[NAGDU] Guide Dogs and Office Jobs

Mon Jan 13 16:35:52 UTC 2020

Hi Julie. I have an energetic dog and have worked office jobs since I got her. I find that a walk at lunch is good for both of us and if there is somewhere you can walk near your office it might be worth considering. An exercise route in the evening might also be a good idea. I don't know how long your commute home is and how dark it is when you arrive but if you have a RoughWear harness beacon or some reflective clothing that would make you easier to see on an evening walk. Even if you don't have an interesting  destination every time, you could do an exercise route that loops around eventually to take you back home. Not much we can do about the weather I realize. Hope this helps.
-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie McGinnity via NAGDU
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2020 11:17 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Julie McGinnity
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Guide Dogs and Office Jobs

Hi all,

Yes, free running can be a great thing.  I live in an apartment and don't have the space for him.  I don't feel safe taking him to a dog park either.  He and I have lived in apartments for all of the 5 and a half years we've been together.

Over Christmas I collected a bunch of old toys from my previous home, and although he enjoys playing with them, he does not play with me very much.  I am working on it with him though.  This is one more thing I'm trying, though I could do more to play with him.

Thank you!

Julie

On 1/13/20, Newton, Cherie via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Julie,
>
> I'm lucky, my guide has 2 pet dogs to play with in a large fenced back yard.
> When we get home we go out there and she runs and plays-it really 
> helps. I also have a couple of balls and she loves to play fetch. HTH.
>
> Cherie Newton
> Mobility Services Agent
> Office of Mobility
> MARTA
> 2424 Piedmont Road NE
> Atlanta, GA 30324
> T: (404) 848-4076
> cnewton at itsmarta.com
> www.itsmarta.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sandra 
> Gayer via NAGDU
> Sent: Monday, January 13, 2020 10:57 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Sandra Gayer <sandragayer7 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Guide Dogs and Office Jobs
>
> Hello Julie,
> If it was your first year, everyone I've known with guide dogs always 
> say the first year's the hardest. Some people have also said the first 
> year's from hell.
>
> I haven't got a guide dog but I have ordinary dogs. Free running helps 
> burn off the extra energy. Could he be let loose in your garden when 
> you're at home and do his own thing sometimes? Playing with him, doing 
> drill and, in short, tiring him out may help with the bord so I'll explore thingy.
>
> Very best wishes,
> Sandra.
>
> On 1/13/20, Julie McGinnity via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I hope everyone had a happy New Year and is staying warm.
>>
>> I wonder if anyone else has dealt with the combination of a highly 
>> energetic dog, an office job, and a routine that doesn't allow for as 
>> much travel as you would like.  Well, that's my situation.  I work 
>> 8-5 here, and I mostly stay in my office.  Bill does well in my office.
>> He has his own bed, and I've brought a bone and a toy for him to chew 
>> on.  He listens pretty well at work and doesn't display very many 
>> undesirable behaviors, other than attempting to get my attention when 
>> someone calls or comes in my office.
>>
>> At home though, I'm slightly ashamed to admit he can be quite a pill.
>> He tends to grab things that don't belong to him and run with them 
>> under the coffee table.  He has even been testy about food by 
>> sniffing at my roommate when she is at the table.
>>
>> I do not give him people food.  I have recently puppy-proofed the 
>> house, and that has helped some.  When I first got him, he displayed 
>> some of these behaviors, and the school recommended I find toys he 
>> could have, that i could give him when he grabbed something I didn't 
>> want him to take.  The idea was that if he took a paper towel, for 
>> example, I would take that out of his mouth and exchange it for a 
>> bone.  I wouldn't say anything, just do the exchange and walk away.
>>
>> The difficulty with this dog is that he feeds off of attention.
>> Negative, positive, it doesn't matter.  He soaks it up and treats it 
>> all as positive, unless he really knows he's done something wrong, 
>> and that is very rare.
>>
>> My instinct tells me that he is restless and bored.  He doesn't get 
>> enough work, and although he has structure, he doesn't have enough to 
>> focus on.  I am doing what I can to change this.  It's winter, so I'm 
>> not really wanting to walk outside as much as I would in the spring.
>> I'm working on a lot outside of work, but unfortunately that stuff 
>> requires me to sit still.  We should get some more freedom next month 
>> to get out more.  But until then, I wonder if you have any ideas or 
>> have experienced anything like this.  At home I allow him to follow 
>> me around, and that seems to help.  I know tie-down may solve some of 
>> these problems, but I don't think tying him down would get at the 
>> root of the problem.
>>
>> His work has improved since last I wrote.  I'm honestly not sure what 
>> happened last summer, but he definitely seems eager to guide, and his 
>> confidence is right back where it's supposed to be.  This dog has 
>> always been a little tough to entertain, and though I understand 
>> this, I don't want it to be an excuse for his misbehaving.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Julie A. McGinnity
>> MM Vocal Performance, 2015; President, National Federation of the 
>> Blind Performing Arts Division
>>
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--
Julie A. McGinnity
MM Vocal Performance, 2015; President, National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division

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