[blparent] Guide dogs and little ones.

[Allie]

Hi Joy,

I agree with what you said, about not getting a dog after a new baby. I 
already had Flip when my daughter was born, but I couldn't imagine leaving 
her long enough to get a dog after she was born. *SMILE* So much to learn, 
so much to do, not enough hours or hands to do it all.

-- Allie

Please read and vote for my guide dog story at
http://dogschangelives.org/index.php/stories/entry/alejandra-and-flip/
Thank you!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joy Wolf" <joy at kevinlwolf.net>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 7:39 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] Guide dogs and little ones.


> Hi Elizabeth:
>
> I can certainly understand why you made that decision.  I do think it's a
> very individual thing, but the decision to get a guide dog is never one to
> be taken lightly.  I think that's even more true when you have to think
> about balancing your needs, the needs of kids, and the needs of that dog. 
> I
> will always be glad I did get my guides, but again, I think it's something
> to think through very carefully.  I will say that, although I do work with
> my dog on a regular basis, there are still some places and situations 
> where
> I just choose to leave her at home simply because it would be more 
> difficult
> to take her.  So, there is something to be said for putting that decision
> off at least until kids are older.  And then some people choose never to 
> use
> a dog for travel, and I think it comes down to deciding what works best 
> for
> you as an individual.  There I go rambling again, lol.  You will all learn
> of this bad habbit I have soon enough anyway.  I can write novels if given
> half the chance.  Have a good night everyone.
>
> Joy and family
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Elizabeth Cooks
> Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 7:27 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Guide dogs and little ones.
>
> 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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