[nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Thu Feb 11 06:58:09 UTC 2010


Hi, Mark!  You've come to a good place to learn everything you could
possibly want to know about guide dogs.  /smile/  That you are asking
questions now shows that when you will be ready to make the decision when
the time comes for you to make the final decision and act on it. /smile/

I'm sorry I have no useful advice for you.  My parents were not an issue
with my guide dog except that after one brief visit, I will not take her
near my family except for very short visits involving no staying overnight
and where I can keep an eagle eye on them at all times!

They either pretent she does not exist or refer to her as "that dog."

Also, they send me literature about guide dog schools and insist I read it
because I should think about getting a guide dog.  Er...  My dog is
owner-trained, meaning I trained her myself.  Now she's grown up, we're
through our team building phase, although that seemed to go long because of
the handler side of the team.  /smile/  In other words, she *is* a guide
dog.

They also firmly belive that I do not have retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and am
not going blind yet occasionally call to tell me about some brief article
they read about a "new cure for blindness" that has nothing to do with RP.
Okay...  Just for fun a couple of times, I did ask for more information.
"Just read the article," I was told firmly.  It was very clear that reading
the article would solve my problem.

So I can relate to having parents and family who chose not to be informed,
no matter how much information you -- or anyone else -- gives them.  It can
be extremely frustrating, especially when they still have influence over the
decisions you make -- or are in the process of making -- based on that
information.

Without knowing you or them, all I can say is that it sounds like you are
taking a very good approach to the decision-making process for yourself and
in communicating with them.  That's about all you can do:  communicate.

I will leave it to the younger crowd here to tell you of their experiences
as young adults with guides.  /smile/  I can confirm that a guide dog is a
useful mobility tool and, off duty, are just great people to have around.
They are, as you seem to realize, a whole lot of responsibility, and only
you can decide if and when you are ready and willing to take that on.  Yes,
you will have to adjust your lifestyle around your dog at times.  And, yes,
for many of us, it is well worth it!

Best to you, and let us know how it goes.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----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 10:17 AM
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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