[nagdu] New job, Cagney can't be with me

[Dailyah Patt]

Hi Debbie,

You're certainly not a bad person!!!  I know of someone with a SD (sighted) who worked in a prison guard tower...another long shift where they certainly weren't able to just stroll off on break.  Like your situation, there was a toilet that allowed them to still have sight of the yard, access to the phones and all that stuff.  Employers can deny a dog by saying its presence would fundamentally alter the nature of the business and for a few other reasons, but since nobody else has suggested this - I'll tell you what the prison guard did.  Usually the dog was able to hold it for an entire shift, but sometimes not...and really, holding it all in for that long isn't all that healthy if the dog does actually need to go - so they taught the dog to go on those puppy wee pads and then kept some up in the tower.  It didn't distract from duties particularly to toss down a pad, let the dog go and then pick it up and toss it.  IIRC, the person also took a
 little can of air freshener in case it was a #2, just because there wasn't much air flow and the poo couldn't be truly thrown away until they went off shift - but it might be a work around that could work for you and you might consider suggesting it to the employer.  Personally, training to go on all surfaces includes wee pads in my case.  On some international flights, that's been our ONLY option.  I've not yet had a dog who could hold it for 15 hours unless I'd withheld food and water, so I finally decided that while wee pads aren't exactly wonderful, they're better than nothing!!!

Dailyah