[nagdu] Meghan Whalen: Attack on service dog points to need for responsibility

[Meghan Whalen]

Thank you Janice.

We are definitely working on it, and I hope to get him through it, but I 
recognize the potential for too much psychological damage. At this 
point, he has calmed back down considerably. I have met with private 
trainers whom I know and trust, and I am doing a lot of massage and 
doing all I can to help him relax. He is still friendly with strange 
dogs...unless they come in my space. That now makes him think he needs 
to protect me.

He saw me get upset when a strange dog came in our space, and now, he 
wants to prevent my upset from occurring again. I am doing all I can to 
make it clear to him that I will keep us safe and that I will take care 
of things. Time will tell, but I am cautiously optimistic.

Meghan

On 12/16/2012 5:17 PM, Janice Toothman wrote:
> That is horrible. I am studying the psychological effects of trauma in 
> my counseling class this semester and I know that a single incident 
> can cause symptoms of Postraumatic stress disorder. While the first 
> several weeks can be significantly distressing and the symptoms may 
> persist for several months. But for a third of victims their symptoms 
> can resolve on their own without clinical assistance after several 
> months.
>
> Meghan, I know that this is a difficult time for you and your guide 
> dog. I would suggest patience before deciding that he and you should 
> no longer work as a team, because both of you need time to heal. 
> However, you know the situation best.
>
> I also agree with Steve that we need to fight for legislation to 
> protect our guide dogs from interference. This needs to be done in 
> every state.
>
> Take Care,
> Janice
> On 12/15/2012 7:16 PM, Ginger Kutsch wrote:
>> Meghan Whalen: Attack on service dog points to need for responsibility
>>
>> Source:
>> http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/mailbag/meghan-whalen-attack-on-ser 
>>
>> vice-dog-points-to-need-for/article_1c086292-4653-11e2-ada6-0019bb2963f4.htm 
>>
>> l
>>
>>
>> I originally moved here to go to school, and I stayed because I fell 
>> in love
>> with the city. The vast majority of Madison residents are open-minded 
>> and
>>
>> respectful.
>>
>>
>> I am blind, and it was a breath of fresh air to find a lack of people 
>> who
>> judged me based on my blindness or wanted to pet or otherwise 
>> interact with
>> my guide dog.
>>
>>
>> But a serious issue came up recently. I was walking with my guide 
>> dog, and
>> an aggressive dog came out of its yard and attacked my dog. It was 30
>> seconds of terror for me as I tried to give my dog enough room to defend
>> himself or get away. I couldn't let him go, because I was on a busy 
>> street.
>> As a result of the attack, he has some bruising and swelling and one 
>> small
>> puncture wound.
>>
>>
>> The physical trauma is upsetting enough, but my bigger concern is the
>> psychological trauma for my dog and myself. He is already showing 
>> signs of
>> being fearful of other dogs. He growls when he hears another dog 
>> bark, and
>> he is very jumpy. I am reluctant to work him for fear of how he may 
>> react if
>> we come across another dog on our walks.
>>
>>
>> I hope that those who share their lives with dogs will do all they 
>> can to be
>> responsible. A few seconds of bad judgment may have cost my partner and
>> companion his career. He is not yet three years old, and we should 
>> have many
>> years ahead of us.
>>
>>
>> - Meghan Whalen, Madison
>>
>>
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>
>
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