Desk Jobs and Dog Guides

The majority of persons with dog guides are the employed legally blind community. They have the greatest need for travel (to and from work, job-related traveling, work-related errands such as luncheons and disposing of paychecks…) Most of these jobs are desk-oriented. You know the average 8-5 guy with a desktop/laptop, phone, and filing cabinet. Well, for a VIP or total (totally blind person) the filing cabinet might just be a very full Windows Explorer tree, but the idea’s still there. You need the dog to get there, to navigate to and from the bathroom, breakroom, other offices, conference room, coffee shop down the street, the company’s favorite restaurant for luncheons, and any work related travel. But on the days where you don’t have meetings and you’re eating out of a sack at your desk for lunch your dog gets to sit in your cube for as long as you do. Is this ok for the dog? Yes, the dog will live so l ong as you have enough walking in your day. Take your 15 minute breaks with the dog, take a trip around the block a couple of times. The walk to and from work, even if it includes a busride, will help, and if you and Juno don’t get a lot of walking done during the day take a walk around your neighborhood at night. So what do you do with Juno when you’re in the cube? I had to figure that out now that I have a desk job. Fortunately for me it’s about 1.3 miles each way to the job so Prada gets lots of exercise. I sit at a receptionist’s desk and have enough space behind me to put a mat and water dish down for Prada. Add to that a nylabone and some love-making when I have nothing to do and it’s an ideal setup. I pull her off harness soon as we’re in the office and she usually goes for a big drink from the water bowl Ikeep there for her. My boss comes in and pays her respects to Prada and then we’re off working. Prada pretty much sleeps or destroys the nylabone the whole day and I make photo copies, file things, mail things, answer phonecalls, take messages, and make appointments. So that’s desk jobs and dog guides.