[nagdu] a dog for Tom was Washington DC metro area puppies (add Rockville ADA)

[Julie J.]

Tom,

You've had a lot of different ideas with a variety of accompanying 
questions.  I'll try to address all the options and my thoughts about each. 
This is probably going to be very, very long.  Go get a coffee now before 
you start reading this!

Option One: a traditional guide from a program
You've been rejected from two programs and have come to the conclusion that 
this isn't for you.   I've written extensively before on why I think you 
were denied.  You are fairly newly blind.  You haven't learned how to use a 
cane very well yet.  You do not travel with your cane very frequently.  You 
are not accepting of a non visual means of mobility.  It will be extremely 
difficult for you to suddenly quit using your vision to move about and rely 
on the dog.   Learning the underlying skills of orientation that are 
necessary to be able to use a guide dog effectively can take a few months 
with significant daily effort or even a couple of years.  Learning the 
larger skill set of accepting your blindness, being seen out and about with 
your cane, feeling comfortable with relying on non visual means of 
mobility...those things can also take a few months to a few years.  I know a 
few people who have been blind for a long, long time and are still trying to 
hide it.

If you  want a guide from a program, I think that is possible.   Work on 
your blindness skills and reapply in a year.  there are a large number of 
programs in the U.S. and I am reasonably confident that at least one of them 
will accept you.  In short, you applied too early and are not ready.

A guide from a program has some significant advantages.  It is an adult dog 
with all of the core training already done.  You will receive training on 
how to best utilize the skills of the dog.   You will be provided with 
information about your rights when accompanied by the dog.  In most cases 
you will have access to follow up services if you should run into any 
difficulties.

Option Two: training your own service/guide dog
It is completely legal to do this.  Three of my four guides were trained by 
me.  The fourth was privately trained for me by another blind person. 
However, training your own guide dog is much, much, much more involved than 
might appear at first glance.

You still have to have the basic blindness skills.  The dog is not trained 
when you begin, so you still have to be able to use a cane to get about. 
If you start with an adult dog, it may take a few months to a full year to 
train the guide skills.  If you start with a puppy, it can take up to two 
years.  Owner training is not a quick fix by any stretch of the imagination.

Add on to the training time, the time it will take to find a suitable dog to 
start with.  This is actually the most time consuming part of the whole 
thing.  Start with an unsuitable dog and you have just signed up for a lot 
of frustration and disappointment. Start with a dog who is suitable but 
needs a lot of socialization or fill in the gaps training and you will have 
the opportunity to learn patience on a grand scale.   Start with a suitable 
and ready to learn dog and the guide training is time consuming, but fairly 
straightforward.

All of this is assuming that you have a background in dog training of some 
variety.  If you know nothing about dogs or dog training you will have to 
learn all those skills.   The steeper your personal learning curve, the less 
likely you are to be successful with owner training.

I'm not trying to be harsh, but owner training is simply not for everyone. 
It takes an incredible amount of work and dedication.  You need to have good 
overall blindness skills, excellent orientation skills, the time, the 
financial ability to cover expenses, an understanding of dog behavior and 
training, a good understanding of how guide dogs work, a solid dog to start 
with, people to support you, a sense of adventure, a bit of fearlessness and 
a heaping helping of commitment to the process.  Some of these are 
absolutely essential and non negotiable.  Other items on this list can be 
learned as you go.  The more of these you have, the more likely you are to 
be successful.

There are obviously advantages to owner training.  The main one is the level 
of customization.  I, personally, find it rewarding to train my own dogs, 
but I do a lot of things I find rewarding that others think are nutty.  I 
like to learn new things, to problem solve and all things DIY.

Option Three: raising a puppy for a program
If you want to do this, you really need to Google service or guide dog 
programs in your area and see what's available.  To be clear this is a 
volunteer project.  It will not be a trained dog.  It will not do anything 
to help you with your disability.  You will have no right to portray the dog 
as a service dog.  It isn't.  It is a dog who may one day be a service dog, 
but is currently a puppy, nothing more.

Generally you would be expected to keep the dog for about a year, perhaps a 
little more.  You would teach the dog basic obedience skills like: sit, 
down, stay, come, etc.  You would teach house manners like: not getting into 
the trash, not jumping on people, relieving outdoors, not stealing food and 
anything else the dog needs to know to live peacefully with people.  You 
would socialize the dog, meaning taking the dog places to get him used to 
daily life with a person.   these might include: parks, stores, various 
modes of transportation, restaurants, etc.  It is possible to properly 
socialize a puppy while taking them only to pet friendly places.  Health 
care and food establishments are the only places where laws restrict pet 
dogs from entering.  Everywhere else, the florist, the hardware store, the 
hair salon, the computer repair, outdoor cafes, farmers markets and the 
like, it is up to the individual store owner whether or not they will allow 
dogs.

Others have explained the legal issues with service dogs and service dogs in 
training.  Here's a review:
In order for a dog to be legally a service/guide dog under the ADA it must:
1. be individually trained.  This means the training is completed.  The dog 
has basic obedience, socialization, manners and advanced task training. 
For a guide dog the advanced task training includes: avoiding obstacles, 
indicating environmental features, and responding to directional cues.
2. The handler must have a disability.
3. The skills the dog has been trained to do must mitigate the handlers 
disability.  If your disability is blindness and the dog is trained to alert 
you to the doorbell,  this isn't a legal service dog for you.

I cannot stress enough that it is the disabled person who has the right to 
be accompanied by the dog to mitigate a disability.  A service dog has no 
civil rights.  Legally it is no different than a wheelchair.  A service dog 
is a tool, like a white cane, used to mitigate a disability.  White canes 
have no civil rights.   Think of a guide dog like a white cane in regard to 
legal issues.

Raising puppies that may grow up to be guide or service dogs is a worthwhile 
endeavor.  It is needed and appreciated.  If you feel this is a volunteer 
opportunity that fits your lifestyle, then go for it.  Please understand 
though, it's not a service dog.

Option Four: a pet dog
I've had pet dogs all of my life.  I love dogs, enjoy having them around and 
would have a dog even if I decide at some point to not have a guide dog. 
There are health benefits to having pets, lower stress levels and 
companionship among others.  Having a pet dog is a perfectly respectable 
option.

You can teach the dog anything you like, obedience skills, fun tricks, to go 
on nature hikes...even competition dog sports.   There are loads and loads 
of things you can go and do with a pet dog.  There are clubs to join and 
lots of pet friendly places to go.  If you want a dog for the sake of going 
and doing things with a dog, then there are lots of dogs who would love to 
join you.


There are other options like private trainers, service dog programs for 
other types of disabilities other than blindness, having no dog, a mini 
horse and probably others I'm not thinking of at the moment.  The above are 
the most popular choices though.  I'd encourage you to work on your 
blindness skills diligently for a bare minimum of 6 months.  If you have the 
opportunity to get blindness skills training from your state's agency, then 
take advantage of that.  In the meantime, think very, very carefully about 
what it is exactly you want from a dog.   Do you want a companion to watch 
TV with?  A free spirited dog to free run along side you as you go hiking? 
A dog to indicate overhead obstacles? A way to get involved in your 
community?  All of these are totally legitimate wants in a dog, but what 
exactly you want and need will determine what type of dog will fit into your 
life.

All my best to you!
Julie