[nagdu] Fwd: 5 Reasons Why Guide Dogs Are a Terrible Idea!

[The Pawpower Pack]

I think he has some good things to say, but the tone was not appealing to me, personally.  
Everyone has to decide for themselves.  For some, the benefits outweigh the costs.  
He is a hearing, and I am guessing, physically able man, except for his blindness.  Thus he is speaking from that point of view.  
I'm Deafblind, with very poor balance. A dog is literally a gamechanger for me.  It is the difference between relying on a person and about 5 thousand dollars worth of equipment that I can't afford, or a dog  that will help me travel independently and allow me to sleep at night, knowing that I will be awakened should something happen.  
So for me, personally, there is no question.  But for someone who is blind, and who can use a cane with ease, the downsides would have a great deal more weight, I would think.

 Rox and the kitchen Bitches: 
Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
Pawpower4me at gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 20, 2015, at 10:13 AM, Pam via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> i do agree a dog is not for everyone and i think u have to really like dogs to get a guide dog. i hated using the caine so for me getting a dog was 1 of the best decisions i have made. i have a lot more confidence now and i walk a lot faster than i did with a caine. a lot more people come up and talk to me now since having the dog. i have 2 kids and since getting callie they can come to the shops with me something i never did with the caine. so i do think it depends on your circumstances and whether or not u r willing to put the work in to taking care of a dog. 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On 20 Mar 2015, at 13:51, Aleeha Dudley via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Just curious what you all think. This article greatly upset me, especially given the subject line. But I wanted to see what you guys thought, as the responses on the list that I saw this on our very mixed.  
>> 
>> If you're blind, you obviously read Braille. Your hearing must naturally be
>>> superior to your sighted peers, and of course you have a guide dog! Right?
>>> 
>>> Well, that last may not be as pervasive as the first and second. Someone
>>> recently told me the number of guide dog users has actually declined in my
>>> millennial generation. I have no evidence proving this one way or the other,
>>> but for the general public, to see a blind person with a guide dog feels as
>>> natural as butter and toast.
>>> 
>>> Thing is, I'm not so sure guide dogs are right for everyone. Or, maybe I'm
>>> just projecting my own uncertainties onto the rest of the community?
>>> 
>>> Last November I took the first step in the application process to return for
>>> a second Seeing Eye dog. It's been more than three years since I lost Gator,
>>> and even though I've gotten around just fine with a white cane, I am
>>> approaching what feels like the final years with sight, however minimal that
>>> sight might be. I admit it's unnerving if I sit still long enough to
>>> contemplate total blindness. NFB philosophy be damned, and the thought of an
>>> extra set of eyes to help me navigate the world does bring a measure of
>>> comfort. But, is it enough to go get another dog?
>>> 
>>> In no particular order, here are reasons why a guide dog would be a terrible
>>> idea:
>>> 
>>> Read more:
>>> 
>>> http://serotalk.com/2015/03/18/5-reasons-why-guide-dogs-are-a-terrible-idea/
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Musings of a Work in Progress:
>>> www.JoeOrozco.com/
>>> 
>>> Twitter: @ScribblingJoe
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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