[nagdu] Do's and Don't's

[Garry and Joy Relton]

Rox,

I like how your rules include consideration for others as well. Clearly,
bringing a cover helps cut down on the dander and hair for others. Also, you
control when and how the dog does things. My lab's reason for getting on a
table or a counter is to explore/eat whatever she sees there. Definitely not
to help me. 

Out of curiosity, and not, I hope to offend you, do you travel much alone? I
have a friend who is deaf-blind but he has quite a bit of hearing. He's
working out a better hearing aid so that he can hear and judge directions
more easily. He's been told that he should never cross a street by himself,
make coffee in a coffee pot, or cook on a gas stove. I know that all of the
issues relating to cooking are bunk for him but the crossing of a street is
something I can understand. If you can't hear the traffic it is pretty much
a crap shoot to cross. He's thinking about getting a dog. If it could work
out for him, I think that his mobility and sense of independence would be
greatly improved. Any suggestions or points of experience?

Joy, with Belle

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of The Pawpower Pack
Sent: Saturday, May 30, 2009 7:09 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Do's and Don't's


My dogs are allowed on my couch and my bed.  I am Deafblind and my  
dogs do sound alert work which is pretty hard to do if said dog is on  
tie down.

If the dog is new to my home or if my dog needs to be confined for  
some reason-- they have a crate.  However their crate doors are  
usually left open for them to come and go as they wish.

My dogs are allowed to get on the counter or the table if they are  
cued by me to do so-- an example of this might be if I need my dog to  
help clear the table after a meal or if I need something from a  
counter and can't (for whatever reason) stand up and get said item  
myself.  My dogs are also allowed to lay by my chair during meals but  
they know not to beg.

As for traveling, all of the friends I stay with when out of town are  
dog people.  If they're not dog people then I usually don't stay with  
them and will get a hotel.  I bring a sheet or light blanket to the  
hotel when I travel and spread it over the top of the hotel linens.  I  
have vertigo and sometimes my dogs need to get on whatever bed I'm in  
in order to bring me things.  Also to alert me to sounds.  and yes,  
they do sleep up there.  I find that as a deafblind person I do better  
when I know where my dog is.  If she gets up in the night I can feel  
her move and can wake up.  If she weren't next to me I'd not be able  
to tell what she was doing.

Everyone has different "rules", I think it's important to find what  
works for the individual.

Rox and the Kitchen Bitches

Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
"Life breaks us all, but afterwards, many of us are strongest at the  
broken places." -- Ernest Hemingway
  pawpower4me at gmail.com

MSN: Brisomania at Hotmail.com
AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss	

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/relton30857%40cox.net