From: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: doggie news
Date: 13 Apr 92 21:13:19 GMT
Reply-To: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA

Index Number: 21078

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 CA> Keeping a dog, guide dog or not, tied up all of the time is
 CA> cruel!  Every creature needs it's own space, it's own time to
 CA> relax and run energy off.  I have known at least one guide dog
 CA> owner who kept his dog tied up all the time, and it, too, was a
 CA> wild, impetuous dog.  I would turn someone like that in to the
 CA> school, personally.

Well put, Carol.

I'd at least talk to 'em about it, because you're right-- that *is*
cruel.  It never ceases to amaze me how people treat dogs and continue
to expect them to work for them.  <sigh> They are not "devices", and, as
you said, they need space to relax or some of 'em wind up as very
stressed, nervous, unhappy  and wild creatures.

I'm always reluctant to think about "reporting" anyone without talking
the matter over with them, of course-- often people just haven't
*thought* about it, and once a cruelty is pointed out to them, they do
something about it.  Sometimes not... And, sometimes, there's a valid
explanation for the behavior that I haven't been witness to (the dog has
relieving problems, or chews on electrical cords; both things which
would make *me* reluctant to use the dog as a guide, but which are not
"too much" for some folks.)

Having been "reported" for percieved transgressions, myself, once, (I
"only feed the dog once a day", according to my shocked accusers. and
sometimes, I "choke him" with a "very sharp tug on his chain collar!"
No kiddin'...), I'm very sensitive to the gravity of bringing the school
in on things as an authority.  I was horrified by the whole experience,
even though I knew the accusations were bogus and I had the full support
of the folks at the dog school.

On tying down dogs:

I used the tie-down chain issued to me at the school precisely once
after returning home.  Chance looked at me as though to say "Why are you
doing that?" when I clipped it on his collar.  He lay there like I was
punishing him until I unclipped the chain. I never used it again.

But I'm also fortunate, in that chance has never chewed on things or
gotten into the trash, and he stays when he's told (like under a desk at
work, etc.), so I've never had the need to tie him down in a fixed
location.  I use the leash on the few occasions when it is necessary to
go well out of his sight when outdoors (when horseback riding in a
nearby paddock or test-riding tandems, for instance.) and this seems to
work with a minimum of distress.  So perhaps I would feel differently if
I had a dog who exhibited some of the things which make it necessary to
tie 'em down at night or when you're out of the room.

But, on the concern Bill had about letting the dog have the free run of
the house/having it with you at all times: I'm sure that Seeing Eye will
have recommendations about this one, too.

though I've never heard it spelled ut, I assume many of the schools
recommend that you have the dog with you everywhere so that: a.) the
bonding process will continue, cementing the relationship between
handler and dog and b.) so the dog won't have the opportunity to chew on
things or otherwise get in trouble uncorrected.

I kept the leash on Chance a
lot at first and just picked it up when moving from place to place (I
lived in a college dorm, so it was a little more important that he
actually came *with* me when I left other people's rooms, etc-- even if
I was just heeling him down the hall.) but after a week or two, he
wouldn't *let* me leave the room without him, unless I specifically told
him to stay.

Nowadays, like most people's guides, he follows me at a short lag time
(enough time for him to wake up, think about it, clamber to his feet and
figure out where I've gone) when I move around the house.  He can't be
bothered to get up if it's obvious I've just gone to get a glass of
water or to go to the bathroom or check the laundry. but if I'm gone for
a few minutes and obviously settling down in another part of the house,
he's along in a few minutes to flop down in another comfy spot nearby.
I think that's how it ends up with most people's dogs, after a while.

                                                  --Carla

... Read what I mean, not what I write!

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