[nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

[Sherri]

Dan, I will never forget and will always be amazed at how much your dad 
loved your first guide dog, especially with all your dad's misgivings at 
first.
Sherri
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan Weiner" <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:33 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful


> Well, first question is "Is the reason your parents don't support your 
> idea
> of getting a dog that they don't like dogs?"--smile.
> Second of all, what is your parents objection, I mean presumably you're 
> the
> one who's blind so maybe you might know a little better than they do 
> whether
> a dog would enhance your lifestyle or not.
> I'm fortunate that by the time I wanted a dog, my parents had figured out
> I'd pretty much do what I wanted without permission, so my Dad just asked
> one or two feeble questions and then left it alone.
> He asked "Are you sure a dog will be worth the trouble, how do you know
> it'll work out."
> I explained that, never having a dog, a guide dog, that is,  I'd need to
> find it out for myself and I really wanted to take care of the dog and was
> ready.
> When I got home, he admired the dog enormously. But he asked the second 
> day
> back home if the dog really had to go out with us to breakfast. I said it
> did, when he seemed to balk I said "I love you Dad, and enjoy going out, 
> but
> this is important to me and if you don't want my guide dog than I'm afraid 
> I
> won't be going".
> Dead silence ensued, and the issue never came up again.  As a matter of
> fact, my Dad adopted my first hound after he retired and loved him.  The
> dog, Grant, even went to my Dad's funeral's
> The only thing I wasn't really ready for was the access issues. Being the
> brilliant young man I was--smile--it never occurred to me that people 
> would
> have issues with a dog, I mean access issues to public places.
>
> So, tell us more what the problem is and we'll be happy to talk about it.
> There are some folks on this list who can be very good role models and
> mentors, I wish there had been such a list when I started out.  But, then 
> I
> don't think there were such things as computer lists--smile.
>
> Good luck
>
> Dan W. and the Carter Dog
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Mark J. Cadigan
> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:17 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>
> Hello list,
>
> I am new to this list, and I am thinking of getting a guide dog for when I
> go to college. The only problem I am having is convincing my parents that 
> a
> guide dog is a useful mobility tool.  As you can probably guess, that is a
> large obstacle. I am currently in high school, so I have to abide by my
> parent's wishes, or at least for now. What I am asking for is how best to
> explain to them, that guide dogs are useful mobility tools, that will
> enhance my independence rather than detract from it. I have given them
> literature, DVDs and have attempted to talk to them. Any instructional
> materiel finds its way into the circular file, and they change the subject
> when I talk to them. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
>
> Thanks
> Mark
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