[nagdu] High School students and Guide Dogs...

Tue Aug 28 20:31:36 UTC 2012

I think I had the kind of attitude expressed in Lyn's message before, but as I have read your message, Julie, I think I see it a lot differently. First of all, how do you really decide who is mature enough to have a dog. Some people 50 years old aren't mature enough to have a dog.

Second, many people do not learn that they have to stand up to the pressures that their friends inflict upon them when they have their new dog, or even comprehend them themselves. This would be true in any age group.

Third, we are all subjected to people insisting we are being cruel to our dogs and berating us because we are correcting. Some adults can't handle it; some teens can't handle it, but if you are a teen, you have the added stress of being a teen. If I tell someone that it is OK for me to give these corrections, which are disciplining the dog, keeping his training crisp, that I'm not hurting the dog, folks will hear me out and may or may not respect what I'm saying, but if I'm a teen, the chances are greater that they will regard me as insubordinate, don't know what I'm talking about, or am being disrespectful no matter how nice I am. So I can see that the real struggle for those who are teenagers who choose to train with a dog is a general lack of respect and trust of young people. For any of us to decide to train with a dog is a major decision and should be  made well. We may not all make it well, but the fact remains that it is. I think about everyone I've known who trained with a dog as a teenager has been successful. Age is just a marker, and I suspect in the driving, and in some cases the training with dogs, such a marker needs to be imposed, but I think that the general rule of thumb that someone sixteen is not mature enough to have a dog, drive a car, whatever, is really not part of the argument. We aren't magically mature when we become 18 or 21.

JMO.

CL

On Aug 28, 2012, at 2:57 PM, Julie McGinnity wrote:

> Hi list,
> 
> I received my dog when I was 17 years old.  That was the kind of
> response I got from my school at first--that I would have to work hard
> and take extra responsibility if I was to have a dog in high school.
> Most of you know this...  What you all may not know is how I had to
> handle peer pressure while I had my dog my senior year of high school.
> 
> I didn't get much pressure from my friends.  They were eager to
> understand how I worked with my dog, and many of them respected that I
> didn't want her playing while in harness and things like that.  I got
> the most pressure from an adult.  I worked with one adult in
> particular who didn't like that I gave my dog leash corrections.  She
> was adament that I was hurting my dog, and she kept trying to stop me
> from giving the dog leash corrections.  Now...  It's not like I gave
> leash corrections every second of every day or anything, but I had a
> new dog in a highly stressful environment, and that was what I learned
> at my school.  I tried to explain to this person that I wasn't hurting
> the dog or causing any harm, but she would not listen.  She was not
> the only one.  Many adults just didn't want to understand and didn't
> want to learn from a high schooler.  My dog and I are still a working
> team, and we do well, but I had to defy those adults in order to do
> what I thought was right.
> 
> If you are a teenager and want a dog in high school, you have to be
> ready to stand on your own two feet and not bend to the will of
> others, even adults.  It's difficult, especially when your parents
> tell you always to obey and respect adults, but having a dog means
> that you are old enough to show them that you can handle that
> responsibility.
> 
> On 8/28/12, Lyn Gwizdak <linda.gwizdak at cox.net> wrote:
>> Debbie,
>> This makes sense because not all 16 year old kids have the maturity to deal
>> 
>> with every aspect of guide dog use and ownership.  It sounds to me that GDD
>> 
>> isn't totally saying no to all 16 year olds but is open to ones they deem
>> mature and responsible enough to train with and use a guide dog sucessfully.
>> 
>> Key word, SUCESSFULLY.  I agree with them.
>> 
>> I was watching something on TV about the brain and teenagers - in particular
>> 
>> 16 year olds and driving a car.  At age 16, the doctor on the show said, the
>> 
>> part of their brain that regulates compulsion and reasoning is not yet fully
>> 
>> matured yet.
>> 
>> I think the GDD and other schools who say no youth under 18 can be accepted,
>> 
>> understand this fact.  Why set someone up for failure when they may just not
>> 
>> be ready for the scope of responsibility for the care and use of the dog but
>> 
>> also the ability to withstand public - read peer pressure - pressure to
>> relent and do things that harm the integrety of the team just so they can
>> remain popular in their circle of friends?
>> 
>> I don't think 16 years olds in general are mature enouogh to drive cars.
>> Again, some may be very mature and responsible at age 16, but many ARE NOT
>> and the accidents they cause show this.  Here in California, one cannot
>> drive carrying any other teens until they are 18.  But this is not so in
>> many other states.
>> 
>> I know that there are many 16 year olds who sucessfully work guide dogs in
>> high school and I think it is almost more challenging to do that because of
>> 
>> having to deal with all the other kids who are not mature enough to
>> understand that their actions can cause harm to the guide dog team's safety.
>> 
>> As adults, we encounter this on a lessor degree from other adults.
>> 
>> If you are 16 and are considering a guide dog in high school, read all yyou
>> 
>> can about the realities of guide dog use and also talk to others who have
>> also gotten dogs in high school.  Know what you are really in for!
>> 
>> Lyn and Landon
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Debbie Cole" <debbieanne1124 at gmail.com>
>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2012 10:29 AM
>> Subject: [nagdu] High School students and Guide Dogs...
>> 
>> 
>>> I inquired at Guide dogs of the Desert in White Water/Palm Springs
>>> California about their accepting High School Students.  Here is the
>>> reply I received.  Just for future references.
>>> 
>>> We can take individuals as young as 16, however, this is on a very
>>> special case-by-case basis.
>>> 
>>> As you know caring for and working with a Guide Dog is a lot of
>>> responsibility.  Working a dog in high school can be especially
>>> challenging.
>>> 
>>> We will often encourage individuals to finish high school before
>>> applying for a dog.
>>> 
>>> However, if this student believes that they are ready for the work and
>>> responsibility, they may apply with us and we can look into it from
>>> there.
>>> 
>>> --
>>> warmly,
>>> 
>>> Debbie Cole
>>> 
>>> debbieanne1124 at gmail.com
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
> -- 
> Julie McG
> Lindbergh High School class of 2009, National Federation of the Blind
> of Missouri recording secretary,
> Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
> and proud graduate of Guiding Eyes for the Blind
> 
> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
> life."
> John 3:16
> 
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