[nagdu] teaching the public

d m gina dmgina at samobile.net
Sun Apr 7 16:47:22 UTC 2013


yesterday was entertaining for me.
When we got to the buss door I put my hand on the door where he went on 
the wrong side of the door.
I shared with him it would be better to go up the steps.
People were laughing that he did this, saying he sure doesn't know much.
My reply was,
he wanted to look at you threw the window.
When mass was over, we started walking behind my brother in law, then 
he decided that he wanted to go out a different door.
A gentleman came up to me saying, did you want to go out the side door?
I said sure yes thanks,
My brother in law shared with me that I didn't have a good dog because 
he didn't follow me.
he usually does so he didn't pay attention to seee what the dog was doing.
We both said, My dog has his own ideas.
Only he knows what they are.
When we go to mass during the week, we go threw the front door.
So I didn't feel it was necessary to correct, when he wanted to go out 
the front.
Gee why don't we say that to folks who have children, how bad they are 
because they don't behave in a crowd.
Now I don't believe this, where it is frustrating when I know I do have 
a swell dog.
Let me decide if my dog is good or bad, no one else needs to do this for me.
Original message:
> I am actually trying to ignore people talking to my dog. It is so 
> annoying that they do it anyway, but mostly I don't know that it 
> distracts him that much; if I think it is distracting him, I give him a 
> verbal reprimand to make sure he is on task; then when we have 
> successfully completed our task, I praise him for it.

> CL

> On Apr 6, 2013, at 10:31 PM, d m gina wrote:

>> Hello,
>> As I was getting off the buss the new driver was talking to the dog.
>> I don't know when I will see this driver again, I know he will drive 
>> the buss every third week of the month.
>> I thought then I could ask for him to let the dog concentrate getting 
>> me off the buss.
>> How do you folks handle this.
>> I don't want the dog excited while I am trying to find the first step 
>> to step down three steps to the driveway.
>> I call my dog buddy then folks won't know his name.
>> Original message:
>>> I find that the adults are the ones who need to be taught. I tell them that
>>> her harrness is like her work uniform and when she has her uniform on she's
>>> working and needs to concentrate.  It usually works.
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Eve Sanchez" <celticyaya at gmail.com>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, April 06, 2013 2:00 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] teaching the public


>>>> Julie, A lot of good advice for everyone. What I like and think I will
>>>> take with me today, is the 'just ask' lesson. That is a very important
>>>> lesson. When I was teaching, all of my kindergarteners knew that they
>>>> should never approach a dog they did not know without asking first.
>>>> Now-a-days I am often approached by children asking and I explain to
>>>> them why I do not allow her to be petted by others. They understand. I
>>>> also thank them for asking. The adults on the other hand just act and
>>>> never think to ask. I think, giving a lesson like this when in a mixed
>>>> group is an excellent idea as it will teach the adults without them
>>>> thinking or realizing they are being taught. Well, gotta get ready
>>>> now. Thanks again for all of your great ideas. Eve

>>>> On Sat, Apr 6, 2013 at 4:38 AM, Julie J. <julielj at neb.rr.com> wrote:
>>>>> Eve,

>>>>> I just did presentations for the Boy Scouts.  They had a disabilities
>>>>> awareness day, which I think could use some improvement, but that's
>>>>> another
>>>>> post for another list.  Anyway I had only 10 minutes with each small
>>>>> group
>>>>> of boys.  I first explained that I'm blind, which means I need to use
>>>>> other
>>>>> ways of doing things instead of looking at them.  This would seem
>>>>> obvious,
>>>>> but I've learned that a lot of people don't really get "blind".  Then I
>>>>> move
>>>>> on to the two main ways blind people use to move about, cane or dog.  I
>>>>> tell
>>>>> them that both methods work just fine and that every blind person has to
>>>>> figure out which they like or works best for them.  I introduce Monty,
>>>>> who
>>>>> was laying beside me.  I explain that when he is guiding me I hold onto
>>>>> the
>>>>> handle and walk a step behind his shoulders.  I feel which way he is
>>>>> moving
>>>>> from his shoulder movement, which travels through the harness handle.
>>>>> This
>>>>> is where I get a lot of odd questions.  I've found explaining it like
>>>>> dancing gets my point across about the best.  I explain that Monty will
>>>>> stop
>>>>> if there's something he wants me to know about or if we can't go around,
>>>>> but
>>>>> that I make all the choices of which way we are going.  People think you
>>>>> tell the dog "post office" and magically the dog takes you there.

>>>>> Over the years I have simplified my list of guide dog rules down to just
>>>>> one, *ask*.  I think that one about covers it and if they can remember
>>>>> just
>>>>> one thing I hope it is that one thing.  I emphasize it a lot.  If they
>>>>> want
>>>>> to pet, ask.  If they want to give food, ask, If they want to talk to the
>>>>> dog, ask.  Otherwise they should completely ignore the dog.  I think the
>>>>> just ask approach does a lot of things extremely simply.  If the kids are
>>>>> asking, then they are learning to view the blind person as the leader of
>>>>> the
>>>>> team.  They are learning basic dog etiquette that will serve them well
>>>>> with
>>>>> any sort of service dog team, police dog or even pets.  The just ask rule
>>>>> is
>>>>> extremely universal and flexible for any situation.  It allows each
>>>>> handler
>>>>> to manage the situation as he/she sees fit.

>>>>> Sometimes I let people pet, but usually not.  Either way I *always* smile
>>>>> and tell them "thank you for asking".

>>>>> Then I take questions.  I don't do demonstrations unless I can't figure a
>>>>> way out of it gracefully.  I've only ever done one.  Monty worked it
>>>>> perfectly, but because the group didn't understand the finer points of
>>>>> how
>>>>> we work they all thought he had made several mistakes.  I tried to
>>>>> explain
>>>>> the subtleties, but there just isn't time in these sorts of
>>>>> presentations. I
>>>>> left feeling very frustrated.

>>>>> I have also done presentations at schools, visually impaired peer support
>>>>> groups, the senior center and of course it comes up from time to time
>>>>> when
>>>>> I'm doing presentations for work.  A couple of years ago I was presenting
>>>>> to
>>>>> a group of business leaders about the county programs I administer and I
>>>>> think there were just as many questions about the dog as juvenile crime.
>>>>> *smile*

>>>>> If you enjoy these presentations and are looking for places to contact to
>>>>> offer your time maybe look at church groups, Chamber of Commerce member
>>>>> events, Health Department, schools, colleges especially the special ed or
>>>>> diversity studies, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, leadership groups, 4-H,
>>>>> children's museums, etc.  Something I have noticed through my county job
>>>>> is
>>>>> that more and more anytime there is state or federal grant funding, there
>>>>> is
>>>>> usually some component of diversity or disability or something.  There
>>>>> are
>>>>> trainings held to "educate" the people applying for and manageing these
>>>>> grants about these topics.  Although I had never attended a "diversity"
>>>>> training presented by a "diverse" person...except once.  I don't know of
>>>>> any
>>>>> easy way to find these opportunities though.

>>>>> HTH I hope you have fun and that the people learn a lot!
>>>>> Julie




>>>>> -----Original Message----- From: Eve Sanchez
>>>>> Sent: Friday, April 05, 2013 11:35 PM
>>>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] teaching the public


>>>>> Tomorrow there is a canine fashion show being put on as a fund raising
>>>>> event for a new K--9 for the Yavapaih County Marshalls. There are many
>>>>> silly things going on to get the community happy. There also some
>>>>> educational things going on to enlighten the community. First on the
>>>>> agenda is a presentation by yours truly on guide dogs. I did a
>>>>> presentation with my dog just last week during a dinner and know that
>>>>> there is an upcoming presentation on the schedule with a local church
>>>>> group. In other words, I am busy becoming an ambassador and educater
>>>>> about guide dogs and guide dog users. I am sure that many of you have
>>>>> done these types of things also and would love to hear about your
>>>>> experiences. It is not that I am some great speaker or anything. I
>>>>> just get asked. Also, in my community, there are a total of three
>>>>> guide dogs. WE JUST DONT HAVE THE NUMBERS
>>>>> I would really like to hear about what you all do with your dogs, not
>>>>> to compare, but to get more ideas of how we could all get involved and
>>>>> what others do that might be good ideas to borrow on. Thanks, Eve

>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>> --
>> --Dar
>> skype: dmgina23
>> FB: dmgina
>> www.twitter.com/dmgina
>> every saint has a past
>> every sinner has a future

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-- 
--Dar
skype: dmgina23
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www.twitter.com/dmgina
every saint has a past
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