[nabs-l] 5 Reasons Why Guide Dogs Are a Terrible Idea!

Fri Mar 20 02:34:43 UTC 2015

Hi=20all,

I=20am=20a=20senior=20in=20high=20school,=20planning=20to=20attend=20LCB=20=
next=20year.=20I=20
am=20also=20hearing=20impaired=20and=20thus=20have=20to=20wear=20a=20hearin=
g=20aid.=20
During=20my=20O&M=20lessons=20at=20school,=20I've=20discovered=20that=20tho=
ugh=20I=20
can=20hear=20perfectly=20well=20when=20a=20car=20is=20coming,=20my=20hearin=
g=20aid=20
makes=20it=20difficult=20to=20localize=20that=20sound.=20I=20haven't=20made=
=20a=20final=20
decision=20as=20to=20whether=20I=20will=20get=20a=20dog--that=20will=20wait=
=20until=20
after=20my=20LCB=20training--but=20I=20believe=20that=20because=20of=20my=20=
hearing=20
problem,=20it=20would=20make=20me=20safer.
=20=20=20=20=20That's=20my=20personal=20story.=20I=20don't=20really=20see=20=
why=20this=20blog=20
is=20"offensive"=20or=20"garbage"=20as=20previous=20posts=20have=20stated.=
=20The=20
subject=20line=20is=20definitely=20an=20attention=20getter,=20especially=20=
for=20
someone=20like=20me=20who=20just=20skims=20through=20their=20Inbox.=20Every=
one=20is=20
entitled=20to=20their=20own=20opinion,=20even=20if=20others=20don't=20share=
=20it.=20The=20
five=20reasons,=20far=20from=20being=20childish,=20are=20valid.=20When=20ma=
king=20a=20
decision,=20it's=20important=20to=20know=20all=20of=20the=20factors=20befor=
ehand=20so=20
that=20you=20can=20make=20a=20logical=20and=20fully=20informed=20decision.=
=20With=20
regard=20to=20the=20letting=20the=20dog=20out=20and=20cleaning=20up=20after=
=20it=20part,=20
that=20applies=20to=20any=20kind=20of=20dog.=20I=20personally=20have=20two=
=20dogs=20at=20my=20
house=20right=20now,=20and=20we=20have=20to=20do=20those=20things,=20someti=
mes=20
getting=20up=20at=204:00=20in=20the=20morning=20when=20they=20start=20cryin=
g=20to=20go=20
out.=20This=20is=20just=20my=20opinion.=20Have=20a=20good=20Friday!

Yours,
Sophie

=20-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20Matthew=20Dierckens=20via=20nabs-l=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To:=20Darian=20Smith=20<dsmithnfb at gmail.com>,National=20Association=20of=20=

Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Thu,=2019=20Mar=202015=2021:50:07=20-0400
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=205=20Reasons=20Why=20Guide=20Dogs=20Are=20a=20Te=
rrible=20
Idea!

I=20would=20have=20to=20agree=20with=20Aleeha=20and=20Min=20here.
As=20a=20soon=20to=20be=20handler,=20I=20found=20this=20post=20rather=20off=
ensive=20and=20
someone=20disturbing.=20Now,=20I=20understand=20that=20a=20dog=20may=20not=
=20be=20ideal=20
for=20everyone,=20but=20there=20are=20better=20ways=20of=20letting=20people=
=20know=20
that=20having=20a=20guide=20dog=20isn't=20always=20going=20to=20be=20cake=20=
and=20roses.=20
If=20I=20were=20to=20read=20this,=20say,=206=20years=20ago=20when=20I=20was=
=20first=20
becoming=20interested=20in=20getting=20a=20dog,=20I=20would=20definitely=20=
be=20put=20
off=20by=20reading=20this=20and=20would=20be=20second=20guessing=20my=20dec=
ision.=20
There=20is=20a=20large=20difference=20between=20writing=20an=20opinion=20pi=
ece,=20and=20
just=20plain=20garbage.
Just=20my=20two=20cense=20worth.

God=20bless.=20:)
Matthew=20Dierckens
Certified=20Assistive=20Technology=20Specialist
Macintosh,=20Windows=20and=20IOS=20=20Trainer
Personal=20Email:=20matt.dierckens at me.com

=20On=20Mar=2019,=202015,=20at=2021:29,=20Darian=20Smith=20via=20nabs-l=20
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>=20wrote:

=20Hi=20all,
=20Thanks=20=20Joe=20for=20sharing=20this.

=20If=20=20=20your=20aim=20in=20the=20subject=20line=20is=20to=20get=20one=
=E2=80=99s=20attention=20
than=20I=E2=80=99sure=20you=E2=80=99ve=20done=20it.
=20Knowing=20what=20I=20know,=20seeing=20what=20I=E2=80=99ve=20seen=20and=20=
understanding=20
what=20I=20do,=20It=20seems=20like=20a=20very=20important=20thing=20to=20th=
ink=20about,=20
the=20considerations=20=20=20surrounding=20=20getting=20a=20dog=20=20guide.=

=20=20There=20are=20many=20reasons=20why=20people=20might=20decide=20that=20=
a=20dog=20might=20
be=20the=20best=20mobility=20tool=20for=20them=20(Yes,=20the=20dog=20=20is=
=20an=20animal,=20
but=20consider=20that=20when=20they=20are=20in=20=20=20harness=20they=20are=
=20as=20much=20a=20
travel=20tool=20as=20a=20cane=20would=20be.
=20A=20cane=20requires=20far=20less=20=20=20moving=20parts=20in=20it=E2=80=
=99s=20usage=20=20=20than=20a=20
dog=20might,=20=20and=20yet=20the=20dog=20=20requires=20that=20you=20intera=
ct=20with=20your=20=20
physical=20environment=20=20much=20less=20than=20a=20cane=20might.
=20I=20=20personally=20know=20of=20folks=20who=20love=20dogs,=20but=20would=
=20not=20=20=20=20go=20
to=20train=20for=20a=20guide=20=20=20because=20of=20the=20responsibilities=
=20that=20come=20
with=20the=20puppy.=20=20I=20also=20know=20of=20folks=20who=20have=20gotten=
=20a=20dog=20guide=20=20
though=20otherwise=20they=20wouldn=E2=80=99t=20have=20a=20dog=20in=20their=
=20lives.
=20=20I=20think=20=20that=20though=20=20I=20=20may=20oversimplify=20the=20t=
opic,=20=20there
=20=20=20=20=20=20).=20are=20many=20reasons=20why=20a=20blind=20person=20ma=
y=20have=20either=20a=20
cane=20or=20dog=20in=20their=20lives,=20though=20I=20personally=20believe=20=
that=20a=20
solid=20=20foundation=20in=20the=20former=20can=20be=20absolutely=20key=20i=
n=20
maximizing=20the=20ability=20to=20work=20the=20latter,=20there=E2=80=99s=20=
nothing=20
wrong=20with=20deciding=20to=20get=20a=20dog.
=20What=20I=20think=20Joe=20points=20out=20are=20valid=20reasons=20=20why=20=
if=20you=20
don=E2=80=99t=20really=20think=20it=20through=20then=20getting=20a=20dog=20=
guide=20could=20be=20
a=20bad=20idea.=20=20it=E2=80=99s=20not=20a=20=20dig=20=20and=20I=20doubt=20=
it=20=20destroys=20=20the=20
image=20=20of=20guide=20dogs,=20their=20owners=20and=20the=20schools=20they=
=20come=20
from.
=20This,=20however=20is=20just=20my=20humble=20opinion=20on=20the=20matter.=

=20=20Best,
=20Darian

=20On=20Mar=2019,=202015,=20at=205:26=20PM,=20Joe=20via=20nabs-l=20<nabs-l@=
nfbnet.org>=20
wrote:

=20If=20you're=20blind,=20you=20obviously=20read=20Braille.=20Your=20hearin=
g=20must=20
naturally=20be
=20superior=20to=20your=20sighted=20peers,=20and=20of=20course=20you=20have=
=20a=20guide=20
dog!=20Right?

=20Well,=20that=20last=20may=20not=20be=20as=20pervasive=20as=20the=20first=
=20and=20second.=20
Someone
=20recently=20told=20me=20the=20number=20of=20guide=20dog=20users=20has=20a=
ctually=20
declined=20in=20my
=20millennial=20generation.=20I=20have=20no=20evidence=20proving=20this=20o=
ne=20way=20
or=20the=20other,
=20but=20for=20the=20general=20public,=20to=20see=20a=20blind=20person=20wi=
th=20a=20guide=20
dog=20feels=20as
=20natural=20as=20butter=20and=20toast.

=20Thing=20is,=20I'm=20not=20so=20sure=20guide=20dogs=20are=20right=20for=20=
everyone.=20Or,=20
maybe=20I'm
=20just=20projecting=20my=20own=20uncertainties=20onto=20the=20rest=20of=20=
the=20
community?

=20Last=20November=20I=20took=20the=20first=20step=20in=20the=20application=
=20process=20
to=20return=20for
=20a=20second=20Seeing=20Eye=20dog.=20It's=20been=20more=20than=20three=20y=
ears=20since=20I=20
lost=20Gator,
=20and=20even=20though=20I've=20gotten=20around=20just=20fine=20with=20a=20=
white=20cane,=20
I=20am
=20approaching=20what=20feels=20like=20the=20final=20years=20with=20sight,=
=20however=20
minimal=20that
=20sight=20might=20be.=20I=20admit=20it's=20unnerving=20if=20I=20sit=20stil=
l=20long=20
enough=20to
=20contemplate=20total=20blindness.=20NFB=20philosophy=20be=20damned,=20and=
=20the=20
thought=20of=20an
=20extra=20set=20of=20eyes=20to=20help=20me=20navigate=20the=20world=20does=
=20bring=20a=20
measure=20of
=20comfort.=20But,=20is=20it=20enough=20to=20go=20get=20another=20dog?

=20In=20no=20particular=20order,=20here=20are=20reasons=20why=20a=20guide=20=
dog=20would=20
be=20a=20terrible
=20idea:

=20Read=20more:

=20
http://serotalk.com/2015/03/18/5-reasons-why-guide-dogs-are-a-ter
rible-idea/

=20--
=20Musings=20of=20a=20Work=20in=20Progress:
=20www.JoeOrozco.com/

=20Twitter:=20 at ScribblingJoe

=20_______________________________________________
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mail.com

=20_______________________________________________
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