[Blindtlk] The Dog Dilemma

[David Evans]

Dear Nikki,

Some schools are wary of Blind people who seem to have "too much" vision, 
but most are not.
The worry is they are giving a $60,000.00 dog to someone who is really after 
a well trained pet or status symbol or "chick magnet
There is also the worry that you will not truly learn to trust the dog as it 
leads you around, there by breaking down its training, which leads to 
problems and a dog that can not be given easily to someone else who truly 
needs it.
All good Guide Dog schools require that the blind person already have 
Orientation and Mobility skills, with a cane, before they can get a dog.
If you are still interested in getting a guide Dog, check out the schools 
that will be at the Convention.  "Seeing Eye" will be there along with 
Southeast and others.  They will have some dogs to "test drive" and get a 
feel for how they work and there will be over 250 guide dog users there to 
ask.
I was a cane user for about twenty years and thought I would try a dog.
I got my drop dead gorgeous Goldador named Jack, from Southeast Guide Dogs 
here in Florida.
You do not pay for the dog and if coming from out of state, your 
transportation cost and room and board are all covered by the guide dog 
school.
You need to come for 27 days of training and stay in a great dorm room and 
meet allot of great people and dogs.
I got Jack a little over a year and a half ago and he is great.  I love him 
to death.
He also gets right along with my other 3 dogs, including our Red nose 
Pit-bull "Buddy" which is his best playmate.
The first dog school I applied to was very judgmental about placing a guide 
dog in a house with a pit bull and would never get off the fence and make a 
commitment.  Southeast, sent out one of their trainers to "interview" my 
other 3 dogs to see if there would be a problem.  They came to my house and 
reasoned that there was no problem and I went to Southeast a month later.
Jack and I go everywhere together, on Public Transit, the Tri-Rail, 
Greyhound buses, the malls, to work and even trips to lobby the state 
legislature .
I even use him as a training tool with training Para-transit and fixed route 
bus drivers about service animals.  He has even come to the hospital twice 
with me when I was mending after surgery.
I have had no problems with Jack and he is a great dog and travel companion.

David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nikki Wunderlich" <nikki0222 at gmail.com>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 3:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] The Dog Dilemma


>I used to really want a guide dog, and my family used to want me to have 
>one, but the guide dog schools I've talked to at VLR and the Minnesota 
>State Academy for the blind say I have too much vision. Is there a visual 
>IQuity level that you must be below to have a guide dog?
>
> Nikki Wunderlich
> MSN nikki0222 at gmail.com
> Yahoo nikkiwunderlich at yahoo.com
> AIM nikkiwunderlich at aim.com
> facebook nikki0222 at gmail.com
> myspace nikki0222 at gmail.com
> twitter nikki022285
> skype nikki022285
>
>
> On 6/21/2011 9:56 AM, Graves, Diane wrote:
>> George Washington Carver
>>
>> Confidentiality Notice: This E-mail transmission may contain confidential 
>> and/or legally privileged information intended only for the individual or 
>> entity(ies)
>> named in the E-mail address. If you are not the intended recipient, be 
>> advi
> _______________________________________________
> blindtlk mailing list
> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> blindtlk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/drevans%40bellsouth.net