[blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

[Doreen Frappier]

I am not opposed to having responsible 12 year olds own and care for a guide dog.  I believe that children mature at different rates. For example, 4-H children own and care for animals (on their own) at very young ages.  They are responsible for feeding and caring for that animal. One of my children, (sighted) is 13, and has been the sole trainer of a dog since she was 9 years old.  She has won many awards and competitions with her dog, including adult dog shows. She is responsible for feeding and caring for that dog.  When the dog gets her check ups at the vet, she comes to the vets office.  It's true, a young person can not take care of the expenses of a guide dog, but I am all for training teaching blind children to be independent as early as possible. I think each situation is different.  I am not aware of everything that goes into caring for and owning a guide dog, but I think some children are capable and should not be excluded because of
 age. 

Doreen

--- On Wed, 1/20/10, Heather <craney07 at rochester.rr.com> wrote:

From: Heather <craney07 at rochester.rr.com>
Subject: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 7:22 AM

I just wanted to get some feedback on this from some parents of blind children and teens.  I, personally, was absolutely apalled to hear that a local guide dog school, not mentioning names *coughs* Freedom guide Dogs *Coughs* has preposed a program to place guide dogs with twelve year olds.  All of the other schools in the US accept teens no younger than sixteen or eighteen years of age, depending on the school, but twelve?  I am happy to note that at present, no O and M instructors, parents or twelve year olds have contacted the school to enquire about this program, but I am dreading the day.  This makes a mockery of those exceptional blind teens who are, at sixteen or seventeen, responsible enough, committed enough and have demanding enough schedules to properly care for, utalize and actually need a guide dog.  At what age would you consider supporting your teen in researching guide dog schools?  At what age would you support them actually
 submitting applications?  How old would you want your teen to be before actually being placed with a guide dog?  Do you think that you would have the blunt honesty to deny your support of your child getting a dog guide, if they were not emotionally, mentally, etc capable of utalizing a guide dog, at that time in their life?  Do you think that you could restrain yourself from taking care of the dog, interacting with the dog, or doing things that would undermine the ownership of the dog by your blind teen, acknowledging their sole ownership and responsibility for the dog, even if you, as their mother or father still have all other rule-making power in the house-hold?  Finally, would you ever, honestly let your twelve year old apply for a guide dog?  I just felt this should be brought to the list's attention.  Just me personally, I would not encourage my blind teen to start researching guide dog schools until age fourteen or fifteen, and I would not
 allow them to apply to schools until they were at least fifteen, and that is assuming that they are emotionally ready to deal with the demands of a guide dog, such as handeling an emergency vet situation, mentally able to care for the dog, such as, researching and selecting safe toys, effective medications and appropriate foods, mature enough to deal with the social implications, such as access issues, and that they actually had a need, not just a want for a guide dog, due to a challenging travel area or complex and demanding schedule of activities and classes.  Please share your thoughts.
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