Grey's Anatomy...and a confession
The last time I went to the chiropractor, we were talking about Grey's Anatomy and he told me, "McDreamy and Preston Burke had a fistfight." He went on, "McDreamy has a temper."
Well, today I saw Us Magazine at the grocery store and had to pick it up, because they had a super-dramatic cover touting fights on the set of Grey's. And Us informed me that Isaiah Washington wanted Patrick Dempsey's part, and it doesn't sit too well with Isaiah that Patrick is late on the set every morning.
So to make a long story short, it was actually Isaiah who started the fight. He's mad because he wanted Patrick Dempsey's part. AND Isaiah called T.R. Knight a bad word. (T.R. Knight is one of my favorite actors on the show.) Now there is talk that Isaiah will be fired. I think he should apologize, but I like the current cast. I do wish Izzy would just cash her $8.7 million check, though.
As Erica Jong says, "Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed."
Now for my confession. I saw a Seeing Eye dog with its owner this morning. The dog had the saddest eyes I'd ever seen. I know you're not supposed to pat them, but they were waiting for the light to change, so they could cross. Without saying a word, I kneeled down and held my hand out. The dog licked my hand and wagged its tail as I patted its head.
As I walked away, I could hear the owner gruffly commanding the dog to cross the street. I wanted to unclasp the dog's leash and run away with it.
A further confession. I saw another Seeing Eye dog once whose owner was berating it openly. I couldn't help myself, and said, "You should be nicer to your dog."
Well, today I saw Us Magazine at the grocery store and had to pick it up, because they had a super-dramatic cover touting fights on the set of Grey's. And Us informed me that Isaiah Washington wanted Patrick Dempsey's part, and it doesn't sit too well with Isaiah that Patrick is late on the set every morning.
So to make a long story short, it was actually Isaiah who started the fight. He's mad because he wanted Patrick Dempsey's part. AND Isaiah called T.R. Knight a bad word. (T.R. Knight is one of my favorite actors on the show.) Now there is talk that Isaiah will be fired. I think he should apologize, but I like the current cast. I do wish Izzy would just cash her $8.7 million check, though.
As Erica Jong says, "Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed."
Now for my confession. I saw a Seeing Eye dog with its owner this morning. The dog had the saddest eyes I'd ever seen. I know you're not supposed to pat them, but they were waiting for the light to change, so they could cross. Without saying a word, I kneeled down and held my hand out. The dog licked my hand and wagged its tail as I patted its head.
As I walked away, I could hear the owner gruffly commanding the dog to cross the street. I wanted to unclasp the dog's leash and run away with it.
A further confession. I saw another Seeing Eye dog once whose owner was berating it openly. I couldn't help myself, and said, "You should be nicer to your dog."
Comments
Of course, the dogs I've seen the owner would let people pat him/her on certain terms so the dog wouldn't step out of line.
Poor puppy.
This is probably the world's dumbest question, I know, but if a dog is supposed to be socialized, shouldn't it be used to all kinds of different people?
crystal - thanks :)
But they shouldn't yell at you. That's just plain mean. They could politely say something.
I work with a guide dog, and your mentioned behaviors are distracting. It is a personal preference, but most people with guide or other assistance dogs do not want them to be pet while they are working because this is very distracting. Maybe, the dog looks sad, but it is happy. My dog is always wagging her tail while she is working. Sneak petting is never appropriate, and it is not appreciated by dog handlers. You said someone was openly mean to the dog. What you probably saw was a verbal and leash correction or maybe a high-collar. This is done by giving a quick pull back on the leash or moving the collar behind the dog's ears and pulling it tight. The dog has strong neck muscles, so this does not hurt it; it is just a way to get it refocused. For example, if my dog doesn't slow for a curb or stairs, tries to pull me to other animals or people, or runs me into objects, such as a wall or pole, she receives this correction. The person you saw was not mean or abusive; he or she was just trying to get the dog to remember it was work time, not play time. The person was probably not trying to be mean to you, but he or she could have been having a bad day with the dog, other people, or anything else.
Someone asked why petting is not good while working. The blogger who commented about the dog being in the store is absolutely right. Also, dogs are used to many different people, including babies and children. I pet or play with my dog often when she is out of harness. I am a college student living on campus, so besides my play time, my dog Valerie gets lots of attention from people in this dorm, as well as others when she is in my room out of harness.
I hope this clears up some misunderstanding and gives you an answer from a guide dog handler's perspective of why it is always important to ask before petting and that the open correction which appears mean is our way of getting our dog's attention during work time.