I still say the hardest part about owner training is picking the dog to
start with.  If you start with a solid dog, the training is still work, but
not a nightmare.  You can start with a mess of a dog and come out with a
guide.  It's just that the process will be exponentially more time consuming
and difficult.  If the program does a good job of selecting quality dogs and
matches them well, the rest will fall into place pretty handily.

All that said, if a poodle is what you want and no other dog will be quite
right and you'll always wish you had the poodle, then I say ask for the 
poodle.   If you're always wishing your lab was a poodle, you'll never be 
truly happy with your lab and the partnership and work will suffer.

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
-----Original Message-----
From: Raven Tolliver via nagdu
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2015 1:31 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Raven Tolliver
Subject: Re: [nagdu] picking breed, gender, and influences from others

As someone who was and will always be picky about breed, I agree that you
shouldn't pick a breed because it's cute. However, if you truly feel that a
certain breed's general temperament is more suited to you, I would make the
request.
Three years ago, I got my first guide dog, and I asked for a golden because
I have always appreciated how down-to-earth, compliant, and loyal they are.
The goldens I met who were pets were very low-key, very out-of-my-face, and
minded their own business in the house. Of course, I understand now that
some of that is crocked up to the family's training, but I think the breed's
ease of trainability plays a major role as well. And goldens are definitely
not as stubborn as other breeds used for guiding, which is a big plus in my
book.
I didn't have to explain the case for my choice to the school I attended. I
simply asked for a golden, and they obviously found that one of their
goldens was a perfect match for my pace, personality, and handling skills.
So if you think a certain breed is cute or cool-looking, don't request that
breed for that reason. Do research on the temperament, energy-level, and
behavioral tendencies of that breed to see if it will meld with your own
energy level, temperament, and personality.

To give a good example, I adore one of the most feared and hated breeds, the
pitbull. I love how slick their coat is, their musculature, their cute brick
heads, wide muzzles, ease of trainability, and willingness to please.
However, I will likely not have one as a pet up the road. Most of them are
extremely high energy, and the kind of smart that can get them in trouble.
Honestly, the last thing I need is a high energy dog in my house. They are
great to work with for a couple hours, but to live with that energy 24/7,
I'm not interested.

So if you think you want a particular breed, understand that it is okay to
be picky within reason. Also understand that requesting a certain breed
could mean a long wait time. The majority of guide dogs are labradors, and
when you decide on a different breed and go the guide dog program root, you
could be waiting a while. That was not the case for me, I applied in March,
and got into a June class. But that doesn't happen so soon for everyone.

Ask yourself why you want one breed over another. What specific behavioral
and temperamental traits do you like about poodles? What do poodles have to
offer that other breeds don't? Do you think you could work with a labrador
or another breed? Why or why not?
Those are just the questions I think you should ask yourself if you're
considering requesting a specific breed.
--
Raven
Founder of 1AM Editing & Research
www.1am-editing.com

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 7/10/15, Rachel Krieg via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi, Gerardo.
>
>
>
> It is best to always let the trainer decide what breed/gender of dog 
> you will get, in my opinion. Sure, you might get what you think you 
> want, but it might not be the right pace, pull, or personality. Just 
> because you think a specific breed is cute, doesn't mean the dog is 
> best suited to you. The school takes into consideration lifestyle, as 
> well as personality, pace, and pull of the dog and matches to the 
> handler accordingly.
>
>
>
> Not to mention, in my opinion, you shouldn't get a dog just because of 
> how you like the feel of its fur, or because it is cute.
>
>
>
> It is also critical to mention, you shouldn't get a dog just to prove 
> others wrong. I feel that a person should get a dog to enhance their 
> independence.
>
>
>
> With a poodle, there is a significant increase in cost, as you have to 
> have a full service groom done anywhere from 4-8 weeks.
>
>
>
> I'm not bashing you in any way, I'm just offering opinions from someone 
> who
> has worked dogs for 12 years, and I've seen poodles from the school I've
> gotten my prior dogs from. They're a lot of work, and aren't necessarily 
> as
> easy to manage for a first-timer, as they tend to have a temperament that
> can be difficult to manage. Of course, there are exceptions, but I feel if
> you do want the dog for you and to enhance your independence, you should 
> be
> less specific in what you need in terms to gender and breed. You can make
> your preferences known, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the ideal
> match will be the breed or gender you want.
>
>
>
> For my first dog, I secretly wanted a female black lab. After having to
> retire her, I didn't want another black lab, but I've always wound up with
> them. I've loved all of them, though, and I wouldn't trade the confidence
> and independence I've gained as a result for anything in this world.
>
>
>
> I hope this has shed some perspective on this matter.
>
>
>
> If you would like to email me off list, you can at:
>
> Rkrieg7583 at gmail.com
>
> Rachel and Lady the lovable lab
>
>
>
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