[nagdu] Happy Story

Thu Mar 29 15:49:24 UTC 2012

        I'd agree with this.
Also, be careful of saying that you'd never let yourself do something.

I had concerns about my second dog almost right away. She guided well, in some ways she guided better then my previous dog. But, she had very little stamina.  I raised this to the instructor who told me "She's not your old dog".

In fairness, I should have phrased my concerns differently.  I believe I said something like "This dog guides well, but she lacks the stamina of my old dog".

We all have to adjust to new dogs. This is normal.  This also means that we sometimes don't know what to adjust to and what will be a deal-breaker.

I feel that the instructor should have talked with me more about the stamina concerns. She could have said "Well, I can't fix this, but I can log it, and we can discuss either during class or after if this is aproblem".  She didn't. I was made to feel that I was the one with the problem.

My dog's lack of stamina was indeed a real problem. She couldn't work for long periods. She'd have a brilliant flash and then it would be gone.

I went home with her partly because my concerns were minimized. Also, I loved her. She was sweet. She cuddled up to me.  She seemed to really want to make me happy. When she wasn't exausted, she guided very well.  I had worked hard to get time off work to go train with her. I had left my husband alone for three weeks.  I missed him.  He also is the sort of guy that needs adult supervision.   I felt if I hadn't come home with a dog, I had wasted that time.

It was very difficult for me to separate my emotions, the expectations I had, the expecations others had, and my hard observations.

Even now I don't know that I made the right decision.  I loved that dog. She and I had fun together.  She is the first being my daughter learned to love that did not meet her physical needs.

Should I have pushed harder and demmanded a dog switch? I don't know. Should I have left the school without a dog? I don't know. Logically, that would have been the right decision.   If I'd done that though, many people would not have had the relationships with that dog that they did.

These questions aren't easy to answer.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 11:08 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Happy Story

Hi Juanita.
Yep, your instructor did right by you.  And that's often the case.  I was
just trying to say that sometimes the instructor misses a serious problem,
so the student has to be ready to speak up about any concerns.
I thought Rebecca's analogy with doctors was a good one.  Sometimes they
catch trouble before it gets serious, and sometimes they miss it, even
when the patient is trying to point it out.

I'm glad you got a great match.
Tracy

> Well, in my case, I was fortunate to have a great instructor. And as a
> first time guide dog handler, she really helped me a lot. I am a
> person of great judgement, and if I knew that what she was telling me
> wasn't the best thing for me, I wouldn't have listened. I am certain
> that bringing home the other guide dog would have been a disastrous
> experience. I mean, the dog was terrified of heavy traffic. She could
> have endangered us both.
>
> On 3/28/12, Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com> wrote:
>> Yes, I agree with Tracy.
>> I think of instructors kind of like doctors.  They have a different
>> perspective then me.  They know things I don't. In most cases they do
>> want
>> you and the dog to succeed.  But, they don't know me as a person. And,
>> they
>> don't have a clue what living with a guide dog 24/7 is really like.
>> It's
>> easy for an instructor to think that an issue isn't a problem if they
>> won't
>> be the ones who have to live with it.  Likewise, it's easy for a handler
>> to
>> be too close to a situation to use good judgement.
>>
>> Everybody has to listen to each other to make it all work.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>> Of Tracy Carcione
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 9:08 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Happy Story
>>
>> I gotta quibble with this.  Sometimes instructors know best, and
>> sometimes
>> not.  I've had some truly excellent instructors, and some who didn't
>> seem
>> to know any more than I do.  Daniel had faith in his instructor, and
>> wound
>> up hurting, physically and emotionally.  Sure, have confidence in your
>> trainer and your school, but have confidence in your own judgement as
>> well.
>>
>> On a whole other angle, one of my classmates had to have a dog change,
>> because, during Juno, he'd walked faster and wanted a harder pull than
>> he
>> could actually manage comfortably long-term.  After a couple days with
>> his
>> first dog, the trainer could tell that he was getting a sore back and
>> having trouble keeping up with his dog, so she switched him to a slower
>> one, and he was happy.
>> The moral being, it works best to show Juno the way you really walk, not
>> the way you wish you did. Or something like that.
>> Tracy
>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Natalie
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 6:39 PM
>>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Happy Story
>>>>
>>>> Hi Juanita,
>>>> That is so awesome, and I know you're pleased.  I love when things
>>>> work
>>>> out
>>>> well between one and her or his guide dog and the trainers get to see
>>>> it
>>>> happen, especially when there was an initial mismatch or trepidation
>>>> around
>>>> a reissue.  Liam was a reissue and before I'd gotten him, I'd had
>>>> trepidation.  Not knowing why the dog was reissued, how long the dog
>>>> would
>>>> be able to work, were contributors to that trepidation.  However, with
>>>> the
>>>> situation of Liam's previous handler passing on suddenly and certain
>>>> experiences in my life that have made me more open-minded, it is
>>>> evident
>>>> to
>>>> the GDA field rep as well as others who know Liam and me that we were
>>>> a
>>>> match made in heaven.  Congrats to you, and may that love and mutual
>>>> partnership keep on throughout eternity.
>>>> Best,
>>>> Nat and Liam Joshua
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Juanita Herrera" <juanitaherrera1991 at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:31 AM
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Happy Story
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hello All!
>>>>> As a lot of you know, I have only had my guide dog, Anise, for a
>>>>> little over two months. When I first received her, I was terribly
>>>>> afraid that things weren't going to work out with her and I. I was
>>>>> terrified because during training I had to switch dogs. The dog I had
>>>>> before Anise during training became afraid of heavy traffic, and she
>>>>> would run away from me while I was getting ready for  crossings. My
>>>>> instructor felt that it would be best to switch my dog because the
>>>>> areas I am usually in are congested with traffic. The switch between
>>>>> dogs was extremely difficult for me and it affected me emotionally.
>>>>> Upon leaving the program, I felt that the time I had spent with Anise
>>>>> wasn't enough to determine whether or not we'd be a successful match.
>>>>> However, GDB has supported me 100%. Immediately after I returned home
>>>>> from training, they sent my instructor to my home area to observe
>>>>> Anise and I, and to review any concerns I might have had. She was
>>>>> down
>>>>> in California working with me for a whole week, and I feel that
>>>>> helped
>>>>> me tremendously. My field representative has also kept in touch with
>>>>> me via phone, and just last week, Anise and I met up with him. He
>>>>> told
>>>>> me that we are doing great as a team, and that he didn't find any
>>>>> issues. Honestly, I feel that the switch between dogs was the best
>>>>> thing that could have happened. Although it hurt me when it happened
>>>>> now I realize that Anise was truly the dog for me. We are doing great
>>>>> with bonding, and we seem to be adjusting quite well to each other.
>>>>> As
>>>>> for the dog I had before Anise, I'd always have a difficult time
>>>>> controlling her. She would refuse to listen to me. Now, I realize
>>>>> that
>>>>> things happen for a reason. Well, just thought I'd share this with
>>>>> everyone.
>>>>> Best,
>>>>> Juanita And Anise
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
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