[nagdu] always taking the dog was guide dogs

[Jeanette Beal]

I am so torn on this issue. While I got my dog for independence there are
places where he's just not going to do well; roller derby, boating. Instead
I leave him at home for the few hours I'll be gone. This causes some
problems with arranging plans and sometimes AB people get frustrated but
thems the breaks. I think in particular if someone is partially sighted
(like myself) AB or sighted friends/partners forget just how important a
guide dog is; they see the dog as a member of the family and of course "a
working dog" whatever that ends up being interpreted as, but not as your
eyes and ears on the road.
I think I've left Drum at home a total of  4 times since I got him 2 years
ago and each time was more out of concern for his safety than mine. That's a
harsh reality for me to type, but I have to take care of him too.
And he would *die* if I ever made him go to Mardi Gras. Actually he'd
probably pee on everything. He's a temperamental pee-er.
Jeanette

On Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 2:39 PM, Linda Gwizdak <linda.gwizdak at cox.net> wrote:

> Rox,
> Does your dog also perform hearing dog tasks while you're out and about?  I
> think it is safeer for you to have your dog with you at all times.
>
> Oh, didn't know about the doggie prade connected with Marti Gras. Wow!  And
> the Super Bowl parade as well?  I saw that on the news.
>
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "The Pawpower Pack" <
> pawpower4me at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <
> nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 6:30 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] always taking the dog was guide dogs
>
>
>  Julie and Buddy are right; bringing, or not bringing the dog is a very
>> personal choice.
>>
>> I am Deafblind with other "invisible" disabilities.  I always have a dog.
>> If I can't take her some where, such as to a private home, then I don't go.
>>  My dogs  have gone to all kinds of places and because I train my own dog it
>> is easy for me to spend lots of time preparing for, and training my dog in,
>> these types of environments.  I live in New Orleans and I was in the French
>> quarter the morning of the Super bowl.  It was a zoo because it was also the
>> Barkus parade-- the dog parade for Mardi Gras.  It was chaos. My dog just
>> handled it as if it were any other day.  It is physically impossible for me
>> to be independent without a dog or  another person by my side and since I
>> like my dog better than I like most people, and since she does a better job
>> for me than anyone else could, she always goes with me. I realize this
>> choice puts me in the minority but it's just the way I have to do things to
>> keep my independence and my sanity.
>>
>> Rox
>>
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>
>
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-- 
Jeanette Beal
MS.Ed Assistive Technology
Independent Consultant
Boston, MA 02115
bealjk at gmail.com
http://twitter.com/bealjk
http://bealjk.tumblr.com/

"Talent is an invention like phlogiston after the fact of fire" - Marge
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