[NAGDU] Questions About Getting My First Guide Dog

[Rachel Grider]

Hello, Friends!

I don't usually post to this list because, having never used a guide dog, I have nothing productive to contribute. This is shortly going to change, though, as I will be going to the Seeing Eye to train with a new guide dog in two weeks! I am very excited, though this decision has been a very long time coming. I am still unsure about some things, but I know that I will need to try it out in order to know for sure if a guide dog will be the best mobility aid for me. 

I have a few questions for y'all about adjusting to a new guide dog. I will probably think of many more as I proceed, but here are a few with which to start:

1. I teach private voice lessons. I have already notified my students that I will be away for most of June, but I have not yet told them why. I know that it would probably be common courtesy to let them know that I am getting a guide dog before they show up to my studio and see my dog there. I am nervout about telling them because I don't know what kind of reaction I will get. What have some of you done in similar situations, and how have your students/clients/associates reacted?

2. I happen to own a cat who is not only quite territorial but also extremely emotionally attached to me; I mean, when I am home, this cat literally follows me around and is always trying to get me to either play or cuddle with her. The man who did my home interview didn't seem too concerned about her adjusting to a dog, but because the emotional well-being of my cat is extremely important to me, I cannot help being worried. I know this sounds really stupid, but I am afraid that because my dog will go with me whenever I leave my house, and then return home with me, my cat will begin to associate me with the dog and instead of growing used to my dog over time, she will resent me and not want to be around me as much. Am I reading too much into this? Regardless, what are some ways in which you have made the transition easier for your pets?

3. I have two good friends who are allergic to dog hair. Both of them are not worried about being around me with the dog, as long as I keep it brushed, but I am concerned that despite their reassurances, my relationships with them will suffer. One of these friends told me that service dogs have been brought to her house before, and as long as the dog stayed in the back yard, everything was fine. Is that appropriate to do with a guide dog? How have some of you dealt with this?

That will be it for now. Any advice would be appreciated. I am counting down the days until I will get to meet my new guide, but I still want to make sure that all proactical considerations are made.

Cheers!

Rachel

http//www.rachelgrider.com