[nagdu] Soul Searching

[Elizabeth Campbell]

Hi cindy and all,

I think we had another great convention this year!

cindy, i'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see you, but I was pretty busy 
mentoring a Jernigan scholarship winner and making sure things went smoothly 
for other Fort Worth chapter members attending for the first time.

I'm sorry you had difficulty with your dog, but I'm also glad you were able 
to contact Seeing Eye for help.

Speaking of Seeing Eye, I thought the instructors kept a very low profile 
this year. Previously, I remember trainers would come up to me while I was 
walking through the lobby, exhibit hall or other area of the hotel and ask 
how things were going,  and  if I needed any assistance.

I didnt' find that to be the case this year. I asked another friend who is 
also a Seeing Eye grad,and she mentioned the same thing.
I didn't need help with my dog or in navigating the hotel once I got my 
bearings, but it would have been nice to see instructors.

Just some thoughts.

Liz
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at gmail.com>
To: "the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2012 10:11 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Soul Searching


> Well, the convention is over. I went. It was fun meeting you, Mark. But 
> there were really some serious dog problems with my dog. Sad.
> I have always known he had issues with dogs, but I thought I had made some 
> progress with it. But at convention he just came totally unglued. Nothing 
> really bad ever happened, because I was on alert with him. It was tense 
> though, and when he did what he does--growl and bark--people reacted as 
> you might expect they would. He frightened them, and mostly they thought I 
> did not have control of him, and they didn't mind saying so. I finally did 
> seek out TSE. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get the GL on him, 
> after the visit with TSE, I did figure this out. But I have learned two 
> things from this. I need to do something. I was offered a visit a long 
> time ago; I didn't think it was necessary because I did and do know most 
> of the things I might be able to do to help. I need to try them by way of 
> going out more with him. But I will call for help because I believe that 
> there are some things someone who can see notes about what your dog is 
> doing or the other that you could miss. So I will call for help.
> Second, Lukas said his eyes seemed a little dilated. He thought I might 
> want to have the dog checked for cataracts. He is of an age now where this 
> might be a possibility. After that, I have decided that, unless there are 
> huge changes in the dog between now and the next convention, I won't take 
> him again. I enjoyed the convention, but I did not enjoy the sense that 
> folk think I am a bad handler, and though I had the largest amount of 
> control over the dog, I do et this. I won't put myself through that ever 
> again. I have never taken a dog to convention that had this serious of 
> issues, and I think I've been in denial about the dog's issues with other 
> dogs. So that's it. Yesterday when we were walking to the ticket counter 
> at the airport, there was a dog in front of us that we were following. My 
> dog did fine until we were just about there and then he did his bark/growl 
> thing. It was a dog with whom he had tangled earlier in the week a couple 
> of times. What was that? I just don't know because up until that moment he 
> had been coexisting with that dog well.
>
> Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I hope all have a good 
> weekend.
>
> Cindy Lou
> p.s. I just have to say it was fun helping at the NAGDU Table.
>
>
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