[NAGDU] Questions About Getting My First Guide Dog

[S L Johnson]

Rachel:

First let me say good luck to you and your soon to be new dog.  You will 
learn a lot in a short time about using a guide dog.  All of us will be 
anxious waiting to hear about your training experience and your new dog.

As for your students, I would definitely tell them as soon as possible. 
They will probably have a lot of questions about how the dog will be able to 
help you.  Some of them may be afraid of dogs.  You will have to explain to 
them that your dog will be under your control at all times and will not 
bother them while they are in your  studio for their lessons.

As for friends and/or students with allergies, you will explain that your 
dog will always be well groomed.  I am allergic to dogs but have asthma and 
have used a guide dog for 41 years.  I find that a good daily grooming keeps 
my golden retrievers from aggravating my allergic symptoms too much.  There 
are a lot of products such as food supplements, shampoos, grooming sprays 
that help to control excessive shedding.  You will Assure them that your dog 
will be kept under your control and will not come up close to them 
aggravating their allergies.  For somebody who cannot be in the same room 
with a dog at all, then you will have to decide if there is any compromise 
such as leaving your dog in another office or reception area while that 
student is in your studio.  This probably wouldn't work out because there 
will already be dog hair in the room from those times when the dog is with 
you.  That is why notifying the students before you come home with the dog 
is so important.

As for your friends, they will understand your decision to get a guide dog. 
They will have to understand that your dog is with you in order to be your 
guide.  I personally would not want to leave my guide outside but, you will 
have to evaluate each situation for yourself.  If you do decide to leave 
your dog outside, be sure the yard is fully enclosed by a a fence that the 
dog cannot jump over.  Be sure the yard does not have anything such as toxic 
plants, gardening supplies and tools, fuel cans etc...  Once you have 
determined that the yard is safe you should periodically go and check on 
your dog to be sure everything is fine.  The only other concern leaving your 
dog outside is weather.  You need to be sure it is not too hot or too cold 
for the dog to be outside for an extended period of time.

Sandra Johnson and Golden Retriver Eva

-----Original Message----- 
From: Rachel Grider via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 6:01 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Rachel Grider
Subject: [NAGDU] Questions About Getting My First Guide Dog

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
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