[NAGDU] questions about working with a guide dog

[Scott Wilson]

Hi Madison. To answer your question, yes all guide dogs PULL. But don’t worry, you will go through something called a Juno walk which will assess how much PULL and how fast you walk. This information will be used to match you with the perfect dog for your likes and dislikes. Pulling into the harness is important for a guide dog. This makes for a good pathway for communication to travel through your arm and through the harness. You will be able to feel cues that your dog is giving with body language and your dog will feel cues from you with body language as well. Once your dog pulls in the harness and tugs you along a little bit, it will become natural movement for you. It will take a little bit of time to get used to it but it is an amazing feeling. It’s not like a dog that pulls on a leash, it is a controlled pool. You will be able to feel all of the movements your dog is making including their head turning left, right and even downward. Wishing you much luck and tails up!

> On Jan 13, 2022, at 1:59 PM, madison.martin2000--- via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> Please forgive me for asking what are most likely obvious and posibly
> stupid/weird questions, but do all guide dogs pull when working; and if so do
> they do it all the time or only when they need to get the handler away from
> danger? If all trained guides pull all of the time when in harness is it posible
> to train them not to pull? I ask because I don't have a lot of upper body
> strength and I hate being pulled by a dog. Look forward to any thoughts that
> anyone can provide me! Thanks
> Madison
> 
> 
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