[nagdu] New member
Hope Paulos
hope.paulos at maine.edu
Sat Nov 29 13:45:43 UTC 2008
Hehehe. My dog does that, and she's a little girl! Smile. It's
kind of ambarrassing though! But when in harness, she's always on
a mission and eager to work. She always has to be at the front
of the line!
> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Jeffrey Schwartz" <sidney.schwartz at sbcglobal.net
>To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:20:28 -0500
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] New member
>When I trained with my first dog, Cairo, the trainer had a dog in
his string
>that had come away back to Fidelco as the owner had passed away.
The dog
>was relatively young and he was getting him ready for another
blind person
>He said that it might have been the largest Shepherd Fidelco had
ever
>placed. Generally they give the really big ones to the State
Police as they
>have trouble getting under tables in restaurants and the like.
This dog had
>worked in New York. The trainer said that he was the perfect New
York dog.
>When he got to a corner and there was a crowd waiting for the
light to
>change, he would push his way to the very front.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf
>Of Ted Shelly
>Sent: Friday, November 28, 2008 9:50 AM
>To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] New member
>Jeff,
>I wouldn't call Manhattan a nightmare, more like a frustration.
I love New
>York City and its vibrant streams of humanity. I like to move
fast, which
>sometimes leads to running into people or getting my cane stepped
on (I
>break 2 or 3 canes a year this way). I've heard from some guide
dog users
>about zipping through crowds and around obstacles and that sounds
good to
>me. But I also have realistic expectations and I know it will
take a lot of
>hard work with a guide and even then things won't be perfect. I
love a
>challenge and I think I'm ready to take this one on.
>Ted
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf
>Of Jeffrey Schwartz
>Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2008 5:08 PM
>To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] New member
>Ted,
>This must be real culture shock after living on the West Coast.
People are
>so much more relaxed out there. The area between Boston and NYC
is Type A
>alley. Your variety of RP is the rarest, and accounts for only
about 5% of
>all cases of RP. Manhattan must be a nightmare for you. Years
ago,
>before I even had a cane, I was walking in the Village and almost
fell into
>one of those openings that restaurants and blubs have in the
front leading
>down to their basements. You'll really have to work with your
dog to help
>you avoid those overhanging branches. One of my trainers told me
that it's
>the hardest thing to teach them and the first thing that they
forget. It
>makes sense when you consider that their eyes are about 30 inches
above
>ground level. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of work do
you do in
>the city?
>Hope you had a nice day,
>Jeff
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf
>Of Ted Shelly
>Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2008 12:22 PM
>To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] New member
>Jeff,
>I'm originally from Washington State and lived most of my life on
the west
>coast. We moved out here in 1990 for my job. We like it here,
but our
>families are mostly out West still and we sometimes think about
going back.
>I know about the wait with Fidelco. This is not urgent for me,
so it is not
>a big problem to wait. I've also applied to Guide Dogs for the
Blind, just
>in case. GDB has a much shorter wait and from what I have
learned, they
>have a good program.
>I have what I believe is referred to as an X-linked version of
RP. The
>males on my mother's side of the family get it but the females
pass it on.
>I have several uncles with the condition and one brother (2
brothers do not
>have RP).
>I still have some vision and I do alright with the cane,
especially during
>the day. At night I can usually only see light sources, which
makes
>navigation much slower. I work in Manhattan and finding my way
along
>crowded New York sidewalks after dark is not much fun. I think a
dog will
>be a great help in those situations and also keep me safer on
subway
>platforms and street crossings. I'm also tired of hitting my
head on
>overhead branches here in Stamford and occasionally smacking into
things
>like street signs. I'm sure that no guide dog will be perfect,
but it's
>bound to be an improvement.
>Happy Thanksgiving to you also.
>Ted
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf
>Of Jeffrey Schwartz
>Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2008 9:19 AM
>To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] New member
>Hi Ted,
>Are you a native or did you move to Ct? If you go up to Vermont
or New
>Hampshire, they refer to us as flat landers and don't consider
Ct. to be
>part of Newe England. You are lucky, if one can use that word,
to get to
>your age and still be able to get around with a cane. Perhaps
you have the
>dominant genetic variety. Did one of your parents have RP? Not
to
>discourage, but it can be a long wait with Fidelco. They are the
only guide
>dog school in New England and they also service New York, New
Jersey and any
>place that one of their graduates has moved and now needs a
successor dog.
>I have a friend in Chicago. She got her first dog from Seeing
Eye, the
>original school, in Morristown, New Jersey. Her wait was far
less than you
>can expect from Fidelco, and she was quite pleased with the
entire
>experience. It's something to consider.
>Happy Thanksgiving,
>Jeff
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf
>Of Ted Shelly
>Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 8:09 PM
>To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] New member
>Hi Jeff,
>I'm practically a neighbor of yours - I'm just down the road in
Stamford. I
>also have RP. I'm 57 and have been using a cane full time for
the last
>decade or so and I'm just now working on getting my first guide
dog. I've
>applied to Fidelco and I'm hoping they will accept me without too
much of a
>wait. Welcome to the list.
>Ted
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf
>Of Jeffrey Schwartz
>Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 7:28 PM
>To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] New member
>Hi,
>I just joined this week and was glad to read the digest. My name
is Jeff
>Schwartz. I am a psychologist and have lived in New Haven by way
of
>Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Scranton. I didn't know that I had a
significant
>visual problem until I was about 20. At that time I was already
legally
>blind due to the insidious deterioration of my visual field from
Retinitis
>Pigmentosa. At age 61, I'm left with little more than light
perception. I
>recently received my third guide dog, Faith, from Fidelco. They
are a
>superb organization. The founders, Charles and Roberta Kaman
have been
>raising German Shepherd dogs for about 40 years. Originally they
raised
>them as show dogs. The story which I heard is that they started
the school
>after one of the dogs prevented their young son from running into
traffic.
>John Byfield was their first trainer. He was my trainer for my
second dog,
>Webster. John is from the "old school". My wife and I called
him the dog
>Nazi. He was really tough, as were all of the early trainers.
The new
>breed, if you'll pardon the pun, rely more on positive
reinforcement. I
>really liked the in community orientation, as you get four hours
a day of
>the trainer's undivided attention. I don't think that there are
any bad or
>even mediocre schools. German Shepherds are fantastic dogs. If
I were in
>the position to select a pet, it would be a GSD. The only
problem that I
>have encountered is that they tend to be dog aggressive. Fidelco
gets its
>breeding stock from Germany. They are only a generation or two
away from
>being working shepherds. Every pure bred dog was selectively
shaped to
>perform a certain task, even lap dogs. Centuries ago, before
central
>heating and indoor plumbing people seldom bathed. As a
consequence, they
>had fleas. They would sit with a dog in their lap because, given
a choice,
>fleas prefer dogs. Back to German Shepherds and dog aggression.
They were
>bred to keep the flock together and protect it from predators.
Today's
>German Shepherds are "hard wired" to see other dogs as potential
predators.
>Like all of you, I have had my share of blind stereotypes tossed
my way.
>When I was younger, slim and walked with a white cane, I went
into a
>Wal-Mart's and the greeter asked me if I wanted a wheelchair.
I've been in
>restaurants with my wife and had the service person ask her "and
what will
>he have" I guess we have all heard, "you don't look blind".
>Anyway, sorry to have gone on at such length. I'm glad to have
joined this
>group and I'm sure that I will enjoy participating. I don't
usually talk so
>much. Just ask my spouse.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf
>Of lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com
>Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 5:42 PM
>To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
>Subject: New member
>Hi Mardi,
>I liked the part about "You don't look blind...". That one had
me stumped
>for years and years. I didn't know what people meant by the
remark. I
>thoought it was people denying that I was blind. Well, a sighted
friend
>finally explained the basis of the remark to me. He said that
people look
>at a blind person and see the blindness. People have this view
that blind
>people are people who rock, jam their fingers or fist into their
eye. They
>walk with a stiff-leggeed gait and don't look at people who are
talking to
>them. In other words, the crappy stereotypes people think of
when you say,
>"blind person".
>Marti, you used to be a sighted person. Think back on your
sighted days
>long before you ever met a blind person. What did your mind
conjure up? Now,
>me - I've always been visually impaired and I can't and never was
able to
>see people's faces and the expressions on them. I had no clue
about "look
>blind" sinse I've spent a lifetime around blind people.
>My friend told me that when someone tells me that I don't "look
blind" I
>need to take it as a compliment. The statement really says that
you look
>normal - like a SIGHTED person! You and I do not have the
so-called "blind
>mannerisms" that so many sheltered congenitally blind people
display. You
>learned how to be as a sighted child - what was socially
acceptable. As a
>child, I was taught by my parents how to be in public and that
people can
>see what I do. So, you and I behave in a normal socially
acceptable manner.
>We look at people who speak to us. We don't poke our eyes with
our fingers
>or fists. Our eyes may look pretty normal - well - mine wiggle
with
>nystagmus. We rock only to music or while seated in a rocking
chair.
>I don't remember if you are totally blind or are partially
sighted. Being
>in a wheelchair, I can see how people think your guide is a
wheelchair
>service dog. There aren't too many of you out there. I know
several
>visually impaired wheelchair users but they see too much to use a
guide dog
>and they don't have a service dog, either.
>I know it's annoying when people don't know. People think you
are either
>fully sighted - "Oh, you must be faking it!" or you are totally
blind.
>People still don't seem to grasp the idea of all kinds of partial
vision in
>between. I tell them that I have enough vision to be dangerous.
We then
>have a laugh.
>Hope that helps! Thank God we are normal people who can give the
public a
>good impression of who blind people are.
>Take care and Happy Holidays!
>Linda and Landon
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Mardi Hadfield" <wolfsinger.lakota at gmail.com
>To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org
>Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2008 6:52 PM
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] service vs therapy dogs and welcome
>> Hi every one, I have had similar experiences with Therapy dog
owners.
>> They seem to think they know it all. They seem to think,because
I am
>> in a wheelchair that my dog is not a guide.They can't see beyond
the
>> chair. My dog must be a "wheelchair dog",because I use a
wheelchair.
>> I am told that
>> I
>> don't look blind. Can some one tell me what a blind person
looks like?
>> Do they all look the same? I get so aggravated at these people,
that I
>> don't even try to explain. I just roll away and ignore them.
There are
>> too
>many
>> other battles that are more important to take care of.
Welcome
>> Ted. All my guides have been Siberian Huskies except for my
current
>> trainee,Wanagi. She is a Husky/Shepherd cross, and I adopted
her from
>> the pound. I have trained my dogs with the aid of a private
trainer.
>> I am sure that whatever school you choose, you will get a
wonderful,
>> and faithful
>> partner. Have a great day, Mardi and Nala, retired, Wanagi,
gdit, and
>> Tokala,gdit.
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