[NAGDU] FW: Guide dog harness

[Cindy Ray]

I received this E-mail Monday and the man is looking for harnesses. I hope
someone can help him. He isn't on our list, so please write him off list.
Cindy Lou Ray
cindyray at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Wolf [mailto:pwolf1 at wolfskills.com] 
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2016 1:39 PM
To: cindyray at gmail.com
Subject: Guide dog harness

Hi Cindy-

I recently found your name while googling amongst discussion about guide dog
harnesses, particularly from Sweden.  I want to give you some background
because you'd be involved in NFB and might know where to refer me. 

I have an unorthodox situation.  Many folks have one of their own.  This one
is mine...

I have been vision impaired (cortical/functional blindness) for 7 years.
It's a weird condition in that my eyes see, but my brain doesn't, or gets
what comes in generally confused to overwhelming; vibrating, often motion
kaleidoscopic or, whoops, missing where I might have seen it.  I have to
black it out often and 'go blind' to get back on track.  So I live between
worlds of sighted and blind.  I have gone through programs, am O&M trained.
I use my cane a lot, often even while walking with my dog because I've lost
spatial sensation can blank at moments where my feet are.

Six years ago, (before we found out that I would have qualified for a guide
dog), I got got creative.  I got a puppy and worked with a school to adapt
training for my crossed needs of guide, balance, and my particular vision
carnival.  She has been fantastic.  All this time, we developed a way to
work together with finger loops custom spaced along a leash, to hold very
slight tension with one finger at the different angles along it as we walk.
Moving together, this keeps me posted on what the missing sensation of "up"
might mean.  It has been great.   But the visual-spatial issues have
escalated and it is time to harness train.  I realize I am going about this
backward, but yep, I am.  I'm not going to get a guide dog, because Metukah
and I team perfectly, and she's Awesome. 

I have sought further training.  I need to find sources of comfortable
harnesses.  She's not a standard guide dog body; she's a sighthound.  A
harness I fit her with will have to be narrower and softer than what
shepherds or labs wear typically.  

Can you possibly direct me, or refer me to someone who is familiar with
varied sources or manufacturers for guide harnesses?  I found one once from
Sweden, but have not located it again.  Being inventive has been required,
and oh so worth it.  I would be grateful.  

Thanks so much,

Peter
pwolf1 at wolfskills.com
707-829-0776