[nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

Wed Feb 10 19:49:43 UTC 2010

I am a few months away from 18, and I live with my parents in the New 
England area.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bryan Brown" <bryanbrown at solarus.biz>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 2:39 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

> Hey, Mark
>
> How old are you and where do you live?
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mark J. Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>
>
>> Dan W,
>>
>> My mom claims to be terrified of dogs, but yet we have a pet dog.  My 
>> parents claim that a guide dog will smell, then I point out that if you 
>> take care of it properly it won't. Then I point out people we know with 
>> guide dogs that don't smell. My dad's response to this is to tell this 
>> story of his friend's son's roommate's friend had a roommate with a 
>> smelly guide dog. This happened so long ago, and is so far removed from 
>> the situation that I can't see how it possibly has any bearing on the 
>> current situation. Also that story is so convoluted that is impossible to 
>> verify. And the argument goes on and on Ad nauseam. It is getting to the 
>> point that I think they are just attempting to exorcize there ability to 
>> make arbitrary decisions.
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- 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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>>>
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>>
>>
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>
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