[nagdu] Cost of owning a guide dog

Tracy Carcione carcione at access.net
Tue Feb 22 14:27:09 UTC 2011 

At last someone willing to tell it like it is! Atta boy, Doug!
Tracy


> 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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