[nagdu] How would you respond?

Tue Apr 24 14:09:09 UTC 2012

Wow...this message sure is full of assumptions.  The person should be 
black listed because he or she received a dog which attacked another 
dog.  I do not think dogs are taught aggression.  I think dogs will be 
dogs, and it is very unfortunate that this happened, but in no way, 
what-so-ever does that mean this handler should never have a guide 
again.  My first guide bit one of my pet dogs.  I should probably have 
never been given another dog, then, I suppose.  I must have taught her 
to bite.  Shame on me.

I am sorry this message comes off as rude, but I am really really tired 
of people assuming it is the person's fault.  We talk about wanting to 
be treated fairly and equally by guide dog training programs.  We say 
that we are adults and should be treated as such, and then, more than 
one person I have come across automatically blames the handler.  If I 
buy a new microwave, and I bring it home and plug it in and it doesn't 
work, did I do something wrong?  No, there was a problem with the 
manufacturing of the product.  If I bring a dog home, and that dog does 
not guide effectively, or she barks and/or growls at other dogs, that is 
not my fault, either.  That does not mean I should not work with the dog 
to improve the problems if it seems they could be fixed, but the handler 
is not always responsible for what the dog does or does not know.  
Please recall that before a dog is matched with a blind person, the dog 
has had a year and a half to two years growing and learning and having 
experiences we will never know about.  I am very disappointed in people 
who would not wish to be treated in exactly the way they are treating 
people who cannot defend themselves.

Meghan
On 4/24/2012 4:45 AM, Larry D. Keeler wrote:
> Oh, thats bad!  Guides are deffinetely not supposed to do that!  I 
> think both schools should be contacted and the case should be taken to 
> court.  I get the feeling that someone really relaxed there control of 
> there dog!  The attacker should be subject to the fullness of the 
> law!  And maybe even black listed with all of the schools!
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steven Johnson" 
> <blinddog3 at charter.net>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 12:17 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] How would you respond?
>
>
>> Julie,
>> Both dogs were guides.  What I do not know if they were both in 
>> harness, but
>> both students were attending the blind skills training program and 
>> had their
>> guides there as well.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Julie J.
>> Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 9:37 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] How would you respond?
>>
>> I'd find out who the owner of the dog was.  If there are state laws
>> addressing this issue, I'd have a visit with the police and file the
>> appropriate paperwork.
>>
>> I have no idea what I'd do about my own dog though.  Probably take it 
>> very
>> easy for a while.  then very gently introduce calm, gentle dogs to 
>> see how
>> it went.
>>
>> Or was the other dog also a guide?  I wasn't exactly sure from your
>> description of things.  I don't know that that would substantially 
>> change my
>> approach, except that I might also let the program know that I was 
>> filing a
>> report with the police.
>>
>> Julie
>> On 4/23/2012 5:51 PM, Steven Johnson wrote:
>>> Another what would you do question, or maybe, how would you respond
>>> scenarios for you all to ponder.  Many times, we hear of guides and
>>> other service dogs being attacked by other stray or uncontrolled dogs,
>>> rendering the attacked dog unable to continue in their line of work.
>>> Today, I learned from a colleague at work, that her son's good friend,
>>> who is blind and attending a formal blind training program, had his
>>> dog viciously attacked by another dog.  The injuries were severe, the
>>> attacked was unprovoked and the trainers had to break up the fight,
>>> but the guide that was attacked, is now showing very serious signs 
>>> of fear
>> and anxiety.
>>>
>>> What would you do if you were the handler?
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>> 2.
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/julielj%40neb.rr.co
>>> m
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nagdu:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blinddog3%40charter.net 
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nagdu:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/lkeeler%40comcast.net 
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/mewhalen%40gmail.com