Re: Experiences with guide dogs
I highly encourage doing a google search for "Zone BBS guide dog." I'm sure lots of people will respond on here, but the boards on the zone already have a ton of information for you to look through.
German shepherds are amazing dogs, but they do require a lot of walking, attention, and care. Fidelco likes you to walk at least two miles every day, because a Shep will need that kind of energy burn.
I wouldn't say that an off harness dog is *just* a dog. for example, I wouldn't let my dog eat chicken bones or table scraps off harness. 1, it will teach her bad habits about snatching human food. 2, it would probably make her sick, and what if we have to go somewhere the next day? Trust me, you don't want a sick dog with you in public.
In harness and out, you still have to remember that this dog is more than a pet. It goes with you in public. It has to behave. So I told my co-worker to knock it off when she was trying to teach my dog to ju mp. I got very annoyed with her when she was trying to feed my dog food from her own mouth. Those things, while funny for a normal pet, aren't cute or funny for a guide dog to do.
When we go visiting, I have to consider whether or not to let Fran off leash. Do we have to go anywhere the next day? If she eats grass, she'll puke. Will people guard their food? She's good about staying away from tables, but will people keep things up off her level?
Schools also highly discourage taking your pup to the dog park. Your guide dog being attacked by a random dog could cause them traumatic stress issues which would cause them to retire. So when I want Fran to play off leash, I go with my co-worker and her two dogs. Fran has met them and we know they're fine playing together. We go to a separate fensed-off area of the dog park for shy dogs. This area is mostly empty, and we stay near the dogs at all times.
But all this isn't to say that your dog has to be a slave. Fran has tons of bones, squeakers, and ropes which are durable enough so she doesn't eat tiny bits off them. She has a soft crate to sleep in and a fuzzy blanket she likes us to get out for her at night so she can nap by the couch after her dinner. She likes to run through the house chasing her wubba toy. At work, she sleeps in her pet bed and chews her antler. Having a guide dog is an amazing experience that teaches you a lot about being a parent, LOL.
_______________________________________________ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com https://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
