[blparent] Guide dogs and little ones.

Tue Mar 9 01:26:44 UTC 2010

It's exactly why I decided against geting a dog.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Veronica Smith" <madison_tewe at spinn.net>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 11:19 AM
Subject: Re: [blparent] Guide dogs and little ones.


>I am not a guide dog user, but this has shed some light of what new parents
> go through. V
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Joy Wolf
> Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2010 7:13 PM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Subject: [blparent] Guide dogs and little ones.
>
> Hi everyone:
>
>
>
> I believe Sharon had asked me to share my experiences about having a guide
> dog and a baby and so I thought I'd try to do that now.  I'm not sure the
> nature of the previous discussions, so I'll just share my experiences and
> then anyone can ask if I left something out.  I'll try to make a long 
> story
> short, but no promises, lol.
>
>
>
> Let me first tell you that I have had guide dogs now for almost 22 years.
> My first I received on the day that was supposed to be for my high school
> graduation, and I must say I have no regrets about trading that ceremony 
> for
> the benefits of a guide.  As long as I still got my diploma I didn't much
> care about walking on stage for my graduation, lol.  Anyway, before my
> daughter was born, I had a Lab guide named Houston.  He was one of the 
> best
> guides I've ever had.  He was also crazy, lol.  Yes, you read that right.
> He was an extreme city dog who needed constant activity, and if he wasn't
> working he was playing just as hard.  As I got more and more pregnant and
> realized just what this new baby was going to mean for my previously crazy
> lifestyle, I realized the best thing to do would be to send Houston back 
> to
> be placed with a more active person who could benefit from his craziness, 
> so
> to speak, lol.  It was heartbreaking, but I knew it was best for the dog,
> and in the end, best for me.  So, when Kayla was born I did not have a 
> dog.
> I tried talking with the school about getting a calmer dog right after 
> Kayla
> was born, and was furious that they said I should wait.  They knew more 
> than
> I did, lol, and I'm sure I don't have to explain the exhaustion, sleepless
> nights, and constant need to care for my little girl.  I think getting a 
> new
> dog right then would have been a huge mistake.
>
>
>
> When Kayla was almost two years old I decided the time was right, and got
> Delia, a wonderful Lab Golden cross.  I won't lie to any of you, it was
> hard.  I had the toddler who wanted to walk everywhere, the dog who walked
> much faster than the toddler, and the need to balance out the needs of 
> both.
> At home, it was very nice to have a dog around, and I didn't find it too
> much of a struggle to meet human and canine needs at home.  But when we 
> went
> out, I always felt like I needed just one more pair of hands to do
> everything I needed to do.  Despite the challenges, it was well worth it.
> Delia became a quick pro at helping me as I maneuvered a stroller.  She 
> got
> so used to me pulling Kayla behind me that if I got the stroller caught on
> something, I didn't have to say anything to her directly.  She learned 
> what
> "oops" and "ouch" and "uh oh" meant,a nd would always stop to let me get 
> out
> of whatever mess I had gotten us into.
>
>
>
> By the time my son came along, I had been working with Delia for two 
> years.
> The biggest challenge then was my recovery.  I had c sections with both
> kids, and couldn't even take Delia out to relieve for a while because it
> hurt so bad if she even slightly pulled on me.  I had to remember to do
> extra obedience routines with her in the house, and keep her mind occupied
> with little games and new tricks, while I juggled the three-year-old and 
> the
> infant.  Again, it was a challenge that was well worth it for me.  Delia
> retired when Jaden was 2 years old.  It was an early retirement, brough on
> mostly by the added stress of having two young kids to deal with.  Despite
> the fact Delia was great with my kids, she didn't like kids much, lol. 
> So,
> as the kids got older and I started taking them places like pre-school and
> the playground and children's museum, where there were a lot of other 
> kids,
> well, she got stressed.  Lol, for that matter, some days so did I.  I
> decided that I still wanted to apply for another dog, but that I needed 
> one
> who was truly into kids and didn't get flustered by them.  Galette, my
> current guide, has been with me for two years.  I joke that she loves kids
> much more than she does me, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  My
> lifestyle is much different than it was when I got Houston, and I 
> certainly
> need a very different type of dog.  For me, though, it has been well worth
> the challenges that I have faced in order to have it all, so to speak.
>
>
>
> Now that I've rambled on and told you my long story, and that I think it 
> was
> worth every challenge, I will say that I absolutely don't think having a
> guide and a baby or even toddler is for everyone.  I think that it's one
> thing to already have a guide when the new baby arrives, and quite another
> to get a new dog with a new baby in the house.  There is so much to learn
> with a new dog, and with a new baby for that matter, and there just aren't
> enough hours in the day.  I also think there's a big difference between a
> first time handler getting a dog and having young children at home, versus 
> a
> person who has had a guide before and knows what they're getting into, 
> lol.
> I do know of people who have gotten their first dog right around the time 
> of
> a new baby, but honestly don't know how they did it.  If you already have
> the dog it's easy to just teach that dog to incorporate the new family
> member into the picture.  Or, if the child is a bit older and you get a 
> new
> guide, that guide comes in and immediately must adapt to the child.  But
> it's something different when you're talking about adapting to a baby or
> toddler.  They're just different creatures, babies and toddlers, lol. 
> Also,
> there is something to be said for the logistics and needing that extra set
> of hands.  This is true when you're carrying a cane, but more so when 
> you're
> responsible for a dog.  If anyone asks me about getting a dog and having a
> child or children, I always am very adamant that they need to let the 
> chosen
> guide dog program know exactly what they need in a dog.  It's ok to be
> picky, and even more so when you have kids in the family.  Ok, I think I'm
> done rambling for now, and if anyone read through my obnoxiously long 
> post,
> thanks for reading.  I tried to paint a very honest picture at least from 
> my
> experience, and hope it helps.  If anyone has any other questions don't
> hesitate to ask. Take care everyone.
>
>
>
> Joy and family
>
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