[nagdu] guide doog book about young person

Tue Feb 2 20:00:41 UTC 2010

I think the dog in Light a Single Candle was named Trudie, or something like 
that.

Shannon and Caroline
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 9:19 AM
Subject: [nagdu] guide doog book about young person

"Light a Single Candle".  I just saw a sequel on the NLS site, too.  I
believe she was in a Catholic high school.  I remember that because her
dog was Named Sister, which was a bit of a problem.  "Sister sit!" and the
nun thinks you're talking to her, not the dog.
I think it was quite a while ago, though.
I enjoyed it though.

> Wasn't there a series of boks about a teenage girl that got a dog. I
> think the first was Light A Candle or some such?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Wayne Merritt
> Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 2:04 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] opinions requested about possible next dog.
>
> I've heard of dogs being given to young kids like that, but usually
> it's with kids that have other disabilities such as autism. Haven't
> heard of a blind kid getting a guide dog, except in one case where the
> kid ended up leading the dog around school, and the district sent them
> back to be retrained after the first year. Turned out the teen didn't
> need a dog to get around his school. I'm not sure how that ended up,
> but it does illustrate that guide dog schools say 16 fora  reason.
>
> Wayne
>
> On 2/1/10, Ioana Gandrabur <igandrabur at gmx.de> wrote:
>> HI all,
>>
>> speaking of getting your guide dog at a young age, did you know that
> Mira
>> the French guide dog school in Montreal is the only one in the world
> that
>> actually gives dogs to kids younger than 16? In those cases they come
> to
>> training with the parents. Would love to hear about some of those
>> experiences but don't know any mira guide dog users.
>>
>> Anyway just thought it was an interesting bit of info.
>>
>> All the best,
>>
>> Ioana
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]On
>> Behalf Of Nicole B. Torcolini
>> Sent: February 1, 2010 12:55 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] opinions requested about possible next dog.
>>
>>
>>     I do not know when I actually decided that I *would have* a guide
> dog
>> when I was old enough, but I met a guide dog for the first time when I
> was
>> eight years old; my para-educator used a female German shepherd.  At
> some
>> point, though, I was determined to apply as soon as I was old enough
> (16).
>> However, I knew that it did not just, poof, happen.  I knew that I had
> to
>> have good mobility skills and that I had to care for a dog.  I worked
>> diligently to acquire the needed mobility skills, which was made
> easier by
>> the fact that my school district provided an O&M instructor who worked
> with
>> me about twice a month.  I understood what a guide dog could and could
> not
>> do; it could not read traffic, and, just because you started in a
> straight
>> line did not mean that you stayed in one, and a guide dog was not a
> map
>> either.  I had worked a guide dog at a program that GDB and the Seeing
> EYE
>> put on.  I had also gone on Juno walks, so I understood that the
> amount and
>> type of  feedback with a dog was different than that of a cane.
>>
>>     As far as taking care of a dog, my family had had (and still has)
> a pet
>> dog, so I was fully aware of the time commitment that it would be.  I
> think
>> that having a pet dog before getting a guide dog is a good idea, but I
> know
>> that it is not always possible.
>>
>>     For various reasons, I did not get Lexia as soon as I would have
> liked,
>> but the timing worked quite well: summer between my junior and senior
> years
>> of high school.  I had some time to get settled in in a familiar
> environment
>> before going somewhere new and strange.  Yes, we had a few up's and
> down's
>> the first few months, (including a few in harness accidents that were
> more
>> my fault while I got a schedule worked out) but I think that,
> regardless of
>> the person and dog, there is always going to be some adjusting when
> you get
>> your first dog.  Yes, I look back and wish that I had known a few more
>> things what to do and what not to do, but it doesn't really matter
> now.  We
>> rarely have any problems, and, in the case that we do, just working
> over it
>> usually fixes the problem.  I use treats for a while if I am trying to
>> emphasize that she needs to do something.
>>
>>     BTW, Lexia is a female black lab from Guide Dogs for the Blind,
> trained
>> at the Oregon campus.  I received her on July 5, 2007, and we
> graduated as a
>> working team on July 28.  She was 21 months when I got her.  I will
> admit
>> that there was a time that I wanted a shepherd, but I could not ask
> for
>> better than my Lexia.
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 6:46 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] opinions requested about possible next dog.
>>
>>
>>> What would be your thoughts on a person of your years and experiences
> and
>>> feelings which could be shared with other interested teenagers who
> wanted
>>> a
>>> guide?
>>>
>>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>>> CEO/Founder
>>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>>> New York, New York  10004
>>> www.myblindspot.org
>>> PH: 917-553-0347
>>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one
> who is
>>> doing it."
>>>
>>>
>>> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
>>> Of Nicole B. Torcolini
>>> Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 8:02 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] oppinions requested about possible next dog.
>>>
>>> I find your comment about too young interesting.  I got Lexia a
> little
>>> over
>>> two months before my 18th birthday.
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Wayne Merritt" <wcmerritt at gmail.com>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 2:32 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] oppinions requested about possible next dog.
>>>
>>>
>>>> I'm not sure what the percentage of people who try a guide and end
> up
>>>> sending it back or going home early in the training program is, but
> it
>>>> does happen. I've heard stories from both sides, of a woman who sent
>>>> the dog back within her first 2 months of being home, after her
> class
>>>> date, and the dog was matched with another student successfully.
> There
>>>> was also a user in my last class who went home after the first week
>>>> due to all the dog responsibilities. So it does happen. This thought
>>>> of giving up even crossed my mind when I was in my first class 15
>>>> years ago, but I figured that I had made a commitment and I stuck it
>>>> out. Looking back, my only regret might be that I went when I was
> too
>>>> young, at 20, but other than that I have no regrets. Also guessing
>>>> here, but I'd be willing to bet that if you did decide to get a dog,
>>>> went through training, came home and then decided that having a dog
>>>> was too much, or even if you decided this while in training, the
>>>> school and people in that class would understand and support you. So
>>>> go for it! And keep us updated on your journey.
>>>>
>>>> Wayne
>>>>
>>>> On 1/30/10, Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net> wrote:
>>>>> Hi Stepper.
>>>>> I too tend to agree with your wife.  You could try it, and, if it
>>>>> doesn't
>>>>> work out, well, it was still worth a try.  Although the little
> weasels
>>>>> have a way of getting into your heart that makes them hard to give
> up.
>>>>>
>>>>> I remember being worried about the responsibilities of dog
> ownership
>>>>> before I got my first dog, even though I'd had pets before.  Then I
> got
>>>>> Glade, and the responsibilities were really nothing to have worried
>>>>> about.
>>>>>  I adjusted my schedule a bit, and that was it.  The benefits far
>>>>> outweighed the costs.
>>>>>
>>>>> Hasn't it been a goal of yours for a long time, to get another dog?
>>>>> It's
>>>>> natural to be nervous about the change, but I think it's worth
> going
>>>>> forward.  If it doesn't work out, it's still OK.
>>>>>
>>>>> You asked for opinions, and there's mine, for what it's worth.
>>>>> Good luck.
>>>>> Tracy
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> My blog:
>>>> http://wayneism.blogspot.com
>>>> My websites:
>>>> www.wayneism.com
>>>> www.whitecaneday.org
>>>>
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>
> --
> My blog:
> http://wayneism.blogspot.com
> My websites:
> www.wayneism.com
> www.whitecaneday.org
>
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