[blparent] Guide dogs and little ones.

Allie alliemartins at gmail.com
Wed Mar 10 20:06:23 UTC 2010 

Gabbie is great! She'll be 3 in May. Seems like she gets smarter and smarter 
every day. She's potty trained, at least in the daytime, which I am really 
happy about. *GRIN* I'm not brave enough to start night-training yet. She 
likes to talk and sing and dance, and is generally just full of tons of 
energy. LOL.

She can count from 1 to 10, but she doesn't do it when asked. (Typical!) She 
also likes to make pretend food for me to eat, and says things like, "Here, 
try some, just a little bit," when I say I don't want any. I don't know how 
many pancakes and birthday cakes and enchiladas I've eaten so far. Hehehe.

One day we were having ice cream. She finished hers and said she wanted 
more. I told her no more for tonight, but she could have some more tomorrow. 
I was finishing my ice cream, and she said, "Let me try it!" LOL. She's so 
cute.

Then, another time, she was telling me that she wanted a motorcycle. Now 
where or how she heard about motorcycles is beyond me, but I asked her what 
kind of motorcycle she wanted. She said, "A blue one!" Then she said she was 
going to ride the motorcycle with the guy. Heck if I know who the guy is. 
LOL. So that's when I said, "I don't think so." And she said, "I don't think 
so, either." Hehehehe. She really makes me laugh sometimes!

-- 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: "Veronica Smith" <madison_tewe at spinn.net>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 11:23 AM
Subject: Re: [blparent] Guide dogs and little ones.


> How is Gabbie doing? What has she been getting into these days? V
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Allie
> Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 9:36 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Guide dogs and little ones.
>
> 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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