[nagdu] teaching the public

[d m gina]

Hi there,
I sure didn't correct, because I feel the same way you do.
I want him to decide for himself what we need to do.
I just get frustrated when I am told the dog isn't good because he 
didn't do this or that.
I am more sensitive with this dog than my others.
I had to work hard getting him, where he is a slow thinker, where I 
respect this.
We get done what we need to do.
Original message:
> Ben doesn't always follow well, and especially didn't when he was younger.
>  It's only a tiny part of his job; most of the time, we're on our own and
> he has to use his initiative.  So naturally, when he could follow someone,
> he's still thinking about what's the best way to go, in his opinion.  I
> don't correct him for that.  I value his thinking, and want to encourage
> his initiative. In the big picture, it's a lot more useful to me than just
> following.  The people I'm with don't always understand that, though.
> Tracy

>> 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
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>> www.twitter.com/dmgina
>> every saint has a past
>> every sinner has a future

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