[nagdu] Perspectives on Guide Dogs

[Shannon Dyer]

Hi, Rachel.

Unfortunately fear of dogs and allergies to dogs are pretty prevalent. A few weeks ago, I had someone refuse to board the bus because my partner and I had our guides on board. Most people aren't that unreasonable though. I've found that doing my part to keep the dog away from people, sitting far from them in a room or on a bus, helps. Some people cannot be reasoned with, and that's their issue, not yours.

The only times I don't take my dog with me are times when I do things that might not be safe for the dog. I rarely do this. Some people choose to leave their dogs home if they're going to a really loud concert, or a sporting event, where there might not be a good place to have the dog lie down.

I do not consider my dog to be a spouse or a child. Nonetheless, I love him, and give him lots of pets, praise, and cuddles. I've never had any of my guides interfere with my relationships with people. To me, it's just sort of a common sense thing. I'm not really sure how to put it into words.

People are definitely drawn to my dogs. I often joke that people only know me as the woman attached to the black dog. It's been that way since I got my first guide seventeen years ago. I'm pretty introverted, so it doesn't bother me much. I'm the kind of person who wants to read on a long plane ride, rather than chat. So, I answer questions politely, but don't pursue things beyond that point.

Hopefully, some of this proves helpful.

Shannon and the Acelet
On Oct 20, 2014, at 5:01 PM, Rachel Grider via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hello, Everyone:
> 
> My name is Rachel Gvider, and I just joined this list. I recently filled out the online portion of an application for a guide dog at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and I will be having my phone interview tomorrow. Although I am about 99.5% sure that I will follow through with getting a guide dog, I still have some concerns, and I thought it might be helpful to pose my questions to you all. Feel free to answer any or all questions that you want.
> 
> 1. Based on your experiences, which dog breeds do you feel make the best guide dogs and why?
> 
> 2. How have the dynamics in your home been changed since you got a guide dog, especially your relationships with family and other pets? If so, how do you keep a balance between your relationships?
> 
> 3. Do you feel that people tend to be drawn to you because of your dog rather than your own qualities? If so, have you done anything to change that?
> 
> 4. Have any of you ever been aware of housing or job discrimination because of your dog? If so, please explain.
> 
> 5. Where and when do you believe it is appropriate to have your dog with you, and where and when should one leave the dog at home? For example, is it appropriate to take your dog to a job interview?
> 
> 6. For those of you who are fond of sports such as running, hiking, and the like, are you able to use your dog as a mobility aid while participating in these activities?
> 
> 7. Do you think it is appropriate for a mobility instructor te use a guide dog?
> 
> 8. What are some of the emotional benefits that your guide dog has provided you?
> 
> 9. Have you ever encountered folks who had dog alergies or fear of dogs? If so, how did you deal with that?
> 
> 10.  What are some ways of finding a balance between treating your guide dog as a "soul mate" and simply using the guide dog as a mobility aid? I know that some of you might have extremely intimate relationships with your dogs and think of them on equal terms with a child or spouse. While I see nothing wrong with this, I personally do not want to think of my dog that way; I want it simply to be my partner and my companion. I do not want it to get in the way of my relationships with my human family. I also, however, want to give my dog no less attention and love than any animal deserves. What are some ways of developing healthy boundaries with your dog?
> 
> 11. As blind people, we know that using a guide dog instead of a cane makes no difference in the independence of the person. The average sighted person, however, is not educated in our mobility aids, and many of them have their own preconceived ideas about why one may use a cane or a dog. Based on your experiences, do you balieve that the overall public perception would favor a cane user or a dog user? For example, do you believe that you might have a greater chance getting a certain job if you brought your dog or your cane to the interview? Another example: Do you believe that a sighted person would be more or less inclined to want to date a blind person with a dog or without one?
> 
> Those are all my questions for now, and I will be discussing some of them with the folks at Guide Dogs as well. I balieve that in the end, any doubts that I have now will be outweighed by the benefits of having a guide dog. I appologize if any of you are offended by the blundness of some of my question--I have deep respect for all methods in which blind people use for travel, and I understand that everyone has his/her own way of working with a guide dog that works for that person.
> 
> Thank you in advance for your responces!
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> Rachel
> 
> rachelgrider.com
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