[nagdu] Lots of Questions

Sun Sep 2 23:56:08 UTC 2012

Hi Lizzy,

Wow...  That could have been me like five years ago.  Those were my
reasons for getting a dog in high school, and they work out.  Of
course, a dog team doesn't always, high school or not.  But the school
can tell you about this.

I took my dog to vote for the first time.  It was just fine.  I have
never donated blood because I am barely the weight limit, and when I
was 18 years old, I don't think I was the correct weight.  I didn't
take her to prom for obvious reasons.  She stayed with my mom and was
fine.

I don't have the words to describe what it was like to walk the stairs
and receive the deploma while being guided by my dog.  We even put a
graduation stole on my dog that had the school colors on it.  She did
not come with me to the senior lock-in because it was all night, and I
didn't think it would be fair to her.

My dog also did not accompany me to Germany when I went there for 3
weeks.  This was a complicated situation, but it was able to work only
because we had been working together for a year, so our bond was
strong enough to handle it.  I think other that the only places I
don't take my dog now are loud concerts, beepball practice, and
dances--not that I have been to a dance in several years...  I hope
this helped clarify.  I should also add that these are things that I
do, but you may choose to handle things differently.

On 8/31/12, Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net> wrote:
> Hi Lizzy.
> Sounds like you've thought through everything, and you know what you want
> and how to get it!
> I do take my dog when I give blood.  My workplace has blood drives, so
> it's the same as going to work, with doughnuts!  Actually, last time I
> gave blood, the hospital newspaper was taking some pictures, and they took
> a picture of Ben looking out from under my stretcher, with the blood
> bottle hanging down nearby.
> I also take Ben when I go to vote.  All the poll workers know him by now.
>
> The things I find harder with a dog, and so usually leave him home, are
> dancing and attending potluck dinners.  My neighbors have a potluck
> Christmas party, and, with a lot of people in a small house, kids running
> around and people holding plates on their laps ... I just don't want to
> have to be constantly monitoring the dog to see he's not scarfing
> something, or in danger of being stepped on.
> I also leave him home if I have to have a medical procedure where I'll be
> knocked out, like a colonoscopy.
> Other than these things, I take the dog with me.  He makes my life easier.
> Tracy
>
>
>> Hi Rebecca,
>> I will answer your questions, but first I have a question for
>> you.  In your post about high school students and guide dogs, you
>> said that there are some things that are just harder with a dog.
>> What specifically are these things? I just want to know so I can
>> expect certain things to be harder than others.
>> Answers:
>> Q: My question to you is how you think a dog will benefit you and
>> why do you want one now?
>> A: In the extensive research that I've done about guide dogs, it
>> seems that it takes about a year to become completely comfortable
>> and form a harmonious relationship with your dog.  I would like
>> for this time period to be in high school.  I know the school and
>> streets around it like the back of my hand.  I have a small city
>> and a larger city near my house, there are lots of streets
>> without sidewalks in the area surrounding me.  I plan on working
>> the dog in all of these places so that it will keep its training.
>> The colleges I plan on attending are top tier and challenging, I
>> will be learning tough material in school, how to live on my own
>> and most people say that the friends you make freshman year are
>> (for the most part) the ones you will have for your college
>> career.  This is a lot deal with so I would like to at least have
>> a stable relationship with my dog guide.  Another thing is that I
>> know majority of the teachers and students in my school, not sure
>> if this makes sense but I will kind of be practicing my advocacy
>> on them.  I will be figuring out what works for me and my dog.
>> How I should explain leash corrections, how I should answer
>> questions, when I should leave class (during period changes), how
>> I should plan our schedule etc.  I will be taking my senior year
>> to iron out most of the wrinkles dog teams have, so that in
>> college we are pretty much set.  I am not saying that getting a
>> dog in high school will make everything perfect for college, I
>> just want to make it easier.
>> Comment: Five ap courses is a lot.
>> A: I never said that I was certainly taking five AP's, I was
>> asking if anyone has done it with a dog and if it is realistic.
>> I am taking three this year with all other classes being honors.
>> I am prepping for next year now, I am seeing how much free time I
>> have left so that I will know what kind of course load to take
>> with the dog.
>> Comment: So is being a senior in high school, you have prom, you
>> may even be able to vote and give blood if you are old enough.
>> A: No, everyone says that being a junior is much, much, much
>> harder than being a senior.  I will also have prom this year so
>> will know how to handle that aspect.  And yes, I will be old
>> enough to vote and give blood.  People do this all the time with
>> their guide dogs...  In the case of giving blood, they would
>> choose to go without the dog but still...  The dog does not need
>> to come EVERYWHERE with me, and no I will not be leaving it in
>> the house all the time, only in cases such as prom.
>> Comment: You'll be in a period of your life where you won't
>> really be regarded as an adult by anybody which means you'll
>> probably have other adults telling you how to manage your dog.
>> How will you manage that? Do you want to manage it?
>> A: I do plan on going to an in-service day before school starts
>> just so I have most of the teachers helping rather than hurting
>> the team.  In my experience so far, I have been regarded as a
>> young adult due to my maturity, level of responsibility, and the
>> fact that I am more than willing to advocate for myself.  Even
>> when I am an adult there will be people trying to tell me how to
>> manage my dog.  There are always people trying to tell me how to
>> do things, but do I just bow down and listen? No, of course not!
>> Once I have graduated from a guide dog school, it means that the
>> experts trust me to take care of and work with my dog; so I don't
>> care about what people at my school/job/volunteer facility say.
>> I will explain why I do what I do, teach them about a guide dog
>> team and give them information so that they can do some research
>> of their own.  But that's really all a handler can do.  Correct
>> me if I'm wrong, is there more that I can do? But after I have
>> done everything, I will just ignore them and know that I'm not
>> doing anything wrong and that it is for the improvement of the
>> team.  Everyone thinks that they are an expert on subjects that
>> they know nothing about; what can you do.  In my opinion, high
>> school is a time where I can learn how to deal with these people.
>> I will be stressed out enough in college, so hopefully I can have
>> the speech down by then.
>> Comment: My advice would be to focus on being a senior in high
>> school.  Do really well in your classes.  Enjoy prom and
>> graduation.  If you do senior ditch day, enjoy that.
>> A: Thanks for the advice.  I will enjoy all of these things, with
>> my dog.  Well except for prom, I don't think it would have fun
>> there.
>> Comment: Get into a good college or figure out what you'll do
>> after high school.
>> A: Working on getting into a good college, I have been for the
>> past eleven years.  I have already visited Princeton in my
>> sophomore year.  I plan on visiting Georgetown, Bryn Mawr and
>> hopefully Tufts this year.  I'm not set on what I will do with
>> the rest of my life but I'm thinking a major in either political
>> science or international relations and a minor in foreign
>> language or journalism.  I have been researching colleges since
>> the eighth grade and have had an idea of what to do since the
>> fifth.
>> Comment: The guide dog schools aren't going anywhere.  You will
>> only be a senior once.
>> A: Aww, thanks for the advice! It really is much appreciated, but
>> I am a deep thinker and have pondered all of these questions
>> before.  I know that getting a guide dog in high school is for
>> me.  I wouldn't sign up for something I couldn't handle.  I have
>> a great support system, from my friends, the administration and
>> the teachers.  I do not believe in peer pressure, and I do not
>> believe that adults are smarter than children, which will help me
>> a lot in having a dog at a young age.
>> Thanks again!
>> Lizzy
>>
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-- 
Julie McG
 Lindbergh High School class of 2009, National Federation of the Blind
of Missouri recording secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
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