[nagdu] But so and so lets me pet their dog!

Meghan meghan at n-republic.net
Mon Mar 8 09:31:37 UTC 2010


I agree that it's better to get someone who's going to interact with the dog 
than to be left on the curb with no explanation, but that still doesn't make 
it acceptable.  Just because it would hurt less to get a small cut on my 
thumb than it would to break it doesn't mean I'm going to intentionally let 
my thumb get cut.  Does that make sense?  Just because one is worse than the 
other doesn't mean it's acceptable and doesn't warrent frustration.
----- 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, March 07, 2010 6:05 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] But so and so lets me pet their dog!


> Different people have different ways of dealing wiht this issue. When
> I was young and wiht my first guide, I got all upset with people
> constantly petting my dog and interrupting our rhythm when we were
> walking down the sidewalk. The family can be the most challenging
> people. Back in the mid 90's, my parents got a mini van. There was no
> outward jutting console between the front seats, so there was a good
> place for my guide to lay. He really enjoyed it too. My dad enjoyed it
> too since he often, without thinking, dropped his right hand down and
> started rubbing my guide, especially when sitting at a light. That
> took a long time to correct that behavior. At one point my mom
> wondered why I was getting so upset, so I asked her how she would feel
> if I reached over and started turning the steering wheel back and
> forth. I said I wouldn't do it when she was driving, but just sitting
> at a light. That helped stopped the dog petting behavior.
>
> Fortunatley I haven't been rejected from any cabs yet due to my dog. I
> have been rejected from a Super shuttle shortly after I got my dog,
> with witnesses. But I chose not to follow up with it. I'm with Dan on
> this, if you get a ride from the cabbie, even if they're flurting wiht
> your dog, then that's way better than not getting the ride, or from
> having the cab pull up then drive off for some unknown reason.
>
> Wayne
>
> On 3/7/10, Michelle <m-johnson at bigpond.com> wrote:
>> Ok, what I'd do is tell the people whoever they are, to basically stop
>> deciding what happens to you and your dog. My family pushes me around a 
>> bit,
>> only to be helpful, but I make it clear what I will and won't accept from
>> them. It works out well.
>>
>> If your Dad and others keep getting defencive, just ask him how he'd feel 
>> if
>> his eyes were closed, and he's using a guide dog, and others are treating
>> him like that? No doubt he might have a different understanding then. Not
>> just your Dad, but others as well. And, tell your Dad and Co, that it's 
>> not
>> up to anyone else to decide whether it's ok for your dog to be petted and
>> anything else for that matter, just because So-and-So wants to say that 
>> it
>> is. If you have to be, be a little harsh. It's better to cause offence 
>> for
>> five minutes than to allow your dogs training to stuff up for life, which
>> would be more devastating, wouldn't it?
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> Michelle and Troy
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Chasity Jackson" <chasityvanda at charter.net>
>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 12:28 AM
>> Subject: [nagdu] But so and so lets me pet their dog!
>>
>>
>>> Yesterday, a friend and I were waiting for a cab at the grocery store.
>>> Apparently the cabby who showed up had driven for us before. He 
>>> apparently
>>>
>>> remembered my dog's name. So, while she's still working, and while she's
>>> actually walking and guiding me, he sticks his hand out in front of her
>>> and says, "Hey Hadley, how ya been?" And starts to pet her. I moved her
>>> away from him and said, "I'm sorry, but she's working." And he got
>>> defensive right away and said, "But so and so has no problem letting me
>>> pet her dog when it's working. What's the big deal?" And when I 
>>> explained
>>> that it interfered with her performance and that it was a big 
>>> distraction,
>>>
>>> he continued to be defensive, because his model guide dog team is so and
>>> so and her dog. Well, I happen to know the person he's talking about, 
>>> and
>>> I happen to know that she is not at all disciplined in caring for her 
>>> dog.
>>>
>>> She lets her dog have table scraps, and tells her dog to speak in public
>>> and gives it human food treats. So go figure. LOL. But he just couldn't
>>> figure out why I was being so unfair about the situation, after all, if
>>> she did it, what was the harm in it. And what was even more funny was 
>>> that
>>>
>>> he actually tried to pull a stupid stunt to get an extra tip. He said,
>>> "Well, so and so tips me herself, and then she's cute about it and gives
>>> me an additional tip from the dog too. She gave me an extra dollar tip
>>> yesterday from her dog." And I thought, well, don't hold your breath. 
>>> LOL.
>>>
>>> A few weeks back, a similar incident happened with another cab driver, 
>>> but
>>>
>>> it didn't involve petting. It was the beginning of February, and we had
>>> some snow and ice on the ground. I was at the top of my porch, about to
>>> head down the stairs. This cab driver clapped his hands, whistles to my
>>> dog and says, "Come on," and she starts to get excited and go toward 
>>> him.
>>> Had I not been holding onto the rail, I would have easily  fallen down 
>>> the
>>>
>>> stairs. So I told him, "Please don't call her. She shouldn't be 
>>> listening
>>> to commands from other people. She's only supposed to follow the
>>> directions I give to her. And again, he got very defensive, and said, "I
>>> was only trying to show her the way." And I said, "You're not supposed 
>>> to
>>> show her the way. If you insist on helping, you can tell me which
>>> direction you are in and I will give her the command to go in that
>>> direction. What enraged me more regarding this incident was that later, 
>>> I
>>> talked to my dad, and in frustration, I told him about it. My parents 
>>> are
>>> not exactly the brightest when it comes to guide dogs versus pets, and
>>> although they understand quite a bit from me, sometimes they don't have
>>> the brightest things to say. So my dad says, "Oh Well, get over it. 
>>> That's
>>>
>>> life. Some people are dog lovers and you have to expect that." And then
>>> when I said, "I could have fallen," or, "What if she did that while I 
>>> was
>>> crossing the street," my dad just said, that's life, people are dog
>>> lovers, s**t happens."
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
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>
>
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