[nagdu] Third party reporting by other guide dog users

Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com
Mon Jun 11 17:07:11 UTC 2012


Good for you dar, for sticking up for your husband.
I swear sometimes trainers think it's dog and handler and that's it.
Not at all how the world works.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of d m gina
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 1:56 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Third party reporting by other guide dog users

Hi Tammy
I have been turned in to the school before.
I had a trainer come out and ask if they could take a walk with me, I
said sure why not.
I had just come home from mass, so we had been out for a walk for
awhile anyway.
As we were walking the trainer said you guys are doing well, I have a question.
Sure I say, and then I was asked,
"Do you let your husband take your arm in walking?"
I said yes, my husband has no toes, needs the extra help, and he goes
out so little it doesn't effect the dog at all.
We might go a block and that is it.
all the traveling for the home needs are the dogs and my traveling.
then I shared,
if you want to take the dog, that is fine, my husband comes first.
I shared that if I felt my dog was under stress I wouldn't have done it
this way.
I did ask if then I gave the persons name called over.
he said yes, I have to be honest with you, because you were honest with me.
He told me he wasn't going to take my dog, because she looked so happy
with what she was doing that he wasn't going to do this at all.
Now what my Jim does if we are in the mall is hang on to my back pack
purse, and the dog has no clue they are guiding two persons.
He just watches for me.
Then when we get help from the folks in the mall, my husband hangs on
to them and we follow.
I don't mind at all if persons have time to call on my behalf, because
I have to much in life to take care of, and feel for the most part I
can take care of my own problems.
If I feel I really have a problem then I personally will call the
school I am working with.
Hope this answers your question.
glad I wrote this, one breath I would have pass out by now giggle.
Original message:
> 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

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--
--Dar
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every saint has a past
every sinner has a future

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