[nagdu] Perspectives on Guide Dogs

[Larry D Keeler]

Well Rachel, you sure have a lot of questions! If you want a dog who gets 
along with everyone, labs, goldens and labradoodles work well. Some other 
breeds tend to be more of a one person dog than others. For example, 
shepherds have this tendency. But, its only a tendancy! Some breeds like 
labradoodles and poodles don't shed. They are considered low allergy dogs. 
But, they require a lot more grooming and regular haircuts. Labs and goldens 
are great but they shed. As far as my family and friends are concerned, I 
set the boundaries when I got home. While working, don't mess with or talk 
to her. Otherwise, go for it! We've also had other pets and it hasn't been 
an issue. I have taken Holly to job interviews, council meetings, wraparound 
meetings, hospitals and concerts. I will leave her home if working in the 
kitchen, if its too hot, too icy or really rainy. Otherwise, away we go! Our 
bond is quite strong but allows room for pets and family. Holly also gets 
along with everyone in the family and knows the difference between work and 
play. Most dogs will hike walk or run as far as you want too. I have walked 
acrossed Ann Arbor with Holly. You just have to pay attention to weather 
conditions and give more water sometimmes. The only thing that's changed for 
me having a guide dog is that I can take her with me! Couldn't do that with 
my pets! In fact, when I first came home from Pilot, I sometimes forgot I 
could take her! Not having a dog for 45 years it felt funny taking her. But 
now, We even took a car trip to D.C. to watch my daughter graduate from 
Gallaudet. The ride down was long as well as the ride back and her schedule 
was goofed up but, we had a lot of fun! Holly was great excpt for the 
squirrels and the drinking out of the toilet thing!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rachel Grider via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2014 5:01 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Perspectives on Guide Dogs


> 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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