[nagdu] an interesting conversation I just had

Wed Nov 20 23:51:11 UTC 2013

I'm so sorry you had to go through this...  Honestly, many dogs eat
grass, even if they don't have stomach issues.  I don't know if this
person was a friend or not, but if she is, I would have a talk with
her about how she should ask you if you need help and not touch your
dog's leash without permission.  I don't even let my friends touch the
dog's harness or leash while they are on her.  That is scary to me.

For Kristin, my dog and I have figured out a way to deal with people
randomly grabbing me.  When I am grabbed by a sighted person and
pulled or pushed in a random direction, I stop.  When I stop, the
person will keep trying to get me to move, but the dog will not move.
I have done that so much by this point that my dog Brie knows that
when someone is pulling on me that she should stop.  Now I can
honestly tell people that if they try to do this, my dog will not move
because it is dangerous, and it is.  People don't understand that when
they grab us, push us, or otherwise interfere with our mobility that
we really can be harmed.  I have tripped down stairs because of
someone grabbing me at the top of a set of steps.  I have decided that
in order for me to feel safe, I need to refuse to move when grabbed by
a stranger or even a friend.  Now if they ask you if you would like to
take their arm, that is a completely different story.  Maybe I'm just
a control freak, but sighted people don't feel that they should let
others get away with randomly pulling them around.

On 11/20/13, Marsha Drenth <marsha.drenth at gmail.com> wrote:
> Just to clarify, those of us who are blind, but also have balance issues,
> might need to link arms with the sighted person. By no means should this
> method be used for occasions.
>
>
> Marsha drenth
> Sent with my IPhone
>
>> On Nov 20, 2013, at 5:39 PM, Abigail Marie Bolling
>> <violingirl30794 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I am a little worried that your OandM instructor was so blatantly rude
>> about your dog.
>>
>> and really, I can't find a wrong way to use sighted guide.
>> The only way I can see that it's wrong, I would say the only way wrong
>> to use the technique is to link arms with the guide.
>>
>> Just food for thought. By the way, I love your dog's name.
>>
>>> On 11/20/13, Star Gazer <pickrellrebecca at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Your instructor has a boss. I'd give that boss a call. Yanking you and
>>> intimidating you is not cool.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kristen
>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 5:22 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] an interesting conversation I just had
>>>
>>> I had a similar experience today with my dog on an O&M lesson.
>>>
>>> The instructor attempted to direct me on how to properly command
>>> Corvette,
>>> even though she then admitted that she has no experence working with
>>> guide
>>> dogs. She kept turning us around, making Corvette very confused and
>>> unable
>>> to move forward. She wouldn't let him use the bathroom when he was
>>> anxious
>>> (that is always how I know when he has to go). I couldn't do anything
>>> right
>>> for her today.
>>>
>>> She later yanked my arm and his leash to make us go the way she wanted.
>>> I
>>> moved my hand, so that I was holding on to her, but she
>>> said: "You're not even doing sighted guide correctly; does your mother
>>> let
>>> you get away with this when you hold on to her?" (She said that I needed
>>> to
>>> have my fingers on one side of her arm and my thumb on the other - like
>>> a
>>> pop can - whereas I put my whole hand around someone's arm.) When
>>> Corvette
>>> was extremely confused because of her, I asked her if she could guide me
>>> back to the car, but she refused. Later, she told me that I need to take
>>> the
>>> time to practice with Corvette because he is losing skills, which is
>>> untrue.
>>>
>>> I think you did the right thing with the person walking with you.
>>> People who know nothing about guide dogs have no say. We have been
>>> through
>>> training and know what to do in these instances.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Kristen
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Aleeha Dudley <blindcowgirl1993 at gmail.com
>>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 15:03:22 -0500
>>> Subject: [nagdu] an interesting conversation I just had
>>>
>>> Hello all,
>>>  My main point of this message is to see what you all thought of a
>>> situation that just came up.
>>>  I was walking with someone, on my way from my genetics class to
>>> statistics. The minute we walked out the door of the biological sciences
>>> building, I knew Dallas was not at all focused. He was pulling left,
>>> nearly
>>> ran me into a pole, and being very sniffy. I gave a verbal correction, a
>>> "hup-up" and we made it to the mid-block crossing I had to use, which
>>> wasn't
>>> very far from  the building, We got across the street OK. Dallas veered
>>> a
>>> bit, but the "straight"
>>> command had him positioned beautifully for the up curb.
>>>  After going up the curb, Dallas seemed very distracted, so I stopped,
>>> gave
>>> a sharp correction, and tried to move on. The individual walking with me
>>> said "Hey, don't do that! I'm right here!" I promptly and rather sharply
>>> said: "If you weren't here, he's got to focus.
>>> I
>>> could've just gotten hit by a car because he was not focused at all."
>>> I got a grudging "OK" and we moved on.
>>>  Not ten feet later, Dallas pulled off like he had to park. He didn't
>>> have
>>> a regular stool this morning, so I let him go.
>>> Unfortunately, I
>>> dropped the leash accidentally and my walking companion grabbed it and
>>> would
>>> not give it back. All Dallas did was sniff, eat leaves, and chew on
>>> nuts,
>>> so, when I heard he had a nut in his mouth, I took the leash, grabbed
>>> the
>>> nut out of Dallas's mouth, and threw it away. Dallas never did park, so
>>> I
>>> tried to move on. My companion asked me if I had fed Dallas this
>>> morning,
>>> then went on to suggest that Dallas had intestinal issues because he was
>>> trying to eat grass and leaves.
>>> I
>>> told him that Dallas was just being stubborn and that he needed to
>>> understand that I would not take this garbage from him. This person
>>> said: "Well, right where you're correcting him is right on his jugular,
>>> and
>>> you don't want to mess that up." I attempted to explain the strength of
>>> the
>>> neck muscles, but this person just wouldn't stop.
>>> Meanwhile, Dallas wouldn't go anywhere, so I chose to take the person's
>>> arm
>>> and walk with Dallas at heel because I didn't have much time and it was
>>> evident that all Dallas wanted to do was eat. I tried to explain to this
>>> person that Dallas is a hard-headed dog and needs a good "tail-kicking."
>>> This person said "well, don't hurt him!" I cannot believe the ignorance
>>> of
>>> this individual. But was I right in what I did? Shis person left me with
>>> a
>>> nasty comment of "well take care of him." Like I don't love and deeply
>>> care
>>> for my dog. Oh, what a mess!
>>> Aleeha and the insolent Dallas
>>>
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>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Abigail Bolling
>> Ohio Association Of Blind Students: Treasurer
>>
>> Email: Abigail.me.bolling94 at gmail.com and violingirl30794 at hotmail.com
>> Phone: 513-258-5043
>> "Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing
>> like no one is listening, and live like it's heaven on earth." William
>> Purkey
>>
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>
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-- 
Julie McG
National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
"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