[nagdu] oppinions requested about possible next dog.

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Stepper,

Good to see you again.  I haven't been where you are, but I have listened to
others discuss the fears about the responsibilities that come with having a
guide, whether they have taken a break from guide use or are first-timers
just about to take the plunge.

My opinion is that it is a very, very good thing to be fully aware of what
you're working so hard to get yourself into with a guide dog.  It means
you're thinking and planning and mentally working through a lot of the prep
work that will make you a good handler when you come home with your shiny
new pup.

Feeling overwhelmed when the soon-to-be new pup is still pretty much a
figment of your imagination seems to be pretty natural.  I've been through
it with pets, new horses, etc.  Then with Mitzi, who came to my door as some
undefined combination of pet and guide dog prospect.  Her arrival was
delayed by a couple of weeks due to transportation issues and time
schedules, and I could not believe how crazy I made myself with the
excitement and stark terror of it all.  Good grief!

So I still have a romantized fantasy in my head of setting off for guide dog
school for a ready-made guide dog who would be mine, all mine...  Then I
give myself a reality check and wonder how I would make it to guide dog
school alive for all the wigging myself out I would do before I ever set
off.

In the end, only you can decide.  Your previous guide dog experience gives
you a really good assessment of what you will be getting yourself into, and
it sounds like you've done well with your dogs so far.

And look at the bright side:  When you do come home with a wonderful new pup
to make a guide dog team with, you will be much too busy to worry about it
all until you've gotten it all sorted out.  /grin/

Good luck!

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Stepper
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 3:21 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] oppinions requested about possible next dog.

Hello listers.
I haven't written anything for a long time on here.
However, I find myself after 14 years since my last guide dog asking myself
if I want to go for another dog?
I am changing my mind back and forth yes no every few minutes.
I have been approve, and the clock is ticking.
I have a couple of months or so before start date.
My hesitations are, the constant responsibility.
My yes side is I really like walking with a dogand have always taken
termendis pride in my dogs.
I am home alone a lot of the time, since my wife works outside the home.
My wife believes I should give it a go.
She says that if it ends up being to much for me, I can send the dog back.
That makes me wonder, what percentage of students during training find its
more than they expected, or how many dogs get returned because people found
after being home with there guide for a time that it was to much?
Part of this came about, because the school asked me if I would be willing
to take a dog that had been returned because it hadn't worked out for some
reason?
If you wish to email me directly, that is at,
stepper12 at cableone.net
Thank you,
stepper



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