[nabs-l] Mobility Methods

[Kolby Garrison]

Hello Laura,
Sunny is a reissue. She was too strong for her previous handler, so the
handler chose to give her back to GDF in hopes that she would be retired and
become a beloved pet or be reissued if the right person came along. My
trainer told me that if I had not come along that Sunny would have been
retired because there was not anyone else who could handld her Golden
Retriever combination of softness and stubbornness and her energy level and
very fast pace. The independence and freedom that she gives me are
priceless, and she herself is invaluable. Sunny absolutely loves to work,
and though I wish that our working life would be longer and that I had not
missed out on 3 or so years with her I cannot imagine having a better dog
for my 1st Guide Dog. Her enthusiasm, exuberance, energy, dedication, ETC
are beyond measure.
Kolby

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Lora and Myrtle
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 7:22 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Mobility Methods

Congradulations you found a match with sunny. Why is sunny so old compared
to other dogs that are issued out? Was she a donation dog?

On Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 2:32 PM, Kolby Garrison
<kolbygarrison at triad.rr.com>wrote:

> Hello Everyone,
> I knew that I wanted to partner with a Guide Dog as soon as I was old
> enough
> to understand what a Guide Dog could do. After graduating High School I
> went
> to Guide Dogs For The Blind in San Rafael, California to receive my 1st
> Guide Dog, but things did not work out for me there. The 2 dogs that I was
> matched with were not the right dogs for me, and I came home without a
dog.
> I was devastated and my confidence became nonexistent. I learned my
College
> campus using the cane with the help of a wonderful Orientation And
Mobility
> Instructor who helped me realize my independence potential, and who worked
> with me for hours on end making sure that I was ready by the 1st day of
> classes. I applied to The Guide Dog Foundation For The Blind, because I
> knew
> more than ever that a Guide Dog was the right thing for me. My confidence
> increased, and by the time my home interview with GDF rolled around I was
> confident and independent with the cane. I was accepted to GDF and matched
> with Sunny in June of this year. She is a 5 year old female Golden
> Retriever, and she has changed my life. The lack of tactile feedback took
> some getting use to, but I will not ever go back to using the cane as I
> have
> said before. People talked to me when I was using my cane just as much as
> they do now that I am partnered with Sunny, and yes even Guide Dog users
> have to ask for help. Learning new routes is just as difficult with a
Guide
> Dog as it is with the cane, and I will be very interested to see how Sunny
> responds to the new routes, buildings, and classes that we will be working
> on very soon for the upcoming semester.
> If anyone has any questions concerning why partnering with a Guide Dog is
> the right thing for me personally, please do ask. I am of the opinion that
> individuals should use the methods that work best for them in all
> circumstances, and working with a Guide Dog is what works best for me. I
am
> enjoying all of the discussions on this list about various aspects of
being
> a blind student.
> Thank You,
> Kolby
>
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-- 
Lora and Leader Dog Myrtle
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