[nagdu] 5 reasons Guide Dogs are a Terrible Idea

Fri Mar 20 16:20:23 UTC 2015

but it's the internet.  If it wasn't confrontational or controversial, no 
one would read it.  Edgy is what gets views.

Julie
Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now 
available! Get the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
Visit my new website on developing courage and living authentically:
http://www.falling-up.com
-----Original Message----- 
From: Buddy Brannan via nagdu
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 11:13 AM
To: Daryl Marie ; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] 5 reasons Guide Dogs are a Terrible Idea

I pretty much hate this article. Yes, it brings up some good points. There 
are certainly things I agree with, including the unwanted attention. But the 
delivery seems purposefully confrontational.

--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name

> On Mar 20, 2015, at 10:13 AM, Daryl Marie via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
> wrote:
>
> Hey, Aleeha,
>
> I am glad this article is getting the attention that it is.  With a bit of 
> distance and caffeine, I think my opinion remains the same... with a 
> slight qualifier.
>
> I agree with the place this article comes from, even if I am not sure I 
> agree with the delivery.  IMHO, guide dog schools have a responsibility to 
> their students to fully ensure them that they are aware that there are 
> drawbacks to having a dog.  A guide dog CAN have a bad day/week, be a 
> brat, be a diva, be frustratingly stubborn, disobey direct commands, be 
> inconvenient, get sick, etc.
>
> Had I known what the first 18 months with Jenny would be like, would I 
> have agreed to work with her?  Probably.  But I would have appreciated a 
> bit more well-rounded idea about what working with a guide would entail 
> from the school, and especially from other first-time handlers.  Jenny has 
> taught me a LOT about myself, expectations, and both the benefits and 
> drawbacks of working with a guide.
>
> Would any of the 5 items listed in the article made me NOT choose to work 
> a guide?  No... but there are others that might.  Every dog is different, 
> with unique quirks, foibles, and bad habits.  I do believe the place the 
> author is coming from is a good one: go in there with your eyes WIDE open.
>
> That being said, I think the delivery was a bit upsetting.  I can't quite 
> put my finger on it, but it was written in such a way thta guide dogs in 
> and of themselves were a burden, which I DO disagree with.
>
> Daryl
> ----- Original Message ----- From: Aleeha Dudley via nagdu 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU 
> Mailing List <nagdu at nfbnet.org> Sent: Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:51:37 -0600 
> (MDT) Subject: [nagdu] Fwd: 5 Reasons Why Guide Dogs Are a Terrible Idea! 
> 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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