[nagdu] Working Our Dogs

Lyn Gwizdak linda.gwizdak at cox.net
Sat Nov 10 18:22:45 UTC 2012 

Sarah,
I've been reading your posts and other's responses to them.  I am concerned 
about your having nothing to occupy your time or ability to get out and walk 
and work your dog.  You sound young if you're still living at home and your 
Mom still works.

Sarah, you need to find some volunteer work where you can do something 
useful.  I pick up some depressed and defeated signals from you and, boy do 
i know what that's like, and you need to get out for your own mental and 
physical health.  The same goes for the dog.  These dogs are bred to work 
and they need it.

I used to live in a place with limited bus service and I just had to plan 
for that.  Unfortunately, as blind people, we must live on other people's 
time when it comes to getting things done or going someplace.  For this 
reason, I chose to move back to the city where we have many buses that run 
at least every 15 minutes and a number to choose from.  Here in San Diego, I 
live in City Heights, a very urban area.  I live along two bus routes and 
these connect to all the others as well as a trolley system.  I can get to 
most places I want to.  Where these don't go or at night, I also have 
paratransit.  You may want to consider moving to a city where you can have a 
life.

In my area, there are a whole bunch of blind and disabled folks and we 
either have Section-8 Housing Vouchers or live in Senior/Disabled housing. 
It works.  Many don't have jobs but some of us have volunteer jobs or other 
activities to keep busy.  I do pet assisted therapy with Landon where we 
bring cheer and animals to visit those folks in facilities where they can't 
have a pet.  I'm active in my Democratic Party club, my LGBT community 
events, and local blind center where I do crafts and belong to the singing 
group for our huge fundraiser each holiday season.  When I'm not doing those 
things, I spend time with friends, read, watch TV, work on the computer.

You have a life - live it to the max!  You're only young once and it gets no 
easier as you age.  I sure know about that - I'm 61.  I remember all the 
work and partying I did in my 20s - Hahahaha!  I don't party much now.

I wish you well and hope you find the right solution for your situation.

Lyn and Landon
"Education creates tolerance towards diversity."
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Debbie Cole" <debbieanne1124 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2012 9:13 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Working Our Dogs


>I agree with Julie.  Our buses here run only on the hour.  But i still
> know the schedule and get up to the hospital for PT on time and make
> arrangements to ahng out in the  hospital until 10 minutes before the
> bus should come.  It can be done.
>
> And Sarah... I'm a deaf/blind.  Just saying.
>
> On 11/10/12, Julie J. <julielj at neb.rr.com> wrote:
>> What's the problem with the bus running only once an hour?  Just plan
>> accordingly.  I used to live in a city where the busses ran once an hour
>> for most of the day and longer on saturday.  It's totally doable.  Just
>> wear a watch and know when the last bus is so you don't get stuck
>> someplace.
>>
>> You knew the bus schedule when you got your guide dog.  Nothing has
>> changed.  You knew you'd have to work the dog. I'm assuming you've gone
>> over this with GDD.  What suggestions did they make?  Is there some
>> reason those are not working for you now?
>>
>> As to how much I work my guide in an average week...at least 5 days.
>> He's fine with a day or two off, more than that and he gets fidgety and
>> restless.   If we've had a long weekend out of town where he's worked
>> some very long days in a row, I will plan for a day of no work or very
>> light.  An average week of routes would include:
>> 5 trips to and from my office, about 10 blocks each way
>> 1 trip to the middle school about 25 minutes one way
>> 1 trip to the high school about 15 minutes one way
>> 1-2 errands, generally these are downtown and I do them before or after
>> work so maybe an extra 1-4 blocks on top of the route to work
>> 1 trip to the grocery store by car, about 1 hour in the store
>> All of that stuff is pretty much guaranteed in a week, but I also travel
>> out of town frequently.  I suppose once a month if you averaged it out
>> over a year.  I also attend random meetings and teach an all day
>> Saturday  class at the college 4 times in a school year.   Then there is
>> walking nowhere in particular for exercise or to spend time with my son
>> just doing something we both enjoy.  Oh and the random saturday mornings
>> when you just have to have donuts and a mocha!
>>
>> Even on Monty's days off I will still make sure he has a good amount of
>> exercise by playing in the back yard or off leash running.  A note about
>> off leash time...if you're dog isn't trustworthy off leash you shouldn't
>> be letting him free run.  Monty is excellent off leash so he gets that
>> opportunity.  Belle would be in the next county in about 3 seconds so
>> she gets the Flexi leash.   Monty is a very high energy dog and needs
>> this level of work.  I think Belle would be content with 2-3 days a
>> week, if she were able to guide still.
>>
>> Julie
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 11/10/2012 10:35 AM, Sarah wrote:
>>> I live in the desert where the bus only runs ond an hour.  And my mom
>>> works from 4 o'clock in the morning until 3 in the afternoon so she
>>> usually doesn't feel like taking me anywhere.
>>>
>>> Sarah and Wizard
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Debbie Cole <debbieanne1124 at gmail.com
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 10:35:39 -0800
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Working Our Dogs
>>>
>>> Do you use a city buss or Access (Mini Van for your transit company
>>> for the disabled?   Unless you are in the suburbs You shouldn't be
>>> using that as an excuse.  When your mom goes to the amrket go along
>>> with her and go off on your own jsut you and Wizard and do your thing
>>> while she does her thing.
>>>
>>> On 11/9/12, Sarah <coastergirl92 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I just wonder because I have nowhere to go nothing to do.  I have
>>> no job and there's nowhere to go where I can walk except around
>>> the streets of the neighborhood but he's getting bored with that
>>> and the weather is getting bad.  And I have no money for Access
>>> to go anywhere.
>>>
>>> Sarah and Wizard
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Chantel Cuddemi" <jawsgirl87 at gmail.com
>>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
>>> Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 13:15:44 -0500
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Working Our Dogs
>>>
>>> I give Motley the weekend off.  He loves it!
>>>
>>> Chantel and Motley
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sarah
>>> Sent: Friday, November 09, 2012 12:54 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
>>> Users
>>> Subject: [nagdu] Working Our Dogs
>>>
>>> Hello list,
>>>
>>> I was wondering how often do you work your dogs? I feel like I
>>> have to work Wizard every day and I feel guilty if I just let him
>>> have one day off.  How long is the longest you've allied your
>>> dogs time off?
>>>
>>>
>>> Sarah and Wizard
>>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Sheila Leigland <sleigland at bresnan.net
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,    the National Association of Guide Dog
>>> Users"<nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 04:52:34 -0700
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Diabetic alert dogs and how alert dogs
>>> arepreventing    aneed for a guide dog!
>>>
>>> Lyn my husband and I were at the convention last weekend.  Our
>>> dogs misbehaved and growled and were immediately corrected.  I
>>> would agree with you if we chose not to bring our dogs under
>>> control but we did and it didn't happen again.  When you know all
>>> of the facts then please make judgment calls on whether a dog
>>> should remain in a situation.  I don't know of any dog that
>>> hasn't made a misstep and the important thing is that the dogs
>>> were corrected properly and immediately.  In fact they were still
>>> lying at our feet.  They didn't stand up or approach in any way.
>>>
>>> Sheila Leigland
>>>
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>>>
>>> --
>>> warmly,
>>>
>>> Debbie Cole
>>>
>>> debbieanne1124 at gmail.com
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
> warmly,
>
> Debbie Cole
>
> debbieanne1124 at gmail.com
>
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