[nagdu] to Tatyana

Dan Weiner dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net
Sun Sep 4 13:50:04 UTC 2011 

Now Lynn, you have pointed out all of the   drawbacks to having a
dog--smile.
Do you find any advantages to using one as a means of mobility--lol.
I know you do, just pointing out something....

Just to be a friendly critic, there have been so many posts highlighting
disadvantages that if I weren't a guide dog user I'd ask myself, "Why
bother, it sound like such a pain?"--smile.
I point this out because I remember asking my blind services counselor about
dogs when I was fourteen or so.
He said nothing about any advantages and just said how "some people won't
want dog hair in their car", and so on and so on and so on and I was left
wondering, "they why do people get dogs if it's such a pain?"
But I always loved dogs and really didn't believe him, I mean, I believed
that some people don't want dog hair or whatever but I thought there must be
something good about it.--smile.

And, after all is said and done I plan to have a guide dog for the ret of my
life, barring situations in life that might make it more difficult such as
health concerns or the very slight or non-existent chance that I'd live
somewhere where dogs aren't welcome such as...say...Saudi Arabia.


This does not seem to be something that will happen to me or that I will
ever do, live in Saudi Arabia, for example--smile

Besides, life can be unpredictable so as someone once said, and I don't
remember who it was, "never say never"--smile

And, despite all the panegyrics about cane use and how you can get around
well with a cane or a dog (obviously, as there are people who use
both--smile)  I am a better traveler with a dog and enjoy it more.
I have met some great cane users, people who I think should be totally happy
with their canes, who still find using a dog to be wonderful.

Just a few random thoughts which probably have made this discussion more
confusing not less confusing--smile



Dan the man and his four-legged buddy, Carter




 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Lyn Gwizdak
Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2011 6:44 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] to Tatyana

Tatyana,
Try to spend time with guide dog users and see how it is for them.  A guide
dog isn't for everyone and they are perfectly comfortable in getting around
with a cane.

A guide dog is a DOG in that it is a living animal that has needs and
feelings.  They are more care than a cat.  A dog needs to eat, poops and
pees - the poop must be picked up and thrown away.  They can get sick -
vomit and diahrrea.  They can smell bad from being dirty or due to
infections.  They shed hair all over the place.  WE are all taught proper
dog care at the guide dog schools.  Properly groomed and cared for dogs
rarely smell bad or shed lots of hair all over.

Some people, like us guide dog users, put up with or don't mind what it
takes to take good care of a dog.  We don't mind dog hair on our clothes or
in our houses.  We enjoy living with house animals.  Other people do not
like these things and don't care to take on the responsibilities in dog or
other animal care.  And this is valid.

While you take the time to determine if a guide dog is for you, ask anything
you want of us - that's how you gain information with which to make a sound
decision for yourself.  Like I said, spend time with guide dog users as much
as you can and go places with them.  this will give you a realistic view as
to what it means to have a guide dog.

BTW, your English is great for someone like you. You're a brave person to
leave a coountry that is familiar and move to another one with a totally 
different culture and language.   English is a very hard language to learn 
with all it's crazy rules, words that sound alike but you spell them
different depending on how you use the word.  My neice knows some Russian
from when she lived in Ukraine while in the Peace Corps.  Your Cyrilic
alphabet differs from the one we use for English and other languages.  Is
Russian Braille different from American Braille - you know, the dot
formations?

Anyway, welcome to the list and hope you come to the decision that is best
for you.  Using the dog or cane is a personal decision and you are the one
best to make it.  Many of us also use the cane - it is required for getting
a dog.  You need good mobility skills to learn how to work with a dog.

I am Lyn and I've worked guide dogs sinse 1973.  I am on my eighth dog.  He
is Landon, a red Lab/Golden cross from The Seeing Eye.  We live in San
Diego, CA and do pet assisted therapy for work.

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tatyana" <tagriru at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, September 02, 2011 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] to Tatyana


> Hello Marilyn,
> I don't know whether  I like dogs or not, I don't have one to know. I 
> don't like cats. I had a small dog when I was a child, someone killed our 
> dog and for many years I felt that was the only doggy love in my life. I'm

> not an advanced cane user. I thought with a dog I could do trips from my 
> town to D.C. and use subway and go any place I never went before. But an 
> improving my   mobility skills  using a cane may be a better  option. If I

> could get more training in some advanced programs of NFB or something, I 
> don't know what programs are available, but any way may be I need to pay 
> more attention to my cane using skills.With a dog, I would get a companion

> and loved being. I don't care responsibilities like  cleaning a house, 
> grooming and feeding a dog, but I care smell of my clothing from a dog. I 
> don't want a dog be aggressively attacked. I don't want argue with 
> attendance in public places. And I don't want to ruin a job   of many 
> people not training a dog myself, if I don't take a dog to unfamiliar 
> locations for example, so its  working abilities may be lost. I don't work

> and I need to go to unknown places not often. But from other hand it may 
> be because I don't have a dog.
> Tatyana.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "marilyn" <t21114 at optonline.net>
> To: "nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, September 02, 2011 1:21 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] to Tatyana
>
>
>> Hi Tatyana,
>> I think for everyone its a personal decision about getting a guide dog. 
>> First and foremost you must love dogs and be willing to be responsible 
>> caring for one.
>> If you can private email me I would like to talk further to you. Also 
>> about Russia
>> Marilyn and Anna
>> T21114 at optonline.net
>> _______________________________________________
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>
>
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