[nagdu] back with question and update

[Julie McGinnity]

Hi Marcia.  I'm sorry that happened to you, but it looks like you're
handling it well.  I use my feet all the time to help me determine
what Brie is doing.  There have been times when I have caught her nose
because it was on the ground sniffing when I was trying to find her
body with my feet.  I feel horrible when I do things like that, but as
blind people, we will trip over or run into our dogs on occasion.  It
sounds horrible to say, and that's one of the reasons I have begun
working with Brie so that she will find my hand with her nose.

About the article...  There are so many things to say that I'm not
sure an article can say it all.  One of the biggest things I notice is
that people don't understand that working dog does not equal pet.  If
you see a dog working, it is not your right to come up and pet it.
Likewise, if a working dog sniffs you, and its handler corrects
it(tells the dog to leave it), it is not your place to interact with
the dog or judge the handler.  I'd say that questions about guide dogs
and what is or is not proper conduct between someone outside the
working team and the guide dog is something that a person could
contact nagdu about.

There is so much educating that needs to be done that it amazes me.
Good luck with the article!

On 5/14/12, Criminal Justice Major <orleans24 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Hi, Marsha,
> Welcome back and hope you recover from your cold.
> Yes, I've had someone file a complaint on me with the Denver Dumb Friends
> League, claiming I was hitting Odie and he wasn't being fed.
> An investigator came over and check out Odie, stating Odie looked happy and
> well that nothing was wrong with him.
> Truth was that Odie wanted the man out of our apartment.
> I had to immediately contact Denver Animal Contrl and ask about the
> individual who came up to my apartment to see if he was an actual
> investigator or not and the representative was very helpful.
> She even backed me up to say that Odie and I were both happy together and
> that we love each other.
> It really irritates me when people just love to stick their noses in
> someone's business at the wrong time.
> Animal Control has told me it really bothers them when people don't get the
> facts straight, especially if people act like they're too scared to come
> forward face to face.
> Too bad they weren't able to find out who did this and I'd sure as heck love
> to.
> I had to contact Pilot Dogs and tell Jay Gray what exactly happened and I
> honestly admitted that if I didn't love Odie, then why would I have even
> gone to training and stuck with him?
> As far as the article thing, you can definitely say that both blind
> individual and guide dog happily work together as a team should be doing
> since that's what they were matched and meant to be in the very beginning.
> While some teams may not widely display or show feelings for each other,
> there are some great guide dog teams out as both dog and handler enjoy each
> other's company and working together.
> Yes, Odie was a big brat during class and he most certainly gave me a run
> for my money's worth.
> I look back and despite I had moments of where I just wanted to pack up and
> leave, it wasn't allowed to happen.
> The two of us initially became one great team with a powerful, strong bond.
> Yes, Odie knows how to back talk to me with the use of his body language,
> but it never changes anything between the two of us.
> When I do go back to retrain with another guide dog at Pilot Dogs, Dale and
> Odie will both escort me to the airport and definitely to the airplane.
> It will be hard to say good-bye and I know some tears will be shed upon Odie
> feeling the sadness of me being gone for a while.
> I'll look forward to the day of coming back home with a new partner next to
> me upon seeing my husband and Odie too.
> He's a member of the family and he plays an important valuable part too.
> I do hope everything pans out and no one else tries to say any other smack
> toward you either, especially the falsified claims of abuse.
> *Disgusted*
> Bibi
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-- 
Julie McG
 Lindbergh High School class of 2009, National Federation of the Blind
of Missouri recording secretary,
and proud graduate of Guiding Eyes for the Blind

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16