[nagdu] New member
Kolby Garrison
kolbygarrison at triad.rr.com
Sat Nov 29 16:13:18 UTC 2008
Hello Hope and All,
My Sunny does the same thing too. She is a Golden Retriever, and though my
College campus is rather large everyone knows Miss Sunny and loves her. Of
course you have your ignorant people, some of whom can be educated and some
of whom do not understand the simplest of concepts no matter how hard or how
often you attempt explaining them. Sunny and I fly together, and I will not
ever go back to using the cane again! Partnering with Guide Dogs is 100%
right for me.
Kolby
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Hope Paulos
Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2008 8:46 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users;
nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nagdu] New member
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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