[nagdu] Guide Dog Use at national Convention

[Sheila Leigland]

hi, that is a great post. I agree that there is no right answer but 
knowing your dog is important and understanding that the stress level 
will be different for both human and dog.
On 5/22/2013 5:58 PM, Julie J. wrote:
> In regard to leaving the guide dog at home...I truly believe it 
> depends on each individual circumstance.  Each dog is going to have 
> it's strengths and weaknesses.  Usually you figure out what they are 
> in the first few months. If I had a dog that was stellar at off road 
> travel, had good initiative, remembered previous routes and didn't 
> mind long meetings, that would cover about 97% of my needs.  If that 
> same dog really hated loud music, like at a concert, I'd be perfectly 
> happy leaving him home the extremely infrequent times I'd be around 
> loud music.  I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to attend a 
> concert and I wouldn't want to be fussing with an unhappy dog all 
> evening either. Leaving the dog at home keeps everyone sane and happy.
>
> Now if I had a dog who wouldn't mind his manners around food, say in a 
> restaurant for example, I'd have a larger problem because I like to 
> eat out. that is something I do frequently.  Leaving him behind would 
> be a much greater amount of time apart and a massive amount of 
> inconvenience.  However there are people who only eat out once a 
> year.  So for them perhaps leaving the dog behind when they go to a 
> restaurant is a doable option.
>
> Like I said in my last message, I leave Monty with the dog sitter when 
> I travel for more than 3 or 4 days.  That's usually just once a year.  
> He's working nearly every other day of the year so I think he deserves 
> a dog vacation as much as I need my people vacation.  It's all about 
> finding the right balance for the individual person, the individual 
> dog and that specific combination of person and dog.
>
> I have a guide dog because it increases my mobility options.  I feel 
> that a dog adds to my choices, not replaces the cane.  I pick what is 
> going to work best for me in any given situation.  Usually that is 
> Monty, sometimes it is a white cane and  sometimes it is a human 
> guide. Just because I choose one of these in some particular situation 
> does not mean I don't need or value the others.
>
> If I used a guide dog 100% of the time and absolutely refused to go 
> anywhere or do anything without him, I would have missed out on some 
> amazing opportunities.  I would not have attended my one and only 
> concert, I would not have gone to Alaska and I would not be going to 
> wilderness survival school this summer.
>
> Julie
>
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