[NAGDU] Leading Music with a Guide Dog

[Tami Jarvis]

Julie,

Both of my poodles are velcro dogs like yours. I've done a bit of 
training to tone them down, but it's not really a problem for me since I 
don't do things that require walking away from them much.

Ruffwear does make an adjustable hands-free leash, so you can fit it 
around your waist. I don't like the over-the-shoulder hands-free style, 
so I use the Ruffwear one, mostly for leisure walks using my cane. Mine 
is long, but if I recall, they have shorter lengths, too. I think it's 
called the Ridgeline. The Roamer leash also has the adjustable 
hands-free feature, and it stretches so the dog can move around more 
without pulling hard on your waist. I don't know if that would be a good 
thing or a bad one while you're directing and want to move around.

That's about all I know. Congratulations on getting closer to your goals!

Tami

On 02/08/2018 03:17 PM, Julie McGinnity via NAGDU wrote:
> Hi friends,
> 
> This week I'm filling in for our music director at church.  It's such
> a great experience, but my dog and I need to find a way that will
> allow me to conduct the choir comfortably that works for him as well.
> Since I think I may want to do this as a career, I want to have a
> method in place that makes me and Bill happy.
> 
> My dog doesn't react well when he can see me but not get to me.
> Putting him on tie-down, for example, while I go across the room and
> rehearse with a group makes him a little crazy.  It got to the point
> at which I had to keep him in my professor's office while I rehearsed
> with my opera class in grad school.  He used to bark and do everything
> and anything so that I would return to him.  Now, he has gotten a lot
> better over the years.  Last night at rehearsal, I put him under a
> chair right next to my friend who held the leash for me.  He was in
> the first row, maybe five feet from where I stood conducting.  He did
> well enough, and my friend had no problem with him, until about
> half-way through the rehearsal when he got up and decided he would
> come back to me.
> 
> So, you can understand why I may not feel comfortable putting him with
> someone else or on tie-down.  On the other hand, I don't want to be
> stepping on his leash either.  I don't feel as free to move when I am
> on the dog's leash.
> 
> Have any of you ever directed choirs or other musical groups?  What
> did you do with your dog?  What would you do?  Would you take the risk
> and leave the dog with the friend under the chair?  I have a
> hands-free leash, but it's too large for my waste.  I would have to
> fix it up a little to fit me, and I'm afraid I would look ridiculous
> up there with a leash around my waste.  Hopefully, I can buy a
> hands-free leash that is as unabtrussive as possible and fits a very
> small waste size.  :)
> 
> Thanks for any ideas you might have!
> 
> O, and Billy Bob appreciates this too!
> 
> 
>