Hi Y’all,
Reading about National Guide Dog Month at Ruled by Paws I was surprised at Thursday’s entry titled “Poor Dog”. Please stop by and read the entries about guide dogs.
As y’all know, I’m a retriever. I was bred to work! Now anybody who knows working dogs, know that dogs bred to work need constant challenge and something to do all the time or we’ll entertain ourselves. The problem with the latter is that you probably won’t like what we decide to do.
People so often buy or adopt working or 
sporting dogs, like Labs, Shelties, pointers, or spaniels, and are not prepared to use them for their intended purpose or see that they have adequate exercise, training and mental stimulation. As a result more dogs end up in shelters or back in shelters. Some of the service dog training organizations are able to take these cast offs and retrain them to help people with handicaps.
Many of the guide dogs who lead the blind, however, come from a breeding program where the organization has a higher degree of control over the temperament and health of the resulting puppies.
Think about it, you have a dog that would be laying around bored, frustrated or in a shelter or even ignored in a backyard someplace. Instead this dog is going places with its human where regular dogs like me can only dream of going! Not only that, but the dog gets to use its smarts to help its human get around without injury. These are the luckiest dogs!
I love helping my Human and so do these service dogs.
Please head over to read about the service dogs (here).
Oh, you want to find out how we feel left behind day after day with nothing to do…try it yourself for a week…no you can’t leave the house for any reason.
Thanks Cessna and Brooke for an insightful post that made us think.
Y’all check back tomorrow to find out about the sex in the forest.
I think about those poor dogs that really get no interaction or attention being stuck in a yard, kennel, or alone all of the time. : ( Horrible. Heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteYour pups are definitely challenged and it always impresses me the way you keep them working, trying, and achieving. Great photo!
There is a down side to breeding dogs like labs with the purpose of being service dogs. Many are breeding all of their natural hunting/retrieving ability out which is a shame. Plus they want cookie cutter dogs which is also not good for the long term health of the breed.
ReplyDeleteBut I do agree that many people get working dogs with no clue about what is needed to keep them out of trouble. We have a pal who recently purchased a lab puppy and wouldn't even take it out in the rain for exercise. Why not take it out? Because it will come in smelling like a dog. *rolls eyes*
Sex in the forest?
Add German Shepherds to the list!!! Some have drives similar to Border Collies- trust me! Others are more attached to their people and are content to do what their person is doing. The only thing that could make my NIkki happy was WORK!!!
ReplyDeleteMamma Heartbeat