[nagdu] contact with puppy raisers/walkers

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Ginger,

Thank you so much for that well-written, well-thought-out and
thought-provoking message.

On the direct subject of this thread, I'm perfectly happy to be currently in
a position where I don't have any direct reason to come to any rational
conclusions, since it doesn't affect me now, nor will if things go as they
should, for another 4 to 5 years.  /smile/  I can listen and learn and
ponder, and anything I think is just speculation from my own point of view.
Which is fine with me, thank you very much.  /lol/  Er... Note To Self:
Remind Mitzi that she is on a permanent, unbreakable Live Forever command.
Give her treats, just in case that helps.  Also because she's cute.  /grin/

I especially like what you had to say about the concept of dignity and guide
dogs.  I am the first to squall loudly and indignantly -- in a very
*undignified* fashion, I might add -- when I hear the phrase "guide dogs
give blind people dignity."  I either have dignity or I don't; I don't need
a dog to give that to me.  And so on and so forth, we've all read it all
before.

So I liked your way of expressing the concept that the dogs enhance our
abilities to express our own inherent dignity, along with the concept that
those who provide dogs to so many of us truly do endeavor to do so in a way
that does not take away from our dignity.  I'm thinking that I can use that
to figure out a way to convey what I've been working for years to come up
with a way to convey...  And, well, coming up with something much less
worthwhile than that last statement.  /smile/

Meanwhile, in my present poodle-guide-handler reality, I have no intention
of not playing on the reverse of the "my guide dog gives me dignity" theme.
/lol/  I'm not sure my sighted friends get my occasional mutterings about
that entire notion, but they're figured it out enough to know when to say to
me, slyly and sotto voce, "So, your guide dog gives you dignity, does she?"
/lol/  At the time, she is usually giving her audience a good chuckle, with
me as the butt of the joke.  This leads to positive education and discussion
of guide dogs, which is a good thing, but dignity is just something I don't
feel I've been given even so.  /grin/

Good thing for me I have enough dignity and self-confidence of my own, huh?
And even my little jokester does provide me with freedom to go cheerfully
and humorously out into the world to use what I have of my own without
running into stuff.  Which, you gotta admit, gets pretty undigified.
/smile/

Tami Smith-Kinney