[nagdu] Cost of owning a guide dog
Doug Parisian
eggmann at mts.net
Tue Feb 22 02:47:46 UTC 2011
Buddy, good boy! But there is even more to having a dog VS cane. I caned
for about 11 years and my only regret in getting my first dog was that I
waited until age 27, instead of doing so at 17. What a difference this
would have made in my university.
Way back in 1977, I was working in a fully sighted environment with our
Canadian employment service, operated by the feds. One of my duties was to
visit a select list of employers either to establish on-the-job train or to
market specific clients. This often involved walking around industrial
parks where there were no sidewalks, crossing vast parking lots, negotiating
my way through noisy forklift infested warehouses, often panicking employers
to the point of making communications relating to my original intent very
difficult indeed.
I was not sold on my first dog since my mobility and orientation abilities
with the then 40 inch cane were very much more developed than my friend who
had been working with a dog for 10 years. Even so, I could never move as
fast with my white cane as I would have liked, and challenging areas (and
there were many with the work I did) only added immensely to my fatigue on
top of having to cope with a vast amount of government forms, many filled
out in hand-printing or worse, handwriting.
All of my dogs, starting from my first, gave me the freedom to move as
rapidly as I could ever hope without my having to think of issues such as
"sidewalk furniture" etc. Further, I now very rarely walk sighted guide,
seeing as how my dogs are much better at that job. This leaves a hand free
to carry whatever I can't put in a backpack.
We love walking in fresh deep snow and have often done so in blizzard
conditions, just for the fun of it.
Do I think a Dog Guide is a much better, safer, more dignified method of
mobility than a cane? Absolutely with no apologies to any one. I've been
to dozens of conferences with a mix of Dog Guide teams and "whack 'n
tappers" and found that the dog teams negotiated strange hotel lobbies,
streets, and wide open spaces, much more rapidly and efficiently.
Doug: Waiting for the hate mail--AGAIN!!!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2011 7:27 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Cost of owning a guide dog
> Hi Jessica (and also Phil),
>
> I think Jessica's statement that "a dog can find things, where a cane
> cannot" needs quite a bit of clarification, because it isn't exactly true
> or clear cut.
>
> A cane can find things in your immediate environment. If you are, for
> instance, looking for the fourth sidewalk on the left, or the third door
> on the right, a cane will do this much more easily than a dog will.
> Whereas with a cane, you can shoreline and count (because the door or
> sidewalk or pole is right within the distance between your body and the
> end of your cane), you would need to make suggestive commands to your dog
> in order to find each door or sidewalk or pole. Sometimes, this works, and
> sometimes it doesn't. Depends a lot on your dog really. I find that
> sometimes, they try to think a few steps ahead of you. Sometimes this is a
> good thing. Anyway, the advantage comes once you have been to a particular
> destination before. Within a couple of times going somewhere, your dog
> will indicate that destination to you. How this is indicated, again,
> varies from dog to dog, and it then becomes a matter of learning your
> particular dog's signals. This is, again, a blessing and a curse. Many are
> the arguments I've had with my dog about where we were going, when he
> thought I wanted to go one place and I wanted to go to another. ("But we
> always go here! You want to go here this time." "No I don't." And so on.)
>
> Working across wide open areas like parking lots is much easier with a
> dog, too. They will generally target a door, for instance, and head for it
> across a parking lot. Doing this with a cane is, clearly, more difficult.
> Walking through snow with a cane is also harder than doing so with a dog,
> although I wouldn't really call either one pleasant.
>
> You certainly will have to get used to cluing into different kinds of
> landmarks using a dog than you used with a cane. Just a fact, and a thing
> you'll get used to.
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On Feb 21, 2011, at 7:40 PM, Philip S wrote:
>
>> Hi Jessica, Julie and all,
>> Could you elaborate on what you meant by "a dog can find things
>> whereas a cane cannot"? What kinds of things are you referring to?
>> Certainly it depends on a dog's health, but around what age do guide
>> dogs usually retire?
>> Thanks a lot for your help!
>> Phil
>>
>>
>> On 2/21/11, Jessica Pitzer <rolosgirl at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I used a cane for about 17 years or so. A dog can find things where as
>>> a cane can not, but a cane can give you more tacticle info. I prefer
>>> the dog obviously.
>>>
>>> On 2/21/11, Julie J <julielj at neb.rr.com> wrote:
>>>> Phil,
>>>>
>>>> I have my current guide and my retired guide here.
>>>>
>>>> Some people do get pet insurance, but I'd caution reading the fine
>>>> print
>>>> before signing on the dotted line. I've heard a lot of people say they
>>>> aren't worth the cost, that it's better to just put the money in a
>>>> savings
>>>> account. I haven't spend that much time looking into insurance, so I
>>>> have
>>>> no idea which plans are better than others. If this is a concern, I'd
>>>> ask
>>>> the program you are considering what sort of support they offer in
>>>> cases
>>>> of
>>>> unforeseen medical expenses.
>>>>
>>>> Julie
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Philip S" <philso1003 at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Monday, February 21, 2011 4:44 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Cost of owning a guide dog
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi Julie,
>>>>> Thanks for your detailed answers. You mentioned "both of your dogs".
>>>>> Do you have 2 guide dogs? Yes, vet visits and unforeseen medical
>>>>> expenses can be costly. Is it a common practice for people to buy
>>>>> health insurance for their guide dogs such as from PetPlan?
>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>> Phil
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 2/20/11, Julie J <julielj at neb.rr.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Phil,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My best answer is...it depends. It's hard to pin down an exact
>>>>>> amount I
>>>>>> spend monthly or yearly because there are so many variables. Here's
>>>>>> my
>>>>>> best
>>>>>> guess at your individual questions.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> About how much can I expect the cost to increase as a dog gets
>>>>>>> bigger >
>>>>>>> (eat more?) and older (more vet visits?)
>>>>>> *> The cost you incur on food won't really change over the lifetime
>>>>>> of
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> dog since all the programs will be matching you with an adult dog.
>>>>>> Whether
>>>>>> or not you spend a lot on vet visits totally depends on the
>>>>>> individual
>>>>>> health of the dog. I wish I knew of some way to predict health and
>>>>>> longevity, but I don't.*
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In particular, how much do you spend each month (or each year on the
>>>>>>> following)?
>>>>>>> Food *approx. $600 per year I have a very large dog who cannot
>>>>>>> tolerate
>>>>>>> corn, wheat or soy*
>>>>>>> Treats *I only buy treats every now and then, maybe $20 per year.
>>>>>>> Typically I use regular dog food or find something appropriate from
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> refridgerator.*
>>>>>>> Snacks *I don't really do snacks*
>>>>>>> regular Vet visit*approx. $30 per year, but I live in a very rural
>>>>>>> environment. My vet is super cheap compared to what you'd
>>>>>>> experience
>>>>>>> in
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> large city.*
>>>>>>> Major medical expense*Absolutely no way to know in advance.*
>>>>>>> supplies*I've had dogs for all of my life. Many of the supplies I
>>>>>>> have
>>>>>>> like brushes etc. I've had for ages. None of them were very
>>>>>>> expensive,
>>>>>>> except for the Furminator. You could buy all the brushes and combs
>>>>>>> you'd
>>>>>>> need for under $20. I think the dishes I have cost something like
>>>>>>> $7
>>>>>>> or
>>>>>>> so.*
>>>>>>> Kennel*Again I have a very large dog, 27 inches tall. There aren't
>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>> lot
>>>>>>> to choose from when you get to that size. I have a VariKennel which
>>>>>>> was
>>>>>>> about $100.*
>>>>>>> license*Spayed or neutered dogs are $5 here, which I do pay.
>>>>>>> Technically
>>>>>>> speaking a fee cannot be charged to you because of your choice of
>>>>>>> mobility
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> tool. Your experience in getting local authorities to understand
>>>>>>> this
>>>>>>> may
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> vary.*
>>>>>>> Toy*my dogs are spoiled in the toy department. They have an entire
>>>>>>> bin
>>>>>>> full of them. I try to pick super durable toys that will last a
>>>>>>> long
>>>>>>> while though. I'd say the current toy selection probably cost me
>>>>>>> around
>>>>>>> $100, but they weren't purchased all at once and they obviously
>>>>>>> don't
>>>>>>> need
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> all of those toys. I like King Wholesale for toys. They are about
>>>>>>> half
>>>>>>> the price of Petsmart or Petco.*
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Do you visit any dog/pet website?
>>>>>> *Yes, many. I like King Wholesale for toys, supplies, grooming needs
>>>>>> etc.*
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Do you get your dog food/supplies
>>>>>>> online or at a store?
>>>>>>> *Generally online. Again I live in a very, very small town. There
>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>> no
>>>>>>> pet store here. I feed Flint River Ranch dog food to both of my
>>>>>>> dogs.
>>>>>>> it's only available on line and delivered to your front door.*
>>>>>>> Thanks very much for your help!
>>>>>> *No problem. I did want to mention that most/all of the guide dog
>>>>>> programs
>>>>>> will provide you with a couple of toys, a mat or crate, leash,
>>>>>> collar,
>>>>>> harness, food bowl, brush and probably other stuff I'm forgetting at
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> moment. the two major expenses are food and vet bills. Some of the
>>>>>> programs will provide a yearly stipend or assistance with unforseen
>>>>>> vet
>>>>>> costs. If you live close enough to the school I think most of them
>>>>>> will
>>>>>> allow you to take your dog there for vet visits free of charge.*
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Julie
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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