[nagdu] Third party reporting by other guide dog users

[Tami Kinney]

My question is this: Do guide dog users routinely report other guide dog 
users to their training program and trainer for minor mishaps mentioned 
on discussion lists. Or because the guide dog user being reported 
doesn't use the collar the reporter believes they should use, stuff like 
that? And do they do it in a way that makes the one they are reporting 
sound super irresponsible and unwilling to listen to help? For that 
matter, would most trainers take these reports seriously, over the 
information given by the guide dog user who has been reported to them?

Okay, here's my long explanation behind the questions:

Since I'm an owner-trainer, the notion that another guide dog user might 
report me to my trainer for any reason has never troubled my fluffy 
little head before.

Only I recently found out that this sort of thing actually happens! Not 
for witnessed events of great severity as some of the "what would you 
do" discussions of awhile ago, where there was a scenario involving one 
guide dog attacking another and causing injury and another involving a 
guide dog user reportedly regularly blowing a street crossing so badly 
as to cause risk of traffic accidents in addition to putting himself and 
his dog in danger. In those, I think a few people raised the notion of 
getting in touch with the guide dog user's school but I don't remember 
that there was a consensus that this would be an appropriate course of 
action. They were "what if" questions, so no consensus was needed. /smile/

Anyway, I'm pretty shocked to learn that there are guide dog users who 
will report other guide dog users for blurbs on e-mail discussion lists. 
Not this one, but it recently happened. And now I find out it has 
happened before, with the same group of people doing the reporting.

So, let's say that I mention in that group that Mitzi did X in random 
chatter, thinking I was among friends. Suddenly, some people are asking 
me questions, which I answer to clear things up... Then they start 
insist that I said something 3 months ago that contradicts what I just 
said about what Mitzi did yesterday, and then I get upset and rattled 
and try to clear things up.... So then there's blood in the water.

Next thing I know, I get a letter from my trainer about what I said on 
the list and then another one which is where I find out people from this 
group have been getting in touch with him/her repeatedly about how 
they're helping me but I won't listen and stuff like that, because I 
don't do exactly what they tell me to do faithfully no matter what it is.

Since I know the people involved and the dog in question fairly well, I 
wasn't surprised by the verbal attack by a certain few members of the 
group. Sigh. Maybe they do think they're helping, but... Um... Oh, well. 
I was just shocked to learn that one or more of them would go so far as 
to call the trainer on another user because of a blip on a list. Sheesh! 
I guess that this actually goes on in that group. Heavens! Oddly, the 
"helpers" there chat a lot on that list and go to the same school and 
have the same trainer... Which makes me wonder if they should get a 
great big van and fill it with crates and take the whole lot of dogs 
back to school. /lol/ I'm delving in sarcasm there, but the list of 
things I can recall that these helpful guide dog users have reported 
their dogs getting up to are fairly amazing. They're all relatively new 
dogs, young dogs, so I tend to figure the handlers are getting it worked 
out and can figure out for themselves if they need to contact the 
trainer. But, I guess, If I were to follow their fine example... No, of 
course, I won't do that. That's just so... Tacky! /lol/

So my question is: Does this actually go on? Do guide dog users report 
other guide dog users just to be manipulative and retaliatory or 
whatever? Even if it's clearly stated that the guide dog user they are 
reporting is in contact with the trainer over the matter they mention?

Well, I'm suddenly feeling really smug that if any of these folks want 
to report me to my trainer, they are welcome to! My trainer will treat 
their reports with all the attention they deserve.

Oh, they've helped me, too! By explaining sternly that I should never 
stick sharp metal implements into my poodle's ear canals... I'm not 
making that up. I mean, that is a true statement, I can agree to that. 
However... Do I *look* that stupid? /lol/ I kinda figured that one out 
on my own years ago, so I don't know that telling me to do something I 
know better than to do is helpful. I've been helped to understand the 
bus routes around my home. Again, apparently, I really am too stupid to 
work that out on my own somehow... Sheesh!

So I haven't fallen all over myself in gratitude or listened, really... 
So I could be reported, I am sure! Well, and I don't have a certified 
guide, no ID card to flash... Why would I owner-train when I could get a 
certified guide dog? Um... For those who are relatively new enough to 
have not read any of those discussions, there is no such thing as a 
certified guide dog in terms of the ADA and access to places of public 
accommodation. The guide dog training programs must be certified for the 
consumer's protection. The trainers must also be certified to work at 
the certified guide dog training program. The dogs are not certified. 
The nice ID cards often have the relevant portions of the law printed on 
them, which does make them useful. They do not grant you access to 
anything at all, and it is illegal for anyone to ask you to show them. 
/smile/ It's your dog's training for your disability that counts, and 
your dog's good behavior, etc., once you walk into a place. But I have a 
feeling I am being "taught by example" for being the other guide dog 
user's friend and for being an owner-trainer by having things addressed 
to me that make a point of mentioning the flashing of ID cards. /lol/ 
I've never even said there what I *really* think of that practice! It's 
anyone's choice what they do with the ID card from their school, so why 
get uptight about it? /lol/

Tami