[nagdu] Working Our Dogs

Sarah coastergirl92 at gmail.com
Sat Nov 10 20:43:07 UTC 2012 

Yeah I'm really depressed.  And when me and Wizard work we really 
have nowhere to go except around the blocks and that bores uddNow 
every time I put his harness on, he turns his head away or tries 
to go get in his bed.  The instructors said he leves to work but 
that's not true now.

Sarah and Wizard

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Lyn Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sat, 10 Nov 2012 10:22:45 -0800
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Working Our Dogs

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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 --
 warmly,

 Debbie Cole

 debbieanne1124 at gmail.com

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