[nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

Thu Feb 11 04:08:59 UTC 2010

I've had good roommates who respected my wishes concerning my dog. One thing
that I need to say is that you MUST give your dog play time each day no
matter how hectic your schedule gets. Dogs aren't machines and can't be
worked 24/7 without feeling happy and unstressed.
Lora

On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 6:49 PM, Julie J <julielj at windstream.net> wrote:

> I don't have any ideas on your college dormitory questions.  I have had to
> deal with the ,"but you travel so well, why do you need a dog?", argument.
> Unfortunately there is a perception that you have to be perpetually lost in
> order to benefit from a dog.   I am a very good cane traveler, but a dog is
> still my preferred means of mobility.  I like that I can teach the dog all
> sorts of additional things that a cane simply can't do.  I can teach the dog
> to find a counter, vehicle, chair and frequently used locations. I
> definitely feel that travel is easier with a dog, at least it is after the
> initial bumps get worked out. *smile*
>
> I just wanted to say that I can empathize with folks not understanding why
> you might want a dog when you can travel without one.  It's frustrating and
> I haven't figured out what to say that has made any difference.  I'm not
> sure a person could understand until experiencing it first hand.
>
> My best advice is to keep talking to your parents.  It may just take them
> some time to warm up to the idea.  It is a big change.  Or you may need to
> wait a couple of years until you are at a place in your life where you are
> able to make your own decisions.
>
> Good luck,
> Julie
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- 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 6:58 PM
>
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>
>
>   Thanks all of you for your suggestions. I like both the Seeing Eye, and
>> GDB. Ware as I live in MA the Seeing Eye is a lot closer. I am a junior in
>> high school so I haven't yet decided what college I will be attending. What
>> I do know, is I want to be in a big city with access to a good public
>> transit network such as the MBTA. I currently take the T to and from places
>> all over Boston using my cane. Because of this independence I am having
>> difficulty explaining to my parents that a dog would only enhance it making
>> me a more competent, safer, and faster traveler. Have any of you ever
>> experienced complaints about your dog either shedding or smelling bad? Is
>> this a problem with roommates in college? Like most teenagers my room is
>> never clean for long, but it is never that messy. I always take excellent
>> care of all my equipment, and don't see how the maintenance of a dog will be
>> a problem. My parents seem to have concerns of how I will maintain a dog in
>> college. Any thoughts?
>>
>> ----- 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: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 2:29 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>>
>>
>> First, where are you located? Maybe there is a guide program in your area
>>> which would allow you to sort of host a dog for sometime until the guide
>>> is
>>> matched up with a handler. This would help to introduce your parents to
>>> the
>>> concepts  and strength having a guide could and would lend to your life.
>>> You
>>> could also let them know that their role in your life is to make you as
>>> completely independent as possible and that the introduction of a guide
>>> dog
>>> into your life would do just that. you could also play on their
>>> sympathies
>>> by letting them know you are looking to be able to walk independently
>>> with
>>> friends and thereby depend less on their eyes and more so on your own
>>> senses
>>> coupled with the security and independence a guide would lend to your
>>> life.
>>> Where are you intending on going to college? If you are hoping to go
>>> away,
>>> your parents would need to understand  that a guide would help you to
>>> move
>>> swiftly and securely through a campus ensuring your timely attendance to
>>> all
>>> your classes. Again, maybe a talk with a teacher/principal  might help
>>> advance your crusade.
>>>
>>> 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 Mark J. Cadigan
>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 2:11 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> 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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-- 
Lora