[nagdu] Introduction and Questions

[Brenda]

I just looked on NLS BARD and could not find the book under the author's 
last name or the tityle.  There was another book by Ed Eames about 
service dogs.  I hope someone can point us in the right direction for 
reading this book.

On 2/1/2012 6:22 PM, Lyn Gwizdak wrote:
> Welcome, Milissa,
> I have partial vision and have been a guide dog user for most of the 
> time from 1973 to the present.
>
> There are many people who have some vision and are sucessful guide dog 
> users.  If the instructors at the school think your vision is 
> interfering with the dog's work, they will work you in sleepshades.  
> Bottom line:  You have to learn to trust the dog!  Many adapt to this 
> and some never do. Thiose people need to wait for a significant loss 
> of vision before trying a dog again.  Don't be afraid to ask.
>
> When using my dog, Landon takes care of the safety issues around 
> traveling and I can use my vision for other things like spotting many 
> landmarks or watching the scenery. I can walk with my head up and not 
> looking at where i'm putting my feet.
>
> I am 61 and am on my 8th guide dog.  I do pet assisted therapy and do 
> political work with my Democratic club.  I have a male Lab/Golden 
> cross named Landon and he is six years old.  He is from The Seeing Eye 
> in New Jersey.
>
> Why did I get a guide dog?  I met my first guide dog in 1971 when I 
> went to college in Boston.  My vision was still fairly good except for 
> night vision which is non existant.  When I was a kid I rode my bike 
> around like all the other kids and visual impairment wasn't such an 
> issue then.  In 1972, after graduating from college, I lost a lot of 
> my vision causing me to go to white cane usse full time instead of 
> just at night.  My roommate had a guide dog and I got to see what it 
> was like realistically and on a day to day basis. Having grown up with 
> animals all my life, I had no issue with animal care. I liked how much 
> easier it was to navigate crowds with a dog rather than the cane that 
> was always being stepped on and people expecting ME to move out of 
> their way on the sidewalk.  After almost getting run down by a car and 
> stopped by my friend's guide, I made the decision to get my own dog.
>
> Enjoy the list!  Pick our brains!  That is what we are here for - 
> support for each other in guide dog use and in trying to decide if a 
> guide dog is for you.  Ask anything.  Making the decision to use a dog 
> is a very personal one that others cannot make for you (although they 
> seem to try!) and we are here to help youi make that decision.  Oh, a 
> book that is excellent for people exploring if a dog is for them is 
> Toni and Ed Eames book called "A Guide To Guide Dog Schools" and this 
> is available throuoghn the NLS Talking Books.  It was written in the 
> 1980s and revised in the mid 1990s.  Toni is still around but her 
> husband and co author Ed died a few years ago.  Some of the 
> information and resources are outdated but the general body of the 
> book is not outdated.
>
> HTH,
>
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "melissa padron" 
> <fuzzylucky2021 at sbcglobal.net>
> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 7:35 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] Introduction and Questions
>
>
> Hello,
>
>
> I am new to this list so I though I would just start off with an 
> introduction and then some questions.
>
> Well, first of all, my name is Melissa and although I am not a guide 
> dog user I am a cane user. I'm in college pursuing a degree in 
> psychology and I will be moving back to my hometown once I graduate. 
> I'm considered legally blind, so I do have vision.
>
> Because of the condition I have, I was not taught to use a cane until 
> my senior year of high school. I actually had to fight in order to get 
> cane lessons, but since then, I just about take my cane everywhere 
> with me. It helps a lot more than using my vision and stressing my 
> eyes....
>
> Now, some questions:
>
> I am not considering getting a guide dog now but I do want to keep it 
> as an option if I decide that it would help me in my travels. So my 
> question is, what was ultimately you deciding factor in getting a 
> guide dog?
> What are some advantages and disadvantages in using a guide dog?
> For those of you who have vision, did you encounter problems with the 
> guide dog schools saying that a guide dog would not benefit you 
> because you have "too much" vision?
> Ultimately, this is my greatest fear. I'm scared of encountering 
> criticism by guide dog schools and "blindness professionals" about 
> whether a guide dog would benefit me or not. A lot of people with my 
> condition function well without a cane or a dog so would this be used 
> against me if I were to apply?
>
> I am looking forward to hearing your responses and advice.
>
> Melissa
> _______________________________________________
> 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/linda.gwizdak%40cox.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/bjnite%40windstream.net 
>
>
>