[nagdu] Question about puppy raisers

[Anon. Y.mous]

Melissa, yes, I think your 
experience is pretty typical.  When the last of my pups graduated I did 
my best to hold it together but the second his person said hi to me when we met after the ceremony, I was done for!  But then the person started crying, too, so at least we were crying together. /smile/

I definitely don't demand contact, but I certainly deeply appreciate it when it happens!  I hope there aren't too many of those pushy raisers out there.  That has to be super frustrating for the handler!



________________________________
 From: melissa green <graduate56 at juno.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2012 9:26 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Question about puppy raisers
 
I for one am very apreciative of puppy raisers.
I think that raisers give lots of love and time to the puppies that they 
raise.
When I was able to talk with my guide's raiser, I only said hello and my 
name and she was in tears.
So I knew and and really understood what a puppy raiser has to go through.
I think that poem was written for some of the puppu raiser that demand 
contact.  Like its their right to get a card or to be thanked for raising a 
dog guide.
So I encourage you to raise another puppy and to know that there are many of 
us that appreciate puppy raisers.
My current guide was the raisers first and last puppy.  This is because the 
employer won't allow them to bring a dog to work.
Have a blessed day.
Blessings,
Always,
Melissa and Pj
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Anon. Y.mous" <ay.mous at yahoo.com>
To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2012 4:07 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Question about puppy raisers


Hello,

I am new here. I am a long-time puppy raiser, my sister has RP and is a 
guide dog user, and I have RP so a guide might be in my future as well. When 
I first found this list about a month ago, I poked around for threads 
relating to me, and one term that I searched was "raiser." One thing I found 
really disturbed me and has been nagging at me for the past month, so I 
figured I might as well throw it out to everyone before making any 
decisions.

The "problem post" occurred in a Christmas poem posted several years ago. 
One of the stanzas was about puppy raisers:

"Some man comes from nowhere with the purpose to tell, that he's 'trained' 
seven puppies as guide dogs, oh swell. He badgers my handler, asking him why 
some blind folks get nasty when he stops them to pry. 'Don't you people know 
what we raisers give up? We expend so much money and love raising your pup. 
We clean up their messes all day and all night. The least you blind people 
could do is to write. I don't get a card or a letter to say that my baby is 
good or he's doing okay.' ... So don't let your big ego get in the way. 
Blind handlers appreciate you just fine, okay?"
I was in tears by the end of this (and I'm a pretty stoic person!). I know 
it's supposed to be a kind of snarky poem about stereotypes of each "problem 
group," but this really hurt. It's making fun of something that you just 
shouldn't make fun of, if that makes any sense. I thought of my past puppies 
and the very real and very deep love I still have for each of them and how 
much I still miss them (even though I absolutely know they are not mine!). I 
am hoping that their handlers don't view me this way, kind of minimizing the 
depth of the relationship I had with the dog.


Ever since I read that, all of the enthusiasm and sparks I bring to my 
raising have been absent, and I've thus I'm toying with not raising again. 
You just can't raise a guide pup if your heart isn't in it.


For the record, I'm definitely not somebody who thinks raising is this 
saintly selfless act -- I don't know any raisers who think that, actually. I 
get a ton out of it. Still doesn't make turn-in any easier.


I know each school has different policies and relationships with raisers, 
and each individual graduate does as well. I know there are some raisers on 
this list -- does anybody have any reaction to this? I'm not looking for 
opinions about school policies, rather thoughts of individual guide dog 
users. My sister doesn't agree with the sentiment, but I guess I'm looking 
for opinions other than hers!


Thanks so much in advance. It may seem trivial to you, but this is really 
something I'm struggling with so I really appreciate any time people take to 
respond.
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