[nagdu] Why, or why not?

Danielle Ledet singingmywayin at gmail.com
Fri Jun 19 22:56:51 UTC 2015


Oh Lawd. I never had such negative feelings and reactions when I had
my dogs. Sure I got questions but not constantly to the point of total
hotheadedness. The negative I can think of that really bothered me is
like Larry, people usually thought when they saw me without my dogs
that I seriously needed help getting places I even had someone on my
college campus think I was just walking that beautiful dog everyday
and that I must be LOST without him. Lol. Honestly, have you tried the
FURminator? And, the Zoom Groom? Those two tools alone made al the
difference I had a Golden and I'm thoroughly persuaded they shed the
most! I really could see less hair pulled out the next day. Oh and you
DO want an undercoat rake. I wil always thank PJ for giving me one, he
must've knew I would need it. I did have a problem with my dog
shedding excessively to the point she was bare on one side but tht was
due to a medical condition for which she was prescribed antibiotics
and then, it cleared up.

Danielle

On 6/19/15, larry d keeler via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Well Buddy, I've sure been there! I went to the hospital without Holly
> today. I actually left her home to sort of baby sit the puppy. My wife is in
> there for a couple of days! I walked in the hospital where I've gone for
> many years. In fact, I joke with people and am really more than half serious
> that I'm one of the few blind folks who knows the University of Michigan
> hospital better than most sighted folks. A woman barked at me because I came
> in with my cane. She wanted to know where I wanted to go, how long I was
> going to be there and why I wanted to go in in the first place! She was a
> door greeter not a doctor or anything! I told her I was ok and she kept
> following me until I turned down a couple of hallways to loose her. When I
> walk in with holly, I don't get that, usually. I do get a lot of questions
> about Holly though. Mostly, I just keep on going and pretend like I didn't
> hear them. Sometimes if I'm having a conversation, I'll answer all of the
> dog questions but mostly not. Also, its interesting that when you leave the
> dog home some people appear horrified! They get very concerned! About the
> DOG!! Not so much you! If they wonder about you its how will he get around
> without the dog. I'm 52 and didn't get a dog until I was 45. My decision was
> based on moving faster in som circumstances and also, I figured that if I
> had another dog, might as well be a working one! I mean really! The food
> those pets eat! And they just sit on you and bug you! Well,, better be
> careful, got one of those too! Some people just cqan't get it through there
> heads that dogs are great but not the only way to do things! And also that
> we blind folks are really supposed to be smarter than our dogs! Lastly, I
> certainly agree with the woman who's post you forwarded. I was honsurprised
> when I got Holly and everyone came out of the woodwork to talk to me! Or
> rather talk about Holly! Wonder if I'd met more women in college!  w
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan via
> nagdu
> Sent: Friday, June 19, 2015 4:02 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Buddy Brannan
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Why, or why not?
>
> For me, there is one huge overriding negative to using a guide dog. It's the
> one thing that, both times I went back, made me question whether I really
> wanted to do this again. Obviously, since I did do it again and am in the
> process of working on raising #4, then training #4, the positives outweigh
> for me, but it doesn't take this one aspect away.
>
> Cleaning up after? Don't care about that, it's just a thing. Hair? We've got
> other pets too, and if people don't like animal hair, stay the hell away
> from my house, because there will be some. Vet expenses, food expenses,
> inconvenient surprises? Don't care about those.
>
> No, the one disadvantage to working with a guide dog is other people. I
> don't like having pleasant meals with friends interrupted by random
> strangers who feel they must know immediately my dog's lineage, life story,
> and vital statistics. For some reason, I don't find socially fulfilling
> hearing about the dog you had that was just like mine, only smaller, black,
> and female. No, really, I don't find that my dog is a "social icebreaker"
> when random people feel the need to come and admire my dog while I'm
> crossing the street or waiting for a bus or running late for something. And
> I really don't care that you think I'm a complete ass because I said that,
> no, really, you can't pet my dog right now. Funny thing, I got my dog to
> help me get from where I am to where I'm going more efficiently. I'd really
> like to do that.
>
> Here's a blog post that sums this up brilliantly, from a twitter pal in the
> UK. Apparently, she's gotten some grief for this from other guide dog users
> who don't believe she is properly grateful. Count me as also not properly
> grateful, though the issue doesn't rise quite to the level it does for her
> with me.
>
> From http://catchthesewords.com/i-am-not-my-dog/
>
> I am not my dog
>
> Having a dog can be a good thing. For some, it is a smoother, more effective
> way of travel. For others the cane is by far the better option. Both are
> perfectly valid experiences, what works for one blind person doesn’t for
> another. I have come to loathe the perception that my life must have been
> awful before getting Isla. I think the media is partly responsible for this,
> feeding the mentality that guide dogs are always best. Cane users are seen
> as incompetent, or desperately lonely blind people who must be longing for a
> dog. That quite simply isn’t true. And just because a person might find
> guide dog travel better for them doesn’t mean they had no life before
> getting a dog.
>
> I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. I’ll be going to university in
> September and I’m concerned that people will choose to speak to me because
> I’m holding onto a very cute looking dog, not because I’m a genuinely
> interesting person…though that’s debatable I suppose! I know some guide dog
> owners love the extra attention they receive, they feel like they are
> connecting with more people and it gives them the opportunity to make
> friends, however for me it’s been a miserable experience. I would rather two
> people come up to me directly in a week and ask me about the band shirt I’m
> wearing and whether I’ve seen them, than 200 who want to know my dogs life
> story. I’m not my dog and I’m desperately trying to break free of that
> perception. I’m also not public property, I’m a real girl with feelings who
> would like to be shown the same basic respect others deserve.
>
> To illustrate this, I want to talk about several interactions I’ve had this
> past week.
>
> On Tuesday I went to the dentist, the guy is new and he was very nice to me.
> However, he didn’t ask me any questions about my life, besides the
> obligatory medical history. Our brief conversation revolved around my dog,
> and how I must find things easier now I have her. The problem I find with
> this isn’t that people ask, it’s how they phrase it.
>
> “So, your life must be so much better now you have her.”
>
> They aren’t actually asking me if I prefer using a dog or a cane, instead
> they assume that it is the case. I know people don’t mean it, or probably
> don’t even think about it. Perhaps it seems like I’m being overly sensitive
> and it’s a simple issue, however I hear this day in day out. I know that it
> is how people think, they have this idea that a dog is best for everyone.
> Canes are seen as your training wheels, after which you progress to a dog.
> And I always want to tell people no, that isn’t true. But no matter how
> nicely you explain it many get upset, or even offended. They have this view
> that a dog is best and telling them no goes against everything they have
> ever seen in the media. Yes, a person may prefer guide dog travel but that
> doesn’t mean before they got a dog they sat at home and cried into their
> pillow.
>
> I did however have a very nice talk with a lady who worked in a shop whilst
> I was looking for a dress to buy. She was far more interested in describing
> me the dresses and helping me look for them than asking me personal
> questions. I shouldn’t have to find experiences like this refreshing, but I
> do.
>
> However for the rest of the day most questions I received from shop
> assistants whilst I was paying involved the following:
>
> How old is your dog?
> Is it a boy or a girl?
> What’s its name?
> How long have you had it?
> Is it your first dog.
>
> I don’t mind that people ask exactly, but I always get asked this set of
> questions. I know people don’t realise that I’ve had to answer them hundreds
> of times before. It honestly gets tiring and boring, and I wish their
> attention could be diverted elsewhere.
>
> The same happened when I went to get my hair cut. People came and sat next
> to me while I was waiting, asked me their questions about Isla and that was
> it. And this is why I hate it. People don’t talk to me because they actually
> have an interest in who I am, they just want to know about my dog. I would
> rather people didn’t speak to me at all in that case. Perhaps I’m in the
> minority, but it is something I think about a lot. I don’t want to put
> people off approaching guide dog owners but I wish they would think about
> why they are actually doing it first. If you think that person might need
> help, and you go up to them to ask that’s fine, if they say yes, by all
> means help and if they say no, please respect their decision. But if the
> only reason you speak to a person is to quiz them about their dog and then
> effectively ignore them…what’s the point?
>
> I understand that for some dog owners the interactions are welcome but
> personally I don’t enjoy it. I want to go to university and meet people who
> like the same things I do, who want to spend time with me because they see
> something that interests them. I don’t want people to spend time with me
> because they get access to a very friendly dog. I don’t know how I can
> ensure this, besides trying to figure out why people are actually talking to
> me. I don’t want to become popular on campus because everyone loves my dog.
> Ultimately in that situation I mean nothing, it is Isla who people are
> interested in. It’s the reason why I’m so sure I won’t be getting another
> dog. I travel well with a cane, yes, dog travel has its benefits but for me
> the attention I receive because of it is far more negative than any of the
> positives can add up to be. I wish I didn’t feel this way, but I know it
> won’t change. I don’t like huge amounts of attention being placed upon me,
> and I would rather receive very small amounts and be valued as a human.
>
> Dog handlers are real people. Their dogs may look very friendly, but please
> remember that there is a person holding onto that harness and we all deserve
> to be valued for the people we are.
>
> Like this post? Share it with your friends!
>
>
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: 814-860-3194
> Mobile: 814-431-0962
> Email: buddy at brannan.name
>
>
>
>
>> On Jun 19, 2015, at 3:08 PM, S L Johnson via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Personally I don't find any negatives about having a guide dog.  There are
>>
>> so many positives that nothing is too much work in order for me to have a
>> dog.  , I always ask for a golden so I have lots of hair.  I brush her
>> every
>> night to keep the shedding down.  It is possible your dog had a medical
>> issue that contributed to her excessive shedding.  Also if she were under
>> a
>> lot of stress that could have also caused her to shed more.  Stress for
>> working dogs can cause all kinds of problems.   If people don't want dog
>> hair, then maybe a dog isn't for them.  If people don't want my dog hair
>> in
>> their car, then I don't go anywhere with them.  My dog is more important
>> than that inconsiderate person.  I suppose you could say high vet bills
>> could be a negative but, even that is worth it because the dog gives you
>> so
>> much more independence.  It is a tough question to answer because what you
>>
>> see as a negative might not mean anything to someone else who will do
>> absolutely anything to have a guide dog.  As for access issues, I don't
>> have
>> any problems with it and feel it is just one of the responsibilities of
>> having a guide dog.  It is a personal decision and only you will be able
>> to
>> weigh the positives against the negatives n the end to make your decision.
>>
>> Whatever you decide, good luck.
>>
>> Sandra and Eva
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: daniel via nagdu
>> Sent: Friday, June 19, 2015 12:05 PM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: daniel
>> Subject: [nagdu] Why, or why not?
>>
>> Hey guys, I haven't posted to the list in a while mainly because I don't
>> have my dog anymore; she was terrified of cars and couldn't do work
>> properly
>> because of it. I know this is going to come off a bit negatively but I
>> don't
>> mean it that way: I feel as if, guide dog users we have a tendency to
>> extol
>> the greatness of using a guide dog, we always say how amazing it is and
>> wonderful having one by our side is but I feel that the cons aren't ever
>> really discussed. I retired my dog roughly a year ago and, at the time, it
>> was pretty tramatic (I literally cried for like an hour at a time). I'm
>> now
>> really contemplating going back to The Seeing Eye again and am really
>> honestly wondering what kind of cons or negative things yall have ran into
>> while using a dog? I know there is a huuuge range of people from just
>> starting out to have had a dog for the past 20 years so I feel like I can
>> get some really good feedback. I know one for me was (and this may sound
>> odd
>> or vain) was excessive shedding. I could brush and comb Irene for 30-45
>> minutes every evening and morning and yet, every time I got in a car there
>> would be fur everywhere and when I vacuumed I could've probably made a
>> pillow every time. I have literally never in my life seen a dog shed as
>> much
>> as that and am quite frankly not sure where all the fur came from off a 45
>> pound dog. However, I think I could deal with it again if I were to get
>> another guide dog; I would just have to get even better at managing. I
>> have
>> a few others but I'm wondering what are some for yall?
>>
>> Again, I really am not trying to be negative just really trying to get the
>> whole story.again.
>>
>> I'm also (obviously) trying to decide if I want to go back again (that's a
>> whole other post though, I think). I'm also not really trying to say (nor
>> do
>> I want yet another debate) that canes are better than dogs or vice versa.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Dan.
>>
>>
>>
>> P.s: This is a sort of spinoff from "would I ever give up having a dog?"
>>
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