My least favorite thing about raising Guide Dog Puppies- which really isn't all that bad- is the fact that EVERYONE thinks we are experts on dog training and specifically, how to train a service dog. I don't mind giving people advice on dog training. That doesn't bother me at all... it's usually the ones that ask the "service dog" questions.
All the time, I get:
"My Aunt just bought a beagle puppy and wants to make it her service dog. How do I do that?"
"Do you know how I get one of those coats for my dog? He's really good and he would be really good for my son."
"I'm going to go adopt a dog and make it a service dog for my niece. She is autistic... I think? But really likes dogs."
My favorite:
Random person:
Me: "That's cool. What school do you raise for?"
RP: "Just for myself. I have 3 kids with multiple disabilities so I train the dogs for them. We should get together and do some training."
(To her credit I have met one of her several "guide dogs"- aka service dogs in training (...that are 3-years-old... and she has had since they were puppies... when does the "training" stop?)- and he seems like a good dog from what I have seen.)
Great.
Here is my confession:
I'm not service dog school.
I have been raising GDB puppies for 13 years now and have been in leadership and taught puppy classes for a good portion of that. I feel like I am a good raiser, meaning I can teach a puppy to sit and come. I can teach a puppy not to jump on people or pull on leash. I can even teach a puppy to not pick food up off the floor...
But,
I don't teach my puppy to retrieve things off the floor, I don't teach my puppy to open doors, and I don't teach my puppies how to pull wheelchairs. (All which have been requested of me.) I'm sure I could teach that... but I don't and it should be left to someone who does.
Don't think I'm uncaring. I usually will ask "Well, what exactly do you want the dog to do?"
If it's more of a therapy-type job I will refer them to find a good dog trainer in the area, get a CGC, and tell them that Therapy animals aren't considered a service dog so they are more of the "stay home most of the time" with a few special privileges.
If they haven't gotten a dog yet, I will have them check out CCI's website to see if they qualify for something under them.
Usually people say, "I don't know. Come with me everywhere."
Awesome.
That's when I say... "You should probably figure that out before you start doing anything..."
2 comments:
Ugh. We were accosted in IKEA yesterday with someone asking if we got our puppy coat at Petco. She caught me off guard and in the middle of a very important discussion on couches, so I think my answer was something like "huh??" She wants one for her Aussie puppy because they live in a remote area. I'm still confused on that one.
What bothers me is the ignorance and arrogance of people. I frequently meet people who want a coat "like that" that this puppy coat means one of two things: either you have a disability and NEED a dog to help you be independent OR you are training it and have to GIVE UP your dog. Not a "free pass" for someone who wants to take their pet with them. I'm nice about it, but I make zero effort to advise people on how to train their pet to come off as a SD.
The lady at the dog wash place today told me she "needs one of those vests" for her dog. Puppy raising is quite often an exercise in tongue biting.
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