[nagdu] The Breed or the Dog

[Sherry Gomes]

I absolutely agree with you. Due to my special needs and the long wait for
the right dog, I can't be breed specific, but if I could, I would get on the
waiting list for a golden. I can argue the positive things about labs all
day, but what it comes down to is that if you have a strong desire for
particularly things in a dog and a particular breed, you should get it.
Years ago, when GDB still had goldens, I wanted one so bad, but I always
told myself that the things I need in a dog for my situation were more
important, so I would be happy with whatever I got. And I was. But I wanted
a golden so bad. So I went for retraining in the fall of 1990, and since I
always went to a regular class, so the dog could adjust to my needs, I went
through the usual stuff. Every time the instructors asked me what I wanted
in a dog, I gave my standard answer of, well, you know what I need and you
know the dogs, so I'll be happy with whatever you choose. But my roommate
must have spilled the beans, because on one of the last Juno workouts, one
of the instructors told me to come out and say what I wanted. She said
something like, come on, if there was a dog that had all the qualities you
need and was your breed of choice what would you want. I hemmed and hawed,
afraid saying it out loud would make it hurt if it didn't turn out. But I
finally whispered that I really wanted a golden retriever. And on dog day, I
got Stephie, pronounced Steffie, my sweet gentle golden girl. She was
everything I'd hoped and more. Since then, it was often a year or more on a
waiting list for a golden at GDB for an average handler. For me it can be
six months or more before they find the right dog, so I knew the chances of
getting another golden were slim to none. But now I always say, I really
want a golden, but since it takes so long to find the right dog any way,
I'll take whatever they find for me. But in my heart, much as I love my
labbie girls and wouldn't trade them for anything, I still harbor that
longing for a golden. All that to say, yes, if you can get the breed you
love with the things you need in a guide, go for it. It's not wrong to want
and ask for a specific breed of dog.

Sherry



-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven Tolliver
Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 4:06 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The Breed or the Dog

Nicole,
I think a service dog user has just as much a right to be picky about
their working dog as any other person would be about selecting their
pet dog. Whether people like it or not, certain breeds tend to have
certain mannerisms and characteristics that are desirable to some,
acceptable to others, and undesirable for certain people. Now, there
are always exceptions to the rule, and dog personalities that don't
match the stereotypes. However, if I have temperament and personality
requirements for a dog, and there are particular breeds that tend to
not match up with those standards, then I will not be likely to choose
those breeds. I am not budging on what I am willing to handle and deal
with because for the next one to ten years, or even beyond, I have to
live with that dog when it's in and out of harness.
There are thousands of working-type dogs out there, and more than a
dozen schools. And if I had and wanted to put forth all the time,
energy, effort, and money, I could personally search for, choose, and
train or have trained, the breed I desire.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being picky. I was picky my
first go round, and I got exactly what I asked for. After being
exposed to so many goldens throughout my life, I had no doubt in my
mind that this was the breed of dog that matched me perfectly. When I
found that GEB had the dog for me, and I finally met him, I was more
than pleased. I saw the way the other labs acted in class on numerous
occasions, and was grateful that I was not the person going home with
those dogs. While the dogs were in people's faces, being forceful,
licking them, jumping up in their laps, vocalizing frequently, tearing
stuff up, pulling hard and speeding down stairs, I had this low
energy, calm, laid-back, docile creature. Maybe there was a second
choice dog in the kennels for me that was a low energy, gentle
labrador, but I'll never know. But I believe that the next time I
apply for a guide, there will be another golden waiting for me in a
kennel somewhere.


On 9/18/13, Nicole Torcolini <ntorcolini at wavecable.com> wrote:
> All the discussion about different breeds has caused me to think about
> something. Often, we know what it is that we want in a dog. We then try to
> generalize that to a specific breed or set of breeds, saying I will take
> these breeds and I won't take those breeds. However, I think that,
> sometimes, we get so caught up in the whole breed thing, that we miss the
> whole point. When I went to GDB in 2007, I told them my breed, color, and
> gender preferences, but I also told them that, if they found a dog that
> they
> thought was for me, even if it was the lowest on my list, that I would
take
> it because, for me, I would rather get a dog that was right for me and not
> quite the breed that I wanted than get a dog that was the breed I wanted
> but
> not for me.
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-- 
Raven

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